JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) News

HR Conference 2.0: Growing Momentum towards a new mandate

The panelists include Mr. Ajay Kumar, Head, HR-Technical Center India, Continental, Mrs. Amreeta Mazumdar, Head Talent Acquisition Google India, Mr. Anirvan Mukerjee, Director HR, CGI, Mr. Arun Nayar, Director- HR, Safran Engineering, Mr. Augustus Azariahh, Associate Director- HR, IBM, Capt. Shantanu, Director, L&D Cognizant Technology Solutions, Mr. Gaurav Saini, Director- L&D, Happiest Minds, Dr. Harry Charles Devasagayam, CHRO, Ascend Telecom, Mr.Hirendra Badhiye, VP - Human Resources, Northern Trust, Mr. Kaustav Chakravarthy, Head, People and Organizational Capability, Asia Pacific Lenovo Group, Mrs. Kavita Venkatachalam, Worldwide Head WFM HCL Technologies, Mrs. Meenlochani Kumar, Director HR, Bristlecone, Mr.Rajeev Srinivas, Managing Partner,Byond HR Services, Mr. Rajesh, HR Head at Cypress Semiconductor, Mr. Ranjith KP, Director - HR, Fortinet, Mr. Ritesh Agarwal VP - Organization Development, Microland, Mr. Rohit Mogra, Director, HR, Myntra, Mr. Satyam Pattnaiik, VP - L&D, Strides Shasun, Mr. Shailesh Gaurav, GM - Talent Acquisition at Strides Shasun, Mr. Shiva Kumar, AVP- Talent Acquisition, Workforce Planning & Deployment at Sodexo, Mrs. Shivani Upadhyay, Divisional Consultant Group HR, ANZ, Mr. Suraj Chettri, Head HR, AirBus, Mrs. Tapati Mondal, Associate Director - HR , Ernst & Young India, Mrs. Varsha, Head, Culture, Enzen, Mrs. Veena Joji, Head of Talent and Development India Thomson Reuters.

The first panel discussion was held on HR Strategy where panelists talked about the importance of innovative talent solutions. The industry experts spoke at length how an HR can contribute significantly building expertise in design thinking, new organizational structure and teams. The discussion also emphasized the significance of integrating innovative approaches and providing deep insight into HR's changing mandate.

The second panel was focused on the topic of Talent Acquisition Management in VUCA Economy. The discussion brought to light the chief aspects of VUCA Economy and how it has turned to be an integral subject of management strategies. In a VUCA environment, there are more changes, a faster rate of change, and the size of the changes are so impactful that they are labelled as "disruptive." This has led business organizations to bring transformation in talent acquisition strategies. Talent Acquisition executives are now trained to be adaptable to the volatile environment and build strategies that are aligned with the current demands.

Talking about the conference Mr. Suraj Chettri, Head HR, AirBus, said, "If you really look at the activities of an organization sometimes you feel that it doesn't have a link to the objectives of the industry. And I think it is a great idea to talk about ‘what's next in HR', because when the students pass out they would be mature enough to understand listening experts come and talk to them, about how can they better prepare themselves. And I think it also exudes a sense of comfort and confidence about the rising challenges and changes and ways to tackle them. I think it's a great step towards maturing the professionals, not only in HR but other disciplines also, because I think HR is one thread that goes across the fabric of all other departments that you look at. I am really very happy about this initiative because it not just brought value to the students but also to the practicing candidates of this very discipline."

During the third panel discussion panelists provided deep insights into all chief aspects of work force management and how new approaches could be invented to drive organizational strategies. The discussion also included a deep focus on devising ways to connect workforce data and organizational outcomes. The discussion alluded to the growing awareness among all organizations across the country about creating new approaches to address issues like diversity, mobility and leadership capability and to enable high quality workforce planning.

Mrs. Tapati Mondal, Associate Director - HR, Ernst & Young India, termed the initiative as a great opportunity for building networks; not only for HR aspirants and enthusiasts, but also for the representatives of the organizations. She said, "This conference has really been an eye-opener to me in a sense that it brought to light many important aspects of HR discipline. The panel that I was a part of connected really well with the audience and I think it opened up a networking opportunity for me as well. I really enjoyed being here as a part of this discussion and look forward to participate in Jain (Deemed-to-be University)'s further initiatives."

The fourth and the final panel discussion focused on company's learning offerings. The discussion stressed how advances in technology, shifts in demographics, and the constant competitive necessity to upgrade workforce skills have disrupted corporate learning. All panelists alike held up the fact that organizations have to create innovative platforms that turn employee learning and development into a self-driven pursuit. The discussion also brought to notice a range of avenues that can be utilized by organizations to drive employee-centric learning.

The participants hailed the initiative as a great platform to interact with industry experts. One of the participants, Ashish, who is also an HR by profession, said, "It's a really amazing initiative taken by Jain (Deemed-to-be University). The speakers are all representatives of renowned organizations and their insights into current practices in this discipline has really been enlightening. I think we all participants have bagged many vital information and they will be really beneficial in bringing productivity in our works. There are more need of these kind of conferences and I appreciate Jain (Deemed-to-be University) for taking this initiative."