In today’s global economy, human resources professionals, managers and employees work with people from a variety of cultural backgrounds daily.

This diversity poses important questions as to how organisations can use it to achieve their goals, as well as create a warm and nurturing environment for employees.

The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica (HRMAJ), in collaboration with Mona School of Business and Management (MSBM), recently held the Fourth Annual Human Resource (HR) lecture – ‘Cultural Intelligence, Shaping a High Performance Workforce’ at The University of the West Indies, Mona.

The lecture focused on the importance of HR in the organisation, successfully utilising HR tools and other HR concepts such as cultural intelligence, core, and flex, featuring guest lecturer Ingrid Emmons, human resource director at the Sandals Group.

According to Emmons, the concept ‘core’ represents values, while ‘flex’ represents the ability to adapt.

She said that a strong core makes for a deliberate flex, when examining the expectations of employees and business based on role and function.

She added that HR personnel experience unique challenges in ensuring that the core of the organisation matches with the core of the people they choose to hire.

Emmons suggested that once the core of an organisation aligns with the core of the staff, there would be interest and motivation to work and complete tasks.

President of the HRMAJ Karl Williams said constant improvement creates positive changes in the work environment.

“HR is the core of the organisation. We should be able to champion change. We have to engage collaboration and commit to change and improvement. As HR professionals, we have the policy manuals and we have to constantly make an effort to avoid creating ‘presidencies’,” said Williams.

The event, sponsored by Lasco, was attended by UWI students, staff members and faculty as well as HR personnel across various industries.

HRMAJ and MSBM have had a long-standing partnership that explores the practices in Human Resources Management in theory, while also providing the opportunity for practical exercises that benefit students.

One of these partnerships is the HR student club, where students and practising human resource professionals meet regularly to impart the values of the profession and also provide professional help and guidance.