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Dive into a series of candid and enriching conversations held among pan-Asia HR heads to discuss the integration of people tech in HR processes, while emphasising balance with the human touch.
This article is brought to you by Grab For Business.
The ways teams work, the tools employees use, and the expectations that top talent have are all continuing to evolve. To confidently navigate this transition, technology is an important tool to quickly and deeply understand how to equip employees to perform better.
This is why, we at Human Resources Online partnered with Grab For Business for a series of CHRO roundtables held across Southeast Asia to discuss strategies that better leverage technology for employee experience.
Through the enriching and candid conversations, that took place across September to November 2024, we have distilled some key insights for the benefit of pan-Asia HR teams on the same or similar journey. Read on for a summary of the key takeaways.
Navigating challenges in HR tech integration
One of the most pressing challenges HR professionals face in implementing a tech-driven culture is data confidentiality and privacy. Europe, for example, sets a high standard for data regulations, while many Asian countries are still catching up, which makes the vendor selection decision increasingly difficult for MNCs.
Further, many companies are operating with fragmented data spread across multiple platforms, creating barriers to data centralisation and clarity. People leaders are left to consolidate data from multiple sources to prepare reports, and forced to update multiple dashboards, as often, the systems don’t talk to each other.
Not surprisingly, one tech area that constantly surfaced in the discussion was AI, which comes with its own set of challenges. Firstly, the lack of regulation of generative AI sparks uncertainty. Organisations are often confused about its usage at an individual, company and even national level, with the layers complicating its implementation. For instance, among employers who are encouraging a mindful return-to-office, using AI to monitor attendance is triggering objections from unions in certain regions, where they feel it infringes on workers’ rights to privacy.
Bias and misinformation are also emerging as significant concerns. Generative AI systems, while powerful, can propagate inaccuracies or reinforce inherent biases, which could undermine HR decision-making. As shared by one leader: “The influx of information at our fingertips sometimes disrupts the objectivity of our work as HR professionals.”
In addition, over-reliance on AI for performance feedback, for example, can erode the authenticity of managerial interactions, leading to employee disengagement. Employees, some leaders said, have complained that the feedback on their appraisal form “does not sound like my manager”.
Unlocking opportunities with AI technologies
Amidst some of the concerns raised, technologies such as generative AI present transformative opportunities to reshape the HR function. The most commonly cited use case in our discussions was around talent acquisition. AI tools, as many shared, are helping to analyse resumes, identify ideal candidates, and ensure the slate of candidates is a cultural fit. These processes are significantly reducing the time and effort involved, while improving hiring outcomes.
The second most impactful use case has been in AI-driven employee self-service platforms, which have revolutionised HR support, allowing employees to resolve queries on their own, and freeing HR teams to focus on more value-adding initiatives. In one case, for example, implementing this at the HR contact centre has the potential to solve 16,000 out of the 23,000 inbound enquiries.
However, the leaders caution that this is not an easy game-changer to implement. “What we look at is the accuracy of information generated, because that's key if employees are going to ask questions on people policy and their benefits.”
Predictive analytics, which is now powered by AI, is expected to be another big win. With many tools being able to offer proactive insights, such as identifying employees at risk of leaving, mapping career paths, and optimising succession planning, they empower HR teams with capabilities to address retention issues before they escalate.
Exploring the potential of automation for HR
What also came up as the next frontier of HR efficiency was the potential in using automation for HR teams to focus on higher-value activities. Leveraging technology to handle repetitive, manual, or low-complexity tasks, can free up individuals and teams to dedicate more time to strategic, creative, and high-impact work.
In many organisations, process automation has already significantly cut down the time required for routine tasks.
To this, Chin Yin Ong, Chief People Officer, Grab, shared layered insights into building the most impactful use case for the implementation of automation to speed up routine tasks and reduce errors as well as processing time.
Noting that the sense of loss is often a bigger motivator than the sense of gain, organisations have to be very clear on prioritising tools that employees really want versus the tools that HR wants. “Generally speaking, I observe that employees want our help to eliminate their laborious tasks, such as claims submissions. Tools that take away frustrations have much higher adoption than others.”
In addition, this approach, she noted, promises less resistance during rollout as employees can be more productive, with the more painful parts of the employee experience taken away. As a welcome bonus, HR leaders can foster a more productive and innovative function truly dedicated to balancing people and business needs.
Strategic perspectives on implementation
The participating HR leaders went on to share their approaches to tech integration, with many emphasising the importance of starting small and scaling thoughtfully. They recommended identifying areas where people tech can deliver immediate impact to demonstrate its value.
Collaboration between HR and IT teams is also essential in navigating questions of ownership and infrastructure. While HR is focused on enhancing employee engagement, IT ensures the technological robustness necessary for compliance and operational success.
To this point, Chin Yin offered a peek into the intriguing way that the ownership of such initiatives is approached at Grab. As Head of People, she has three teams reporting to her:
- the HR team,
- the internal IT team, and
- the corporate security & real estate team.
This approach, she affirmed, “weaves in the physical (the places, spaces, physical security) with the human (all the things in HR, such as programmes to motivate people, high performers, etc.) – in short, the PHD: physical, human, digital”. “If we have the ability to weave all three experiences together for our teams, that will be the epitome of running holistic experiences.”
Milestones in the journey to look out for
While technology has the potential to enhance productivity, HR leaders are mindful of the risks of losing the human touch. The attendees all stressed the importance of blending tech-powered interfaces with the human touch, ensuring that technology serves as a tool to support – not replace – meaningful engagement.
As the AI revolution continues to set new destinations for HR leaders to get to, many are focused on building organisational readiness through education and training. By sending employees to AI courses and encouraging experimentation with these tools, a culture of information adoption can be fostered.
Measuring the impact of these technologies is another priority. Following Pareto’s principle, many organisations aim to invest in the 20% of tools that deliver 80% of the value, ensuring resources are allocated effectively.
In fact, data is already beginning to show how using technology is helping to improve the employee experience. For example, 72% of employees report that self-service HR platforms improve their overall satisfaction. Additionally, enabling employees to upskill at their own pace through personalised learning pathways is being cited by four in five workers (78%) to contribute to a more fulfilling work environment.
To the point on HR automation, it can potentially save HR teams up to 3.5 hours daily, as well as contribute to a potential 32% increase in employee engagement, largely due to faster responses to employee requests.
How Grab For Business can fuel progress in enhancing EX
Rounding up the conversation, we had the opportunity to hear from Shaun Yap, Malaysia Country Head, Grab For Business, about the company’s flagship product called Business Portal, which can help improve the employee experience.
“We commissioned a report through Forrester Consulting that showed not having to submit manual claims saves an employee up to four working days a year. It’s not just about saving time but also alleviating the stress of employees remembering and tracking all the receipts,” Shaun explained.
For HR and administration heads, he highlighted the capability to maintain full control while using the platform – on the budgets, services, and policies. Further, everything can be tracked in real-time.
Conclusion
From the diverse conversations held across various cities, it was clear that the integration of technology and generative AI into HR processes is not merely about achieving efficiency, but about redefining the employee experience.
By addressing challenges with care and leveraging opportunities strategically, HR leaders are paving the way for a future where technology complements the human aspects of work. The result is a workplace experience that is not only efficient and innovative but also empathetic and human-centric.
The teams at Grab For Business and HRO would like to thank all the attendees of the roundtables cited above:
- Jariya Wongsuwat, Country HR Lead, Accenture Thailand
- Gerard David, Director, GCER Employee & Labour Relations EMEA, Amazon
- Carmen Chua, Associate Director HR, Baker Tilly Malaysia
- Zacharias Rajagopal, Vice President - Human Resources, Bumi Armada
- Aqilah Anuar, Head of Organisation Development and Culture, CIMB
- Sarayut Sarayot, Senior Business HR Manager, DHL Express Thailand
- Sri Vidya Nadarajah, Country Human Resources Leader, General Electric Malaysia
- Murali Selvaraj, Assistant Vice President HR Transformation APAC & EMEA, AIG Global Services
- Molly Tam, Head of HR, IOI Corp
- Pongsakorn Chanchaisrisakul (Kard), Head of Organisation and Talent Development, Lazada Thailand
- Vipasiri Chandhsaevee (Mink), Associate Director for People & Culture, ManpowerGroup Thailand
- Dalvinder Kaur, Head of Experis & Borderless Talent Solutions, Manpower Staffing Services
- Narita Naziree, Head, Strategy Execution & Human Capital Director, Group Operations, Maybank
- Bhadrabhorn Songserm, Assistant Manager of Talent, Minor Hotels Thailand
- Waridda Burapathana, Head of People and Talent, Omnicom Media Group Thailand
- Wutthaya Wongsawan, Cluster Director Of Human Resources, Schneider Electric Thailand
- Suwaphit Kummetha, Head of People & Organisation, Siemens Thailand
- Chin Yin Ong, Chief People Officer, Grab
- Shaun Yap, Malaysia Country Head, Grab For Business
- Chantsuda Thananitayaudom, Senior Director, Commercial & Marketing, Grab For Business, Thailand
- Aditi Sharma Kalra, Editor-in-Chief, Human Resources Online
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