“If HR leaders are in line with their CEO, they can never go wrong”...

A core business professional turned HR leader, Kaustubh Sonalkar is currently the president-HR at Essar, and chief executive officer at Essar Foundation. He believes good people management is about idealistic thinking, and is more invested in the practical execution and achievement of those futuristic ideals through creative channels.

A high risk taker, willing experimenter and learner, and also an out-of-the-box thinker, Sonalkar is design oriented rather than control oriented. He talks to HRKatha about his experiences across industries and cultures and what future organisations will look like.

Organisations are realising that they need to give up their primitive HR policies, if...

Gearing up for the future, organisations need to focus more on technology and be prepared for the impact that it may make on its...
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“Archaic HR processes force millennials to switch jobs often,” Niti Khosla, lead people analytics...

Friendly and jolly Niti Khosla, lead-people analytics and business impact, Novartis International, is a true HR leader with the ability to understand people and...

“Automation will create a multiplier effect in the economy, which people don’t understand,” Ravi...

Automation and the volatile behaviour of workers have brought in a lot of challenges for HR in the changing automobile industry, which is now...

Binding multi-faceted employees with Titan Values

Titan has different sets of employees for different functions and verticals, ranging from the shopfloor to the retail stores. How do you bring in...

The ‘human’ element is not necessarily the responsibility of HR alone!

Pingali Chandrasekhar aka Chandru spent 24 long years with Standard Chartered Bank as chief of the human resources function, before becoming an entrepreneur. A pharmacist-turned-HR professional, Chandru, founder and CEO, iCube Consortium, Singapore, has built expertise in all facets of human capital management aligned to business strategy.

He speaks to HRKatha on issues pertaining to HR including automation of the function and managing the boss.

 

 

 

HR has missed lot of opportunities in the past – TV Rao

Prof. T V Rao is a known name in the HR circuit. In his recent book, – ‘Effective People’ he has studied and analysed effective professionals from all walks of life. The book demonstrates how one can push oneself to become effective, and ultimately be super effective.

Currently, the chairman of TVRLS, Rao has many firsts to his credit. He is the founder and first president of the National HRD Network, and the first honorary director of the Academy of HRD, India. In a career spanning 40 years, he was a Professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad for over 20 years beginning 1973 and subsequently an Adjunct Professor until 2014.

He speaks to HRKatha on his new book, and shares his views on HR in the present corporate world.

“Kotak creates professional entrepreneurs,” Makarand Khatavkar

An alumnus of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, and an accredited coach (ACC) recognised by the International Coach Federation, Makarand Khatavkar, group head–human resources, Kotak Mahindra Bank, has built HR teams from scratch, more than once.

A seasoned HR professional, Khatavkar’s career spans three decades. He has spent around 20 years in the BFSI sector alone. Prior to joining Kotak, he led HR at Deutsche Bank.

He speaks to HRKatha, on how the banking industry is realigning its people’s strategy with the changing business environment, and the plans specific to Kotak Mahindra’s employee engagements.

“Retail needs to offer its employees a career to stop losing them,” Lalit Kar

In his career spanning over 24 years, Lalit Kar, head HR, Reliance Digital has been involved in three start-ups and one closure. He is experienced in the entire spectrum of HR starting from industrial relations to organisational capability building.

Kar has spent more than decade managing HR in the organised retail sector. He speaks to HR Katha about the reasons for the high attrition rate in this sector and how companies can put an end to this problem…

“Machines cannot substitute human judgement in banks”: Deodutta Kurane

Deodutta Kurane, group president and CHRO, YES BANK, has faced all sorts of challenges during his career. He started off in the manufacturing sector, and then shifted to the banking, financial services and insurance sector (BFSI) with liberalisation. Today, this HR leader is managing a new-age bank with an altogether different set of challenges, with digitisation impacting the business the most. In an interview with Sonali Chowdhury of HRKatha, Kurane shares the effect of digitisation in banking and the way forward. 

L&D ready for big disruption: Guillermo Miranda, global CLO, IBM

Guillermo Miranda, chief learning officer, IBM is a seasoned executive with 19 years of extensive experience working in multinational environments across Europe, South America, Africa, West Asia and North America. A lawyer and business management graduate, Miranda is on his second stint with IBM with a mandate to reinvent learning and employee enablement for the digital and cognitive economy.

He speaks to HRKatha on how the landscape of learning is changing with the rapid digital disruptions.

Data analytics and not technology will redefine HR

Q. How satisfying has been your professional journey of 39 years? A. It has been a bagful of mixed experiences. At times I have been...

“How HR is different across sectors” – Yuvaraj Srivastava

Yuvaraj Srivastava spent more than five years with the Indian army before he moved to the corporate sector. This certainly makes him a differently talented HR professional.

Post his army days, Srivastava dabbled in different sectors starting from an industrial unit (Asian Paints), moving on to hospitality (The Oberoi), then to FMCG (PepsiCo) before joining a new age company (MakeMyTrip). His exposure to HR management in different sectors has contributed to the richness of his experience.

Srivastava, CHRO, MakeMyTrip speaks to HRKatha on how human resources is same yet different in varied sectors. He has coined different terms for each of his experiences. He describes how serving the armed forces has taught him to be a better HR professional. Excerpts!

“Successful women are ambitious and focussed on their careers,” Shalini Pillay

She understands the imperatives for an organisation from a talent perspective. She possesses the consulting skills required to provide solutions. She is also a...

McDonald’s: A sufficiently long career ladder

Seema Nambiar, senior director, people resources, McDonald’s India–West & South, has been associated with the Quick-Service-Restaurant (QSR) sector for some time now, and  been part of the McDonald’s family for more than 15 years. Prior to this, she managed employee training for Domino’s India.

In her current role, she is responsible for ensuring seamless integration of company and people strategies at McDonald’s, West and South divisions. She focusses on enhancing the company’s employer brand image, and works towards creating a heightened Employee Value Proposition. In her previous role at McDonald’s, Nambiar was head – learning, development and strategy planning.

While sharing the employee development programmes at McDonald’s with HR Katha, she talks about how McDonald’s helps its employees build a career and not just pursue a job which is quite unusual in the QSR sector.  Excerpts

AI will allow hyper-customisation of trainings: Jonathan Vehar

Jonathan Vehar, global VP-products, Dale Carnegie & Associates was in town. Vehar has worked with organisations to develop leadership and innovation solutions necessary for growth. He is considered to be an innovation thought leader. In an exclusive interview with Lipi Agrawal of HRKatha, he, along with his colleague Pallavi Jha, chairperson & managing director - ?Dale Carnegie Training India, share the future of training and the role technology will play in making training a measurable exercise. Excerpts…

Data, analytics & technology have helped us create real-time organisations: Prabir Jha

From a Class-I gazetted officer with the government of India to the CHRO of India’s largest business house, the journey has not been a cakewalk for Prabir Jha, president & group CHRO, Reliance Industries.

Jha started his career as an assistant works manager at the Dehu Road Ordnance Factory, Pune, in 1990. However, after completing nine years in a secured government job, he decided to test new waters. He took two years’ leave to pursue a full-time course in HR from XLRI, Jamshedpur, which marked the beginning of his corporate life. Jha has diverse experience across industries—from engineering and information technology to pharmaceutical and automotive— and now even a business conglomeration. His personal goal is to support people to become better professionals and more importantly, complete individuals.

He speaks to HR Katha on a subject that plagues the HR industry today — the use of data in human resources. Excerpts…

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” Adil Malia

Adil Malia, group president, HR at Essar group, has worked across industries, cultures, regions and functions. From FMCG to hardcore engineering and infrastructure; from a Global MNCs such as GE, Coca-Cola to promoter led companies such as Essar and Godrej; from India to West Asia from employee relations, training, HRM, organisational development to marketing in tactical and strategic roles.

He shares with HR Katha his candid views on the state of human resources function in India.

“Traditional organisations use ‘startups’ as proxy to build an agile organisation,” Rahul Garg, founder,...

Moglix offers a variety of products from safety and electronics to office tools. The Company aims to make an impact worth $100 billion dollars...

The right people policy for startups – Madan Nagaldinne

You happen to have worked mostly with large organisations. How different is it working for a startup now? When you have worked for big...

“The big change has been that we have moved from jobs to skills,” Amaresh...

Q. How would you define the culture at GE? A. Having been present in this region since 1902, GE has been around for 120 years....

We are inventing jobs we didn’t even know we needed a couple of years...

What do you think are the broad challenges before the auto industry? The auto industry right now is going through the biggest changes in its...

“The business continues to throw a lot of existential questions to the HR fraternity,”...

The country head, human resources, at Lafarge India, has recently launched her first book – ‘Reality Bytes – The Role of HR in Today’s World’. A ready reckoner for HR professionals and aspirants, peers in the industry have termed it as a crisp, practical and contemporary book that helps readers understand the nuances of the complex world of human resources.

Sharma speaks to HR Katha on her experience as a writer and her candid views on the HR function.

Excerpts... 

“HR needs to take risks, bets, right calls & be accountable,” Rattan Chugh, CPO,...

Rattan Chugh, an engineer by design and a true HR professional by default, has close to three decades of experience with global organisations, ranging from startups to leading multinationals. He started his career as a hands-on engineer in the IT industry and grew through the ranks to serve in several key positions in the financial services industry.

Currently, the chief people officer at Times Internet, Chugh is focussed on building and sustaining a culture of excellence at the Company, that entrepreneurs and leaders could leverage for success. He talks to HRKatha about his experiences across industries, talent management and what it truly means to be an HR professional.

“Being good to everyone is being unjust to performers,” Mathew Job, CEO, Crompton

Q. In today’s times, what’s more challenging for a CEO like you — profit & business growth, talent & people, diversification, compliance or managing...

“If CEO is the father of an organisation, CHRO is the mother,” Pankaj Lochan

Q. You have been shuttling between HR and manufacturing roles. Was it a well-thought out strategy or did you just go with the flow...

How this energy company is championing employee inclusivity & engagement

In today’s competitive business landscape, fostering an inclusive and engaging work environment is not just a feel-good initiative; it’s a strategic imperative. Jakson Green,...

Trident’s Asmita leaves blossom into inclusive workplaces

Forget the tired trope of corporate activism. In the heart of India's textile industry, Trident, a manufacturing company, is quietly weaving a revolution in...

Harness.io: Cultivating a talent powerhouse in the tech crucible

The tech scene, be it in India or San Francisco, is equally crucible, fiercely competitive and unforgiving. In both the landscapes, attracting and retaining...
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Engagement is outdated: The future of success lies in ‘employee involvement’

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...

H-1B visa holders can fight visa-denial case if employers commit fraud

If Indian H-1B visa holders find that their visa is about to be revoked just because their employer has been found to have indulged...

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DIALOGUE

Data analytics and not technology will redefine HR

Q. How satisfying has been your professional journey of 39 years? A. It has been a bagful of mixed experiences. At times I have been...

EQ, IQ & empathy define the success of a CEO

Q. You spent 16 years at LIC before moving to a corporate role at ICICI Prudential. Now, 22 years on, I am still curious...

“The big change has been that we have moved from jobs to skills,” Amaresh...

Q. How would you define the culture at GE? A. Having been present in this region since 1902, GE has been around for 120 years....
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