Live: HR Tech Interactive 2015, Malaysia

We’re inaugurating HR Tech Interactive 2015, Asia’s only regional conference dedicated to technology innovation in HR management, in Malaysia today – and updating this page live from Hotel InterContinental, Kuala Lumpur.

Today's conference will see companies such as DiGi Telecommunications, Maybank, Samsung, Sunway Construction, Maxis and many more talking about the latest trends in HR technology.

On this page, you can catch live updates from the conference, straight from the team on location – all the tweets on #HRTI2015 to the top advice dished out by our speakers, and some photos through the jam-packed day.#HRTI2015 Tweets--- Latest conference update will appear on top ---

With that closing speech from Human Resources' regional editor, HR Tech Interactive 2015, Malaysia comes to a close. Thanks to everyone who spoke, attended and supported the event! We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Thanks also to our generous sponsors and partners:

• Platinum sponsor - Oracle
• Gold sponsor - PageUp
• Silver sponsors - Accendo and Cazar
• Exhibitors - Adaero360 and Empire

We look forward to seeing you all at the next conference.

 

After a phenomenal presentation by Digi's Bilal Waris, we jump in to our last interactive session for #HRTI2015. Seen here are delegates talking about next generation recruitment tools.

One delegate voices: "If you expect your HR teams to pick up analysis from data, its not going to work. 'Because the skill of picking up insights from data is a specialised skill."

 

Are new innovations in technology really adding value to HR? Bilal Waris, head of HR - shared services at DiGi Telecommunications, says yes - as he comes on stage to prove how Digi extends its HR services through social, mobile and gamification technologies.

"At DiGi, the digital HR agenda is about marrying the culture and technology together and create innovation. We have a lot of human insight that helps us design an experience for an employees."

 

Social media and collaboration is one of the big themes of the next interactive session that has our delegates engrossed in discussion.

In many organisations, we look at the manpower report. But the question is are you able to get the insights from the report and get to the root of the problem?

"Unfortunately, most HR staff do not learn at school how to derive insights from data from school, so we have to teach them about this on the job. They have to think outside the boundaries of HR and look from the perspective of the business," notes one delegate.

 

Another interactive session is underway - panelists here are focusing on the theme of HR cloud technology.

A delegate comments: "In many organisations, we look at the manpower report regularly. But the question is, are you able to get the insights from the report and get to the root of the problem?"

 

Our second panel discussion today is driven by big data, as they talk about how predictive analytics can improve HR functions' efficiency. 

Seen here are (L-R): Stefan Sawh (regional director Asia Pacific at Cazar); Chan Mei Lynn (EVP and head, group organisational development and performance management at Maybank Group); Andrew Yeo (moderator - and group director of HR at TWP Holdings); Monir Azzouzi (head of performance and development at Maxis); and Tan Shu-Tze (head of talent and organisational development at AIA).

Azzouzi of Maxis comments: "Big data is something we all own if we have an HR system. But the data is not as important as the insights. We should move from big data to big insights."

Says Cazar's Sawh, "Many of us would want to make use of technology, big data and predictive analytics, but we need to get the basics down first. We have to make sure we are robust enough that when we take technology on, it works for us."

Adds Tan of AIA, "Whenever a request comes in for HR to do a certain initiative, we always look for why they need that initiative, using data."

 

We move on to the next interactive session for today - one big topic being discussed is mobile HR.

Says one of the delegates: "Sometimes as HR, we like to tell IT - we want this done this way, my way or the highway. What we need is a more consultative approach, a more meaningful conversation between IT and HR on how to work together."

 

The first interactive session of the day is off to a start! On the agenda are topics most relevant to HR leaders, such as big data talent analytics.

Heard at one of the tables: "Today, in using HR technology, speed is not an issue, but accuracy is important."

"We need to ensure the interface is designed to suit the person who is entering the information, and the people extracting the information so that the information remains as accurate as possible."

 

Sarah Forbes, South East Asia alliance manager at PageUp has taken the stage to talk about best practices in adopting new and global HR technology.

"In order to engage people, you have to be able to develop them through experience; and engage them through their head (knowledge), heart (sharing, liking and recommending) and hands (practice)," she says.

 

Our first panel for today features (L-R):

Clayton Tan (general manager and head of HR at Sunway Construction); Chandralakshmi Thiruchelvam (director, Asia, compensation & benefits at Western Digital); Kathleen Francis as the moderator (senior director, HCM transformation applications at Oracle Corporation); Chuah Chan Hoon (head of HR at DHL Global Business Services Asia Pacific); and Lim Chee Gay (director of HR and general affairs at Samsung).

The topic for discussion is the role of technology in the HR function, and what the considerations are for HR practitioners when assessing new technology.

Sunway Construction's Tan says, "At the end of the day, HR technology is not so much about the features. There’s only one thing to look at first - the user experience. When the users use it, how intuitive is it?"

DHL's Chuah adds, "Technology is really only as good as how we use the information we get from it."

Thiruchelvam of Western Digital makes a point about rolling out in-house technologies versus external solutions.

"While the ease of customisation in a homegrown system is much easier, it is harder to push it back to the management. On the other hand, when something is bought off the shelf, that’s a lot easier to roll out across geographies."

 

Andrew Lafontaine, senior director, HCM strategy & transformation at Oracle Corporation kick starts the conference with a keynote on the next wave of HR transformation.

"When was the last time you identified the impact of an HR initiative on business strategy?," he asks the delegates.

He also points out why all organisations need to establish the digital standard of HR.

"What the digital standard for HR allows you to do is reimagine what a process looks like, and what that experience can look like for your organisation.

 

Human Resources magazine's regional editor Aditi Sharma Kalra opens the conference to welcome our delegates and partners.

"Having spoken to many of you while preparing for this conference, it was pretty clear to us that lots of innovative technology is pretty easily available today," says Kalra.

"What isn’t easily available however, is the knowledge, and the right skill sets to select the right technology for your organisation, and how to use all of the data it provides in an optimum way."

 

We’re looking forward to meeting everyone at HR Tech Interactive 2015 at InterContinental Kuala Lumpur. The ballroom is ready and the delegates are networking in the exhibition room. Stay tuned!