HR professionals from different locations and sectors have highlighted how the rules of the game have changed since the epidemic at the recently held HR Conclave.
There was something tempting about the numbers for ‘2020’ that most of us thought it would be a year of change, growth and transformation. In an unprecedented way, 2020 has proven to be a year of change and transformation for everyone around the world, and its effects have spread to 2021. We are now a few days old in 2022 and still do not have a clear picture of the road ahead. We have, however, been able to move forward through the fog and have taken some steps forward in the journey, so to speak.
One of the positive discoveries made by the corporate world in the aftermath of the global epidemic is the fact that ‘work from home’ is not a covert effort to stop work but a fruitful solution to the problems of social distance rule. Another positive result is the emergence of individual employees opting for upskilling through online certification courses. In a recent HR Conclave organized by students of the OBHR Committee of the SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in the building, one of the panelists, Managing Director of Shilputsi Consultancy, Purabi Seth, spoke of the need for a dynamic curriculum in our management. VUCA Institutions when asked about the importance of continuous learning in the world. He advised MBA students to focus on both breadth and depth of skills, not just relying on a variety of surface knowledge. Finally, he emphasizes the need for high skills in modern times based on personal interests and job-market opportunities for promotion in an organization.
The context of the Conclave was broadly set by the keynote address by Dr. Swati Sarangi, Global Head-Learning, Leadership and Organization Development, Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, which covers the significance of employees’ well-being as a way to transform energy. And how learning will be the currency of the future. One notable thing that Dr. Swati highlighted was the importance of culture in working together as a network to bring together employees of the company. In more detail, Dr. Swati talks about the need for managers to understand how the company can help them feel like a family. To this end, Dr. Swati emphasizes the need to use the Environmental Sustainability Governance (ESG) framework to understand the implications of the decisions taken.
A question about the impact of performance tracking technology that could enable employer penetration was addressed to Ajay Venkatesh, Market Partner – Global Employee Experience Transformation CoE, Accenture. In reply, Venkatesh suggested that although technology is not inherently bad, at times we just need to replace it. [it] Or get a good one. He warned that such technologies need to be understood in terms of how they are designed and used. Although performance appraisal is an important part of the role of HR management, companies need to consider the impact it can have on mental health and ultimately productivity. He emphasizes the relevance of companies moving away from rating-based models to focus on priority-based models for performance management.
The entrepreneurial space is represented by Nabamita Majumder, Founder, nabomita.com. When asked about the role of women in the workforce, she emphasized the need to address structural issues for the equal participation of women in the Indian workforce, especially in entrepreneurship. She cited lack of infrastructure, limited government initiatives and the presence of social stigma against working women as the main causes of the above problems. As a remedy, he called for grassroots change in the need for family support, starting with equal representation in our academic institutions across different streams that could really help make a difference in this mission.
The conclave was an attempt to gather the views of HR professionals in different places and sectors on how the rules of the game have changed since the epidemic. With an additional variability in hybrid work and its own fair share of challenges, panelists have argued for the need for a systematic and strategic approach to human resource management in organizations.