HR managers must adapt to meet challenges of regional integration

THE Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is approaching a new milestone: the implementation of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. This community is expected to transform South-east Asia into a single market for production, distribution, investment and skilled labour movement, thereby paving the way for economic development of the entire region.

In rising to the various challenges and opportunities of this integration, readiness of business leaders and human resource (HR) managers is crucial. Businesses are key stakeholders in the process and it is imperative that they understand the direction of the changing workforce and employment patterns in the region.

In the recent Asean Business Outlook Survey 2015 report released by the American Chamber of Commerce and joined by more than 500 executives representing small, medium and large US companies in the Asean countries, we find interesting insight on executives' assessment and outlook on opportunities in the region. According to the survey, Asean markets have become more important for 58 per cent of respondents over the past two years in terms of their companies' …