BW People April - May 2023

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 51 › Nitin Sachdeva, Director Talent Acquisition, BharatPe says use of technology and data analytics will drive HR decision-making in near future 40UNDER402022 Coming from a family of doctors, Nitin Sachdeva is the first HR person in the family. Although an engineer by education, he soon realised his liking for a role in people management. Part of BW People 40 Under 40 Awards in HR excellence, Sachdeva credits his success story to his family. Recalling the time when his family supported him unconditionally to make the career switch possible, he says, “There was a time when I was away from home for more than a year and my wife who is also a working professional was managing our two-year-old daughter all by herself. This award represents not only my achievements but also the contributions of everyone who has mentored me in my journey.” Most Challenging Phase Sachdeva’s illustrious journey saw an unprecedented chapter when Covid-19 abruptly forced businesses to either transform or disappear into oblivion. The phase was a challenging one but an HR manager of his calibre was equally up to the task. From formulating appropriate wellbeing policies for employees to facilitating effective remote work, he had to hone his organisational agility to keep up with the changing time. By Krishnendra Joshi “There was a time when I was away from home for more than a year and my wife who is also a working professional was managing our twoyear-old daughter all by herself.” Although the world has moved to the new normal, employee well-being remains the number one priority for him. Culture of Reliability The management’s openness to hearing disruptive ideas at BharatPe has led Sachdeva to spearhead a number of marquee initiatives at BharatPe. In his current role, building a culture of reliability, resilience and ambition lies at the heart of the HR function. This has helped Sachdeva to transform the talent acquisition function with a clear goal of getting the best-in-class and fit-for future talent. Speaking about the work-in-progress goals, Sachdeva is focused on enhancing employee communication and feedback using AI, boosting team collaboration, and improving the employee experience and branding. “Use of technology and data analytics to drive HR decision-making is also in the scheme of things,” the dynamic HR leader says. “Employee Wellbeing Number One Priority”

52 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Pavithra Sathyakumar, Head-HR, Vibrant Energy, talks about the fine balance that HR professionals have to maintain between organisational and employee interests Over the years the role of HR has evolved greatly. In today’s world, the scope of HR has increased immensely and they are involved in multiple aspects including business decisions. However, the key to a successful HR remains the ability to establish a connect with the employees and deal with the expectations with empathy while maintain the organisation interests intact. “We have been scaling as an organisation and the team size has also significantly increased this year,” states Pavithra Sathyakumar, Head-HR, Vibrant Energy. As per her, the key areas that the company is currently focussing on include: Reinforcing culture: “As we grow, the key for us is to ensure that the core values and culture of the company are instilled in all our employees. We are programming an immersive culture programme for our employees that would ensure that all our employees are aligned to our values and culture of openness, trust and mutual respect.” Improve organisation capabilities: “Vibrant Energy as a company has grown 16X in the past two years and with an aggressive growth path and diversified business plan it is important for us to create a blueprint of the desired By Sugandh Bahl Vij organisation and work towards fulfilling the capabilities.” Development initiatives: “Internal growth and career progression is critical to retain the best talent. Our endeavour is to create and nurture as many people managers as possible within the organisation. To help employees through this process, we are establishing various leadership programmes for employees at different organisational levels based on their experience range. The programme would cover various aspects around managing conflicts, influencing conversations, building collaborative teams and leading with emotional intelligence to list a few major topics.” Diversity & inclusion practices: “Our goal is to create an inclusive and safe environment for everyone. We are taking active steps in building best-in-class practices to promote and nurture talent without any biases.” Bringing out the best “Having joined Vibrant Energy as Head of HR when I was just about 40 UNDER 40 2022 26-year-old with hardly 5 years of experience, Vibrant has allowed me to work on various aspects of HR and organisation development. I worked across the gamut of HR, including mergers and acquisitions, talent development and management, HR digitisation, IR issues, and developing and implementing various organisational culture initiatives,” remembers Sathyakumar. A Believer In Establishing Connect With Employees

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54 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Purna Ambekar, Manager HR, Metropolis Healthcare sheds light on her organisation’s culture that fosters innovation, trust, compassion, openness, growth and most important inclusion 40 UNDER 40 2022 How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? The people philosophy at Metropolis Healthcare primarily revolves around providing opportunities to continuously learn and grow. Employees are encouraged and empowered to develop themselves through challenging assignments and experiential, on-the-job learning. How have you successfully accomplished the task of managing an entire organisation during Covid-19? Metropolis Healthcare played a significant role in India’s fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which was one of the biggest crises the country faced. From the very beginning of the pandemic, the leadership team at Metropolis was proactive in responding to the various challenges posed by it. The company recognised that it had three roles to play during the pandemic - that of a caring employer, a committed diagnostics services organisation, and a responsible corporate citizen. Despite the challenges, the entire Metropolis family remained strong and determined to find strategies for doing business and growing in the future. What are the key areas that By Himanshu Ojha “Highly motivated and engaged employees are more productive, don’t hold back, and go the extra mile because they are inspired by their work and believe in their organisation’s goals” you intend to focus on for your organisation to run effectively and efficiently? ‘Culture eats strategy for breakfast’ – is a very famous line by management guru Peter Drucker which in very few words states the importance of culture in driving the strategy in an organisation. In my role as lead talent management, performance management and employer branding I handle multiple projects but the main focus is on building a culture of continuous improvement - a culture that fosters innovation, trust, compassion, openness, growth and most important inclusion. What are the strategies and techniques that you believe in to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goal? Highly motivated and engaged employees are more productive, don’t hold back, and go the extra mile because they are inspired by their work and believe in their organisation’s goals. This connection drives their dedication to achieve more, pushing them to give their best. Ultimately, it helps organisations to achieve their growth. The most basic start to building an engaged workforce is a simple strategy of employee listening which I believe, if driven correctly, can help save a lot of time and productive hours spent in building strategies. Our employees are our brand ambassadors and directly understanding from them what are the factors that engage them and what are the underlying challenges faced by them can help win half the battle. “Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast”

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 55 › Rubi Khan, Assistant Vice President, Max Life Insurance delves on the efforts that organisations will have to make to attract and retain talent A crisis like Covid-19 made us all go through a whirlwind of changes. Suddenly, the nuances of employee experience went through a complete transformation – from attracting to retaining people. As Covid demonstrated, HR professionals must demonstrate tenacity in their role and have a high level of agility and resilience to build credibility in the organisation, a role that Rubi Khan has performed with elan. Khan points out that organisations are experiencing not only a diverse but demanding workforce. “They expect high touch points from an organisation along with superior employee experience. These days, employees aspire and love to work in an inclusive workplace, providing them with a higher level of psychological safety.” She lists culture, organisational leadership, recognition and technology as crucial to develop sense of belongingness among employees. Underlining right organisational culture, she says, “Employees want to get associated with an organisation with robust people practices and policies. Apart from the systemic ecosystem of having the right policies, they also look at diverse and inclusive workplaces. These days, employees look for a place where they are heard and valued as a contributor.” An approachable leadership is an important aspect of a thriving organisational culture and Khan says, “Employees look at clear and candid conversations and dialogues with the leadership team. They expect the leadership team to disseminate all the relevant information at the right time.” The other critical elements in retention are recognition and career progression. “Employees want to be valued and get the communication that they make a difference as a part of the organisation. Praise and reward provide a very empowering and motivating environment for people to perform well,” according to Khan. GenZ Aspirations Also, employees from the organisation expect to act as a significant catalyst in the growth trajectory of their careers. They are looking at career progression, parity and rich exposure. They seek mentors, sponsors and challenging assignments. Also, GenZ and Millennials leverage technology in their everyday lives, hence organisations need to be agile to adapt to new technologies to provide our diverse workforce with a smooth and consistent experience, believes Khan. “No single technique or stratBy Meha Mathur “Employees look at clear and candid conversations and dialogues with the leadership team. They expect the leadership team to disseminate all the relevant information at the right time” “Employees Expect Robust People Practices” 40 UNDER402022 egy can be successful in a silo to solve an employee problem. Our HR processes and practices must be integrated and serve as a holistic experience for an employee,” she sums up.

56 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Salil Raheja, Senior General Manager – HR, Schneider Electric talks about people strategy 40 UNDER 40 2022 I n the post-pandemic era, the nature of work and the workplace and the relationships between companies, customers and employees have dramatically and dynamically changed. As Salil Raheja puts it, “I believe that in this new normal, our role as leaders to transform culture, build great teams, and deliver impact became more critical than ever.” Schneider Electric is envisioning new ways of working with a clear focus on digital first, agile and hybrid work. Raheja informs that to achieve this and to stay ahead of the curve, the organisation has refreshed its leadership expectations for the new normal. “If we disrupt more, we shape our future. If we accelerate and simplify, we can free up energy. If we coach and care more, we will build the best team. If we collaborate, we will achieve together. Finally, in the face of increasing ambiguity and complexity, we must all use our judgement to make decisions and empower others to do the same.” People strategy Raheja describes that at Schneider Electric, their approach to building people strategy has always been “three-dimensional”. For driving organisationBy Meha Mathur “If we disrupt more, we shape our future. If we accelerate and simplify, we can free up energy. If we coach and care more, we will build the best team” al agility, Schneider Electric has developed a multi-hub model for pushing the pedal on innovation, customer proximity, and fast decision-making, says Raheja. The future-ready talent aspect envisages building a team that is diverse, empowered, and digitally proficient. Inclusive leadership focuses on developing leaders who act with trust, accountability, agility, and inclusion to build empowered and high-performing teams. Raheja’s approach to problem solving is through effective communication, employee recognition and rewards, flexible work arrangement, and creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workspace. • We must strive to establish a communication channel with employees where they can voice their concerns and provide feedback without any fear of retaliation. • Investing in employees’ learning and development is critical for enabling their growth. Regular training programmes and opportunities to learn new skills is another important way to increase employee engagement and retention. • Recognising and rewarding employees for their efforts and achievements is essential for keeping them motivated and engaged. • Flexible work arrangements have become a mainstay in the digital era as these enable emHR’s Critical Role In New Normal ployees to achieve a better work-life balance, increase productivity, and improves job satisfaction. • Creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace is essential for the organisation’s success. We must ensure that the organisation’s policies and practices promote diversity.

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 57 › Sana Azeem; Manager-Employee Relations, UltraTech Cement, Aditya Birla Group talks about the role of empathy in workplaces S ana Azeem underlines the criticality of D&I agenda today and says, “There is an imminent need of a strategic and systematic approach towards the same. Instead of taking small steps in that direction, like engagement initiatives or the recruitment & selection strategy focus, we have taken great strides towards the agenda with a dedicated DEI vision under the group level HR strategy.” Systematic approach has been adopted in the form of not just recruitment and selection; but also in the form of dedicated women councils that create an environment of inclusivity; dedicated business councils that are working towards creating women friendly infrastructure and policies; building on a workforce that incubates an inclusive mindset across the group etc, she describes. Talking about the strategies she believes in for solving employee problems and achieving organisational goals, she says, “Empathy is probably one of the most common HR jargon that is known to everyone; however still not practised in its truest sense. Many a times, I have seen that even a mere lending of empathetic ear has given solace to disgruntled employees and has resolved problems. Building trust and creating an environment where people feel secure about opening up; By Meha Mathur “I believe maintaining a fine balance between being obnoxiously aggressive and ruinously empathetic and having radical candour goes a long way in creating a culture of feedback” showing genuine concern and support in possible ways to help while keeping judgements aside are some of the ways through which I practise empathy in dayto-day working and help with employees’ problems.” Clear feedback An important point she raises is regarding giving clear but kind feedback, and she uses the term ‘Radical Candour’ term popularised by author Kim Scott’s book. Scott has explained the term thus: ‘Radical Candour is what happens when managers show that they care personally for employees while also challenging them directly with clear, kind feedback that is not aggressive or insincere.’ To add to that, Azeem says, “I believe maintaining a fine balance between being obnoxiously aggressive and ruinously empathetic and having radical candour goes a long way in creating a culture of feedback that aims towards p e r f o r m a n c e and transparency-based organisation. I utilise this technique with my team and all other stakeholders.” “We Have Taken Great Strides Towards D&I”

58 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Saraswathi Chandrasekharan, AVP, Senior Principal - Organisation Development at Infosys says the team’s key focus is to enable talent mobility and fungibility and allow talent to grow across the value chain of work How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? Infosys is known as an organisation that is constantly looking at becoming better. We are among the top IT consulting and digital transformation companies in the world and yet the fabric of the organisation is like a startup – always willing to experiment, innovate and try something new. What strategies do you believe in to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goals? The key strategy to resolve employee concerns, in my view, is to look at the root cause of the issues. The concerns could vary around opportunities and growth and I believe helping employees see the bigger picture and understand their path of growth in the organisation can help alleviate some of the concerns. For this, we leverage the manager group as they are the face of the organisation to their team members and can hold the fort in communicating and driving the key messages with employees. How did you task of managing an entire organisation during Covid-19? At the onset of the pandemic, our organisation advised all its employees to work from home wherever possible and took all reasonable steps to ensure continued service delivery to our clients. From mobilising laptops for our workforce, desktop relocation to home environments, helping reimage personal devices for official use, with information security policies and the ability for us to minimise security risks, improving our virtual private network bandwidth and even facilitating high-speed broadband connectivity at employee residences, the organisation accelerated the overall employee readiness to be productive as they work remotely. What are key areas that you intend to focus on for your organisation to run effectively and efficiently? In my role where I lead the careers portfolio in HR, my focus is about driving and offering career development opportunities for our employees. Towards this, I am focused on establishing the talent models of the future and on skills at the fulcrum of career enablement. Reviewing the capabilities needed in our workforce and working alongside business to By Himanshu Ojha “Reviewing the capabilities needed in our workforce and working alongside business to define the future capabilities and establishing means and mechanisms for employees to develop those capabilities are the big focus areas” define the future capabilities and establishing means and mechanisms for employees to develop those capabilities are the big focus areas. Another key focus is to enable talent mobility and fungibility and allow talent to grow across the value chain of work. “Focused On Establishing Talent Models Of Future” 40 UNDER 40 2022

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 59 › Satyam Joon, Head – Human Resources, Noise at the time of Awards, describes his HR philosophy and his vision for the function What are some of the biggest challenges you have faced in your HR career, and how did you overcome them? The biggest challenge HR has been facing is having a voice in the room and a seat on the table. HR is still viewed as a support function and cost centre. Overcoming this challenge is an everyday hustle that we go through as professionals and is a constant work in progress. What strategies do you believe in to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goal? We currently operate in an era where employees of many different demographics are working together. Hence the problems and accordingly their solutions are different for each employee. Following a one-sizefits-all approach helps neither the organisation nor the employee. The strategy and techniques that have helped are: Having a strong sense of empathy to understand the stated and unstated needs and having a solution-oriented mindset focused on personalisation and customisation of solutions that can fulfil those needs and strong closure orientation. What are some of the problems you encounter, especially given the challenges of the next normal, how do you tackle them? As an HR professional, I focus on the most important asset of an organisation - the people. The ‘Next Normal’ is no longer a future that we are envisioning but the reality of today. We often hear that ‘no two people are the same’. Add that to the ever-changing internal and external factors, and this leads to the role of any HR professional evolving constantly. Keeping pace with these realities, consistently evolving our own thought process, adding value to our business counterparts, staying updated with the latest technology, being a problem solver, navigating the tough macro-economic conditions of today are all realities of today’s business environment. Having won this award, whom do you want to dedicate your learnings to and why? Through my career of over 10 years in the space of Human Resources - first as a student at XLRI Jamshedpur and then working in some of India’s leading and most people centric conglomerates - I have had the opportunity to work and interact with exceptional thought-leaders in the space of Human Resources. Hence, I would like to dedicate this award to all the managers and leaders I have worked with. By Meha Mathur “We currently operate in an era where employees of many different demographics are working together. Hence the problems and accordingly their solutions are different for each employee” “My Focus Is On The Most Important Asset – People” 40 UNDER402022

60 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Siddharth Srinath, HR Business Leader, Infosys, describes how the HR focusses on driving higher purpose and engagement, enabling employees to chart their own career paths 40 UNDER 40 2022 How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? Infosys was built on the core principles of ethics and fairness, with people at the centre of everything we do. The organisation and the leaders that I have closely worked with over the years have always encouraged me to keep the learning hat on and reskill myself at regular intervals, and always pushed me to excel in everything I do. I have got the opportunity to play various roles within the HR domain with a strong focus on business outcomes which has been a big motivator. What are the key areas that you intend to focus on for your organisation to run effectively and efficiently? In the past few years, Infosys has revamped its employee value proposition with a strong emphasis on fulfilling employee aspirations. As an organisation we focus on driving higher purpose and engagement, enabling employees to chart their own career paths and creating a world class experience and organisational culture. I specifically focus on a few key aspects, which I believe will help us meet the EVP vision - employee wellbeing being the By Himanshu Ojha “As an organisation we focus on driving higher purpose and engagement, enabling employees to chart their own career paths and creating a worldclass experience and organisational culture” most critical as the new-age work force looks for flexibility and care at the workplace. How have you successfully accomplished the task of managing an entire organisation during times of crisis? While the world might see Infosys as a tech company, we have always taken great pride in calling ourselves a people company first. Last couple of years have been all about the pandemic and employee wellbeing has taken center stage. The organisational leadership across different business verticals prioritised employee care and it was evident through multiple interventions in Infosys. What is your approach to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goal? While HR has gone through a transformation, in my view the basic tenets have not changed in handling any employee issue/ grievance. In my view, there are three main roles that any HR professional should be able to play, the role of a consultant, a coach, and a counsellor. Every employee issue/ requirement will get addressed through one of these roles. “Infosys Was Built On The Core Principles Of Ethics & Fairness”

#RFGT23 2ND EDITION PRESENTS MAY 2023 NOMINATE NOW Last date to nominate: April 30, 2023 EMINENT JURY DR. ANNURAG BATRA Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld & Founder- exchange4media DR. AMIYA SAHU President, National Solid Waste Association of India MR. SUDHIR MISHRA Founder & Managing Partner, Trust Legal DR. SUNEEL PANDEY Director, Environment & Waste Management, TERI MS. SANCHITA JINDAL Former Adviser (Scientist G), Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change MS. GAURI SARIN Founder, Making Model Gurugram, Bhumijaa- platform for organic agripreneurs, Living without Medicine DR. SAMEER JOSHI Vice Chairman, Indian Plastics Institute, Acclaimed Polymer Technologist & Expert on Plastic Recycling MR. ASHUTOSH JOSHI CEO, Glasspower Recycling & Glasspower Group MR. ANSHU GUPTA Founder, Goonj & Indian Social Entrepreneur For Nomination & Partnership Opportunities: Talees Rizvi; +91 93106 34007; [email protected] Priyanshi Khandelwal; +91 84508 44111; [email protected] Somyajit Sengupta; +91 98182 47444; [email protected]

62 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Inclusion of all employees is critical to informed decision-making, believes Subhadeep Khan, CHRO – BALCO (Vedanta) 40 UNDER 40 2022 With an engineering degree, Subhadeep Khan started his professional journey as an Area In Charge to oversee plant operations at Vedanta Resources Limited. Sixteen years back, a day in his shoes meant procurement planning and overseeing logistics in addition to his primary KRA. After tasting success in multiple roles within the organisation, Khan made a switch to the HR domain. Initially, he found it difficult to collaborate with fellow HR colleagues as he was considered an outsider to this function. However, his merit and expertise in plant operations made it easy for him to make the smooth transition. Improving the diversity ratio in leadership positions and bolstering employee engagement objectives, Khan took quick and rapid strides as an HR leader. “I was able to gradually make a mark for myself within my company in the HR function by driving key HR initiatives”, he says. A people manager at heart Khan exhibited impeccable skills in managing people and resources when it came to crisis management. In his view, the two time-tested strategies of open communication and bottomdown approach always work. When it comes to day-to-day decision-making, he believes in By Krishnendra Joshi “When it comes to day-to-day decisionmaking, Khan believes in the inclusion of all employees, their ideas, and their perceptions of the business, to make the most informed decisions” the inclusion of all employees, their ideas, and their perceptions of the business, to make the most informed decisions. According to Khan, diverse people should be present while making any major decision so that different perspectives can be brought forward while ensuring that all members of the business community feel included and valued. Talking about his short-term and long-term goals, employee wellbeing has been an area of focus for Khan. “Multiple findings indicate that employee mental health is worsening, with increased rates of depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. This is creating problems at work and has prompted employers to act,” says this empathetic HR leader. While creating a better employee experience is one of the top priorities for Khan, transforming the HR function with technology has become a daily part of his to-do list. On being asked about his long-term vision, the dynamic leader says that his focus is to create more leaders and build a succession pipeline with diversity as a key parameter. Well, if last year’s numbers are anything to go by, Khan seems to be living his vision and empowering people at work as a consequence. “Key Is Diversity Ratio In Leadership Positions”

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 63 › Sudha Krishnamurthy, HRBP – India Software Centres, Rockwell Automation on the goals she has set for the organisation, and how to build a culture of openness and efficiency Given the right environment, all plants blossom in their season, believes Sudha Krishnamurthy. Going by that analogy, she focusses on creating a positive work culture where employees can thrive and contribute to the organisation’s success. “Culture is the foundation for our accelerated growth as we build a better customer experience and employee experience. It shows up in how we interact with our teams and customers. It is apparent in our environment and in the decisions that we make or can make. And it shows up in our own outlook, attitudes and engagement. Thus, we look to creating wow for our customers and our people at every chance we have,” she describes. Detailing further, Krishnamurthy adds culture also encompasses open communication, providing training and development opportunities, fostering a positive work environment, offering competitive compensation and benefits, and setting clear goals and expectations, and creating a workplace where employees feel valued, engaged, and motivated to contribute to the organisation. Goal for the organisation Krishnamurthy works closely with the leadership team to ensure that the people strategy of the organisation aligns with its overall business strategy at India level for respective businesses. “We leverage our team’s talents and strengths to drive growth and success. To help achieve this, I strive to foster strong relationships with key team members and ensure that their individual needs and strengths are recognised and utilised,” she says, adding, “I also prioritise open communication and transparency, encouraging team members to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback with each other and with me.” Krishnamurthy also lays emphasis on capacity and capability building as areas critical to efficient and effective functioning of the organisation. Crisis management Managing an entire organisation during times of crisis requires a combination of leadership, adaptability, empathy and communication. During times of crisis, it is important to be a strong and decisive, yet collaborative leader, says Krishnamurthy. Delving further, she enumerates, “When decisions take time, it is important to engage and be as transparent as possible in a way that makes people looking to you for soluBy Meha Mathur “I prioritise open communication and transparency, encouraging team members to share their ideas, concerns, and feedback with each other and with me” “Culture Is The Foundation For Our Accelerated Growth” 40 UNDER402022 tions comforted. Agility to adapt, empathise and amplify positive real stories of progress in the situation are some important aspects of managing crises.”

64 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM What are the focus areas for you, to ensure effective functioning of your organisation? First is increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the recruiting and talent acquisition process. I strongly believe that it is important for the cultural growth of a firm that people embrace and are open towards engaging with others who come from a different background and have uncommon beliefs. Two, I would like to focus on creating an internal platform to retain exceptional and high potential talent, either through re-skilling, up-skilling or moving to new teams, especially during volatile and uncertain times. During economic turmoil, businesses look to resize their teams and, in some cases, bright employees are let go. Retaining such talent who have a lot of potential helps the overall growth metric and increases efficiency of talent management. How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? Over the past 10 years of my professional career, I have strengthened my core knowledge and experience in talent landscape, working across various roles right from campus hires, laterals to leadership hiring. This has led me to understand the talent market better and help develop robust talent acquisition strategies. But I want also want to emphasise that along with opportunities, the preparation that goes behind the scene is also very important. We need to put in effort and keep ourselves up to date with the latest happenings in the firm and outside. I read this somewhere that in a Japanese cuisine preparation, knife sharpening is considered a crucial part. Japanese chefs spend hours sharpening the knife such that when it comes to preparing the food, their knives glide effortlessly through the ingredients, creating precise cuts and producing dishes of exceptional quality. Having won this award, whom do you want to dedicate your learnings to and why? I dedicate this win to, firstly, my parents who have taught that hard work has no alternative to achieve success; they have instilled in me the warrior that I am. Secondly, I owe this award to all my leaders and mentors in my professional career who have given me the right opportunities, taught me to be resilient and supported me to constantly look forward. Special mention – Madhu Menon (Talent acquisition head at Deloitte India), Her relentless › Sunita Rath, Manager - TA, Deloitte India, talks about her focus on retaining talent during times of crisis By Sugandh Bahl Vij I would like to focus on creating an internal platform to retain exceptional and high potential talent, either through re-skilling, up-skilling or moving to new teams commitment towards my growth and success has pushed me to give my best. And finally, my husband who constantly fuels my ambition. “Handling Critical Situations Shows Leadership Qualities” 40 UNDER 40 2022

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE E APRIL-MAY 2023 65 › Vijay Amrit Raj, HR Head, Raymond Customer Care, mentions strong communication skills & the ability to be objective and impartial as factors that have helped him overcome challenges Though the whole world has come out of the biggest catastrophe in the form of Covid, the service sector had dual responsibility to run the business efficiently and look after the employees’ wellbeing throughout the crisis. Every company embraced their own methods to face the Covid and lockdown challenge. In this regard, Vijay Amrit Raj, Head HR Business Partner, Talent & Learning and Facilities Management, Raymond says, “I along with my team played a crucial role in managing the organisation during times of crisis. It is a self-responsibility to ensure that our employees are safe, informed and supported throughout the crisis. There was tremendous fear of Covid but we successfully managed the organisation during the disruptive change.” Amrit Raj mentions the role of Whatsapp and other social media platforms in keeping employees informed about the situation and providing necessary updates from time to time. He highlights the role of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that ensured that employees have access to mental health resources to help them to deal with the emotional impact of the crisis. By Shruti Tripathi “It is a selfresponsibility to ensure that our employees are safe, informed and supported throughout the crisis. There was tremendous fear of Covid but we successfully managed the organisation during the disruptive change” Amrit Raj adds, “Our success in managing the organisation during crisis and change was primarily due to our ability to stay proactive and to adapt to changing circumstances to provide support to employees by prioritising communication, employee support and safety.” As the HR Head, Amrit Raj believes that the three Cs that is culture, capability and commitment enable HR intervention across talent management, learning &development, and HR operational excellence. Talking about the deployment of the techniques to make the employees’ experience seamless, Amrit Raj talks about some of the tools for the employees’ feedback in order to understand their concerns and identify areas for improvement. Challenge of conflicts Talking about challenges he has faced, Amrit Raj says, “One of the biggest onboarding challenges has been the managing conflicts among employees that included sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and workplace disputes. To overcome these, I have relied on my strong communication skills, and the ability to remain objective and impartial at all times. Negotiation skill comes in very handy at all times.” “Negotiation Skill Comes In Very Handy” 40 UNDER402022

68 BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Millennials are upset over leading companies taking the conservative route to trim employee perks from their balance sheet but key voices from the industry have pointed out that the approach is cyclic and nothing new By Krishnendra Joshi A 30-YEAR-OLD LETTER ON CHOOSING VALUES OVER PERKS Top companies around the world are known for offering something extra to their employees. It could be something as simple as a Sodexo meal coupon or a reimbursement of an employee’s educational loan. However, the present global economic downturn is forcing companies to put a full stop to their cherished employee perks. Amid the layoff season, corporates are on a cost-cutting spree to maximise their operational efficiencies. That means a company like Google which is known for its iconic perks is using data points to scrutinise the effective and ineffective employee benefits. That means doing HR INSIGHT

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL-MAY 2023 69 away with free onsite snacks and massage therapy programmes. News mills are going crazy over leading companies taking the conservative route to trim employee expense from their balance sheets but key voices from the C-Suite and HR community have pointed out that the approach is cyclic and nothing new. To put things in perspective, Microsoft had to cut down on its employee morale budget in the 90s as part of the process to ward off recession. Steven Sinfosky, Microsoft’s former President for Windows business recounts leading HR Mike Murray’s letter on lavish employee spending three decades back and it is winning the internet for its relevance in today’s times. An excerpt from Murray’s letter reads: “T-shirts can and should be a great team building device for a group … (i.e., shipping a product on time). On the other hand, we need to halt the growing practice of handing out random T-shirts…for simply attending a required business meeting.” Major tech companies today are facing flack for their ‘efficiency approach’ but does that mean their organisations. And running an organisation of this scale revolves around managing and enhancing the employee experience to a greater degree. Perks mean a sense of entitlement and ownership for an employee. So, when these employee benefits are trimmed down, employees, at least in the short term, can feel a sudden sense of dissatisfaction. Because, for them, the extra benefits made the company stand out from the ordinary ones and raised their employee experience 10x. “In a company with private offices, casual dress (a thing), and (which) prided itself on being modern and lean this was a big huge deal. Every company was experiencing ‘belt-tightening’ but this seemed different because we were a symbol of national success,” writes Murray in his letter. Well, at a time when major corporates are realigning their priorities, the letter could not have resurfaced at a better time. It sets the right precedent, one which the current crop of HR managers and the tech community will appreciate even more when the current phase of economic recession becomes a thing of the past. companies are compromising on the employee experience? Not necessarily. Tough times, tough steps When companies are riding the economic downturn curve, cutbacks are a part of the healing and recovery process. It is in these times that corporates become more self-aware and work with more focus to build on the core values that made them and their employees successful. While employee benefits and perks enhance the employee experience, not all of these benefits are useful to the company and the employees alike. Knowing what works and what can be separated like wheat from the chaff is a good starting point. Not to forget, the enormous amount of data available at the click of a button for companies today to take the right calls. The other aspect of the layoff and efficiency story is that when iconic companies like Google and Microsoft are involved, the public and the tech community’s interest piques because the stakes are high. The said companies are perceived as trendsetters in not just the technology they bring but also how they run

70 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › On the sidelines of Oracle Cloud Summit (Mumbai) 2023, BW Businessworld interviewed Yvette Cameron, Senior Vice President of Global HCM Product Strategy, Oracle to understand the nuances of the changes observed in workplace and workplace management across India and the world. Excerpts: INTERVIEW By Rohit Chintapali “IN INDIA, FOCUS ON TALENT SUPPLY CHAIN IS CRITICAL” What are your observations about India in relation to workplace and workplace management? Employee experience is a top priority across the world. And I feel that in India, with the nature of work (IT, IT services and BPOtype of work) that’s very common here. For the concentrated size of the younger workforce and the digital native-workers who do off shoring for other organisations under a lot of pressure, their expectations have changed. And I just feel it more acutely here. They want to be supported, have flexibility, demand equity and the requirement for diversity is huge. But the pains and expectations that we’re observing globally are reflected in India as well. Do you see a lot of differences in the demand coming from India versus the rest of the world – from Oracle’s perspective? India is a very strategic market for us. In fact, it’s driving the largest level of growth in our Human capital Management (HCM) SaaS business overall as part of the JPAC region. The adoption and customer reference ability here are at an all-time high. What are your observations around challenges in workplace YVETTE CAMERON and workplace management

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL APRIL- MAY 2023 71 talent supply chain is ‘we don’t clearly have what we need right now, we’ll just go hire somebody’. I think the re-discovery using internal talent, opportunity marketplaces, skills technology and AI-matching – those are the things that we need to close the loop. How important is AI in HCM these days? Has the mood changed since ChatGPT debuted last year and AI became the central point of all tech conversations? As I mentioned earlier, the talent supply chains were challenged by companies due to not embracing AI. But that has shifted. AI is pervasive across the board now. It is fundamental to what you would expect in an effective human capital management system. There’s no way that we could handle the volume of analyses we need to make and drive the decisions which are possible with AI and the automation. At Oracle, our approach with AI is to infuse our user experience. We make sure that it’s dynamic, personalised and contextual. It changes with you based on who you are, where you are, what process and you’re performing. It’s very dynamic. We also use AI in our processes, including recruiting, matching people, learning. We also use it in our AI-driven skills management and analytics. So, when you’re evaluating data and there’s missing data, AI can evaluate and self-correct the data as opposed to you having to go back and doing it all by yourself. NLP and NLG capabilities do the storytelling around it. Any effective technology, especially, those around people will make effective use of AI or our conversational interfaces. AI is present in every aspect of our suite. Have you utilised Generative AI? We haven’t embedded that in our technology but we certainly see opportunities ahead. these days? From the CHROs or the HR organisation’s perspective, the last couple of years have brought about a series of new focus areas that are different from what they were2-3 years ago. The pressures and demands of shifting expectations and labour shortages have led CHROs to really focus on the new requirements of leadership for their organisation. There is a tremendous amount of change that organisations are going through. This change is constant and accelerating to help the workforce from feeling burnt out and make sure the changes are effective. In India, the focus on talent supply chain is critical. I see that here more so than anywhere else in the globe. And it’s such a critical component. It’s not just about hiring but rediscovering talent, At Oracle, our approach with AI is to infuse our user experience. We make sure that it’s dynamic, personalised and contextual. It changes with you based on who you are, where you are, what process and you’re performing which means looking inward, understanding the skills and the skills-potential of individuals who are going to carry the workforce forward. So, are we talking about re-skilling and up-skilling? Yes, but that’s not enough to develop those skills. You then need to match them to the opportunities and the requirements of the organisation. The challenge today for many organisations is two-sided. While developing, reskilling people and tracking them in an effective way is crucial, matching them to right opportunities using technology is critical. Oftentimes, it’s a very manual process. We saw during the mass layoffs; organisations were not managing their skills inventory. Because after they did mass layoffs, they realised: ‘we let the wrong people go’. Then they looked to hire back and didn’t necessarily know what gaps they needed to filI. That’s probably one of the biggest areas of opportunity. And the problem is due to lack technology or human error? The fault is multi-sided. I think older technology, lack of adoption of AI – both in older technologies or fear of organisations to embrace AI-driven skills, taxonomies or AI-matching, concerns around ethical and bias-free matching. There are a lot of questions out there in the market. The mindset of too many organisations on the

72 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › The BW People 40 Under 40 Award recognises HR professionals who have the zeal to make the industry, and the HR function, future-ready CELEBRATING ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF WOMEN HR TRAILBLAZERS The digital era has brought about significant changes in the business world, including the way we approach leadership. In the past, leadership was often associated with a traditional, hierarchical structure, with men often occupying the top positions. However, as the digital era has progressed, we have seen an increasing number of women taking on leadership roles in a variety of industries. The United Nation’s International Women’s Day theme this year spoke about “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”, recognising and celebrating the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education. In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of promoting gender equality and diversity in the tech sector, with efforts being made to empower women and bridge the digital gender gap. The rise of the women in DigitALL era has been fueled by a range of factors, including the increasing availability of technology and connectivity, the emergence of digital education and training programmes, and the growing demand for skilled workers in the tech industry. Awarding the women HR achievers Over the years, women have made significant contributions to the field of HR, paving the way for future generations of female HR leaders. These influential women have broken barriers, challenged norms, and left a lasting impact on the industry. From creating innovative HR policies to promoting diversity and inclusion, these trailblazers have transformed the workplace and helped organisations thrive. In order to arrive at this year’s influential names, BW People and BW Businessworld had appointed an eminent advisory board, who’s 40 UNDER 40 2022 experience and expertise helped us in our final list. The advisory for this year comprised the editorial boards of BW Businessworld, BW People and editors from BW’s sibling brands in addition to community representation from names such as Vipul Singh, Sr. VP and Head HR, ADPGSS Intl, P Dwarkanath, Former Chairman, GSK Consumer Healthcare; and B Thiagarajan, MD, Blue Star among others. A list of over 50 women influencers in HR place was curated by BW People’s edit team and then the lists were shared with these dignitaries for them to ponder over whom to choose the best from the lot. We kept the doors open to newer suggestions from them. Basis their respective finalists, a list of top 20 women was finally made with editorial considerations as well. In the following pages, we bring to you the perspectives of some of the women HR leaders from this list.

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 73 This year’s trailblazer’s list comprises of DEEPTI GUPTA EVP CHRO Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd SUMEDHA PAL Sr. Dir. HR & Country HR Honeywell India MAMATA VEGUNTA SINGH Executive Director Head of HR - DBS Tech India IRA GUPTA Head HR Microsoft India VISHPALA REDDY CHRO Philips Indian Subcontinent AMRITA PADDA CHRO Airtel NEENA ABRAHAM President Human Resources for the group companies of CES RAJKAMAL VEMPATI President & Head HR Axis Bank PAVITRA SINGH CHRO PepsiCo India MANU WADHWA CHRO Sony Pictures Networks LAKSHMI C MD & HR Lead Accenture India RAJITA SINGH CPO Kyndryl India KIRANMAI DUTT PENDYALA Head of HR, Western Digital India & Board Member, United Way, Hyderabad (‘For Impact’ Organisation) ARCHANA BHASKAR CHRO Dr Reddy’s Labs PRIYA RAMDEV CPO Mckinsey & Co India SWATI RUSTAGI Then Director Global Talent Strategy & Leadership Development World Wide Stores, Amazon India SHIPRA JAIN Head HR Otis Global Services Center JANAKI NAIK CHRO Tata Digital Ltd NUPUR SINGH MALLICK Group CHRO Tata Group ANURADHA RAZDAN Exec. Dir and CHRO Hindustan Unilever

74 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Kiranmai Dutt Pendyala, Head of HR, Western Digital India, on how women can get level-playing field at workplace if they bring right skillset and attitude to the table MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN Kiranmai Dutt Pendyala is the Head of HR, Western Digital India – a Fortune 500 company in the segment of high technology data storage solutions. She brings together a unique blend of academic focus and organisational experience. She has successfully straddled diverse roles in teaching, training, human resource development, consulting, quality, and technical writing. Excerpts from an interview with BW People: How is your organisation empowering women work force through technology, and enabling them to come to the same level-playing field, transcending different comfort levels with technology? When we talk about digital and women empowerment, as an organisation, Western Digital clearly envisages diversity and equity. Inclusion is a default choice – it’s not a choice someone can make or not make. The level-playing field comes from providing the relevant skill-set for the new-age generation or cohorts we are building in to the organisation. We have this principle we refer to as ‘5G’. It refers to different aspects of diversity, including generational, geographic and gender. We do not want women to be left behind. They are an important facet of our workforce and we help them bring the relevant skills to the workplace. We have upskilling and reskilling initiatives at every layer in the organisation. Our intake of women at early career stage is more than 40 per cent. We have internships of three, six and 10 months respectively – something that not many companies offer. We put the women entrants through this internship programme so that they can learn skills from industry perspective By Meha Mathur “Sky’s The Limit If You Create Value For Organisation” KIRANMAI DUTT PENDYALA

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 75 and are job ready by the end of internship. Following the internship they are taken as full-time employees. At mid-level or lateral hiring, we offer equal opportunities to men and women. And if we find they need certain skill set for the job requirement we provide that. We devise gamified learning for them as well so that they pick up the required skills quickly. As a woman professional, have you ever faced a glass ceiling in any organisation? We have been talking about it for a long while. The glass ceiling will exist for any gender if they are caught like a spider in a web. If we are able to prove our capability and our proactive attitude, in the organisation who, if you are a high-potential talent, they are willing to walk the mile with you and offer the ecosystem readiness to enable you to scale the wall. I think sky is the limit. It’s all about how each one of us has the drive to create value and outcome which is impactful for the organisation. Personally, what is your philosophy towards HR, and specifically about maintaining that balance between organisational goals and employee concerns? More and more, with gig economy playing a very important role and the generational cohorts looking at more of quality of life, the worklife balance is out of the window today. People understand that worklife integration is the mantra. And each one can choose how they want to make work part of their life. Do they wish it to be 24/7? Do they want it to be 16-hour work day or 12-hour work day? So that choice and individuality has started increasingly growing in our economies which was not found in the Third World at some point of time. I am extremely happy because today that with global capability centres (GCCs) we have in India for various multinationals, we are equals. It just happens that we are working in a different country. But we are working for the same enterprise, for the same goal and for the same product or service offering. It’s no longer that you are an outsourced service provider, at least in the organisations we represent. The moment we bring in this equality and equity framework,we have seen a huge shift. I feel that’s the right approach where you are empowering and enabling the workforce. The policies have to be framed in such a manner that you take these generational cohorts and the evolving dynamics of the economy into consideration. This way, you are bringing in more power into the hands of the workforce, so it becomes more employee experience centric. So, it’s so important for us to understand the pulse and also frame policies which will enable them and help them feel that the life they are leading is meaningful and purposeful. “With gig economy playing a very important role and the generational cohorts looking at more of quality of life, the work life balance is out of the window today. People understand worklife integration is the mantra” and if we are able to create value for the organisation, I don’t think glass ceiling exists, especially in the new age industry. The new age industry is all about leveraging and bringing in diversity and helping us think differently. In my three-decade journey, there have been moments where I felt my voice is not being heard, or someone is not giving a chance because of being in a minority. I will not deny that. Having said that, there are always advocates or sponsors with-

76 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › An all-encompassing approach to women empowerment, as evolved at DBS Tech India MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN At DBS Tech India (DTI), we pride ourselves on building an environment where women can be the best version of themselves every day. We have steadily made progress in creating a balanced workforce. Women employees make up 32 per cent of DTI’s talent pool and 49 per cent of our workforce globally. As a technology organisation, which was established less than a decade ago, a steady rise in our diversity numbers is an achievement and a testimony of the effectiveness of our talent strategy. DTI embodies the DBS Group’s values wherein gender equality is one of our Sustainable Development Goals. DBS Group’s efforts in diversity have constantly been recognised globally, along with recognition under the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index for 5 consecutive years. Since its inception, DTI has been proactively building pipelines for female talent in technology – an area where women have conventionally been under-represented – through targeted hiring initiatives, including hackathons, coding challenges and campus outreach programmes. Eliminating biases The talent induction process at DTI is robust and transparent. It is important for us to define the people processes objectively to ensure biases don’t creep in. While hiring, we use gender-neutral language in our JDs and have a diverse panel with an objective interview approach based on STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result based interview method) and PRIDE! (Our Values - Purpose-driven, Relationship Led, Innovation, Decisive & Everything Fun!). All our development processes like learning, promotions, salary increments, etc. have a gender-neutral lens applied to ensure biases don’t percolate. We educate managers conBy Mamata Vegunta Singh Induction and Growth of Women in Tech MAMATA VEGUNTA SINGH Executive Director Head of HR, DBS Tech India

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 77 stantly through programmes like ‘Building Great Managers’ which cover unconscious biases and how to tackle them. The Diversity Council defines the diversity strategy to drive business outcomes. Our efforts on inculcating a diverse charter are largely guided by this threepronged approach: Conscious Acquisition: We have instituted several measures such as expanding candidate slates, creating parallel frameworks to explore alternative talent pools (returning mothers, second careers etc), a woman centric referral program, to acquire a diverse workforce as acquisition is a key lever of our diversity philosophy. Through our campus and internship programmes, we have made a conscious effort to induct more young women technologists into our workforce. Customised Development: Our integrated EEE (Education, Exposure, and Experience) talent development approach creates an impactful learning environment. HiPo process integrates an exhaustive high-potential talent identification, development, and mentorship programme. The structured platform of HerDBS offers women-specific developmental initiatives. My Persona programme focuses on training women employees to be the leaders of tomorrow. Internal mobility and personal development programmes accelerate career growth. A salary benchmarking study is conducted every year to check and reconfirm parity in salaries offered across genders and grades. Continuous Engagement: A yearly engagement survey called ‘My Voice’ is conducted to check the engagement levels of employees. The engagement of women employees is particularly tracked with action plans created at a department level. We have witnessed a steady increase in the engagement scores. We have also conducted several independent surveys and FGDs with female employees and expecting and new mothers to identify their pain points and design solutions accordingly. Our structured ‘Flexible Work Arrangement’ plan allows women to build their careers while pursuing their individual goals. It includes staggered hours, parttime work arrangement and sabbatical options. Apart from the above, a focus on wellbeing & safety is manifested through support for physical and mental health, fitness, and medical expenditures. Employee Assistance Programme offers a host of services to address issues concerning mental health in a confidential and safe space. Coffee with Counsellor sessions train managers to support their teams’ emotional health. A health management app drives awareness around an active, healthy lifestyle. Additionally, sessions are conducted regularly on topics like parenting, financial wellness for women, nutrition etc. Grievance Redressal Policy provides a channel for employees to communicate directly with senior management. And 24 Response App is an emergency safety service for immediate assistance even while commuting alone at late hours. We sponsor STEM education for young girls under our CSR programme among other initiatives focused on holistic women development. We believe that our success is bolstered by our diversity of experiences. As the technology arm of the bank, DTI is poised to play a critical role in building an equitable, accessible, and inclusive digital future for DBS. Since its inception, DTI has been proactively building pipelines for female talent in technology — an area where women have conventionally been underrepresented — through targeted hiring initiatives

78 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM Neena Abraham has over 20 years’ experience in HR with some of the world’s leading IT organisations and has made a mark in strategic business initiatives, workforce development, analytics, project management, stakeholder management, communications, problem solving, organisational change, programme management, recruitment, resourcing, business restructuring, employee relations and other organisational consulting functions. Since 2018, she is heading the Global HR function as President Human Resources for the group companies of CES, an information technology and business process management company, which provides services that are tailor-made to each customer. Excerpts from an interview: What drives you? There are many factors that drive one in professional and personal life. As a woman leader, even today one of the biggest factors is about breaking the barriers and challenging the stereotypes. My major motivation is to prove (my worth) through my work and pave the path for more woman leaders. Simultaneously, my role gives me an opportunity to create a workplace where all employees feel valued and respected, regardless of their gender, race, or other characteristics. I take pride in being a people’s person, not a manager, and constantly strive to contribute to individual life’s by not just motivating them but empowering them to be better professionals and individuals. Finally, in my role, I get to constantly learn, improve my skills, and take on new challenges to ensure smooth functioning of the organisation. What are the key areas that you intend to focus on for your organisation to run effectively and efficiently? HR has evolved to be a strategic partner to business › Neena Abraham, President Human Resources for the group companies of CES, talks about organisational effectiveness and the role of culture in it MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN By Meha Mathur “Time To Go beyond Traditional HR Responsibilities”

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL - MAY 2023 79 and as a leader I recognise that HR plays a key role in the organisational effectiveness of a company. Over the years I have learnt and understood that the areas that truly make a difference in organisational effectiveness are: return on value (ROV), customer experience, employee experience, and culture. Predominantly my focus happens to be in these four areas. The focus is also on understanding and integrating with the business to drive business performance and key deliverables. Strategies and techniques that you believe in to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goal? I think today is the time for us in HR to go beyond handling the usual traditional HR responsibilities — overseeing employee satisfaction, workforce engagement, benefits and compensation, diversity, and the like. To ensure the same here are three activities I think are critical: predicting outcomes, diagnosing problems, and prescribing actions on the people side that will add value to the business. Creating ways to blend business and people acumen should follow. Redesigning career tracks and talent reviews will take the company further still. How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? Executive leadership have been very supportive enabling me to break the Glass ceiling, paving a way for all the other women employees. As a women HR leader getting a seat at the table has been a difficult journey but glass ceiling is more of a systematic issue and not an interpersonal or individual problem. Our organisation has been trying to implement structured systems and practices to break glass ceilings and make space for women. How is technology enabling women employees in your organisation and also, are there regular trainings provided for constant upgradation? Our organisation recognises that technology opens up a world of opportunities for women employees, enabling them to work flexibly, remotely, and collaborate more efficiently. We have invested in tools and technology that enables women to work from anywhere, giving them greater flexibility to balance work and family responsibilities. Training is the key for the growth of the organisation. Online training courses, and e-learning platforms assists especially the women team members to acquire new skills, certifications, at their own pace. Special emphasis is given on upskilling and returnship programmes for women. We strive hard through use of technology and training programmes to help women employees in the organisation to overcome barriers, develop new skills, and advance their careers. What are some of the short-term and long-term goals that you are striving to achieve in your organisation to grow the HR function? The final aim is for HR to be the future of work experts with deep understanding of business. In order to achieve the same our goals or focus is on improving the Employee and Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI), return on value by navigating ongoing disruption, minimizing organisational risk and understanding internal and external drivers of change along with ensuring gender inclusivity. Simultaneously we are already applying advanced technologies to analyse historic data and make predictions about the future. The long-term goal is bringing together this combination of vision, insight and strategy to be able to serve as ‘future of work experts’ and lead the charge in building the organisations of tomorrow. “Our organisation recognises that technology opens up a world of opportunities for women employees, enabling them to work flexibly, remotely, and collaborate more efficiently” NEENA ABRAHAM

80 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Do tech advancements further strengthen glass ceiling or are these enablers for women at work? MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN Technology has helped bring women to work in a big way. The digital transformation over the last decade and the growing changes in mindset towards traditional way of working has been a big enabler. Technology and women have come a long way, or have they? Less than a dozen countries in the world have equal rights for men and women in that country. Gender inequalities in the labour market – whether its participation, salaries, education – continue to exist. This poor statistic should not stop companies from ensuring that there are equal rights for men and women at work. Globally, women account for 39 per cent By Pavitra Singh Decoding Technology’s Benefits of total employment but have accounted for 50 per cent of Covid layoffs. What can companies do with the help of technology to enable women to do better? I argue this with six points: 1. The biggest need for women is flexibility. We had location- free roles in PepsiCo since 2015 and I was one of the biggest beneficiaries. I did two global / international roles sitting out of Gurugram, and virtually running an office from my home. One of the roles was sourcing global talent from campus. I remember I ran a mini-MBA masterclass using the PepsiCo India talent for more than 25 of the top business schools. Technology was my partner, and the masterclasses were done on tech platforms. I have interviewed hundreds of candidates across the globe in 2016 and 2017, sourcing high value talent for PepsiCo. We have also always endeav-

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 81 sitting at her desk or at home. Before Covid, PepsiCo India had a creche at the workplace in 2016. And we noticed that men would also bring their kids and leave them in the creche and it gave us a lot of joy to see the entire family had peace of mind at work. Currently, we have launched the Daycare Discovery Accessing Help that enables PEP parents to access an online daycare platform designed to help working parents find the best childcare options. The interactive tools and resources here help parents with parent-child daycare counselling and decision-making through appointments, parent references, etc. Technology enables security. 3. It’s not about men and women in forward looking companies, it is about passion and relevant skills for the future. Here I believe that online skilling is a great boon for women, who can pivot their skills depending on the industry of their choice. Technology enables development and growth. 4. Technology and digital payments at work at all levels have given women more financial empowerment and control over their finances. The salary at every level in society now goes directly into a woman’s digital account. This gives her peace of mind, control over her money and most important privacy. Digital banking empowers women. I recall a conversation with our women farmers in Kolkata where they expressed their joy of truly owning their money and of being able to do what they wanted with it – the visible happiness on their faces was priceless. Technology enables financial inclusion. 5. There are more collaborative tools at the workplace than ever before. Every study has shown that women tend to be far more collaborative at work. Women tend to use the new collaborative technology more frequently and better. Women tend to use collaborative, participative and transformational leadership styles. In a world that is super agile, this is a big enabler. Technology enables collaboration. 6. In a world that’s getting more tech savvy, one thing everyone wants more of is empathy and warmth. I personally believe that women provide a lot of that in every team. A more tech workplace plays to a woman’s innate strengths. Technology enables empathy. We are seeing more women come through the pipeline now, in schools, in colleges etc. Many of the IIMs have about 30 per cent minimum women in their MBA class. The intake was a major problem 20 years ago, not anymore. Women today want an organisation that’s invested in their career, invested in DEI, an organisation that gives them candid feedback and an organisation that doesn’t treat them differently from men. Technology is an enabler at the new workplace that should help women break more glass ceilings. Women today want an organisation that’s invested in their career, invested in DEI, an organisation that gives them candid feedback and an organisation that doesn’t treat them differently from men oured to be a champion of flexible working by investing in the right technology and infrastructure to enable the team to work efficiently. Our office in Gurugram is designed using cutting-edge technologies and adopts collaboration tools to facilitate hybrid work culture, thereby ensuring work life balance. Technology enables flexibility. 2. The second need for women concerns children and specifically childcare. The post-Covid world has accelerated the use of virtual childcare by moms at work, where a mom trusts a virtual childcare company to look after her child while she is at work, and she can monitor the same via a link PAVITRA SINGH CHRO, PepsiCo India

82 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Rajita Singh, Chief People Officer for India, Kyndryl, talks about her approach to HR function, and her driving force MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN Rajita Singh is a seasoned HR leader, experienced in leading large-scale transformation with business outcomes. She has recently joined Kyndryl as the Chief People Officer for India. In an interview to BW People, she describes her HR philosophy, and what drives her. Excerpts: As a women HR leader, what is it that drives you? One is, I still behave like a baby and I By Meha Mathur “I Want To Leave A Legacy” want to make my parents proud in whatever I do. Drive number 2 is, at times I am very competitive so I want to be the first in class. Whatever I do, I want to do it very innovatively and differently so I don’t want to work just to survive. I want to create a legacy which people will look up to. The third drive is to live a very satisfying and fulfilling life. Coming to organisational issues, what are the strategies that you believe in to solve employee problems? My strategies have changed over a period of time. I can’t say that the same stroke that worked 20 years back is going to work today. And the reason I say that is because people are different. Exposure to technology and life has changed. I think Covid has changed and

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 83 one as well because not everybody understands that the companies are looking to upskill and take them to another level. That level of communication needs to come in from the leadership from HR. Technology alone doesn’t make the change. But how do you use the technology and why you use the technology is very important and which is why the messaging becomes important. Communication becomes very critical. The other change that is coming in is that post Covid, offices are resuming full-time work. What are the challenges that your organisation is facing and how are you overcoming those, Especially in terms of resistance to come back full time? While many companies claim they are flexible, when it comes to asking people to come back, they want the employees to come back 100 per cent. I think that’s where articulation and action don’t go hand in hand for several companies. Talking about my organisation in particular, I think it’s a very pragmatic approach. A couple of factors that have shaped this approach are: one, how is the work being done today, and are our associates comfortable with the way we are working. Two, are our clients also coming back to work and do they want to see us in office? Three, and most importantly, you want to optimise a lot of things and do away with unnecessary costs. The fourth factor is looking at what the industry is also doing, as we do not exist in a cocoon. So we allow for everybody to sign up and tell us where they are and be comfortable working from where they are. Of course, the key is for a business to be profitable and to ensure that wherever you are working from, your deliverables are met. How has the organisation helped the employees in realising their full potential? What is the approach to employee empowerment? While we can provide the ecosystem and explain our policies, for people to realise their fullest potential, it’s up to them how they do it right. It cannot be a push methodology. It has to be a very pull technique. We have come up with something called a career mobility centre. A career mobility centre essentially provides you with an option to drive your own career. We’ve revamped the entire career pathway and linked it with performance. We call it Kyndryl Compass. It essentially helps you get a direction of where you want to go. The other aspect is that awareness is very important. I can’t decide my potential until I am aware. There are sessions on mindfulness for everybody and I was pleasantly surprised to see how people take to mindfulness. “Technology alone doesn’t make the change. But how do you use the technology and why you use the technology is very important and which is why the messaging becomes important” RAJITA SINGH Chief People Officer for India, Kyndryl shaken a lot of things, especially the way people used to look at life. My strategy regarding dealing with people now is to be honest and upfront. So, they really appreciate your authenticity, your genuineness and the fact that you care. You mentioned technology coming in, in a big way. So, how is it an enabler? And how can each one partake of technological changes, despite the varying comfort level with technology? Technology adoption in the company is important and people need to understand how it’s going to impact the end goal, the customer and themselves as well. Many a time, when companies adapt technology, there is a fear and the sense of insecurity within the teams that they will lose jobs. And it is a rightful

84 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Shipra Jain, Head HR, Otis Global Services Center describes the emphasis area at her organisation and what drives her MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN By Sugandh Bahl Vij “We’re Laser Focussed on Standardising Business Processes” S hipra Jain is a business focused, progressive & result oriented HR leader with more than 20 years’ experience in the domain. She has led people strategy for large global teams (2,000 + employees, one-billion-dollar revenue) across Asia-Pacific & Japan (APJ), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and America’s region. In her role as Head HR at Otis Global Services Center (OGSC) since August 2017, she has spearheaded several initiatives, including setting up the HR and payroll function for the centre, ideation and implementation of digitised reward and recognition framework; driving cost optimisation projects that led to 10 per cent savings; and talent management and culture building. Excerpts: What are the key areas that you intend to focus on for your organisation to run effectively and efficiently? At Otis Global Services (OGSC), we are on a transformation journey to standardise, simplify and automate our business processes. We are laser focussed in accelerating this agenda. It is a business imperative that our colleagues embrace this change and align quickly. Another area of focus is to deepen our capabilities and digitise our solutions to transform mobility. As technologies advance, we must remember the human loop and the passenger experience that the company strives for, and it is our centre that can enable our core business lines SHIPRA JAIN Head HR, Otis Global Services Center to grow and reach greater heights. We are also focusing on having a process-driven organisation that is person agnostic. It will help the centre provide seamless continuity of services. What drives you? Creating a legacy has always been my driving force. In anything and everything I do, I am always conscious that it has my signature on it and that is how I drive the best in me and my teams. The vision of Otis of giving people freedom

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BBW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 85 by extensive research and insights. Our focus on empowerment, empathy, collaboration, imagination, inclusion and pace enables us to keep pushing the envelope. As a people person, what are the goals you strive to achieve in an organisation apart from management goals? I continually endeavour to positively influence mindsets – a mind that embraces change and is agile, looks for the opportunity in a setback, is perseverant and service oriented (e.g., ‘How best can I help you?’) What are some of the short-term and longterm goals that you are striving to achieve in your organisation to grow the HR function? At Otis, we reflect the communities where we live and work; we ensure all our voices feel safe, welcomed, and heard, and we provide equitable opportunities to grow and contribute at our best. Our HR transformation journey will help us achieve all the above for our colleagues. What are some of the problems you encounter, especially given the challenges of the next normal, and how do you tackle them? The next normal is about hyper personalisation. For our colleagues, it is important that they are provided with a work environment and culture where they can thrive, get nurtured and have freedom of expression. Flexibility, accommodation requests, and looking beyond conventional work models has helped us drive high engagement from our colleagues. Additionally, with the new age workforce, the definition of a job has changed. The work they do should be meaningful, drive a higher sense of purpose and impact. Our managers are continually working to sculpt jobs to drive this sense of gratification for our colleagues. At Otis, we are also committed to our ESG goals (Environment, Social and Governance) to build a brighter future for generations to come. “The vision of Otis of giving people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world while keeping our absolutes in mind – safety, ethics and quality – further fuels my passion of having satisfied customers” to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world while keeping our absolutes in mind – safety, ethics and quality – further fuels my passion of having satisfied customers. What are the strategies and techniques that you believe in to solve employees’ problems and achieve an organisation’s goal? We put people at the centre of everything we do. Empathetic and fair listening is the key. The technique of probing in a non-threatening way goes a long way to get to the facts. Brainstorming for solutions, being inclusive and avoiding unconscious biases are powerful techniques that help solve colleagues’ problems. Focussing on outcomes rather than driving a personal agenda and leveraging the collective strength of the team as a strategy has helped me in achieving this organisational goal. How has your organisation helped you in bringing out your best potential? Otis Global services started as a bootstrapping exercise. While there was detailed systemic planning that went into achieving business outcomes, it is the very empowering culture and the safe working environment that brings out the best in us. Every business decision is well thought through and is backed

86 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Swati Rustagi, Director, Global Talent Strategy and Development for Worldwide Amazon Stores (at the time of the interview), delineates the fine dividing line between affirmative measures and true empowerment that the organisation is bring about for women MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN By Meha Mathur “We Hire Women Because They Are Good At Their Work” S wati Rustagi was Director Talent Strategy and Development for Worldwide Amazon Stores at the time of the interview. She joined Amazon in 2018 with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles across HR, operations and business in FMCG and healthcare in India and internationally. SWATI RUSTAGIC) Her experience spans across various specialties of Human Resources Management with stints in talent, learning, DEI, rewards and employee relations. Excerpts: How is Amazon empowering its women workforce? And what is the role that technology is playing in this empowerment story? When we talk about Amazon, it’s really a large number of types of jobs that women employees are participating in. We have some very interesting models for our frontline workers and we have created opportunities for them. But then at the other end of the spectrum, we have women in leadership, and in between, we have women in tech, corporate jobs, the women in various different kinds of roles. When we look at women leadership, this has been something that we are very conscious about because we believe that when we have women in leadership, it influences how we look at policies, programmes, mechanisms, job opportunities for women across the spectrum and across job types. It’s not about saying we hire people because they’re women. You are not hiring a museum piece. You hire people because they are really good at what they do. You just have to take extra

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 87 effort in finding that right person for that job, but they exist. To that extent, for example, we have some very interesting programmes like Amazon Rekindle. This is an awesome programme wherein we bring in women who have strong career backgrounds, but who may have stepped back from their careers at different points of time, for personal responsibilities, or for whatever reasons. But they actually bring in strong credentials. And we’ve actually had over 80 per cent success rate in terms of conversions of these women into full time leadership positions in the organisation. The other programme that we had was with tech talent, both for campus hires and lateral hires, where we actually engage with women who have technology background, and we engage with them early on. And we have again seen a tremendous success rate in terms of the women who cleared our ‘tech bar’ and are paid now. It’s for and senior positions in tech across the company, also at different levels of tech in the company. These are investments that we do ahead of the curve. For the frontline, we had two very interesting programmes. In our customer service teams, we created a new model of shifts wherein they work for us four hours in the morning, take a long break in the afternoon and they log into the remaining four hours later so that they can take care of their personal responsibilities around, lunch and dinner and picking up kids from school. It’s about genuinely creating opportunities for women to participate in the workforce. For our frontline associates our operations teams came up with this very interesting adaptive labour model. Because there were a lot of women in our villages which surround our fulfilment centres and our transportation centres who are looking for economic independence and not a job. For them, we actually created an adaptive and flexible labour model, where they could actually come in and only work for a couple of days or just about four hours or six hours a day. Under this model, we announce slots, and women select the slot when they can work. This way, they are participating in the labour force of the country and it has implications in terms of the confidence and the ability to have some physical cash of their own. We’ve also gone beyond this work and actually work with communities. We have some very interesting specific programmes with women sellers. We work with women in villages to make them aware of various government enablement platforms that are available for them so they can start earning livelihood. How do you work on technological empowerment, and how do you bring all of the people on a single platform? There will be people with different levels of technical comfort. The perception that women need special training to do something, we don’t believe that at Amazon. We believe that women are technologically as competent as anyone else or functionally as competent as anyone else. They may not be the first person to speak up, or they may not necessarily always table their ideas. And in order to address that, what we look for is very senior leaders very consciously sponsoring them and talent in the room, and really making that additional effort. I don’t think training is a challenge. At Amazon, anybody who needs any kind of functional skilling to be able to do their job, it’s a given, it’s something that we provide to all. “The perception that women need special training to do something, we don’t believe that at Amazon. We believe that women are technologically as competent as anyone else or functionally as competent as anyone else” Swati Rustagi has recently joined as CHRO One97 Paytm

86 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Swati Rustagi, Director, Global Talent Strategy and Development for Worldwide Amazon Stores (at the time of the interview), delineates the fine dividing line between affirmative measures and true empowerment that the organisation is bring about for women MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN By Meha Mathur “We Hire Women Because They Are Good At Their Work” S wati Rustagi was Director Talent Strategy and Development for Worldwide Amazon Stores at the time of the interview. She joined Amazon in 2018 with over 25 years of experience in leadership roles across HR, operations and business in FMCG and healthcare in India and internationally. SWATI RUSTAGIC) Her experience spans across various specialties of Human Resources Management with stints in talent, learning, DEI, rewards and employee relations. Excerpts: How is Amazon empowering its women workforce? And what is the role that technology is playing in this empowerment story? When we talk about Amazon, it’s really a large number of types of jobs that women employees are participating in. We have some very interesting models for our frontline workers and we have created opportunities for them. But then at the other end of the spectrum, we have women in leadership, and in between, we have women in tech, corporate jobs, the women in various different kinds of roles. When we look at women leadership, this has been something that we are very conscious about because we believe that when we have women in leadership, it influences how we look at policies, programmes, mechanisms, job opportunities for women across the spectrum and across job types. It’s not about saying we hire people because they’re women. You are not hiring a museum piece. You hire people because they are really good at what they do. You just have to take extra

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL 2023 89 I am often asked about the two or three things which a woman should lay priority on if she is serious about climbing up the leadership ladder. Now, this is not to say that everything else should be filed away for the distant future – one should make the most of all the resources that one has access to. However, from my personal experiences, these are the few must haves for a woman striving for the corner office. Personal branding Chris Ducker once said, “Your personal brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room.” There are all kinds of leaders but those with a strong personal brand inspire others. Your personal brand is how others see you, talk about you and evaluate you for a business decision. If you have a strong personal brand, you become the face of the company, a la Indra Nooyi or a Kiran Mazumdar Shaw. Women must invest time and efforts in building a strong personal brand that carries them in their leadership journey. This often revolves around understanding one’s own VISHPALA REDDY CHRO, Philips - Indian Subcontinent Women must actively seek to develop mentors and sponsors who can add tailwinds to their leadership journeys. It is not about the next promotion or the next project – it is about having the support to venture into the unknown…. strengths with a conscious and consistent attempt at investing in one’s own leadership brand by inventing and reinventing oneself. This could mean engaging in external forums, working on one’s executive presence, sharing content on LinkedIn or other forms of social media - this makes for a great start when it comes to sharing views and building a reputation. The trick is to be consistent in sharing your insights, case studies, business experiences and other thoughts that establish a brand that people want to engage with. Mentors and sponsors We all need someone to act as a sounding board and cover our backs. A mentor or coach who can guide, offer honest criticism, and open doors of opportunity is a must-have. Women must actively seek to develop mentors and sponsors who can add tailwinds to their leadership journeys. It is not about the next promotion or the next project – it is about having the support to venture into the unknown, take risks, avail new opportunities or simply work out of one’s comfort zone. The best leaders are often forged in trying and challenging situations. We cannot do it all alone! Give Back Women at the top must make it a priority to have more women, and more diversity, in their teams. They need to mentor and encourage more women to take up leadership roles and serve as strong role models. In my experience, I have seen that the easiest way to reach out is to share personal experiences. It builds trust and creates a bond – one that nurtures and brings to the fore the innate leadership qualities in women. Another way is to play an active role in platforms like women-focused employee resource groups. Be it cultural or systemic stereotypes or unconscious bias, women face hurdles as they strive to advance on the leadership ladder. At times like these, it also helps for women to look out for each other even as organisations play their part to propel women to the top. As the world faces uncertainties and challenges at a global scale, it certainly helps to have more senior women at the frontlines of the battle to secure a better tomorrow.

90 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › The people-centric initiatives of SUGAR Cosmetics go beyond surface treatment and aim to create a great working environment CASE STUDY By Sugandh Bahl Vij A SUGARY POLICY JOURNEY The management at SUGAR Cosmetics believes that policies are real communication tool for an organisation, irrespective of what the leadership speaks. Their policies are the ones that communicate the loudest with their talent. The ability to design policies that are reflective of their ethos and ambitions are critical design elements. For them, a two-pronged approach to policies design has been the most effective: a. Inside out approach b. Outside in approach SUGAR embraces co-working immensely owing to the fact that it provides a lot of social opportunities, networking prospects and general human interaction. This helps them enable a good working environment across teams, states Vineeta Singh, CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics. Policy inclusions/framework The people & culture team at SUGAR Cosmetics is constantly working on leveraging data to enable communication and add value to the workforce. They have been using data analytics and predictive analysis to understand the needs of the workforce better. With the help of integrated products, they are focused on eliminating the use of multiple apps to reduce human intervention and enhance employee experience. Singh adds, “We use a communication platform that allows people to easily create and manage multiple groups for the seamless sharing of ideas among the team.” Additionally, “We have set up a project management platform where team members can share timelines and resources. Through this platform, individuals can request projects and teams can accept them, and then mutually agree on a timeline.”

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 91 When you encourage your talent, it helps them see how their contribution is adding to the bottom line and organisational goals. They tend to perform better and find value in their work, which helps boost talent engagement. By doing so, talents feel more connected to the organisation and each other. This zeal can spill over into everyday tasks, inspiring teams to make the “discretionary effort” that makes a massive difference to performance. Leadership Lens SUGAR’s way of looking at leadership is that each leader must possess their own personal vision statement that is aligned to the larger organisational vision statement. The brand envisions that every leader in the organisation should be able to articulate the company’s vision and align talent accordingly. This will help the brand create a more robust team and help follow the company’s vision by making discretionary effort. For this, interdependence is extremely important. “At no given point is an individual team member running up the mountain alone. Everyone needs to get there as a team and so our narrative has always been and will continue to be - how do you carry your team irrespective of how fast you We think the ability to drive conflicting discussions is important. We expect people should have enough emotional maturity and resilience to have a direct conversation VINEETA SINGH CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics

92 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM run,” Singh says. She further adds, “We have always believed that necessarily, the fastest runner does not become the best leader. When we look at cohesiveness by every leader, we are actually seeing the same across our organisation. We also think the ability to drive conflicting discussions is important. We expect people should have enough emotional maturity and resilience to have a direct conversation.” Direct conversations lead to constructive conversations, which is the need of the hour by every organisation. Hence, putting these tenets in place helps the organisation solve conflicting discussions. Managing employees and retention strategies Organisations are bending backwards to really care for their workforce. At SUGAR Cosmetics, they try to make employees feel comfortable. Their aim is to launch a programme that addresses a 360- degree approach to an individual’s overall wellbeing. This includes not just emotional wellbeing, but also other aspects of a person’s health that may be overlooked. It’s pretty evident that the brand is heavily investing in building leaders of the future through rigorous engagement and development process. Their ambition is that all their people managers will view themselves as and act like a ‘coach’ to their team. In service of this ambition, they have commenced capability development initiatives that are changing the narrative of managing people. Women-centric policies “All our employees, largely comprising women, have an opportunity to network and grow personally and professionally within the organisation and outside. We always encourage them to voice their opinions and thoughts because we know how much value it holds. We have always felt strongly about creating something for women and by women,” states Singh. SUGAR is extremely proud of the fact that their workforce comprises over 70 per cent women. Additionally, women employees hold a majority of the top management roles in the company. AT SUGAR they hire employees on the basis of their merit since “we believe that their work speaks for them. The qualities of a person and what we contribute to the team matter far more than their gender”. “We ensure creating a positive environment because we understand how conducive it is to work in (one). Also, work-life balance is given a priority so that everyone can manage the multiple roles we play and feel supported while doing so. These steps are not just limited to women in the company, but everyone who needs support.” Way Forward At SUGAR they are pivoting towards how their consumers want to experience the brand and they have made relevant shifts by creating an ‘arrow structure’. Arrow structure simply helps in achieving the end result by defining measurable metrics and measures of success for each profile by doing backward integration. “When we talk to our talent, we want to ask them in terms of the contribution to the values, their contribution to their colleagues, the contribution to the team, and the contribution to the wellbeing of the people around them. As we grow, if we keep rewarding people for just achieving that number, and not really focussing on the process the talent has adopted to get to that number, then it will put us or any other organisation in a bad situation. Fundamental belief from here on is to create a sustainable organisation and if we are to create a sustainable organisation, we want our people to think that everybody is going be a part of the journey.” SUGAR’s way of looking at leadership is that each leader must possess their own personal vision statement that is aligned to the larger organisational vision statement CASE STUDY

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94 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Pepperfry has been offering a distinctive benefit to its employees by providing them with one month of paid sabbatical leave for every three years of service with the company WORKPLACE POLICIES By Sugandh Bahl Vij PEPPERFRY’S PAID SABBATICAL TO VETERAN EMPLOYEES I n today’s fast-paced work environment, taking time off work for an extended period may seem like a luxury that is out of reach for many employees. However, a paid sabbatical is an increasingly popular option for organisations looking to retain talent, promote employee well-being, and enhance productivity. Pepperfry has been offering distinctive benefit to its employees by providing them with one month of paid sabbatical leave for every three years of service with the company. However, implementing a paid sabbatical programme requires careful planning, communication and evaluation.

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 95 “Occasionally, employees may require a fresh perspective and seek inspiration to move forward. It’s not uncommon to feel stagnant or in need of a change, and taking a break from routine can help with this” Pepperfry, they wanted to celebrate being different. Hence, post completion of three years, their employees will get a chance to use this break to explore new interests, skills and resume work more energised. When their morale is heightened, their productivity inevitably increases. “Also, we factored in that once an employee is about to complete three years with us, there will be a shift in the way they want to pursue their role and a break will help them get some perspective. The only challenge we had was to measure the pros and cons of having a month-long break in terms of business operations which required convincing HODs and the leadership team across the company. But as hustlers, we believed in getting more done with less and have a progressive retention management,” explained Choudhury. Way forward Many were apprehensive of giving a month’s paid off in the name of retention practice, as employees may start job hunting during this period. Choudhury’s take on this was, “Employees who want to look out for a change will not wait for sabbatical. Employees who are happy with their job and the company they are associated with will always look at sabbatical as an opportunity to rejuvenate themselves.” To their surprise, more than 50 employees went on a sabbatical this year. Most of their team members have either taken their second sabbatical or are due for their third sabbatical. It means that they have spent more than six years with us. “We have seen employees coming back from their sabbatical refreshed and their engagement levels have gone up.” Further, she also suggested how employees should make effective use of such sabbaticals. One should use the sabbatical to pursue their personal or professional pursuits. They should take out time to travel, plan experiences that help them grow personally and professionally or develop a long-lasting habit. Employers need to ensure that the programme is accessible, fair, and equitable for all employees, regardless of their job level, tenure, or background. Joee De Choudhury, Lead – Human Resources, Pepperfry emphasised on the need to have such a policy in place in conversation with BW People. She stated, “Occasionally, employees may require a fresh perspective and seek inspiration to move forward. It’s not uncommon to feel stagnant or in need of a change, and taking a break from routine can help with this. Sabbaticals offer valuable opportunities to pursue personal interests without the risk of losing one’s job.” Therefore, on completion of three years, Pepperfry employees will get a chance to use this break to explore new interests, skills and resume work more energised. When their morale is heightened, their productivity inevitably increases. Asked if handsome salaries can lower attrition rates, Choudhury replied, “While most Gen Zs are motivated financially, the millennials value experiences.” However, in recent years, upbeat workplace policies have become increasingly important for both the generations. While competitive package have been helping them in attracting the right talent, offering attractive workplace policies and a positive work culture helps them in retaining them. Policy in making According to Choudhury, Pepperfry’s sabbatical policy was a brainchild of the founding members of the organisation. They anticipated that people would need a break from work when they work in a fast-paced startup ecosystem like theirs. In most organisations, an employee can avail sabbatical after completing four to five years. However, at JOEE DE CHOUDHURY Lead – Human Resources, Pepperfry

96 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM › Vikram Chhachhi, Managing Partner, India, DHR Global, talks about the transformations that have happened in businesses and expectations from leadership, and his own learnings, in an interview with BW Businessworld LAST WORD “AMONG THE BIGGEST LEARNING - HOW TO UNTANGLE ISSUES”

WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 97 By Ruhail Amin Vikram Chhachhi was elevated as Managing Partner, India, DHR Global in December 2022. DHR is a leading player in the segments of executive search, leadership consulting, and emerging leader search solutions in more than 50 markets spanning 22 countries. In an interview to BW Businessworld, he talks about his present role, the shifts in hiring process, how leaders are approaching their careers and impact of their decision on businesses. Excerpts from an interview: Tell us about your journey at DHR and top learnings so far. In my role as the Managing Partner for the firm’s India operations, it is all about running the India offices, managing people, and helping both the business as well as our people grow. Significantly, as a global firm, we are looking at some key global and regional (Asia Pacific specifically) corporate functions being based out of India. One of the biggest learnings for me has been how to simplify and untangle issues, especially where people and business are concerned. It is also about the ability to quickly analyse issues at hand and offer guidance and advice on what is the best way to tackle and address those. Also, to be empathetic with all without missing out on the larger vision and goal of the business. A lot of people call the goal as the outcome, but I believe mere outcomes are short-lived. What are the broad shifts in hiring processes, especially in the Covid scenario? Like most businesses, even this one has gone through a significant transformation. The transformation is in terms of the hiring cycle and the process, as the need for speed is higher primarily because that’s the client’s need. The process itself, “The most strategic transformation that has happened for this business is how do you keep your engagement with clients and business leaders at par with pre-pandemic scenario, and do it better, more efficiently and with tighter rein on resources – people, time, travel”

98 BW PEOPLE APRIL- MAY 2023 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM from pre-engagement to the final hiring as well as integration, has become even more diligent and intense and we are joined at the hip with clients. Two, like any other business, we are trying to see how balanced our hybrid work model can be, not just for ourselves, but also when we are delivering for the clients; without losing out on our high-touch, high-engagement approach. The most strategic transformation that has happened for this business is how do you keep your engagement with clients and business leaders at par with pre-pandemic scenario, and do it better, more efficiently and with tighter rein on resources – people, time, travel. Technology has also created a sharp edge for us. All of us, whether it’s a large global firm, a boutique, or a small local firm, have access to the same data, the same people, and the same career journeys of leaders. What you do with that and how do you differentiate yourself with all your tools is the big question everyone deals with. What are your insights on businesses, and leadership, and what is the invaluable advice that you provide to clients, while executing projects have always stood the test of time as key differentiators for firms and individuals in this profession. These are critical aspects of the leadership search and advisory business that build your reputation with clients, specially for matters related to the Board, CEO and CXO levels. Looking at industry leaders, especially CEOs, how are they approaching their careers? Look at the issues that CEOs have LAST WORD for a forever commitment, unlike earlier. Do short stints by senior leadership impact business? How do you address the issue? Organisations are focusing in a big way on how to instil business continuity irrespective of what happens in case of a quick issue of CEO exit or an unplanned exit. A lot of companies have builtin business continuity and do a lot of work on risk management. Risk for them is not just an asset, a business, or a capital, but it’s also human capital and leadership. Even health has become a big factor in hiring top leadership. Somebody having a health issue and running a CXO or CEO role needs to disclose his health concerns as it’s a risk for stock performance and can hit commercially. When we are assessing people there are only a few client for whom fitness levels are a crucial factor. This question is rarely asked even though it’s very critical. I don’t think everyone looks at it holistically, but mental alertness, physical health, and how you engage is important. We talk about the global economy slowing down. In that context, what kind of demand for senior leadership roles can we expect in the coming time? If we consider economies like ours and most of Asia, we still have at least a couple of decades of steady growth. So, if you have 10-15 years, or even 5 years left in your career then you are in the right place in the world, because there are many opportunities that will keep coming your way. There is a shortage of talent and I cannot overstate it, especially for India, and Asia-Pacific, as we encounter it on daily basis. —With Inputs from Suchita Gopal Sail to address in addition to just managing and growing their businesses. This includes people issues— the environment, the communities those businesses work with and impact, geopolitical fallouts, social impact, corporate citizenship, inclusion, and so on. Each of their career decisions will need to bear the impacts along all these planes, in addition to what business impact they want to make. Even as late as liberalisation, getting a government job would be a feather in your cap as it gave you stability, steady income, and an income after retirement; you could be a lifer with one government organisation. Until not long ago if a CEO left an organisation within three to five years, people would have a lot of questions to ask. Today, if the CEO wants to move out after three years, and she or he has had made business impact, they are not scrutinised. So, a tenure showing effective impact can be of three to five years, as most recent surveys on CEO tenures across organisations show, globally. Now, when it comes to millennials and Gen Z or the subsequent generation, even if they like you and you like them, they will be around just for a year or two. But a lot of them just consider going from one gig to another, in more of a project-to-project approach. They are not looking

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