The same technology that could be causing organizational reorgs can be leveraged to help workers step up, according to one survey

Based on a Mar–April 2024 survey of 1,515 of senior managers and HR professionals working in firms employing 300 or more employees* on the topic of the evolving role of human resources leaders in the Asia Pacific region and Japan, the following trends have been disclosed to the media.

First, 38% of respondents had cited employee upskilling as a top challenge for their organization, with 38% also citing performance management as a key hurdle for workforce productivity.

Second, 55% of respondents from ASEAN had indicated they were re-examining their talent management strategies to improve engagement and uplifting of employees, by investing in employee training and development programs to close identified skills gaps.

Other findings
Third, 87% of respondents cited using AI and ML to conduct HR functions and streamline talent management processes to drive workforce transformation. Among all regions involved in the survey, AI/ML deployment was, in descending order, highest in ASEAN respondents, followed by those from South Korea (79%), North Asia (74%), Australia/New Zealand (72%), and Japan (48%).

Fourth, 50% of ASEAN respondents cited prioritizing employee experience, higher than those from other regions in terms of investing in physical, digital, and cultural processes and programs to increase employee retention.

According to Pannie Sia, General Manager (ASEAN), Workday, the cloud software firm sharing its survey findings, technology had been increasingly central to how respondents have informed decision-making, streamlined workforce processes, and driven workplace innovation. “By aligning technology innovations and employee development, organizations can transform employee engagement and capability, building a future-ready workforce and setting the stage for an organization’s long-term success,” Sia surmised from the survey findings.

*in Australia/New Zealand (450), Japan (403), South Korea (150), ASEAN (259 respondents comprising those from Singapore: 101, Malaysia: 48, Thailand: 50, Indonesia: 60) and North Asia (253 respondents, comprising those from Hong Kong: 151, Taiwan: 102).