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"As HR, we act as business thought partners and solution providers to co-create initiatives with business leaders that would deliver business impact," explains Hataiporn Chiemprasert, First Senior Vice President.
At KASIKORNBANK (KBank), a banking group in Thailand, HR acts as business thought partners and solution providers to co-create initiatives to deliver business impact.
With this, the team introduced 'possibility to make an impact', communicating its proposition as an organisation that has been encouraging employees to be brave. Under three priorities, it adopted new approaches and incorporated elements of development, growth, and leadership appealing to newer generations.
Through a journey of test-and-learn and failing forward, the team ensures it establishes a clear linkage with business, making them the owners and co-creators of each initiative while HR works as their partners.
With this, KBank walked away with multiple wins at the HR Excellence Awards 2023 Thailand:
- Gold for Employer of the Year
- Gold for Excellence in Workforce Flexibility
- Silver for Excellence in Employer Branding
- Bronze for Excellence in Work-Life Harmony
Hataiporn Chiemprasert, First Senior Vice President, KASIKORNBANK, shares more on the team's priorities.
Q Congratulations on your top performance at the HR Excellence Awards! How has your HR and people strategy contributed to your success this year?
This year’s success comes from the contributions and efforts of our people. However, this is not the end as all of us continue to grow stronger and withstand obstacles to build a customer empowering organisation. As HR, we act as business thought partners and solution providers to co-create initiatives with business leaders that would deliver business impact.
For the past few years, we made sure to focus our efforts on hybrid working by implementing the “Work the FITS” concept, making sure there is a smooth transition.
This year, HR prioritises five different aspects:
- organisation design for growth & productivity,
- effective new way of work,
- integrated development,
- performance drive rewards, and
- purposeful & practical leadership to drive our organisation towards our goal.
Q Looking back at your achievements, what aspect of your HR initiatives are you most proud of and why?
Looking back, to account for the drastic change in talent personas and attract more new generation and tech, data-centric candidates, HR introduced “possibility to make an impact” as the employee value proposition to represent KBank’s key objective of being 'an organisation that provides opportunities for employees to utilise the best of their abilities into making products and services that would benefit our customers and society'.
The message 'possibility to make an impact' prioritises the three main attributes most important to our talent personas: limitless growth, talented people everyday, and better opportunities through powerful resources. Throughout this, we were able to communicate our proposition as an organisation that has been encouraging employees to be brave, to 'test and learn', and to not be afraid of failing. We adopted new approaches and incorporated elements of development, growth, and leadership appealing to newer generations.
Q During your HR journey, what were some significant obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them to achieve excellence?
Our HR journey has always been a journey of test-and-learn and failing forward. One challenge we face as HR is being able to understand our roles as business thought partners. The initiatives are to enable business to meet their targets and create impact. To do so, we establish a clear linkage with business, making them the owners and co-creators of each initiative while HR works as their partners.
For example, to create an effective learning and development plan, people development are obligated to communicate with business to align our understanding of their annual strategy, key initiatives, and delivering person. By knowing who is expected to deliver, HR could customise a development journey that could support them into meeting their goals.
Q How does your organisation measure the success and impact of your HR initiatives?
The success and impact of HR initiatives can be measured by both measurable and non-measurable metrics. Measurable metrics are done using the annual pulse survey and health check. Through these metrics, overall employee satisfaction, work-life balance, and leadership are measured. High scores provide HR with indication that this year’s initiatives positively impacted employees and correspond correctly to what they want. Results would then be used by division heads to revise policies to better match employees’ requirements.
In 2022, KBank received an above target score in leadership and met target score for work-life harmony.
A non-measurable indicator is when we 'always get the seat at the table' as a business supporter when they make change and create impact.
Q In what direction do you see the HR/people function evolving in the future, considering the emerging trends?
As AI technology becomes increasingly demanding for the upcoming years, we see HR functions incorporating technology to accommodate for these changes. While it is important for KBank’s HR to focus on digitalisation to uplift HR services and create a seamless connection between people and data, humanisation of the workplace should be emphasised. With all that is going on, as HR, we must focus on the importance of human interaction and engagement.
The needs and wellbeing of our people are our priority, making sure they feel secure and free to develop new ideas. Because everything around us is becoming digital, we must focus more on the importance of people.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets' section!
Lead image / Provided
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