Article: Are You In The List 2016 winner: Soumya Malkani

Leadership

Are You In The List 2016 winner: Soumya Malkani

Soumya Malkani of TATA AIG General Insurance Company believes that HR must continue to maintain the balance between people welfare & business orientation.
Are You In The List 2016 winner: Soumya Malkani

In the last 11 years, Soumya has lived in 5 different cities and the experience she said, made her a strong, independent and a wordly-wise individual. Having started her HR journey in 2011, her proficiency lies in managing HR administrative activities as well as design and development of HR systems based on behavioural science.

Soumya Malkani, Deputy Manager – Organisation Development, TATA AIG General Insurance Company

One thing you will:

Start in HR: Enhanced usage of data, analytics and automation 

Continue in HR: Maintaining a balance between people welfare and business orientation

Stop in HR: Tendency to be an academically oriented; pedantic and sermonizing function

As an emerging HR leader, one thing which brings great pride to you: 

I have implemented a campus and management trainee program in the organisation that is well received and appreciated by the business. Through this program we have been able to drastically lower the attrition of campus hires, improve the quality of hiring and support the business in their talent requirement.

Biggest flaw in the way organizations operate today, and how do you plan to fix that: 

I believe that one of biggest flaws is that of the senior management being sucked up in day to day transactional activities. This, in turn, leaves them with little time to devote to plan for visioning and planning for the future and building capability for the future.

I believe we can address this through developing a strong second line (of leadership) for senior management. The second line should be empowered to take on many of the routine responsibilities of the senior management

What makes the difference while you are in HR in a corporate set up:  

I believe that an HR who truly assists in adding value for the business that he or she supports will always stand out from the clutter. For this, it is important for an HR to have these two things: 1) Know his subject matter well 2) know the business of the organisation very well. By bringing these two facets together, an HR will be able to address business issues, provide advice and valuable insights to the stakeholders and will, therefore stand out of the clutter.

In 5 years, you see yourself as:

I see myself as an OD professional of repute; as a professional with far greater amount of knowledge, expertise and experience in the field of Learning and OD.

Your ‘Are You in The List’ Journey:

Very enriching. Each assessment impelled me to prepare, think, apply my mind and therefore brought out the best in me. 

FIRE SHOT QUESTIONS:

  • As an emerging HR leader, what keeps you up at night: My love for my work. My quest to reach work the next morning and take on all the interesting assignments that await 

  • Describe today’s HR in one line: Today’s HR is a function that is in midst of transitioning from being a administrative support to being a Strategic Business Support Pillar through unleashing the power of human capital 

  • Who is your inspiration to be an HR professional: One of my managers from my previous organisation

  • Qualities which differentiate you from other participants: Ability to influence and to take all stakeholders on board 

  • A stranger’s first impression of yours would be: A pleasant person, down to earth and easy to get along with

  • Who or What are your biggest strengths: My ability to cope with stress and to maintain my composure in difficult and stressful situations

  • One weakness you can do without: to be a more patient listener

  • If we have to automate you and ask you to keep one human quality, what should that be: To feel happiness

  • Your Favourite book: My Feudal Lord

  • Your Hobby: Reading

  • One word that describes an HR professional: An influencer 


For the entire list of Are You in The List Awards 2016, please click here.

Here are the profiles of other winners (not based on ranking): 

 Here’s the list of India’s 15 future HR leaders:

  1. ABHISHEK BUDHARAJA, Associate Director, HR (Talent Management, OD & OE) at Snapdeal

  2. ANKITA PODDAR, HR Business Partner, Amazon

  3. APOORVA PRADHAN, Assistant Manager, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd

  4. MEGHA GUPTA, HR Business Partner, Sapient Corporation Ltd

  5. RAVI BAJPAI, Practice Lead Talent Acquisition, Infosys

  6. SALIL RAHEJA, Deputy General Manager, Essar Steel India Ltd

  7. SHAVETA ARYA, Senior Manager, Talent Acquisition, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd.

  8. SHREYAS HARIDAS, HR Business Partner, Star India Pvt Ltd. 

  9. SIDDHARTH BHASIN, HRBP, G&A Business, APAC Region, Google

  10. ADITYA ADYAR, Chief People Officer, Faasos

  11. NIYATI GOEL, Regional Rewards, AMEA (Asia Middle East & Africa), Mondelez International 

  12. APEKSHA JAIN, Senior HR Business Partner, PepsiCo

  13. RAJESHWARI RAMACHANDRAN, HCM Consultant

  14. SNIGDHA SINGH CHAUDHURI, Sr. Manager, HRBP for Sales team, Cipla
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Topics: Leadership, #AreyouintheList?

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