Innovation

Taking the Lead

Learn more about the top initiatives of this year’s CHRO of the Year Award finalists in EMEA.

By Taylor Thompson

Long gone are the days of human resources as a back-office function; CHROs now find themselves in the midst of executive decision-making and business strategy.

Today’s CHROs are not only tasked with overseeing their organisations’ entire personnel and onboarding procedures, but are also expected to drive transformational human capital efforts. In fact, new research from ServiceNow finds that 75 per cent of CHROs believe that their role has become more strategic in the past three years, with a strong focus on increasing employee productivity (75 per cent) and driving corporate performance (64 per cent).

What does HR need in order to make an impact in today’s environment? “…business understanding, HR craftsmanship, and a lot of leadership (is needed) to achieve this,” says Hein Knaapen, CHRO of ING.

Technology is also a driver. “We need to create a more engaging employee experience with use of technology to facilitate the journey,” says Pradeep Bhaskaran, head of HR at Cognizant Technology Solutions. “The biggest challenge that organisations face whilst driving the digital change agenda is to manage the expectations of their people.”

Enrico Palumbo, HR director at SAP SE, agrees: “A CHRO needs to think disruptively, understand the potential of technology, and be eager to create an efficient and engaging end-to-end experience. We must focus on the workplace-related needs of the individuals rather than organising processes around the ‘employee lifecycle.'”

And for Saurabh Upadhyay, vice president of HR in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa at Bacardi, HR impact comes by “…enabling mechanisms that support individuals and teams to personally engage, connect, and support each other to drive positive change in the organisation.”

Learn more about the impact of the 2018 CHRO of the Year Award finalists for EMEA here. The winners will be announced at the HRO Today Forum in Amsterdam.

Tags: Innovation

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