“In Mahindra we always plan for ‘what if’. One should be mindful of the environment and be able to foresee that if things are good, they will not last forever and if things are bad, we should simultaneously look for opportunities while overcoming current challenges” - Rajeev Dubey, President and Member of the Group Management Board, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. in conversation with People Matters

Before we move to questions that involve your core activities, we would first like to get your thoughts on the overall market for talent acquisition in India. How well trained is the talent in India with respect to the requirements of industry?

From my experience, the gap between talent and industry requirement occurs at two very different levels. On the one hand, we see the biggest gap when it comes to finding business leaders, especially with global exposure. Functional experts are not able to fulfil this requirement as they lack the global and business exposure to move up to the global business leader’s role.

On the other hand, we also see a mismatch at the entry level, where fresh employees require on-boarding and training to be brought up to speed on technical/functional, as well as managerial fronts.

You have had a very impressive and progressive career path. From a marketing background and having held several MD positions, what made you move to a role that takes your focus to HR/IR and Corporate Services for the Mahindra Group?

I was completely taken up with Mr. Anand Mahindra’s compelling vision for the Mahindra Group. He wanted a business person to head the HR function of the group because he believed it would help integrate the HR function as a strategic partner to business. I have been in this role for more than 5 years and love every moment of it. We are creating a whole new culture at a time of exponential growth across businesses, and HR has been working very closely as a business partner in formulating and implementing strategies. Of course, this has been made possible because of the fantastic team of HR professionals across the group that I work with!

In addition to the HR & corporate services role, I am also directly responsible for some businesses. Furthermore, as a member of the Group Management Board, I am connected with the strategy process of businesses across the group. So the balance between the roles is very rich and energizing.

How did the Mahindra Group react people-wise, to the slowdown that affected us last year? Specifically, there was a time last year and early 2009 when business heads and the market believed that things could get a lot worse. What was your people management plan at that point in time?

At Mahindra we always plan for ‘what if’. One should be mindful of the environment and be able to foresee that if things are good, they will not last forever and if things are bad, we should simultaneously look for opportunities while overcoming current challenges.

During the slowdown, we focussed sharply on the ‘four C’s’: Cost control, Cash conservation, Competence building and Confidence of employees. During a slowdown, all C’s are crucial and need to be addressed concurrently. HR had a very important role to play in this process, especially in creating appropriate structures, in building competencies for the future and in ensuring an energized, engaged and empowered team.

Cost cutting and cash conservation measures have had an impact on the way we have re-structured ourselves, salary increments, etc. As a Group, I believe Mahindra has emerged from this slowdown stronger and better prepared to face current challenges and grasp future opportunities.

What have been your key areas of action in this last year under the domain of people and organization effectiveness? What have been the benefits (if any) of the slowdown from your point of view?

The key areas of action have been intense communication and two-way dialogue, creating a common platform across group companies to leverage synergies, strengthening the talent management process and creating new avenues for management development at all levels. The slowdown has forced us to ‘reboot, reinvent and reignite’.

As a company that has executed and operationa-lized joint ventures in India, we would like to understand from your experience about forging managerial and engineering teams from different companies and countries.

The way that mergers and acquisitions are executed, and the level of integration that happens, depends on two main factors. First, the strategic intent for which these acquisitions are made, and second, the drivers of value creation that are envisaged. For example, we made acquisitions in the UK and Germany and there the integration of economic processes rather than of cultures was the focus, as we understood that the strategic intent of the acquisitions and the value creation we wanted required intense integration of market, supply chain and engineering/product development.

On the other hand, the acquisitions we have done in China have required more cultural integration than in our European acquisitions, in addition to whatever economic integration was required. Acquisitions in India in some cases have required total integration at cultural, managerial and operational levels with massive inputs from the mother company.

In most cases of acquisitions abroad, the top management team is left in place to manage the show.

However, it is mandatory for all acquired companies to adopt the Mahindra Core Values and the Mahindra Annual Planning Cycle, which is a general framework and rhythm of functioning for companies in the Mahindra Group.

Having been in multiple business roles must have given you a great perspective on how to succeed in your current role. What learning from the past has been more useful for your current role?

One major learning is to look at any situation by asking the following questions: “Where are we? Where do we want to go? By when? How will we get there?”

These set the context and should be done in a collaborative manner, where the entire team is engaged from the very beginning. Once the vision is clear it should be owned by all members and it should enter their blood stream. Setting the context and creating the vision in a collaborative and engaged manner, is a major factor in achieving results. This, of course, must be followed by action, which is then reviewed regularly so that course correction and continuous improvement occurs as an integral part of the Mahindra Way of Life.

Listening with an open mind and heart, and getting the ego as much out of the way as possible, is critical. As is a mindset which is forever trying to see how to change the game, even as we strive for operational excellence and efficiency. At the end of the day, doing your work with truth, compassion and a sense of service is integral.

What is it that you enjoy the most in working for Mahindra?

Mahindras are ‘game changers’. They have one eye on the next step, and one eye on the horizon, a very strong performance culture based on their core values and an incredible ability to capture opportunities. The empowerment and respect given to employees is also extraordinary. People feel that they are part of creating the organization of tomorrow, of creating the India of tomorrow, and that feeling of empowerment and engagement is very strong.
In addition, the opportunities for involvement in the community are immense.

Tell us more about Mahindra CSR activities? How are they linked to the business objectives?

We believe that business needs to be committed to the Triple Bottom Line: profit, people (both employees and community) and planet. That is the raison d’être behind all CSR activities.

Mahindra has a very strong CSR programme which dreams of making a difference to the nation and focuses mainly on education (especially for the girl child and the socially/economically disadvantaged), public health and the environment.
We also have a unique process called ESOPs: Employee Social Option Plans, which facilitate employee volunteering in a highly planned and intense way.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your current organization when it comes to leadership and people management?

One major challenge is creating a strong and vibrant talent pool, and succession pipeline of managers/leaders who will have the business acumen and people skills to take our businesses to the next level, especially in a global context.

The other major challenge is to create an engaged, empowered and energized workforce. In this context, I would like to mention our ‘Transformational Work Culture’ initiative on which we have been working for the past four years. The basic idea is that other than salaries, which are market determined, the colour of the shirt collar – blue or white – should not be a differentiator when it comes to communication and development inputs.

We believe that the basic purpose of HR is to create a ‘culture’ which results in sustained business out-performance while simultaneously showing extreme care for stakeholders, starting with customers and employees, while nurturing the core values of the organization. All HR levers are aligned to this overarching objective.

‘Culture’ ultimately is the way people, especially leaders, behave in the every day life of the organization as they seek to find solutions to problems that are encountered.