As guardians of a company's most valuable asset, its people, HR leaders now find themselves at the crossroads of innovation, data-driven decision-making, and the quest for enhanced employee experience. 

For Small and medium companies, that means a greater focus on augmenting their HR processes with technology, preparing for scale and driving measurable business outcomes.

Through an exclusive virtual conference on the theme “Agents of Change: Enabling HR To Become Business Partners” in partnership with Keka, a number of topics were explored, including how cutting-edge technologies are reshaping the HR landscape and empowering SME HR leaders to make more informed, strategic decisions that drive organisational success.

Here are some of the key takeaways from each session as the day unfolded.

On Navigating the HR Technology Horizon

In an opening fireside with Kshitiz Sachan, Process Coach - Performance Management, Keka, he highlighted a number of insights from the "Emerging HR Trends Atlas" report by Keka and People Matters, HR technology is no longer an option but a necessity for 85% of companies. 

It's the linchpin for enhancing Employee Experience (EX), tackling recruitment and skill demands, and elevating performance management capabilities. 

HR leaders, as revealed by the same report, are gearing up for the future by honing their Digital Readiness, Change Management, Strategic Planning, and Project Management skills. 

Leaders are called to lead and bring about strategic impact, marking HR as the vanguard of change in the corporate landscape.

On Empowering Indian SMEs for Global Competition 

Chandrakant Salunkhe, Founder & President of the SME Chamber of India, spoke about how Industrial automation is poised to revolutionise Indian SMEs, empowering them to compete on the global stage by driving greater efficiencies. 

However, the growth of SMEs hinges on two crucial factors: access to advanced skilled manpower and working capital. 

In rural areas, the scarcity of skilled talent poses a formidable challenge that demands resolution. Emphasising HR technology's pivotal role in nurturing the SME ecosystem, he noted that it is key for developing, transforming, and fostering these businesses, ensuring their sustained growth and success.

On HR Growth Trajectory in Fast-Growing Enterprises

In an exclusive panel discussion, Loly Vadassery, CHRO, Datamatics, Anuradha Kedia, Co-Founder, The Better India, Roma Bindroo, CHRO, Zepto and moderator Pallavi Verma, Senior Editor at People Matters spoke about the HR growth trajectory In the ever-evolving landscape of fast-growing businesses, each day presents fresh opportunities for growth.

It is imperative to maintain a perpetual cycle of reviewing challenges and remaining agile in our approach. Today, the art of engaging with talent is a constant endeavour, and when executed effectively, it becomes the bedrock of talent retention. 

The path to rapid impact hinges on the delicate balance between harnessing the experience of existing talent and nurturing the potential of new talent.

It's worth noting that HR structures can vary significantly across organisations, underscoring the importance of comprehending the core business metrics that steer the enterprise and establishing a clear line of sight to these critical measures.

On Aligning HR Strategy with Business Goals

A freewheeling conversation between Varun Ramakrishnan, Product Management & Employee/HR Happiness of Keka and Neeraj Sharma, Head of People & Culture, Genzeon, underscored the significance of data-driven decision-making in the unpredictability of today's business landscape. 

Viewing AI as a tool rather than a sole objective for achieving business goals and the importance of blending data-driven decisions with the nuanced realities of life are the keys to cultivating exceptional leadership. 

The conversation also highlighted the power of drilling down to the 'Why' behind every problem as the key to overcoming any challenge.

On Embracing HR Tech To Foster a Culture of Innovation 

In an exclusive panel discussion, Anuja Singh, Head of HR at Ninjacart; Gaurav Garg, Senior Director HR at NoBroker; and Asit Kumar, CHRO, Lendingkart, explored the realm of HR technology and its role in cultivating a culture of innovation within emerging organisations.

The conversation kicked off with an insightful discussion between disruptive and incremental innovation, underlining the essentiality of hiring individuals who are driven by a passion for innovation. 

Leaders also encouraged the practice of periodically questioning the "why" behind our actions as a catalyst for innovative thinking.

Furthermore, the panel emphasised the importance of documenting failures and capturing knowledge as fundamental steps to ensure we are on the right path. 

The mantra of "fail fast, learn, and experiment" unanimously echoed as a means to expedite growth and innovation. 

Leaders emphasised the transformative power of data, which has the potential to shape hyper-local engagement strategies tailored to individual needs, departing from traditional group-focused approaches.

The discussion concluded by spotlighting innovative platforms such as hackathons, idea capture tools, and the allocation of dedicated funds to follow through on promising concepts, as these measures act as a driving force behind innovation in the workplace.

To download a copy of the People Matters and Keka Emerging HR Trends Atlas, click here.