‘Jobs Would Also Require A More Mobile Workforce To Fill The Skill Gaps’

Dev Deepika, HR Head, First Data India (Subsidiary of Fiserv), is of the view that high learning agility and multi-skilling would come handy for any professional to tide over the disruptions  

Q. Tell us about yourself, your career and key achievements.

Being from an Army background, I went through nine different schools in different cities,  before I entered college. This gave me an opportunity to learn, understand and adapt to diversity from a very early stage in my life. I believe this is one attribute that has played a very important role in shaping me.

Twenty three years back, I started my professional career in Mumbai and since then just got absorbed in the city. I started as an Equity Research Analyst and then chose to move to HR. Last two decades, have been invested across various roles spanning across talent acquisition, development and management, improving the learning quotient, developing compensation strategies, enhancing engagement, leading the CSR and diversity initiatives, being a mentor, a coach and leading the HR function across a few organizations. By qualification, I am a Bachelor in Computer Science and an MBA in Finance and PM&IR. Also, I am Professional Certified Coach from International Coach Federation.      

During my free time, depends on how much time I have at hand, I am busy with a creative art, photography, swimming or spending time with my mentee.     

Q. Since you are a certified coach, how do you embed your skills in day-to-day work? 

It is about consciously trying to ensure that the interactions are continuous, positive and progressive and the decisions that emerge are collaborative and not directives.  

Q. Has economic slowdown impacted employment? 

I would say there are pockets that are seeing the impact. There are also organizations that are leveraging this slowdown to consolidate and get the best talent onboard. Some organizations are adopting attrition as their best friend and back-filling more judiciously. There is another set, which were always conscious while hiring, they are in a better space.

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Q. What’s your view on the mega trends in HR? Will the function fully transform over the next few years? 

One, we are shifting towards an era, where structures around organizational hierarchies, job profiles, working arrangements, work-schedules, structured learning, standardized benefits, annual performance appraisals, are becoming fuzzy and individual-specific themes are emerging. Gen Z wants an individualist approach, whatever it is, should suit them personally. On the other hand, the teams which are working towards common purpose need to be more collaborative and engaged with trust bonding them together.  

Two, we are being surrounded by Big Data, Artificial Intelligence; there is a definite need to understand their cause and effect and then assess to what extent it should be applied to get the desired results and what role humans play in this coexistence. It needs to be assessed where is the right balance in each role. 

Also, people are the most valuable asset of an organization and the HR as a function deals with this asset. It is imperative that HR remains relevant and is seen as value-adding partner. Hence, the function has to be nimble footed and needs to transform itself with the changing times, at times at a faster pace.  

Q. How do you see the world of jobs emerging in the future of work? 

With the fast changing pace of technology, with automation being a game changer, there are ripples which are being felt in the work-force structures. Jobs would require one to be high on learning agility. There could be different roles filled by the same person, which would mean being multi-skilled will come handy. Jobs would also require a more mobile workforce to fill the skill gaps.  

Q. How do we solve the quintessential employability puzzle?

Change is the only constant, so one has to keep evolving with the changing times to be relevant. The ask will be being open to continuous learning and adapting fast. The other side of this coin is more deep-rooted – it is the alignment to the basic ethos of a true professional.  Understanding and implementing these two aspects might bring us closer to the solution.  

Q. If you have to choose two labor reforms for immediate action, which ones would those be? 

The most important thing that comes to my mind is having a uniform code across states, reforming any of them comes later.  

Q. What’s your success mantra?

Be true to yourself. You only know which path leads to your purpose. Do not use the obstacles on the way as excuses – with all earnestness be at it, find a way and conquer. 

Q. What’s your message to HR professionals? How do they make themselves relevant for the rest of their career?

Believe in yourself, keep learning, be agile, understand your business, build your credibility, be empathetic. Just Keep evolving.

About Dev Deepika

Dev Deepika is the HR Head, First Data India (Subsidiary of Fiserv). She has over 23 years of experience spanning  across various industries and role profiles, global and Indian organizations, boutique and large consulting firms like KPMG in India, Avendus Capital Pvt. Ltd., APMM – Maersk, Reuters India Pvt. Ltd., Ambit Corporate Fin. Pte. Ltd, ILFS Investsmart and Wockhardt Ltd. Dev Deepika is a Professional Coach from International Coach Federation, has Certification in Predictive Index from PI Worldwide; attended Emerging Leaders Program at ISB, 2011; Diploma in Training & Development, ISTD, and has done MBA in PM & IR and Finance from the University of Pune. She is a Bachelor in Computer Science, University of Pune. During her leisure time, Deepika likes to dabble in creative art, photography and swimming.