Santen

What role should HR play in shaping organizational culture and driving business success, especially in the diverse regions of EMEA and Asia?

HR leaders should fully integrate into the business, participate in business reviews, understand performance, and know future objectives. It’s crucial to stay close to employees to grasp their challenges. By combining these insights, HR can develop strategies supporting business growth and a thriving work environment. This approach isn't one-size-fits-all; it requires tailored solutions and continuous engagement.

Traditional HR often relied on standardized methods, but now, understanding both people and business needs is essential for meaningful results. By identifying what is right for employees and aligning it with business goals, HR can drive success effectively.

What HR strategies are commonly used to ensure effective communication, collaboration and team cohesion in today's increasingly virtual work environment?

At Santen, we use a hybrid work model, allowing employees to choose how, when and where they work. This approach supports both virtual productivity and physical connection. We continuously find ways to bring people together in person while maintaining the flexibility they value.

To promote better communication and collaboration, we ensure leaders stay connected with their teams and create fun, non-work-related activities to foster team bonding. Our top leaders regularly communicate through events like town halls and social activities. We are evolving town halls from a top-down approach to a more interactive format, involving employees from all levels to share their perspectives. This ensures everyone feels more connected to their peers. Leaders still share performance results and insights, but now, it is a blend of voices, fostering a more engaged and connected organization.

Collaboration is essential at Santen, so we create projects that bring together people from various functions. We identify high-potential individuals to lead projects, ensuring cross-departmental involvement. Through activities and events, such as management meetings, we gather people to share updates, which they then relay to their teams. These initiatives promote communication and collaboration across the organization.

How is the role of HR evolving in remote and hybrid work environments?

We have shifted from a traditional model to a more strategic approach, engaging directly with the business. In a virtual or hybrid work environment, we must address the unique challenges of managing people remotely. A major focus is helping leaders understand how to manage and assess team performance without physical oversight. Unlike in the past, when leaders could observe interactions and productivity in the office, they now need new methods to gather evidence and receive feedback on performance. This evolution requires innovative strategies to ensure accountability and effective management in a dispersed work setting.

HR faces the challenge of promoting and maintaining flexible working arrangements, as flexibility has become a key factor in employee retention since COVID-19. Employees value working from home and better balancing work and personal life. Returning to old methods is not viable, so we must stay connected both virtually and physically.

HR must act as a champion for bringing people together and training managers to engage teams virtually. HR also needs to leverage technology to build the social capital necessary for thriving in a hybrid or virtual environment.

Based on your experience with employee wellness programs, can you discuss how these initiatives impact employee productivity and overall organizational performance?

Remote work makes it harder to monitor productivity. Some employees might see a decline in productivity without direct supervision; a few may take advantage of this.

“HR serves as the champion for uniting individuals, equipping managers with virtual engagement tools and leveraging technology to nurture social capital in hybrid work environments.”

At Santen, our flexible working arrangement hasn't negatively impacted productivity; in fact, our business continues to thrive with double-digit growth. We believe that flexible work has enhanced employee engagement and productivity by allowing a better balance between work and personal life.

How do you foresee the evolution of HR's role in the upcoming years in light of technological advancements?

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into the HR function, such as with tools like Chat GPT, it is vital to embrace technology responsibly. While AI can enhance efficiency, it is necessary to ensure its use aligns with company security measures. Without proper controls, confidential information may inadvertently leak. It is also essential to prevent overreliance on technology, which could lead to decreased employee engagement and creativity.

HR, managers and leaders must monitor technology usage to preserve employees' unique voices and ensure they avoid merely copying content, maintaining a balance between leveraging technology and preserving individuality.

Technology offers tools for predictive analysis and matching employees with relevant training or mentors. Human intervention remains crucial to ensure relevance and effectiveness for individual needs, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a human-centric approach amidst technological advancements.

What advice would you provide to fellow leaders in the sector, drawing from your extensive experience?

I believe HR leaders in Asia Pacific or EMEA regions share common traits and challenges. My advice is to prioritize relevance by actively engaging in business operations beyond HR-specific meetings. Attend general business meetings to understand the broader context and demonstrate your interest and value as a business partner. Stay updated on market trends and emerging topics to integrate relevant developments into your organization continuously. While focusing on business objectives, never lose sight of the people element; after all, HR's core role is advocating for employees.

Staying connected with people means more than just understanding the business; it's about knowing individual needs. People are the driving force behind productivity and success, and leaders must bridge the gap between business objectives and employee well-being. HR leaders shouldn't stay aloof but should actively engage with teams at all levels, attend meetings, and gain a comprehensive understanding of both business and human aspects. This hands-on approach ensures alignment between business strategies and the needs of employees.