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The objective of this club is to know and discuss the current trends in the field of HR and facilitate ‘Learning among the students’, and to spread awareness about Human Resource Management as a specialization among students and like-minded HR professionals.
Saturday, 28 January 2023
"Inter-collegiate ‘Spin-A-Yarn’- HR topics" Competition
HR Learning: 27 Jan, 2023
1.
Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd's 3
mantras for L&D programs
In conversation with Gaurika Tandon of BCCL and Minaxi Indra of
upGrad for Business, we deep dive into what it takes to unlock role
transformation and design impactful learning journeys. Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd (BCCL)
has seen it all, from a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity)
to a BANI (Brittle, Anxious, Non-Linear, Incomprehensible) world. Completing
almost 180 years, this enterprise was dedicated to the vision of growth helmed
by a robust learning architecture. This is what led to their partnership with
upGrad for Business, where together they launched a Learning Calendar,
including Signature and Bespoke programs, rolled out to 700 employees across
the brand, covering a diversity of roles and responsibilities. These
skilling programs addressed both the challenges of learner adoption and
engagement. By offering employees the convenience of choice and learning
opportunities in varied formats, the outcome was personalised growth
opportunities. L&D programs also had to be reimagined, keeping in mind the
changing business landscape and the need for role transformation. In our
exclusive one-of-a-kind multimedia flipbook in partnership with upGrad for
Business, Amplifying Growth, Achieving Impact: Customer Success Stories,
we explore further the journey of BCCL in achieving role transformation.
2.
Trends that will shape
the future of work in the sustainability sector
With
sustainability taking centre stage, corporates will have high demands for
talent with specialist knowledge in domains such as regulatory, financial, and
scientific standards governing the sphere, says Mathieu Zone, Vice President,
HR and Communication, Bostik. Sustainability has become an important aspect for
the world, given the challenges it faces, and businesses, across the spectrum,
are also taking cognisance.
In an interaction with
People Matters, Mathieu Zone, the Vice President of Human Resources and Communication,
Bostik, the adhesives solutions segment of the Arkema Group, discusses how the
sustainability sector has evolved on the ‘future of work’ front, driven by a
global eco-wakening, challenges faced by the sector in recruiting, retaining,
and developing talent, and trends that shape the future of work in
sustainability. Zone previously led talent development as Human Resources
Director for Asia-Pacific (save China) at parent company Arkema, a global
leader in specialty materials. He had joined Arkema 10 years ago, and held
various positions within it in France, before being posted to Asia. Sustainability
demands holistic views from the cradle to the grave on all corporate
activities. In other words, employees with broad knowledge and open minds that
are able to assess sustainability from upstream, through the corporate, to
downstream. Capability to engage suppliers and customers alike will be highly
sought after.
Within these
perimeters, all ESG parameters could have an impact on the business viability.
Corporates will have high demands for talent with specialist knowledge in
domains such as regulatory, financial, and scientific standards governing the
sphere of sustainability.
Lastly, there is a new
generation of employees who are conscious citizens and are looking for meaning,
empowerment and fulfillment at their workplace. They would like to be assured
that their jobs are making an impact for the greater social good, along with
their own personal welfare. What this means - there is a need to communicate
how the sustainability space is evolving, and provide opportunities for people
to embark on a truly exciting journey of change.
Considering the above,
communication skills with all stakeholders, both external and internal, could
significantly affect the success of any organisation. Ability to assimilate the
different information and knowledge into concise and impactful communication
would warrant a bright career.
3.
Is it
the end of an era for traditional degrees? Leaders chime in at Davos
We've
been stuck on the veneration of paper qualifications for far too long, said
industry leaders and domain experts at last week's World Economic Forum meeting
in Davos - it's time to move on to a more inclusive alternative. 80%
of CEOs in the technology sectors do not believe college degrees are important,
stated Hadi Partovi, CEO of Code.org as he and other thought leaders discussed
the key to unlocking employment for all at this year's World Economic Forum
gathering.
The discussion zoomed
in on one fact: the importance of prioritising skills over traditional degrees
offered by universities. Living in the age of the great resignation, or as some
call it, the great reflection, has made the world rethink the relevance of the
education system with respect to the needs and demands of the industry.
According to business leaders and thought leaders, the current approach is not
just outdated but also shuts out groups of people, including refugees and
immigrants, who could otherwise be a potential boost to the workforce. Hence,
the industry’s obsession with degrees is a hindrance in two ways. One, it
limits the talent pool for employers. Two, it worsens the issue of
post-pandemic global unemployment.
Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO of Coursera, hailed online learning as the “legacy of the pandemic” as it shattered the preconceived notion of place-based education. Also, it dismantled the reliability of jobs over degrees. As the Internet reaches the nooks and corners of the world, it is becoming possible, more than ever, to learn a fruitful skillset through micro-credentials irrespective of the background one belongs to.
HR Movement: 27 Jan, 2023
1.
Aparna
Dhingra gets regional role at BMW
Aparna
Dhingra takes on global role as head of region for BMW Group in Asia Pacific,
Africa, and Middle East. Aparna Dhingra has been promoted to head of
region (HR) – Asia Pacific, Africa, Middle East, BMW Group after spending six
years at BMW India as its head of HR and administration. Dhingra has been an HR
professional for over two decades. Before joining BMW she had worked
predominantly in the tech industry, working in professional services,
management services and other tech services. After completing her post
graduation at the Symbiosis Centre for Management & Human Resource
Development (SCMHRD), Pune, she joined CSC as its PCMM (people capability
maturity model) lead and HR generalist. Her longest tenure, 10 years, was spent
at Genpact where she oversaw the company’s consumer goods, retail, and life
sciences vertical as its HR lead in India.
2.
Tarun NP
Varma moves from Shell to TCP, as global CHRO
With
over two decades of experience, Varma has worked with big names such as
Vodafone, Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages and Nestle. Tarun NP Varma, who was
vice president – HR, global technology division, Shell, has now joined Tata
Consumer Products (TCP) as global CHRO. This alumnus of the Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, started his corporate journey with Nestle, as
manager – corporate HR. Two years later, he moved to Hindustan Coca-Cola
Beverages as associate HR manager. Three years into this role, he was elevated
to area human resources manager (sales & factory HR). He kept climbing up
the ladder till he became associate vice president – HR (commercial, strategic
HR projects). The year 2012 saw him taking up the role of associate vice
president – performance, rewards and recognition, Vodafone. By the time
he moved on from the telecommunications provider in 2015, he was VP –
performance, rewards and recognition. It was in 2015 that he joined Shell as
vice president – HR, Shell Group of Companies, India. By the time he completed
seven years at the energy company, he was vice president- HR, global technology
division. He had the opportunity to be part of a 3,000-strong workforce comprising
members from 70 nationalities, working out of 90 locations. Varma calls his
assignment at Shell “THE front row ticket to the future of energy systems”.
3. Geetika Mehta is Ananta Capital’s new group CHRO
With
about 17 years of experience backing her, Mehta has been associated with
ZebPay, OYO, Urban Ladder and Mondelez International in her professional journey.
Ananta Capital has roped in Geetika Mehta as group chief human resource officer.
An alumna of XLRI, Jamshedpur, Mehta began her HR journey with Mondelez
International in 2006, as HRBP – corporate functions. Less than a year and a
half later, she took on the role of head – HR at Puma Group, where she spent
almost seven years. Her next stop was Urban Ladder, where she joined as vice
president and head – HR, in 2015. After a two-year long tenure, based out of
Bengaluru, Karnataka, she moved on to OYO. Her stint there as vice president
and head – business HR, lasted less than two years.
HR News: 27 Jan, 2023
1.
12,000 people
to lose jobs at Alphabet, Google
In an
email to the employees, Sundar Pichai took full responsibility for the actions
that led to the layoffs. Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google,
announced plans to reduce its workforce by 6 per cent. This means that around
12,000 people working at the Company will lose their jobs. Impacted
employees in the US have already been informed but those in the other countries
will be informed in due course of time, keeping in mind the local laws and
practices. In an email to the employees, Sundar Pichai, CEO, Alphabet,
wrote, “We’ve undertaken a rigorous review across product areas and functions
to ensure that our people and roles are aligned with our highest priorities as
a company. The roles we’re eliminating reflect the outcome of that review. They
cut across Alphabet, product areas, functions, levels and regions.” In
the US, employees have been given a notice period of 60 days, and they will be
paid full salary for this interim period. In addition, the Company will
also pay a severance package which includes 16 weeks or 4 months’ salary.
Besides, employees will get a salary for two weeks for every additional year
they have spent Google. Affected employees will also be paid bonuses for 2022
and the remaining vacation time. The Company has also promised to offer
six months of healthcare, job placement services, and immigration support for
those affected. However, for employees outside the US including India,
local laws and practices will be followed for the severance package.
2.
Wayfair to sack 5% of its
workforce
The
online furniture retailer to lay off 1,000 employees in an effort to cut
operational cost. Wayfair has announced plans to lay off 1,000 employees
in an effort to cut operational cost. The decision comes after the online
furniture retailer announced in August that it would be laying off around 870
employees, due to a decrease in demand for furniture and home decor following
the pandemic. The shares of Wayfair have dropped by about 75% in the
last 12 months, despite the fact that the company’s income had risen
dramatically in the early phase of the pandemic when US consumers were spending
money on home improvements. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the
decision will affect around 5 per cent of its workforce. This makes Wayfair the
latest company to join a growing list of American businesses including financial
institutions, major software companies, and food delivery services, which have
been forced to let go of employees due to economic concerns.
Wayfair hired more employees during the pandemic
to expand its warehouse and customer service teams. By the end of 2021, the
company had 16,681 full-time equivalent employees, a significant increase from
the 12,100 it had at the end of 2018. As per the company’s documents, the
number of customer service employees more than doubled during this period,
reaching around 4,900 workers.
3.
General
Motors CEO and executives sued by employee union for failure to pay court
Workers
claim no compensation paid despite court ruling in favor of workers, union
names CEO Mary Barra and other executives for contempt of court. The
employee union of the General Motors plant in Maharashtra’s Talegaon has filed
a lawsuit against the company’s global CEO, Mary Barra, and other executives,
due to their failure to pay court-ordered compensation to sacked factory
workers. The Pune Industrial Court ordered that 50 percent of the salary
be paid to 1,086 retrenched workers from April 7, 2022 until the case was
decided. However, the company challenged the order in the Bombay High Court,
and later moved the Supreme Court against the order, despite the High Court
ruling in favor of the workers in September.
The workers have claimed that no compensation has
been paid to them thus far, and the union has named Barra and other executives
for contempt of court. The carmaker is said to owe the workers around $3
million in wages based on the industrial court’s order.
Monday, 23 January 2023
HR Learning: 20 Jan, 2023
1.
Transform India Inc's bott m line:
Unlock $300 billion through Communication Fitness
As we embrace the
future of work, organisations must invest heavily in improving their collective
communication fitness levels to reduce cost & improve productivity. Communication
fitness is critical to business growth and can cost billions of dollars when
overlooked. After surveying 400 companies with 100,000 employees, David Grossman’s
report (2016) titled ‘The Cost of Poor Communication’ points out the stark
reality of how companies lose $62.4 million every year as a result of
inadequate communication. Employers, corporate executives and educators
also agree to this business cost. In a report pioneered by Salesforce, 86% of
the workforce in these job roles believe that ineffective communication is the
underlying cause of workplace failures. In addition, a study by Economic
Intelligence Unit found that poor communication fitness, as we call it, is the
reason behind 44% of failed projects, 31% of low employee morale, 25% of missed
performance goals and 18% of lost sales at the workplace. Communication
fitness is vital to enhance collaboration and productivity amongst a
diversified workforce while scaling up rapidly in a highly unpredictable
business environment. Moreover, communication is a life skill that is urgent in
rising corporations with a multi-geographic presence. This is only one of
the many reasons why communication fitness has become a critical area of
investment. Business enterprises are increasingly facing the following
six hurdles due to the lack of adequate L&D investment in communication
fitness: Efficiency Loss, Weak Workforce Collaboration, Stretched
Management Bandwidth, Unclear Messaging on Brand Equity, Missed Opportunities
for Growth, Gap in Global Business Strategy. Fast-growing companies with a
multi-geographic presence will need to invest in communication fitness if they
want to heighten efficiency and strengthen workforce collaboration and brand
equity while empowering a solid leadership team. One of the greatest challenges
in a disruptive business landscape is the missed opportunities for growth,
which applies equally to your organisation and your people. With initiatives
designed toward personalised coaching for communication fitness, organisations
will truly unlock their growth potential as they operate in local and global
markets with a mixed workforce and flexible working models.
2.
Davos 2023: Immigration
reform, reskilling, upskilling in green growth essential for future of work,
say WEF leaders
The
unrest in the global job market can only be ceased by sound reforms and by
reskilling and upskilling the existing workforce, said leaders at World
Economic Forum. Evolution is fundamental and it keeps pushing mankind to think
about the future. While we work on making the most out of our present, we also
continuously hustle for a brighter and smarter tomorrow.
The future of work was
the talking point of one of the panel discussions at the ongoing World Economic
Forum happening in Davos, Switzerland. Leaders José María Álvarez-Pallete,
Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo, Pamela Coke-Hamilton and Martin J Walsh highlighted
factors vital to future-proof the workforce. We know the pandemic changed the
way we work now and will ever work again. As rightly described by the Chief
Executive Officer of Telefónica, Álvarez-Pallete, “things that were supposed to
happen five years from now, happened in the middle of the pandemic.” This
resulted in an altered labour market. We saw millions of job cuts globally and
a complete evaporation of some positions. Hence, the question arises,
will we ever go back to the way the job market used to be? The Director General
of the International Labour Organisation, Houngbo, believes yes we will. He
said, “The world will go back in terms of work that we have lost. On the other
hand, I don’t think we will ever go back in terms of the way we organised the
industry, such as working remotely.” The United States Secretary of
Labour, Walsh, resonated with the Director General and emphasised the need for
immigration reform and reskilling and upskilling the workforce.
“While we are already
fighting inflation, the next bigger threat can be, not having enough workers.
In fact, forget the jobs being created; there are jobs available right now in
the USA that we don't have enough people for. America has been a country that
always depends on immigrants. That’s why the need of the hour is immigration
reform and reskilling and upskilling of the existing workforce,” said Martin J
Walsh.
3.
Skills
will be the currency of the new workplace: Cornerstone CEO Himanshu Palsule
To
stay competitive, organisations must strive to retain their top talent while
empowering their employees to consistently develop new skills so they can
respond and adapt to changing environments, says Himanshu Palsule, CEO,
Cornerstone OnDemand. A regular turnover is not a very welcome development for
companies but a contributing factor to the phenomenon is that employees don’t
see opportunities to grow their skills and their careers at the current jobs
within their present companies.
Amid today’s dynamic
workforce landscape, it is clear that if organisations want to stay
competitive, they must retain their top talent and empower their employees to
consistently develop new skills so they can respond and adapt to changing
environments.
Himanshu Palsule,
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Cornerstone OnDemand, a specialist in adaptive
cloud-based HR software solutions, says organisations need to align their
purpose and goals with the personalised skills development of their employees.
HR Movement: 20 Jan, 2023
1.
TIAA
GBS India appoints Hema Priya Sukumar as Director, Employee Relations &
Wellness
TIAA
GBS India ropes in Hema Priya Sukumar as the Director of Employee Relations
& Wellness. Sukumar brings 15+ years of diverse experience across fields
like IT services and energy industry. Before joining TIAA GBS India, Sukumar
was associated with many organisations like HCL, Accenture, General Electric,
and Shell, in India. At TIAA GBS India, she will be in charge of managing TIAA India’s
employee relations and wellness programmes, and will also be involved in
employee engagement, ensuring HR compliance, and handling risk and governance
issues. In her previous stint with Shell India, Sukumar served as the
Employee Relation/Industrial Relation advisor for more than four years. Under
her command, she led various activities like employee relations, people
engagement portfolio and inclusion, diversity and equity function, supported by
a cross functional team of 15 members. Her longest stint was with
Accenture, where she served as the people advisor specialist. She joined the
company in August 2011 and stayed there for a good five years. After her
successful stint with Accenture, Sukumar moved to GE, serving as the lead HR
manager for almost two years.
2.
Anushree
Singh returns to Avery Dennison as HR Director-EMEA, apparel solutions
Singh
moves from AkzoNobel, where she was global project manager – EVP. Anushree
Singh, who had last served as director – HR, label & graphic materials,
South Asia at Avery Dennison from 2017 to 2019, before joining AkzoNobel
in July 2019, is now back at Avery Dennison. This time, she has joined as HR
director – EMEA, apparel solutions. An alumna of Indian Institute of
Planning and Management, Singh started her HR journey with Standard Chartered
Bank as associate manager – HR back in 2005. In 2007, she joined Xerox
as deputy manager and had moved up to senior manager level by 2010. Her
next stop was Aircel, where she joined as manager – HR in 2010, to support
talent acquisition at a national levelA year later, she joined Aditya Birla
Group’s Pulp & Fibre Business, as assistant general manager – HR. After a
successful stint of almost three years, she moved on to Avery Dennison, as HR
business partner, commercial and & enabling functions, South Asia, in 2014.
By 2017, she had become the director – HR, label & graphic materials, South
Asia.
3. Pine Labs ropes in Srinivasan J as head – HR services
Srinivasan, who
carries three decades of experience, has moved from Diageo, where he was VP-HR
operations. After over six successful years with Diageo, as VP-HR operations,
Diageo Business Services India, Srinivasan J has joined Pine Labs as head – HR
services. With this new assignment, Srinivasan will continue to work out
of Bengaluru, Karnataka, putting his skills in HR transformation, global HR
operations, HR systems, change management and people management to good
use. Having started his HR journey in 1992, as personnel officer, Elbee
Express, Srinivasan joined Hutchison Max Telecom Orange in three years’ time. He
worked with Hutchison Max as assistant manager – HR, for over five years.
In 2000, he joined Concio as manager – HR, based out of Santa Clara, US, for a
little over a year. He moved to Vodafone in 2001, as manager –
resourcing, Mumbai circle and corporate HR. By 2003, he was elevated to head of
HR (rewards and benefits + generalist HR ). Five years into this role, he was
elevated to head of HR (rewards and benefits + generalist HR ). Five years into
this role, he was again promoted to look after HR transformation, as head of HR
shared services. By the time he moved on from Vodafone, he was AVP- human
resources. His almost 15-year long tenure at Vodafone was probably the longest
stint of his career. It was in 2016 that Srinivasan joined Diageo as
senior general manager – HR operations, Diageo India. About two and a
half years into this assignment, he was elevated to the position of head- HR
operations, Budapest, Diageo Kft, based out of Hungary.
HR News: 20 Jan, 2023
1.
Will
healthcare recruiters, HR specialists be in demand in 2023?
As
per the ‘Jobs on the Rise’ list, these are amongst the job titles that have
grown rapidly over the past five years. During and post -pandemic, the jobs
market underwent drastic changes. For those who are wondering about the future
of their careers or are seeking a career change, the ‘2023 Jobs on the Rise’
list offer some insights. In the field of human resources, the job titles that
have grown real fast in India as per LinkedIn’s list, are as follows: Healthcare
recruiters, Talent acquisition partners, Human resource
specialists, and Credentialing specialists.
2.
Is Netflix paying
$385,000 to a flight attendant?
It
appears the streaming giant is looking for a trained professional well versed
with cabin and passenger safety, as well as aircraft emergency evacuation.
If you are a person trained in cabin and passenger safety and capable of
handling aircraft emergency evacuation, then Netflix has just the right role
for you. The role is that of a flight attendant, based in San Jose,
California. The job will entail on-ground duty along with travel within and
outside the US. The selected candidate may be offered up to $385,000 (Rs 3
crore) a year! The final remuneration will be determined basis the skills and
experience level of the candidate. Netflix’s job listing says the ideal
candidate should be a self-motivated person capable of making independent
judgements and possess exceptional customer service skills. The role will require
the candidate to work on a super midsize jet. The Company clarifies that
the salary offered for such a role in the market is in the range of
$60,000-$385,000 in total and this is in line with Netflix’s compensation
philosophy. The selected candidates should hold a certificate from the
Federal Aviation Administration and may be required to attend meetings in
Burbank.
3.
Two
12-hour strikes by UK nurses disrupt health care system
On Wednesday UK
nurses went on strike to protest for higher pay causing stress on the already
strained public healthcare system in the UK. On January 18, 2023, a
large number of nurses in the UK went on strike to protest for higher pay. This
is the latest in a series of strikes that have been ongoing,
causing stress on the already strained public healthcare system in the UK.
On Wednesday and Thursday two 12-hour strikes affected almost a quarter of
England’s hospitals and clinics. Thousands of appointments and procedures
are likely to be postponed, however emergency care and cancer treatment will
continue. In recent months, to demand higher pay amid the crisis of
rising cost-of-living, nurses, ambulance crews, train drivers, airport baggage
handlers, border staff, driving instructors, bus drivers and postal
workers have all walked off their jobs. The inflation rate in the United
Kingdom reached a peak of 11.1 per cent in October, due to an increase in
energy and food prices. It then decreased slightly to 10.5 per cent in
December.
Saturday, 14 January 2023
HR Learning: 13 Jan, 2023
1.
We are promoting talent development
& internal talent mobility to retain talent: Mohammed Rizwan, Head HR,
Reverie
"We run the
organisation with absolute transparency, keeping all employees in the loop, and
also giving them a say in decisions that could affect them as individuals, as
well as the company as a whole," said Mohammed Rizwan, Senior Vice
President, Head HR at Reverie.
Hiring the right
talent and fostering a Hybrid Work Environment in startups and SMEs can be
challenging. Lack of resources, traditional practices and high attrition rate
are some common roadblocks these companies continue to face.
Mohammed Rizwan,
Senior Vice President, Head HR at Reverie on being interviewed, discusses how
the fast-growing startup is hiring and managing tech talent. Reverie Language
Technologies is a growing startup with 190 professionals who aim to create a
digital space that every Indian can explore, benefit from, and enjoy.
Here are some excerpts from the interview:
How have you updated
your hiring policy in response to the shifting talent priorities?
A comprehensive hiring
policy with a proper process helps us to create a solid framework for all
recruitment decisions in our company.
Reverie’s ‘Hiring
Policy’ revolves around three questions that help us to identify the purpose of
what we are trying to achieve, such as;
·
What is the purpose or role to be played by the newly hired
employee?
·
How will the hired talent contribute to the success of the
company as an individual and as part of a team?
·
What company values are reflected in the person during the
hiring process?
We are constantly
expanding our existing talent pool to bring in new ideas and skill sets that
will complement our vision of language equality on the Internet.
For the period
2021-2022, we have hired nearly 70 new employees to strengthen our product and
R&D team. For the current and coming financial year, we intend to hire up
to 50 more candidates.
What are some key
skills you plan to hire for the year 2022-2023?
At the moment we are
focusing on strengthening our technical and engineering team, as we intend to
invest time and resources in research and development. Some of the top profiles
we are looking for are related to client-facing roles, product development,
R&D, and backend technical support to train our existing machines.
How are you retaining
employees?
When it comes to
employee management, our employees are not micro-managed and have complete
freedom at work. We regularly conduct an objective-based performance appraisal
that helps us as a company and the employee as an individual recognise their
position and growth in the company.
How has Reverie
embraced and adapted to the hybrid model that most companies in IT currently
follow? What's working?
At the moment we are
fully functional with a hybrid model that supports our teams by working two
days a week from the office and three days from home. Our employees are quite
aware of their responsibilities and take ownership of any tasks and
responsibilities delegated. We strongly encourage a healthy work-life balance,
which makes our employees happier and more productive at their work. In a
nutshell, the pandemic has brought many changes to us as an organisation and as
individuals. We have learned to take the good with the bad, and we can
confidently say that our team has learned to become self-reliant,
self-managing, and self-sufficient.
How are you dealing
with the high turnover rate in the industry?
Staff turnover in the
IT industry is a universal scene today. We at Reverie do not encourage
retaining employees by making counter-offers and allowing retention bonuses. If
someone decides to move for the money, we allow them to move on. We retain
employees looking to grow, and money follows when they grow. We keep in
perspective that employees who keep rolling from one organisation to another
based on money cannot be satisfied in the long run.
On the contrary, we
mitigate turnover by offering professional development opportunities within the
organisation. We offer the possibility to change roles within teams.
We also open the doors
to freshers straight out of college and allow them to make a mark in the
industry. We hire and train them to fit our requirements.
2.
The art of perfection: SS
Rajamouli’s journey into making RRR
While
the East and the West are lost in the magic of RRR, we can’t help but look at
the director, SS Rajamouli who has been known to strive for perfection with
each of his films, including the pre-Independence fictional story. The maverick
filmmaker, SS Rajamouli, who has brought home a Golden Globe (for best original
song) with his magnum opus RRR, is the talk of the town today. While people in
India have always been ardent fans of his films, including Magadheera, Eega and Baahubali, the
West is going bonkers only now, with the 49-year-old being named best director
by the New York Film Critics Circle. In the weeks to come, Indians will be
waiting with bated breath as there are murmurs that the film could be poised to
receive attention in numerous categories as the Academy Awards nominations will
be unveiled.
The director, who has
won many prestigious domestic accolades in his 20-year-long career is touted to
be a perfectionist at work. But Rajamouli has spoken extensively in several
interviews about the tag and how he only tries to bring perfection to his films
even though he realises that nothing is perfect in life. In one of his
interviews, he had shared, "People term me as a perfectionist because I
take so much time (to make a film) but I am far from it. I would like
everything to be perfect. You can get closer to perfect but nothing can ever be
perfect.”
3.
HR trends
in 2023 that will push the envelope even further
While
2021 and 2022 saw HR rebuild from the ground up to establish its new position,
2023 will see HR pushing the envelope even further. Since the Covid-19 pandemic
struck, we have seen an upheaval of organisations and legacy work structures,
starting with the first transition towards work from anywhere (WFA) and
continuing through the Great Reopening, which was immediately followed by the
Great Resignation and skills shortages. Numerous innovations have changed HR in
a myriad of ways during the same time, aiding the shift from traditional to
modern HR management.
While 2021 and 2022
saw HR rebuild from the ground up to establish its new position, 2023 will see
HR pushing the envelope even further. Taking into account significant
demographic shifts, technological advancements, and accelerating economic and
sociocultural changes that we have seen, these are the four major HR trends one
can expect in 2023: Rise in HR Technology, Hybrid is here to stay, Increased focus on DE&I, Reskilling/Upskilling will shoot up!
HR Movement: 13 Jan, 2023
1.
Welspun
Corp appoints Kumaar Priyaranjan as the CHRO
Priyaranjan
comes with rich experience of over 30 years across a range of industries
including hospitality, transportation, engineering, consulting, and
pharmaceuticals. On January 4, 2023, Kumaar Priyaranjan was appointed as
the chief human resource officer of Welspun Corp, a welded line pipe
manufacturer and the flagship company of Welspun Group. Welspun Group is an
Indian multinational conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai. It has diverse
businesses in line pipes, textiles, Infrastructure, and steel. It does business
with 50 countries and has a distribution network in 32 countries, including the
US, Canada, the UK, and Australia. Priyaranjan has extensive experience
in human resources and industrial relations, with a career spanning over 30
years across a range of industries including hospitality, transportation, engineering,
consulting, and pharmaceuticals. He has expertise in managing diversity,
developing long-term people strategies, and contributing to organizational
growth. He will be based at the head office in Mumbai and will report to
the managing director and CEO, Vipul Mathur.
2.
Forbes
SVP promoted to CHRO: CEO Mike Federle
A Forbes
employee since 2020, Ali Intres, the new CHRO at Forbes made a formidable
impact in her previous role as SVP, helping better employee experience at the
organisation. Forbes announces Ali Intres as their new chief human
resources officer, as reported by Forbes CEO Mike Federle. In her new role, she
is expected to lead the HR department at Forbes, taking charge of recruitment,
training and development, benefits administration, HR systems, culture and
inclusion, and more. Intres has been at Forbes for almost three years,
starting off as its senior vice president, Human Resources in early 2020.
She has worked in numerous HR leadership roles across many organizations over
her 25-year career. Starting off as a human resources associate at Worth
Magazine, she climbed up the ranks and moved to Time Inc., where she spent 8
years as the vice president HR. She has since worked at Digitas, where she spent
four years as its Senior Vice President, Talent. She completed her MS in
Organizational Psychology at Teachers College at Columbia University in 1997.
A Forbes article cites her experience in media and advertising as the key
reasons behind her promotion, stating that it will help her propel Forbes’ people-first
culture.
3. Jindal Stainless commits to Net Zero with appointment of its
first Chief Sustainability Officer
Jindal
Stainless commits to Net Zero with appointment of its first Chief
Sustainability Officer. Taking another step towards achieving its
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals, Jindal Stainless has
introduced a senior position of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO). Mr Kalyan
Kumar Bhattacherjee has been appointed as the Company’s first CSO. Mr
Bhattacherjee will be responsible for leading Jindal Stainless’ sustainability
initiatives, including efforts to decarbonise and eventually reduce the carbon
emissions for its current and future capacity expansion plans with the goal to
achieve the Company’s Net Zero by 2050. Commenting on the appointment, Managing
Director, Jindal Stainless, Abhyuday Jindal, said, “The creation of
CSO position at Jindal Stainless is a step towards setting the road for
sustainable excellence in business and beyond. As a responsible Corporate that
is committed to transitioning to sustainable manufacturing, we have consciously
undertaken steps to reduce our carbon footprint. We reduced ~1.4 lakh tonnes of
CO2 in FY22 through various initiatives. From investing in Renewable
Energy, Green Hydrogen production to introducing EVs at our manufacturing
plants, we are continuously building an ecosystem that supports our
Environmental, Social, and Governance goals.” Talking about his new
role, Chief Sustainability Officer, Jindal Stainless, Mr Kalyan Kumar
Bhattacherjee said, “Sustainability has been at the forefront of Jindal
Stainless’ operations and expansion plans since the beginning. We are India’s
first stainless steel Company to install a Green Hydrogen Plant to manufacture
stainless steel. We are continuously investing in low Carbon technologies, recycling
process, digitalization and process upgradation for energy efficiency projects.
I am thankful to the Company for entrusting me with this responsibility as we
move to a sustainable future.” Mr Bhattacherjee has been associated with
Jindal Stainless for over 15 years now. Prior to his new role in Jindal
Stainless, he was the Vice President-Energy & ESG in the Company. As the
Vice President-Energy & ESG, he has led initiatives of Enterprise ESG
transformation, carbon neutrality in steel manufacturing, decarbonisation
pathways, and sustainability. Overall, Mr Bhattacherjee has around three
decades of experience in the steel industry.
HR News: 13 Jan, 2023
1.
Stitch
Fix reduces its workforce by 20% to manage economic challenges
Katrina
Lake, founder, Stitch Fix, informed employees on Thursday that she would be
returning to the position of CEO. On Thursday, Stitch Fix announced that CEO
Elizabeth Spaulding would be leaving the company and that it would be laying
off 20% of its salaried employees due to economic challenges. The decision was
made due to the company’s struggles with low sales, a declining customer base,
and a reduced market value. The online retailer of personalized clothing
subscriptions also announced that it would be shutting down some of its
operations, including a distribution centre located in Salt Lake City. Reportedly,
Katrina Lake, founder of Stitch Fix, informed employees on Thursday that
she would be returning to the position of CEO. Lake mentioned in her blog post,
“I will be stepping in as interim CEO and leading the search process for our
next CEO. Despite the challenging moment we are in right now, the board and I
still deeply believe in the Stitch Fix business, mission and vision.”
2.
Crypto lender Genesis
reduces its workforce by 30%
Unprecedented
industry challenges have forced Genesis to reduce their headcount globally.
These measures are part of the company’s efforts to move their business forward.
On Thursday, cryptocurrency trading company Genesis Global Trading laid off a
significant portion of its employees, according to a statement given to
CoinDesk. The company is reported to have let go of approximately 30% of its
workforce, bringing its employee total down to 145. As per CoinDesk,
Genesis Global Trading has laid off a significant number of employees,
according to a spokesperson for the cryptocurrency trading firm. This move
follows a letter that was sent to clients on Wednesday, in which the company
mentioned that it would be ‘reducing costs and driving efficiencies’ during a
difficult time for crypto firms. Reportedly, the subsidiary of Digital
Currency Group (which is also the parent company of CoinDesk), has been
affected by the recent market collapse caused by the failure of Sam
Bankman-Fried’s FTX exchange. The company also informed its clients that it is
currently working on a solution to address the issues at its lending unit and
will need more time to implement it.
3.
Wells
Fargo fires VP for peeing on woman on Air India flight
Shankar Mishra, who was inebriated, peed on a 70-year old female passenger. Shankar Mishra, the vice president of Wells Fargo, India, was fired following his misconduct aboard an Air India flight. On 26 November, 2022,Shankar Mishra was accused of urinating on a female co-passenger, a senior citizen in her seventies, in the business class of an Air India flight from New York to New Delhi, in an inebriated state. When the incident and the identity of the accused were made public, Mishra’s employer, Wells Fargo, terminated his employment. Mishra was the vice president of the India office of the California-based financial services company, before being fired. “Wells Fargo holds employees to the highest standards of professional and personal behaviour and we find these allegations deeply disturbing. This individual has been terminated from Wells Fargo. We are cooperating with law enforcement and ask that any additional inquiries be directed to them, ” Says the statement issued by Wells Fargo in this regard. On 6 January, 2023, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, gave instructions to the airline’s staff that henceforth, they should immediately inform the authorities of any unlawful behaviour on board, even if the situation at that point of time seems to have been resolved. The airline has been widely criticised by the public, netizens, as well as the DGCA for the casual manner in which the incident was handled.
Friday, 6 January 2023
HR Learning: 6 Jan, 2023
1.
Pearson to acquire workforce assessment provider PDRI for $190 million
Acquisition to significantly expand Pearson's
services to US federal government. London-based
education publisher Pearson has entered into an agreement with SHL Group to
acquire workforce assessment services provider Personnel Decisions Research
Institutes, LLC (PDRI).
PDRI has significant expertise in providing
assessment solutions to the US federal government, one of the largest employers
in the US with more than 4 million employees.
The consideration for PDRI represents an enterprise
value of $190 million, which will be funded from Pearson's existing cash and
available liquidity.
Completion of the acquisition is expected to occur
during H1 2023 subject to regular closing conditions, including any required
regulatory filings or approvals.
This acquisition further expands Pearson's
portfolio, accelerating the company's strategy to capture new market
opportunities and grow its presence with large employers.
PDRI will join Pearson's assessment &
qualifications division. Within this division, Pearson and PDRI already have an
established, strong working relationship, partnering to deliver high quality
assessments to federal jobseekers at Pearson VUE test centers.
2.
BetterManager raises $16
million in series A funding
The
San Francisco-based startup plans to use the fresh funds to accelerate its
efforts to scale its virtual leadership development solution. Leadership
development platform BetterManager has announced the completion of a $16
million series A funding round led by Education Growth Partners.
BetterManager’s seed
funder, Polar Capital Group, also contributed to the round. The San
Francisco-based startup plans to use the fresh funds to accelerate its efforts
to scale its virtual leadership development solution. Founding in 2017,
BetterManager has supported the growth and development of people leaders–from
new managers to senior executives–at over 200 organisations around the world
through a combination of 1:1 executive-level coaching, collaborative group
learning models (such as group coaching and training), practical e-learning
tools, and actionable assessments. “BetterManager highly integrated model has
demonstrated consistently that it can enhance the quality of leadership across
all levels of an organisation, all as it improves retention of managers and
their direct reports.
3.
One
way to turn the tide of employee retention
There's
a surprising link between skill development opportunities and job satisfaction.
Jeremy Braidish, Chief People Officer of Cyara, shares some ways of boosting
skilling and thereby talent retention. Organisations across the globe are
facing the challenge of skilled labour shortages. Hiring new employees can be a
significant financial and administrative investment that takes time, so
prioritising the retention of existing staff has become a high priority.
Reducing staff turnover not only saves money but also helps foster a positive
company culture and develops future-focused thinking.
However, according to
PwC’s 2022 Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey, four in ten employees in
Asia Pacific are not satisfied with their job and one in five intend to switch
to a new employer in the next 12 months.
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