The most recent HR Exchange Network State of HR survey paints an interesting picture when users distill the information exclusively for Asia-Pacific. (Read the global survey results in the State of HR Report.) The biggest takeaways are that many HR professionals in Asia-Pacific are trying to establish hybrid work norms and create a more inviting and positive culture for employees.
Top HR Trends and Priorities
The majority of respondents from the region (21.31%) said determining among all-remote, hybrid, and in-person work is having the biggest impact on HR. Transforming workplace culture (16.67%) and workplace safety issues (9.84%) came in second and third respectively.
In addition, respondents placed improving workplace culture (15.30%), addressing the labor shortage and finding more people to hire (13.11%), and [developing] hybrid workplaces (12.30%) on top of their priority lists.
Not surprisingly, the majority of respondents described their workplaces as hybrid, which means employees both work from home and in-person depending on the day of the week. Because hybrid work is a relatively new concept, born of the pandemic, people are still challenged to make it functional.
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In fact, respondents of the survey also shared that productivity monitoring (27.32%) and performance management (16.39%) are the biggest challenges to managing remote workers. On the other hand, technology lacking (33.33%) and disconnect between leaders and employees (28.96%) are the hardest parts of talent management in a hybrid workplace.
Improving Workplace Culture
Each organization in each unique part of Asia-Pacific will have its own journey when it comes to creating a positive workplace culture. However, a few data points emerged from survey responses that speak to this objective. First, respondents answered the direct question about how they planned to improve culture, and they said:
- Improve training and development efforts (51.09%)
- Provide greater flexibility and autonomy (40.98%)
- Facilitate collaboration (40.44%)
These responses fit with the growing trend of personalizing employee's experiences, demonstrating a desire to help employees grow professionally, and fostering a sense of community. The responses to the question about what benefits are being offered or considered seems appropriate, too:
- Wellness benefits 35.52%
- Employee assistance programs (EAPs) 34.15%
- Childcare/education support (25.41%)
- Mental health coaching (24.04%)
All these benefits address the health of workers and their families. It is clearly a response to both the trauma of the pandemic and an appeal to attract and retain top talent during a labor shortage. The idea of empathetic leadership and an employer who cares appears to be a universal, global trend in Human Resources. None of these responses are surprising considering that improving workplace culture and hiring and retaining good people are top priorities of HR in Asia-Pacific.
The Future of Work in Asia-Pacific
Globally, the State of HR is influx because the state of work is influx. But responses within the survey provide a glimpse at what to expect from work in Asia-Pacific in the near future. For instance, the majority of respondents said they would be making investments in artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (34.70%), HR management systems (24.86%), and cloud-based technology (23.77%).
Perhaps, some of this technology will be used to help with efficiency and to free up workers for other projects that are more challenging and interesting. In addition, HR has been successful at using tech like AI to comb through resumes and do other time-consuming, grunt work. However, some employees might see this list of potential investments and fear they will be replaced by technology.
Still, in Asia-Pacific, HR professionals are focused on learning and development. Specifically, they said adapting training to a hybrid workforce (17.49%) and identifying skills to train for (16.94%) are their focus in L&D. There's an urgency with learning because 19.95% of respondents also said that the employee skills gap was the biggest challenge to the future of work. This is followed by company culture (18.03%) and retaining top talent (13.11%).
Clearly, work culture and preparing for the future are among important factors that will determine the next chapter for Human Resources in Asia-Pacific. Technology will play an important role because respondents also said that AI and blockchain were tied for the most important HR trends in 2023. Also, HR professionals who responded to the survey recognize that the blurring of work (28.14%) and communication (23.50%) are the biggest challenges to employee engagement and therefore productivity.
The bottom line is that HR professionals in Asia-Pacific are pursuing workplace transformation by shifting cultures, providing learning and development opportunities, and utilizing technology. They are hoping these efforts will give them an edge in attracting and retaining talent amid a labor shortage and a race to succeed in the future of work.
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