Author: Puja Bothra | HRKatha

Every brand has its own identity. Similarly, every organisation builds its own culture and that is created by its own people. While some of these companies are part of business conglomerates or have probably started as independent outfits, they may later get acquired by other players. These companies develop their own unique culture, drawing inspiration from the parent company. But, do they suffer from identity crises? Moreover, the culture factor may also depend on the business type. Let’s take the case of Lakme Salon, which is owned by the FMCG giant, Unilever. Is it possible for the two companies to…

Every offer letter tells a story and that forms the first impression in the minds of potential employees, which stays forever. In the letter of appointment, beyond the designation and salary break-up, there also exists the probationary period clause. New companies often follow on the footsteps of legendary companies because the promoters have spent a chunk of their lives there. Thus, when they start off on their own or become leaders, they carry with them the same culture. “This is an old-world practice started during the industrial revolution. Through this clause, you can actually tell a person to leave without…

The workforce is changing rapidly because of the widening gap between the four generations working under one roof. While organisations are preparing themselves to welcome the youngest lot— the fourth generation or Gen Z— into the workforce, they have to be equally sensitive towards the unique needs and characteristics of the others, such as the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. Born after 1995, Gen Z have held digital gadgets since birth and are empowered with information/content in their hands like no other generation before them. Since their numbers are increasing at the workplace, paradigms around leadership are changing as…

The most common perception we have about working people is that they go to offices and work at their desks with laptops. However, there also exist other types of work in which no offices or laptops are involved, for instance, salons. Salons house a different breed of employees. A creative lot with work different from that of a typical worker, but that does not make them any less an employee. Like other employees in corporate India, they too operate under a hierarchal structure of reporting and managing at work, and have growth opportunities in their career. However, the management takes…

Arnab Das, who joined Marico, the Indian consumer goods company, in 2011, as manager remuneration and HR operations, has grown to become its head-corporate HR today. Having spent eight years with Marico, Das has displayed remarkable progress to get to this senior position. Over and above the mainstream functions of HR, such as total rewards, performance management, talent acquisition and campus, talent management and HR business partnering, he will also be a part of the Company’s strategic initiatives and projects for India as well as international geographies. Before joining Marico, Das worked in the management consulting service sector. He was…

An HR professional with more than 20 years of experience, Santanu Banerjee is turning a new leaf in his career. He has joined Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance as executive VP & CHRO. Star Union Dai-ichi Life Insurance (SUD Life) is a joint venture between two of India’s leading public-sector banks (Bank of India and Union Bank of India) and Dai-ichi Life Holdings, a leading life insurance company in Japan. With a robust collective network catering to million of customers, SUD Life has one of the largest life insurance distribution footprints in India. Banerjee is a trained coach who believes…

Along with human resources, its nomenclature is undergoing transformation too. It is not the first time that the human resources (HR) department is going through a change. Earlier, when the focus was more on industrial relations, the officer-in-charge was called a personnel manager. Since then, the function has grown to become more wholesome with the manager taking on additional responsibilities, such as recruitment, increment, welfare and other admin work. As a result, the personnel officer was buried to give birth to the human resources manager. Time and tide leave nothing unchanged, and so is the case with HR. Even India…

After having worked with Tata Global Beverages (TGB) as director- global HR for three years, Nitin Nahata is shifting gears to join a startup, Udaan.com. The startup, with its headquarters in Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of India, will see Nahata continuing to work in the HR domain. Udaan.com is a network-centric B2B trade platform, designed specifically for small and medium businesses in India. It brings traders, wholesalers, retailers and manufacturers in India onto a single platform. HRKatha spoke to an elated Nahata and asked him what motivated him to take this step. After all, leaving a company under the prestigious…

Lupin Pharmaceuticals, Mumbai has recently appointed Preeti Bose as global head talent management and leadership development. Before that, Bose was working in Cipla, another pharmaceutical company, for their global leadership academy. In Cipla, she was responsible for creating leadership pipelines for senior and mid-level managers, along with designing and delivering programs for transformational business needs and behavioural skills in line with Cipla Leadership Essentials. HRKatha spoke to Bose about her prospects in the new organisation, she says, “the overarching mandate is to build a world class talent management and leadership development strategy to meet the short-term as well as long…

Millennials are notorious for not sticking around in a company for long. They move on when work begins to seem mundane or boring. Interestingly, with 360-degree feedback, it is clear that bosses are not the reason for employees to quit. Moreover, amicable work culture is a given norm today and most companies are raising the bar as far as workplace culture is concerned. Human resource is trying very hard to keep employees engaged so that the attrition rate can be brought down. From its innovation lab, practices are being rolled out to foster a happy work culture. Then, why are…

Recently, there was a video doing the rounds where a mob of people including both men and women were seen mercilessly beating up two people. The two victims in the video were part of the management – one a doctor, and the other a pharmacist – of Dikom Tea Estate in Assam. Apparently, one woman worker was injured when a tree fell on her during a storm, she was rushed to the hospital run by the tea estate, but did not survive. The loss of her life irked her fellow labourers, who soon turned into a violent mob, venting their…

Wearing multiple hats is not uncommon for mothers. Moreover, when ‘mothers’ decide to take some time off, an army of people — chef, cleaner, nanny, nurse, teacher and chauffeur— are ushered in to take on their roles and responsibilities. Sitting at the head of the table, the CEO can be compared to a mother — a multi-faceted personality who nurtures the business so that it grows, just like Jack’s bean stalk. In an organisation, parenting is as dynamic as it is at home, if not more. Feed more to grow more The diet plan aka capital required for the baby’s…

After having handled the HR function at JP Morgan Chase (JPMC) for two years, Bratindra Sanyal will now move to a new role at Lendingkart, Bangalore as HR head. At JPMC, Sanyal was responsible for the HR function in multiple lines of business across Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Before that he worked with many companies including Genpact, HSBC and Tata AIG Life Insurance. With 15 years of experience in the HR domain, he has spent most of his working life in Kolkata, his native city. He went to St. Xavier’s for his class XII. He hold a BBA as well…

Men in India Inc. are becoming increasingly insecure. And why won’t they —not only has corporate India opened its home and heart for women workers, but women themselves are trying hard to pluck out a large chunk of the job market for themselves. Women have evolved from walking two steps behind men to treading alongside them, and even ahead of them. Today, they are sowing seeds for a future that looks very promising. The job market that was dominated by men in the past is preferring women and leaving no stone unturned for their soft boarding and long tenure. There…

Cadila employees have their summer vacation plans set, be it a trip to oversees or mountaineering in Nagaland, thanks to the holiday gift bestowed by their employer. Not only will the employees but even the organisation will benefit tremendously when they return back from the break – charged up and swelling with happiness. Another milestone moment for culture change in Corporate India! We are at the brink of the fourth industrial revolution, with 5G technology disrupting business, making it more dynamic and fueling a culture change and the best part is that all businesses are playing a role to take…

An engaged employee is one who is emotionally committed to the organisation, he actively participates, is motivated and happy at work. Whether he is a team player or an individual performer, simply going to work is what he looks forward to. His sense of accomplishment comes from work and he consistently progresses. Everything that goes up, comes down! An engaged employee may not feel the same all the time. There can be phases when he feels a little less motivated. But if this phase stretches to a period of 9 months and employee engagement continues to fall – it can…

Many may agree that this is a publicity gimmick, even if it is so it should end up benefiting a few people. In today’s age, how many CEOs take the pain of thinking about employees at the tail end? Recently, the company’s headquarters in Gurgaon played host to a very different bunch of guests. They were young lads and lass—daughters and sons of delivery men. Delivery men are like the foot soldiers, always out on the field, braving seasonal moods, ensuring quick delivery even at midnight. Goyal, welcomed the children of Zomato’s delivery fleet in the Gurgaon office. Having a…

Augmented analytics is the latest software that helps human resource leaders analyse volumes of workforce data. This recently-developed new-age software, equips HR personnel with whatever is required to draw precise and fast conclusions. That is not all. This new breed of augmented analytics software promises more user-friendly interaction to the analysts. Augmented analytics combines artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to go over large, disparate HR datasets to identify trends or track important metrics. Then, using natural-language-processing technology—which communicates key messages in easily-understood ways—the tools deliver prioritised findings in a conversational form. The use of machine learning and natural language processing gives…

Today there are very few limitations when it comes to office design. The comforts and sociable environments of home are being duplicated at the workplace, fostering creativity and imagination in the workforce. Aptech Limited has transformed its workplace into an open office by demolishing the cabin culture. The leadership team sits in an open office space called ‘Aquarium’. This glassed arena represents a clear and trustworthy interaction between the leadership team and the rest of the organisation. Enthusiastically speaking about the Aquarium, Anil Pant, CEO, Aptech, tells HRKatha that the cabinless office fosters collaboration, quick action and continuous feedback. “Previously,…

Women who have witnessed the curtain going down on their careers have a second chance now, as Nutanix India plans to open its doors for them. Nutanix India is a subsidiary of Nutanix, the parent company registered in NASDAQ as NTNX. Dheeraj Pandey, founder, CEO and chairman, Nutanix looks at India as a centre of technology — both organic and inorganic. On 22 April, 2019 the Company announced the launch of a ‘returnship programme’ for women, as part of its continued investment in India. Having named the programme ‘WomEncore’, that is, a repeat performance by women, the Company is taking…

It was a Friday afternoon, when the HRKatha team got the opportunity to meet a man who is not just a recognised leader but an inspiration to many HR professionals. Going back his memory lanes, P. Dwarakanath, chairman, GSK & Head – group human capital, Max India limited describes some experiences from his 40 years of career as a HR leader and also some useful tips for current HR professionals working in the industry. When you look back 50 years, how would you describe your illustrious professional journey? You may have made some mistakes on the way while trying to…

March 16 was marked as a black day in the prestigious National Law School of India University, Bangalore and left the entire country aghast. Kanishk Bharti, a third-year student, was found hanging from a ceiling fan in an isolated section of the campus. Living in an unfrequented floor, the incident came to the notice of few students, only because of the stench. Apparently, Bharti’s parents had called a few students and asked them to check on their son because they had not heard from him for a couple of days. Bharti’s parents were deeply concerned about their son because he…

Rajesh Sahay, present VP and head-HR, Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, began his career in 1990 with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Having spent three decades in multiple industries, both in the public and private sectors, he has a robust experience in IR and HR. On being told to set the clock backward, and reveal how HR was different then, Sahay shared that he owes his powerful professional career to the learnings he accumulated at the public-sector power generating company, at the beginning of his career. “Those were times when the best job opportunities came from the Government. To…

As a child and all through my formative years, the most common question thrown at me pertained to what I wished to be when I grew up. From age five onwards, at regular intervals it came up in conversations and greetings. I responded with a variety of answers depending upon my interest at that time and the person posing the question. I realised very early on in life, that I could manipulate a person’s reaction with my response. I would blurt out serious professions, such as “doctor’’, “engineer” and “pilot” to impress people. When I was in the tenth grade,…

Your digital calendar promptly reminds you to join a conference call. Either for the time-zone difference or otherwise, you end up logging into the call when you are on the go, nursing a baby or in a soccer match. This shouldn’t really be a problem, or so we thought until we saw the video. However, the real cause of worry is that the mail informing you of the meeting’s agenda missed your attention and now you have to connect the call feeling blank as an empty box. We dug out history to evaluate the impulse that led to the invention…

It takes a lot to become a leader. Take any team sport, for instance, cricket — it involves eleven individuals, each with a specific role to play. The energy, focus and specialisation of each is combined to produce the outcome. When we change the above context to business and imagine an organisation where leaders optimise time and potential to the fullest, there is a cascading effect capable of producing great outcomes. This is called the ‘waterfall effect’. The waterfall effect establishes the premise that leaders, who spend time focussing on the right goals, engaging in the right activities, and connecting…