"HR Is a Work of Heart" - Kriti Khanna

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1. Tell us about your background and journey?

I am born and brought up Delhi. I have pursued MBA from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in 2014 and English (Honors) from the University of Delhi in 2011.  We are a family of four wherein my Father works in the Government Department, Mother is a homemaker (she used to work with Aviation Industry) and younger brother is a Software Developer in Microsoft.

Post my MBA I started my journey working in a Consultancy in 2014, which was the first step in HR into Talent Acquisition. Thereafter I worked with big renowned companies like Genpact, EXL, Apollo Munich Health Insurance (now known as HDFC Health Insurance) and presently associated with Empirix as Talent Acquisition Partner-APAC.

My expertise lies in Talent Acquisition (Hiring for domains: Technical, Analytics, Insurance and Healthcare), Stakeholder Management, Vendor Management and Campus Placements. It has been now 6 years in the industry wherein I have seen a change in Hiring Trends and broaden the role of HR. 

Till today I can say that my journey has been quite fascinating and I look forward to some more challenging and exciting roles.

2. What is your opinion about Remote Working?

I believe remote working or telecommuting has become the need of the hour during this pandemic period and many companies are encouraging it to be a perfect arrangement for employees. It has led to an increase in productivity, improved employee satisfaction and retention, reduced stress for employees by better work-life balance. 

It has also resulted in improving employee’s health and wellness. It provides working choices for employees. It should not be a technology-driven compulsion to work in a certain way.  It also gives job opportunities that are not limited by geographic location.  The remote work revolution has been rumbling across industries for years now and isn’t over yet.

3. How do you keep your employees and team engaged? What are some of the shifts in engagement strategies?

Keeping your employees engaged is all about valuing them. Being recognized and appreciated for work is one of the factors to keep employees engaged. Taking a half-day Friday to engage employees in some fun activities, celebrating work anniversaries, performance achievements & company events.

Yes, there is definitely a huge shift in engagement strategies during this pandemic period where everything is happening virtually. I have proposed In house activities for my employees wherein certain fun activities were involved like “how do employees feel working completely from home and what extra things they have learnt e.g. cooking, gardening, etc.?”

Another activity was “which song would employees relate to the current situation & to share their videos?" Even company meetings are happening virtually wherein it gives all employees access to connect with everyone in the organization. 

Leaders are also motivating their team to learn extra which would improve their knowledge and work style. Empowered employees mean happy employees.

4. How important is skill development for employees and how do you so that?

Growth of the organization depends on employees. Hence, it is very important for employees to work towards a certain skill to reach the desired goal. Employers give more stress on hiring candidates with potential technical skills and not just based on their educational background and work experience.

The top benefit for driving employee development is to shape a more efficient, competitive, and engaged workforce by various methods:

1. Hands-on training through videos, simulations and individual and group assignments.
2. Coaching of new and less experienced individuals plays a key role in skill development of employees.
3. Conferences are a useful way to network and gain exposure to a vast knowledge base of both interdisciplinary and outside industries.
4. Career planning of employees is an important factor to move on the career path.

5. How according to you as HR as a profession evolved over the years?

According to me, HR as a profession has evolved tremendously. The role of HR has moved from transactional to a strategic one. Now we not just focus on hiring talent but managing and retaining them. Engaging employees play a major role in the development of employees as well as organizations.

In addition, the rise of automation in talent acquisition has strengthened the role and has given hiring a better shape. It has led to advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, hunting platforms etc. Social media has played a significant role in hiring trends.

Candidates are more prone to social networking sites like LinkedIn wherein they can connect and express their potentials and thoughts. It has provided them with a bigger platform to show their skills, which is visible to everyone.

Now, more stress has been laid on branding, employee engagement, automation, employee wellness, active and constant learning which has truly evolved HR and will strengthen more in coming years.

6. What are some of the qualities you look for in-person when hiring for leadership?

Leaders play a crucial role in the success of the organization. The certain qualities that I look while hiring a leader include:

1. Should possess the long-term potential to support growth strategy in the organization with a proven record of accomplishment by producing results.
2. Should have passion and enthusiasm about their work.
3. Must know how to put skills into action.
4. Should be a team player, good listener and communicator.
5. Should be ambitious in achieving the goals of the organization.
6. Should be a decision-maker.
7. Should be flexible enough to adapt the change.

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

My main interest lies in the greatest writer and dramatist William Shakespeare. I have read most of his novels and acted in Shakespeare Society as well. Some of my favourites are Othello, Antony & Cleopatra, Hamlet, and Macbeth. 

His plays were composed using blank verse, although there are passages in all the plays that deviate from the norm and are composed of other forms of poetry and/or simple prose.

Interview by - Benil Joseph