Group Chief People Officer

Norlida (Oli) Azmi

Norlida (Oli) Azmi, Group Chief People Officer of Axiata Group, shapes the culture, drives transformation, people agenda, and digital initiatives impacting diversity and total well-being across various businesses and markets the company operates in. She focusesonthe corporate center, which has around 300 people, and various projects and initiatives spanning the entire group. These initiatives encompass areas such as culture, organizational effectiveness, talent management, learning, digitization, and analytics. In addition to her operational responsibilities, Norlida is actively involved in governance work. As a member of several board committees, like the board remuneration and nomination committee, she engages in strategic and board-level tasks.

In an interview with Manage HR, Norlida (Oli) Azmi emphasizes the significance of cultivating a robust comprehension of how people dynamics influence the execution of strategic initiatives.

What challenges or recent trends do you observe in the field of HR?

In the current scenario, especially post-lockdown, two significant themes dominate discussions—culture and well-being and upskilling for future preparedness. Initially, during the crisis, demonstrating empathy and compassion was more natural. However, returning to the office has shifted the focus to productivity and deliverables, prompting a need to strike a balance to retain the compassion seen during the pandemic. Emotional well-being and work-life integration are prevalent concerns, especially with the younger workforce emphasizing purpose and balance.Culture is not just about the aspect of well-being; it is about building robust collaboration. In our organization, we've taken the opportunity to redefine our values, emphasizing courage for change and fostering collaboration in both virtual and in-person interactions.

The second major theme is building the right workforce capacities. Beyond questions about well-being, there's a concern about overloading employees. We aim to go beyond technical and cognitive agility and delve into responsible AI usage. In the digital telecommunication sector, AI and technology advancements bring both benefits and risks, notably in cybersecurity. Upskilling focuses on making everyone a responsible data citizen proficient in AI tools.

Another emerging area is sustainability, not just as a surface-level initiative but ingraining into the performance metrics. Recognizing the influence of our business operations and mitigatinge-waste, carbon footprint, and other environmental impactsstemming from the tools we employ, we actively strive to integrate sustainable practices into our ways of working.

As we delve into these trends, the question of organizational structure arises. This leads to a need for a refined organizational design and development capability, a topic currently under consideration during our strategy discussions within the organization.

Can you elaborate on initiatives in your organization under your leadership?

I briefly touched on the cultural refresh within our organization. This initiative extends beyond our base in Malaysia, encompassing our triple core business focusing on Digital Telco, Digital Businesses, and Infrastructure. We've expanded our reach to Indonesia, Cambodia, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, aiming for a cohesive alignment across the group through revised core values. Our goal is to bring about performance management and foster a culture of accountability.

“It's crucial to grasp the concept of adjacency knowledge capability, which involves understanding how the people equation impacts the actualization of strategy into action and results.”

To introduce these changes, we conducted a roadshow featuring the group CEO, the CEO of telecommunications, and myself. We discussed the new core values, desired behaviors, and strategies for embedding and measuring them. This initiative, named “Amplify the Winning Culture," is a significant ongoing project. The co-creation process involved not only the HR Circle but also active collaboration with the CEOs, highlighting our dedication to teamwork.

The CEOs played a crucial role in shaping the new values, emphasizing our commitment to collaboration. This approach is relatively recent, having commenced in May, and we are currently in the midst of developing a culture code—a playbook that guides our culture ambassadors in embodying and influencing the desired behaviors throughout the organization.

Are there any emerging technologies in the HR space that you are optimistic about and believe will make a significant impact in the future?

I believe that the adoption of advanced chatbot technologies, such as an evolved version of ChatGPT, will play a crucial role in automating and streamlining data analysis. This will significantly reduce the need for manual efforts, enabling swift data analysis. This will enable the HR team to concentrate on delivering value-added inputs. Although we are currently in the early stages of implementing such technologies, there is a broader trend in responsibly leveraging existing technology for data analytics.

At the corporate or holding company level, we are exploring the use of data and analytics extensively. This involves measuring our success in people management, including aspects like succession planning, learning interventions, attrition, and retention. Our goal is to utilize this data to attract the right talent from specific markets. While AI is a significant player in this transformation, we also recognize the importance of enhancing and refining existing technologies to propel us further in our objectives.

What is your sage advice to your fellow peers and aspiring professionals in the industry?

It's crucial to grasp the concept of adjacency knowledge capability, which involves understanding how the people equation impacts the actualization of strategy into action and results. Achieving this understanding is greatly enhanced by having a strong digital proficiency. By being digitally savvy, we can deliver significant value and contribute meaningfully, moving beyond the role of a support function by truly partnering with businesses and leadership.