HR in 2023: Upskilling is integral to winning the war for talent, stresses Delna Dhamodiwala, Global Head of HR, DNEG

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The coming years will see a balanced mix of technical, functional, and behavioural skills, says this HR leader.

In today's fast-changing world of work, talents and skills are the two most sought-after resources.

While talent acquisition and employee retention will be in focus, in this last-but-not-least episode of the HR in 2023 series, Delna Dhamodiwala, Global Head of HR, DNEG, also emphasises the importance of upskilling existing employees, which she defines as critical to "help tackle the issue of limited talent pool".

We have now been through an early preview of 2023 and are now entering a new Lunar year. Dhamodiwala advises, it's time for companies "to strategise and implement policies and practices to find the right working balance for both employers and employees".

Here to learn from DNEG's Global Head of HR, we hope every HR professional can find and devise your best HR practices for your companies in this coming year!

In 2020, the world was hit by the global pandemic. Since then, the dynamics of work and the employee ecosystem have changed drastically.

Before the pandemic, the concept of working from home was preposterous. It was even more so unimaginable for companies dealing with confidential data and projects. However, the pandemic challenged the idea of what working looks like and turned work-from-home and hybrid-working culture into the new normal.

Post the pandemic, employees want to continue having flexibility and want to maintain a work-life balance. While the concept itself has a lot of pros, there are also areas where we are missing important aspects of our working lives: employee connection, camaraderie, visibility, collaboration, and building trust all require employees to meet and mix at regular intervals, but the concepts of work from home and hybrid culture pose some challenges in achieving this.

Therefore, one of the most important focus areas for companies in 2023 is to strategise and implement policies and practices to find the right working balance for both employers and employees.

Employee engagement / centricity

We believe that 2023 will witness renewed focus on engagement and employee retention. Listening to employees and addressing their concerns is critical for designing a relevant and meaningful retention strategy.

Providing meaningful work; competitive remuneration; improved and customised benefits and perks; increased recognition; more connection and collaboration; and creating a healthy and fun work environment, will be a few key engagement themes that will be adopted across various sectors this year.

Employee mental health and holistic wellbeing

One of the biggest factors affecting the employee ecosystem is the need to maintain good mental health.

Holistic wellbeing involves focusing on mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. When an employee can take care of themselves on these levels, they are more productive and happier at work.

Within the last year, many companies across all sectors have been conducting various events and seminars to help promote holistic health. We too have taken significant steps and tied up with various experts who help with generating awareness, educating employees on physical and mental health, and providing support with one-on-one counselling. We believe there is still work to be done within this area and it will remain a major focus in 2023.

Winning the war for talent

The VFX and film industry is dependent on excellent talent, and the talent pool is rather limited compared to the demand for content post-pandemic, which has been at an all-time high.

As companies have expanded globally to cater to this increase in demand, the war for talent acquisition has become more intense. Owing to this, rethinking the hiring process, and prioritising recruitment strategies will have to be one of the key focus areas for 2023.

Learning and development (L&D)

While talent acquisition and employee retention will be in focus, upskilling employees will help tackle the issue of limited talent pool. Training the leadership & managerial teams will help companies thrive in the post-pandemic changing work dynamics. Identifying, developing, and equipping the future leaders while investment in upskilling employees, managers, and leaders shall be a key focus area in 2023.

However, unlike previous years, L&D will have a different approach and direction in the coming years. There will be a balanced mix of technical, functional, and behavioural skills as well as a focus on analytical and critical thinking.

L&D will be more strategic with a strong focus on training employees on acquiring and honing skills that are aligned with organisational requirements.

Along with this, there will be a focus on coaching, mentoring, talent rotation, and on-the-job immersive experiences to strengthen the capabilities of employees and sustain competitiveness. The focus in 2023 will be to leverage technology so as to make learning on-demand, self-paced, accessible, and futuristic.

DE&I

The focus of DEI ecosystem has shifted to looking at the entire employee lifecycle through the DEI lens and including every aspect of the employee experience.

Measures like setting up a DEI steering group, diversity audit, awareness sessions, workshops, expert talks, DEI training, mentorship for underrepresented groups, more engagement and involvement, creating opportunities for growth and inclusion, employee networks, strengthening DEI policies, and partnering with organisations who help further the DEI cause are amongst some of the initiatives that organisations shall be focusing on in 2023 and beyond.

For DNEG, in 2023, DEI will continue to be a key focus area in our talent strategy, with the goal to create a safe and inclusive workplace culture that helps to differentiate us from our competitors.

This article first appeared in the Q4 edition of Human Resources Online's Hong Kong e-magazine. View the e-magazine here, where you'll find power-packed features and interviews with leaders from Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, the UK, India, and more!

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