The Shape of Work
The Shape of Work
#88: Shreedevi Roogi on how to build a people-friendly culture that's immune to black swan events
On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, we have Shreedevi Roogi, Head Of Talent Acquisition- India, APAC and EMEA at Epicor Software.
Having worked in talent acquisition roles with giants like Accenture, Dell Services, Sabre Corporation and EY, it is no surprise this episode covers a lot of ground on the topic of hiring.
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- The importance of networking to look for talent and amplify your culture
- Reasons why organizations shouldn’t make a big deal about employee’s career breaks
- Diversity and inclusion isn’t just ethnicity: organizations need a holistic approach
- Building an employer brand in a world where job seekers look for way more than just a big brand name
- A well defined, people-friendly culture: immune to black swan events
Challenges while hiring- Startups vs MNCs:
Shreedevi feels that working for both has its challenges, and it goes with how one wants to deal with it.
Hence, sales and marketing come into the picture, reading into the organization and talent.
Talent is crucial everywhere, be it a startup or an established company. It is a fundamental pillar for every organization to progress. Startups are not process-driven, but that gives them flexibility and adaptability towards talent. However, an established organization has a more structured set of policies with a more rigid hiring process.
Shreedevi feels that a startup gives more edge and preference while an established organization has to work a little extra to sell its brand and tech. It is not an easy process for startups.
Influence of digital media on networking:
Networking has turned into a more sophisticated step with digital media. There are plenty of social media platforms where like-minded people form communities and gather. They discuss common topics and help each other in tasks. Networking is an important practice across leadership roles as well. There are plenty of platforms like Github, Dribble, Stack Overflow, etc.
Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry:
The Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a non-profit organization working with the central/state government to support the women cohort in that particular council. There are 160 councils (HR/entrepreneurship/sexual harassment, and others) building policies to pass through central or local ministries.
Is D&I really aligned to the values of the organization?
Organizations talk about diversity and inclusion as a more strategic approach. However, according to Shreedevi, the effectiveness of D&I is minimalistic with the lack of a business championship. Till business does not champion, it becomes difficult to build this initiative as an integral part of an organization.
A business leader’s sole focus would be to get the work done. The biggest gap Indian organizations have compared to western countries is the lack of designing patterns of policies.
Employer branding in today’s job market:
A recruiter can easily understand whether a candidate’s main goal to join the company is the brand, tech, or money.
Hence, as a brand, the recruiter should analyze where they stand as a company. If the brand is already established, it should go for subtle branding like an employee value proposition. Here employees can mention certain attributes through which an organization can have an edge over the others. These attributes can be used for branding and attracting talent.
Follow Shreedevi on LinkedIn
Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Junius Dsilva