Home Credit Indonesia

In an interview with Wiwik Wahyuni, Director and CPO, Home Credit Indonesia; he explores the major challenges and trends impacting the HR professionals in response to evolving workplace dynamics.

1. What are some of the major challenges and trends that have been impacting the HR Industry lately? 

There are several major challenges and trends that have been impacting the HR industry lately, including: 

1. Talent acquisition and retention: One of the biggest challenges facing HR today is the need to attract and retain top talent. With a tight labor market and changing employee expectations, organizations are having to re-evaluate their recruitment strategies and employer branding efforts. 

2. Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI): DEI has become a major focus for many organizations, as they seek to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces. HR leaders are having to re-think their approaches to recruiting, onboarding, and employee development to ensure that they are creating an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. 

3. Remote work and hybrid models: The pandemic has accelerated the trend towards remote work, and many organizations are now considering hybrid models that allow employees to work from home part-time. HR leaders are having to adapt to new ways of managing and engaging remote workers, as well as ensuring that their policies and practices are flexible enough to accommodate different work arrangements, though we have seen gradual shifts for more permanent in-person set-up. Still, delicate balance still needs to be maintained.  

4. Digital transformation: The HR function is undergoing a digital transformation, with more organizations adopting HR technology to automate processes and improve efficiency. This includes the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to support recruitment and employee engagement efforts, as well as the implementation of cloud-based HR systems & robotization to streamline administrative tasks. 

5. Employee well-being: As employees continue to face new challenges and stressors, HR leaders are recognizing the need to prioritize employee well-being. This includes providing access to mental health resources, promoting work-life balance, and offering employee wellness programs. 

Overall, the HR industry is experiencing significant change as organizations adapt to new ways of working and prioritize the needs and expectations of their employees. 

2. What keeps you up at night when it comes to some of the major predicaments in the HR Industry? 

There are several predicaments that HR leaders may face in the HR industry, and these can vary depending on the organization and its unique challenges. However, some of the common concerns that may keep HR leaders awake at night include: 

1. As I said previously, first and foremost, talent acquisition and retention: we worry a lot about attracting and retaining top talent in a highly competitive market. This can involve developing effective recruiting strategies, improving the employee experience, and creating a positive workplace culture. 

2. Compliance and legal issues: HR leaders are responsible for ensuring that their organization is compliant with various labor laws and regulations, such as equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws. Failure to comply with these laws can result in legal consequences and damage to the company's reputation. 

3. Employee engagement and productivity: we’re also sometimes concerned about employee engagement and productivity levels, which can impact overall business performance. This can involve developing effective performance management systems, creating meaningful career development opportunities, and providing adequate training and resources to employees. 

4. One thing that never goes away is succession planning and leadership development: we need to ensure the organization's ability to develop and retain future leaders. This can involve identifying and developing high-potential employees, creating leadership development programs, and planning for succession in key roles. 

“The use of robots and automation in the workplace is increasing, with HR leaders exploring the use of robots for tasks such as onboarding and benefits enrollment.”

5. Last but not least, as I also said before, diversity, equity, and inclusion: we need to invest a lot in creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. As time and time again, it is proven that organizations with serious long-term investment in this area are highly more effective. This can involve developing strategies to attract and retain a diverse workforce, addressing bias and discrimination, and creating a culture of inclusion. 

3. Can you tell us about the latest project that you have been working on and what are some of the technological and process elements that you leveraged to make the project successful? 

Digitalizing the entire hiring and onboarding space.  

● We are now enabling generating vacancies in our ATS only on vacant positions already found in our HRIS (SAP). This way all the Job and Position properties have been pre-defined before the hiring process starts. Talk about strict workforce planning in action.

● We then orchestrate the hiring process using a Business Process Management (BPM) tool for smooth candidate onboarding back to our HRIS; document Management System is also embedded. 

● Contract signing is done via government-certified e-Sign through the Candidate Mobile App (CMA) 

● Candidate interface is centralized in our CMA – in both App Store and Play Store 

From tech point of view, key components include: 

● End-to-end process orchestrating using world-class BPM (in our case OpenText) 

● Integration is also key when involving multiple systems in one synchronization; mastering the numerous types of integration is critical.  

● Robust mobile apps for candidate interface are also mandatory these days.  

● Data management is also key; our systems’ databases are all in our data warehouse (DWH) for our analytics team to mine real-time. 

● For difficult areas to interface directly (government data bureau for example, for credit history checking – as part of mandated candidate due diligence process) use of automation through robotization like Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can be a good solution, too.  

4. What are some of the technological trends which excite you for the future of the HR Industry? 

Several technological trends are so exciting for us for the future of the HR industry. Here are some of the most prominent ones: 

● Yes, you guessed it, artificial Intelligence (AI): AI is transforming the HR industry by enabling more efficient recruiting and hiring processes, predictive analytics for employee engagement and retention, and chatbots for answering HR-related questions. 

● People analytics: The use of data analytics and metrics to understand and optimize HR practices, such as employee engagement, retention, and productivity. 

● Mobile technology: The widespread use of mobile devices is driving the need for HR technologies that are accessible on-the-go, such as mobile HR apps that allow employees to access HR-related information and services from their smartphones. This is exactly what we have started with our above mentioned CMA.  

● Robotics and automation: The use of robots and automation in the workplace is increasing, with HR leaders exploring the use of robots for tasks such as onboarding and benefits enrollment. Our first RPA use case is the credit bureau check through the government platform. We’re looking at some payroll processes using this, too, at the moment.  

We are excited about the potential of these technologies to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance employee experiences in the HR industry.