Radhakrishna Balijepalli | AGM - Corporate HR | Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited

Radhakrishna Balijepalli is the AGM - Corporate HR at Apollo Health and Lifestyle Limited. He has been helping the organisation update its HR policies to enhance employee experience, automate processes, and improve efficiency. He adopted a staggered approach to executing these changes to simplify the transition and ensured that a robust training support system was present to help the HR team through the process. Radhakrishna’s efforts have helped reduce the time and effort to execute key HR processes by 21 percent and boosted employee satisfaction rates by 11percent. More than the metrics, the changes have helped the entire organisation witness and participate in an extraordinary transformation of increasing impact and adding business value.

Choosing HR as a profession

Radhakrishna has been an advocate of comprehensive development and skill learning to develop human capital. A deeply empathetic person, he uses interpersonal skills to connect with others and learn from their perspectives. These skills have helped him foster strong teamwork, professional relationships, and leadership skills. He strongly believes that empathy can help HR professionals become more effective at their jobs. 

Creating impact and battling the challenges

The rapid changes witnessed by businesses in the past few years have helped him achieve flexibility and become more nimble. With the healthcare industry yet to find its footing with the remote and hybrid work setup, as going to the workplace is an occupational compulsion, the challenges in hiring top talent have increased. The disruption caused by digital transformation and artificial intelligence have shot up the demand for specific skills, such as data literacy, data analysis, and technical expertise. These challenges have been compounded for the healthcare industry as it is losing skilled professionals to industries willing to offer more flexible working models.

HR is struggling to acquire, build, and manage talent and there is a massive skill gap that can cause irreversible damage, if it isn’t plugged in time. Being mindful of these challenges, Radhakrishna has been at the forefront of reimagining talent acquisition, skill building, and employee retention programs at Apollo. He has been conscious of improving the design, experience, and efficiency of these processes. Through digital tools, training workshops, updated SoPs, development budgeting, and continuous feedback, he has been able to find the pulse of the workforce and support people holistically. Integrating fairness, transparency, and trust in these practices has also increased engagement and loyalty in the organisation.

Key takeaways from Are You In The List Awards

Being a part of People Matters Are You In The List Awards powered by Aon has enabled profound self-reflection in Radhakrishna. The technical assessments helped him identify his strengths and focus on building the skills he lacks. The assessment report has encouraged him to take action and develop new competencies to further build on his abilities. Furthermore, his conversations with industry leaders have been the highlight of the experience and nudged him to face difficult challenges and learn new perspectives. “I strongly feel that this whole process is so well-rounded and covers all technical, cognitive and behavioural aspects. It has made me reflect on my HR skills and mindsets vis-a-vis what is happening in the market. Most importantly, the conversation with the business leaders inspired me to stay authentic, learn and realise that I have so much to do.”

What’s Next?

As an HR professional, Radhakrishna is committed to supporting people become the best version of themselves to achieve sustainable business growth and development. He envisions empathy to be an integral aspect of all workplaces and employers enabling employees to develop their hidden talents. For the future, his vision is to champion people-first approaches, valuing employees as the most valuable asset, and ensuring their well-being, growth, and happiness to drive organisational objectives.

To get to know the insights of all the winners of the People Matters Are You In The List Awards, follow the #AreYouInTheList.