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Friday Nov 29, 2024
Thursday, 13 February 2014 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Sonia Chinnaiyah
Q: As the Global Head of HR Cornucopia Asia, what are the key milestones of HR Cornucopia since its inception?
A: HR Cornucopia started in mid 2004, we have grown over the years and today we cover many parts of the Asia Pacific Region. We currently have operations in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore and serve other parts of Asia from these centres. Our Sri Lankan operations started in 2005. Our primary business is HR and OD consulting and services. Around 2006, we launched 360-degree leadership framework on a web engine. Simultaneously, we launched web-based Employee Satisfaction Surveys (ESS). Our services include Performance Management Systems (PMS), organisational restructure, leadership development, competency framework, job evaluation, HR audits, executive search, structuring executive pay plans and compensation/salary surveys, mergers and acquisition HR advisory, etc.
Q: What are your objectives and how long have you been in operation in Asia and Sri Lanka?
A: Our long term vision is to be a trend setter in the HR and OD areas in the Asia Pacific region. Our Sri Lanka operation is eight years old now; we started the Colombo operations immediately after we began our operations in India. We have recently updated our website and more details can be found on www.cornucopiaasia.com
Q: What is the uniqueness of HR Cornucopia’s services when compared to the other management consulting firms in Sri Lanka?
A: Consulting has long been the field of either freelancing individuals or the big multinational companies. While the freelancing community generally does not possess the required resource bandwidth to service large projects and assignments, the multinational companies have been generally unaffordable for the clients. The freelancers also lack the research and academic capability that the next-gen consulting will need. HR Cornucopia bridges this gap nicely; providing high-end strategic HR and OD services at an affordable price to the average customer.
Moving past the conventional understanding of consulting, HR Cornucopia also helps clients to implement the solutions in a result oriented manner. We bring in both the research capability and the experience of having worked in various industry verticals. Most of our resources have more than 25 years of working experience with an average eight years consulting experience. I consider these to be the primary differentiators in HR Cornucopia.
Q: According to Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Sri Lanka’s banking and financial sector will undergo drastic structural reforms with mergers of banks and finance companies to steer the economy. To ensure successful mergers and acquisitions, why are HR interventions critical and how could consulting firms like HR Cornucopia assist on this regard?
A: Mergers and acquisition times are generally turbulent. Success of the merger depends on how well and how soon people are integrated in the new merged organisation. HR Cornucopia brings in a lot of experience in integrating the people and work culture and specialises in the field of people, culture and value integration following a merger or an acquisition.
Q: Sri Lanka has set an ambitious target of achieving a US$ 100 billion economy by 2016. What would be the role of HR professionals to achieve this target?
A: Sri Lanka’s economy is bound to grow exponentially. As Peter Dowling famously said, in the ultimate analysis, all business problems are created by people and must, therefore, be solved by people. In the end, it is the people who matter. I would expect that the HR professionals will have to move into being true business partners in the future context of Sri Lanka’s economy.
Q: Based on your consulting experience, what are the top challenges HR managers face in their jobs today?
A: The HR function is going through a transition. From a conventional outlook to the function, there is a need to become internal service providers and then into becoming a true business partner, who contributes to the business overall. It is this transition, in my opinion, the top most challenge being faced by HR managers today.
Q: With the ‘war for talent’ intensifying like never before, what are the skills required to enhance employability of prospective job seekers?
A: Apart from the ‘domain’ expertise and knowledge, job seekers will need to develop their people skills, and be ‘tech savvy’. They should possess sound judgment, a sense of urgency, street smartness and have high energy levels.
Q: What are your plans for this year?
A: We have plans to make most of our products – like Performance Management System (PMS), compensation surveys, individual development plans, second line developments, etc. – web-based, which can be extended to any parts of Asia Pacific and Middle East Regions as we plan to extend our areas of operations into some of these countries.
Q: Does Cornucopia Asia see potential in the local market?
A: Sri Lanka is undoubtedly a high potential market. There is growing demand for high-end HR and OD expertise. We have been growing at a very fast pace in Sri Lanka and our aim will be to be amongst the top five consulting firm in the island.
Q: As a final question, how do you see Sri Lanka’s growth prospects and what impact can leading consulting firms like HR Cornucopia have on business to ensure its momentum?
A: As I said, Sri Lanka’s growth prospects have got a total boost since the political climate has become more conducive for economic growth. I see Sri Lanka having many remote industrial and commercial hubs in the regions. Business growth in areas such as manufacturing, technology, services, hospitality, infrastructure will get a tremendous boost, alongside a continued growth in the tourism, tea and garment sectors. The economy and business will become increasingly globalised. This will demand consulting services of high-end nature. Sri Lanka will surely need HR consultants with the ability to understand diverse fields and verticals in business. HR consulting firms like Cornucopia will find interesting business opportunities in Sri Lanka.
