Talent & Education

A new world for the old world

August 28, 2009

Africa

August 28, 2009

Africa
Our Editors

The Economist Intelligence Unit

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Most human resources divisions–and those within global businesses in particular–have come to regard information technology (IT) as a de facto contributor to nearly every business process. Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational petroleum group with operations in more than 100 countries, has a rich history in the energy sector and a more recent reputation as a consumer of technologies that allows it to stay nimble despite a dispersed workforce of 100,000.

Garmt Louw, executive vice-president of resourcing and development, says that while Shell’s HR department is still fine-tuning its technology, a combination of commercial and proprietary platforms has enabled it to gain multiple views of a massive organisation. “Technology is paramount,” says Mr Louw. “The whole company is deeply linked to our technological capability.”

Shell’s HR managers in The Hague, for example, can analyse the performance of workers worldwide by running reports from a consolidated HR platform. “You can do special lenses,” Mr Louw says, for example, identifying which employees are due for performance evaluations, or determining how new hires with deep industry experience compare with seasoned Shell staffers. With that information, “We can think of ways to challenge our people to make better use of their talents,” he says.

Technology has also served to alter how training sessions are scheduled. Previously, says Mr Louw, Shell held annual trainings in London. Now, as managers work with direct reports to identify opportunities for development during performance discussions, that information is sent to a unit in Krakow, Poland. Based on the data it receives, that unit will determine the most cost-effective region in which to hold the next training, rather than automatically flying everyone to London. While this programme is still new, Mr Louw anticipates that this “dynamic” model based on employee demand rather than management-imposed planning will reduce the cost of corporate learning, as will the more reasonably priced offshore scheduling and programme administration.

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