HRUnplugged: What organisation structures of the future might look like

Jorge Osorio, Chief Human Resources Officer, Citi Singapore, elaborates on a world where organisations will be even more agile, with lean and flat structures in place.

Q In this competitive talent landscape, what is one way Citi stands out for attracting talent?

For over 200 years, Citi has been a mission-driven organisation, with an aspiration to be the best at everything we do. We have multiple engines for sustainable growth and are poised to capture opportunities around the world. Our global footprint is not just unique, but essentially impossible to replicate. A key factor for our success is our people, who have an opportunity to deliver innovative, relevant and timely solutions and services to our clients.

Fulfilling our mission of enabling progress means having the best people working at Citi, and grooming them to be future-compatible. We offer new capabilities to reskill and upskill our employees so they can navigate the complexities of the modern workplace.

We also ensure that we continuously innovate our ways by which we engage new talent. One example is the Citi University Partnerships in Innovation & Discovery. First launched in the US, the programme aims to expose students to innovation across various aspects of Citi’s businesses, while helping to create cutting-edge new solutions. It has been expanded to other Citi markets, including the UK, Canada and now Singapore. We are engaging students who may not have even considered financial services as a career path and opening up their minds to the exciting possibilities that a career at Citi can offer.

Q What is one career advice you give your employees?

My advice is to continue to be curious and never stop learning. We all need to continuously take action to ensure that we stay relevant; to constantly reinvent ourselves, reskill, and be flexible and adaptable to the current environment.

Q Despite the increased focus on IR 4.0, what about HR can tech never replace?

Technology does not replace HR; instead, we embrace it as part of our processes. It is increasingly important for us, as HR practitioners, to ensure our workforce continues to be aligned, motivated and engaged to deliver on our company’s purpose.

Today, HR is also evolving into a more central role in the organisation, where it has a key seat at the decision-making table. HR is more involved than ever, it is part of the business and together we ensure our common objectives are met.

Q Moving forward, what will the organisation structures of the future look like?

Organisations of the future will be more agile, with a lean and flat structure. We are already seeing this development. We will see a network of empowered teams, active partnerships and ecosystems. The evolving technology architecture will also aid employees in their decision-making. HR will continue to evolve and keep pace with the transformation taking place across all industries.

Vital stats: A career Citibanker, Jorge Osorio has more than two decades of global experience in HR management and development across six cities globally, having taken up his current role, based in Singapore, in 2016. He is regularly featured in the media on a range of HR topics. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Universidad de Lima, Peru, and an MBA degree from IESE Business School, Spain.

This interview is part of our CHRO 4.0 special edition where we we introduce you to Human Resources’ Advisory Panel 2019, and pick their brains on the burning questions the function is facing.

Read more here: CHRO 4.0: Decoding the HR skills of the future

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