ChapmanCG Global HR Interviews

While leading culturally diverse teams requires the same skills that are needed to lead teams in general, it pays to always avoid stereotypes. Using a broad brush approach to multiculturalism and thinking that all people from a certain region behave in a similar manner is risky. It’s important for leaders to remain open-minded to avoid misconceptions. Bérengère Dumont, HR Director Middle East Africa and Turkey at SAS discusses ways of effectively leading multicultural teams.

Much is demanded of today’s HR leaders. They need to understand business strategies like the CEO, partner with their managers and employees as if they were the Heads of Digital Marketing, and be able to interpret analytics like a the Director of Finance. That doesn’t leave a lot of time for things like talent management or workforce planning. Peter McDonald, Regional Head of Human Resources MEAC at Panalpina, discusses what business leaders really need from their HR teams.

Organisations that invest in a high-potentials program often need assurance that such an investment will provide a return over time and that high-potential employees will not be lost to competitors. Is the current model of talent development too restrictive and is there a growing appetite for greater experimentation and creativity?

Daniel Mitchell, Asia Head of Talent, Learning & Diversity at Marsh discusses how organisations nourish top talent.

Life is a rich mix of passions and pursuits, yet our roles at work only reflect a small part of who we are. While it makes sense for employees to leave certain life experiences at the door, there is a risk of having people feel diminished and unable to contribute fully in their professional roles. Dominic White, Regional Head of HR and Organisation at Generali discusses the value of bringing our whole selves to work.

A common thread among top HR leaders is their diverse background. They’ve spent time as payroll analysts, benefits specialists, and talent managers. This breadth of experience has allowed them to develop the global, business acumen required to sit at the strategy table and help shape business decisions.

Simon Kelner, Executive Director, Global Talent Management at Merck discusses the need for HR to develop a global, business acumen.

The need for HR leadership—in both global and emerging markets—who is adept at managing scale and driving efficient HR delivery, so that organisations can create processes to effectively leverage a company’s technology and resources has never been stronger.

Ciaron Murphy, Chief HR Officer, Asia at Asurion discusses high-impact HR in rapid growth markets.

A well-defined and well-crafted competency framework can allow HR to contribute to organisational success through workforce leadership.

In complex, multinational organisations, it can provide a common language that can be used for the review, evaluation and development of talent that is aligned to business goals. But, in line with the all too familiar phrase ‘what gets measured, gets done’ - how can HR be better informed about what to measure?

Sunaina Lobo, Head of Talent Development and Organisational Development at SVB discusses the importance of business relevant competency frameworks.

Social media does not need to be the centre of an organisation’s recruitment strategy, but it would be risky to ignore it completely. For organisations that have adopted digital strategies, does it mean less work for recruiting, or just more effective implementation of traditional methods?

Ivan Zenovic, Director of Talent Acquisition, Asia Pacific and Global Digital Communications discusses the importance of leveraging social media in Talent strategies.

The business landscape is changing faster than many of us can comprehend. It can make even the most stable and respected organisation reactionary as it tries to match pace with newer more nimble competitors while at the same time executing on a business strategy that may or may not be relevant anymore.

To cope, businesses are looking for leaders who can keep them on the cusp of market shifts and an HR team who understands the external marketplace as well as they do internal business drivers.

Benjamin Porter, HR Business Partner at GE Healthcare discusses managing HR in a dynamic business environment.

The workforce has reached new heights of complexity, global reach and speed to market. This convergence has brought about the need for top talent who can excel on global mobility programs. Strategic global mobility has been linked to organisational effectiveness, increased engagement and improved financial performance, so why then is global mobility treated as a a mere option by so many organisations instead of being a critical area of focus?

Coco Lu, Global Development Director, Human Resources at Coca-Cola discusses the value of global mobility programs.