KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Human Resource practitioners are being reminded to appreciate the integral role they play in driving transformation in both the public and private sectors.

Deputy Financial Secretary Wayne Jones, speaking at the annual conference of the Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica at The Knutsford Court Hotel on November 16, said the first step in that process begins at recruitment.

“What is required is for us to ensure that our recruitment practices are sharp, are fair, and are credible. Our recruitment tools need to be constantly reviewed to ensure their currency and suitability for the modern workplace,” he said.  

Jones argued that even if the right candidate is chosen at the recruitment stage, this does not guarantee organisational success. Instead, there needs to be ongoing interaction between the employee and human resource through training, rotation, mentorship, coaching, reward and recognition.

The deputy financial secretary also challenged the group of practitioners to use initiatives to get employees “more aligned with a commitment to continuity to the organisation and to guarantee its longevity”.

He added that crucial to this process is the role of executive leadership teams as they communicate the vision that will guide their organisations.

Jones also stressed that the treatment of employees at the end of their tenure is just as important as how they are treated while in active service.

“Those who are leaving the organisation can easily be seen as no longer your responsibility, but bear in mind that those who remain take account of how you treat those who are leaving.  Their commitment and resilience will be tested by the imagery you paint in their own minds,” he said.

The annual three-day event was held under the theme ‘People @ the Core… Revamp… Soar’, with focus on growing the human capital, managing change, corporate governance, leveraging opportunities, and human-resource innovations.

The Human Resource Management Association of Jamaica was rebranded in 2005 after being in operation since 1980. It aims to make an impact on the level of human resource development training in Jamaica.