The adoption of excellent human resource management practices makes perfect business sense, president of the Human Resource Management Association of T&T Cavelle Joseph-St Omer has said.
Joseph-St Omer made the comments as she delivered her remarks at the HRMATT’s inaugural Legacy Awards and Gala Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Ballroom.
“In a knowledge-based and highly skilled economy like ours, an organisation’s ability to attract and maintain a talented and committed workforce is the key to business success. With the present labour market situation, to win in the race for talent, not only must the terms and conditions of employment be competitive and fair, an enterprise’s employment policies have to be people-oriented,” Joseph-St Omer said.
“And it for these reasons we wanted to take the time to celebrate our profession, and the people and organisations who are creating and fostering a cheerful and dedicated workforce,” she said.
Joseph-St Omer said it is an exciting time for HR and all people managers.
She also lauded the HRMATT’s founders and past board members.
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the wise choice of many alternatives—choice, not chance, determines your destiny,” Joseph-St omer said as she quoted Grecian philosopher Aristotle.
Joseph-St Omer urged the HR fraternity to think big.
“Don’t think that the classical organisational composition will work in today’s times. The most progressive companies in the world are looking at things differently. We need to deliver better, we need to think differently. HR’s fundamental ability is to be able to contribute to the inclusion exercise as much as the exclusion exercise. HR leaders must move away from being order executors to agenda setters. I do not see every HR professional being able to break through the glass ceiling of expectations, but those who do are really going to be the big movers and shakers of our discipline going forward,” she said.
“And the opportunities are there, but we have to be more self-assured because at the end of the day, the most difficult function in an organisation is Human Resources. There are multitudes of opinions and perspectives which are to be dealt with while keeping your head on your shoulders. You need to advise leadership and the board to do what is right and it is a very difficult job,” Joseph-St Omer said.
Country head of the Inter-American Development Bank Carina Cockburn said while she was not an HR professional per se, she has had the opportunity to manage people and teams across the IDB for many years.
She said an HR strategy involving flexible work arrangements, the automation of repetitive tasks, ongoing skills development and close attention to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEI&B) efforts is essential to enhance the value proposition an organisation can offer to engage and retain top notch talent in 2022 and beyond.
“I am sure many of us are already thinking carefully about these issues and, if we aren’t yet, pressures from the market and workforce will soon demand this of us. With the government’s digital transformation agenda gaining broad based support from the private sector, civil society and other actors and the sophisticated level of skills and experience at the leadership level in T&T, I have no doubt that we will be up to the task of preparing our organisations for the Future of Work,” Cockburn stated.
The awards, named after the founding board members of HRMATT, were presented as follows:
• Alana Beaubrun, human resources director, Methanex Trinidad Ltd was awarded the Maxine Barnett Award for HR Excellence;
• Courtney Mc Nish CEO/principal consultant, HR Technologies Ltd was awarded the Glenn Wilson Award for Industrial Relations Excellence;
• David Roberts, CEO of TTT was awarded the Gordon Draper Award for Transformation;
• Dr Hyacinth Guy, principal Director of Hyacinth Guy Human Resource Company was awarded the Lisa James Award for Learning and Development;
• Methanex Trinidad Ltd was awarded the Coreen Jones Award for Best Place to Work;
• The Association of Female Executives of T&T was awarded the L Anthony Watkins Award for Advocacy;
• Elizabeth Gowasack, of HRMATT’s public relations committee was awarded the HRMATT Award for Volunteer of the Year.