intelligent

WITH MORE EMPLOYEES

NOW CHOOSING TO SPLIT THEIR TIME BETWEEN

THE OFFICE AND HOME , IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT COMPLIANCE IS MET WHEN

CONDUCTING A HR MEETING .

Samy Abu Aishah , Head of Human Resources – Middle East South , SAP organisations must record all communications while working from home .

As mentioned , the HR department also plays a major part in the hiring process . The circumstances of the past year , combined with the growth of technology like video calling software , have meant HR departments are no longer obligated to hiring employees from a specific location . Instead , they are now able to interview and hire employees from anywhere in the country and in some cases abroad , allowing them to expand the talent pool and bring on board the best in the business without the restrictions posed by long distance travel or international borders .

Technology will continue to affect every part of our professional and personal lives even as we exit the pandemic . From what we have seen so far , it has allowed those working in HR to work more efficiently , while ensuring they can continue complying with regulations and privacy policies in a changing world . As long as HR departments continue to move with the times in terms of technology such as video calling software , they will be in a good position to succeed .

Samy Abu Aishah , Head of Human Resources – Middle East South , SAP

Human resource ( HR ) managers across the Middle East and global organisations expect to be faced post-pandemic with a bifurcated workforce of remote and on-site workers , creating challenges balancing employee needs , organisational goals , policies and culture .

A recent survey by Oxford Economics , the Society of Human Resources Management and SAP interviewed HR leaders across 10 countries .

The report found that despite employee readiness to learn new skills , few HR leaders are planning to invest in learning programmes for reskilling and upskilling over the next 12 months . Outside of the United States , only 38 % of respondents plan to invest in these programmes .

While HR leaders across the globe ranked maintaining productivity as their biggest challenge , it ’ s critical that we do not lose sight of long-term strategies around learning and reskilling , diversity , equity and inclusion . The urgency for more agile processes , easier access to data and the ability to support remote work is accelerating Digital Transformation . It ’ s critical that leaders develop a culture of continuous learning and inclusion . This will enable workforces to drive needed transformation projects , even during a period of unprecedented change .

Many respondents said they were likely to recommit to corporate culture and value , and practise inclusive hiring and promotion , such as adjusting wages or salaries to address pay inequities or changing structure or benefits to foster inclusion .

Challenges to maintain productivity could delay long-term planning in reskilling

• Maintaining productivity given new ways of working is ranked as the biggest challenge for HR leaders

• Remote collaboration tools will see the most investment

• Organisations are taking a buy-versusbuild mentality , with most hires in the coming months expected to be new to the organisation

Remote work persists , creating a two-tiered workforce

• Organisations globally agree that remote work will be a talent magnet in the coming years and is viewed by many as a longterm investment .

• However , many respondents say their employees can work from anywhere but do not have the technology or environment they need .

• Service and field workers , general staff and customer service workers are less likely to have the environment or technology to work remotely .

Alice Grasset , Head of Marketing – Middle East and Africa , Salesforce

The past year has fundamentally changed the way we work in the Middle East . Just as digitisation is transforming our companies , with the help of technology we can become