It’s no secret, AI has taken over the market, setting new expectations across the board. Late last year, HR has seen a storm of technology take over the traditional processes of HR. Where previously HR talent were more focused on the administrative operations, technology has created a shift in responsibility.

The Employment Index by Monster which analyses online hiring across Asia has found a rise in demand for HR talent. What Monster found was a 32% year-on-year increase in July and also a double digit growth since the start of the year. In India as well, they witnessed a significant increase in demand for HR and Administrative professionals across all prime cities. Indeed, it is high time for HR professionals, but what kind of HR talent is the market really looking for?

The Key Role of HR in Strategic Planning and Crisis Management

For years, the challenge among HRs has been the fight in driving business decision. With the rise of technology and HR solutions in helping manage HR operations, HR professionals are in a time better than ever to step up their game and make a difference in the industry. Currently, the market is looking for HR talent with the bigger picture in mind. This means HR professionals who are skilled at strategic planning and crisis management. 

“The HR industry is evolving in various aspects from culture, technology and environment, but the next challenge also lies in CHROs and talent leaders becoming strategic business partners”.

Abhijeet Mukherjee, CEO of Monster.com (APAC & Middle East)

As the market evolves, it is up to HR professionals to recognise and identify the strengths and gaps of the organisation. To give the business a competitive edge by implementing strategies that help retain and develop key talent. This means the key role of HR will be in strategic planning and crisis management. To help the business navigate through the challenging terrain and arming the organisation with top talent.

HR Crisis Management: A Matter of Life and Death

For SMEs where resources are limited, the responsibility of PR often falls under the HR team. While it is not everyday that small businesses have to deal with a PR crisis, it is nonetheless a sensitive area where even the slightest scandal can turn into a messy brand catastrophe.

Ben Bazinet, Vice President, Strategy & Development at Horizon North Logistics, found himself in such a situation not long ago. A PR crisis landed on the hands of Bazinet when a murder took place in one of their remote locations where they had camped their employees.

Immediately, they were flooded by the media asking to comment on the matter. With no contingency plan or guideline in place to handle a matter of this magnitude, it was a difficult time. Though the company had an emergency response plan, it was very bare boned which didn’t go beyond explaining who would talk to the media.

Long story short, the incident was a wake up call to the HR team at Horizon North Logistics and should also act as a wake up call for other organisations. HR is the hub of communications within the company, as such the key role of HR in the company should be to rise above simple operations and act as the fort of the business. To strategically plan and develop talent to be versatile so they may deal with crisis on their feet, bringing value to the company in a higher level.

Strategically Planning for the Future

With so many new HR technology and solutions, the value of HR talent lies in strategic planning. To do this, companies may opt to expand their HR team. Where there may be a challenge however, may be in finding the right talent, especially seeing how Singapore and Hong Kong has both been experiencing a record low unemployment rate.

A more cost effective way to elevate the HR function is by outsourcing the most extraneous and administrative HR tasks to professionals. By outsourcing tasks such as payroll and recruitment to professional HR outsourcing vendors, HR teams can better focus on providing strategic planning and crisis management, driving long term business decisions. There’s no time to lose, start elevating your HR function today, Click Here to learn more.

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Links International is an industry leader in innovative HR outsourcing with services such as payroll outsourcing, visa application, Employer of Record (EOR), recruitment and more! Contact us for more information on how we can help leverage your HR function.