PRESIDENT of the Human Resource Management Association, (HRMAJ) Karl Williams says the association will be actively leading the charge for the establishment of a national registry for all human resource (HR) professionals and practitioners in Jamaica.

Williams was speaking during the opening ceremony of the recent 39th annual HR and Leadership Conference, held under the theme — ‘Smart Organisation…Optimising Value’, at The Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston.

“HRMAJ will ensure that the HR profession is self-regulated, and that members of the national HR registry is certified through continuing education and adherence to a code of ethics and rules of professional conduct…that each and every practising HR professional must adhere to,” Williams said in his remarks at the opening of the conference.

Williams noted that HRMAJ has started the groundwork in engaging the relevant stakeholders to make the registry a reality, adding that it is important that the HR profession be treated with utmost importance, as the development of human capital is imperative to the achievements of Jamaica’s Vision 2030.

The opening ceremony also featured guest speaker Marcus McChristian, management officer, United States embassy, Kingston, who presented on the topic ‘SMART Leadership’.

McChristian shared his leadership experience and seven attributes he believes is key to leadership — conflict management; managing difficult conversations, embracing failure, being accountable, adapting to technology, taking care of one’s physical and mental health, and being truthful at all times.

The conference featured numerous local and international speakers who focused on:

* Smart People;

* Digital Description;

* Business Essentials;

* People Analytics; and

* Smart Leadership.