Helen Loh
HR director, Asia Pacific
Polycom
What was your first HR job?
This goes back to university days. I did an internship with Hawaiian Airlines and I was supporting the payroll division in managing flight attendants’ flight times in order to get that to payroll. This was a long time ago, so there was no technology involved and it was all pencil and CARDEX. I had this big Rollerdex and I had to flip through 2,000 names to get to the right person.
Where do you think HR will be like in the future?
I hope that HR will be more consultative as opposed to being administrative. I think HR will be more responsible for managing effectiveness as opposed to employee welfare.
What is your favourite HR function?
I like recruitment and interviewing because I always discover something new, and I like the analysis and assessment after that. I feel challenged because I am put on the spot to determine if my recommendations are going to be helpful for the company. I like the strategic aspect of recruitment and finding the right person for the role.
What is one career advice you would give an fresh graduate?
I think employees need to be realistic about the types of jobs available at the entry level and the rate of progression. I say that because over time, I see a lot of people who say, “I’ve been in this job for two years and I ought to be promoted. I am 32 and I am still a specialist.” Different jobs have different life cycles and it depends on which career path you choose. Some life cycles are very short, and some life cycles are very long and you can’t say that just because you’ve been in a job for two years, you ought to be promoted.
How do you describe your colleagues at Polycom?
They are fun and direct in communication. We have no hierachy, everyone’s an equal and we respect everyone.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
In terms of strategic direction, I always have an underpinning backbone vision. And everything that I do, it’s about that vision. That vision is something I will share with my manager and it becomes my goal for the year.
My company vision for this year is to drive for a more self-service reliant environment, so that managers are effective in their people management and that they are able to access all their tools and resources, and that managers only consult HR if they are in a new or difficult area. We want to take away the image that HR is a do-all for the company. So we’re building that, so that is my vision for this current year.
What do you do in your spare time?
I don’t have much spare time! But when I do I paint a little and catch up with my friends.
