Why are HR professionals so optimistic?

Amongst HR practitioners in APAC, 92% are optimistic about the future of HR as a profession, according to HRD Magazine’s Asia-Pacific HR Report.

This optimism comes despite the profession’s focus on a variety of challenging areas, with the top five priorities including:

•    Change management initiatives
•    Developing personal/leadership management skills
•    Succession planning and talent mapping
•    L&D programs across the organisation
•    Incorporating new technologies to improve internal processes

In general however, sentiment amongst respondents was positive despite these challenges with many in the industry expressing their brighter outlooks for the future.

The flexibility of the profession was one common theme found amongst those surveyed.

“A personal viewpoint; the glass is half full,” one respondent told HRD. “See what you can do to improve what you already have and build upon that. I think education at all levels of a business is best to achieve this whether that is formal (courses/qualifications) or informal (expanding capability through in-house training/information sessions).”

Another expressed their confidence that “good HR people are adaptable and can therefore take whatever the future brings. It's definitely a changing field and the right people are on the forefront of that”.

Others pointed to the changing role of HR as it becomes more critical to business success.

“Business leaders are seeing more clearly the impact that great people and culture strategies and market reputation have on the success of the business. HR can influence business success at all levels and are increasing savvy regarding how the value can be seen, felt and measured,” one HR professional told HRD.

“For the most part, people remain a highly valued resource for businesses. The conversations occurring within society about diversity, wellbeing, big data, change management, engagement, recognition, retention etc all require quality HR practitioners. HR is certainly changing and continues to have a lot to offer businesses,” another said.