The HR professional’s passion for his job shines through when he says, “An organisation’s ability to attract, retain, motivate and develop talent determines its ability to win in the marketplace and this ability rests on the shoulders of managers in the organisation.” What are the current best practices in induction policies? The focus of the induction process at Tata Projects (TPL) is to ‘link and bond’ new hires with the organisation and connect them with the purpose of the organisation – how TPL is transforming lives by building a better world. It is a crucial process within the realm of HR management because it marks the initial phase of an employee's journey with an organisation. To enhance this process, the induction structure has been revamped, incorporating sessions that acquaint new employees with TPL, provide business and function orientation, and establish a sense of belonging to the Tata Group. This is done through leadership interactions and alumni connect. It is a strategic initiative aimed at fostering a positive and seamless transition for new employees, ensuring they feel connected, engaged and prepared for success in their new roles. The induction programme is tailored for each role, bringing in a personalised touch making it relevant to the role and background of the employee. Cultural immersion is ensured through focused sessions, actively aligning employees with the mission, vision and values (MVV) of the organisation. Tell us about upskilling initiatives undertaken by the company. We focus on upskilling requirements across levels and for the overall construction sector. We are working towards implementing a ‘work integrated training’ model for upskilling talent, especially the frontline workforce. Towards this, we are creating a pool of certified departmental trainers and establishing ‘centres of excellence’ that will provide scalability and sustainability to the upskilling initiative. The training focuses on identifying internal supervisors who are trained and certified as department trainers and the skilling happens on the job. A strong assessment intervention has been embedded in the upskilling process to ensure quality assurance. What current trends are reshaping the HR sector? As we strengthen HR systems processes at TPL, the focus is on ‘ease of working’ and bringing ‘HR in the flow of work’. Keeping these principles in mind, we repurpose key HR processes like performance, rewards, learning and development (L&D) engagement, etc. We are also working to create a greater connect with the frontline workforce. As the economy upgrades, the sector will need to strengthen connectedness with the frontline workforce. How important is skilled talent? With growing business opportunities in new lines of business, upskilling becomes very critical. A safety mindset is of utmost importance. Many other factors such as digitalisation and sustainability need to be understood better for delivering business results. Skilled talent improves both productivity and performance. Projects led by highly skilled teams consistently exhibit a 20 per cent increase in efficiency and 15 per cent reduction in timelines. Skilled talent plays a critical role, aiding firms in driving competitiveness, fostering innovation and upholding our commitment to excellence in the field of infrastructure development. It ensures the successful execution of projects, facilitates the adoption of the latest technology, and helps navigate through project intricacies. It is very important for organisations to build a skilled talent pool and include more women and youth in the sector. How can HR policies contribute to India's growth potential? We need to bring in HR policies that will enable India to continue on the growth path. The tremendous growth India has seen in the last decade is also an indicator of its potential, which still has a lot to uncover. While we strive to secure our position in the global economy, our peers have been gauging our development through lenses of digital initiatives, ease of doing business, and the quality output of a young and abundant workforce. HR can be a gamechanger by investing in avenues such as skill development programmes that increase employability of domestic talent, diversity and inclusion (D&I) initiatives to welcome a diverse diaspora of employees contributing to the GDP, retaining top talent in the nation by developing a continuous listening infrastructure and approaching faster adoption of technology collaborating with, and guiding, government initiatives towards labour welfare. How is artificial intelligence (AI) being used in HR processes? AI is a growing phenomenon and, in my view, here to stay. We need to have a digital core in place and then gradually move towards leveraging AI in the organisation. It has taken up an important role when it comes to the HR function as it enables employers to strengthen their core operations, providing a faster and more efficient result. AI’s contribution towards important areas such as resume screening, candidate matching, document management and search have reduced the TAT of talent acquisition significantly. Predictive and suggestive analysis-based decision-making is progressively scaling up, with the ability to churn ever-growing databases at the blink of an eye. With the automation of manual processes, HR professionals are enabled to become thought leaders of their organisation and wear a strategic hat to build a better future for employees. AI will play a big role in driving productivity and creating employee experience. What measures has your company implemented for talent retention? It is very important to create a connect between the talent and the organisation. We need to work on a favourable organisational culture, leadership styles and employee engagement initiatives that makes us an employer of choice. Our focus is on providing learning opportunities for our employees. These include: Job rotations for trainees: Our trainee programme is crafted to enhance the learning experience, incorporating two rotations annually. These rotations strategically expose individuals to diverse sites, businesses, functions or departments, cultivating a well-rounded skill set in our young talent. Following a two-year tenure in a specific role, trainees engage in further rotations, ensuring seamless transitions into new roles with greater responsibilities, drawing on insights gained from their previous experiences. Leadership development programmes/job rotations/executive coaching: Every year, we recognise high performers and put them thorough leadership potential assessments to focus on their strengths and areas of improvement. Based on these findings, a personalised developmental programme is crafted to equip them for increased responsibilities. Also we have forged partnerships with top-tier institutions to implement initiatives like finance leadership development programme (FLDP) and employability enhancement programme (EEP). This entails selected participants undergoing training at prestigious institutions such as IIM-A and Tata management training centre (TMTC), to elevate their skills and groom them for leadership roles. Participants in this programme not only receive recognition and rewards but also experience an expedited career progression. Also job rotation and executive coaching helps employees prepare for leadership roles.