HKU Business School Launches the First HR Leaders Forum
Joins Hands with Deloitte to Gather Elites to Discuss Latest HR Trends and New Strategies in Talent Acquisition
The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and rapid technological advancement have caused drastic changes to businesses. It also prompts Human Resources (HR) professionals to evolve their roles in nurturing talents and enhancing employee well-being under the new working environment. HKU Business School MBA Career Development and Training team organised an HR Leaders Forum and invited over 20 prominent leaders in the field to share their insights on latest HR trends and new strategies in talent acquisition.
More than 50 HR practitioners from large corporates, industry experts and scholars participated in this inaugural HR Leaders Forum, which was co-hosted with Deloitte in partnership with Human Resources Online, LinkedIn and Cyberport. During the forum, a wide range of topics, spanning across latest industry development, upcoming challenges and opportunities, remote working, employer branding, talent sourcing, and the role of technology in talent acquisition, were covered. Speakers and participants had a thorough discussion on the HR trends, challenges and strategies to cope with the new working normal and tap into new talent acquisition needs, aiming at building up a strong and diverse talent pool for Hong Kong to maintain its competitiveness in the future.
Professor Yuk-fai Fong, Associate Dean (Taught Postgraduate), HKU Business School said, “HKU Business School is committed to fostering close relationships with corporate and recruiting partners, preparing our students to join the workforce, and bridging to success for both parties. I believe this forum not only strengthens our close relationship with partners, but also provides value to corporates to help them with their talent acquisition needs. Looking ahead, we will continue to work together with our corporate partners in building their talent pipeline with dynamic international professionals, to achieve new heights and to create positive impact on society.”
Mr. Samuel Tsang, Partner – HR Transformation & Technology Leader, Deloitte, who spoke at the first session of the forum, pointed out that creating a compelling journey from candidate to employee is crucial amid the war for talent. “Just as numerous consumer-facing processes and interactions have been retooled and simplified to provide a more satisfying customer experience, HR begins to shift its approaches as well. The idea is to move from a process-driven mindset to one that always begins with the experience for the HR customer, who could be a candidate, employee, contingent worker, or even alumni.”
Professor Jin Li, Area Head of Management & Strategy, HKU Business School identified some trends and opportunities in the HR industry. “We have seen a rise of jobs requiring social skills and teamwork in recent years”, he mentioned. “It will be essential for the HR leaders to identify creative interview methods for assessing the candidates’ social skills and their ability to work as a team. At the same time, professional interviewers who are well-connected in the network should be hired for a better assessment of an individual’s capability, and hence to recruit the best talents and build up a strong team in the company.”
