Faces of HR: Robinsons Supermarket Corp's Marco Angelo on a key emerging trend HR should take note of

It involves organisations being more serious in ensuring that the rewards available for employees are aligned with what they truly need, Marco Angelo B. Padernal, Director, HR, Robinsons Supermarket Corporation says.

What's one of the biggest trends that could have a significant impact on HR in time to come?

According to Marco Angelo B. Padernal, Director, Human Resources at Robinsons Supermarket Corporation, it is that more organisations will see a mindset shift where employee experience is placed on equal footing as customer experience.

A leader with more than 16 years of Human Resources experience, Marco leads the HR strategy of Robinsons Retail’s largest group – the food segment, which is comprised of Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, Robinsons Easymart, No Brand, and Uncle John’s.

He brings with him a well-rounded exposure in various industries, namely retail, information technology, cable & telecommunications, and investment management.

Catching up with Mary Ann Bundukin ahead of the inaugural Transform Talent Philippines 2024, in this series dedicated to featuring top speakers from our events, Marco talks about why the trend above is so important to HR; while also taking us through the three steps he believes are necessary to transform the talent of today into the talent the business needs.

Q Thinking back to your first day in HR, what is the most important learning that sticks with you until today?

It is vital that HR programmes and initiatives are always aligned to the business’ strategy and priorities. Thus, it is expected from HR to be agile at all times and always be grounded on the business needs in order to ensure that the people priorities truly contribute to organisational goals. HR is a critical enabler for the organisation to reach its Vision and Purpose.

Q What steps do you believe are necessary to transform today's talent into the talent that the business needs?

Firstly, the talent of today has to be comfortable with big data. Because of the digital environment we are in, it is now very natural to have access to large volumes of data, both structured and unstructured. Harvesting and piecing together different data points in order to achieve actionable insights are now expected of all functions in an organisation.

Secondly, being equipped with data enables talents of today to have better foresight. This means that we are in a better position to anticipate the impact of potential business decisions we make, especially now that we are backed up by AI.

Thirdly, better foresight leads to understanding the bigger picture, and thus being always conscious and mindful how each action contributes to the achievement of organisational goals.

Q Could you share emerging trends that you believe will have the most significant impact on HR in the next few years?

The most famous answer nowadays to this type of question is “AI”… But other than that, a major emerging trend is the mindset shift of more organisations that employee experience is on equal footing as customer experience.

This has substantial impact on HR because this underscores the reality that it is difficult for an organisation to deliver an excellent customer experience if the employees are not engaged, proud, and committed at work.

Ultimately, this means that organisations are more serious in ensuring that the type of rewards available are aligned to what employees truly need, and the key milestones and processes in an employee’s journey are efficient, hassle-free, and really memorable.

Q What are you most looking forward to in your session at #TransformTalentPH?

I’m really excited to learn from other HR professionals and exchange thoughts and best practices with each other. It is high time to collectively rethink our talent strategies in order to drive sustainable growth.

Given that it is Human Resources Online’s first-ever conference in the Philippines, I’m sure it will be an unforgettable one.

I want to attend the conference: If you're keen to attend this closed-door conference, kindly register your interest here. For speaking opportunities, please write in to Mary Ann Bundukin. We look forward to welcoming you!

I want to sponsor: Engage in meaningful dialogue through dedicated speaking slots, roundtable discussions, and at your booths! If your organisation provides any talent solutions and products that you'd like to showcase, you’ll fit right into this event. To learn how you can sponsor, please reach out to a member of our team now!

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