In Conversation With Shaji Mathew, Group Head, Human Resource Development, Infosys

How do you see the role of HR evolving as a strategic business function, particularly within the context of the IT industry?

The focus of HR should extend beyond routine functions to include agility, collaboration, and engagement in critical business endeavors that impact the most important metrics for the organization. From simplifying processes to contributing to complex deals, an HR professional needs to be proactive in ensuring organizational readiness for any challenges that may lie ahead.

For any large organization, HR professionals need to be an advisor, partner, and coach for individuals, managers, and leaders as they are among the key culture architects and people champions in a company. They are entrusted with the task of focusing on the employee experience, while also governing performance and compliance, which has become more pronounced in the hybrid world. They need to communicate the company’s culture effectively, develop employee-centric initiatives, and create an appealing employee value proposition that can help with talent acquisition and retention.  

HR professionals need a combination of business acumen, skill-focused learning and development, digital fluency, and HR analytics, change management, and people skills to accelerate business growth. They also need to develop business intimacy, which will elevate their positioning within the organization. 

In what ways have you utilized technology to enhance the overall employee experience at Infosys?

At Infosys, consistent feedback and learning have helped us improve our offerings on employee experience. We have regular internal surveys that measure employee satisfaction and connectedness with the organization – this helps us take timely action to improve employee experience. We use data and analytics to pinpoint the direct interventions we need to make regarding the requirements and needs of our employees. Additionally, we are introducing an AI assistant for every employee to help improve their experience. This will provide personalized information for each employee across the world.  

Our mobile-first platform InfyMe helps employees with first-hand information and allows access to systems and processes from any place, at any time. The application has transformed the employee experience in the current hybrid work environment with an accessible and secure ecosystem. It has helped reimagine employee experience with hyper-personalization.

We also have a focus on specific digital accessibility principles when designing applications for people with disabilities. Infosys’ Accessibility Testing Tool (iATT) is an intelligent accessibility compliance analyzer with exhaustive features that facilitate accessibility analysis.  

What is your vision for the future of skills in the IT industry, and how do you plan to ensure your workforce remains adaptable and equipped with the necessary skills?

The future of work is unequivocally centered around skills. The world will always need creators and consumers of technology. To stay relevant, businesses must invest in nurturing both types of employees. As industries are reshaped by innovation and competition gets fiercer than ever, organizations must equip their teams with the skills necessary to ride the waves of the latest technological advancements.  
At Infosys, we have developed a framework known as the ‘Digital Pentagon’ that offers a framework for categorizing new and existing technologies and facilitates a streamlined process for the reskilling and upskilling of our workforce. The Digital Pentagon has five categories, each with their own distinct skill sets:

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  • o Insight: Making informed decisions to drive effectiveness

  • o Innovate: Constructing new models to boost business outcomes

  • o Accelerate: Harnessing automation to enhance efficiency

  • o Assure: Safeguarding and improving compliance

  • o Experience: Prioritizing 'human ware' to increase stakeholder satisfaction

The framework helps us align skills with each category and scan the horizon to reassess and adjust our skills inventory. At Infosys, we categorize skills into three horizons – Skills of Yesterday (Past), Skills of Today, and Skills of the Future. This three-tiered approach enables us to continuously recalibrate and refine our skills focus

We have also developed a two-pronged approach to skill our employees and help them become AI-ready by integrating Gen AI courses with our Foundational Training. We are aiming to make all employees AI-aware by the end of this fiscal year. Fundamentally, generative AI is disrupting how businesses should organize themselves. We believe success in deriving the most from generative AI hinges on formulating and executing an AI-first talent strategy, complemented by a dynamic, skill-based framework.

While technical skills are undoubtedly crucial, there is also growing appreciation for individuals who demonstrate adaptability and agility in learning. Whether it involves collaboration between humans or between humans and machines, the future will favor those who proactively pursue learning and demonstrate adaptability. The evergreen skill for all is to be a lifelong learner!

How do you ensure that HR strategies align with the overall business strategy and contribute to the company's success?

For any organization, people are at the center of business growth and therefore, aligning HR strategies with business goals becomes very important. At Infosys, the role of HR goes beyond the usual activities. It involves regular mapping of business needs, employee expectations and ways in which technology can be used to align these changing dynamics. To combine data, people and technology, we encourage skill-based talent development, adopt data-driven analytics, use predictive tools, and measure impact. This helps us stay ahead of the curve when it comes to understanding employee needs and expectations and addressing evolving market requirements. Our HR strategy focuses on future proofing the organization from technology disruptions as well as creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We believe in inspiring employees to reimagine the future by driving higher purpose and engagement and therefore, contributing greatly to the overall business growth.