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"Our ability to tailor our HR initiatives to the specific needs of our workforce reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment,” Calvin Ong, Head of People and Talent, shares.
Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI), a data science and AI start-up, takes pride in being a forward-thinking company that brings to the table a strong commitment to research and a human-centric approach. Its mission is to provide transformative AI consulting and data-driven IoT and sustainability to businesses.
With a heritage rooted in the Philippines’ Aboitiz Group and headquartered in Singapore, it serves clients in banking & financial services, power, and smart cities (real estate, airports, construction, land and food) industries.
The HR Excellence Awards 2023, Singapore, saw the People team at ADI take home the bronze award for ‘Excellence in Workforce Flexibility’, a testament to the team’s commitment to its internal clients – its employees.
In this interview, Calvin Ong, Head of People and Talent, Aboitiz Data Innovation, tells us all about the innovative policies and platforms that have helped drive an approach to workforce flexibility, leading to increased employee satisfaction, improved agility and adaptability, optimised resource allocation, reduced headcount costs, and more.
Q Congratulations on your top performance at the HR Excellence Awards! How has your HR and people strategy contributed to your success this year?
Aboitiz Data Innovation is committed to workforce flexibility, demonstrated through our comprehensive approach to adaptability. Our goal is to enhance the organisation’s responsiveness to evolving business needs by adjusting workforce composition, structure, and deployment as required. Aligning our workforce with business objectives optimises operational efficiency, meeting the demands of the dynamic environment.
We have implemented innovative policies and platforms empowering employees to balance professional and personal lives effectively. This includes open communications channels, flexible working hours especially for parents, and remote work options with platforms that enables employees to access from anywhere with minimal disruptions.
Our culture recognises diverse workforce needs, unlocking the full potential of workforce flexibility and driving desired outcomes for the organisation. This not only boosts morale but also enhances productivity and job satisfaction.
Q Looking back at your achievements, what aspect of your HR initiatives are you most proud of and why?
One standout aspect of our HR initiatives is the successful implementation of the flexible benefits, giving employees the autonomy to tailor their rewards according to their individual needs. This initiative, aligned with our commitment to workforce flexibility, includes additional annual leave, sick leave, and parental leave, showcasing our dedication to employees’ wellbeing and work-life balance.
By leveraging workforce flexibility together with flexible benefits, we have increased employee satisfaction, fostering a sense of loyalty and engagement. This approach allows employees to effectively balance their professional and personal commitments, while also feeling that their individual needs are being acknowledged and met. Our ability to tailor our HR initiatives to the specific needs of our workforce reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment.
Q During your HR journey, what were some significant obstacles you faced, and how did you overcome them to achieve excellence?
Our HR journey was not without its challenges. One significant obstacle was the fluctuations in demand for our professional services, consulting, and products. Traditional hiring approaches have proven effective for short-term needs however they have proven inadequate when it comes to addressing longer-term challenges, such as the inability to assign employees with specialised skill sets to new projects. This has resulted in increased headcount costs and can become a significant issue over time.
To tackle these challenges, it is essential for us to establish workforce flexibility and adaptability, enabling us to effectively manage shifting demands, optimise resource allocation, and achieve desired outcomes. We took a proactive approach to conduct extensive research and worked closely with the business to define the objectives and talent requirements, conducting a comprehensive workforce planning exercise.
The transition to a more flexible workplace setup has yielded positive outcomes. The capability to adjust workforce size, composition, and deployment has significantly improved our agility and adaptability, allowing us to swiftly respond to market changes, customer demands and project requirements.
There was an overall decrease in headcount costs and increased profit margin as we achieved greater efficiency in optimising resource allocation.
There was an overall decrease in headcount costs and increased profit margin as we achieved greater efficiency in optimising resource allocation.
In addition, we also reported an increase in overall revenue resulting from our ability to offer a wider array of solutions to our clients.
Overcoming these obstacles required a commitment to stay agile and continuous improvement, resulting in a more resilient and adaptable workforce.
Q How does your organisation measure the success and impact of your HR initiatives?
The success and impact of our HR initiatives lies in our intentional approach to change management. We have rolled out a stakeholder engagement and communication strategy that prioritised the involvement of our people managers and leaders. Commitments, such as policy adjustments, additional training, or improved communication practices, provide a representation of success.
Qualitatively, we conduct surveys and collect feedback to gauge employee satisfaction, engagement, and wellbeing. This dual approach ensures that our HR initiatives are aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of our workforce. It helps foster support and collaboration across the organisation.
Q In what direction do you see the HR/people function evolving in the future, considering the emerging trends?
Looking ahead, we anticipate that the HR/people function to continue evolving in response to emerging trends. Investing in cutting-edge technology tools and infrastructure will play a crucial role in facilitating remote work and enhancing HR processes, with a focus on creating seamless and personalised employee experiences. The increasing importance of employee wellbeing will lead to more holistic benefits and support programmes.
Additionally, diversity, equity, and inclusion will remain at the forefront, driving the development of inclusive policies and practices. Ultimately, the future of HR lies in its ability to embrace change, anticipating future talent needs, identifying skill gaps, leveraging technology, and prioritising the evolving needs of the workforce.
Read more interviews on why organisations have won trophies for their HR practices - head over to our Winning Secrets' section!
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