What the NHO conference reminded HR leaders about trust, preparedness, and HCM systems
Caption: CatalystOne CEO Avtar Jasser on stage with Anne Lindmo at the NHO conference
This year’s NHO conference asked a fundamental question: How can Norway create momentum in a world shaped by trade tensions, geopolitical change, and rapid technological shifts?
Much of the discussion focused on macroeconomics, geopolitics, and industrial policy. But one message that stood out applies equally for HR leaders at executive level across the Nordics: in uncertain times, momentum is built through stamina, trust, and long-term thinking.
That message came through strongly in the reflections shared by our CEO Avtar Jasser. Drawing on decades of building a Norwegian technology company through its early crises and first years of slow growth, his perspective went far beyond entrepreneurship. It speaks directly to the responsibility HR managers carry today.
Looking back on years of operating under difficult framework conditions, Avtar used a simple image to describe his approach:
“You have to treat it like traffic in India. There are obstacles everywhere, but you keep moving. If you stop, you are in trouble.”
For HR leaders, this resonates. The external environment rarely settles before organisations need to make decisions about people, data, and technology. Waiting for certainty is rarely realistic.
Preparedness is therefore not about removing uncertainty. It is about building systems and structures that remain dependable when conditions are not.
On stage, Avtar spoke openly about how CatalystOne survived the dot-com crash by focusing on people and customers, even when the company was reduced to six employees and lived from one month to the next for years.
That experience underlines a core truth for executive HR leaders: trust is built in everyday systems, not in crisis communication.
HCM systems hold some of an organisation’s most sensitive information. They shape fundamental processes and signal how seriously people are taken. When those systems are stable, predictable, and transparent, they reinforce confidence among employees, unions, and leadership. When they are not, trust erodes quickly.
This makes HR technology a strategic concern, not just a functional one.
A recurring theme in Avtar’s story was stamina. The ability to endure long periods without quick wins, external validation, or clear visibility of success.
This challenges a familiar technology narrative that celebrates constant disruption and early exits. On stage, Avtar questioned why long-term builders are praised less than those who leave early.
For HR leaders, the parallel is clear. HCM systems should not be shaped by frequent ownership changes or sudden shifts in direction. Repeated platform changes create instability at the core of the employee experience.
Long-term thinking in HR technology means choosing solutions and partners that are built to last and grow with the organisation.
Avtar was clear about Norway’s strengths: high trust, strong digital maturity, and an international outlook. At the same time, he pointed out that framework conditions do not always favour long-term technology ownership.
As globalisation becomes less predictable, proximity and accountability become more important. This is particularly true for HCM systems, where labour relations, regulation, and workplace culture differ significantly across regions.
Technology developed with a deep understanding of Nordic working life supports transparency, cooperation, and fairness. Values that matter even more when uncertainty increases.
Despite his concerns about current conditions, Avtar’s conclusion was optimistic:
Norway has what it takes to succeed - if we choose to build on our strengths.
For HR leaders, that choice is reflected in everyday decisions. Momentum is not created only through strategy documents or investment plans, but through the daily experience of employees.
Stable, trustworthy HCM systems signal confidence, preparedness, and respect. In uncertain times, long-term thinking is not cautious. It is a deliberate leadership choice.
And for executive HR leaders, it starts with recognising that HR technology is not just about efficiency, but about protecting trust, continuity, and organisational resilience.