An intriguing take on the HR philosophy

According to Saket, a people leader learns on the job with each passing day. He doesn’t have a specific philosophy or mantra; however, his motto is to add value to his work as an HR Head and find ways to best help the business grow. The culture of any organisation is constantly changing and as an HR leader, Saket believes that his job is to help those who are involved in the transition and get them to adjust to the environment as efficiently and seamlessly as possible. In a fast-growing setup, resources available to HR are limited. Considering this, Saket makes the best use of the tools provided to him to reach his goals. Since problem-solving is one of the most important duties of a HR Head, Saket uses data-driven analytics to find solutions.

Views on HR of yesterday versus HR of today

HR functions have primarily revolved around employee management, talent acquisition, managing processes, and devising policies. Given the current climate, HR operations are being tweaked to fit the mindset and working styles of people. While the team does have policies and protocols in place, HR is also tasked with creating employee-centric experiences which shape the culture of the workplace. The idea is to make this happen with a holistic approach. How does HR connect with employees empathetically? What’s the best way to solve a problem? How does one look at data analytics with the right perspective? Saket says that as an HR professional today, he is constantly working out answers to such questions.

Leveraging Technology for sharper business outcomes

Saket narrows down his views on leveraging technology from a micro level to a macro level and states that the main aim for HR would be to use technology for sharper business outcomes. He adds that the agenda is always to use technology as an enabler to make HR processes more effective, sustainable, and accessible to all. Saket and his team use tech-based systems in areas such as performance management, change management, capability building, employee engagement, internal communications, and more.

Predicting HR trends of tomorrow

Saket predicts that for the most part, HR is going to rely on AI bots to carry out the administrative aspects of its functions. Operations that entail tasks such as gathering employee feedback, registering complaints on an online platform, and streamlining the recruitment proceedings will count on technology to deliver well-integrated results.

Some thoughts on employee well-being

For an HR Head like Saket, employee wellness is of utmost importance. The advent of technology has helped tremendously in providing employees with the platforms and resources they need to stay productive, healthy, and content. He often assists his team in curating online webinars and virtual meetings to interact with the people of his organisation. Saket encourages his team to set up online Yoga sessions on Zoom and has also arranged for discussion groups to create open channels of communication that bring people together.

The bottom line

Saket believes that HR as a function and department has a long way to go as far as tech-savviness is concerned. Having said that, Saket and his team are always looking out for ways to introduce an intensive use of technology in their day-to-day operations.

Saket is a part of our ‘Most Influential CHRO of 2023’ list for his future-forward way of looking at the role of HR in an ever-evolving work environment.