From Personnel to Powerhouse: Baveja's front-row seat to the HR transformation

The HR function has evolved into a full-fledged HR department that focuses on building culture, developing systems, and collaborating closely with the business to drive its agenda. In the past, HR was often siloed and worked on its own priorities. Today, we understand that we operate within the larger context of the business. Every process we run is designed to influence a business outcome, whether directly or indirectly. This is a crucial shift, moving HR from an insular function to a key strategic partner. I've been fortunate to have worked for both traditional Indian family businesses and multinational corporations. What I have observed is that Indian family businesses have come a long way. They have invested heavily in creating work ecosystems and cultures that are as progressive and professional as any multinational. In fact, they are often more agile and quicker in their decision-making.

While an organisation's employee value proposition (EVP) may attract a candidate, it is the manager who drives 60-70 percent of that candidate's experience. My ability to influence stakeholders and my confidence today are primarily due to having had good managers early in my career. The manager is the true embodiment of the company's culture and values, making their role more critical than ever.

My early factory stints were instrumental in my development. It is where the real business takes place and where you find the largest employee strength. Gaining first-hand knowledge through hands-on experience—from maintaining manual attendance registers to appearing before conciliation officers—gave me a foundational confidence and ability to influence stakeholders that I still rely on today. What has also shaped my leadership is my belief that learning should never stop, regardless of your level. Every person in the ecosystem is unique and has something to offer. I have consistently invested in my personal and professional development, whether through my own reading, attending programs like those at the Ross School of Business, or engaging in professional networking. A key aspect of my leadership style is being an effective listener. In team meetings, I intentionally open the floor for others to speak first before I share my own thoughts. This ensures that their opinions aren't influenced by mine. It makes people feel valued, respected, and accepted, and the best ideas often come from listening to others.

While a divided school of thought exists, manufacturing remains the most attractive sector for talent today. It's the most stable industry, having grown steadily for years, unlike others, such as tech or BFSI, which have experienced cycles of ups and downs.

We have not faced significant challenges in attracting talent because we have focused on reinventing our value proposition to better align with people's aspirations. However, as manufacturing continues to grow at a rapid pace, the demand for talent is also on the rise significantly. And talent, irrespective of sector, is always scarce because the person you want is often surrounded by 10 other individuals who also want the same talent.

The trend of candidates accepting offers and then dropping out at the last minute because they have been retained with a counter offer is a real challenge, and it is something we all have to overcome. To "ring-fence" our critical talent, we must be innovative and provide a career path so compelling that people choose to stay. The growth story in manufacturing is notable, and we are modernising our talent processes to match it. We have a sharp focus on ensuring our talent feels valued and believes the organisation is serious about their growth.

Our cadre hiring, which was once restricted, has now scaled up considerably, driven by our ambitious growth agenda, with a sharp focus on building a robust pipeline for tomorrow. For instance, we never used to hire management trainees, but last year, we brought in a batch of 35. I am pleased to say we have retained 32 of them after 15-18 months. This increased intake of freshers and trainees, whether they are diploma engineers, graduate engineers, or chartered accountants, is crucial for our future. To accommodate a workforce that now spans multiple generations, we have re-articulated our EVP to make it more relatable and compelling. Our EVP now centres around career opportunities, capability development, and the pride of being a part of a sector that directly contributes to nation-building. We also emphasise our focus on community, sustainability, and—uniquely—our room for risk-taking, which encourages an innovative work ecosystem.

This is a very interesting and real challenge. On one hand, the younger generation is drawn to technology and is digitally savvy. On the other hand, we have a segment of our workforce that is wedded to legacy processes, preferring to use pen and paper or Excel. However, this is not a permanent resistance. I have seen this generation progressively become more open to technology, often influenced by their own children at home who are digital natives. We have pockets of employees who show great enthusiasm for learning new skills. It's a fascinating mix of mindsets. To navigate this, we have had to be very deliberate in our approach.

AI is a tremendous enabler, not a threat to jobs. What AI is doing is taking away the operational, day-to-day work, which in turn frees up our time to focus on the future and on more strategic deliverables. This shift is also creating entirely new roles. For example, where we once had a single IT Head, we now have a CDIO (Chief Digital & Innovation Officer). This new role is entirely focused on AI, with a separate person dedicated to digital. This new organisational structure ensures that we are not just bringing in technology, but we are institutionalising its use to drive real business value. Our approach to AI and technology adoption is centred on creating a "pull," not a "push." We have found that simply mandating the use of new tools only works to a point. To achieve true adoption, people need to understand "What's in it for me?"

The skills required for leadership today have undergone a profound shift. Where things once worked on mandates, today they work on persuasion. Therefore, the ability to influence outcomes and build strong stakeholder relationships is now far more significant.

Beyond these interpersonal skills, leaders must be committed to developing capabilities around them. This means ensuring your employees are continuously upskilled and reskilled, and are equipped with the latest knowledge. Finally, leaders must be digitally savvy. Technology is a powerful tool for making things better and simpler, and an openness to new tech is no longer optional.

While manufacturing has traditionally been a challenging sector for gender diversity, I believe that perception is rapidly changing. We are now seeing a significant increase in the influx of women employees. Where we once struggled to find female graduate engineers on campus, today we find quite a few. We are seeing women not just in corporate roles, such as leadership positions, HR or finance, but also on the shop floor. Last year, we nominated 40 women for a six-month-long leadership training program. We are also creating forums that focus on empowering our female employees to share their perspectives and feel heard. These initiatives are not just about meeting a metric; they are about building a more inclusive and dynamic workforce from the ground up.

Today's young professionals, many of whom are aspiring entrepreneurs, don't necessarily envision a traditional career that lasts until age 60. They are looking for an entrepreneurial space within the organisation, a place where they can operate with a high degree of freedom, empowerment, and trust. To address this, our policies are becoming increasingly fluid and are continually revisited to remain relevant. We are also emphasising the idea that AI and digital tools are here to simplify work and create new opportunities, not to replace jobs. This mindset will define the workplace of 2030. We believe that by providing this kind of environment, we can attract and retain this generation, ultimately driving our organisation's growth.