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S. Venkatesh leads the Group HR at RPG Enterprises and has over 28 years of experience across MNCs, diversified Indian business Groups, private equity firms and consulting. He has worked across multiple sectors - FMCG, energy, telecom/IT services, textiles/fashion/retail and metals & mining. After completing his Masters degree in Personnel Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, he went on to work for marquee companies like ITC, PowerGen Plc as Director-HR for India/Middle East, BPL Innovision Business Group as Executive VP-Group HR, Arvind Ltd as Group President-HR. One of his significant assignments was to provide Global HR leadership as President-Group HR for Vedanta Resources.
Subsequently, he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and founded a boutique advisory firm 'Svanishta' which pioneered a unique model for Strategic-HR outsourcing. During this phase, he has worked with Boards and CEOs of companies across sectors as diverse as IT services, auto, textiles/fashion, castings and healthcare, driving a number of organisational transformation initiatives for his clients. One of his key assignments was as a fund-side HR advisor to a private equity firm, providing strategic HR advice to the firm and its 35 odd portfolio/investee companies.
After a 4 year entrepreneurial stint, he re-entered the corporate world with RPG Enterprises in 2014. He is passionate about traveling, reading biographies, ancient history, cosmology and mythology.
ET: As the Group President of Human Resources, in your opinion, is there a difference in managing a company's Human Resources and taking a Group perspective?
SV: It depends on the way the Group is structured and its operating philosophy. At one end of the spectrum is a model where the Group is virtually a holding or investment company and each company operates totally independently (whether public/listed company or not). Many Groups or conglomerates try to allow a federal structure in which there are overarching, common beliefs with regards to people, assurance/governance, etc. which may translate into common policies in HR, assurance/risk management, M&A/fund raising, etc.
ET: Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA) forms a part of the competitive business world today. What advice do you offer to the Business Leaders of your Group to unleash the potential of their workforce to handle growing competition and volatility?
SV: It is important to create an organisation culture where resilience and agility is developed and rewarded, rather than a maverick style which fulfils the here and now. Organisations which have a long term focus, which constantly nurture a great culture where respect for people is high, turn out to be victors through these never ending cycles of business boom and bust.
ET: Digital HR is the latest buzz in most industries. What are your views on using technology to enhance HR performance, solve concerns and improve employee engagement at all levels?
SV: Digital HR gives us the opportunity to cut down on paper work, get real time information and create transparency and process adherence. At RPG, we use digital HR in a big way in all our HR processes and activities. For example, we have an app in one of our companies where employees can speak real time to the CEO about issues, make suggestions and expect a response in 24 hours. All our systems like performance management, recruitment, succession planning, talent management, learning & OD are digitized and provides universal access to all our employees.
ET: As a senior HR professional, what skills and knowledge do you think are essential for HR professionals to succeed in today's world?
SV: I always say that HR is a calling, not just a job! More than ever, it is becoming ultra-essential for HR professionals to adhere to the highest levels of personal integrity. Communicating and connecting incessantly with your most critical stakeholders, i.e. the employees, is very important. Agility, resilience, optimism, extroversion and a basic goodness to bring about positive change are all eternal qualities required in a HR professional.
ET: Could you please share more on the RPG Enterprises & in particular, what are the current and future challenges faced in formulating HR policies at the Group level?
SV: RPG is a highly diversified conglomerate with business ranging from infrastructure to tyres, technology, life sciences, etc. Our endeavour is to ensure that we have a common fabric and culture with regards to people, governance/ethics, etc. and yet allow companies to operate independently in a federated structure. In spirit, all our employees are Group resources and in practice we try to ensure fungibility of our talent across our businesses as much as possible. We strongly subscribe to the philosophy of Build rather than Buy and through our RPG Talent First! Campaign to provide career opportunities on first priority to our internal talent. Our new Vision is 'Unleash Talent, Touch lives, Outperform and be Happy' is unique and believes the end result is to have a happy and motivated organisation.
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