Bangkok, Thailand, August 21, 2020- For over 30 years, the Human Resources (HR) department at Delta Electronics Thailand has played the key role of attracting and developing thousands of talented Thais and overseas employees to work together for our shared mission to provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow.
To meet the needs of our changing world, Delta has brought on a new cohort of next-generation HR professionals with a diverse range of backgrounds and skillsets. Today we meet with two young professionals, Tanapat Mangkornprasert and Chanokchon Meeboonkul (left to right in the above picture), who share their own onboarding experiences, their views on the changing role of HR and how they can empower individuals and create greater value for Delta.
Can you tell us about your education and professional experience?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: I graduated from Srinakarinwiroj University where I majored in educational guidance. I worked for one year at a high school as a teaching intern. After my internship, I started a six-year career in human resources (HR) with a specialization in corporate training.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: I graduated from Thammasat University with a degree in Russian Studies. My first job was in online advertisement sales and after one year I switched to HR. Since then, I’ve worked in HR compensation and benefits in the F&B, real estate and hotel industries before coming to Delta.
How long have you been at Delta and what is your role?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: I started working at Delta in April 2020. My role here is to plan and implement learning and development programs for Delta managers. This includes our e-learning platform for general management fundamentals. I also help in the talent development programs to identify talents internally.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: I also joined Delta in April. I take care of Delta HR’s compensation and benefits for DET employees and Southeast Asia. My responsibilities are designing, overseeing and implementing the company’s compensation and benefits plans. I also monitor salary structures and compare to market benchmarks, control staff cost, and help ensure that policies, procedures and compensation/benefits plans are in alignment with the organization’s strategic objectives and HR vision.
Why did you choose to work at Delta?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: First of all, I know about Delta because I grew up here in Bangpoo district. So when Delta recruitment offered me a position I asked my parents and they were supportive. I also did my own research and found that Delta is a big company and a good chance to develop my English skills while experiencing an international workplace.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: I’d never heard about Delta before but when the recruiter called me I Googled it up and found information about Delta’s CSR activities, sustainable development and international footprint. I felt it would be a great challenge for me to come here because it’s a big company with many branches around the world.
How was your transition to work and life at Delta?
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: For me, I understand that I need to adapt myself to a new environment when moving to any new workplace. But it’s easier when my new colleagues are kind and friendly, especially my supervisor and manager. They listen to us here and if there’s something we want to do better we can try to improve it.
I also got the chance to meet our president in person and found that he is very kind, listens to young employees and responds to us. So I feel good here and it makes my transition to work and life at Delta much easier
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: On the first day my manager gave me an introduction of the company, the HR team and related departments. I started learning from my seniors every day and studying the basics with the Delta e-Learning online academy’s onboarding program. He helped me a lot as a guide and coached me on how to contact people in the company for our HR work.
Now, I feel I learn something new every day and my English is improving because in my previous company I didn’t speak English as much as I do here. At Delta, I talk to non-Thai colleagues every day and I feel the managers at Delta listen to my opinions and care about me.
How would you describe HR’s role in an organization and what the key ways do you add value?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: In my view, HR plays an important role of helping the company to implement benefits and payroll. Delta Thailand is a big company and with over 10,000 employees so we have a lot of responsibility to check that all our data is accurate and implemented on time to support everyone’s livelihoods.
In my previous company, we had a lot of strategy and activities for employee relations and I plan to add value with my experience and launch new activities. For example, next year I plan to start language learning activities. Many people think training is boring and hate sitting in a room listening to lectures all day. So I will try to make more fun and engaging activities.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: In my opinion, the role of HR nowadays is not just to keep everything running business-as-usual, like in the past. Instead, we need to get involved in every aspect of the company to transform ourselves to be business partners and respond to the company’s strategies.
Right now the world is changing with new IoT and AI technology emerging all the time. I believe that our HR team can utilize these new tools in our work. For example, it can help us to find the best candidates who really match our search requirements, it can help us to keep employees longer by analyzing their needs and help to reduce the turnover rate or even increase productivity.
What do you think are the top qualities for an HR professional to have?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: For me empathy is the most important quality for us in HR because we work with humans so we need to understand them deeply and listen to what they want to communicate. HR professionals must be like a bridge between the employee and the employer.
For example, if the employees want more salary. We need to understand why they want this and then as a company representative, we need to think of how this affects our business. Regardless of the outcome, we need to explain clearly what the company can or cannot do and as change leaders, we need to find new solutions and improve employee engagement on a company level.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: The first thing an HR professional needs to gain is trust. Because we keep a lot of confidential information about everyone. We can’t even talk about these details with our own colleagues because we can’t breach confidentiality.
The second quality those in HR must have is inquisitiveness because the world is changing very fast and HR must keep pace as well. If we cannot change at the same rate, then we can’t develop ourselves or our colleagues. At HR we not only provide services but also knowledge and information that can convert to tangible value for our company.
Any advice for those looking to join Delta?
Chanokchon Meeboonkul: Get used to going to bed early because Delta starts at 7:40 AM but we end at 5:25 PM and we get both Saturday and Sunday off. This is quite good for a manufacturer in Thailand. If you’re a newcomer, I hope you can stay true to yourself and not be afraid to try out new ideas and improve things at the company and grow together with us.
Tanapat Mangkornprasert: Just be yourself. As part of a new generation at Delta, we have a lot of opportunities not just in Thailand but also abroad. At Delta, we can work with people in Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, India, etc. I’ve only been here for four months, but I already handled many major projects. So for a total beginner to the electronics industry, I feel it’s a good opportunity to grow. So stay open to change and enjoy your new challenges.
Are you a young student, graduate or professional looking to be part of the next generation at an international company? Let’s get in touch today, to discover how we can work together to drive change at the Delta Thailand Careers Page!