Worker loyalty not a given, humans irreplaceable: Nestlé, Sanofi execs

Employee loyalty cannot be taken for granted as they are continuously looking for better, more fulfilling opportunities, said Bina Jacob, general director of Nestlé Vietnam.

Speaking at the Vietnam Best Places at Work Conference 2023 in Ho Chi Minh City Thursday, Jacob pointed out three other human resource trends that would develop strongly in the future. He said a revolution will take place in the workplace, with employees paying more heed to environmental protection, relationships with colleagues and workplace happiness. Young employees are aware of what they create and what they need to receive in return, he said.

He stressed the need to meet employees' varied needs, citing as an example the flexibility of working from hope that allows parents to pick up children from school at 3 p.m.

Jacob also spoke about trends in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. He said the present trend and significant future development is that retail advances to digital, merging reality and the virtual. Consumers now want things that are good for their health and good for the environment. Companies that recognize this trend will experience rapid growth, he added.

To remain competitive, Nestlé will invest in people and recruits early. The company will create an organization that applies techniques and technology from production to human resource management. Sustainability was a mandatory condition for business development at Nestlé. The company will conduct research to forecast trends and develop new products to serve customers, Jacob said.

Telemedicine getting more popular

Turan Emin, general director of Sanofi Vietnam, spoke about trends in the pharmaceutical and beauty-care industries.

Interactions between pharmaceutical businesses and their patients and employees will change, not only in person but also online, he said, adding that the process will intensify in the future.

Telemedicine is becoming more popular, benefitting both hospitals and patients. Artificial intelligence will become increasingly vital and businesses that do not use it will fall behind, Emin said.

“Companies that use AI speed up the hunt for novel methodologies and substances. Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly significant in the pharmaceutical industry. For example, the first thing I do in the morning is review sales and human resources numbers on my iPad to gauge the situation at my company.”

There is no replacement for humanity, Emin stressed. To work, people will have to merge the real and virtual worlds. Because AI will assist humans, efficiency will increase, he added.