Arun Singh - HR Professionals Should Focus On the Big Picture of the Business (HR - Xpressbees)

Your college degree is only a springboard into the workplace, but your ambition is the underlying factor that will determine your success. Having a fancy 3/2 year degree is just one part of your career journey, but it doesn't determine your success.

Tell us about your background, journey, and upbringing.

I was born and raised in the historical city of Gorakhpur, in Uttar Pradesh. I grew up in a small neighborhood and belonged to a middle-class family. My parents encouraged me all throughout my childhood and with their support, I could happily sail through school and college years in Gorakhpur.

My parents trusted me to pursue my higher education from a renowned institution and so they sent me away to chase my dreams.

My father has been my role model since a very young age. His work ethic and modesty always kept me grounded and inspired. His trust in me made me stay firm on my goals to become a leader.

I found myself accepted in one of the esteemed colleges of Hyderabad, and that was the beginning of what I can recall being the start of something exciting in my career. I completed my M.S in Human

Resources Management, 2008 from ICFAI. Through our campus interviews, I have presented with an opportunity to explore the HR field. Thereon, it has been more than 12 years now and I cannot see myself doing anything differently.

Human Resource Management has become an integral part of my life. I have always had a connection with people and here I was, managing them, their concerns, and providing solutions.

I am currently a part of XpressBees Logistics Solutions Pvt. Ltd. which is one of the fastest-growing express logistics establishments in the country.

How did you narrow down on this profession?

When I initially started, I was a part of the RSS Group. I met new people and realized my strengths lie in engaging and connecting with them. I blended with a wide variety of people. I had a natural intuition and empathy towards what people needed to bring their best.

SO the decision was really to develop my professional journey in the direction where I saw myself contributing significantly – to an organization, society, and my own well-being. 

It seems onboarding, even in 2021 is a long-drawn-out process behind the scenes. How do you envision this changing in the future?

In this pandemic situation, we are all working from remote areas and this pandemic has taught how much technology is important in our present life. In today’s scenario, everyone is using Zoom/Google Hangout/Microsoft team meetings and collaborating to get the best out of each other.

In the case of onboarding, I take the example of my current process. Earlier we used to have an onboarding in the office and conducted facilitator-led training and meetings. Since the pandemic, we have started doing joining processes online. 

New joiners have to submit their documents online and attend the sessions virtually. They meet their stakeholders and start engaging with them over a variety of platforms and time slots. 

Building a closer connection and an immediate sense of belongingness takes greater effort through virtual onboarding. Employees and employers have begun to adapt to it and this change in process is here to stay.

The onset of the pandemic has generally made it imperative for us to tap the HR technology. We have been investing in HR automation in the area of employee development and the HR strategic arena which is highly engaging and effective. 

As a Human Resource leader, I do keep track of the challenges that our employees would be facing due to limited visibility, lack of physical presence, and proper infrastructure. 

The way forward for us, like all organizations today, is to quickly build and adapt a digital culture, keep innovating on the collaboration experience, making engagements and communication a centric part of our work style for a smoother work experience while ensuring employee convenience.

                               

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What’s one thing you would like to change in how Background Verification is done in India.

Background check is an employee screening mechanism to verify the viability, truthfulness, identity and in some cases the criminal and behavioral tendencies of a potential candidate, particularly for a position that requires high security or trust. 

It is an important component of the hiring process, regardless of the size of the organization or the nature of the industry. But does become more critical in certain industries. 

I do believe there is a huge scope of improvement in this space of work. One of the most significant challenges for employee screening in India has been the lack of a common identifier. 

In the absence of a common unique identifier (example - Social Security Number
in the US), doing any search across criminal, education, residential records, etc. needs an intelligent search using a combination of the individual’s name, father’s name, date of birth, etc.

Secondly poor address data. For example, the applicants may end up making spelling mistakes, writing abbreviations, failing to mention specific address details like PIN code, Landmark, etc.

Mistakes like these lead to inadequate or incorrect data which further complicates the process. Last but not least maintaining database at all the level, records for individuals on a national or state level do not exist. 

Further, some of the traditional educational institutions have not developed a
practice of maintaining detailed information of their ex-students. Companies are also not very forthcoming in sharing compensation details or the actual reasons for employment termination.

How do you handle someone who has lied on their resume?

The first step in dealing with a new hire who lied about something on a resume is to confront the person directly. The meeting should be conducted in private and the person who is handling the meeting should be straightforward and polite. 

Any of the rest of the information on the resume should be cross-referenced at this point in time. Continuing to employ someone who lied about their skill, degree, background on the resume. 

This is primarily because that same person could be lying about other things as well. Keeping a hire on your team who you cannot trust can be a frustrating burden.

Several global companies have come out and thrown their support behind not needing a formal education. What is your opinion about this?

Your college degree is only a springboard into the workplace, but your ambition is the underlying factor that will determine your success. Having a fancy 3/2 year degree is just one part of your career journey, but it doesn't determine your success. 

In fact, some of the world's biggest entrepreneurs like Steve Jobs and Richard Branson do not have a college degree. I believe education can be much more empowering when you have more control and choice over what you learn and when. Real-life training and learning offer us something that the traditional college classroom does not.

                             

What advice do you have for aspiring HR professionals?

HR professionals should focus on the big picture of the business. Far too many HR professionals get side-lined because they do not see how HR processes and systems need to add value to the business.

Keep that as your North Star. And then maintain the passion towards human wellbeing, take a positive approach to communication, show a genuine interest in each employee, collaborate with all the departments. 

These in fact should become natural to you as you grow in your career. In today’s VUCA world, of course, all professionals – including HR need to be more tech Savvy, stay flexible, and yet stay aligned to their vision.

Which is your favorite book and why?

Recently finished Ikigai. And it has become one of my favorites. This book has given me a life-changing mantra to uncover my personal ikigai. It taught me how to find a sense of balance and well-being for myself. And how I can weave it in my professional space too.