HUMAN RESOURCES
Harsha Purasinghe
DIGITAL HR IS A WINNER!
A clarion call to digitally transform human resource management in business
Human resources (HR) digital transformation in a nutshell
Digital technologies drastically improve and reinvent HR management processes.
Consequences of the above
Tremendous organisational transformation with improved performance, greater people insights and enhanced employee experiences.
Importance of digital HR today
We live in a digital world where the workforce, workplace and work itself are influenced by digitalisation.
Latest developments
Improved decision making, personalised experiences, sharpened insights, and predictive capabilities with AI and machine learning.
Tech value addition
Using technology to improve employee wellbeing and deliver greater workplace experiences.
Major tech trends
Large language models, enhanced AI-powered apps, new devices and experiences that deliver heightened virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
Innovations
Apps and bots that offer innovative ways to manage HR.
Purpose
To digitalise legacy HR processes, improve organisational performance and deliver modernised employee experiences.
Ways to grow the digital impact in Sri Lanka
Local SMEs need to explore the use of digital technologies and platforms to transform their businesses into digital workplaces.
Benefits of digital HR
Drastically improves efficiency, delivers outstanding employee experiences and enhances decision-making capabilities with people insights.
Ultimate benefits
Reduces costs, ensures compliance and enables agility, which facilitate adapting to a changing workforce and business needs.
Main focus of digital HR
Digital enhances all touch points in HR and transforms it into a data driven approach from hiring to retirement.
Traditional HR
Consists of time-consuming manual processes or partial automation of some of the more compliance-oriented areas such as the payroll.
Differential benefits
Unlike traditional HR, the digital mode enables the transformation of all processes to improve decision making while delivering outstanding employee experiences.
Role of cloud technologies
Cloud enables a secure, stable and scalable manner to deliver HR services digitally to all intended stakeholders in an organisation.
Benefits of the above
Offers substantial cost savings with increased security, compliance, and the ability to deliver people insights for timely and accurate decision making.
Strengths of the local software sector
Highly skilled tech talent that’s more loyal; and competitive labour costs compared to the West.
Measures to accelerate growth
Mitigate the current economic situation, and create more favourable conditions and policies for talented youth to remain in Sri Lanka and contribute to the economy.
IT’s economic contribution
Apart from contributing through foreign exchange earnings, the IT industry is vital in helping the economy transition into a digital entity.
Access to growth capital and infrastructure
Currently, it’s not in a good state – and that is mainly due to our economic situation.
Negative factors
Access to growth capital and the ability to raise low-interest debt locally is poor compared to the region.
Areas of the IT industry with the most potential
Globally competitive products, IP-related initiatives and high end or high value software engineering services.
Course correction
With a limited tech workforce, Sri Lanka needs to focus on engineering services and building Internet Protocol products that bring higher value into the country.
Areas of improvement for software professionals
Learning the latest AI tools, evolving cloud computing and advanced data platforms, and emerging VR and AR offerings.
Qualities needed to pursue a career in this profession
Absolute love and passion with a continuous growth mindset, and thinking beyond a paycheque.
Sri Lanka’s way forward with IT
To harness the power of the local IT industry and transform Sri Lanka into a digital economy.
Vision for Sri Lanka’s software sector
Building globally competitive and notable products, making IP and engineering services the number one forex earners.
Ultimate goal
Transforming our island nation into a digital economy.
Mantra for success
Focus and execution.
