‘Leverage people to find success in post war opportunity’

Leveraging people to drive business forward is vital in these times, corporate heads and HR Managers concluded at the HR Summit organised by the Sri Lanka Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) yesterday.
Many declared that HR has a new role to play in these times as Sri Lanka’s economy is geared to take off, but they added a note of caution that if the narrow time period is not utilized effectively the country may never reach its true potential.
Over 400 HR personnel, senior managers and corporate leaders participated in the summit, that brought together local and international HR experts to discuss the changing role of HR in these times.
Speaking at the CEO Forum John Keells Holdings Deputy Chairman Ajit Gunawardena challenged the HR Managers to rise up to the present needs of the corporate sector. “We can build one hotel every eight years or build eight hotels in one year, but can we have the guarantee that the suitable personnel required for these ventures can be found in Sri Lanka?”
He explained that while Sri Lanka has talent, many lack exposure. “The challenge is to set up the infrastructure. Our Per Capital Income is set to double in four years, and that would mean that rural Sri Lanka has changed into urban Sri Lanka. We as the corporate sector have to facilitate that, as if their hopes are not realised, it is going to end in turmoil.”
However he said the corporate DNA cannot be changed overnight. “We need to have leaders who learn to change and think differently and then history becomes irrelevant.”
Hemas Holdings CEO Husein Esufally added that with the end of the war, the corporate sector in Sri Lanka will be exposed to the intensely competitive market existing on a global scale.
“If you need to change, you must align the top executives of the company by making a good case. Be honest about it and discuss it openly and you will be able to get the message across.”
Speaking on the importance of identifying key signals externally and internally that would prompt organizations to change proactively, IBM India HR Executive Director Aquil Busrai said that the business world was in a ‘twilight zone’ where the HR sources must be aligned to suit the company. “If you don’t skill, re-skill and train your employees as the business environment changes, you are going to have yourself a plan but no soldiers to execute it.” He added that change is important but it should not be done simply because it is fashionable”.
Busrai also said that as Sri Lanka’s economy moves forward, they expect many mergers and acquisitions to take place. “You have been accustomed to having friends as competitors. With the trend of mergers and acquisitions the dynamics will change. Your personnel need to be prepared.”
Virtusa, Global Services Vice President Keith Modder said that innovation is vital for business success in a changing environment, but that innovation most often happens on a peripheral level. “Entrepreneurs have it easy because they are more in touch with their customers, while the larger companies which are more complex miss out on the signs. It is important to have the top corporates and CEOs looking for these signs on a grass root level.”
This view was echoed by Fonterra Brands Lanka Managing Director Achyut Reddy. “Start ups capture these signals much better than a larger company. The data obtained by all companies are basically the same 95% of the time, but it is the sense of urgency that differentiates one company from another.”