“AI will help us to move from feel-based to fact-based hiring decision,” Anil Misra

More power to HR in 2019

We are living in an ever-changing world and given the rapid pace at which technology is changing, it has become important for all organisations to adapt and evolve. In such a digital-first ecosystem, where we have been riding on fifth-generation technologies, moving ahead with a diverse workforce has become a challenge for all leaders. Change is the need of the hour and in most cases, we are not willing to come out of our comfort zone. As leaders, first we must appreciate the need to change and walk the talk by embracing all the technological changes happening around us.

How we simplify the life of the employees, who are facing a volley of innovation, will determine success. And how we achieve this will determine whether the change was for the good. As leaders, we need to meet the expectations of the new-age workforce. Today, we have a very diverse workforce with varied expectations. How do we keep them excited? How do we give them a roadmap of their future? The answer is simple. Accept the pace of change and start by setting the ground rules. As leaders we need to walk that extra mile and evolve in our roles.

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The biggest challenge for HR in your sector

HR has evolved manifold in the last one decade. Today, HR has become a critical part of business and is seen as actively contributing towards driving revenues. To drive revenues, we will primarily need two things – the right mix of people and an ever-motivated workforce. Given the complex nature of our business, hiring has been our biggest challenge. We are in a sector that needs a reasonable understanding of the realestate industry and consumer internet. Since this is an evolving sector, finding this combination becomes a challenge for us.

“In such a digital-first ecosystem, where we have been riding on fifth-generation technologies, moving ahead with a diverse workforce has become a challenge for all leaders”

The second challenge that we face is that since we have been thriving on the consumer internet-oriented economy, opportunities are aplenty. So, the onus is on us to understand the expectation of this new-age workforce, the millennials.

They are aspiring, aware of their abilities and competencies and want to grow fast. We need to find newer ways to retain this talent through an ever-evolving ecosystem and by enhancing policies that allow them a work-life balance and a sustainable future.

Personalised people policy – one size doesn’t fit all

Keeping in mind the challenges that we have in our industry, we have created a workplace that is young, agile and vibrant. We also thrive on meritocracy so that the best ideas prevail. We believe in the fact that people processes should revolve around meritocracy and drive ownership among colleagues. Today, every successful business has embraced every possible business under the sun. This has certainly impacted businesses in a big way. In such a scenario, we need to ensure that all our policies are centred around humans with the help of the latest digital technologies that create personalised experiences, which are compelling and memorable.

“We need to ensure that all our policies are centred around humans with the help of the latest digital technologies that create personalised experiences, which are compelling and memorable”

This can only happen if we have a new mind-set and a set of innovative technological skills to innovate with new HR solutions. This will only come from leveraging the latest technologies in HR.

Role of HR in temp workforce

Strategic workforce planning remains a key challenge for HR. The role of HR should be equal for everyone at the workplace—be it on-roll or temporary. We engage with the temporary workforce only if there is a need but not in core areas, where we need a certain level of commitment.

“In a digital-first ecosystem, where we have been riding on fifth-generation technologies, moving ahead with a diverse workforce has become a challenge for all leaders”

AI-based recruitment – the differentiator

We must prepare for an intelligent future, and that is not possible until we start adopting a new mind-set. Thus, AI has become the need of the hour for HR. Thanks to AI we are moving from feel-based to fact-based hiring decisions. Artificial intelligence has considerably reduced the time taken in the overall hiring process. Mapping of candidates has also improved drastically. Hiring aside, AI also has a larger and more critical role to play in multi-diversity organisations—which comprise multi-generation workforces, full and part-time workers and contingent workers. Maintaining the optimal balance between all these internal stakeholders remains the key. In such an environment, how do we keep a check on the pulse of the diverse workforce? AI has to play a very important role here. We don’t need a perfect framework to embrace AI. Thoughtful integration of AI in an employee-centric model will unlock immense opportunities for HR and transform the way the workforce is managed.

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