HR Meet 2023 - “Re-ImagineHR

The Annual HR Meet 2023 - “Re-ImagineHR”

 "Reimagine HR" refers to the process of transforming or reshaping traditional human resources practices to meet the evolving needs and challenges of the modern workforce. It involves adopting innovative approaches, technologies, and strategies to create a more efficient, agile, and employee-centric HR function.

The concept of "Reimagine HR" acknowledges that the role of HR has evolved beyond merely managing administrative tasks and compliance. Instead, it focuses on leveraging technology and data analytics to make more informed decisions, communicating better ways, improving employee experience, bonding with employees, enhancing talent management, and aligning HR practices with the overall business strategy.

Key elements of Reimagine HR might include the following. The below list is not exhaustive and/ or mutually exclusive:

1.    Employee Experience: Shifting the focus from traditional HR processes to creating a positive and engaging employee experience. This includes designing employee journeys, providing personalized benefits and learning opportunities, and addressing employee feedback effectively.

2.    Agile Talent Management: Rethinking talent acquisition, development, and retention strategies to adapt to the changing demands of the workforce. This might include promoting internal mobility, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and providing opportunities for skill development.

3.    Workforce Diversity and Inclusion: Recognizing the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace and implementing initiatives to create a more inclusive work environment.

4.    Continuous Feedback and Performance Management: Moving away from traditional annual performance reviews and implementing more frequent feedback and coaching conversations between employees and managers.

5.    Remote and Hybrid Work: Adapting HR practices to support remote and hybrid work arrangements, ensuring that employees can work effectively regardless of their location.

6.    Data-Driven Decision Making: Using data analytics to gain insights into employee behavior, engagement, performance, and turnover. Data-driven HR can help in making evidence-based decisions, forecasting future trends, and identifying areas for improvement.

7.    Agility and Adaptability: Developing an HR function that can quickly respond to changes in the business landscape and employee needs.

Annual HR Meet –2023

The concept of “Re-imagine HR” came from two aspects

A)  Corporate Function

B)   Self-Actualization

A)  The first thought is always Corporate, which gives space to implement things. Most of the time, I was in search of the best HR Practices in other Corporates or with whom we can benchmark with.  In all my interviews and interaction with professionals, the question of one best practice will always surface. To a larger extent, I can design, and implement HR best practices. But, this time, the imagination has forced/diverted me to consider “Poor HR Practices”, which should be avoided at the first go. Imagination was to take out the negativity that will add to positivity.

Anyway, here is the list of practices that we never followed at all;

1.    Toxic Work Culture / Line Manager, not a people manager / Shouting/ Raising Voice

2.    No following RARA or poor induction

3.    Lack of Organization and Department Structure

4.    Rusting of Talent / Employee Development without his/her involvement

5.    Failure to Manage Performance /Lack of clarity on deliverables/absence of goal-based performance

6.    Retaining Poor Performers

7.    No Access to Personal Data

8.    Non-Performer Lobby

9.    Lack of feedback (both ways giving or receiving)

10. Hire & Fire

 B)   The second thought, which was running simultaneously is for self-actualization. In this context, I have reimagined myself as becoming “GHEE”. Being a Punjabi by birth, ghee is part and parcel of life, but now the term ghee is uplifting me to a much higher level. The GHEE stands for my life now is; 1) Grateful to God/Mentors in life 2) Helpful to others, 3) Effective in my communications/presentations, and finally 4) Empathic listener.

A 25 minutes keynote address by our visionary CMD Sh Rajesh Sharma gave us the theme for the next year then and there i.e. VISA. It is always heartening to listen to the head of the family, who strongly believes in the structured growth of each employee. Not only this, he gave a scintillating speech to move from “Start-up” to “Start-अब”( Now)

Working with a team encourages personal growth, increases job enablement, improves collaboration, and increases happiness. So we proved the Research right that collaborative problem-solving leads to better outcomes. The entire HR team met together after a gap of four years. We had some 40 phenomenal humans who came together to define the Better role that we can all play in changing the system, leadership, and ourselves.  The event was full of action all around. Our CMD Mr Rajesh Sharma joined us as a keynote address, and two senior leaders Mr Venky and Mr. Ajay Popat joined us for the special session. The icing on the cake is always by Mr Anil Nagpal. Superb trainer from Argyle HR Solutions. This year we added the special topic ‘AI  in HR’

One evening is reserved for the traditional dress and dance to make the team happy. And, we know that happy teams are three times more creative at work. Happiness increases self-confidence and can inspire greater motivation and performance. When people are thinking innovatively, they’ll therefore come up with more creative solutions that our business needs to succeed. Ultimately, feeling great means that great work will happen through “Atomic Habits”