Nirmala on the shopfloor with her colleagues

Congratulations on being promoted as the Executive Director - Group HR in the RSB Group. How do you see this enhanced role in contributing towards the overall progress of the Group?
I thank you for your congratulatory greetings. As an Executive Director, functions of HR now "stand with a difference" and forms integral part of Business Strategy. Hence, every strategy now needs to visit HR. Today, finance, material and capital alone cannot give desired deliverables unless human resource puts them into a right mix and direction.
Now I have the privilege of being part of strategic decision making and an added responsibility of being a business manager too. Human resource is now considered as part of entrepreneurial capability in the expanding diverse market where innovative HR approach gives an edge. Right talent acquisition, management, retention and career progression get synchronized with business strategies through HR.
Our HR function is constantly upgraded or modified to align with business goals and is continually correlated with business outcome through monitoring and measurement at planned intervals.  It is now more of a function with business sense where value addition of every working colleague takes the precedence and HR systems are aligned. The digitized error-free measurement of individual performance aligned with business strategy ensures value addition at every stage and synchronized with appraisal/rewards.

You have been with the RSB Group for over 18 years. How has the Group evolved in this time with regards to its human resources policies?
When I joined this group, HR was a conventional administrative work and routine legal compliances, which was an order of industry practices at that point of time. Emphasis on the technical training was a mandate for the precision manufacture of component on the state-of-art machines and heavy fabrication to boost productivity, quality and service. As expansion made way to functioning of 11 plants pan India with diverse local culture, practices and statutes prevailing at different locations, I embarked upon bringing "Unity in Diversity" for HR domain. Our entire HR process went through changes after participative consultation with colleagues across India and I finally put in place a HR bible with policies, procedures, grievance address, appraisals, rewards, training & development, career progression, on-the-job training, e-learning of critical operations, monthly performance review of value addition made by every colleague, On-line Performance Management System, Self-Appraisal, Greet-and-Meet Sessions at planned intervals at every location and finally introduced "Heart-to-Heart" sessions with Chairman.

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