With the advancement of technology, continuous learning and employee development have become essential for all organizations to ensure long-term success. Yet, for global organizations with diverse workforces, establishing effective learning and development initiatives can be quite challenging. In an exclusive interview with People Matters, Poonam Agarwal, Head of Human Resources at BSH Home Appliances, shares insights on how organizations can cultivate a culture of continuous learning, support employee skill development, and ensure leadership development within their workforce.

Here are the edited excerpts: 

Can you provide an overview of BSH Group’s approach to employee learning and development, including strategies for continuous learning, personalization to address diverse needs, and any notable success stories in career development?

At BSH Home Appliances, we follow a very systematic approach to nurturing a culture of continuous learning. We not only embrace this ethos but personalize our learning initiatives to meet the ever-evolving upskilling needs of our industry. In pursuit of our unwavering dedication to unlocking human potential, we've launched a series of employee development programs. These programs empower our talents to step into more significant roles, unlocking their full potential and capabilities. We provide equal learning opportunities, irrespective of hierarchy, business subsidiary, or function. We believe that learning knows no bounds, and it's our mission to empower every member of our organization to grow and thrive.

• Agile Learning Culture: We strongly focus on cultivating an agile learning culture. We have a team of professionally certified internal agile coaches dedicated to supporting this They work closely with our employees to create an environment where experimentation is embraced, learning from failures is celebrated, and adaptability is second nature. This fosters a mindset of constant improvement, enabling us to stay at the forefront of innovation and industry excellence. We equip our teams with the best in industry productivity and collaboration tools, ensuring that they are well-prepared to excel in the digital era.
• Learning as a continuous journey: We believe that learning should be a continuous journey, and we provide our employees with a multitude of learning channels to support their growth. Our E-University provides a vast repository of digital resources, courses, and materials, allowing employees to learn at their own pace.
• Culture building: Our journey towards continuous learning is also deeply ingrained in the BSH culture. We uphold the guiding principles and foundational values of "WE LEAD BSH," which include a strong emphasis on a feedback culture and our unwavering commitment to initiatives centered on Diversity and Inclusion. With 'We Lead BSH', the company creates an environment in which everyone can grow and give their best so that BSH is strong in the market and fulfils BSH's purpose of "We improve the quality of life at home."
• Leadership Endorsement: Leadership endorsement is a critical element in fostering a culture of sustainable learning and development within an organization.  The senior leadership at BSH India actively participate in learning programs, demonstrating their commitment to personal and professional growth.

An open, constructive and well-prepared dialogue between manager and employee is encouraged to support the employee‘s professional and individual development. Managers act as sparring partners for their teams in order to motivate and empower our people to grow and develop.

We work on Employee Development and Succession Planning (EDSP) using the 9-Box Matrix as a structured and effective approach for talent management within the organisation. This strategy involves assessing employees and positioning them within a 9-box grid based on their performance and potential for critical roles.

What innovative approaches and resources does BSH Home Appliances India employ to foster a culture of continuous learning and support ongoing education and skill development for employees?

We understand that in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead of the curve requires a dedication to lifelong learning. To ensure that our employees have the flexibility to learn at their own pace, anytime at their convenience, we have collaborated with leading digital learning platforms that offer a wide range of courses, from technical skills to leadership development. We encourage our employees to participate in mentorship programs. Experienced employees share their knowledge and expertise with newer team members, fostering a culture of peer-to-peer learning. Additionally, the organisation also offers complete education assistance to support employees pursuing higher education or advanced certifications. This not only benefits our employees but also helps us attract and retain top talent.

1. Design thinking coaching is a key element of our learning and development strategy. This approach allows us to instil a mindset that encourages creative problem-solving and innovation. We firmly believe that design thinking is not just a methodology but a way of life that can be integrated into the daily work of our employees. BSH India's dynamic team of Design Thinking coaches, trained since 2019, played an instrumental role in driving innovation across diverse areas such as product development, HR, internal processes, purchase, team collaboration, and marketing. Notably, 76% of these engagements involved practical, hands-on work on real business challenges faced by BSH. 
2. All our recent product launches, from ATL 2.0 to Max Flex to Tabletop Cooktop, and even the changes in our onboarding processes, etc., are a result of Design Thinking. It is our aim to ensure that every employee in India has the opportunity to engage with design thinking principles and apply them to at least one work topic annually.

Our commitment to providing relevant resources, partnerships, and incentives for ongoing education has helped drive a sustainable learning mindset in the organisation.

What's BSH Group’s strategy for cultivating a culture where all employees are encouraged to become leaders and mentors? Can you provide examples of how the organization identifies and nurtures potential leaders?

BSH Group encourages all employees to aspire to leadership roles and mentorship positions. Our dedicated talent management programs not only identify potential leaders but also provide them with the necessary development opportunities to grow into leadership positions within the organisation. The two key programs that help nurture and retain potential leaders within organisations are as follows:

Talentify Program: This program aims to foster a culture of leadership and mentorship by encouraging diversity and inclusion in talent management. This program is designed to identify and develop employees from various countries and geographic locations. It encourages them to take on more significant responsibilities in an international or cross-functional context, helping them advance to the next level. It focuses on personal development through three key elements:

• Awareness: Employees go through a Talentify Lab, which provides exposure to real business challenges, feedback from observers and peers, and self-reflection to increase self-awareness.
• Development: Talentify offers various development initiatives, including networking opportunities, guidance, conferences, coaching, and feedback.
• Exposure: Participants gain exposure to cross-country and cross-functional projects, increasing visibility and expanding their horizons beyond their immediate work and location. 

SPARKZ Program: This program is a systematic approach to managing the career growth of high-potential employees, ensuring that the right individuals are ready for critical roles. It focuses on the attraction, identification, development, engagement, retention, and deployment of individuals with high potential. A unique feature of this program is individualized coaching sessions, which are aimed at identifying the key challenges and aspirations of each participant and then coaching these participants in their specific areas. This is an initiative to provide qualifiers with enough guidance and support to reach their desired potential.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted BSH Group's approach to employees and the company's culture, addressing both challenges and solutions? Additionally, could you share any upcoming HR, learning and development, or cultural initiatives?

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on BSH Group's approach to employees and our company culture. We recognized the need to adapt swiftly to the new normal and prioritize the well-being of our workforce. Here's an overview of how we have responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic and some upcoming initiatives:

Impact on Employees and Company Culture:

• Psychological Safety: We prioritized employee well-being through mental health initiatives, flexible work arrangements, and work-life balance policies. This ensured that our employees felt supported during a challenging period.
• Recognition and Appreciation: To boost morale, we implemented regular recognition programs to acknowledge employees' contributions and milestones, showing appreciation for their dedication and hard work.
• Continuous Learning: We encouraged a culture of continuous learning and development, offering diverse training programs and learning resources such as digital learning, audio-format learning, and virtual-based instructor-led training, enabling employees to upskill and adapt to new challenges.
• Workplace Flexibility: We embraced hybrid and remote work models, allowing employees to effectively balance work and personal responsibilities, ensuring flexibility and safety.

Challenges and Solutions:

• Communication Breakdowns: To address communication breakdowns, we initiated regular town hall meetings, connect meetings, and team-building activities to enhance cross-cultural and cross-team collaboration, establishing effective communication channels.
• Employee Burnout: We introduced wellness initiatives, stress management workshops, personal support, regular breaks, and clear boundaries for work hours to combat employee burnout and enhance well-being.
• Resistance to Change: To overcome resistance to change, we facilitated upskilling initiatives and involved employees in the decision-making process, communicating the benefits of change clearly.
• Skills Gap: We invested in robust learning and development programs, offered education and financial assistance, and collaborated with external training providers to address skill gaps.

Future Initiatives:

• HR Initiative: We are implementing a more streamlined recruitment process that utilizes digital platforms for recruitment, enhances candidate matching, and reduces time-to-hire, ensuring a more efficient hiring process.
• Learning and Development Initiative: We are developing customized learning paths based on employees' roles, aspirations, and areas for improvement. Manager capability programs will ensure holistic team and individual development. We are also providing a platform for continuous feedback to understand evolving needs, allowing us to adapt and improve our learning and development programs in real-time.