Shillpa S. Chabria, Director of Human Resources, Occupational Health, Safety, Environment, Administration, and CSR at thyssenkrupp Industries India

Tell us in detail about your views on the nontraditional hiring approach and its significance for the VUCA world?

There is a befitting adage which says, ‘it is a war out there for talent'. However, organisations are getting smarter by bringing in work streams that suit different genres, genders, and ethnicities. Some of the examples in this context are bringing women back from a lifechanging event such as marriage, maternity, or even as a caregiver. I would like to reiterate the need for bringing back ‘superannuated' employees in a more adaptive work stream, as the current business environment demands a change in the way we view talent and prepare them for the days ahead. I also foresee a trend where the talent may prefer working only on an hourly basis as per their convenient schedules and we must adapt to this change.

Are there any challenges or obstacles thyssenkrupp has faced while implementing diversity and empowerment initiatives in the engineering domain, and how were these challenges addressed?

Every change comes with its complex challenges. Currently, our biggest challenge is the infrastructure improvement and enhancing work conditions of our people working in remote locations. We have noticed that deploying women and urban-college talent to some of our remote sites is challenging. This is not because the college students or women do not wish to work in remote areas, but such places may not offer a conducive work environment. We are undertaking relevant measures to revamp and improve the working conditions to empower and motivate our people for a brighter future for their families and themselves.

Are there mentorship or sponsorship programs in place at thyssenkrupp to help support individuals from underrepresented groups in their engineering careers?

Yes, we have a ‘Tuition Assistance Programme' to help employees in achieving academic milestones while they are working within the organisation and contribute to the company's growth. Every employee is unique to us, and we pay special attention to their development and learning curve within the organisation by creating a customised approach. We believe that all our employees deserve growth opportunities, and we relentlessly work towards creating such platforms for them.

How does thyssenkrupp engage with educational institutions and organisations to encourage and support diverse talent entering the engineering field?

Campus integration exercises spell significant value for us and our leaders are passionate in implementing various measures for this. They invest their time in campus engagement, initiate corporate conversations, and coach and guide the students on frequent occasions. It makes me proud to see our organisation's efforts in developing young talent and contributing to the nation's growth.

Are there any long-term goals or aspirations that thyssenkrupp has set for furthering diversity and empowerment in engineering over the next few years?

Our vision is to become an organisation of engineering marvel that not only contributes to the nation's growth but also becomes a talent development academy. We are working towards building an equitable workforce that thrives in a collaborative environment. We aspire to break the glass ceiling in the heavy engineering domain by creating our own distinguished approach. I am confident of achieving this goal in the years ahead.