HR's Vision For Workforce Planning & Tech Integration

What is your vision for HR profession, and what transformative role can it play in the success of a company?  

I envision HR to be a growth and transformation partner in the coming years. As a G&T partner, I believe the function will continue to be at the forefront of workforce planning and staffing; building internal talent pool and developing the leadership pipeline. Talent scarcity is real and having the right value proposition for employees (and if done right), is going to be  game-changer. Another important aspect for HR to be play the role of a G&T agent, is the adoption of technology. Supported by the developments in generative AI and wealth of information the function possesses, it can support businesses by enabling them to make data-backed decisions. To reap the demographic dividend, investments in building a diverse workforce will give businesses a strong foundation for the years ahead.

How did you get interested in the HR field, and what have been some major milestones in your journey?  

There are times, especially when you are very young and impressionable, that you keep eliminating options that you are not interested in until you are left with the one that ticks most of the checkboxes in your mind. Something like that happened to me when I was making a decision. In hindsight, I am glad I could deduce myself to choosing HR as my area of specialisation. I don’t can’t think of a life-changing milestone, however, I feel I was fortunate to get to work with some great leaders and mentors along the way who guided me well. At TCS, where I joined as a management trainee and continued for over 12 years, I got to work in multiple roles with diverse, global teams that gave me considerable exposure. It also gave me the confidence to work with multiple stakeholders. In my current organisation, Apraava Energy, we are striving to create a happy planet by empowering lives sustainably. I believe, each action we are taking to realize this ambition, are milestones by themselves.

How should HR professionals themselves envision their contribution to the world of work?  

I think the answer here is in 2 words: ‘Value Creation’. Our contribution is simply defined by the value we create for business.

Kindly share some path-breaking initiatives by your team in brief: 

I believe by building the right path, we can create more value. Disruption always is not the solution. Augmenting an existing initiative, repurposing it for purpose at hand and communicating well also work equally effectively. Having said that, as I said earlier, talent crunch is real. At Apraava Energy, we are working on multiple initiatives aimed at improving our employee experience, providing ample learning and growth opportunities, focusing on employee wellness and strengthening our digital capabilities among others.