Apply analytics and big data to HR operating models, and you get cost-efficiency written all over it. Then you find yourselves running on a cost efficiency treadmill. In the recent years HR departments of large organizations are living by a worthy but a rather uninspiring mandate: that to optimize labor costs, reinforce compliance using standardized measures, and support the adoption of technology. As I said, all very worthy objectives but to be pursued alongside creativity, not at the cost of it. The question for the chief human resource officers (CHROs) now is whether processes have replaced creativity and innovation needed to attract and develop talent, manage and reward performance, and optimize workforce strategy?
Earlier this month, Dr Naresh Kumar, CHRO Lactalis India, graciously invited me to speak at the India HR Conclave. Following was my 5-point recommendation for our immensely talented, process-driven yet creative HR team in India. Attempting to capture the points covered in the lecture, from memory and scribble notes.
1.Build critical skills and competencies: Since the early 1990s, the days of globalization and economic liberalization in India, we saw skills and competencies developing in certain areas. Wait of 10 years for a Bajaj scooter or 20 years for a telephone connection were things of past. Banks were modernized, cars became trendier, television screens burst out of its era of Doordarshan, Air India ceased to remain the single flyer; a sea-change in many sectors ushered in an era of consumerism. Consumer was spoilt for choice. There was a felt need to sell, as the consumer was no longer bereft of options. Thus, skills and competencies in areas of marketing, sales, advertising, consulting were focused on, perfected, and in years that would be, people made great careers out of these disciplines. But in industries such as dairy, where 80% of raw material is fresh milk collected from millions of dairy farmers, an agrarian produce, productivity still being dependent largely on vagaries of the weather, do we have enough competencies in area of milk collection? Then there are a whole host of industrial functions, research and development, management control, finance and accounts, logistics. Do we have cutting-edge skills required to address these? As an industry leader we are definitely better off than most, but a key focus of HR function must be to identify critical areas and develop skills and competencies specific to those areas.
2.Organizational design and change management: Quite a cliched point alright, but very important today and every day. We must have an agile organization that adapts to changes. Changes could be caused by the environment, market dynamics, regulatory or a pandemic. We must have a scientific approach to prepare, support and help individuals, teams, and organizations in making organizational change and growing in it. The more agile we are, the faster and smoother will our response to change be. And chances of winning are higher if one adapts to change faster. We don’t see dinosaurs around anymore, do we?
3.Current and future leadership bench: You lead every day. Whether an organization, a department or function, a territory or an account, or just an opinion, one must lead. I have a firm belief, a good leader is also a good follower, as situation may demand, and vice versa. Leadership is what separates a good organization from the great. And great organizational leadership does not happen by chance. A culture of greatness needs to be built. Human Resources need to work on it diligently. Then as it happens, like attracts the like, great creates further great. And we must realize the importance of a strong bench-strength of leaders, for business continuity. The current Indian T20 cricket team amazes me. If talents like Rahul Tripathi, Prithvi Shaw, Sanju Samson are required to warm the benches, can you imagine the strength of the playing eleven?g8
