In today’s job market, companies are facing a growing challenge— how to stop good employees from walking out the door. Rising attrition rates, especially among Gen Z and Millennial workers, are no longer just about salary or better titles. The real issue often lies deeper, in the culture of the workplace, and more specifically, in the absence of psychological safety. Psychological safety means feeling safe to speak up, make mistakes, ask questions, or share feedback without fear of being judged or punished. It’s about knowing that your voice matters and your presence is respected. For younger employees, this is no…
Author: Guest Writer
As a business leader, I have worked with a range of performance tools, dashboards and scorecards. Key Performance Indicators or KPIs have long been our go-to instruments to track progress, monitor efficiency, and align teams with organisational goals. They offer structure, comparability and a sense of measurable achievement. But over the years, I have also come to understand one critical truth; KPIs alone cannot capture the full value of an employee. I have seen high performers who exceed their KPIs quarter after quarter. And yet, I have also seen individuals whose real impact doesn’t show up in numbers. They are…
When Hyderabad-based startup Harvesting Robotics introduced their newest team member, a golden retriever named Denver, as their chief happiness officer (CHO), it was more than just a delightful quirk. It was a bold, heartfelt and ‘pawsome’ statement about rethinking workplace culture. Denver doesn’t write code, attend strategy meetings, or troubleshoot bugs. Instead, he offers something far more valuable: unconditional joy, warmth, and a sense of calm in the often chaotic world of startups. It’s time more organisations took a cue from this. Adopting pets, especially rescues or strays, not only makes for a happier workplace but also contributes meaningfully to…
A few months ago, I read about a young girl who had just started her first job at a prestigious consultancy. Four months in, she collapsed and died. Her mother said she had been working through the nights, skipping weekends, ignoring chest pains, and suffering from anxiety. She had asked for help but no one really listened. Just a few days ago, there was news of a 25-year-old machine learning engineer who was part of the AI division of a well-known electric vehicle company. He was found dead near a city lake. His colleagues said he was handling the workload…
Recently, I came across an article in Mint by Srinath Sridharan, titled ‘Gen Z has taught us the joy of silent communication.’ It stayed with me, not just because it was well-articulated but because it echoed something I’ve been noticing in workplaces for a while now. I find myself more and more in conversations with CEOs, CHROs, and senior leaders who are struggling to understand Gen Z. “They don’t have discipline,” some say. “They’re constantly distracted. They quit without notice, and they don’t communicate.” The exasperation is real. Perhaps the problem isn’t their silence but our inability to hear what…
People form the core of every organisation. In a world where expectations to perform, grow, change, and deliver continue to rise, it’s all too easy to forget what matters most. Here’s the reality: putting people first isn’t an option—it’s a requirement. Organisations which truly embrace a people-first approach don’t merely survive— they thrive. It’s not just a philosophy—it’s a way of life. A constructive work culture isn’t just good for employees—it does wonders for the entire organisation. When people feel valued, supported and encouraged, they apply themselves to their best at work. They don’t merely work—they contribute, develop, and care…
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel,” said Maya Angelou, American poet and civil rights activist. In today’s business world, this wisdom holds true as business outcomes are no longer defined solely by financial metrics. Instead, the ability to create an environment where employees can thrive is emerging as a critical factor in sustained growth. A great place to work is no longer just about job satisfaction—it’s about building a great place to succeed, where engaged employees and strong leadership drive organisational performance. At the…
The future of payroll is being reshaped by AI and automation. Businesses are shifting from manual, time-consuming payroll processes to smart, efficient, and error-free payroll management. AI-driven solutions ensure real-time accuracy, compliance, and security while reducing the administrative burden on HR teams. But how exactly are AI and automation transforming payroll processing? More importantly, how can businesses leverage these technologies for seamless payroll management? Let’s explore. How AI and automation are transforming payroll processing AI-driven payroll automation for accuracy- One of the biggest challenges in payroll processing is accuracy. Automation of salary calculations, tax deductions, and compliance checks is eliminating…
A high-performance workplace culture is the cornerstone of organisational success. It fosters innovation, meritocracy, and loyalty, leading to improved business outcomes. To build such a culture, organisations must prioritise employee engagement and retention. The impact of high employee attrition While there are external factors that influence attrition, such as sudden demand in certain industries and market fluctuations, internal workplace culture plays a big role. The employee experience at the workplace is influenced by policies, expectations, supervisory effectiveness, safety, career support, etc. Organisations with poor employee experience tend to have higher employee attrition. They also suffer higher recruitment costs, training costs,…
In some ways, mentorship has not received the level of attention it deserves vis-à-vis training as well as L&D (learning and development) programmes. Mentorship enhances employee growth by helping people tap into a reservoir of knowledge and experience of managers or leaders higher up the order. Consequently, mentorship is one of the best ways to accelerate employee development. However, L&D professionals know the importance of mentorship, ranking it above other programmes. To be precise, mentoring programmes benefit both mentors and mentees. Many organisations use mentorship to develop leaders who prioritise organisational goals, including gender equality and inclusivity. It can be…
In the past few weeks, there’s been a lot of talk about long working hours. Narayana Murthy said people should work 70 hours a week, and now the L&T chairman has gone even further, suggesting 90 hours. Honestly, this way of thinking feels outdated and ignores everything we’ve learned about what actually makes people—and businesses—successful. Let’s start with some facts. Research shows that after putting in 50 hours of work in a week, people’s productivity starts dropping fast. By the time they get to 55 hours, they’re barely getting anything done. A study by Stanford University confirms this. So, instead…
The role of Human Resources (HR) has evolved significantly in recent years. HR has transformed organisations as a strategic business partner owing to access to data analytics through automation. To keep pace with this evolution, adoption of AI-based HR software has helped leaders to develop the workforce, streamline processes, empower teams, enhance decision-making, and drive business growth. The power of AI in HR Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising HR management by automating routine tasks and enabling data-driven actions. With HR management software infused with machine learning and generative AI, HR professionals now focus on more strategic initiatives such as employee…
The concept of servant leadership, which highlights serving others before oneself, has gained traction over the years for its focus on empathy, stewardship and the development of team members. While it offers a compassionate approach to leadership, it is time to recognise its limitations in the modern workplace. In an era where employees are increasingly driven by purpose, emotional well-being, and a desire for validation, the concept of servant leadership needs to evolve. Leaders today must move beyond serving and focus on creating happiness within their teams. This shift to happiness leadership isn’t just an upgrade; it’s crucial for shaping…
Language shapes the way we see the world. In organisations, the words we use often define how we treat people. Take the term ‘human capital’, for instance. On the surface, it seems harmless—a way to refer to employees as contributors to growth and productivity. But dig a little deeper, and the term feels uncomfortably mechanical, as if reducing people to assets or resources. Think about it: when we talk about financial capital or physical capital, we’re discussing tools, machinery and investments—things used to achieve an outcome. The moment we attach ‘capital’ to ‘human’, it sends a subtle but strong message:…
You’re in a meeting, struggling to focus. The presenter kicks things off with an engaging story, and you’re hooked. As they wrap up, their final slide makes a big impression. But what about the middle of the presentation? It’s a blur—a jumble of facts and figures that didn’t quite stick. Sounds familiar, isn’t it? This isn’t just a fluke. It’s your brain following a well-documented pattern called the serial position effect. It shapes how we remember beginnings and endings far better than anything in between. While this quirk of memory may seem like a limitation, understanding it can actually give you a…
Ambition is often celebrated as the driving force behind success, a motivating energy that pushes people to achieve their goals. While it’s good to have, ambition alone is not enough to ensure a truly happy or fulfilling life. The truth is, ambition can only take you so far. It may fulfill certain desires, check off milestones, and even bring a sense of accomplishment, but it doesn’t necessarily make you happy. Purpose, on the other hand, is what truly sustains you. It’s the force that drives you to do great things and fills your life with meaning. It becomes one of…
When Michelle Obama said, “We would never tell someone with a broken leg that they should stop wallowing and get it together. We don’t consider taking medication for ear infection as something to be ashamed of. We shouldn’t treat mental health conditions any differently,” the world took notice. Even as individuals have begun paying greater attention to personal mental health and wellbeing, given the varied awareness initiatives at play, addressing mental health issues at workplaces remains imperative to a healthy corporate culture. Indeed, despite being the second largest ‘thriving’ working population in South Asia, 86 per cent of Indians felt they were struggling or…
When Peter Drucker said—‘Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast’, among other things, he also meant that irrespective of how good one’s strategic plan is, it is bound to fail in absentia a shared belief in a shared vision, borne out of the same culture. Decades later, a majority of organisations are still en route defining ‘culture’, building it for all, yet attempting to use it as a unique value proposition for employees. There are so many change factors that are shaping the global markets—a pandemic that disrupted global ecosystems and economies with multiple generations as part of the same workforce, and VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity)…
Unconscious biases are learned beliefs, often based on mistaken information, that exist in the subconscious. They can permeate every aspect of an organisation, from hiring and promotion to collaboration and leadership decision-making, all without us even realising it. With organisations striving to imbibe inclusivity into their core, understanding these hidden biases and coming up with strategies to mitigate their impact becomes crucial to fostering a truly equitable workplace. Multiple facets of unconscious bias and their impact on workplace dynamics In organisations, unconscious bias manifests as a silent, invisible force of automatic, immediate judgments and assessments that we make about people…
The impact of an organisation’s culture is far reaching; it influences everyone from junior employees to senior executives. This influence can be either positive or toxic, depending on the nature of the culture. How is a company’s culture cultivated over time? It all begins at the top, with the board, executive committees, or founders, especially in startups. The process starts with envisioning the company’s values and objectives, much of which is driven by the leadership team. For instance, if the leadership aims to foster a collaborative environment, one of the top values would likely be a ’consultative approach’ or an…
CXO hiring calls for significant investment. The visible cost components such as executive search fees, flying in candidates/panel members or psychometric testing are the lesser ones. Larger costs remain invisible—the cascading effect of higher compensation of the new leaders; interruption to business because of departure of team members; and inability to shift focus to business due to volatile internal team dynamics. While these costs are difficult to estimate, they are not small. It is estimated that visible costs are just 15—20 per cent, leading to a conservative investment of Rs 4 to 10 crores per search. Even after investing so…
Despite so much talk about progress and equity, in 2024, women still face barriers in leadership roles. They make up nearly half of the workforce, and yet, they remain underrepresented in leadership. Why is it hard to accept that women bring unique perspectives crucial for innovation and success? Isn’t it a known fact that diverse leadership teams better serve diverse customers, boosting loyalty and profits? Why aren’t employers doing enough to develop the women in their workforce? To empower women, workplaces must offer equal opportunities, mentorship and inclusive cultures. Businesses must commit to diversity and inclusion at all levels for…
In the ever-evolving landscape of the contemporary workplace, a profound metamorphosis is underway, challenging the conventional emphasis on employee engagement. This paradigm shift posits that employee involvement should not be considered merely as an alternative but as an indispensable strategic imperative. In this discourse, we delve into the compelling rationale behind the call for organisations to redirect their attention from measuring engagement to strategically prioritising active employee involvement. In the traditional model, where engagement often implies a unilateral interaction, a significant departure emerges with involvement. It propels employees from passive recipients of corporate initiatives to active contributors, empowering individuals to…
Tata Steel, part of the Tata Group, is a multinational steel-making company headquartered in Mumbai, India. It is one of the world’s leading steel producers and ranks among the top global steel companies with a notable presence in Europe as well as Asia. With manufacturing operations in 26 countries, including India, Netherlands and the UK, the company employs over 80,000 people worldwide. In the past two to three years, especially during and after the pandemic, the company’s methods of hiring have undergone a considerable transformation. Prior to the pandemic, most recruitment processes and touchpoints were predominantly managed offline, which was…
We, at Cadila, have been consistently following the principles of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) much before the term gained popularity. As an organisation with a history going back over 70 years, Cadila has had significant gender diversity across levels and functions. In an industry, where gender diversity is not very prevalent across organisations, Cadila has relentlessly strived to focus on ensuring that equal opportunity is provided to women and men in ensuring that everyone is able to perform their jobs in a meaningful manner, which fulfils their professional aspirations besides creating a thriving workplace. Diversity, in itself, is never…
It is not always that shows one enjoys onscreen remind one of situations at the workplace. After all, it isn’t easy to draw parallels with real-life work scenarios and onscreen stories. However, here is one show that can be food for thought, not just for HR leaders, but all leaders in the organisational hierarchy. The haunting and eerily relatable Apple TV series, Silo, has garnered acclaim for its taut storyline and outstanding performances. Beneath the gripping plot is a distinctive composition that is both literal and metaphorical in its expression. In a literal sense, the Silo refers to a massive underground structure…