Nurturing talent and taking care of the learning needs of employees, is one of the five values that Jindal Stainless (JSL) identifies in its Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Therefore, the company has taken a few capability-building initiatives to meet the specific needs and learning goals of its employees.
The cornerstone of its capability-building approach is a systematic process for ‘training needs identification’. It actively encourages employees to articulate their requirements for skill enhancement and knowledge development. This self-assessment is crucial as it considers the specific needs essential for effective job performance in terms of technical skills, functional expertise and behavioural competencies.
“Based on the organisational priorities that we aim to promote, we determine the behaviours we expect our employees to display throughout the year. This involves considering both the individual needs expressed by employees and the priorities set by the organisation,” discloses Sushil Baveja, CHRO, Jindal Stainless.
The company then develops a well-structured training and learning calendar after taking various aspects into consideration. It assesses the training needs of employees, identifies common emerging themes and incorporates them into the learning and development (L&D) calendar.
These calendars are unique to each of its units. For instance, Hisar has its own tailored L&D calendar reflecting its unique needs. Similarly, its corporate office also maintains a distinct L&D calendar.
“Based on the organisational priorities that we aim to promote, we determine the behaviours we expect our employees to display throughout the year. This involves considering both the individual needs expressed by employees and the priorities set by the organisation.”
Sushil Baveja, CHRO, Jindal Stainless
The company also has programmes specific to different levels, catering to individual contributors and focusing on enhancing their personal effectiveness. One such programme is called the ‘manager-effectiveness programme’, specifically tailored for managers, especially those who are new to the role. It guides them through the transition from being an individual contributor to assuming managerial responsibilities.
The company conducts several in-house and external leadership programmes for the senior roles. It looks out for some of the key leadership programmes being conducted by the leading business schools in the country and nominates its senior people for those programmes.
It is a common practice to nominate employees for various programmes and courses almost every other month, two months, or three months, depending on the specific requirements.
Jindal Stainless’ digital Learning Management System (LMS) provides access to a wide range of courses and programmes from institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). These encompass technical, functional and behavioural programmes, as well as self-paced learning initiatives. Employees have the opportunity to enroll and participate in these diverse learning experiences.
In another step towards capacity building, JSL is creating a robust talent pipeline and cultivating a bench strength of leaders for the future. To achieve this, the company has instituted a comprehensive assessment process, with the help of external partners.
Based on these assessments, individuals undergo a developmental journey known as ‘Parivartan’, in the company’s own assessment centres. This programme spans six to nine months, addressing specific needs identified during the assessment process.
“These assessment centres or ‘Career Capability Centres’ (CCCs) as they are referred to, emphasise their role in boosting the career prospects of participants. Subsequent to the CCC assessment, individuals embark on the Parivartan module, which offers a range of interventions tailored to address their specific needs identified through the assessment process,” reveals Baveja. (whose role are we referring to here? Role of Assessment? Or the CCC? Not clear. Is he saying the CCCs play a significant role in boosing the career prospects of participants?)
There are various learning interventions within the Parivartan module, including action learning projects. The most significant learning experiences occur during these action learning projects, which involve real business projects aligned with the organisation’s priorities. Each project typically involves a team of six to eight members, with a senior leader serving as a mentor. Upon completion, the team presents its progress to the senior leadership.
After completing the Parivartan module, individuals undergo a post-assessment to evaluate their performance during this journey. Based on this assessment, a personalised Individual Development Plan (IDP) is crafted for each participant to ensure their continued growth and development. “This IDP takes into consideration each individual’s career aspirations and identifies potential destination roles. To guide them towards these roles, the plan incorporates job rotations and learning interventions, making them integral components of the development journey. This entire process is meticulously managed centrally from the corporate office, reflecting a comprehensive and focused approach,” points out Baveja.
Having complete two Parivartan modules already, the company is currently set to launch its next Parivartan programme in December.
The organisation is very particular about measuring the effectiveness of some of these courses and programmes.
“We perceive each L&D programme not as a standalone event but as the commencement of a learning journey. Our aim is to ensure that individuals undergoing any programme should be able to make a substantial effort to internalise and apply the acquired knowledge. Assessing the effectiveness of these programmes is integral to our approach. During performance conversations and discussions with managers, we evaluate how well individuals have integrated the programme into their practices,” asserts Baveja.
Sharing an instance, Baveja explains, “If we send a group of senior managers to a programme at IIM Ahmedabad, we expect them to return and share their experiences and insights through a presentation. We anticipate them outlining the specific learnings that can be valuable for JSL and detailing their plans for disseminating this knowledge to other team members within the organisation.”
The emphasis lies in ensuring that any investment in L&D is accompanied by a check on its effectiveness, aiming for a tangible impact.
The selection of employees for these programmes is a meticulous process. For in-house programmes, individuals are chosen based on the personal-development needs they have expressed and recommendations from their managers. Similarly, individuals are chosen for external nomination if there is no programme or course available internally that aligns with their development needs. The external programmes selected are tailored and customised to the individual’s requirements and the specific needs of their department or manager.
“The development journey spans all responsibility levels, from RL I to RL IV, with RL V representing top and senior leadership. While a distinct process is being developed for RL V, employees at RL I to RL IV levels have the opportunity to participate, provided they meet performance thresholds,” concludes Baveja.