HDFC Securities, the stock-broking division of India's largest private-sector bank, HDFC Bank, has undergone a notable leadership transition with the appointment of Neetika Bhatia. As the new Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), she will focus on enhancing the organisation's employer brand and formulating a compelling value proposition for both current employees and the prospective talent pool.

Before joining HDFC Securities, Neetika Bhatia held the position of Human Capital and ESOP Consultant at Trica, a technology platform for startups. With more than 17 years of experience, she has a diverse background in various aspects of human resources, including strategic HR advisory, leadership and talent development, as well as rewards, spanning the banking and IT sectors in both Mumbai and Singapore.

In an exclusive interview with People Matters, Neetika Bhatia shared detailed insights into her professional journey. She elaborated on her experience, discussing how she successfully established an HR consulting business from the ground up in her previous role. During this time, she worked closely with clients from the early stages to pre-IPO, providing valuable expertise in designing their ESOP policies, compensation structures, and performance management frameworks.

The leader also boasts a 14-year tenure at Citi, the leading global bank, where she held diverse roles ranging from Rewards to Talent Management and Strategic HR Advisory. Reflecting on her time at Citi, she mentioned, "When I left Citi in June 2022, I was heading HR for the Institutional businesses, focusing on learning, succession planning, diversity, and leadership development. I spearheaded the implementation of tailored learning programs centred around Digital Mindset and Innovation, initiated cross-franchise interventions for career development, promoted mobility and growth. Additionally, I played a role in the country-level Future of Work team, contributing to the redesign of the workplace for the post-pandemic era. My professional journey began at Atos Origin after completing my graduation from MDI Gurgaon in 2006."

Bhatia, who aims to transform HDFC Securities into a Learning Organisation through initiatives such as succession planning, leadership and manager capability development, and more, also discussed the challenges inherent in her role. She shared insights into the current state of HDFC Securities, emphasising how they are undergoing a transformation into a digital and tech-first entity, all while maintaining a steadfast focus on their traditional brick-and-mortar legacy business. This transformation involves leveraging the strength of the brand, an extensive network, and deep expertise.

"As a CHRO, this is a very challenging role, as we are operating like a startup, building our digital business, scaling up the teams, and hiring top-notch engineering and digital talent to provide our customers with a seamless experience on our app. At the same time, there is a focus on uptiering and upskilling talent in our retail business to facilitate deeper client engagement and advisory," said the leader.

Attracting and retaining top talent 

As the company continues to grow, the challenge of attracting and retaining top talent will also intensify, particularly in the current competitive job market. The CHRO at HDFC Securities plans to address this challenge with a holistic approach. "By offering enriched roles, fostering substantial career growth, and providing excellent learning opportunities for employees, the challenge of retention and attraction can be solved. This enables employees to be part of a rapid growth and transformation story," she stated.

Further emphasising this, she stated, "The driving force behind every change and innovation in HR is and will continue to be technology and digitisation. As we consistently adopt technology, several roles will become obsolete, underscoring the need for everyone to continually upskill themselves."

In addition to facing various challenges, Neetika Bhatia expresses excitement about embracing her new role, confident in the knowledge she has acquired from her diverse professional experiences. These encompass "commercial acumen, change management, empathy, the ability to zoom in and zoom out, and managing diverse businesses that operate in completely different contexts and realities—such as Investment Banking to Operations captive units."