“It’s not just about supporting employees but driving value for the whole organisation. This means understanding the company’s long-term strategy and how talent can propel those objectives forward,” she highlights.
As the HR landscape continues to evolve, it’s crucial for HR to remain closely aligned with the organisation’s strategic goals. That is a value that Rina Faqih, Group Director of HRGA at Great Giant Foods keeps till this day.
Bringing with her 16 years of HR experience, Rina is currently the youngest female director at Great Giant Foods. She began her career at BUMA post-graduation, continuing to accelerate her career, joining Sinar Mas Group where she was later promoted to HR Division Head.
Sharing her insights with Sabarish Prasad, Rina highlights how HR must be a strategic partner to the business, aligning its initiatives with organisational goals to support employees and deliver value.
Q Thinking back to your first day in HR, what is the most important learning that sticks with you until today?
On my first day in HR, I realised that HR must always start and end with business. It’s not just about supporting employees but driving value for the whole organisation. This means understanding the company’s long-term strategy and how talent can propel those objectives forward.
From day one, I’ve approached HR as a strategic business partner, ensuring that our people strategies are not just reactive, but proactive in supporting business growth, innovation, and long-term success of the company. That alignment has been key throughout my career.
Q What steps do you believe are necessary to transform today’s talent into the talent that the business needs?
Aligning talent transformation with business objectives requires a clear understanding of mission critical roles, and the capability required for talent to be deployed in those positions.
HR must collaborate closely with business leaders to identify the mission critical roles that ultimately drive business growth, map gaps in the current talent pool, and design development programmes that build both technical and leadership capabilities to boost talent to fulfil mission critical roles.
This includes creating an immersive development programme, agile learning environment, and leveraging technology to provide real-time learning opportunities.
Q Could you share emerging trends that you believe will have the most significant impact on HR in the next few years?
AI integration into HR processes will be one of the most transformative trends. By leveraging AI, HR can streamline and automate repetitive tasks and provide data-driven insights for better decision-making which ultimately will drive business growth.
Predictive analytics powered by AI will help HR teams anticipate skill gaps, optimise workforce planning, and personalise employee development programmes to align with business objectives.
Additionally, AI can enhance employee engagement through chatbots and virtual assistants, ensuring quick responses to queries and more efficient HR operations.
“As AI continues to evolve, it will enable HR to become more strategic and agile, focusing on high-value activities that drive business outcomes.”
Lead image / Provided
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