A decision as important as hiring can’t be left to a robot: Head HR AO Smith

In an exclusive interview with BW People, Chitra Narayan Head, Human Resources A.O. Smith India Water Products Private Limited, talks about their Talent Acquisition strategy for 2018, the best HR Policies to keep employees motivated. She also underlines the latest trends in the HR industry. 

Edited Excerpts from her interview.

1.What is the value of Wellness of your workforce? What steps are you taking for it in your organisation? 

We strongly believe that a healthy workforce is a productive and motivated workforce. Health and Wellness is one of the top priorities at A.O. Smith. We provide a holistic wellness programme for our employees that includes not just health camps to periodically check the health stats, but also outdoor and indoor games for employees to engage in physical activities. Our leave policy is designed in such a way to ensure good work life balance. We recently celebrated “One Million Safe Man Hours” in our factory which is a testimony towards our safety first approach. Apart from this, we also extend Term Insurance and Medical Insurance for our employees and their family to make our wellness programme more holistic.  

2.   What is the importance of an inspiring workplace? 

Inspiring workplace is a critical success factor for any organization. It provides an environment that is mentally stimulating and promotes optimism and creativity. At    A.O. Smith we have a two pronged approach towards making the workplace inspiring. One – We have an approachable leadership team that inspires everyone through exchange of thoughts and challenging the limits. Two – We have an active engagement programme including talent show, outbound training and rewards and recognition.  

3.Can we leave an important decision as hiring on a Robot? 

We believe hiring is one of the most critical aspects of our talent development programme that definitely requires human intervention. It involves weighing and judging of various attributes spanning across soft and hard skills, and is a complex decision making process that cannot be driven by an algorithm, hence we don’t believe it can be left on a robot.

4.What are the challenges of working with instant gratification seeking millennials?

Millennials bring on unique and complimenting competencies. They’re demanding, flexible and multi-tasking go-getters. They’re the future leaders and need to be groomed for the same. We aim to provide a challenging environment for them to express themselves and learn. We also provide them with clarity on their career path and help them realise their aspirations. 

5.How should a CEO and CHRO bridge the skill gap?

The competency and skill set are an evolving requirement for a growing organization. At A.O. Smith we have a strong Learning & Development ecosystem that is designed globally for meeting future competency requirements. This is a high priority area for us and we’re committed in building an organization that addresses the future requirement spanning across technical, behavioural and leadership skills.      

6.What do you think are the expectations from a futuristic CHRO? 

Human Resources as a function has progressed significantly to become strategic business partners. Future of HR lies in how technology is best leveraged in improved decision making on talent acquisition, development and retention.

7.What are the best practices that CHRO’s are leveraging from Social Media for the right kind of hiring and recruitment? 

Social media has played a big role in consumerization of HR. CHROs are leveraging   social media by tapping not just active job seekers but also passive ones. Social media recruitment gives the organization a chance to look beyond the resume. It has also given an opportunity for HR to strengthen employer branding to attract talent.

8.A job interview is a conversation between two liars, how to get the best out of that is the skill of a CHRO. Can you give us some hacks for the same? 

Preparation holds the key for any interview, not just for the interviewee but also for the interviewer. Knowing the finer details of the candidates and their experience will help in having a meaningful interaction. During the interview, we intend to get into the world of the interviewee so that he is in his comfort zone which provides an opportunity to get the true reflection of his personality.

9.Explain the fine line between Talent Acquisition and hiring.

We believe Talent Acquisition is strategic with a long term perspective. It connects the competency requirement of future and establishes “fit-to-role” basis the evolving business needs. The role of HR has been significant in transforming the short term perspective of “hiring” to a long term perspective of “Talent Acquisition”   

10.How to keep your employees motivated in a crisis situation?

The real test of employees’ motivation is to hold it high during a crisis situation. We promote a fearless environment and encourage courageous conversations as we believe effective communication and mutual respect are critical for addressing any crisis.