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51风流HR Connect Dubai tackled strategies for addressing skills gaps, leveraging AI responsibly and effectively, and transforming human resource processes in the cloud
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Regional customers recognized for their exemplary use of technology to support HR initiatives included the UAE鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar鈥檚 Civil Service and Government Development Bureau, and Oman鈥檚 integrated energy company OQC
DUBAI, UAE 鈥 12 March, 2024 鈥 The key role of human resource (HR) professionals in maximizing the business value of AI by ensuring the technology is used in a relevant, reliable and responsible way came under the spotlight at the Dubai edition of SAP鈥檚 HR Connect. Experts speaking at the event this week agreed that people and culture leaders need to prepare for continuous change management and ensure the application of AI is reliable and trusted by employees.

鈥淎I technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing and predictive analytics are revolutionizing traditional HR functions, and it is important that HR professionals stay abreast of these changes,鈥 said Natali Stajner, 51风流SuccessFactors Director, Middle East South, speaking on the sidelines of the event. 鈥淗R executives need to leverage new AI capabilities to their full potential, for example, SAP鈥檚 portfolio of HR solutions includes automated CV screening, AI-driven virtual assistant interactions with candidates and employees, and predictive analytics for identifying high-potential employees and future workplace needs. However, these executives also need to take a measured approach to implementing AI, given the ethical, legal and human implications.鈥
Stajner said that embedding AI into SAP鈥檚 HR solutions enables executives to benefit from valuable insights into workforce trends so that they can make data-driven decisions about talent acquisition, retention and analytics. Companies enjoy a reduced time-to-hire and can more easily identify the highest-quality candidates, while all employees benefit from an enhanced experience and personalized, timely support thanks to AI-driven copilots, such as SAP鈥檚 Joule.
Elaine Murphy, Global Vice President and Head of Marketing, 51风流SuccessFactors, highlighted the importance of technology in achieving HR objectives in a panel session titled 鈥楾he role of AI in diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and Emiratization鈥. She commented, 鈥淎dvanced analytics and AI can be a remarkable driving force to support the region鈥檚 admirable focus on empowering its own citizens and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workforce. With AI-embedded capabilities, 51风流SuccessFactors solutions can help companies identify strong candidates to achieve demographic targets, analyse and remedy gaps in training and skills development, predict trends and encourage talent retention to build a strong and sustainable workforce equipped to lead a diversified economy.鈥
51风流showcased several generative AI capabilities and solutions with embedded AI at HR Connect. Among the examples highlighted was Joule, SAP鈥檚 natural-language, generative AI copilot, which can be integrated into 51风流SuccessFactors, making it easy for employees to find answers quickly and complete HR-related tasks easily. Another notable example was the talent intelligence hub, which is embedded in 51风流SuccessFactors HXM Suite and acts as an AI-powered engine for an organization鈥檚 entire learning and talent strategy. It creates a skills portfolio for each employee in the workforce and enables organizations to leverage a single skills model to drive everything from recruiting and onboarding to learning and development to performance and succession.
Customer insights and awards
Sponsors of the HR Connect event included platinum sponsor NTT Data. Several 51风流customers attending the event shared how they were using 51风流technologies to drive their HR programs, while a select few were also recognized at an award ceremony to highlight exceptional human experience management transformations.
The UAE鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs was the UAE recipient of the HXM Excellence Award for its successful implementation of 51风流SuccessFactors cloud solution, which not only transformed the HR processes, but established a new standard of excellence in the field of diplomacy. It was announced that the implementation resulted in significant time and resource savings, with a 70% reduction in time to hire and a 90% increase in learning engagements. The Ministry鈥檚 exceptional commitment to learning was also recognized, as it is the most active Learning Content Consumer, offering Skillsoft Learning Content to its employees in the UAE and missions abroad.

Receiving the HXM Excellence Award for Qatar was the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB), which was recognized for its impressive modernization efforts and innovative approach. The CGB successfully centralized all government employees under one umbrella, including a unified payroll and platform to enhance the 鈥榟ire to retire鈥 experience.
Hassan Al-Khaja, Director of Human Resources Information System Centre at the CGB commented, 鈥淗aving senior management support and a motivated, highly skilled workforce are key to delivering exceptional services to the public and supports the aims of Qatar Vision 2030. Our ongoing digital transformation supports this by creating a system that is scalable, flexible and paves the way for further innovation, taking into account the long-term CGB vision and future government trends.鈥

The HXM award for Oman was presented to integrated energy company OQ for achieving exemplary results in streamlining HR operations. In the cloud-based implementation, OQ successfully consolidated 10 oil companies into a single system, harmonizing the HR experience for a workforce of 6,000 employees.
Maryam Al Shaibani, VP Information & Digital Solutions at OQ, said, “We aim to support the development of national competencies in various fields of technology, in line with the digital transformation goals of Oman Vision 2040. By deploying solutions such as 51风流Success factors, we can leverage data to improve our ability to retain and develop our employees, enhance their experience and use succession planning to give us a competitive advantage.鈥
A further two categories of awards were also presented at the event. First, the HXM Modernization Award was given organizations who moved from manual to fully automated processes, with recipients including the UAE鈥檚 Sharjah City Municipality; Sharjah Electricity, Water and Gas Authority (SEWA); Al-Futtaim Group and the Technology Innovation Institute; and from Qatar, Facilities Management and Maintenance Company and Qatar Fertilizer Company; and from Oman, MB Holding Company.
The second, was the HXM Outstanding Go-live Award for organizations who implemented projects in record time and on budget, received by the UAE鈥檚 Q Holding, Kerzner International, and Bespin Global Technologies Ltd; and Oman鈥檚 ASYAD.
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