In 2022, workplaces experienced significant disruptions, leading to changes, conflicts, and, most importantly, Debates! While People Matters strives to provide solutions to workplace challenges, we also aimed to create a platform for our thought leaders to openly discuss and share their honest perspectives with other leaders and the world. 

Our primary objective? To collectively work towards improving the workplace environment. Hence, the inception of Big Questions – a series designed to welcome all kinds of thoughts -candid or thoughtful.

Following numerous brainstorming sessions on topics and perspectives, People Matters launched its first Big Questions session in October 2022. Encouraged by the positive response from our audience, we pressed on, continuously bringing forth burning questions. 

Time passed swiftly, and we've now reached a significant milestone, having successfully completed a total of 10 Big Questions sessions. And what better way to commemorate this benchmark than by taking a moment to reflect on some of the standout moments along the way.

A look at Big Questions top quotes: 

1. "Trust is a two-way street, but currently, both employees and employers lack it in each other." - Kamal Kamal Karanth, Co-founder of Xpheno.

2. "The layoff menace results from a degree of overconfidence among leadership regarding future potential and consumer behaviour." - Raman S R, Chief People Officer, Log9 Materials.

3. "A change can trigger a range of intense emotions, such as denial, frustration, or anger, which may have a long-term negative impact on people's mental health. Therefore, it's crucial to allow employees sufficient time to recover." - Sumit Sabharwal, CEO, TeamLease HRtech.

4. "It's not really about selecting the right person for a job; it's more about finding the right job for every person while nurturing your community." - Deepak Dobriyal, Senior Vice President and Global Leader of Talent Management and Corporate HR at Birlasoft.

5. “Learn to separate noise from the signal by looking at a bit of data.” - V Krishnan, the Chief Human Resources Officer at Havells India Ltd. 

6. “The noise is creating stress among employees, which must be addressed. This will not only increase the retention rate but will also lead to a healthier and more productive workforce.” - Shruti Swaroop, the Founder and Managing Consultant of EMBRACE Consulting. 

7. "In the 2020s, it's essential that we learn how to differentiate ourselves from machines rather than competing with them because we will inevitably lose." - Greg Orme, International Keynote Speaker and Award-Winning Author who has delivered over 400 talks to executive audiences worldwide.

8. "It's crucial to hone critical thinking skills when assessing the accuracy and ethical implications of AI-generated content. After all, ChatGPT is like a barroom brawl - always certain but often wrong." - Greg Orme.

9. "Setting clear boundaries and defining what is negotiable and non-negotiable in our culture is essential for sensitising individuals to what is acceptable and what is not." - Rajesh Rai, Vice President - People and India, GlobalLogic India.

10. “As leaders, it is our responsibility to identify the cultural pieces that need sorting out and take action to embed positive ways of working.” - Amruta Choudhury, Head Inclusion and Diversity, Flipkart. 

11. “Pay transparency should not be a one-time event, but an ongoing process integrated into the organisation's core principles.” - Pritish Gandhi, Associate Partner and India Practice Leader, Executive Compensation and Governance, Aon.
 

12. “Creating a purpose-driven organisation is crucial for employees to understand the objectives and goals of their work, which in turn drives affinity towards the company and promotes retention.” - Smiti Bhatt Deorah, the Co-Founder and COO of Advantage Club Technologies Inc. 

13. “Personalisation is key in this new era, moving away from the old approach of treating everyone the same. We talk about four connections: self, role, others, and the organisation. It's not just about aligning with the company culture, but about the experience people have within that culture.” - Ira Wolfe, Chief Googlization Officer of Poised for the Future Company.

14. “Rather than assuming we know what's best for employees, invest time in understanding their needs and preferences.” - Emma Bridger, Founder of People Lab and The EX Space. 

15. “It is important for organisations to make increasing diversity in leadership a genuine goal, rather than treating it as a part-time or feel-good effort.” - Dr Ritu Anand, Former Chief Leadership & Diversity Officer at Tata Consultancy Services. 

To gain further insights from industry experts on the pressing issues in today's ever-evolving world of work, do follow People Matters' Big Questions series on LinkedIn.