In today’s rapidly evolving business environment, organisations are encountering significant disruptions in their talent supply chains. HR leaders are confronted with complex challenges, ranging from cost management to talent retention and skill enhancement. Talent management strategies must undergo substantial reshaping, taking into account the emergence of transformative technologies like AI and ML.
In an exclusive webinar on the topic “Navigating Talent Turbulence: Leveraging AI & Redefining Workforce Management for a Resilient Future,” in partnership with Aon, Loly Vadassery, CHRO, Datamatics Business Solutions and Renu Bohra, CHRO, National Engineering Industries Ltd, shared insights in a panel moderated by Jang Bahadur Singh, Associate Partner, Talent Solutions, India, AON.
The AI Disruption Is Real
AI has become a permanent fixture in business strategy, with organizations needing to justify its implementation through practical use cases. AI is being leveraged to optimize internal processes, enhancing ROI, while technologies like IoT are driving efficient decision-making in manufacturing. For example, AI tools can replicate coaching roles to help employees upskill, and AI-ML systems are being used to provide real-time data in HR, significantly reducing downtime and improving operational efficiency. These applications demonstrate AI’s tangible benefits in diverse business contexts.
The AI Impact on Talent
Given the location-specificity of tech roles versus talent preferences, attracting talent for AI roles is a challenge. A blend of internal talent and external outsourced talent from agencies and gig ecosystems is ideal. Renu shared how NBC recently hired an IoT specialist in their digital manufacturing team. “Gig workers were also much more attuned to the latest practices; the broader tech industry essentially served as the tech talent factory for the world,” quipped Renu.
But digital talent could only be attracted when they saw that they were going to get to do exciting work, believed Loly. Datamatics had an in-house product development team even though product development was not their core competency. For AI skills, Datamatics also tapped into partners’ expertise through the gig economy, creating a win-win for both people and the organization. “A new trend of quiet hiring involved referrals and internal upskilling to meet skill needs,” shared Loly. Clearly, getting niche skilled talent required deliberate and sustained talent management efforts.
Talent Management for the AI World
A holistic bouquet of talent offerings is essential for effective workforce management. NBC Bearings’ philosophy of ‘catching them young’ aids their campus management program for hiring and grooming trainees. “The trainees who joined us three years back now have senior profiles and great visibility right up to the promoter of the organization,” said Renu. NBC’s leadership development program called Chairman Circle builds future leaders, and diverse cross-functional projects provide learning, business exposure, and career growth. Hence, talent sticks around for 3-4 years while the next talent pipeline is continuously built.
Flexibility is a critical need for today’s workforce, particularly for Gen Z. To accommodate this, organizations have implemented various strategies, such as opening new office locations in co-working spaces to allow employees to work closer to home and introducing hybrid work models post-COVID, which combine in-office and remote work. These approaches have led to high employee engagement and customer satisfaction. In sectors where remote work isn’t feasible, flexibility in areas like leave policies, travel arrangements, and role expectations has become essential for maintaining employee satisfaction.
Organizations are increasingly prioritizing diversity and inclusivity initiatives to enhance workforce participation. Embracing the principle that flexibility supports diversity, some companies have focused on hiring a significant number of women from campuses and offering them flexible work arrangements, such as a few days of remote work. Additionally, by making physical adjustments, like building ramps, they ensure that differently-abled employees can navigate workspaces comfortably, particularly in manufacturing environments. These efforts are key to creating an inclusive and supportive workplace.
However, for flexibility to succeed, the performance management outlook must change—from a time-spent-in-office lens to a results-based one. HR played a big role in performance measurement with smart goals and objective measurements.
The Role of HR
The role of HR is to effectively bridge business challenges with strategic solutions. Modern HR leaders must manage a broad spectrum of responsibilities, including competencies, behaviours, compliance, and ethics, all while remaining deeply integrated into business operations.
Authentic leadership, characterized by vulnerability and a collaborative problem-solving approach, is essential. Successful HR practices revolve around putting people at the center, ensuring that business leaders align with doing what is right for the employees, which, in turn, supports overall business success.
Loly added, “Millions of jobs got created when computers came in; the same is going to be the case with AI.” People need to be adaptive because change is the only constant.