In the HR Evolution Perspectives 2023: Empower and Evolve study, People Matters and Darwinbox examine key HR and business trends in Asia. This comprehensive report draws insights from over 1,200 HR practitioners, 350 CXOs, and 1,500 employees.

As part of our research efforts, we are engaging with HR leaders from different organisations to understand how overarching people trends influence their HR and business strategies. For this episode of Experts Take, we talk to Durga Prasanna, Head HR, Aster DM Healthcare. He joins us to share his views on what makes digital transformation journeys a success and helps us unpack the critical drivers of EX.

Key highlights from our conversation:

• Growth is a central driver that HR leaders need to find newer ways to support
• Skilling and capability building key to building EX
• Transformation success depends on stakeholder management
• Agility is no longer an option but a must-have

Transformation to help unlock newer business models

Digital transformation has helped Aster Healthcare expand its offerings like Aster Labs and Aster Homecare. But before companies venture into digital transformation, they need to address crucial questions of why transformation is necessary, who the stakeholders necessary to make it a success, and what the intended results are.

These questions help break down the objective of the transformation and clarify to all the stakeholders involved the intended process and journey of the transformation. It also aligns the varying expectations and streamlines challenges to help create a buy-in. With the dynamic nature of the work, companies today can create newer growth avenues and unlock success with transformation, especially HR. But, for Durga, establishing clarity at the get-go is crucial for transformation success.

'Today successful transformation requires different levels of thinking and bringing together different stakeholders together to achieve success,' notes Durga

The other key component is the process management that goes into executing the transformation journey with success. With the business conditions rapidly evolving transformation is required for HR leaders to contribute to businesses and further support organisational agility. The transformation journey has to reflect the evolving business needs and should enable HR to respond to these challenges better.

A multipronged effort to deliver for EX

The healthcare industry has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last few years. Durga notes that the industry's CAGR has been around 20%. For an organisation like Aster, meeting expectations is centred around developing capabilities.

'A significant step in developing the right skills has been the Aster Health Academy,' notes Durga, adding how its curative and personalised approach helps address the skills and capabilities gap that supports Aster's growth journey.

Addressing the specific needs of the professional and specialised services at Aster like clinicians, supervisors, doctors, nurses etc. helps create the necessary buy-in and builds a shared vision of growth.

The other critical component of EX for Durga is having the right rewards and recognition framework. 'I have to look beyond compensation, to focus on benefits and career growth that the company can provide,' he adds. Leaders across India today also have to balance this growing need to address EX with the productivity and growth demands.

Capability development as a strategic lever growth

A key way to look at skill development is to focus on the half-life of current skills. Durga quotes a recent McKinsey report that suggests the half-life of skills is usually 3-5 years, especially in the case of technical skills.

For Durga, capability development today has to be in a manner that prepares for the future. To do this effectively, companies need to proactively look out for skills needed to stay ahead of the competition.

At Aster, this focus on skills is also reflected in their talent segmentation. 'We focus on high, mid, and low performers,' adds Durga,'and then formalise skilling programs that reflect their need and our investments into building their capabilities.'

Technology too for Durga has been a great enabler. While it was prevalent before the covid, the post-pandemic world has seen a growing use of technology to help equip leaders to build the right capabilities.