HR Leader

HR strategies must meet organizational goals

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Sri Lanka needs to create a world class workforce focusing on human resource development at this time of opportunity.

Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function that focuses on attracting, retaining, training, managing performance, engaging of people in an organisation. It also alignes people’s behaviour to meet organizational objectives.

Janaka Kumarasinghe

The success of any organization is influenced by efficiency, capability and discipline of its workforce. Similarly if any country could have a worldclass work force it will lead to ensuring competitive advantage for the country.

Kent Ridge Pvt Ltd Director Janaka Kumarasinghe told Daily News Business for HR Leader this week.

An HR professional with a passion to develop the profession and the country’s human resources Kumarasinghe counts more than 20 years in the profession.

Here are excerpts of the interview with him.

Q : What is the nature of your company?

Kent Ridge is a Human Resource Solution Provider. Organizations face different business challenges and some are human resource related. Therefore, our approach is based on diagnosis. They can be different human resource interventions such as change management, training, recruitment, performance management, HR audits and evaluations.

As an innovative solutions provider we continually develop new programs. For organizations that had been to outward bound programs we have developed new programs combined with white water rafting. Also for children we have introduced a personality development program using outdoor training methods called Kent Ridge Junior+ which is becoming popular. We carry out HR evaluations, get involved in culture changing programs and introducing performance management systems.

The founder directors of the company established two years ago are alumni of the Singapore National University at Kent Ridge Crescent. Therefore it was named as Kent Ridge (Pvt.) Ltd.

Q : What is your HR background?

Before I ventured into mine at present, I have worked in international companies from a management trainee to HR Director. I worked as the Country Group HR Manager Nepal and Pakistan for an International Union while being based in Karachi, Pakistan.

Also I am a visiting faculty member in HRM for Moratuwa, Colombo and the Open University in their master’s programs and at the IPM and the SLIM in their study programs.

As a HRM promoter I have contributed to the field as IPM President from Sri Lanka from 2002 to 2004. We were able to give a facelift to the HR profession during that time through many activities.

Due to our efforts the Asia Pacific Federation of Human Resource Management elected us as the President and I was able to steer APFHRM out of a troublesome period.

At the onset of my career in 1988, I was selected to a four member team who was offered a Government scholarship to understudy the Outward Bound training concept in Malaysia for three months.

We were able to introduce the first ever Outward Bound Executive Development program through the SLBDC.

During my career, the education I received as a B Com graduate of the Colombo University and National Diploma in HRM of the IPM Sri Lanka and Master’s degree at the Asia Pacific HRM of the Singapore National University helped me immensely. Also my exposure to around 17 countries to participate in workshops, conferences and meetings have helped me broaden my perspectives.

Q : What challenges you perceive as HR challenges?

Low labour productivity, mismatch between the demand and supply of labour, ageing population, huge share of employment which is about 66 per cent being in the informal sector, lack of entrepreneurial culture among the people, high incidence of educated youth unemployment and under employment, lack of higher level skills and high level of employment rigidity are some of the labour market challenges faced by Sri Lanka.

The HR professionals have to face HR issues emanating from the above mentioned labour market challenges. The organizations face different HR challenges due to them, especially when competing in the global market.

Attraction and retention of talent, performance management, and pay for performance, managing change, creating a flexible workforce and employee engagement are some HR challenges we face. After the global financial recession many organizations are containing their costs and HR has to align their strategies accordingly.

Q : Do you see new opportunities in HR in the present situation?

Yes I see lot of opportunities.

Overcoming of the global economic recession, end of a 30-year old conflict, Asian economic boom including India and China, political stability and will to make Sri Lanka a Knowledge Hub in Asia are creating economic optimism.

Economic optimism is a state of mind. Though the mind travels faster than reality, this is a situation where we all Sri Lankans can be positive of. Therefore, we can expect many businesses to thrive in the future. Human resource managers should align their strategies to support business growth and emerging global competition at their own door step.

Q : What are the critical areas that HR professionals in the country should give attention?

It is how to align HR strategies to meet goals and objectives of organizations. They need to act as business mangers and support CEOs.

At the same time look into the employee needs and rights and stand by them at appropriate times. I would say that practicing proper HR is a corporate social responsibility of HR professionals.

Macro economically we need to position human resource as means of achieving competitive advantage. As a nation we need to be a supplier of knowledge workers than supplying low skilled and low tech workers. All in all we need to create a worldclass workforce. Our human resource development endeavour should ultimately focus on that.

Q : What is your message to young entrants to HR management field?

Architects need to know lot about sociology, human behaviour and many other subjects apart from technical know-how.

Similarly, HR professionals who are the custodians of human resource architecture in organizations should know about the business, psychology, ergonomics, organizational development and industrial law apart from their HR knowledge. Also they should possess leadership qualities where they can connect with and lead people.

Also within the HR field there are many specializations such as recruitment, training, industrial relations, compensations and benefits, performance management, business partnering and organizational development.

Initially they can be specialists if they have the opportunity, before becoming generalists. They should aspire to become future business leaders such as General Managers, Directors, CEOs, Managing Directors and Chairmen.

As lateral moves done by many other professionals, if they wish they too can become consultants, academics, entrepreneurs, researchers and even legislators after being in the profession for sometime.

With ample opportunities around, they should have the passion to learn continually while maintaining their credibility. Then the sky is the limit.