MOST
INFLUENTIAL
WOMEN
NUPUR SINGH MALLICK POOJA SHARMA RACHNA MUKHERJEE
Group CHRO India Chief People Officer, CHRO, Schneider
Tata Group WPP India Electric - India & South Asia
CROSS-
INDUSTRY
EXPERIENCE
A
highly skilled HR lead-
er with over 22 years of
progressive and compre-
hensive international experience in
all areas of HR in services, telecom
INTEGRATING and media & advertising industry,
TEAMS IN DIVERSE
Pooja Sharma has a demonstrated
ability to manage the human re- LIFE COACH
sources function and organisational
CULTURES dynamics within a global environ-
ment. AND
A Sharma holds a Bachelor’s de-
long-time TATA Group gree in Applied Psychology and has MOTIVATION
employee, Nupur Sin-
gh Mallick started her a Postgraduate Diploma in Business
Management from International TRAINER
career with TCS in 1997. Mallick, Management Institute, New Delhi.
Group Chief Human Resources Of- Her expertise areas are HR busi- A
ficer, Tata Group, has worked across ness partner, talent management, n Electronics & Electrical
Engineer from BITS –
various HR functions like talent Pilani, Rachna Mukher-
acquisition, organisational change
management, compensation & ben- jee carries diverse experience of
efits, as well as employee engage- over 25 years in cultural and stra-
ment policy and process develop- tegic people transformations in
ment in multiple geographies. organisations. Prior to joining Sch-
Starting from mid-1990s, when neider Electric, she has played key
she was recruited as an HR officer strategic HR roles in IT & Telecom
through a campus placement at industries, in organisations such as
Xavier Institute of Social Service Aircel, Microsoft, IBM and so on.
(XISS), Ranchi, Mallick, just kept She is a certified Executive and
growing with and within TCS. In Life Coach from International
2018 she replaced S Padmanab- Coach Federation and certified to
han who had been heading the HR conduct a series of leadership and
function for past 18 months. employee development interven-
At XISS, she pursued her mas- employee engagement, leadership tions by organisations like Hay, Gal-
development, succession planning
ters in Personnel Management and and capability development, cul- lup, DDI and Covey Institute and is
ture, transformation, talent acqui-
Industrial Relations. Her areas of sition, human capital strategy, exec- an achievement motivation trainer.
utive coaching, employee relations,
expertise include integrating teams HR process & architecture, mergers Mukherjee is also the recipient
& acquisitions and PCMM.
in culturally diverse set-ups, driving of the “HR Leader for Diversity &
operational excellence, retaining Inclusion Award” – 2018 & “Wom-
and developing talent and structur- an HR Leader of the Year Award” –
ing compensation & benefits. 2016 from BusinessWorld.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 51 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
MOST
INFLUENTIAL
WOMEN
RAJKAMAL VEMPATI
Head-HR, Axis Bank
A PRO AT LEARNING AND
ORGANISATION DEVELOPMENT
I n a career span of over 17 years, Rajkamal Ve-
mpati, Head-HR, Axis Bank has donned var-
ious hats successfully and carved a niche for
herself in the industry. Having started her career in
HR as a consultant with associates, she went on to
be a part of the Global HR Leadership Programme
at GE Capital. Prior to Axis Bank she was heading
Human Resources for ICICI Lombard General In-
surance Company Limited.
She has worked extensively in the area of learn-
ing and organisation development. Vempati is also
the Chairperson, CII (Western Region) of the Indian
Women Network, and a recipient of several prestig-
ious awards including the “Young Achiever Award”
in Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards and “Women
Super Achiever” by the World HRD Congress.
SAVITA SHARMA
CHRO, API Holdings
LEADING CHANGE IN HIGH-
PERFORMANCE ORGANISATIONS
A
n experienced HR leader with a strong focus
on enabling businesses through effective
HR strategy, Savita Sharma has proven her
acumen and experience in shaping high performance
organisations, leading change and creating values-based
cultures in dynamic growth organisations.
After graduating from Symbiosis Centre for
Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD), Pune, in 2005,
Sharma joined Mahindra & Mahindra as Human Resources Business Partner.
Later, she switched to Patni Computer Systems as their Corporate Human
Resources Manager. She was also the Talent & L&D Lead of Vodafone India
and Vice President - HR of Info Edge, helping both the companies with talent
acquisition & management, building a valued work culture, learning & OD and
enhancing team performance. Her invaluable corporate experience mixed with
passion has helped Sharma scale new heights such as becoming the HR Head
of Consumer Business Market Operations in India & Sri Lanka of Airtel.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 52 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
MOST
INFLUENTIAL
WOMEN
SAVITHA SHIVSANKAR
CHRO, Asian Paints
LEADING PEOPLE AND CULTURAL
S AGENDA
avitha Shivsankar, an alumna of Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, has over
20 years of experience spanning var-
ious industries and diverse aspects of the HR
function.
Shivasankar joined Mondelez Internation-
al in 2012 as an AVP-HR. She stayed with the
organisation for four years and was elevated
to the position of VP-HR in 2014. She then
joined Novartis in 2016, as the head of the people function for India. She
climbed up the ranks and was elevated to the role of head, talent, organisa-
tional development and inclusion in 2020.
In the recent hat that she has adorned, Shivasankar will be leading the
people and culture agenda of Asian Paints globally.
SUNITHA LAL
CHRO, Ather Energy
CHAMPIONING MINDFUL
LEADERSHIP
A n HR and an organisational culture expert based out of Bangalore,
Sunitha Lal, Chief Human Resources Officer, Ather Energy, has a
keen interest in the space of unconscious processes in individuals,
groups, and systems.
When she was appointed as the CHRO of the company, her primary goal
was defining the culture at Ather as they scale up towards production and
delivery of their first product, the S340, according to a company statement.
She actively engages with and contributes to forums and platforms that
focus on building culture, diversity & inclusion, mindful leadership, and
organisational behaviour. With interest in yoga and philosophy, Sunitha
marvels at the connection between mind, body and soul, and the influence
this equilibrium has in answering life’s broader questions.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 53 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
› Shameka Young,
VP and Global
Head of Diversity
& Inclusion (D&I),
Cognizant, sheds
light on Cognizant’s
all-out efforts for
increased role
of women in IT
ecosystem, from
digital skilling and
skills upgradation to
mentoring. Excerpts
from an exclusive
interview to BW
People:
“Our commitment is
to create a culture of
belonging”
C ognizant has been a leading force in pro- velocity opportunities.
moting women’s participation and growth Shameka Young, VP and Global Head of Diversity
in the IT industry through multitude of
initiatives that span from grassroots ini- & Inclusion (D&I), Cognizant, offers an expansive per-
spective to Sugandh Bahl on what will be the new-age
tiatives in terms of women fresher hiring, to nurturing measures to ensure women inclusivity in the industry,
how important digitally skilling and supporting women
leadership inclusion. The company focuses on consist- is to increase their representation in today’s booming IT
ecosytem Excerpts:
ently building on its foundation to take bold steps to
Can you shed some light on the need for
address better women participation in the IT landscape digital skilling in the current time where the IT
through a host of national programs and platforms that WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
are centred around hiring and development goals, better
work conditions, safety & wellness initiatives and career
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 54
INTERVIEWS
Photograph by CANVA
industry is facing attrition? on this and what is it that new mentorship opportunities.
We’ve seen a wave of digital trans- All of these somewhat small indi-
formation across the world. Studies Cognizant is doing to ensuring vidual actions connect together to
suggest that the pandemic accel- create a culture where women feel
erated the digital transformation a change on this front? empowered.
timeline by five years. Organisa-
tions quickly pivoted and mod- We are making progress with gen- Please elaborate on the
ernised their businesses to survive der diversity, but we still have a lot initiatives Cognizant is
the pandemic. This required skills. of work ahead of us. At Cognizant undertaking to make a
Specifically, digital skills. Now more we have a consistent drumbeat of stronger footprint in the
than ever, there is a strong need to opportunities to highlight our val- diversity realm.
create pathways to enhance the skill ues – specifically our goal to create We’re building a diverse workforce
profile of our top talent – not only conditions for everyone to thrive. in which our associates feel encour-
for retention purposes across the IT Just this past month, in honor of aged to share different viewpoints.
industry, but to ensure we can de- International Women’s Day, we fea- This allows us to deliver fresh in-
liver the transformational work our tured the success story of dozens of sights to help our clients modernise
client’s demand. successful women: from entry-level their organisations and master the
to executive. We gathered tens of digital economy. Our commitment
It has been time and again thousands of associates and clients is to create a culture of belonging so
highlighted that gender virtually to learn valuable leader- our associates feel confident bring-
equality is still a distant goal. ship lessons at a keynote address. ing their whole selves to work.
What are your thoughts And we had three unique panel
discussions underscoring the im- Belonging requires inclusion
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 55 portance of male allyship. At the
same time, we rolled out several WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
and diversity. That’s why we have create more solutions to benefit us that our foundational programmes
formal programmes for professional all. We need to cultivate a culture are laying the groundwork for a
development and progressive hiring where risk is rewarded, curiosity bright future.
policies. In addition, we empower is encouraged, and creativity is ex-
associates to shape and drive glob- pected. The pandemic has become
al, regional and local councils and a big hurdle for women to
affinity groups. It’s both top-down – Cognizant’s Outreach pro- progress in this industry,
sponsored by our Executive Leader- gramme focuses on building inclu- where there have been
ship – and grassroots – championed sion in tech and increasing com- situations, they’ve had to quit
by our associates at all levels. munity impact. In fact, we recently their jobs and focus on daily
joined forces with the UK govern- chores with the will power to
Each affinity group welcomes, ment to educate girls from develop- rejoin. Does Cognizant have
nurtures and provides safe spaces in ing countries; we committed digital any such programmes that
which our associates can share their enablement through a donation of encourages women to step
interests and aspirations. Much in- computers, as well as 50,000 hours again in their career after a
tersectionality exists among group of volunteer- led mentoring and short break and how fruitful
members, who regularly join forces training support. have they been?
to serve the communities in which Women’s careers have been dispro-
they live and work throughout the Is competition for women in portionately affected by Covid-19,
world. tech a distant dream and what instilling an urgency to discuss
are the skills required the women’s role in the workplace.
At the management level, Cog- most for female workers to Working mothers were dropping
nizant’s senior leaders have specific compete in this sector? out of the workforce, at least tem-
goals to hire and retain women in Thanks to programmes like the one porarily. That reality spurred us
leadership positions. Each director we are working on with the UK gov- to challenge not only how work is
and above level are given a target ernment, there is no limitation for structured but also how the work-
relative to their business area for the future of women in tech. We place can better accommodate indi-
hiring and retaining women. Our have made significant strides in cre- viduals.
Human Resources department ating gender diversity at Cognizant,
monitors progress and communi- and while we know there is much Cognizant launched a return-
cates it back to the organisation work to be done, we are confident ship programme in 2021 targeting
through managerial quarterly busi- technology professionals interested
ness reviews and annual perfor- “We believe in restarting their careers. Return-
mance reviews. that a break in ships are 12-week paid experiences
a professional’s for technology professionals who
A recent study pointed out have at least 5 years of professional
that only 3 per cent women career can experience and have taken at least a
take up a career in tech provide an 2-year break from their career. The
industry. Why do you feel this opportunity to programme provides skilling op-
exists and how is Cognizant reflect, find areas portunities so the participants are
encouraging more women to of focus, and versed in the latest technologies.
enter this industry? return stronger
It starts at the beginning. When to the next phase We believe that a break in a pro-
children are in primary school, we of professional fessional’s career can provide an
need to encourage young girls to journey with a opportunity to reflect, find areas of
pursue maths and science. Unfortu- renewed sense of focus, and return stronger to the
nately, unconscious bias often filters purpose. Having next phase of professional journey
through, and girls are discouraged the skills to do with a renewed sense of purpose.
from pursuing these important ca- so eases the Having the skills to do so eases the
reers. This is why I chose to sit on transition” transition. Employees accepted into
the Board of Directors of Girlstart, a the returnship programme will up-
leader in designing and implement- date their skills in a supportive work
ing innovative, high quality infor- environment, get involved with re-
mal STEM education programmes al-time projects, and work with cut-
that inspire girls to transform our ting-edge tools and technology. At
world. Girls with more ideas will the conclusion of the programme,
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 56 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
Photograph by Freepik Pressfoto
participants are considered for a their own unique digital footprint the way and create a strategy for on-
position with Cognizant. in Cognizant – sufficiently guided going success.
by mentors, coaches and business
Can you elucidate upon practitioners along their learning Fifty-five per cent of women
Cognizant’s Gen C journey. These teams infuse our or- have shown excitement about
programme? ganisation with a fresh perspective the emergence of new-age
We are proud of our unique, Gen-C of what that generation seeks to see technologies as they feel that
programme, which helps bring the in the world. the flourishing tech space will
latest talent into our workforce. offer them lucrative career
Gen-C (Generation Cognizant) A recent survey by and growth opportunities.
consists of our youngest workforce WileyNXT’s Women’s Does the inclusion game
who are taking their first steps into Learners states that 84 per within organisations still pose
Cognizant from campuses across cent women feel upskilling a threat towards women’s
the world. They are the authors of is key to unlock leadership growth trajectory?
opportunities in tech. what As mentioned earlier, belonging re-
“Girls with more are your views on the same? quires inclusion and diversity. We
ideas will create It is that sentiment that fueled us are accelerating the conversation
more solutions to to create our Propel programme. around inclusion through our D&I
benefit us all. We This leadership development pro- development playbook which drives
need to cultivate gramme accelerates women’s ad- discussions around leading with
a culture where vancement into senior/executive an inclusive mindset, creating en-
risk is rewarded, management with coaching and vironments of psychological safety
mentoring. During the three- and allyship, to name a few. Moving
curiosity is month programme, participants from unconscious bias to conscious
encouraged, explore a range of impactful topics, inclusion across the associate lifecy-
and creativity is from amplifying their leadership cle and integrating those inclusive
brand and identity to enhancing ex- behaviours not only helps us retain
expected” ecutive presence. These sessions are the women talent but also aligns to
inspiring our future women leaders our values of “creating conditions
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 57 to apply the knowledge, tools, and for everyone to thrive.”
techniques they’ve gathered along
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
“Talent War
To Continue
With
Digitisation”
› Ruhie Pande, CHRO, Godrej
Housing Finance, delineates
some of the hiring trends in 2022,
following the Great Resignation of
2021
I n the year 2022, HR will continue to be valued
for championing the war on talent. Hiring,
on-boarding, retaining and coaching will be
the focus areas for HR professionals in terms
of work. As we emerge into accepting the new normal
there will be a need for HR professionals to be harbingers of
change. Providing its employees with exercisable options for
well-being and work-life integration will be a hygiene factor as
opposed to a good to do.
In an exclusive interaction, Ruhie Pande, CHRO, Godrej
Housing Finance shares non-traditional ways for HR leaders to
adopt in order to nurture talent i.e. increased opportunities for
just-in-time or peer-to-peer recognition, engagement via non-
work activities, building a sense of community among teams,
multi-functional projects at work. HR can also provide avenues
for volunteering which helps individuals contribute meaning-
fully to the larger good, she believes. Excerpts:
Acknowledging the lessons learnt from 2021,
what should be the focus area for the
organisation in terms of employees’
growth?
Godrej Housing Finance was born at the start
of the pandemic. While we were just about to
take-off in March-April 2020, the pandemic hap-
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 58 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
pened. However, that did not mean “Preference today is for project-based
there was a spanner in the works for working which allows people the flexibility to
us. We used the time to hire, set up work from anywhere and at their own pace,
base in the various geographies and along with allowing them the space and time
train our teams. 2021 was largely a to pursue their personal passions alongside”
year of finding a balance – choosing
to modify work norms and adopt the last two years in how we will decline in pace of growth, talent
hybrid models. Most organisations function. has been in high demand. Specifi-
scrambled to attract and retain tal- cally, talent in the financial servic-
ent in this period. In 2022 it will Why is the ‘talent war’ still es space is seeing an upswing. The
be imperative for organisations to on? Is it a long-term impact fin-tech space is booming and the
double down on their talent efforts. or a temporary phase? What need to go digital has meant that
While there will not be a slowdown do you foresee? the talent wars will continue. This
in hiring efforts, this year I foresee There will always be a need for was an aspect of work and life that
that organisations will look inward high-quality and relevant talent in the pandemic has permanently
towards talent – marking out the the market. The Indian talent pool changed and there is plenty of room
‘high-pot’s, creating leaders from has always been highly valued and for every organisation in almost
within, expanding scope of roles therefore competitive. Despite ex- every sector to adapt towards. The
and giving additional responsibili- ternal factors like the pandemic war for talent is surely going to be
ties to existing managers. This will and the subsequent slowdown or one with long term impact.
also be accompanied by efforts at
building capability in the same di-
rection. The recurrence of the 3rd
wave in early 2022 taught us that
we cannot go back to our old ways
and must take the learnings from
Photograph by NewAfrica
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 59 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
What are the challenges Photograph by Freepik senivpetro per cent of our roles are closed via
encountered in the hunt for referrals and most of these are from
digitally skilled talent? aspects like attracting candidates, the hiring teams. When this hap-
selling the role, the job and the pens the organisation and role have
The demand for digitally skilled organisation falls into place. En- been sold to the candidate already
talent emerged so rapidly that it’s gaging with talent even before they and we are able to onboard sticky
now safe to say the supply was nev- are your potential applicants or talent that is as committed to our
er in place. This has meant that the candidates is what will be effective purpose and values as any existing
skilled and high-quality talent pool in helping talent acquisition teams employee.
is limited. This resulted in driving close positions with due considera-
up the cost at which this talent is tions to cost, quality and timelines. According to a recent report,
being hired. Clubbed with high overall apprentice hiring
volatility there was the rapid move- The next element that I would grew by 4 per cent in 2021
ment of talent between the highest rate as impactful for efficient hir- from the previous 41 per
bidding organisation and 2021 was ing would be experience – clear cent, and is expected to
the year where we witnessed, what communication of job roles and ex- grow by 6 per cent in 2022.
is termed as the Great Resignation. pectations without overselling goes According to you, how would
It also did not help that new work a long way in achieving hiring ob- the workforce change or be
preferences also surfaced, such jectives. One of the successful out- impacted in the year 2022?
as an affinity for working in pro- comes we have seen in our organ- In keeping with the pace set by the
ject-based roles and the emergence isation with hiring has been when pandemic, we are seeing novel ways
of the gig economy. The digitally we have invested in understanding of working that have emerged. Pref-
skilled talent also tends to comprise the talent pool, mapping the mar- erence today is for project-based
the younger emerging workforce ket for the right talent, and involv- working which allows people the
which lives by a very different set of ing the hiring/ functional managers flexibility to work from anywhere
values. Stability and status quo are in the hiring process. Close to 35 and at their own pace, along with
two elements that are rejected and allowing them the space and time
change, newness and experiences to pursue their personal passions
are preferred over tangibles. alongside. Organisations are also
choosing to work with gig workers
According to you, what are who come in with technical exper-
the most impactful strategies tise and can provide their expertise
for efficient hiring? which otherwise may not be pres-
ent in their organisation.
One of the most impactful yet most
overlooked strategies is the build- WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
ing of the employer brand. Can-
didates today want to know what
working with you is going to “feel”
like. They want to get to know their
to-be bosses before the interview
has even taken place. They want to
know what a day-in-the-life at your
organisation goes like. Employer
branding can achieve all this for
you. When this is in place, all other
“Candidates today want to know what
working with you is going to “feel” like.
They want to get to know their to-be
bosses before the interview has even taken
place.... Employer branding can achieve all
this for you”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 60
INTERVIEWS
“WE UNBOSS
BY FLIPPING
THE PYRAMID”
› Niccolò Nitti, Country P&O Head, Novartis India, describes how
the company’s culture helps challenge old assumptions, enables risk
taking and engenders creativity in an interaction with Sugandh Bahl
C areer progression, op-
portunities to learn,
healthy work atmos-
phere and employee
care and work-life balance are some
of the aspects that make employees
stick to an organisation and lead to
high attrition in another. One ex-
ample of an enabling work environ-
ment is the “unbossed” culture of
healthcare major Novartis. Niccolò
Nitti, Country P&O Head, Novartis
India, in an interview to BW People
describes how this culture came
into being and what positive results
has this concept yielded. Excerpts:
What does an “unbossed”
culture mean? How do
you explain “unbossed” at
Novartis in India?
We unboss by flipping the pyramid
and developing “servant leaders”.
So, we no longer have a team in
support of a boss; we have a boss
in support of a team. We want our
leaders to focus on nurturing a psy-
chologically safe environment in
which people are willing to speak
their mind and bring diverse expe-
riences, skills and perspectives to
the table. The best leaders are those
who are comfortable hiring people
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 62 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
countability for their work and their
choices.
How has this culture been a
stimulus for innovation?
At Novartis, we are driven by data
and digital and this forms the back-
bone of our innovations. Scientific
advancements are unfolding fast-
er than ever before. We need to be
constantly transforming to meet the
demands and to make sure Novartis
delivers transformative medicines
for decades to come.
The unbossed culture has
evoked creative thinking and, in do-
ing so, generated new and improved
products, services, and processes.
People who want to excel at inno-
vation must be willing to take risks,
share their finest ideas, collaborate
extensively, and be given the oppor-
tunity to learn from their mistakes.
Our goal is to encourage innovative
thinking that results in real solu-
tions to healthcare and business
challenges.
who think differently than they do; the CXOs, don’t sit in cabins but “In the past
who listen more and talk less. alongside the teams; we have a ro- three years, we
bust 360-degree feedback mecha- have certainly
In India, just like the rest of the nism for leaders to get regular hon- started witnessing
world, our leaders serve and coach est feedback from colleagues and
their teams, giving them the tools to team members; we have steered encouraging
reach their full potential, instead of clear of performance ratings and signs wherein our
simply approving or rejecting ide- moved towards measuring impact.
as. We have moved away from top We believe that our people are at employees are
to bottom approach and have em- their most creative and productive becoming more
braced the art of co-creating and when they are “unbossed” – em- self-aware. This
learning from everyone in the team. powered and enabled to take ac- has accelerated
For example, our leaders, including fruitful dialogues,
an entrepreneurial
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 63 mindset, and the
rise of young
leaders”
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
INTERVIEWS
How has this strategy “We want our leaders to focus on
helped in achieving your nurturing a psychologically safe
HR priorities, and what role environment. The best leaders are those
has the leadership played in who are comfortable hiring people who
helping make this initiative a think differently than they do; who listen
reality?
This is an evolving journey that is more and talk less”
never complete. However, so far in
our journey we have been able to Glassdoor’s average and compares It has given us a unique opportu-
nurture inclusivity and provide an favourably to not just peers but also nity to examine old assumptions,
environment that fuels personal large tech organisations. test new ideas, and explore working
purpose connected to a larger pur- models that offer greater flexibility
pose in society. When our people How has Novartis been for our people.
see leaders, who are demonstrating attracting the right talent and
humility and courage in the face of developing people internally? Lastly, our rewards policy in
personal risk, who are OK with im- terms of compensation and bench-
perfection and failure as a necessary It is no secret that recruiting and marking are quite competitive and
part of growth, then this cultivates retaining talent is critical to an or- fair.
an environment of trust, safety ganisation’s success as an organisa-
and learning, which in turn leads tion is only as strong as the collec- What plans does Novartis
to greater engagement, innovation tive talent of the people who work have in place to ensure that
and productivity. there. Giving meaningful learning it remains at the forefront of
opportunities to people which ena- learning and development?
Has this initiative yielded the bles their professional growth, is an There are many studies that show
anticipated outcomes? important aspect of recruiting and that learning is either the top or one
In the past three years, we have cer- retaining talent. of the top reasons people join an
tainly started witnessing encourag- organisation. Thus, we are making
ing signs wherein our employees are And talent is at the heart of No- significant investments in this area.
becoming more self-aware. This has vartis. To develop and manage tal-
accelerated fruitful dialogues, an ent, we foster a culture of curiosity Under our learning and devel-
entrepreneurial mindset, and the and experimentation. We enable opment initiatives, we have set up a
rise of young leaders. our associates to build upon their Novartis Learning Institute that as-
core capabilities in their areas of sists with personal goals, digital ca-
Our leaders now act as mentors expertise and also to gain exposure pability, and language programmes,
and instead of telling the team what to diverse functions and therapeu- as well as talent acceleration and
to do and how to accomplish it, they tic areas so that they accumulate a leadership programmes. This offers
involve them in decision-making breadth of experience and gain per- virtual access to vocational training
that has a huge positive impact on spective towards delivering greater for all associates regardless of role,
their work. The team works inde- impact. level, or location. Our associates
pendently to design and implement have free access to 3,500 courses
solutions once they have agreed on We are also one of the first or- via Coursera, through which they
objectives and orientations. We also ganisations to extend the 26-week can learn from 190 top universities
conduct internal surveys on a reg- parental leave to all our employees worldwide. They also have access
ular basis, in which teams submit – both men and women. to LinkedIn Learning, providing
feedback of their supervisors. This 14,500 courses in seven languages
has given rise to a new generation of Most importantly, our people in short format, bite-sized learning
leaders who are unconventional in policies provide great flexibility of covering hot topics in business and
their thinking. working – we call it Choice with IT/digital from leading experts.
Responsibility. Our people are em-
We have put impact front and bracing the Unbossed behaviour
centre as the basis for reward, plac- by taking complete responsibility
ing greater emphasis on how we col- for finding better ways of working
laborate and achieve together. – continually reflecting upon and
adapting how they work together.
In addition to this, Novartis’
2021 average of 63.1 per cent re- WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
views on Glassdoor coming from
current employees was better than
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 64
40UNDER40 2021
Photograph by CANVA
FLAGBEARERS
OF CHANGE
› Recognising the mettle of young HR heads who are ably managing
the transition to next normal in organisations
W ith increased complexities of human behaviour, human As the uncertainty still looms over
resource is not only seen as a support function but has post-pandemic, HR professionals
extended its role to all business verticals. HR profes- and teams have developed resilience
sionals are playing an active role as change agents and to face the next possible crisis, their
focus being on the rewiring structur-
crisis managers who are becoming the true business partner in decision al strategies. With drastic changes in
the landscape of work and workforce,
making for organisational growth. the role of the CHRO has quickly
changed to create efficient new-age
The onset of pandemic has shown that they are the true flagbearers of people policies in the world of work.
any organisation. They are adopting technological disruption with artifi- WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
cial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and innovating new ways
of executing and performance management.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 66
40UNDER40 2021
Celebrating HR Excellence Business Development, Aditya Birla On basis of marks given to each par-
Now, in order to recognise such tal- Group. Other members of the jury ticipant, the winners were decided.
ent, swift disruption, unconvention- were: Vipul Singh, Divisional Vice
al thinking and timely strategies, President and Head of HR, ADP; Championing the cause of
BW People and BW BusinessWorld Ruchira Chaudhry, Author, Exec- change, the summit on the occasion
launched the 5th Edition of the BW utive Coach & Academic; Prabir of awards brought together some of
People HR 40 Under 40. Jha, Founder and CEO, Prabir Jha the most distinguished HR lumi-
People Advisory; Archana Bhaskar, naries on one virtual platform for
BW People’s inaugural ‘HR 40 CHRO, Dr Reddy’s labs; Aarti Kel- enlightening dialogues on pressing
Under 40’, in association with BW shikar, author & intercultural coach; human resources issues of the near
BusinessWorld, recognised HR Avishek Roy, CHRO & Director, Mc future.
professionals who have the zeal Cormick India; Nisha Jarayanan,
to make the industry, and the HR COO & Director, Red FM; Sud- Dr Annurag Batra, Chairman
function, future-ready. hir Mishra, Founder & Managing & Editor-in-Chief, BW Business-
Partner, Trust Legal; Dr Annurag World and Founder, exchange4me-
Over 100 nominations were Batra, Editor in Chief & Chairman, dia Group inaugurated the BW 40
received. These were carefully BW BusinessWorld & Founder, Ex- Under 40 one-day programme with
analysed by the jury and the top 40 change4media; and Rajkamal Vem- his power-packed keynote address.
HR professionals were awarded in a pati, Head HR, Axis Bank. Several other HR industry veterans
virtual awards ceremony. graced the occasion.
This was a two-day process
Process Of Shortlisting where each participant was given The stellar gathering shared
The process was pretty seamless and 2-3 minutes of time to prove their their experience in the domain
unbiased, under the surveillance of acumen in front of the esteemed and shared their vision on how
the distinguished jury panel led by jury, followed by cross questioning. the market dynamics are going to
Shiv Shivakumar, Group Executive change drastically with a fresh pool
President, Corporate Strategy & of opportunities in times to come.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 67 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
ABDUL WAHAB
Deputy GM, Corporate HR, L&T
MEGA
VISION
› Wahab has handled HR responsibility of dissect it. This enables quick deci-
large teams in national and international sion-making creating business im-
projects, including facilitating their pact. At my current position, I take
repatriation during Covid care of the HR digitalisation across
L&T & the HR analytics. Being able
A postgraduate in Human Resource Management from to provide that essential informa-
Madras School of Social Work, Wahab joined L&T tion is really motivating.”
through campus placement in 2008. He has been part
of HR in several large-scale projects nationally and in- Wahab conceptualised and led
the organisation of first-ever HR
ternationally, such as the international airports of Delhi and Mumbai, Conclave by L&T which was attend-
ed by stalwarts such as CHROs of
Riyadh Metro project, FIFA World Cup Stadium project in Qatar, Abu Infosys, Aditya Birla Group, L&T
group companies, etc. Most recent-
Dhabi Airport, Salalah Airport and Doha Metro. These projects have ly, he has been nominated by L&T
for Society for Human Resource
provided Wahab avenues for management of end-to-end HR opera- Management (SHRM) Global
Membership with access to SHRM
tions and successfully completing multi-billion-dollar international Tech Conference. He is collaborat-
ing with SHRM for the revision
projects. of competency framework for HR
professionals within the organisa-
A one-of-a-kind responsibility emerged when the pandemic struck tion and is involved in designing the
assessment, recognition and certifi-
in 2020. Wahab, who was in the Middle East then, led the repatriation cation programme of top HR pro-
fessionals in L&T such as SHRM
of around 2,000 L&T workmen from there by Vande Bharat flights. It Certified Professional and SHRM
Senior Certified Professional.
was a massive exercise arranging for the visa, food and shelter, ensur-
For himself, Wahab has set the
ing medical protocols including RTPCR testing and providing quaran- twin goals of regular skill upgrada-
tion and physical fitness.
tine facilities to the workers.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
Data-driven
A self-motivated and result-oriented professional, Wahab says, “Give
me a spreadsheet with data. I’m eager to deep dive into the data and
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 68
40UNDER40 2021
ANAND BARDHAN
DVP - Talent COE & Initiatives at
Axis Bank (BFSI)
ILRNIOSTLTHEEENING
› Conversation, regular reaching-out are intrinsic to Bardhan’s
problem-solving approach
As a person who has now spend over 11 years in paramount importance to. While catering to 85,000
the industry, Anand Bardhan is driven by his plus employees is no mean task I’m happy that we’ve
wish to challenge the status quo. been able to achieve this and ensure that the employees
Proud of the role he plays as an HR person, he says, are contributing and growing in their current roles.”
“I am blessed to be working in a function that directly
impacts the life of the employees. While the job can Nimbleness For Next Normal
sometimes be thankless owing to the huge expectation Bardhan has clarity about what the next normal has in
placed on the role, what makes it really rewarding is the store for organisations:
impact that it has right from hiring to the exit of the
employee.” • The employees now would put emphasis on work
life balance and hence perks have to be customised
The job entails solving employee concerns at every in ways which encourage this aspect without
stage, and techniques like engaging in conversation, compromising on the organisation goal.
listening attentively, documenting the details of
conversation and ensuring an outcome constitute his • There may be resistance from employees to return
standard approach. to hybrid or full time working and hence rules have
to be framed accordingly.
One aspect that is close to Bardhan’s heart is that
an employee should be able to contribute smoothly • The compensations benchmark will undergo
right from Day 1. “Having a quarterly reach-out to a massive change as skill and not the years of
them as well as to the managers and trying to ensure experience will determine the compensation range
that we are facilitating at all the critical junctures for a particular role.
of the employees’ journey is something that I assign
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 69 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
ANKIT GUPTA
APAC HR Lead- Early Talent,
Avery Dennison
In Recruiter’s Seat
› Being young blood himself, Gupta understands youth aspirations
and incorporates that in the talent strategy
A n MBA from SC- per cent of our current total office whenever I see any of my young tal-
MHRD, Pune, Ankit staff in the region and we are on a ents getting promoted or getting an
Gupta is now in the transformational journey to ensure overseas assignment or picking up
role of recruiting that we provide them with an ena- a challenging new project, it really
bling ecosystem to ensure we have gets me going.”
fresh graduates from B-schools at least 15 per cent of our leadership
roles over the next 10-12 years. So, Solution Mode
and E-schools. “For us, our cam-
He shares his simple technique to
pus hires contribute to about 10 be an effective HR professional —
Acknowledge, Respond, Get back.
He elaborates, “One of the first
rules of solving any employees’ que-
ry is to ‘listen’. We often just hear
what the employees are saying and
forget listening. So, acknowledge
that we truly understand the issue of
the employee, respond with an esti-
mated time for resolution (ETR),
and get back to the employee with
a solution or an update within the
committed timeline. It is just like
customer service, where your em-
ployees are your customers. Happy
customers, Happy business.
Gupta, too, is happy about the
exposure he has got at Dennison.
“The best part about my role is that
I get to interact and work with em-
ployees of various levels - right from
a fresh campus graduate to a sea-
soned leader. This allows me to have
a 360 degree view of the situation or
challenge at hand,” he says.
Aware of the great reshuffle hap-
pening in the next normal, his ad-
vice is to “ring fence our key talent”.
The most effective way of doing this
is by showing the possible career
progression an individual can have
staying with the organisation.
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DEEPTI DUGGAL
HR Director, Business HR Manager,
Intel Technology India Pvt Ltd.
(Technology, Semiconductors)
ii. Passion and right mindset:
Working with individuals who
wake up and want to come and
make a difference in their work
gives me energy.
iii. Autonomy and having each oth-
er’s back : Accountability drives
me and keeps me going; this
coupled with knowing that our
leaders, Intel’s systems and rest
of the team has your back is ful-
filling.
GROWTH How has your organisation
MINDSET
helped you in bringing out
your best potential?
My organisation is the place which
gave me platform, space, support,
confidence to learn to crawl, walk
and run in my career as HR profes-
sional. I have been with my organ-
isation since its growing days and
have seen it grow 6x in terms of its
talent base, capabilities, growing
into new business.
Being a mother of 2.5 year old,
the organisation throughout my
journey supported me with right
flexibility, infrastructure and bene-
fits that helped me continue to grow
even during the pandemic times.
› To Duggal, the driving force is working in On your part, what goals
teams that work to make an impact would you like to achieve for
your organisation?
Having found her feet at Intel, Deepti Duggal shares her insights on Business goals are at heart and cen-
HR which are aligned with Intel’s work philosophy. Interview ex- tre of any company and HR adds
cerpts: another derivative of being the hu-
man glue by focussing on building
What are the motivating factors for you? the right culture and leadership de-
i. One of my fundamental belief is that anyone can execute to a deliverable; velopment.
the extra edge comes with building a systemic view around why, what and One goal is to build sustainabil-
how. Being able to connect our priorities, hunting down opportunities ity of the organisation by ensuring
for impact and not always seeking the obvious is the driving motivation we have right processes for perfor-
for me. mance management, recognition,
hiring assessments, trainings and
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 71 development linked to company’s
culture.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
PRIDE IN THE DIVYA SRIVASTAVA
CHRO for GE Healthcare South Asia
LEADERSHIP ‘FACTORY’
› Srivastava feels happy to be in a place that provides her diverse
pushing her limits
tribute to the larger vision, coach-
ing someone as they sprint towards
their next career milestone moti-
vates me to continue to do ‘my best’
every day.”
She further adds, “As a human
resources professional, I believe one
of the most critical & hardest goals
to achieve is building a culture of
trust in an organisation. There is
no short-cut to achieving the same.
Having policies and processes based
on the fundamentals of equity and
merit and actions anchored in fair-
ness ensure a high-trust culture. A
high-trust culture allows ideas to
thrive and enables collaboration,
both beneficial for any organisa-
tion.”
Ritika Malik believes in realised that each small action adds Keeping It Simple
the impact of action as a up to something bigger and that I A continuous effort for success can
factor that drives her the can add value to the people I work only see results when employees of
most to achieve. with, the organisations I work for the organisation feel motivated and
“I did not start my career with and in some way the community we cared. Malik feels solving employ-
some lofty goals, I just wanted to live in. The ‘impact of action’ drives ee problems and concerns should
do my best. The same still holds. I me to push myself to do better, to be a key work area for any HR to
start every day with a simple desire try something different, to take the maintain healthy relationships and
to do my best. And while doing so, I path less traveled. To be able to con- environment. In her words, “There
is no ‘magic mantra’ that can help
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 72 solve or address every employee
problem, for problems, just like em-
ployees, are unique. What can help
with solutions is keeping employees
front and centre by taking a design
thinking approach to the issue at
hand and at the same time keeping
it simple.”
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
JAGMEET KAUR
Assistant Manager, People and Organisation
(HR) Corporate, DB Schenker (Team Lead –
Human Resources, Corporate, Schenker India
Pvt Ltd at the time of awards) (Logistics &
Supply Chain Sector)
NEW
IDEAS
› Kaur represents the fresh perspective of her generation in the
workforce
A young professional saiton goals, she says, “We act as managers at the end of the day to be
who joined Schenk- business partners and work toward on the same page. “The pandemic
er straight from col- the alignment of the targets on the happened while our performance
lege, Jagmeet Kaur ground. Whether it is working to- assessment cycle was on. Due to
wards sustaining The Great Place proper planning we did not defer
has evolved in the HR domain in a to Work certification or working our increment process and bonus
towards digitising HR processes process but completed it on time.
short span of time. Expressing grat- for effective working. Currently, our We also managed to work on glob-
prime focus is becoming an employ- al projects and audits successfully
itude to the organisation, the sup- er of choice by introducing different along with other HR initiatives. We
HR initiatives.” successfully managed to get certi-
portive team and her manager, she fied by the Great Place to Work dur-
Taking Calls ing a pandemic,” she shares.
says, “My team and manager have How did this young profession-
al deal with Covid and lockdown? For the next normal, some of
shown confidence in me whether Kaur shares the processes in a mat- her priorities are: Connecting with
ter-of-fact manner: A quick check- employees on the ground; retaining
it was handling learning and devel- up calls in the morning to under- talent in the competitive environ-
stand the work to be done that day ment; emphasis on health and well-
opment role or now a role in talent and then follow-up review calls with ness of employees; and reskilling of
workforce for future-readiness.
management. I am always given a
free hand to handle things with my
own capacity which has helped me a
lot to grow as a professional. I have
handled pan-India projects and
global initiatives on the country and
cluster level.”
Totally aligned with organi-
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 73 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
JANANI PRAKAASH
Head HR, Quantela Inc.
Information Technology
MASTER OF ALL
TRADES
› Be it professional role or personal interests, Prakaash infuses these
with her zeal for excellence
whatever I do, just outstandingly well. I constantly won-
der and look forward to what life’s enormity can have in
store next. I am in a constant quest mode both for myself
and for others.”
It is in this spirit that Prakaash strives to solve
employee problems as HR head. She elaborates, “If
employees feel there are no career opportunities in
an organisation, I look to facilitate focused learning
programmes in alignment with organisation’s future
needs, create structured internal mobility channels for
mid- to senior-level positions while hiring from the
market for junior levels and for newer skill needs. This
caters to employees’ career growth needs while still
keeping the organisation’s goal of relevance in learning
and cost consciousness intact.”
A mother, an engineer-turned HR profes- Fighter Instinct
sional, a trained vocal and veena artist as Will life will be the same in the next normal though?
well as teacher, a yoga instructor, a pas- And what are the challenges for her as an HR profes-
sionate writer and speaker, Janani Pra- sional in this context?
kaash dons these hats with grace and aplomb. And with Prakaash admits that the great resignation has im-
pacted all organisations. “Talent attraction has taken up
the zeal to excel. As she says, “Excellence is a personal a renewed shape for employers to tackle. The shrinkage
in skill span and the mushrooming of new skills at a
value to me and therefore it’s important for me to do, rampant rate are adding lot of pressure to the industry
leaders.”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 74
But a fighter that she is, Prakaash adds, “I am con-
tinuously being in the know of industry happenings
through several forums. I also read, debate and discuss
creative solutions with my stakeholders to constantly
evolve our practices to keep them abreast or ahead of
the market.”
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
KANIKA PAUL
Associate Director-HR,
IndiGo
FUEL FOR CAREER
TAKE-OFF
› Paul has taken on challenging assignments ceived provocation
in the airlines, resolves conflicts with her
listening prowess • Listening to the employee’s per-
spective before sharing your own
Kanika Paul has an experience of over a decade in real estate, software and
aviation. • Reflecting to the employee re-
Grateful for the opportunities that IndiGo has offered her in several chal- garding what you have heard
lenging projects, Paul says, “The best support that your seniors can provide them say, so you are sure you
to you is to give you opportunity. In my tenure here, I have not come across have it right
any situation where I wanted to work on a new initiative and I was told no,
you can’t. Being in a regional role, I have worked in cross- functional projects • Sharing our own perspective
which were of high organisational importance. These experiences have added with your colleague
hugely to my learning as an HR professional.” Specifying her goals for the or-
Listening Skill ganisation, Paul explains, “For me,
Aviation staff resolves customer issues day in and day out, but Paul is entrust- it is very important to align the em-
ed with resolving employee concerns and workplace conflict situations. About ployee decisions and create employ-
this, she says, listening is the biggest skill required to resolve any concern. An ee experience with the company’s
effective way to improve communication and resolve difficult work relation- values of courteous, hassle free and
ships is to employ a technique that has the following key elements: on time. This forms the foundation
of my principles at work.”
• Pressing pause on your reactive impulse when listening to the employee,
that is the urge to respond immediately and in a negative way to a per- Describing another goal, she
says, “We have become aware of the
human impact on nature, and are
asking for more sustainable solu-
tions not only in their private life but
also in the working environment.”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 75 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
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KEDARNATH
MUKHERJEE
State Head Learning
& Development -
Reliance Jio Infocomm
(Telecommunications)
c. Technology – Be-
ing a digital com-
pany the key focus
is on development
of technology to ease
out the job of our em-
ployees, customers and all
stake holders.
EMPLOYEES Succession Plans
AT THE CORE It is this urge to see both the or-
ganisation and employees grow
› Mukherjee knows how to harness that gives Mukherjee the kick to
employees’ potential and facilitate their work harder. One example is crea-
growth within the organisation tion of the entire succession plan-
ning for the organisation for various
W ith a rich learn- employee motivation and wellbeing roles, based on competency frame-
ing and develop- and for organisational goals. . work, which enabled unbiased ca-
ment experience reer growth for all employees. He
in organisations He lays emphasis on three areas: says, “We saw that with 33 per cent
a. People – Ensuring that employ- of total internal manpower moving
like Max Life Insurance, Reliance ees get avenues for growth internal- up to their career internally, it re-
ly. sults in getting 90-95 per cent ready
Retail and Barbeque Nation, and b. Culture – To build a strong or- for role from Day 1. This spread a
ganisational culture, which will mo- strong positive vibes amongst the
with several proactive steps to tivate employees to be at work every employees and resulted in reduc-
day. tion of talent acquisition cost inside
understand the pulse of employ- the organisation.”
Gauging employee concerns
ees, Kedarnath Mukherjee is well- is not just a matter of a survey for
Mukherjee. It’s also about meet-
placed to frame talent strategies for ing individually and in groups, like
conducting small groups of several
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 76 town halls and calling up employees
randomly to ask about their where-
abouts & family. “We also conduct a
HR field visit day, where every HR
moves out to the market along with
the ground level sales staff to un-
derstand what day to day challenges
they are facing. These initiatives will
help us, especially the HR function,
to become closer to the employees,”
he informs.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
KOMALADEVI VELUMANI
Head HR - India Consumer Business & HR Operations, Lenovo India Pvt Limited,
Computer hardware; Electronics
PLAYING
CONSCIENCE
KEEPER
› Velumani takes her role of
building value-based culture in the
organisation earnestly
A graduate in engineering from Anna Uni-
versity, and a PGDBA from KJ Somaiya
Institute of Management Studies and
Research, Komaladevi Velumani has
worked in IT/ITES, engineering, management consult-
ing & technology allied industries, with companies like
Deloitte, IBM and Mahindra & Mahindra.
Training in key aspects of human resources, espe-
cially trust and integrity, began at home for her. “My up-
bringing right from childhood has been in environments
that emphasised always on trust and integrity. These Effective Basics
Representing the people function of the organisation,
early age characteristics imbibed in me were nurtured Velumani is invested in solving employees’ problems
while achieving organisation’s goals. She says, “Having
further, in the various organisations that I have been as- ‘brilliant basics’ in place is the best way to solve employee
problems in any organisation,” and goes on to list these:
sociated with and has eventually blended into my philos- • Ongoing pulse checks (of new, tenured and alumni
ophy of life and work. To me, all HR professionals are the employees)
• Employee engagement surveys
conscience keepers of organisations. And we play critical • Regular one-on-one and round table meets along
roles in building a valued-based culture in teams and or- with skip level meets
• Manager being a trusted partner
ganisations,” she explains. • Transparent and fair policies and effective communi-
Besides management goals, the other critical goals cation
• Robust ethics & compliance framework, with zero
for Velumani are strategy, culture & values permeation
tolerance on matters of ethics & compliance
& leadership coaching. “While the role played by the
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
HR team would be pivotal in creating this, I believe that
the strategy and cultural mandates are co-owned by the
leadership team and people managers. When the right
strategy, culture and leadership are in place, it positively
impacts all aspects of the business and ultimately finan-
cial outcomes as well.”
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NISHA ASTRIL DCUNHA
Associate Director for People
Function, Mindtree Ltd (Technology
Consulting and Services)
A versatile HR profes-
sional, Nisha Astril
DCunha is keen to
contribute to the
work culture at Mindtree in sever-
al ways. “My activities could range
from identifying avenues to amp up
employee experience to advocating
diversity, inclusion and wellbeing
for a healthier ecosystem. It could
also include helping leaders drive
meaningful engagements in align-
ment with the company’s values and
playing a significant role in manag-
ing ambiguity and being a change
catalyst in an ever-evolving work
environment,” she says.
With great insight into organisa-
tional goals and employees’ needs,
she says, “As an active member of
the fraternity, the fact that I can in- TRAVERSING
MULTIPLE ROLES
fluence, shape, and define the HR
› Grateful for the organisation investing in
charter of the organisation with her growth, DCunha is striving to enhance
employee experience in turn
broad reaching impact excites and
New Dynamics
motivates me.... As HR profession- In the wake of pandemic and the challenges of next normal she says, “If
als, we need to create an environ- there is one aspect that has become top priority for leaders, it has been about
re-establishing organisational culture against the backdrop of flexible (hy-
ment that actively promotes trust, brid) working arrangements and changing employee priorities. I believe that
the solution lies in creating an ecosystem suited to manage the social dynam-
transparency, empathy and wellbe- ics at play between employees in this environment. It must be one that fac-
tors wellbeing, belongingness, inclusivity, connectedness, partnership, and
ing. We need to be positive change clarity of purpose.”
agents.” WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
DCunha credits her profession-
al success to her organisation and
says, “At Mindtree, I have been for-
tunate enough to have traversed
across multiple roles in HR through
internal job rotations. The various
role-based upskilling and reskilling
opportunities have equipped me
to handle these roles and deliver
well-rounded HR efforts, in close
collaboration with the leaders. Safe
space in the workplace have helped
me break away of my inhibitions
and encouraged me to challenge
status quo, experiment and learn
from my failures.”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 79
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RITIKA MALIK
Global Talent Management Lead at
Amway Global Services India Pvt. Ltd
(FMCG Sector)
BELIEVER IN
ACTION AND
TRUST
› The driving force for
Malik is the urge to do value
creation for the organisation
and community each day
R itika Malik believes to contribute to the larger vision, Keeping It Simple
in the impact of coaching someone as they sprint A continuous effort for success can
action as a factor that towards their next career milestone only see results when employees of
drives her the most to motivates me to continue to do ‘my the organisation feel motivated and
best’ every day.” cared. Malik feels solving employee
achieve. problems and concerns should
She further adds, “As a Human be a key work area for any HR to
“I did not start my career with Resources professional, I believe maintain healthy relationships and
one of the most critical & hardest environment. In her words, “There
some lofty goals, I just wanted to goals to achieve is building a culture is no ‘magic mantra’ that can help
of trust in an organisation. There is solve or address every employee
do my best. The same still holds. I no short-cut to achieving the same. problem, for problems, just like
Having policies and processes based employees, are unique. What can
start every day with a simple desire on the fundamentals of equity and help with solutions is keeping
merit and actions anchored in employees front and centre by
to do my best. And while doing so, I fairness ensure a high-trust culture. taking a design thinking approach
A high-trust culture allows ideas to to the issue at hand and at the same
realised that each small action adds thrive and enables collaboration, time keeping it simple.”
both beneficial for any organisation.”
up to something bigger and that I WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
can add value to the people I work
with, the organisations I work for
and in some way the community we
live in. The ‘impact of action’ drives
me to push myself to do better, to
try something different, to take
the path less traveled. To be able
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 80
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RUCHI PANT
Director-HR, IndiGo (Aviation)
A CAREER
TAKES WINGS
› Pant acknowledges the exciting work profile and environment at
IndiGo as the propellants for her own growth
R uchi Pant attributes her growth and suc- and leaders abreast of the on ground pulse all the time.”
cess to the organisation. She says, “Factors
that drive my organisation and me are that Safe Space For All
we never have a dull day at IndiGo. I have
“Diversity and inclusion continues to be a big agenda
had a steep learning curve as the organisation pro- item on our short and long term HR imper-
vided me with assignments and roles that needed atives and this includes — though it is not
me to stretch and deliver beyond my comfort limited to — gender, colour, caste, creed,
zone. At IndiGo, we are empowered to make race, religion, ethnicity, nationality, or-
decisions and get a wide canvas to imagine igin, language, social and economic
and implement.” status, sexual orientation, different-
She adds, “While we have action-packed ly-abled status, age, and family, mari-
days, we also have an extremely supportive tal and maternity status.”
culture that helps me integrate work and Commenting upon IndiGo’s HR
life.” approach during the pandemic,
She further informs, “We at she says, “Keeping empathy
IndiGo strive to have a culture at the core of each
of trust, community and being action, while we worked
extremely customer-focused — relentlessly on cost
both internally and externally. measures, we also made
The pandemic reminded us many meaningful
all about the most important exceptions. Our care
thing to run a winning business package for the layoffs
even in testing times – focus on was very carefully
health and wellbeing of our designed to be
employees. We are planning to benchmarked against
continue our focus on gather- best across industries
ing and analysing people data and when the
to aid efficiency of our people operations picked
and business decisions. For up, we rehired
example we have a fortnight- many of the laid-off
ly employee pulse survey employees.”
called 6ESpeaks to keep HR
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RUPALI SHARMA
Director, Human Capital, Matrix Partners India
BUILDING ‘A’ TEAMS
FOR STARTUPS
› A firm believer in agility and proactiveness, Sharma brings to the
table right energy for creating teams for startups
tions ahead of time. Agility helps
the team to make decisions faster
and imbibe a culture of embracing
change and seeing that change as an
opportunity,” she says.
R upali Sharma believes in creating an impact and adding value No Going Back
through excellence through any form of engagement — factors Aligning her own growth with
that drive her to achieve more. She says, “In my current role, I the larger organisation objectives,
am driven by the one-of-a-kind opportunity to be able to build she says, “The organisation has
empowered and trusted me to
not one but multiple A teams in early stage startups – many of which will, in create my own playbook in order
to create impact; and each leader
the future, revolutionise the Indian startup ecosystem.” has led the way by showing a very
high standard of execution and
“ I strongly believe in agility and proactiveness in all facets of business. performance at every step for me
and everyone else to look up to and
Proactiveness encourages the team to look at problems and formulate solu- get motivated by.”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 82 Working with early-stage
startups poses challenges to keep
up with, especially during times
where the entire economy is
recovering and is trying to keep up
with the new-normal form of life.
She says, “One of the key problems
is to assume that everything will go
back to how we worked and how
we lived our lives two years back.
The biggest reality is that it will
not – neither at the work place, nor
at home. Flexibility will be the key
here. It might get very tempting for
businesses to put their heads in the
sand and fall back to the old ways
but that will also be the death knell
for us – unless we open our eyes and
accept the changes and are willing
to change accordingly.”
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
SANDEEP K BANU
Head-HR, MoneyTap (Freo)
(Fintech sector)
BEEXLPIEECVTEARTIINONCSLEAR employees, understand them and
their problems and make everyone
› For Banu, what works is having a defined feel safe, connected and comfort-
roadmap, and awlays keeping in mind the big able in order to work on the deliv-
picture erables and above all to ensure that
everyone is physically, mentally and
S andeep K Banu is a During the pandemic, the task of emotionally motivated to work. It
self-motivated people’s managing an entire organisation, has been much of a task yet a great
person who is driven by with people working from various learning”.
stories, people, situa- parts of the country, has been a
potential tester for all. Banu says, Discussing his approach to work
tions and problems and who likes “The task was to connect with all and problem solving, he says, “The
short-term goal is to always ask
to collaborate to create an impact. ‘why’ before getting started and val-
idate it. This helps us stay focussed
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 83 and deliver the best outcome. The
long term goal to bake the ‘bigger
picture’. Don’t solve for today, read
patterns and decode what’s helpful
in the longer run.” This approach
also motivates him to work and
strive for more.
OK To Overcommunicate
“As a people’s person, the goals that
I strive to achieve in my organisa-
tion apart from “management goals
are to have clear role expectations
and a defined roadmap, and begin
with questions like ‘what are we
doing and why are we here.’ Hiring
right talent is just the beginning,
giving them challenging charters
and providing regular feedback will
help them grow and upskill. High
sense of urgency and ownership
is definitely a culture we practise.
To be great problem solvers — go-
ing deep, breaking a problem into
smaller parts and coming up with
a solution is highly encouraged and
there’s nothing wrong in over-com-
municating — we should do this
especially when we are working in a
hybrid model,” he says.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
SARMA CHILLARA
CHRO, ŠKODA AUTO Volkswagen
India (Automotive Sector)
PASSION &
PURPOSE
› Chillara’s defining trait
is his calm and composed
demeanour, even in high-
pressure situations
D rawing from his 15
years of extensive
experience, Sarma
Chillara holds a very
strong understanding of the corpo-
rate world, automotive industry and
evolving HR trends. He demon-
strates an infectious passion and
energy that helps shape the culture
and talent of the company. How have you accomplished challenges of the next
the task of managing an normal? How do you tackle
What are some of the entire organisation during the them.
strategies that you believe in pandemic? While volume hiring has signif-
to solve employees’ problems The Covid-19 pandemic was the icantly reduced, we continue to
and achieve the organisation’s nudge to challenge the existing sharpen overhead costs and retain
goal? traditional approaches and we em- the manpower management roadm-
barked on progressive HR digitisa- ap pre-pandemic. Our employees
If the pandemic has taught the en- tion projects. Over the last year, 12 have been forthcoming to support
tire world anything, it is empathy HR digitisation projects have gone the business as additional respon-
and togetherness in the face of chal- live, simplifying certain complicat- sibilities have been divided across
lenges. This forms the very core of ed, time-consuming, and manual functions to smoothly transition to
employee sentiment management HR Processes. Digital automa- a hopefully stable economic phase
and satisfaction index for which we tion of various on-paper processes in India. While networking through
have numerous measures in place turned keystone to enforce value different time zones is a norm for
across an almost lateral thinking or- into our business management. a global organisation, the diligence
ganisation structure. The secret to with which our employees have tak-
empathising with employees’ prob- What are some of the en forward the business mandate
lems and achieving business goals is problems you encounter, managing work across time zones is
the agility to develop innovative and especially given the truly commendable.
flexible solutions to tide over varied
business scenarios. WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 84
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SAROSH BEHRAM BODE
Head – Global Human Resources, ACG
Capsules (Healcare Sector)
THE
WINNER
ATTITUDE
› Bode’s purpose in life is to ‘Live
Excellence, Play Unconventional
and Be the Joy’
I n a career spanning 17 years, Sarosh Bode is In order to create a meaningful and fulfilling work
currently playing a pivotal role in ACG’s growth environment, Bode is focussing on the following area:
and transformation journey, while overseeing
the people management responsibilities for i. Culture – As a thriving global organisation, his
endeavour is to have a unified ACG culture across the
its manufacturing hubs across Asia, Europe and Latin world, embedding the core values of the organisation.
America, as well as its sales and service network globally. ii. Capability Building – Continual development of
the skills, mindsets, and behaviours of the associates
He says, “ Mahatma Gandhi’s words — ‘Be the change and strengthening the leadership pipeline for sustained
long-term success.
that you wish to see in the world’ — is a mantra that I
iii. Technology – Enhancing the overall associate experi-
live by. Continuous pursuit of excellence and a zeal to ence through digital interventions.
win is core to who I am. I strive to make an impact and Sight On Big Goals
A Zoroastrian priest and an avid sports buff with
leave my lasting legacy in whatever I do. I am motivat-
love for outdoors, Bode has set his sight on several goals
ed by challenging work scenarios and am always on the for the organisation: “To take the associate experience
to the next level, bring care and empathy in all that
lookout for opportunities where I can make a difference. we do, create more flexible work models, hire and
integrate superior talent for all our global expansions
I thrive in environments that offer significant autonomy, and undertake initiatives which will propel ACG to a
market leadership position. While doing so, we would
risk-taking, nurture diversity, encourage flexibility and like to continue to bag global awards and accolades for
our People practices.”
have a fun climate.
“A highly successful enterprise with a soul” is how he
Mahatma Gandhi’s words — ‘Be would like ACG to be endorsed.
the change that you wish to see
in the world’ — is a mantra that WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
I live by. Continuous pursuit of
excellence and a zeal to win is
core to who I am. I strive to make
an impact and leave my lasting
legacy in whatever I do”
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 85
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SHAGUFTA KAZI
Head- Global HR, 20Cube Logistics
(Logistics Sector)
EXECUTION
EXPERT
› Endeavouring to leave a legacy
of initiatives that significantly
contribute to growth and success
at the business level, Kazi hopes
to positively impact the people
around her
A versatile leader with HR, she says, “All business is Peo- Strategy. “High-degree of trust,
a rich career span- ple Business. HR is the lifeblood of empowerment, feeling of belong-
ning across all as- an organisation. If the product or ingness and open-door access to
pects of HR in top service is the head, operations the leadership being hallmarks of the
limbs, technology the nerves and shared culture, the focus is on re-
multinationals, including ‘Great so on so forth, HR is the beating taining the existing strengths and
pumping heart of the organisation. institutionalising these existing
Place to Work’ organisations, drivers.”
HR plays an integral role not
Shagufta Kazi is known for her only in the creation of culture but About her vision, Kazi asserts,
also in the reinforcement of val- “Proof of the pudding lies in its eat-
strong ‘Strategy to Execution’. She ues. Along with strong leadership ing. My vision is to take the strategy
and vision, a value-based culture to execution. As with all my previ-
has built and led teams to success can propel an organisation towards ous organisations, I want to contin-
success. HR is responsible for ue creating long-term sustainable
in multi-cultural, multi-location di- transforming talent and optimising impact – leaving a legacy of initia-
it by creating avenues for enriching tives that significantly contribute to
verse environments. careers. growth and success at the business
level while also positively impact-
Leading the People Strategy and One-on-one discussions with ing the people experiencing them
people (across locations, tenure, across all levels.”
HR at 20Cube Logistics currently, gender and age) form the key es-
sence of the company’s People WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
she is a people person known best
for her agile business partnering,
collaboration across all levels of the
organisation and delivering high
impact grass-roots solutions.
HR As The Epicentre
Stressing on the importance of
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 86
40UNDER40 2021
SHAKTHIDHAR PT
AVP & Circle HR Head, Axis Bank (BFSI)
OUTSIDE-
THE-BOX
THINKER
es, sessions on learning to live in
› PT is more like a coach to his colleagues Covid, SPOC for West Region and
and boosts them with his positive attitude more.
A firm believer in hav- and influence positive changes. It I have also driven Covid vacci-
ing a diversity mix lays down the foundation of any or- nation programmes to ensure our
in the workforce and ganisation by hiring the right people people are protected against the
hiring the expected at the right place, building capabil- pandemic virus.
ity for future-ready workforce and
number of women employees on bringing a culture of collaboration, Further, I successfully drove at-
trust, teamwork & relationship. It trition related projects with greater
board, Shakthidhar PT also sensi- also monitors employee governance impacts that were replicated in oth-
and adherence to the company’s er regions. Last but not the least, I
tises business stakeholders on the policies and code of conduct. created visibility for Mumbai Circle
with initiatives, leading to better
essence of managing the new mil- What have been your key employee engagement.
contributions to your current
lennial workforce. In the next five organisation in the last 12 What are the qualities that
months? make you different from the
years, he aspires to be a leader who I have been an integral part of the rest?
team for Covid relief. I helped for- I endure a strong alignment and
creates HR breakthrough interven- malise initiatives like doctor on-call achievement of HR strategies with
services, SOP’s, policies, support for business objectives, goals and KPI.
tions that will be remembered as arranging hospitals and ambulanc-
I bring out-of-box thinking to
success stories in the industry. create robust and sustainable peo-
ple-centric interventions to drive
Why is the HR function performance and business growth.
important for any company in I am also consistent in anticipating
your opinion? the evolving workspace to reima-
gine and reinvent HR themes for a
HR is seen playing a larger role as competitive edge.
people advisor, acting as change
agents, and in a position to coach WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 87
40UNDER40 2021
SIJI KURUVATH
Associate Director, EY
(Consultancy)
S iji S Kuruvath is a talent
acquisition leader with
over 17 years of expe-
riencein organisations
like EY, L&T Infotech as well as
mid-sized firms. He is passionate
about providing equal opportuni-
ties for People With Disabilities and
has led efforts to set up India’s first
NeuroDiverse Center of Excellence.
He elaborates upon this initia-
tive, saying, “Typically, neurodiver-
gent individuals in corporate circles
are looked up as a pool that has
great concentration ability. This re-
sults in organisation assigning them
roles that are repetitive in nature
(like manual testing or production CHAMPIONING
PWDS’ CAUSE
support). We intended to break this
› A thorough professional and detail-
stereotype and hire Neurodiverse or oriented in his work, Kuruvath is best known
for offering equal opportunities to all
Neurodivergent individuals for top-
notch digital technology like AI,
Blockchain, Cyber& Data.
“By establishing the Neurodi-
verse Center of Excellence, I have
not only helped tap a talent pool
that has the potential to disrupt the
job market, but it helped create vis-
ibility for the larger Neurodivergent
community (which I believe in com-
ing years will be a major source of
talent).”
He further informs, “In Nov
2020-Jan2021, I helped hire a team
of five Neurodivergent individuals week, during which the organsi- ager who is now herself a country
ation prioritised and interviewed lead reporting to India TA lead at
who were deployed on a Cybersecu- PWD candidates; and a women-on- EY. I have monthly connects with
ly hiring drives, branded by EY as each of my direct reportees. These
rity project. This not only was a nov- RecruitHer. connects focus on individuals’ aspi-
rations, goals and wellbeing. Once I
el innovation, but it has also set up Kuruvath has been an enabler in understand the need, I continue to
other ways too. “I have ensured in- guide and mentor to steer them in
a gold standard for the potential of dividuals get ample growth oppor- the right direction.”
tunities. I have promoted a man-
individuals in the spectrum.”
All-round Enabler
Some other initiatives in the direc-
tion of inclusion have been Purple
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 88 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
40UNDER40 2021
SNEHAL
CHANDRASEN
KHIRID
Head HR, Signify
India Innovations Ltd
(Cooper Lighting)
BALANCING STRATEGIES
& CREATIVITY
› Khirid directs her efforts in building and maintaining company
culture by setting up the right environment
B est known for her ver- ence group, developing talent leader for the group, a brilliant data
satality, organisational plan, builing a strong team in scientist with PhD from a global-
agility and strategic Machine Learning and upskill- ly reputed institute. We observed
thinking, Snehal Kh- ing in-house talent discomforts within the team and
low energy. Through team sensing
irid has often stepped up for chal- • Leveraging technology to drive sessions, we learned about the lead-
internal productivity as a result er’s struggle with the transition to
lenges, takes long-term view for of which there was 7 per cent group leadership roles. We invested
improvement in operations cost in the leader to give a fair chance,
actions and drives impact with her self-realise and provided help to
Matter Of Trust improve through multiple coaching
consistency. Khirid describes, “I focus on sessions, external counselling, one-
to-one sessions, finally resulting in
Some of the contributions she discussing the ethical grey areas organisational re-shuffling.
and acknowledge the complexity
has made to the organisation in her of work-life, ensuring negative in- Khirid would like some areas of
terpersonal behaviours don’t erode HR to improve, among them: Short
HR role are: trust. I highlight positive behaviours term vs Long term imbalance, com-
in every employee interaction.” pliance mindset overshadowing the
• Aligning talent strategies & intent and perceived notion of ‘po-
business growth strategies About the kind of challenges licing’.
she and her team face, she recounts
• Developing & executing strategy an incident, “As we were setting up WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
to build meaningful academia a data science group, we hired a
partnerships for the fundamen-
tal research, R&D teams funded
research with the potential of a
long-term differentiator
• Advocate setting up of Data Sci-
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 89
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SUMIT SABHARWAL
VP – HR, Fujitsu Global
Delivery Centers
(ITeS Sector)
A TRUE shared with the team members. My
NURTURER mantra to regain hope is to em-
brace, adapt, and do. You are a vic-
› For Sabharwal, HR makes organisations, tor even when you fail if you accept,
leaders, managers, and employees humane learn, and move forward!”
S umit Sabharwal draws his energy from his family, peers, friends, Firmly believing in empathy as
and colleagues. He then channelises it to drive his team members the key to sound HR practices, Sab-
in working towards a shared vision. “I am self-aware, respect the harwal says, “I work on the mod-
values of others and genuine towards my appreciation/ feedback ule of 90 per cent listening and 10
per cent speaking, which enables
and empowers the teams to speak
their hearts out, not just about what
they are thinking but what they are
feeling. A conscious effort is made
here to shift the conversation from
‘think’ to ‘feel’.”
He believes that the company
has enabled him to unlearn and re-
learn with various leadership train-
ing and human labs workshops.
“My passion for keeping people first
for the organisation has helped me
evolve into a remarkable facilitator.
At the end of the day, it is the little
things that can make a stark differ-
ence when it comes to looking out
for employees - be it the leadership
or the workforce,” he mentions.
Equal Opportunities
Sabharwal hopes to focus on the
future of the workplace, lead by
example and create a sustainable
future for all, where everyone
prospers. “What we are doing in
India is driving a larger agenda of
the company, which is inclusivity.
We are focusing on initiatives
and programmes to empower our
women employees and conscious
efforts have been taken to hire, re-
hire, promote, and train female
employees.... A lot of our hiring
focus is on diversity, in terms of
opening opportunities for People
with Disability and LGBTQ+.
Many of them do not know about
opportunities or a safe environment
to work and grow,” he says.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 90 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
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VIBHI GUPTA
People & Culture
Partner, Discovery Inc.
(Media & Technology)
› Gupta is
great at aligning
business goals and
employees’ needs,
and blending
planning with
execution
SIMPLE
STRATEGIES,
GREAT IMPACT
V ibhi Gupta carries dependent on business priorities I swear by. What is important is to
about 10+ yrs of ex- and prevailing nuances of the eco- understand business equally well.
perience across in- system one operates in. “At Discov- It’s only then that you will be able
dustries like telecom, ery, we strive to be a company that to understand people issues – issues
gives back and benefits our people, that become performance barriers
financial services, e-commerce and communities, value chain, and the or impact overall engagement on
planet, while prioritising good cor- the job. Enabling people is to enable
media tech. She has a sharp analyt- porate governance to build a more business success,” she explains.
sustainable future for all,” she says.
ical mind, is unafraid to question She expounds how Discovery
At the same time, she is working fosters a culture of high perfor-
things around her and to challenge on building an inclusive culture for mance through levers like high
the diverse workforce that makes ownership without fear of failing. It
the status quo. “It is the fine bal- the company what it is. celebrates wins, enabling employees
collectively learn from what could
ance between people and business Of People & Business be better. “Very few organisations
Gupta believes in the power of have been able to champion pro-
that drives the quality of the hu- simple strategies, that more often cesses around giving effective feed-
than not, have proved to be most back and building robust success
man resources (or as at Discovery effective. “Building deep connec- plans through them. Discovery is
tions with people to genuinely un- one of them.”
like to call it - people and culture) derstand their problems is the one
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
function. Making a difference in the
lives of people, creating positive mo-
mentum in business through people
and, learning as I traverse this jour-
ney is what drives me,” she empha-
sises.
For Gupta, focus areas are co-
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 92
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VIJAYA PRIYADARSHINI
VP - Corporate HR, JSW Steel
(Manufacturing)
THE PEOPLE-
FIRST LEADER
› Priyadarshini strives to build a culture of versity and inclusion and sensitis-
empathy and inclusion at the strategic as well ing leadership across levels to the
as tactical leadership levels changing needs of the workforce
·‘Sharpening the axe’ by focusing
on reskilling and upskilling of the
employees
I n her 14+ years long pro- ture being the key competitive ad- Happiness For All
fessional journey, Vijaya vantages of an organisation and
Priyadarshini holds a that’s where she derives her passion Priyadarshini is always mindful
rich experience in diverse to make ‘the people agenda’ core to of employees’ happiness and says,
her organisation’s strategy. “While organisational goals will al-
roles across industries. She is driv- ways prevail, I have endeavoured to
The core aspects of her agenda continuously sensitise leadership
en by the desire to be a role model involve: towards the fine balance between
the pursuit of collective goals and
for girls, to make them believe that ·Enabling the organisation to be individual happiness....I strive to
future-ready across aspects such as build a culture of empathy and in-
nothing is beyond their reach and organisation structure, roles, skills, clusion where people development
rewards and practices is an integral part of the agenda,
that a successful career is possible both at the strategic as well as tacti-
·Driving a culture of greater di- cal leadership levels.”
by balancing personal and profes-
Her goals for her organisation
sional priorities. are also reflective of this philosophy.
She says, “My short-term goals in-
She believes in people and cul- clude sharpening the business acu-
men so as to contextualise HR pri-
orities in line with the needs of the
business. Another goal is leveraging
digitisation in all aspects of the HR
function.
“My long-term aim involves
shifting the focus of HR away from
actions towards business outcomes
so that HR function’s efforts create
a direct and sustainable impact on
business deliverables, and mov-
ing from being an enforcer of peo-
ple-processes to a facilitator, where
employees and leaders co-own peo-
ple agenda.”
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40UNDER40 2022
VISHAL SINGH
Head of Talent Management &
Acquisition, Bata India (Retail sector)
CELEBRATING
SMALL WINS
› Singh believes in creating
measurable goals for employees;
rewarding skills rather than
tenure, employee wellness and
transparency
H aving rich experience of working with di-
verse organisations across the IT, auto-
motive and retail domains, Vishal Singh
is a firm believer in long-term thinking.
He looks at life and career as a marathon and not a sprint.
Singh’s previous stints have been with industry leaders
like TCS in IT, Hero MotoCorp and now Bata. From his
early days, he was offered multiple opportunities to work
on a variety of projects and roles that made him the pro-
fessional he is today. “Right from leading major change
management projects, organisation restructuring and
design initiatives, leadership development projects, I
was on ground partnering CXO and department heads
in bringing critical HR project closures for their business
success,” he says.
Singh advocates bringing clarity and purpose to the
employees to see them grow and achieve the unachiev-
able. Creating an environment of trust where they feel Skills To The Fore
In his view, organisations must keep working on their
inspired and effortlessly contribute beyond their job de- brand image, equity and employee value proposition to
help solve many big HR challenges.
scription. “Some of the things that matter the most are
He vouches for “creating a role-based organisation
establishing clear measurable goals and expectations. where skills are rewarded, not tenure; developing lead-
ers of tomorrow who really know the business grounds
Push for continuous rigour through genuine develop- up and are ready to dirty their hands at any given time;
and creating a culture of inclusivity and acceptance and
ment dialogues and support. Link their individual con- embed employee wellness in the very DNA of the organ-
isation”.
tribution to higher business goals,” he suggests.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
He also adds how celebrating and rewarding small
wins can make a big impact, leaving no opportunity
to thank them. After all, the fundamental vitality and
strength of every organisation lies in its people
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 94
SURVEY
The Great
The Great Resignation
Resignationcontinues as employees
seek growth, balance,
Continuesand support
› 2A02su2 rEvnegyagfermomenttahnedARcetheinetvioenrsReWpoorrtkforce Institute to identify the
puflrsoemoAf cehmiepvelorsyeWeosrakfnodrcceaIunsttioitnuteemployers to change the work culture
to retain talent
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 96 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
pull factor With such low levels of job commitment, employers could face a second year of
significant turnover, further challenging them during an already demanding year.
attrSUaRVcEtY ing Business results are likely to suffer during a second year of high turnover, stress,
and burnout.
employeesovid-19 has left a trail
to new jobsof workplace disrup- Do you plan to look for a new job in the next year?
C tion and uncertainty 2022
Yes
ACHIEVERS I 2022 Engagemiennt aintds Rewteankeo.n RRepeoerlting No
under the impact of lockdown, Undecided
work from home and ill-health or 41%
34%
demise of loved ones and individ- 25%
uals are giving unprecedented im-
portance to well-being and picking
1. up courage to quit settled jobs in fa- 2021 do not feel valued at work
vour of projects that give them time
LEVEfoRrATthGheeiErGorwenatpRuressuigitnsa. tion of 2021 Yes 41%
RECOwGasNpaIrTtlIyOaNresTuOlt of new priorities. 52%
DRIVBEutFiEt EleLftINinGdustry and corporates
No 31%
Undecided 17%
INCLwUitDhEacDutAe wNoDrkforce shortages and According to AWI research, the number-one way to drive feeling valued is through
VALUtfouErrceDe. dgrtahpepmlintog reassess work cul- % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55
with the changed
employee priorities in the next nor- How good is your manager/company at recognising
mal, employers need data and tools.
Achievers Workforce Institute, your work? of employees looked for a new job during
the pandemic
in its fifth Engagement and Re- 49%
tention Report, titled ‘The Great
Resignation Continues as Employ- 2022
ees Seek Growth, Balance, and Horrible – my work is saying they job hunted dur1in8g%the pandemic, the Great
Support’ provides these, as also Wneivtehr 4re9c%ognoifseedmployees
recommends actions for retaining RwaOeniktsnahiugytan–hlaloIyt’misooernrqewuchohaagrosnteisasraelsydidigatnthliefeiacysatwntohuoldldjoobnheumnpt lionylearsst worldwide. This aligns closely
year’s survey, demons3tr3a%ting the
manpower.
The biggest finding of the report accuracy of this data and high follow-through on intention to job hunt.
is the quest for recognition, being Pretty good – I’m recognised 30%
at least once a month
valued, and inclusion, with 41 per #1 reason for job hunting is career progression
cent employees not feeling valued Awesome – I’m recognised
Wathleeanstitocnocemaewseteokthe biggest employe2e0s,%career
at the workplace (though, 52 per pull factors for progression tops
cent employees did feel valued and the list. Identifying opportunities for promotion and growth is top of mind for those
meaningfully supported). So is the w2h0o21plan to job hunt in 2022. This was the number-one rationale given by job
need for work-life balance, with seekers, by a significant amount, indicating that employees are set on taking the
dnHreoivvreerrirbr’sleecs–oegmantyiswwedhoreknisit comes to their career.
equal per centage of employees say- 18%
ing they do not have workplace sup- Okay – I’m recognised 6
annually or quarterly at least
port to achieve their personal and 40%
professional goals. The report finds
that 66 per cent of employees will Pretty good – I’m recognised 26%
at least once a month
be on job hunt in 2022 — slightly
less than 69 per cent on job hunt in Awesome – I’m recognised 16%
at least once a week
2021.
The survey was based on re- % 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
sponses of 5,500 employees — from
rsTeeheteroAnpWrtoaIgkErimenspgsoitwoheneriwdngraiEsvmetrhp’sleosymeeaeatWinwehfllabecnetionitgr cicnoittmheedeN,s “etiowntdWhiceoairrltdicnoagfrWetehorar”kt. reempoprltoyees are
the US, Australia, Singapore and The other major factor cited was deterioration of work culture — 48 per
European countries (Germany, cent respondents saying so — due to lack of communication and employ-
Netherlands and UK) — between efealliinngpubethainndd. failure to connect with remote employees. The report states,
December 2021 and January 2022. WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
The Key Pulls
Of the 66 per cent respondents
who will be on job hunt in 2022, ca-
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 97
SURVEY
on Report “Employers that are not committed to communication, Factors Of Support
feedback and connection will struggle to engage and re- In this respect, feeling of being appreciated and work
tain employees in 2022 and beyond.” being recognised is crucial. Only 59 per cent employees
felt they were supported at work — from organistion,
tion 48% of respondents say company culture has manager or from colleagues. Support from all three is
ion deteriorated since the start of the pandemic critical - from organisation in terms of clear communi-
e cation about programmes for career growth and skill
WithAhalfroef leamtpelodyeefseseaydinbg acocmkpanwy acusltuorenhasednetgeraiograetemd, eitnis tv,itawl thiatth only upgradation, resources available overall organisational
ring 2mem0aipnlptoayeinerras ccinuevltenusrttetirtmheaestaspnudopprneosrdotsuerancpetsoswinetsorafueylneisunmrpignlogtytehheeeyeyxinptaeerrnieteinochnea.ilTlgyhhdeeltvoyeploerpenaasgnodansged. scenario; from manager in terms of recognition, career
ic Tgivheen forredsepteroionrastieng icnultu2re0ar2e1lacwk oaf csomamucnliocastieon,2la1ckpofeermpcloeyneeti.npAut,s the development and coaching and mentoring; and from
saondlufatiluiorento cfoonrneicmt wpithrroemvointegemlpelovyeeels.oEmf pelonyegrsatghaet mareennottc,omthmiettyed sug- fellow colleagues in terms of asking questions and mu-
gteomecpsoltomeymedeusniiicnma2ti0op2n2,rfoaenevddebbamecykoe,nandn.dtcoinnnecctioonmwpill astnruygg’sle tocuenlgtaugeraen.d rHetaoinwever, tual encouragement.
only 52 per cent companies have asked their employees
what changes they want in company culture. One feedback that the survey got was that despite
childcare being paramount in the present confusion,
2T0h%e repJourstt 2in0f%erosf:em“Bpyloyineevseasrteinhgighinly etwngoa-gweday com- only 55 per cent employees said their company support-
munication, acting on employee input and encouraging ed them in caregiving obligations.
connection at all levels, employers can ensure employ-
eE2en0g%sagrfeeepmeoerlntittn,hgwtehhiecshyuaisprehpivgehorlyyrcetonargraneglaedtde.dsTewhniisthissreeotnoepnftairoinwn,ictrhelmulaassitniysoeloanrwwtwhhietehnyo2n1al%yre seek- Employee Connect
isnaidgt.”he same. Covid has disrupted organisational cultures in and work
WhenInasktehd ihsowreemspploeycerts,ctahn einc2re0as2e 1enCgaugelmteunrt,ethRe neupmoberr-toonefaAnscwherievers now happens in silos. Forty-eight per cent employees
WproovirdekdfboyrecmeploIyneesstwitaus ttoeimhpraovde caomlspoanypcoulitunret.eCdertoainulyt, thtehpaatth btoealong- felt less connected with their company or colleagues
isntrogngiesr caomsptarnyocnulgturfeadciffteorsrfoirnevedryriovrgiannigzatieomn anpdlroeqyueirees rsiegntieficnanttion. It since the pandemic broke. There is an urgent need to
heomnalpydl5o2yqe%euoinfapcluoitmf.iHpeaodnwieesbviener,tlthohisensntgeuedidny thgoavdeteoveevleoinpnaacscklueuldtduermee pslteorayxteepegseywrishiuaetnnitvhecereysawloiasnhfdtocon- have frequent one-on-one meetings with managers and
nseeecimtiporonve,dsinetcheuirrciotmypaanny cdultcuroem. Wmithouunt aictcye,ssiineg ofnegeoilnignegmpalotyehe oinpmute, in colleagues, with focus on providing specific support to
one’s workplace.the path to improved culture remains unclear and HR leaders are at risk of investing employees. Social gatherings, both physical and remote,
should likewise be encouraged, the report suggests.
in initiatives that are not meaningful to the employees they intend to serve.
WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
BW PEOPLE JUNEo2f0e2m2 p9lo8yees say they stay in a job because
52%
they feel valued and supported
SURVEY
Overworked Staff Global Sentiments
The impact of Great Resignation is felt by the remaining employees — The findings were universal
70 per cent of surveyed employees — as they have to shoulder more respon- across geographies, with minor var-
sibilities without extra pay or promotion, the survey reveals; 69 per cent iations.
of respondents said they had to work longer hours. This again escalated On the question of job hunt in
port issues of work-life balance and support from organisation. The survey states 2022, the following were the coun-
that people are doing more but don’t feel seen, recognised or rewarded and try-specific responses in ‘Ayes’:
points out, “Many employees don’t mind putting in extra hours or efforts Australia : 34 per cent
for a short duration project or when there is a brief period of being under- Canada : 40 per cent
staffed. However, the pandemic is causing ongoing labor issues that will
certainly exacerbate stress and burnout if unattended.” Germany : 41 per cent
The report recommends to employers: acknowledging and recognising Netherlands : 38 per cent
Singapore : 45 per cent
tphloe1ype8er%osbwleilml loaocJrkueoasfnostsrai1snn8tedew%nartpoolpyflereaos.mpcrtpisaltooeynecofeemsepsdaebnyastcahtkieoinr, cfaoimlinpganwyhich the em- UK : 44 per cent
Lack of Action
While asking people for feedback and acknowledging should be followed by US : 44 per cent
Faecetdinbgacoknistohneefoefetdhbeamcokstfoersspernotiballetomolssoavlvaiilnabgl,etthoedsruivrevheigyhs-himopwacetdadctiisoanpinpointing In each country, career progres-
sion was cited as the number 1 rea-
trheesuwlotr.kOplancley. Y1o8upmeurstceasnktaobof uetmwphalot ypeeeosplesaniededthanedirhcoowmthpeaynfyeecl,oannsditshteenntly acts son for job hunt.
aocnknfoewedlebdageckit,awndit,hve2ry0imppeorrctaennttly,ctlaakiemaicntigonthoenirit otorgsoalnveispartoibolnemnseavnedrbauciltds on the
tfreuesdt binasicdke.yTohuirsoirsgoanniezaatiroena. where employers are falling behind on expectations. Other indicators are also alarm-
How good is your manager/company at acting on feedback ing, across boundaries. On the
question of feeling engaged, the per
you give? centage of respondents who were
‘very engaged’ was:
Australia : 20 per cent
Canada : 20 per cent
Germany : 19 per cent
20% Netherlands : 22 per cent
Singapore : 15 per cent
34% UK : 17 per cent
US : 24 per cent
18% On the question of sense of be-
longing, the per centage of respons-
es in affirmative were:
Australia : 21 per cent
Canada : 28 per cent
28% Germany : 18 per cent
Netherlands : 21 per cent
Singapore : 16 per cent
UK : 21 per cent
US : 30 per cent
(20%) Horrible – they never do anything with our feedback While these findings accrued
(34%) Okay – they talk about feedback and make a few changes based on it from other geographies, being an in-
(28%) Pretty good – they generally address our feedback tegrated economy, the trends would
(18%) Awesome – they always acknowledge our feedback and take action to improve find echoes in the Indian workforce
too. It will help Indian corporates
to heed these signs and bring about
necessary changes.
BW PEOPLE JUNE 2022 99 WWW.BWPEOPLE.COM
This is a clear area of improvement for employers, who are
falling behind employee expectations.
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BW PEOPLE MAGAZINE JUNE 2022-eBook
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