Winning The War for The Best Talent on The Job Front: From Admin to Crisis Command After Earthquake

Technical roles face particular shortages, with high demand for AI specialists, cloud architects and cybersecurity experts driving 27% job growth in Myanmar’s tech sector. The challenge isn’t generating applications – it’s finding people with the right skills.

Hope’s advice focused on smarter job descriptions and better employer branding rather than casting wider nets. Companies need to be more precise about what they’re looking for and clearer about what they offer.

The broader skills shortage affects more than tech. Construction, tourism and manufacturing sectors all report difficulty finding qualified workers, complicated by skilled workers migrating to other countries after training.

Earthquake Response Reshapes HR

The March earthquake became a test case for HR’s new role. Teams that had never handled crisis management suddenly became responsible for employee safety, rapid communication and policy adjustments.

Panel discussions revealed specific steps HR departments took: prioritising staff safety checks, establishing clear communication channels, adjusting policies in real-time and maintaining career development programmes even when business operations were disrupted.

These weren’t theoretical exercises. Business responses to the earthquake required immediate decisions about remote work policies, mental health support and coordination with humanitarian agencies. Supporting employees during crisis has become a core HR responsibility.

The crisis response highlighted a fundamental change in HR’s position within companies. Rather than supporting other departments’ crisis plans, HR began creating and leading those plans.

From Support Function to Key Decision Maker

The change goes beyond crisis response. HR departments are becoming core voices in business planning rather than administrative support teams.

This change reflects broader trends across Southeast Asian markets, where 29% of companies now use AI recruitment tools and governments are investing in digital infrastructure to support workforce development. The impact of AI on HR practices has accelerated across the region.

Justin Sway, CEO of JobNet Group, announced plans to expand JobNet products into Cambodia during the seminar, signalling continued growth in HR technology adoption across the region.

This puts HR professionals at the decision-making table when companies face their biggest challenges, from natural disasters to market disruptions. Leading HR departments now requires skills that go far beyond traditional people management.

What Companies Need to Prepare For

The conversations in Yangon suggest companies need to rethink their structure. HR departments that can’t handle crisis management, planning and technology adoption risk becoming irrelevant.

The earthquake exposed which companies had proper HR systems and which were scrambling to catch up. Those with established crisis protocols, clear communication systems and flexible policies managed the disruption better than those treating HR as a back-office function.

Recovery planning requires HR departments that can coordinate with government agencies, manage remote work policies and maintain employee morale during extended disruptions.

The message from the Yangon seminar was clear: HR isn’t about policies anymore. It’s about making sure companies and workers can survive whatever comes next. The March earthquake simply made that reality impossible to ignore.