By Robin Chan

AS MORE companies turn their attention to Asia, they will be faced by an increasingly multicultural climate and tech-savvy generation of workers in the post-recession landscape.

So both employees and employers must prepare for change, said Ms Deborah Henretta, Procter & Gamble's (P&G) group president for Asia.

Ms Henretta, who is ranked by Forbes as one of the most powerful women in the world, is leading the consumer goods giant's campaign to conquer the emerging Asian market.

She is also part of the 25-member Economic Strategies Committee that is devising ways to freshen up the Singapore economy.

She put this question to The Straits Times: 'What is it that is going to change with Asian talent in order for them to capitalise on this growth opportunity?'

With Asia leading the world to recovery, companies will need a new leadership model to bring out the best of their talent in the region.

Ms Henretta, 48, said the three areas of agility, creative problem-solving and multicultural leadership are essential tools in this new world order.

The most important is to develop multicultural leadership as the world becomes more interconnected.

'I think there is a wonderful opportunity in Asia to really step in and own this as a skill where they can establish a competitive advantage,' she said.

This skill is effective in two ways. The first is that it is needed to manage the diverse cultures within Asia itself - the continent is home to a myriad of ethnicities, cultures and languages.

But at the same time, this will also help Asia better connect to the rest of the world, she said.

With agility comes the flexibility to adapt to unforeseen changes, and having a mindset that is open to change so that one can turn it into a competitive advantage. For example, Ms Henretta asked, are companies prepared for an uncertain economic recovery that could take on different shapes?

And she thinks Asian workers can also do more, in terms of balancing their analytical smarts with creative thinking, to develop innovative solutions for the increasingly complex problems that are being found in the marketplace.

'If companies are going to be successful in the future, they are going to need more than just the leadership fundamentals,' she added.

'Those are must-haves, but this (the three skills) is the new price of entry for winning in the future.'

But it is not only the workforce that has to change. At the same time, managers in companies must adapt to another trend in the workforce - that of Generation Y.

'Employers will have to change as more and more Generation Y talent comes into the marketplace,' she said.

Three Y's define the generation - Y-not, Y-fi and Y-go.

Y-not because this generation is becoming more and more questioning. Ms Henretta said they are pushing for the world to be a better place and therefore lending their voices to issues like sustainability and green living, so companies need to make their work more purpose-driven.

The generation is also fearless of technology, and in fact seeks out new technology constantly, hence Y-fi. Therefore, companies need to accept that technology and electronic devices are a part of the workplace.

And finally, Y-go, because they are a virtual generation that feels they do not need to be physically present in order to be connected, so companies can make use of more virtual communication in the workplace.

'This generation is starting to think about work not as a place to go to, but as an activity to be delivered or accomplished,' she said.

These are the realities of the new workforce, and therefore the challenge is for employers to change the working environment in line with this.

Ms Henretta said P&G, which employs 1,390 workers here, is already implementing work-from-home programmes, where employees are allowed to work from home once a week.

It is also trying to become more tech-tolerant.

'With electronic devices, so often meetings begin with people shutting down computers or turning off their devices. But the reality is that this generation uses electronic devices as their pen and paper. We have to get with that.'

But Ms Henretta, who was speaking at the Raffles City Convention Centre where the Human Capital Summit was recently held, admitted that the barriers are high.

'There are a lot of companies and managers that say they have their own way and their way is successful. So the new talent coming in will have to learn their way.

'I think there's always going to be give and take in these types of situations, but there's a premium put right now on employers who really try to understand the needs, work habits and work styles of this new generation of talent coming in.'

She said those companies that do, will 'have a better chance of winning...have an edge in terms of recruiting and retaining this younger talent'.

'This new environment that we find ourselves in really puts pressure on everybody to step up their game. But from an Asian talent basis, we have to step up the game a little bit bigger and faster.

'And by the way, the prize is huge because the prize is growth.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times.