People Operations can be the key to your firms expansion success story...

Every Super Hero needs a partner and a plan... a multi-country HRM solution provider that can deliver data-driven support can help ease your business' transition into new Asia Pacific markets.

As businesses expand throughout Asia, they must grapple with a multitude of challenges, some big, some small. Each new location can present a different set of opportunities – and a different set of legislative requirements and compliance rules that must be addressed. From a talent resource point of view, a mix of local, in-country hires and expat employees from the company’s HQ is often a critical tactic to ensure a successful market entry and expansion strategy. However, doing so typically results in huge amounts of administration such as contracts that need drafting, checking and approval in each country of operation. A further complication is the need to adhere to data protection policies, which, among other things, impact how employee information can be stored and used. Fortunately, the rapid advancement of the cloud, access to robust software, and the evolution of managed services have not only enhanced how businesses manage their day-to-day operations, it has enabled international companies to accelerate their growth and expand their footprint like never before.

A regionally capable, multi-country payroll and HR solution, either managed in-house or entrusted to a single service provider, presents an opportunity for ambitious international businesses to exploit Asia’s growth potential. It relieves operations, payroll, HR departments, and in many cases IT of a hefty administrative workload and reduces the number of service contracts that need processing and managing. That said, to get the most from the solution, business leaders need to consider the best approach for their business. Here are three of the most important practices to keep in mind as you grow, amplifying the most critical success factor in your business: your talent.

Outsourcing and Business Expansion

Back in the day, an expanding business had to hire in-country payroll and HR teams and work with local service providers to establish their new offices. HR departments and procurement teams were snowed under as they grappled with complex payroll and recruitment needs in foreign countries. They had to deal with an enormous amount of administration, managing reams of contracts and paperwork. Fortunately, the power of cloud technologies and new managed services paradigms have made things much easier for HR and payroll professionals. Cloud-based payroll software, for example, means that your company can now manage its payroll from anywhere, with a consistent experience for both managers and employees. This eliminates the need to establish in-country payroll teams or to manage contracts with different service providers across multiple offices. As an added benefit, outsourcing certain processes to a specialist provider ensures 100% compliance: their expertise in multilayer governance provides a level of legislative oversight and knowledge that will support your business growth now and in the future. With a team of always-on professionals by your side, your company can expand quickly and efficiently. In no way does this make your HR or payroll departments redundant; rather, by outsourcing these functions, your in-house teams will have less administrative work and more time to focus on strategic, value-added work.

Collaboration and Self-Service

Technologies like RPA, AI, cloud, and mobility are enabling powerful employee self-service (ESS) systems. These systems make it much easier for employees and managers to access payroll and HR data from anywhere at any time. These days, employees have high expectations of “consumer-grade” personalisation, from the way the information is visualised and delivered to even the language used. For payroll particularly, as services become more personal, there will be fewer communication barriers within lines of business. This is key to improving collaboration between teams and offices around the world, and provides unique opportunities for employee engagement. Using real-time information, colleagues won’t have to hunt for the latest information and will always be up-to-date. Consolidation of information into one user-friendly gateway creates efficiencies and helps quickly align employees with organisational objectives. Costs decline as employers consolidate redundant information and web pages, and productivity improves as employees spend less time looking for the information they need. In addition, employee satisfaction levels rise due to improved communication throughout the organisation. Lastly, this also plays an important role in raising HR's stature in the organisation, enabling HR professionals to spend more time on strategic efforts in line with the organisation's goals than on focusing on administrative transactions.

HCM Services in the 21st Century

As the digital age transforms the human capital management landscape, the role of the HR manager is changing too. HR professionals need to enhance their agility on the job, stay curious and embrace new technologies that are relevant to their business needs. The industry as a whole is evolving rapidly and the new solutions discussed here are enabling businesses to achieve in that often sought but rarely realised way: better-faster-cheaper! Given the complexity of implementing and managing a multinational payroll, managed service, HR advisory, and talent management landscape, today’s HR and payroll professionals must be switched on and always learning. The task now is to gather and analyse information, capture trends/patterns, provide data-driven insights, and then make recommendations for improvement. The good news is that access to information and automated administrative assistance is increasing rapidly. Human resources professionals no longer need to dedicate most of their time to data entry tasks and can focus on business-critical work. But to make this a reality, teams need to step out of their comfort zones, work closely with other departments and invest in digital innovation. Make no mistake, if HR operates in a silo or ignores new technologies, it will negatively impact your business’ competitive position in the market, hinder your ability to attract talent, and drag down your firm’s productivity. Ambitious, expanding businesses need the right skills, knowledge and attitude to land successfully into new markets. This success will be more likely when the business adopts the right technology strategy and partners with a solutions provider that can deliver data-driven support, local expertise, and technical knowledge.

"In Asia Pacific, 91% of the most important aspects in building a successful workforce are employees’ well-being, experiences, and symphonic C-suite." - Deloitte  Global Human Capital Trends 

Like all departments, human resource professionals are under the gun to administer their processes with greater speed, scope and depth than ever before. Especially when you’re expanding your business’ footprint internationally, HR managers need to run a tight ship — from streamlined human capital management to a comprehensive payroll system and benefits administration strategy. The only questions now are: Are you ready, and who is your partner?