Retaining best talent a challenge

HR leader:

Ramani Kangaraarachchi

Human Resource Management is the coherent approach to the management of an organization’s most valued assets, the people working there, who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business.

In simple words, HRM means employing people, developing their capacities, utilizing, maintaining and compensating their services in time with the job and organizational requirements.

Hemas Consumer Brands HR Manager Nimal Ganepola

In that respect the role of the HR Head in any company is very vital towards achieving its objectives.

As such Daily News Business features an HR Head in a company fortnightly to educate readers on different aspects of HR and new developments.

Hemas Consumer Brands HR Manager at Dankotuwa Nimal Ganepola who has over 25 years experience in the HR field in different companies is featured this week.

His significant contribution to HRM has been a key factor in winning gold awards in CNCI, Akimoto 5s National Productivity and National HRM awards in previous years. Here are excerpts of the interview.

Q: What made you to select HR as your career path?

A: When I first stepped into the HR field, I was aware that the human resources management field has its own challenges and its not going to be easy at all. But in my mind I was so passionate to work with people related matters and find innovative ways of managing them. This has given me immense pleasure throughout my career.

Today I am happy to say that I have contributed to the field of Human Resource Management.

Q: What is the nature of your company?

A: Hemas is one of Sri Lanka’s top diversified conglomerates, with a focus on five key sectors FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods), Healthcare, Transport, Leisure and Power. We are a public listed company with over 2,000 employees.

Our products and services touch the lives of millions of people from new-born babies to large international businesses. The FMCG sector has its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility at Dankotuwa which I am attached to.

Here, we produce a range of personal care products from creams and lotions to toothpaste, shampoos, talcum powder, colognes, soap and also baby diaper and sanitary napkins using modern manufacturing equipment and processes. These products cover total baby care, oral care, skincare, haircare, personal wash and personal hygienic categories.

Q: Why is the HR department important to a company?

A: The human resources function has come a long way for the last 20 years in this part of the world. It has become a part of the decision making process and developing strategies for businesses. It is no more an isolated function.

In my view HR plays a very key role in business by being a integral part of the business.

Q: What is Hemas’ most valuable asset?

A: I would say people and the culture that we have built over past few decades.

Q: What are the significant HR challenges in your company?

A: In my view the most significant challenge is managing several generations in the organization. In any organization there are four generations: the Silent, Baby Boomers, X and Y Generation. Each of these generations has its own expectations. Hence managing their expectations are the biggest challenge.

Also I would like to state that hiring the right talent to the organization would be the next. When I say the right talent, I would like to emphasize on hiring the right attitude to the organization and making them part of the culture that we have.

Q: How do you attend to those problems?

A: Firstly we pay attention to different needs of people. You need to understand that everybody is different from one another and they have their own career ambitions. How, you attend to those challenges is intervening in these problems genuinely to build people and give them opportunities to achieve what they want to achieve in life. We make people to understand the organization, giving them the opportunity to be part of it and most importantly we talk of our pride of being a local organization which has taken multinationals head on and we make people to believe in the culture and encourage them to embrace it.

Q: What are the HR issues that companies should give their attention in general with global changes?

A: A few things. Making room for multiple career paths, giving people the opportunity to move cross functionally, remuneration and being innovative in variable incentive structures. More emphasis on retention strategies and employee development should be given.

In an environment where business margins are becoming thinner and thinner, the disposable capital for rewards and recognition becomes limited. Retaining best talent in the organization under such circumstances will be a challenge.

Q: What are your business challenges?

A: As many other local organizations, competing with multi nationals, high competition and thinner margins due to escalation of costs are real challenges to any business.

Managing the continuously increase in people cost with gradual decline in company margins is another challenge as far as HR is concerned. Hence, improving productivity, efficiencies in processes are important.

Q: How are you planning to meet global challenges?

A: As local companies we have our own home grown HR practices, but going in to the future we need to ensure our people think global in terms of business acumen and building entrepreneurships will be key areas to focus on.

Q: What are the competencies required to become a HR Head?

A: Responsibilities of the HR Department is an ever evolving process with a growing business environment. Today, the responsibilities of HR cannot be confined into normal conventional areas of recruitment and selection or wages administration and such like.

An HR Head should have a thorough knowledge of the entire operation of the business since his involvement is vital in the decision making process in organization development.

He should be in readiness for senior level decision making on both day today management and strategic direction of the organization.

Ability to foresee things differently, analytical skill, good PR skills, talent management, retaining high performers, talent sourcing, excellent leadership qualities and managing needs of the people who are the building blocks of success could be mentioned as a few other key competencies of an HR person.

Q: How did you handle the recession with least burden to staff members?

A: Handling the recession with least burden to staff members is another challenge. Especially with a workforce in a factory environment. Good relationship, constant dialogues and imparting awareness on real economic situation in the country will definitely help in facing this challenge.

Encouraging the management in introducing lean management solutions (reduction of waste) rather than cutting down employee benefits, is an effective way of handling this situation.