The National HR Conference (NHRC) 2018 which is due to be held on June 6 and 7 at the BMICH in Colombo aims at transforming the mindset of HR practitioners, enabling them to excel in an agile, digitally empowered operating environment embracing the brave new digital world whilst staying vigilant and receptive to the workplace challenges of tomorrow.
This year’s conference theme, ‘Transformation of HR in the Digital World’ endeavours to re-orient the HR community by enlightening them on the changing HR landscape that is influenced by digitization, made further complex by the cultural and generational workforce diversity, war for talent and customer demands.
“Digitization has become a wave spreading across the world, revealing multiple varieties. In fact, technology has always been an enhancer of our work. From adding machine to advanced computer this was the case,” Institute of Personnel Management (IPM) President Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri said.
“The proliferation of digital technologies has radically changed our lives, our communities and our workplaces reshaping the world of work in the process, dramatically changing the way we manage, perform and interact within organizations.
“It is essentially challenging the conventional way of doing things. It also involves new initiatives with the use of technology in moving beyond traditional boundaries. On the spot feedback which is real time and online as opposed to annual performance appraisal is one such example. The term disruption is associated with radical change. The same should apply to the transformation of HRM. This is the context in which the IPM decided to focus on this year’s conference to reflect on and relate to its obligations to the nation in transforming the practice of HRM,” he said.
“We have an over emphasis on private sector HR with less focus on the public sector. This should be rectified through a sensible dialog on best HR practices and their applicability to both private and public sectors, as its key functions have overarching effects on utilizing the most precious resource of any organization. NHRC 2018 intends to fill this void in a meaningful and memorable manner,” Prof. Dharmasiri said.
The IMP’s NHRC is the largest HR conference in South Asia and is expected to attract around 1,000 local and foreign participants. The Chief Guest will be Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure Harin Fernando. The keynote address will be delivered by HSBC Sri Lanka and the Maldives Chief Executive Officer Mark G. Prothero and there will be a line up of eminent speakers to share their insights during the multiple technical sessions.