What has been your journey like as an HR professional?
A. My 20 years in the dynamic world of Human Resources has been extremely satisfying and full of learnings and challenges, both personally and professionally. Looking back during the late 90’s, a common fear of most HR students was “You will not even get a job in HR, let alone have a career”. I was also one of those, but I took the risk and persevered and today as I look back I find my career has been very rewarding and fulfilling.
The initial years were tough. Although the MBA curriculum helped me understand the fundamentals and theories, it provided very limited exposure to the real life challenges. When I entered the corporate world I was left to discover things for myself and implement them. While this was very challenging for a beginner in Human Resources, it helped me stretch myself, which further helped me to lay a strong foundation, for a successful career in the later years.
Now, years later, I have helped drive complex change management programs, redefine organizational designs, develop and coach top leaders and partner with business leaders to deliver sustainable business results. I feel very proud of what I have accomplished.
out I had to do everything from recruiting to inducting to training and taking care of employee engagement. The unstructured nature of the function made it very demanding. Moreover, Human Resources was treated more like a personnel department for hiring and grievance, rather than as a true partner in the business.
I was the first employee of Marks & Spencer in India when the company entered the market in 2008,and was tasked with setting up and implementing the entire Human Resources framework from ground level. The moment of jubilation came in when Marks &Spencer was ranked amongst the Top Ten “Great Places to Work” for the first time in 2014. It was the first year we had participated in it. This was a very special moment for me. Marks & Spencer has always been a leader in looking after its employees and implementing best practice in terms of Human Resources.
Looking back at my career, I feel a great sense of satisfaction in seeing how Human Resources has evolved as businesses have recognized its importance. A strong partnership within any business, between Human Resource professionals and business leaders, helps create sustainable business results and achieve the long term vision of the organization. This partnership must stay center stage going forward. It can help create real value for an organization.
Q. What are the challenges HR faces in the new era of the ‘digital age’?
A. HR teams can be slower to fully integrate technology into their ways of working. Investing in people systems isn’t always considered a priority by businesses – but it should be. As an international company, at M&S we use technology to ensure that no matter where an employee might work in the world be it Chennai, Kolkata, Chandigarh or London they always feel connected to their colleagues, This helps in sharing knowledge, experience, ideas and expertise across the business, build relationships across continents and truly engage employees.
Q. Any advice you would like to give on how to manage people/teams as the workforce becomes more diverse, as the ways of working change?
A. As Human Resource professionals, we must partner with business leaders to help create value for the business. This can happen only when we are diverse and have a culture of inclusivity. Leaders and managers are key drivers of this culture and HR Teams must work with them to ensure that they have the skills and techniques to create this culture.
The key drivers of this will be:
1. Creating a clear vision for the team: This helps to keep teams and individuals focused as well as create new benchmarks and motivate people.
2. Creating an environment of learning: Learning can come from anyone and one should always keep oneself open to new learnings. This is the best way to grow in life and career. At M&S we encourage all employees to participate in learning programs and train them to learn new skills to achieve their potential.
3. Leading by Example and having cocreative leadership style: Today’s business environment is VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous). In this environment, it is not possible for one individual to find solutions to every problem and therefore it is important that people take turns to “Be Leaders” and help find solutions. At M&S, through regular forums and team meetings we encourage employees to openly give feedback, share ideas, suggestions and criticisms so that we are always improving.
Q. How effective and how important are rewards and recognitions in strengthening employee engagement and retention?
A. Celebrating success is vital in the workplace. Recognizing and subsequently rewarding individuals and teams for their accomplishments helps to create a culture of appreciation and belonging, engages employees and encourages creativity. At Marks & Spencer we celebrate success at the store level, regional level and international level. Our employees are always working hard to make every moment special for our customers and we work hard to make sure that their outstanding efforts are recognized and rewarded.
Q. How can a company attract the best people?
A. The best way to attract great people is to create a great culture and environment to work in. This is not always easy, but it is worth it.
Q. What is the secret to hiring the right candidate?
A. It is imperative that organizations give careful consideration to not just a candidate’s skills and experience but also how well he fits in with the culture of the company, and specifically the team with whom he will be working. It is only when we take all of this into account that a candidate will be truly happy in the role given to him and be able to perform to the best of his ability.
Q. What advice would you give young candidates if they want to stand out and get noticed during an interview?
A. I feel that young candidates can stand out by exhibiting a willingness to learn and adapt and be flexible. I have seen young applicants arrive with strong pre-conceived notions that they know a lot about the company and know what’s best. Self-confidence is important, but so are knowing your limitations and showing an eagerness to learn. Combine this with passion for the job and the willingness to work hard. In my opinion these are things that will help young people go a long way.
