Banking giants to clash at HR debate finals

After a much spirited and intense Semi Final, HSBC Sri Lanka and Commercial Bank of Ceylon PLC entered the Finals beating Hayleys and HNB respectively. The topics that were debated at the Semi Finals were "In an economic recession, staff retrenchment is inevitable for organisational survival" and "Performance is more important than potential when it comes to developing top talent".

All the teams put forward compelling arguments leading to a lively and interesting discussion.

C Hewapattini

The debates were judged by an eminent panel of judges comprising Jayanta Jayaratna (Chairman of the panel), Moksevi Prelis, Dhanushka Jayakody and Prof Gamini De Alwis.

The Final round will be held at the BMICH on June 24 at 4.00 pm to coincide with IPM's Annual HR Conference. The topic is on a subject that has been extensively discussed and debated in the recent past. "There should be a cap on Executive Pay"

Commenting on The Great HR Debate, Project Chairman C Hewapattini said, "IPM Sri Lanka is pleased to organise this Debate, the first of its kind to be held in Sri Lanka.

The purpose of the debate is to create an awareness of core HR issues that are of contemporary interest. It is not as much about winning as about developing reasoning and logical thinking. It is about encouraging tolerance, listening and research skills among our professionals.

We are quite impressed with the quality of the debates held so far and the amount of research that has gone in to it.

In fact the judges were full of praise for all the teams for their debating skills as well as the level of preparedness. Often, the decision has been very close and very difficult."

Chief HR Officer, Commercial Bank Chitral Amarasiri,whose team will propose the topic said "The Great HR Debate is not merely an event but is an interconnection between developing one's perspectives and transfer of insights, beliefs and theories- all in favour of building superior capability.

This debate has added immense value to the profile of its participants through potential skill enhancement. Specifically in the areas of critical thinking, listening skills, presentation skills, peer interaction, sense of discovery and comprehension . These competencies are essential for our Executives today. Participants are compelled to step outside their personal frame of reference about the subject matter and develop inner thinking, since one needs to safeguard key arguments.

The Debating topics have covered a wide scope of HR issues in relevance to the present business context.

This has forced HR experts and line managers to consider both sides of these controversial issues.

I wish to congratulate IPM for initiating such a wonderful project and hope this would be an annual event"

Head of Human Resources, HSBC Sri Lanka Ravi Jayasekera said "We are delighted that IPM took the initiative to organise this debate.

We see it as an opportunity for HR professionals to think deeper and challenge each other on somewhat contentious issues in the HR arena.