Sysco LABS supports AHRP’s annual HR Think Tank event for 2023

Sysco LABS was the strategic partner for the Human Resource Think Tank (HRTT), a forum organised by the

Sysco LABS Managing Director Raika Karunatilake delivers his address

Sysco LABS Director People Operations Rehan Anthonis presents the white paper launched at the event

Association of Human Resource Professionals (AHRP).
The company’s Managing Director Rasika Karunatilake and Director People Operations Rehan Anthonis shared their insights on effective human resource management with more than 130 local and global HRM business professionals in attendance. 

The fifth edition of the AHRP’s Think Tank series brought together industry veterans and professionals to explore solutions to challenges encountered by the HR community. The event focused on the timely theme of ‘Creating Future-Proof Organisations: Engaging and Retaining Talent in a Volatile Environment’. Specifically, the event provided a platform for the people experts at Sysco LABS to discuss their strategies in mitigating these challenges, standing as a testament to the importance Sysco LABS places on people and culture and crucial in sustaining innovation. 

Conducting one of the sessions at the event, Karunatilake, who has been driving people strategy at Sysco LABS since its inception, highlighted the importance of employee engagement in a post-pandemic, volatile world. He outlined why organisations should strive for a positive employee experience, from pre-hire to post-exit and then delved into how to create and establish a successful people engagement strategy to achieve this and in turn, reduce turnover. 

“Employee engagement has become crucial more than ever before. Simply put, it’s the emotional commitment an employee has to their organisation and its goals; we have noticed that engaged employees care more about their work and the company. To achieve intrinsic motivation and retention, developing an employee engagement framework becomes imperative. The ideal framework comprises of five key components: care, passion, openness, growth and purpose. Organisations that champion engagement will be able to improve retention in an increasingly volatile world,” explained Karunatilake, speaking on steps organisations can take to navigate brain drain. 

Additionally, Anthonis launched a white paper titled ‘A study on creating future proof organisations: focusing on engaging and retaining talent in a volatile environment’, at the event. The white paper was an amalgamation of inputs from thought leaders in the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) as well as from speakers and panellists across a series of knowledge-sharing sessions before the forum.