Amidst Adversity Lies Opportunity

He is one who has grown in this industry that has made him aware of every pulse of Human Resources. Sarabjeet Singh Gill comes with a breath of fresh ideas which are destined to change the face of this industry. Currently working with CloudMoyo as Senior Manager-HR, his acute know-how of HR analytics has given him the upper hand in understanding the complex business initiatives, making him achieve exceptional results. In a tête-à-tête with Corporate Citizen, he spoke about a plethora of topics that cover Human Resources

"The rate at which we are using AI is rising exponentially and it is expected to have a transforming effect on the HR functions. The biggest driving force behind the growth of AI’s impact in the field of HR is the massive growth and current trend of big data"

- Sarabjeet Singh Gill,
Cloudmoyo, Senior Manager - HR

Corporate Citizen: Tell us a bit about your career journey so far…

Sarabjeet Singh Gill : To begin with, I was born in a town nestled amidst the mountains of Srinagar. Owing to my father’s Army background, I had the privilege of studying all across India. Be it travelling all around the country or my upbringing, the way I approached people-my communication skills have enhanced, turning me into a people’s person. Since the very beginning, technology intrigued me. And to cater to that passion of mine, I pursued my Bachelor's in Computer Application from Khalsa College, Jalandhar. That’s when I had my first tryst of working in a corporate firm. Somewhere, I also had an interest in Human Resources. Although I joined the company as a software engineer, within no time I developed an intricate taste for HR and took a transfer to that department. And since then there was no looking back.

Within a few days, my company saw a spark in me which is why they enrolled me for a program with Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies for MBA in HR. This on the job training provided me with the much-needed exposure in every aspect of this corporate world. After spending three years there, I had a small stint with Cross County Healthcare, where I served them as a senior Human Resources Associate. And before joining GS Labs in 2014, I briefly worked as a freelancer and in August 2012, I joined Calsoft as a senior business partner HR. And now I'm with CloudMoyo serving them as their senior manager-HR.

It’s been more than 12 years that I have been in this field, and I proud to say that it has given me so much more than I ever expected. Sure, there were several ups and downs but this industry has taught me how to fight back and emerge victorious.

CC: How according to you has the image of HR has evolved over the years?

A decade ago, people used to treat HR as a punching bag. However, over the years, this picture has changed giving this department its due credit. Today, HR is no more just a department, it's something that adds value to the organisation. The team is also an integral part of the key decisions that the company takes. Digitalisation and influx of technology have given some leverage to our industry. This, in turn, has made our industry an inseparable part of the ecosystem which has led to a few changes, mostly in the way how we function. It has fortunately shadowed the perception of HR. And now it's all about value adding. We are the partners in the business where we are equally valued.

CC: Before entering the realm of HR, you had a brief stint as a software engineer. How did you preserve this shift to the HR department?

The shift frankly was easy and smooth because I'm a people person and incidentally HR is all about the people. Now, this virtue was inculcated in me by my family and the fact that we had to shift every two years due to my father's profession made me adaptable to every situation. Humans have a complex personality and at times, it becomes easy to decode the technology than to understand human. This complexity is what fascinated me and pushed to take on this challenge. Since I also come from a computer background, it has given me an upper edge in evaluating certain processes. As I can relate to technology easily, it gives me easy access in analysing and advocating people related solutions.

"Today, HR is no more just a department, it’s something that adds value to the organisation. The team is also an integral part of the key decisions that the company takes"

CC: Can you enlighten us a bit about the know-how of HR analytics?

HR is one department of the company that has access to most of the data. In today's unpredictable times, data plays an important role for various reasons. Be it your performance appraisal, hiring data or others. And if we don't assess and analyse that data, you'd automatically lose the opportunity of making the right decision. We need to analyse the data to reduce the element of surprise.

In my previous organisation, I had come up with a model which evaluated the data to reveal the attrition rate. As a part of campus hiring, we hired several freshers from the top-notch colleges. But sooner or later, the attrition rate started increasing. When we assessed the data, I realised that the freshers after gaining some experience quit their jobs for higher education. We were ready with the attrition numbers well in advance. After understanding the trigger points, we took the necessary steps which minimised the element of surprise, in this situation, the attrition rate.

Incidentally, I had penned down an article on the know-how of HR analytics. It speaks about the need for measuring ROI in HR areas like talent management, budget allocation for the workforce, and qualitative reporting for performance management. I feel that analytics, Big Data in which we have Hadoop, Elasticsearch, Python, Sparx and Kafka are some of the technologies which help you scale up to the next well.

CC: Could you talk about the types of analytical models…

• Reporting : It’s the old age method in which we report data in a form of presentation based on the past data.
• Analytics and Monitoring : It’s the next step where you not only do active analysis but you also monitor problem areas for findings leads to your outcome. For instance, when it comes to attrition analysis, you present the past data and also monitor the ongoing pulse of your employees to lower the attrition data.
• Predictive analysis : One can do descriptive and inferential analytics using past data and when you combine it with current data, you will be able to predict which is known as predictive analysis. For instance, based on the pattern of an employee as per the engagement programs, surveys, pulse meetings, performance ratings and feedback, salary/revision details, and leave/attendance (working from office or work from home) patterns, can help you determine the likelihood of your employee risk of leaving.

CC: In this day and age, how important is it for the HR to have an efficient employee relationship?

Building an honest and effective relationship is always the key. Irrespective of the technology, human touch and interaction will always take the driver’s seat. We do rely on digital conversations but we cannot leave the system entirely on technology. There are several applications that understand the pattern of human emotions but employees still appreciate human interaction.

Feedback is something that can play an important role in employee engagement. One should always have internal employee satisfaction surveys which will give you a clear picture of various aspects"

CC: Enlighten us about a few employee engagement activities that cater to reducing the employee's stress.

Baring from the regular HR activities, we have come up with a few interventions when it comes to actual employee engagement. We have our HR committee that conducts project-wise HR connect. It talks about the debriefing which is based on the project needs. It's more of a customised approach depending on the audience. Secondly, what we have realised is, instead of HR playing a major role, we have the leadership of those engineers coming in and playing the role of the facilitators. The onus is on the employees to participate and at the same time, they become the bridge between leadership and ground.

Thirdly, feedback is something that can play an important role in employee engagement. One should always have internal employee satisfaction surveys which will give you a clear picture of various aspects. Also, mapping your index score yearly will direct several prospects of your employee engagement.

In my previous organisation, we had created some multiple forums where people could automatically contribute to be a part of the community. For instance, Hackathon is one of the areas where like-minded people come for problem- solving. It's a team-building activity which gives a good outcome. Such activities require less investment but it gives a huge ROI. I would insist the HRs to push their people to go for meetups, community tasks and ask them to write blogs as well.

CC: Does the responsibility of the HR extends to understanding the employee’s family as well?

Of course, primarily because an employee gets their values from the family. During the hiring process, we try to get a clear picture of their family background. In my previous organisation, the moment someone came on board, we would send a nicely crafted letter to their family. We followed the same process when we had to appreciate the employee’s performance. Family fun day at our organisation is more of a recurring event.

CC: How is Artificial Intelligence now acting as a driving force in HR functions?

We are working in tandem with the new technology. The rate at which we are using AI is rising exponentially and it is expected to have a transforming effect on the human resource functions. The biggest driving force behind the growth of AI’s impact in the field of HR is the massive growth and current trend of big data. Since, Artificial Intelligence implies machine demonstrating intelligence, mimicking, assisting and, competing human, the traditional organisational setups that rely solely on human services are undergoing and will undergo even more major changes. AI is redesigning and restating the way human resource management is done and the way various human resource functions are performed.

CC: The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has made us realise that we are living in uncertain times. How can HR contribute in the times of crisis?

As we go through the unprecedented disruptions, we also have an opportunity to define the next evolution of the HR function. HR can contribute to the following areas…

• Ensuring the mental and physical well-being of employees.
• Maintaining employee engagement, productivity and effectiveness.
• Creating an eco-system around work from home.
• Adapting to the New Normal: Facilitating change and shaping culture.
• Protecting employment and preserving livelihoods.

"Work from home has brought up new challenges on the table schools and daycare closure, just to name a few. To keep the kids occupied, manage household chores and then work, can be a task"

CC: How according to you can a company bounce back post this crisis?

This situation is new to all of us and regardless of where we are based, HR practitioners around the world are facing similar challenges. Amidst adversity lies opportunity. Every challenge comes with an undertone of several opportunities. Rather than seeing this crisis as a problem, focusing on it as a situation to handle in a resourceful way can help everyone. The Covid-19 situation has put the HR function at the decision table and in the driving seat for the redesigning of an organisation. HR has a crucial role in bringing employees to safe harbour and propel organisations into a new era. We have an opportunity to reinvent the HR function and how it can positively impact our businesses by looking at it from multiple angles in the short and long term.

CC: Now that work from home is the ‘new normal’, could you tell us a few ways through people can work from home efficiently?

The work from home scenario has brought up new challenges on the table schools and daycare closure, just to name a few. To keep the kids occupied, manage household chores and then work, can be a task. But don’t forget, we are in this together. Don’t worry if your kids make noise in the background. It’s the new normal now and everyone can understand that. Just practice to be on mute during your call and only unmute when it's your turn. If you are on call with a customer, don’t be embarrassed, we all are sailing in the same boat! It’s fine to bring them in the video during normal connect calls as this helps you to build more personal connections. Do introduce your kids to your teams on video once or twice. It’s fun to meet them. Your family is part of our extended team, make them aware that they are helping the community by being at home. Apart from that eat healthy, stay hydrated and take proper breaks for your lunch and evening snacks. Following schedule is the key fundamental part which you should not ignore.

CC: Tell us about an idea that changed your life.

There have been several significant instances which have enhanced the value of my life. One of them is the shift from being an engineer to an HR. Another moment that made me realise my worth was when I began working as a freelancer. It was truly an aha moment which got me acquainted with my potential. It was the time when I built a huge network in the Pune and Mumbai market. I received more contracts and that’s when I got to know that I have invested in the right path.

CC: An advice that you've received which has made a huge impact on you...

I have learnt this from my father and incidentally, the seniors from earlier company taught me the same you need to have empathy. We need to show empathy wherever we are working and automatically we will be respected. You'll be open more towards life. If we are not empathetic, we are missing on the human angle when it comes to HR, and HR is all about people.

CC: How has dealing with people changed you as a human and as an HR professional?

All human beings are unique, so I learn new things every day. It gives me a lot of challenges and also pushes me to keep learning. We are dealing with different people and not to forget we are also working with different generations as well; imagine the range of people and the exposure they provide us.