They must aim to build agile, innovative teams capable of tackling increasingly complex societal needs. The challenges are multifaceted, including to effectively compete for top talent in a highly competitive job market, offer meaningful career paths, and foster work environments that inspire commitment and excellence. Investing in capacity building, promoting a work-life balance with flexible arrangements, and creating online collaboration channels that enhance employee engagement and retention can be instrumental in this regard.

Strategic approaches to HRM in social security organizations, that meet changing requirements, need a combination of approaches that include two important elements. First, a continuous alignment and upskilling of their workforce to meet the evolving needs of the organization while proactively planning for future talent requirements. Second, HRM itself must undergo a reboot, integrating new technologies to streamline operations and automate routine tasks. Technology can bring powerful tools to support these approaches but require attention due to the complexities involved in the introduction and adoption of such tools. (Ortiz, 2022).

Recognizing the challenges faced by its member organizations, the International Social Security Association (ISSA) has been building knowledge and providing guidance to its members. Human Resources (HR) and human resource management are essential components of the governance framework outlined in the ISSA Guidelines on Good Governance. These guidelines emphasize that “People – along with their talent, experience, and skills – are crucial to an organization’s performance, resilience, and vitality” (ISSA, 2022a). Acknowledging that human and technological resources are interconnected, the ISSA Guidelines on Human Resource Management in Social Security Administration stress the need for ongoing strategic alignment between these two areas (ISSA, 2022b). As technology advances, HR and HRM must evolve in tandem to ensure they complement and align with each other, with the ultimate goal of maintaining continuous service excellence in social security.

Figure 1. Strategies and approaches to strengthen Human Resource Management

Source: Author elaboration

Experiences of ISSA member organizations: Good practices from Asia and the Pacific

The ISSA has facilitated the sharing of knowledge and good practices on HRM through a series of webinars and other activities. In particular, the recent Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific highlighted good practices in adapting human resources to an evolving environment. Building on these good practices from Asia and the Pacific, this article showcases how social security organizations have enhanced employee satisfaction, increased productivity and improved performance.

Social Insurance Organization, The Kingdom of Bahrain

The Social Insurance Organization (SIO) in Bahrain implemented the "Tomooh" programme to empower its human resources and address the challenge of knowledge and expertise gaps due to the retirement of experienced professionals (Social Insurance Organization, 2024). The programme aimed to assess and develop employees’ potential through several stages, including personal conduct assessment, psychometric evaluation, feedback sessions and mentoring. Initially, 40 employees underwent psychometric assessments to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. This was followed by feedback sessions to help participants understand their results and areas for development. Based on these assessments, ten participants were selected for a job fit service, matching their profiles to mentoring roles. Finally, mentoring and coaching sessions were conducted to prepare mentors and beneficiaries, ensuring the smooth execution of the mentoring programme. The programme was key to identifying and leveraging employees' talents for future organizational success.

Social Security Administering Body for the Health Sector, Indonesia

The Social Security Administering Body for the Health Sector (BPJS Kesehatan), with 9,433 employees across Indonesia, serves 235.7 million members, creating challenges in employee engagement and skill development. Its competency-based HR management is evaluated annually through an Employee Opinion Survey. The 2021 survey showed that talent management sub-systems scored the lowest, which could affect participants’ satisfaction and organizational performance.

To address this challenge, BPJS Kesehatan developed an integrated talent management strategy focused on competence, strong engagement and excellence (Social Security Administering Body for the Health Sector, 2024). The strategy shifted from exclusive to inclusive, categorizing talent into three layers: top management, middle management/high potential and frontline management. Key roles were defined, including the Board of Directors, HR management, supervisors and employees. The system was adjusted to include internal job postings for promotions and added a "Creating Future Leader" performance component for work unit leaders. Talent stars were assigned by regional deputies, and promotions were made collegially. The process involved aligning various departments, including IT, change management and corporate universities. It uses a holistic approach, such as data-driven reasoning, stakeholder synergy and reward-based performance incentives, to ensure sustainable talent development and succession planning. Ultimately, political support from senior leaders, unions, and external HR professionals helped drive the transformation.

Iranian Social Security Organization, Islamic Republic of Iran

The Iranian Social Security Organization (ISSO) faced the challenge of conducting comprehensive needs assessments for vocational training in a large organization with many employees. Comprehensive assessments can be costly, often relying on limited sampling or subjective judgments from the HR department, which can lead to perception errors. While general needs may be recognized, specific issues are often unclear, leading to ineffective training content. Furthermore, the course-based method tends to overlook individual needs and lacks flexibility, failing to adapt to rapid changes in the labour market.

To address this, the ISSO developed a problem-oriented needs assessment system where each employee could apply for the specific vocational training courses they needed (Iranian Social Security Organization, 2024). This involved active participation of employees and their supervisors, and an IT-based system to facilitate the process. The goals were to identify all training issues, present best practices, and identify talented teachers.

Japan Pension Service, Japan

The Japan Pension Service (JPS) faced the challenge of transforming into an organization that supports work-life balance, aimed at improving employee retention and stabilizing long-term operations. The JPS therefore launched the campaign "Why don't we skip this operation?" to improve work efficiency and reduce workload by identifying unnecessary operations and digitizing processes (Japan Pension Service, 2024). The campaign solicited proposals from 330 local offices nationwide. The JPS President actively promoted the campaign through newsletters, directives and visits to local offices, resulting in 2,353 proposals. These were categorized into 398 topics, which were then developed into initiatives to reduce workload and improve efficiency. Each department was assigned tasks to implement the proposals, with regular progress reports shared at cross-organizational meetings. A list of implemented initiatives was made available on the intranet for staff to track progress. The campaign team also conducted follow-up surveys to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes. Outstanding proposals were awarded, and transparency was maintained by publishing newsletters to highlight successful ideas and foster unity between local offices and headquarters.

Public Institution for Social Security, Kuwait

The recruitment team at the Public Institution for Social Security (PIFSS) in Kuwait faced challenges due to their manual process. It was time-consuming, with tasks like sourcing, scheduling and feedback collection taking up significant time. The process was also resource-intensive, straining HR staff and hiring managers, limiting scalability and increasing costs. The disjointed process led to poor candidate experiences, causing qualified candidates to drop out or form a negative impression of the organization.

The PIFSS implemented a strategy to address recruitment challenges by streamlining the hiring process through a HRM system, which automated stages like application submission, candidate evaluation and selection (The Public Institution for Social Security, 2024). This system reduced manual paperwork, improving efficiency while aligning with PIFSS's strategic objectives. To attract a wider pool of candidates, the digital platform centralized job postings, making opportunities more accessible and promoting sustainable employment for young job seekers. The strategy also focused on ensuring fairness and transparency by incorporating automated screening and standardized assessments, allowing for objective evaluations based on predefined criteria. Enhanced communication throughout the process further ensured transparency.

Retirement Fund Incorporated, Malaysia

The Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP) has faced challenges related to employee well-being, particularly in addressing "quiet quitting." While its attrition rate has remained below the industry average since 2019, it spiked during the pandemic due to mental health issues such as anxiety, stress and burnout. KWAP is tackling this challenge as part of a broader organizational transformation strategy that aims to reform its structure, governance, processes, digital capabilities and human capital (Retirement Fund Incorporated, 2024).

Key human capital initiatives included reorganizing departments under a value-based HR model, developing a KWAP culture framework, enhancing performance management, strengthening transparency and employee communication, and implementing data-driven dashboards. Additionally, the organization plans to upgrade its information systems for strategic integration, strengthen its employer brand, implement ESG initiatives and advance talent management practices. To promote employee well-being, KWAP offers health webinars, free services through the HR marketplace, influenza vaccinations and onsite physiotherapy. The organization also supports a hybrid work model, allowing employees to work remotely two days a week, with in-office collaboration on “Blackout Wednesdays.” The Amity Wellness Programme provides confidential therapy and mental wellness support, complemented by webinars and enhanced Employee Assistance Programmemes. The impact of these initiatives is assessed through employee surveys, performance appraisals, team discussions, customer feedback, training outcomes and market analysis. The HR team consolidates this data to inform strategic decisions, improve policies and enhance organizational initiatives.

Government Service Insurance System, Philippines

In 2023, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in the Philippines launched the Bahay Ginhawa wellness facility to promote employee well-being (Government Service Insurance System, 2024). Located within the GSIS Building, it includes a rest area, prayer rooms, a massage room and a counselling room, aiming to support the health and wellness of its employees. The Bahay Ginhawa wellness facility aims to achieve three key performance targets: (1) increase its monthly utilization rate, (2) attain an average satisfaction rating of at least 4 out of 5 on evaluation surveys, and (3) reduce reported workplace stress levels.

General Organization for Social Insurance, Saudi Arabia

In 2023, a trust survey revealed significant employee dissatisfaction with General Organization for Social Insurance’s (GOSI) performance management system, citing issues such as cultural mindset, discrepancies between sector and centrally managed departmental performance evaluations, weak links between corporate and individual performance, and poor leadership accountability and communication. In response, the "Enhance GOSI’s Performance Management System" project was launched in June 2023 (General Organization for Social Insurance, 2024).

The strategy was implemented in four phases. Phase I involved assessing the current system through surveys, one-on-one interviews and focus groups, while also benchmarking practices against local and international companies, while reviewing relevant research to prioritize areas for improvement. Phase II focused on designing a new system, establishing success measures, integrating feedback and evaluating design options, which were presented to the GOSI leadership. Phase III involved delivering the new system by communicating its benefits to employees, rolling out training on performance appraisals and implementing the design in an agile manner. This phase also included aligning performance results with rewards, upskilling leadership, and implementing IT solutions for timely delivery, continuous feedback, increased transparency and improved user access. Phase IV focused on communication and change management, including policy updates, town halls to present the new design, open houses for guidance and support, one-on-one meetings with senior leaders and providing clear guidance materials. Online support was also available throughout all phases of the process to ensure effective change management.

Results

Table 1 summarizes the results these organizations have been able to achieve through these good practices.

Critical success factors

Resistance to change, especially in talent management processes, is a common risk that needs to be actively planned for. In Indonesia, a catalyst team, independent from the organization, was brought in to provide objective input, helping overcome resistance and ensure smooth change management. In Saudi Arabia, the implementation of a new performance management system faced resistance due to provisional ratings, which were mitigated by focusing on leadership ratings and ongoing training for HR professionals.

A strong commitment from senior management is a recurring success factor across several countries. For instance, in Japan, senior leadership's proactive engagement in promoting work-life balance through a structured campaign, which played a pivotal role in transforming organizational practices. Similarly, in Saudi Arabia they emphasized the importance of senior leadership's commitment to schedules and activities in ensuring successful performance management processes. Senior leaders’ commitment is particularly crucial in addressing resource limitations, securing funding and fostering a culture of change. To mitigate risks such as delays in initiative implementation or resource constraints, senior leadership must follow up on progress and ensure changes are properly communicated to staff. In Japan, for example, periodic progress meetings helped maintain momentum and resolve issues.

Collaboration among stakeholders is essential for the successful implementation of HR practices. In Indonesia, the integration of talent management systems required cooperation from all levels of the organization, including both internal and external parties. Similarly, in Malaysia, fostering a culture of work-life balance and employee wellness involved continuous feedback and collaboration across departments.

Training and professional development play a significant role in ensuring the success of HR management initiatives. In the Islamic Republic of Iran tailored courses for critical and practical skills were developed, ensuring they were both relevant and resource efficient. Standardizing educational content for employees in critical areas, such as insurance, has been important for the effectiveness of HR programmes. To avoid errors or inefficiencies in training delivery, a continuous evaluation mechanism should be established to identify training gaps, and adapt content based on feedback.

The adoption of technology is increasingly vital in HR management, as evidenced in Kuwait, where the provision of a 24/7 technical support, and the use of innovative portals were key success factors in effectively delivering HR services. In Indonesia, implementing integrated talent management required robust IT support and connectivity between different HR subsystems. Regular testing, monitoring and updates to technological infrastructure are essential to avoid disruptions in HR operations.

Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are essential for ensuring the long-term success of HR practices. Malaysia highlighted the need for stronger measurement and evaluation mechanisms to track the impact of wellness initiatives, while the Philippines emphasized the importance of ongoing feedback to refine wellness programmes.

The different combinations and focus areas of the different approaches can be summarized in the following table.