The impact of the euro on human resources
Human resources are the heart of every organisation. They pump in the energy and keep the business flow going. Organisations are all about people and a good workforce is surely a critical success factor of organisational performance.
The process of changing currency impacts organisations in varying degrees, but surely, besides the impact that the changeover to the euro has on technology, resources and financial management, one cannot underestimate the impact that this change has on people in organisations.
More than anything else, adopting the euro is a social and psychological change, which requires a certain degree of adaptation. Employees are primarily consumers in their own private life, who have to grapple and come to terms with the new currency for their own personal agency.
Apart from that, however, employees are more likely to be in a position to simultaneously assist consumers to handle and familiarise themselves with the new currency.
The National Euro Changeover Committee has been working incessantly to this goal for the past two years. The changeover process has now reached a critical stage where all stakeholders need to fine tune and make the last necessary preparations, including the roll-out of their euro training plan to ensure a smooth enough transition to the euro, both in its internal operations and also for a seamless process for its customer base.
In anticipation of this change, the FHRD, in conjunction with the NECC, is organising a business breakfast for all human resource professionals on September 14. The main speaker will be Alan Camilleri, NECC executive director. The meeting will focus on the role of people in organisations at this critical juncture in the process of a currency changeover.
Particular focus will be placed on the importance of training all employees within an organisation, especially those who have a customer-facing and cash-handling role. All employees dealing with customers have to be in a position to answer client queries in a correct, informed and professional manner.
The 'Train the Trainer' programme, currently being implemented by the NECC, will also be presented. It is a programme aimed at people in management positions who will then be in a position to cascade it down to their in-house employees.
For more information visit the FHRD Website www.fhrd.org or contact Daniela Xuereb at the NECC on 2205-0112. A registration form can be downloaded from www.fhrd.org/RegistrationForm.asp and faxed to FHRD on 2138-1945 or e-mailed to sagius@fhrd.org.
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