Business ENABLERS, Value CREATORS

MANISH VERMA

Manish Verma is Head HR, Asia Pacific, Cargill, and based in Singapore. He steers the multinational company’s Global Human Resources Solutions team, providing overall guidance on HR strategic matters, solutions, consulting and delivery. Verma is responsible for delivering comprehensive value added human resource services across all functional areas for Asia Pacific leaders and employees. Prior to this, he has worked with companies like Accenture where he led HR for the Consulting business for APAC, Nokia as their Global Talent lead and with Tech Mahindra as the HR Head for UK & Europe based in the UK. He is an alumnus of the Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS), Pune and University of London, UK. In an in depth interview with Corporate Citizen, Verma gives a deep insight into the various facets of the global corporate culture embedded in Singapore

"Singapore is a nation that values people who bring in expertise and skills. Thus, it is a conglomeration of global talent with professionals of different nationalities"

Corporate Citizen: Singapore is the regional hub for Cargill for the Asia-Pacific, and you are the APAC HR head. What are your responsibilities and goals?

Manish Verma: Cargill is the world’s largest commodity and food processing company employing 160,000 people. Asia is the largest region in terms of its employee strength to the tune of 60,000 people, predominantly because it houses India, Indonesia, Thailand and China, which have the largest employee population. Asia consumes more food, and we are in the food business.

My responsibility is to formulate the HR strategy, roadmap and oversee the HR business plans. It comprises HR strategy talent management, operations, performance, employee experience, learning & development. I have a team of 280 HR employees across 11 countries in Asia to deliver these HR solutions.

CC: What strategies do you adopt to steer such a significant number of people?

By interacting with the Managing Director and the Regional CEO, we understand what kind of strategy we need to have for the region. For example, currently, we are focussed on the Asia Talent Strategy to invest in talent that can give a competitive advantage. We work with the goal to grow business through the organic channel, creating targeted strategies for specific countries.

CC: How is Singapore as a workplace, and how do you rate it as a work destination?

Having worked in the U.K, India and Europe, I feel Singapore, from that standpoint, is a nation that values people who bring in expertise and skills. Thus, it is a conglomeration of global talent with professionals of different nationalities-including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, China and India. What I love about this country is that it not only provides opportunities for people from across the globe, but locals appreciate the foreign talent and do not see them as job-snatchers. At the same time, the corporate world here is very competitive as the talent coming from outside is of very high quality. So for me, the added advantage of heading the HR here is that we can hire the best quality talent too.

CC: HR, according to you, has transformed from just scouting for talent to becoming a business value creator in Cargill. Could you elaborate?

In 2015, we transformed the role of HR from distributed HR teams to metamorphosing it into a business value creator. The fundamental change was that HR helps not just in employment matters but helps to create managers to be better managers, with more focus on business success, growth and enablement.

To achieve this, we firstly adopted new age technology to improve the speed of decision making through self-service. Second, we outsourced non-value adding activities or moved away from that. Third, we built a new team with diverse skills, we invested in their capability development, which proved to be more fruitful.

CC: What strategies have you put in place for talent acquisition?

Talent acquisition is one of our main focus. Before moving to the Regional HR Lead role, I was the regional talent acquisition leader and played a critical role in attracting and selecting talent. Our strategy is to look at the talent available within the country (of operation) and so the plan is to be locally relevant. What works in China may not work in India or Indonesia. In areas like technology, we adopt a global strategy.

For recruitment, we use technology and support service. We assess potential candidates online through AI and other leading digital tools. For example, in China, people use the phone more than they use laptops. So unless the strategy is mobile-friendly, it won’t be effective.

CC: Is it true that nowadays, HR is also about retaining employees and equipping them with more knowledge and relevance?

HR alone does not work on retaining employees but about creating employees to become better professionals and managers. If you create good managers, they will, in turn, create an environment for the retention of people in their respective teams. So, we focus on building manager capability by training managers to have better performance management, better conversation and better employee engagement. That has paid dividends as the general attrition rate in the industry is at 15%, while ours is at 9%.

Also, ours is a family-owned company (founded in 1865), but it is not a family run company. The culture here is pro-employee and extremely people-centric, and there is a strong psychological safety culture too. Which means you feel psychologically safe to share your thoughts and views. Cargill encourages people to open up their feelings when they think that things are not going in the right direction. We also have guiding principles and leadership expectations to enable company culture and performance.

"Our focus is to have inclusive culture for enabling growth and advancement of diverse employees"

CC: In this VUCA world, what is the role of HR?

VUCA is an acronym first used in 1987 and based on the war leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus. Subsequently, it was incorporated into the corporate world by Harvard Business Review. It stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity. It is an environment where each professional has to be very focused on business, as the work situation is volatile. HR plays a vital role as it gears up to create a stable organisation when the entire environment is unstable. Ambiguity is an unknown situation where we are not sure where we want to invest, and decisions are often risk taking ones. So, we build leaders here who thrive on ambiguity. VUCA is the new norm, which came into the active discussion only in the 2000s after the 9/11 terror attack, after which things became volatile.

CC: Which kind of employee, young or veteran adapts best to the definition of VUCA?

Every professional or company has to adapt to VUCA. Some adapt quickly, some slowly. A sterling example is that of Nokia, where I worked earlier. It did not adjust to the changing world fast, as it was basking in the reliability quotient of its phones, which never crashed. However, when the touch phone came into the market and customers clamoured for it, Nokia took time to change, Our focus is to have inclusive culture for enabling growth and advancement of diverse employees continuing to focus on producing a stable phone, and it soon lost its market. The same thing happened with Kodak. Its top brass never envisioned that people would go in for digital photos and so Kodak ceased to exist. The corporate world is all about adapting in these VUCA times. I feel the younger generation is much more open to adapting and changing. They come up with good ideas and solutions.

CC: To what age group do your employees belong to? Do you have a mature workforce too?

It varies from country to country; in India and China, we have more millennials in the workforce, as both these countries have a larger percentage of young people than in other countries. So it varies from country to country.

CC: What are your views on the millennial workforce?

People born in the 1980s are nearing their forties and are not so young now. They are already CEOs and hold other senior positions in the corporate world. Millennials are committed to their skills and do not believe in being loyal to just one company. They want to explore their opportunities for better jobs continually, so their average tenure is typically between 18 months to two years. If they had a choice, they would like to work from multiple companies at the same time. They continuously want to self-assess themselves professionally. So, unlike the other generation, which was very shy of asking for feedback, the younger generation thrives on it.

CC: Japan has an ageing workforce. Do they lack in terms of efficiency?

Efficiency comes from automation. About two decades back, Japan, Korea and Thailand were more efficient due to automation, whereas India lagged, so there was a marked difference in efficiency then. Innovation depends on the calibre of the people, and now I see more innovation coming from India and China as compared to Japan.

CC: Does Cargill have an active social media presence?

These days, you cannot shy away from social media. Otherwise, you will be left behind by your competitors. We have our presence in all the leading social media you can think of-Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. We encourage social media responsibility and contribution to social media by our employees without getting into any political matter but promoting harmony and self image.

CC: Cargill is known to be one of the best multinational companies for employing women. Could you tell us about gender diversity in your company?

Like most companies, we focus on inclusion and diversity. We make women employees feel more inclusive and have supportive and women-friendly policies. We had given them options to work from home, even before the Covid-19 made it compulsory for all employees during the circuit breaker period. In China, we have a larger number of female employees, as compared to Singapore, which has a tiny group.

"Food Safety and Security Regulations are a big point of focus for us, and for that, we have stringent norms"

CC: Tell us a bit about Cargill in terms of how it operates globally.

It would not be an exaggeration to state that between all that is grown on the field and to practically all that we eat, we play a role as we form the crucial link. Under the theme of ‘Field to Fork,’ we directly interact with farmers for buying their produce. For example, we buy sunflower seeds from the farmer, crush the seeds and extract oil. The oil is sold to various consumer companies for use in their food and cosmetic products. The crushed seeds are sold to animal feed to industries that produce food for animals. The edible refined oil is bought by large companies and consumers like us for frying and cooking. In the USA, we have beef plants which market the meat to many industries. The leather of the animal skin goes to make seat covers for four-wheelers and handbags for renowned companies. We are into ocean transportation as well, and at any given time of the year, we have large number of ships sailing to deliver material in many oceans, across the world.

CC: How do you maintain quality control, food safety and hygiene standards?

Food Safety and Security Regulations are a big point of focus for us, and for that, we have stringent norms. We make sure that whatever goes out of our company is of high-quality consumable grade. We work with each country’s government to ensure that we meet up to their standards of food safety regulations and do not make any compromise. We work with governments and ensure we implement their policies. The concept of food safety in India is relatively new, and it is only now that consumers in India read labels on food items and are very conscious about it.

CC: What advice would you like to give student managers who are all set to enter the corporate world?

We look at four areas while hiring MBA students. Firstly, they should have leadership qualities. Secondly, they should be team players. Thirdly, he or she must have the ability for problem solving or analytical thinking. The last but not the least requirement is adaptability to change. If you adapt quickly to the transforming world, you are an asset to the company. Corporates look at team building and leadership and change when they employ youngsters.

CC: What is the philosophy of life that you live by?

Life is all about finding different things and having no regrets. Respect for others is one big focus for me, and it is non-negotiable. The other thing is trying everything before saying ‘no’. Having a growth mindset and curious to learn.

Women must have their own identity

Nisha Verma

Nisha Verma is HR Leader at Accenture for the last 16 plus years and currently based in Singapore and has ably balanced her work home life. She firmly believes that women must have their own identity and find support system to balance their life and progress their career. Prior to Accenture, she has worked with NHS, BEA systems in the UK. In this interview with Corporate Citizen, she speaks about the changing curve of the HR department in the corporate world

Corporate Citizen: As an HR leader, how do you deal with people of different cultures and nationalities?

Nisha Verma: When you are an HR leader in a company spanning different regions, you need to understand each one’s socio cultural aspect. It is critical not to have one standard approach. For example, we have employees from Asian countries like Japan, China and SEA, Australia, the Middle-East and Africa. All of them differ culturally, some of them give more priority to inter personal relationships, while others give weight to the tasks they undertake. There are cultural difference in terms of working hours, some countries are known to be early starters and like to finish early where as in other countries following 9 am to 6 pm is important and in India staring late is fine and working is the evening is a norm too.

The most important thing for an HR leader is to understand and be conscious of the fact that there are cultural differences and one has to customise the approach to fit the culture of the country.

CC: How is the work culture in Singapore as compared to India?

Singapore is a unique country in a way because it is a melting pot of Asian and Western cultures, and everyone is respected. You are in a team where employees come from different countries across the world. The kind of opportunity you get is fantastic, as a multinational company there are multiple opportunities to work in a diverse team. So, you could be working very closely with Asians, Americans or the Europeans and have a tremendous opportunity to grow.

As for how Singapore is different from India, there is indeed a sharp contrast. In India, even multinational companies located in the country have certain norms in terms of how we work and interact. Working in India gives you an experience of working with one culture, whereas in Singapore, you work with multiple cultures.

CC: What about values like punctuality?

When you work in a multinational company, irrespective of whether it is in India or elsewhere, everyone respects others time. In Singapore, when a meeting is scheduled at a specific time, everybody will come precisely at that time, and it will also finish at the scheduled time. People respect each other in terms of punctuality and professionalism.

CC: What changes have undergone in the HR field since you came in?

When we graduated out of college about 20 years ago, HR was primarily a support function, now HR profession is more strategic and aligned to the business. Over the years, HR has transformed. Today, HR is about translating business strategies to HR strategies to support the business growth and providing coaching and guidance on all people and leadership matters.

Traditional HR was all about running the HR process but today, HR has a seat at the table and considered as a critical function to grow the business performance. Culture, Inclusion and Diversity and providing insights through predictive analytics for better business results, HR digital transformation are some of the key focus areas.

"Traditional HR was all about running the HR process but today HR has a seat at the table and considered as a critical function"

CC: How did you adapt to these changes?

I learnt early in my career, that change is the only permanent thing in the corporate world and being agile and adaptable has helped me over the years. We have to be agile and adapt ourselves through the changes as and when the organisation goes through a transformation. I am a firm believer that you change or someone else will change you. We need to ensure that we are staying relevant by learning and having different learning experiences and moving to new ways of working.

CC: As a woman in the corporate world, what have been your challenges?

I have been fortunate to have a great support system at home that has helped me to continue to focus on my career and balance my role as a mother, wife and daughter and I have been fortunate to work in a great organisation like Accenture that has such a great culture with flexibility one gets. I had observed that many women drop out of the corporate world when they have a child, and then coming back to work is a challenge. That was my concern. But when I had my child, I took maternity leave for about six months and got back to work with a flexible work schedule, which helped me to balance home and work. The most important advice I would give is not to give up your career. Make a support system that will help to continue in one’s professional journey.

CC: Why do you think there are very few women at the top?

There is a lack of women leaders because women drop out at the cusp of middle and senior management level. There are multiple reasons like marriage, having a child, supporting family etc. The other reason is hesitation to take up higher responsibilities that require a lot of travel and work commitment including competition. There is huge unconscious bias too. There is always a conflict about prioritising other roles and to take a step back and support the family, instead of themselves getting ambitious and climbing up the corporate ladder. Yet another reason is that there are not enough role models to follow, as there are not many women out there with tremendous success stories. However, things are changing, and now we see more women role models, like Indra Nooyi, for example. In the next few years, you will see many more women leaders coming up, as the shift towards being more career oriented has already begun.

CC: What advice would you give to young student managers who are waiting in the wings to enter the corporate world?

I would recommend focusing on three C’s which I learnt during my career and had helped me to grow. The first is Commitment, which I always tell my son. I learnt it at a young age from my parents. It is essential to give 100 per cent to whatever we do in life be it playing sports, any project, participation in a competition giving 100% commitment always gives results. The second C is Competence, and that is one thing that differentiates us as individuals. Many professionals in the corporate world who were never toppers in school or college have done exceedingly well due to their competency, continuous learning which happens when one has curiosity. The third C is Confidence.

In my learning, I believe there is one more thing that is, never give up and do not be afraid of failure. It is also essential to have a goal in mind. We need to decide why we are doing this MBA? Is it to get a job, or just to get a degree, or to be an entrepreneur? And then work around it.

CC: What is the philosophy of life that you live by?

I genuinely believe in the saying that you are the master of your destiny. What you are is a combination of different experiences that come into your life based on the choices one takes. I also believe that one must not give up; we should learn from our failures.

Cherishing Life Together

Manish and Nisha Verma

Respect and support for each other is key to the success of a marriage. Sometimes one takes the driving seat, and the other takes a back seat that helps to keep the marriage harmonious.

Nisha and Manish Verma did their BSc in Chemistry together at Fergusson College, and that’s where the chemistry sparked off between them. Ever since, it has been a smooth sailing journey, riding on the wave of mutual understanding and space for each other’s professional progress. They provide some tips on work-life balance, executed so wisely.

Jab we met

It’s indeed love that has sustained and grows richer by the day. Recalling his college days, Manish says, “Both of us studied at Fergusson College where we did our BSc in Chemistry together. We were in the same batch for MBA HR, and also did our internship together. She is from Kerala, but both our fathers were in the army, so we had a similar upbringing and perhaps therefore clicked.’’ Adds Nisha, “The bedrock and beauty of our relationship have been our friendship throughout our college days. We had our ups and downs, supported to each other and grew together.’’

Qualities that attracted

Nisha says, “He is a very uplifting person with no pretensions. I love his sense of humour and one liners. I respect his intellectual capability – it is fun being with him.” As for Manish, he says, “She is a very transparent person. Respect is paramount and critical in keeping the marriage.” She is a very strong HR professional.

Mutual support

Says Manish, “My family has been vital to me from a success standpoint, and I attribute this to Nisha. She came along and has been very supportive at different junctions in my career. Sometimes one takes the driving seat and the other the backseat, and that helps a lot too.’’ Nisha concurs, “My journey would not have been possible without the kind of support I had from him. He considered my career as important as his. He made sure that after marriage, I did not have to quit. We worked in the UK, and he helped me a lot in terms of being relevant to the industry. I did not have to leave the job and move locations as and when he moved locations, we worked it out to ensure it works for both our careers. Being in the same profession helps, I always lean on to him for an independent viewpoint.

On keeping the marriage

Manish reveals, “Divorces are prevalent now in the industry. We were together from a very young age. We have grown together and not grown apart, so that is the key. We understand each other. Our parents live just a block away, and we are best friends, and I have adapted into their family. Secondly, we have cherished our life in whatever we have done together."

On child upbringing

Elaborates Manish, “Our son, Vihaan, is nine years old. Time is precious, as both of us are working parents. Our family time is from 6 to 9 pm, which we exclusively spend with him. I am teaching him to be more creative through painting and sports, and she is trying to get him interested in music. I value teaching him to respect others. Resilience is something I also want him to learn and is all about how you collect yourself and how you bounce back."

Nisha adds, “We aim to give him a safe and happy environment. We want him to bloom and blossom but at the same time we need to discipline him and do our bit. We provide him as much exposure as we can. Hopefully, he gets a taste of everything, and then excels in the area/field he likes. He is currently following his passion for writing and is a budging author who loves to write stories. We ensure he has the fundamental values and above all grows up to be responsible and kind human being.