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Monica LIU, Head of Talent Acquisition at JLR ChinaMonica Liu is the Head of Talent Acquisition at JLR China, bringing over 15 years of HR management experience from renowned companies. She excels in talent acquisition, employer branding, and cross-border talent management, having notably established shared service centers in Southeast Asia when she worked in retail industry. At JLR, Monica leads the Employee Journey Digital Transformation project, explores agile organizational models, and enhances the employee experience. Passionate about corporate social responsibility, she volunteers with JLR’s Hope School to support and inspire children.
In her role, Monica Liu has successfully expanded the talent acquisition team to cover functions such as sales, marketing, engineering, procurement, finance, IT and digital strategy. She leads efforts to attract young talent through early career programs and has successfully hired international graduates who have significantly contributed to JLR.
In an interview with HR Tech Outlook APAC, Monica Liu sheds light on the significant human resource management challenges she faces in the booming automotive market in China.
Given Jaguar Land Rover China's size, what human resource management challenges have you faced, and how have you addressed them?
In the booming and competitive automotive market in China, particularly within the rapidly growing New Energy Vehicle (NEV) sector, we are facing several significant challenges in human resource management. The post-COVID talent landscape has shifted considerably, impacting recruitment strategies and demands. At JLR, we are dealing with high recruitment volumes in emerging fields like Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), connected cars, and digital technologies. The increased demand for candidates with diverse skill sets has compelled us to adapt by implementing flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working mode to attract top talent. As candidates become more selective in evaluating job opportunities, we must offer competitive salaries and provide great employee experiences to remain attractive. We must balance the high hiring volume with the imperative for quality by focusing on immediate needs and future potential. This approach involves seeking candidates with learning agility and the capacity for long-term development with upskilling. We have upgraded the recruitment platform from a traditional model to a more advanced digital system to address this. This new model allows for broader outreach through social media and job boards and provides an end-to-end recruitment solution, including enhanced employer branding and internal referral processes.
“We launched an early career program targeting Generation Z to attract young talent with fresh perspectives, balancing the development of internal capabilities instead of relying solely on external hires.”
The talent supply is challenging, especially because we have historically focused on hiring experienced professionals. To address this, we launched an early career program targeting Generation Z. This initiative aims to attract young talent who bring fresh perspectives and new ideas to the organization while balancing the development of internal capabilities rather than relying solely on external hires. These strategies are designed to tackle the evolving challenges in the dynamic and competitive market.
What emerging technologies or new approaches in human resources, such as AI or other innovations, are you most excited about and believe could transform the sector?
As part of the Employee Journey program, which started in 2021, we worked with Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to conduct a survey and interviews with senior leaders, middle management, and employees. This revealed pains points linked to process, structure and people engagement initiatives. In response, we launched Employee Journey 1.0 targeting to find the best solution to solve the problems.
In 2023, we upgrade Employee Journey to 2.0 version incorporating new technology by developing a unique JLR employee app. This app was designed to address the identified pain points through innovative features. For example, we introduced the "Thanks Card" program, linked to our cultural values outlined in our “Creators’ Code”– customer love, unity, integrity, impact, and growth. Employees can use the app to send digital thanks cards to colleagues, recognizing their contributions. The recipient earns credits that can be redeemed for rewards. This initiative not only leverages new technology but reinforces our cultural values and promotes a sense of pride and recognition among employees.
What advice would you offer as a final note to fellow CXOs and aspiring entrepreneurs in your sector to guide their business decisions?
We in the HR community have recently observed the rapid emergence of the AI trend in China. AI tools are becoming increasingly valuable in our field. For instance, AI can now generate communication emails (In-mail) when using LinkedIn Recruiter licenses, and it can also help write job descriptions. AI is also being employed to generate photos and videos helping company to promote employer branding image. Although these applications are still being explored, it's clear that AI presents valuable opportunities to enhance our daily work and establish best practices. HR professionals must embrace AI, stay informed about its trends, and raise awareness about its benefits.
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