In the HR Evolution Perspectives 2023: Empower and Evolve study, People Matters and Darwinbox examine key HR and business trends in Asia. This comprehensive report draws insights from more than 1,200 HR practitioners, 350 CXOs, and almost 1,500 employees.
As part of our research efforts, we are engaging with HR leaders from a variety of organizations to understand how overarching people trends influence their HR and business strategies.
For this episode of Experts Take, we talk to Ravi Kumar Senior President & Chief People Officer, Page Industries Ltd. A seasoned HR leader with decades of experience in developing HR strategies that accelerate business growth, Ravi helps us unpack the critical drivers of EX and how large-scale transformations can be made more impactful.
Key highlights from our conversation:
Role of Purpose in Strengthening Experience
One of the key aspects of employee experience for Ravi is that it stems from the purpose of the organization. So the very first step to developing a strong EX is to have a clearly defined organizational purpose.
'Purpose is paramount.' notes Ravi. 'If you look at the research report, a similar sentiment comes out. Employees are also looking at purpose-driven work.'
Organizations that have a high growth momentum but also a clear purpose on how they serve their customers better are bound to create better experiences for their employees. Communication here is crucial for Ravi who shares how transparent and effective communication is key to translating org purpose to employee behaviors. ‘Every employee and every level wants to see,’ he adds. ‘If companies can put it together, enhancing EX becomes far more easier.'
Secondly, clear goals and alignment with employee expectations help improve EX. Setting the 'what' of employee goals and linking it to the 'why' is necessary. Companies that can align with individual targets and with their business vision and goals strengthen their EX. It is here then that components like communication, KPIs, and anchoring performance management better, all become key components to driving EX.
Addressing capability gaps critical
With the expectation to grow, also comes the responsibility to be productive. With the repost identifying capability gaps as a major HR concern in India, how should companies strengthen their approach to solving it?
For Ravi, the first step is to map capabilities and skills to a repository that links to job roles and descriptions. 'Companies today have roles and descriptions. But if they are clear about how these are going to evolve they can map it to the skill set required for the role,' he adds.
Technology according to Ravi is another key aspect that empowers companies to map skills and create the repository better.
To build for the future, he cautions that external changes in the ecosystem are important to keep a note of. 'Often it's not so much about what the organization is thinking,' says Ravi, 'but it's what's happening outside the organization.'
While organizations like Page Industries are currently growing, what really impacts the skills and capability requirements is the shifts in the external environment. These shifts are what according to Ravi should be reflected in the skilling priorities of companies.
Quoting the advent of Gen AI and its impact across industries as an example, he notes how today 'Gen AI is a clear example of how what's happening on the outside is going to impact every company on the inside.'
The best way to prepare is to map what we might need in the future and decide on capabilities and skills accordingly. Having a clear path for the next 3-5 years helps address these capability gaps.
HR transformation to support business growth
With digital transformations today forming the bedrock of growth, agility and adapting at pace, it is important to pay closer attention to how a company can ensure its success.
One key way to look at digital transformations within companies is to take them as human capital transformation since equipping and empowering employees remains central to its success. This puts HR as a vital stakeholder in the success of transformation journeys.
For HR leaders to lead this conversation, however, Ravi notes that they need to prove their credibility to the business first. This means transforming the HR function and building the right framework for its success.
‘Do it yourself first. Show the impact. Then build a case for its proper execution within the company,’ he advises.
By transforming their function with the right mindset and delivering the right impact, HR leaders can forge a path to transformation success that can be replicated in other areas of the business. HR leaders can further support other functions by sharing knowledge, specialists, lessons, and behaviours required to ensure the transformation is a success.
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