At what point in your life did you decide to take up HR as your career? What were the guiding / motivating factors?

1998 – I was very interested in studying the human behaviour and role of human resources contribution towards the business growth. I had a keen interest to map people’s aspirations to their role in the organisation. Hence, I decided to pursue my Post Graduation in Human Resources and thus started my journey in this field.

HR is one practice that touches human lives directly. Do you think employers and specially HR Professional can play role in reducing stress levels of employees through various employee engagement initiatives?

An employee spends larger part of his waking hours in an organization. Companies play a pivotal role in an employees’ personal and professional journey. Considering the hectic lifestyle in metro cities, an employee takes trouble to just reach the office (the various travel hurdles). In this situation, there has to be more than just the ‘career’ aspect of the job. The ‘warmth’, ‘fun’ and ‘lighter moments’ plays a vital role in deciding the employees span in an organisation. This has to be definitely backed with a strong career path.

HR should definitely ensure a stress-free environment for the employees.
 

What are some of the most important employee engagement initiatives related to Music, Art, Dance or Sports that you have taken in your career?

With a diverse culture like India, our employees are deeply connected to their roots. In my career span of over two decades, I have been able to combine all of the above in various engagement initiatives.
Dandiya Celebration, Musical Nite, Sports – Cricket /Football, Indoor and Outdoor games, Skits are conducted on regular basis. Celebrating festivals within the organisation creates a deeper bond among the employees.
 

Do you think time and cost for employee engagements are an investment for the organisation and can help in multi-fold returns?

Yes, this will have multi fold returns. However majority of the companies are not ready for this investment. They would still prefer low cost strategies and low or ‘no cost’ investments.

Do you feel there is a need even to reach out to the family of employees so that they get better connected to the company? Have you undertaken any such initiative in your past or current organization?

Yes, it is imperative that the families are a part of the company. In some of my organisations, we have conducted Family Day, inviting the family (and loved ones) for such events. This creates a stronger bond. The families connect over dance, music or sports.

What is the one change that you would like to bring in HR practice that has potential to boost employees work-life balance?

Creating an environment when the employees develop their personal hobbies at the workplace (or closer to workplace). Inviting like-minded friends (not necessarily from the same company) for a sport or a dance session or a trek group will definitely boost the employee work life balance.

What are your personal interests in Music, Art, Dance or Sports and how do you continue to pursue it?

Pursuing Bharatnatyam has been long pending goal. Meeting IMD1 team has reignited the passion and I wish to pursue this interest.

Any other thoughts you may want to share.

Do not forget to pursue your interests. Create your own space and relive your happy moments. A Happy life is what excites the soul. If you do not find passion in your work, work on your passions.  You will feel rejuvenated at work on a Monday after an exciting weekend of pursuing your passion.