Organisations should be constantly evolving to match modern biz demands: CBL MD

In an era of technological and communication advancement, it is essential for Sri Lankan employers and policymakers to revisit existing employment structures, Ceylon Biscuits Ltd. Group Managing Director Sheamalee Wickramasingha pointed out. 

Wickramasingha will be one of the panellists  at the upcoming Employers’ Symposium, organised by the Employers’ Federation of Ceylon (EFC) under the theme ‘Repositioning Sri Lanka - Meeting the Employment Challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’, to be held on 9 November at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand. She will be sharing her insights in a session entitled ‘Rethinking Employment’.

This year’s theme for EFC’s symposium is aligned with the changing business paradigms resulting from technological advancements, particularly in the realms of information and communication. The symposium will draw experts from some of the leading EFC member corporates who will bring with them experience and new ideas on employment-related issues, with the ultimate objective of finding sustainable solutions that will enable employers to incorporate best practices and employment strategies suited for their organisations. 

Commenting on the importance of keeping abreast with the trends and demands of the modern day world of work, to reap enhanced economic and social benefits as a nation, the Ceylon Biscuits Ltd. Group Managing Director said: “We are heading towards being a middle-income country with no employment and lower income levels. This needs to change if the country is to prosper with the new status by adding more value to a job which will in turn raise the profile of the job and also generate higher wages.” 

She elucidated that as a country we could no longer claim the “luxury of cheap labour” but instead should be technologically-driven, a move which demands more skilled people.

Calling for more efficient tools to tap human resources in the country, particularly female labour, Wickramasingha has lobbied for women-friendly labour legislation which will be conducive with a larger workforce. 

“The need for flexible work arrangements which will enable women to strike a work-family balance is overwhelming. Today young women will take up challenges given the correct environment,” she asserted.

Wickramasingha, who applauded women who have taken up jobs traditionally held by men, cited the example of female machine operators employed by several of Ceylon Biscuits Ltd’s factories. “We always attempt to facilitate a workplace with infrastructure for women with children. Right now we are in the process of establishing a crèche in one of our companies which will be replicated in the rest as well.” 

Wickramasingha opined that several stumbling blocks at the organisational level often impeded the process of rethinking employment, such as non-cognitive and repetitive jobs. “Such jobs don’t stimulate anyone,” remarked Wickramasingha, who believes in engaging the workforce at all levels. 

“Each job within an organisation should be relevant, success should be shared and woes should be understood.” She also urges organisations to constantly evolve and embrace new thinking similar to what her organisation aspires to.

“We strive to have careers at all levels and have had many examples of people growing at the lowest levels and making it to the executive grades. We support our senior management to be different and embrace new thinking. As an organisation we need to be constantly evolving with the needs of today.”

An advocate of ‘learning from shared experience’, Wickramasingha, who also serves as an EFC council member, applauds the initiatives of the EFC to facilitate this idea. 

“Productivity is the key factor in being relevant in a very competitive world and this drive has to be an ongoing endeavour for which shared experience is vital.”