Business should embrace digital strategies that can improve the speed and efficiency of human resource management activities, speakers at a conference on the impact of digital transformation on human resources said yesterday.

The two-day conference, hosted by the Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations (Camfeba), addressed ways in which digital technologies can be used to improve the management of human resources and raise the skill and productivity of workers.

Camfeba Vice President Teh Sing said it was important for local companies to observe and learn from the experiences of international companies that have used digital technologies to improve HR management.

“Each company is unique and has its own challenges, but there are overarching themes that we should all consider to promote a progressive, productive and healthy working environment that can respond to globalisation,” he said.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Camfeba board member Eng Sopheap explained that digital technologies have the potential to transform the way human resources are managed, benefitting all industries.

“All members in our HR community can learn about new techniques and innovations from international HR trainers and then apply them to their company though digital technologies, which are more effective than traditional practices,” she said.

Sopheap explained that some digital strategies for human resource management include using smartphone applications that collect real-time information of an employee’s activities while tracking individual movements and productivity.

For example, she said, an app could be loaded onto an employee’s smartphone that would measure the productivity of fieldwork by utilising the phone’s GPS tracking system, or monitor their attention span on particular tasks.

Pich Sophoan, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, said it was important for Cambodian companies to enhance their HR department’s capacity to compete with the efficiency of those in neighbouring markets.

“When employee salaries keep rising yet their skill capacity remains limited it will be challenging to compete in the labour market,” he said. “We need to change how employees are managed and collect all relevant information through digital processes to improve their abilities.”