Building a high-performing HR team begins by focusing on your people

Meet Blue Prism’s award-winning team (from left to right): Penny Tan, People Partner, APAC; Priyanka Krishan, Senior People Partner (L&D), APAC; Serine Loh, Head of HR, APAC; and Amita Bhatt, Senior People Partner, APAC.

Over the last three years, the role of HR has evolved to become more strategic and aligned with business objectives and directions in a digital world shaped by technological shifts and a younger and remote workforce.

At a macro level, HR must ensure that their organisation has the right talent and competencies that are relevant to their go-to-market strategies, and can help achieve strategic goals, said Serine Loh, Head of HR, APAC.

Speaking to HRM Magazine Asia, she added, “HR must also ensure that talent development is continuous and prioritise employees’ wellbeing and engagement. Specifically, HR is required to play a vital role in ensuring that employees’ feelings of purpose, fulfilment, and wellbeing are met. Through continuous engagement and data feeds, HR can bridge the disconnect between policies or leadership strategies, and actual employee sentiment.”

At Blue Prism, a technology-led transformation of HR systems through bots and automation has moved the organisation away from traditional administration and transactional roles, to performing value-added tasks and ensuring that various employee programmes are recommended and implemented to positively impact business in measurable ways.

Loh explained, “As we continue to evolve, we are using technology, analytics, and data to transition towards thought-leadership. Our shifted focus on real-time performance reviews and our efforts in creating a more diverse workforce and culture have helped us shape best practices at Blue Prism.”

She also shared how HR functions in Blue Prism shifted gear during the pandemic to play a central role in balancing wellbeing and workplace practices. For instance, managers were trained to manage virtual teams and ensure all employees were connected and supported, including in the area of learning and development (L&D), which was enhanced and delivered through the implementation of new learning management software (LMS) systems.

And it is this insistence on having their people at the front and centre of the company’s focus areas that saw Blue Prism take home the prestigious Best HR Team of the Year award at HR Fest Awards 2022, organised by HRM Asia as part of HR Tech Festival Asia 2022.

Describing the win as “humbling and motivating” for Blue Prism, Loh said, “We believe in doing our best, while enjoying what we do and delivering meaningful work for our people that are aligned with our values. This award has reaffirmed our belief that great and meaningful work done with commitment, passion, and professionalism will always be valued. The award has also new benchmarks for us and will inspire us to move upwards and onwards!”

As for Blue Prism’s secret to building a high-performance HR team, Loh replied proudly, “Our HR team comprises of a group of highly talented, collaborative, passionate and motivated individuals with complimenting skillsets, who work together within a safe, open, and high-trust environment.”

“The willingness to go beyond the call of duty, the willingness to push boundaries, and having the fearlessness of failures and the desire to learn from them, make ours a high-performing, high-trust, and effective team.”

For this award-winning HR team, the rest of 2022 will be spent focusing on increasing engagement, promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), and investing in the development of their people and their careers.

“We will also employ our own technology to further automate and streamline processes, empower our human workforce to work on meaningful tasks, while supporting the growth of our business and achieving strategic goals,” Loh concluded.