‘HR Professionals Shouldn’t Behave Like Robots’

Amit Sharma, VP-HR, Volvo Group India, advises colleagues from HR fraternity to balance the capabilities of taking decisions with the aid of data and emotions

Q. Please tell us something about yourself. What have been the key highlights in your career?

I value agility, decisiveness and detail orientation. I have always pushed myself beyond the comfort zone. One of the key milestones in my career has been making a bold shift from a PSU to a US MNC. It was a watershed moment in my career which fundamentally changed my career trajectory. It was a big risk, but the urge to learn something different and at a higher pace pulled me towards it. I have also focused on getting varied experiences as I believe it’s the experiences which makes one a well-rounded professional. So I planned my career in a manner that after Manufacturing HR, I moved to Engineering HR, then Business HR and finally to Country HR role. Each experience was a building block for something larger.

Q. Any awards/achievements that you would want to share with us?

One of my most cherished recognitions is when I was nominated by Johnson & Johnson to witness the Beijing Olympics in the year 2008. It was for my contributions towards setting up a new greenfield manufacturing site for J&J and also for my business partnering work I did there – hiring 150 employees after a rigorous process of screening almost 1,800 candidates, transitioning them from agricultural/horticultural life to corporate life, building competence and managing talent and engagement.

Q. How can HR help create world class organizations in today’s context of evolving world of jobs?

HR needs to ensure that organizations remain contemporary in terms of the org designs and requirements of the employees. Creating organizational structures and processes which reinforce the right behavior and culture, which in turn supports the business strategy is a key role of contemporary HR. Focusing on building right mindsets, reinforcing relevant behaviors, developing strategic capabilities needs to be the focus of the HR function.

You might also be interested to read: ‘Responsibility For Creating The Right Behaviors And Values Squarely Sits With HR’ – Muniinder K Anand, MD, India & South Asia, Center for Creative Leadership

Q. In the context of the future of work, what new roles do you see emerging in the HR function? How should HR professionals prepare themselves to remain relevant?

HR professionals need to start getting comfortable with data. They need to develop the capabilities of taking decisions with the aid of data, but not solely basis the data. It sounds confusing!! What I mean is HR professionals need to have the ability to analyze data and deduce patterns emerging from it; however, while taking the people’s decisions, they should also consider the immense potential of human possibilities which can be evoked in a person. When we have data, there is a temptation to go solely by it, but here lies the real HR skill of balancing this with emotions and feelings. HR professionals shouldn’t behave like robots.

Q. You have closely seen the HR fraternity as Vice President of the award-winning Bangalore chapter of NHRD. How prepared are the members of your professional fraternity to be able to meet the future expectations and rising demands of the business leaders?

The HR fraternity in Bangalore is surely driving the business agenda shoulder to shoulder with the business leaders. I have personally seen the CHROs here being the trusted partners of the CEOs in driving business strategy. Also, the fraternity here is very open to sharing their experiences with other colleagues and supporting them when they need help. The NHRD Bangalore has had a rich tradition of building the relevant capabilities in HR professionals across all levels and functions.

Q. What’s your view on the mega global trends in HR?

In my view, the key global megatrends in the HR shall be:

• Providing Digital Employee Experience
• Ensuring Technology and Heart Work Together
• Having Employee Value Proposition: Working with Purpose
• Personalization of HR Policies
• Focusing on Inclusion Above Diversity
• Enhanced Speed of Change
• Continuously Evolving Culture
• Communications Across Organizations
• Presence of Gig Workforce
• Focus on Health and Well-being

The difference between the winners and the losers shall be not about the environment they operate in, but how they react and adapt to the changing environment

Q. How does one ensure quality of hires? Today, we see people everywhere but employability remains elusive, why?

To ensure employability, there needs to be much closer industry academia connect. Industry too needs to rise to the occasion and contribute towards developing the curriculum, providing practical exposure through structured internships and apprenticeships and visiting academia for sharing their learnings. Industry can’t just expect to be a consumer but also needs to be co-creator.

About Amit Sharma

Amit Sharma is VP – HR and member of the Country Management Team for Volvo Group India. In a career spanning more than 20 years, he has worked across various HR roles with top of the line organizations in diverse set of industries such as Indian Oil, Johnson & Johnson, Philips and TE Connectivity. Amit has received various internal and external recognitions for his work in HR and has been speaking on HR issues on various forums. Currently, he is also Hon. Vice President of the National HRD Network, Bangalore Chapter. Amit is MBA(HR) from UBS, Panjab University, Chandigarh and an Engineering Graduate from Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology, Patiala. He has also done Diploma in Training & Development from ISTD New Delhi, is a certified OD Practitioner from ISABS, New Delhi and also a certified Coach.