…As CIPM pledges sustained stakeholders engagement
By Henry Uche
Experts in Human Capital Management have been charged to confront and disrupt conventional and regular people management practices if they must measure up with the herculean tasks ahead of them.
The Country Chair/MD, Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, who spoke at Chartered Institute Personnel Management or Nigeria- CIPM CEO/CHRO/HRD Forum in Lagos recently, with the theme: ‘Rethinking The Role of HR: A CEO’S Perspective’ said, maintaining the status quo could be very dangerous for people managers, hence the need to disrupt the common practices and think critically.
“You must speak the language of business and never be afraid to ask such seemly stupid questions. You must be resilient, focused and persevere in the ever – evolving human resource world in all your dealings” he admonished.
Shell boss advised them to ponder over Volatility and uncertainty of business environment, globalization, inflation, fiscal policies, war for talent, employee and industrial relations, digitalization, technological advancement like (Al) and changing regulation, if they must overcome their dilemma and deliver value through people.
“Corporate leaders like HR practitioners are fronted with how do retain critical talent, how do I remain competitive, profitable and sustainable, changes in business ecosystem, how to maximize and leverage digitalization and exploring opportunities, but they can be on top if they do the unconventional” he admitted.
Okunbor urged People managers to rethink organizational culture and leadership, push boundaries to power organizational agility, acquire cross functional aptitude, unleash digitalization, prioritize Inclusion, and embrace perpetual work reinvention.
“You must align people strategies with organizational goals, leverage data science to drive credible people outcomes, create a sustainable EVP based on the evolving needs, demographics and preferences of your workforce, then pair strong business knowledge and intimacy with Human Resource functional expertise” he charged.
Similarly, the President & Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mr. Olusegun Mojeed, assured that stakeholder engagement at various levels remain a top priority to him.
“We did our stakeholder mapping and realized we needed to connect with business owners/leaders who employ people. Our core function does not end with just engaging our members and providing the required professional support, but also connecting with people managers across board especially those who may not necessarily be HR professionals” he stressed.