In a rather interesting conversation, Ketan takes us on his professional journey and shares deep insights on how technology is transforming human resources.

Staying future focused

There’s always room to learn, unlearn, and relearn things, especially in a world that’s changing so rapidly. Apart from being an HR practitioner, Ketan is also a tech aficionado and upholds a philosophy that each generation brings unique insights, experience and perspective. Along his professional journey, he has always worked with seasoned professionals. To stay on track in a VUCA world, he wanted to work with Gen Zs and millennials. Ketan believes that when he embraces the value of each generation, it enables him to keep things relevant and future-focused. Having worked closely with younger professionals, he has been able to lead the organisation towards improving performance and enhancing employee engagement.

The changing role of HR

Today, the role of HR doesn’t just revolve around managing administrative tasks. The current business scenario demands HR professionals to wear multiple hats to deliver value to businesses on both, strategic and operational level. In addition to recruiting workforce, managing payrolls, and devising policies, HR professionals like Ketan must constantly reformulate the way they seek, hire, manage, and retain top talent, which is one of the biggest challenges most organisations face. Besides being a people leader, Ketan also plays the role of a coach, an aggregator, and an enabler to ensure employee growth and job satisfaction. According to Ketan, these two factors are the top-most priority of today’s workforce.

Technology in the HR space

Ketan is a huge fan of data and technology, and an early adopter of a lot of it. Given that HR as a role has made rapid progress over the past few years, he believes that technology is not a want, it’s a necessity for organisations to resolve issues quickly and survive and thrive long into the future. He adds that there are a multitude of software and platforms available today which can streamline several HR processes. These include workforce planning, employee assessment, employee communications, performance management, and learning and development.

POV: Employee Wellness

Ketan acknowledges that today’s workforce expects organisations to offer flexibility. Employees expect organisations to leave them with sufficient time to take care of their personal responsibilities. In his experience, Ketan has worked with a set of young people for whom their family’s well-being is of utmost importance. Taking these factors into consideration, he has developed a flexible culture and created solutions using technology that ensures work-life balance. Ketan and his team also provide employees with insurance benefits that entail cover for them as well as their parents.

In a dynamic business environment where change is the only constant, Ketan makes the best use of continuous learning to keep up with the times. He often implements new technologies and invests in his team’s professional growth and development to deliver the best business outcomes.

Ketan, an HR practitioner, a coach, an author, and a public speaker, is a part of our ‘Most Influential CHRO of 2023’ list.