How can companies better engage new employees to stay beyond their honeymoon period? Lee Xieli finds out from senior HR practitioners the tricks in implementing an effective onboarding process.

One of the biggest challenges nowadays is the acquisition and retention of staff across the booming Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Both large and small firms are facing challenges with respect to hiring and retaining critical talent. The issue of having to re-hire for the same position within the same year, is definitely not an exception.

I wouldn’t say that this is an unfortunate situation but rather a business challenge as it relates to managing a workforce that supports a large business. At HP, you are growing at twice the market size and hiring aggressively across the region. You can easily get involved in the basics of bringing those employees on board and making them productive.

HR can contribute by linking the staff’s sense of belonging with corporate objectives and facilitating the manpower succession planning and development.

I have been running training programmes for leaders since 1980. I focused on working with individuals, groups and teams to help them develop the mindsets and skills to manage global teams and global leadership sessions. However, my main speciality is intercultural work.

Communication can be especially challenging for those uninformed about cultural differences. When interacting with people from different cultures, it is natural to interpret their actions through your own cultural standards. However, doing so can sometimes be misinterpreted.

Daniel Miseur has been promoted to vice president of human resources for Pitney Bowes. He oversees the HR function for 10 business operation units across Asia Pacific & Middle-East region, helping to attract, recruit, retain and manage talent, as well as implement appropriate integration strategies for acquired businesses.

Passion for HR, perceptiveness or emotional intelligence? Lee Xieli finds out what senior HR professionals say is the topmost quality young HR practitioners should possess in order to succeed.