HR Insight Weekly(3) :- How Airtel Increased Gender Diversity from 10% to 16.5% in a Year

Airtel Increases Gender Diversity Through Campus Recruitment

Airtel has increased its gender diversity from 10% to 16.5% in about a year through various initiatives, according to Chief People Officer Amrita Padda. The company runs 14 campus programs and brought in close to 300 hires last year, of which 20% were women. This year, Airtel aims to hire close to 700 graduates through campus programs, with 70% being women.

The telecom giant has expanded its campus recruitment from 13 cities to over 30 cities. Padda notes widening the talent pool is key since some colleges may lack diversity. Airtel has also taken around 40 jobs to women's homes by setting up mini-offices. This helps expand opportunities.

?Ensuring stores have women's washrooms also increases female frontline staff. New hires undergo 6-9 months of training before deployment. Airtel conducts regular pay and performance audits to ensure no discrimination. HR staff also spend time in field roles to better understand operations. Under Padda's leadership, Airtel is focused on keeping its workforce skilled and adaptive amid industry changes.

?Capri Global Appoints Vivek Jain as Chief Human Resource Officer

Capri Global Appoints New CHRO

Capri Global has appointed Vivek Jain as Chief Human Resources Officer, effective February. Jain has 25 years of global strategic HR experience, previously serving as Senior EVP and head of HR at Kotak Mahindra Bank for 15 years. He has also held HR leadership roles at Genpact and Lupin Pharmaceuticals.

?Jain brings experience across industries including banking, fintech, pharmaceuticals, IT, and consulting. At Kotak, he helped build synergies between business units in an entrepreneurial culture. On LinkedIn, Jain said he is excited for his new role at Capri Global while thanking Kotak colleagues for their support.

TCS CEO on why work from home is not good for the company as well as employees

TCS CEO Doubles Down on Returning to Office Work

TCS CEO K. Krithivasan reiterated the company's commitment to ending remote work at a recent Nasscom event. He emphasized the importance of in-person interactions for learning experiences that cannot be replicated virtually. Krithivasan believes work-from-home models do not foster individual or organizational growth in the way that teamwork and culture are best cultivated in a physical office setting.

?Around 40,000 new TCS employees joined during the pandemic without any in-person interactions, according to COO N.G. Subramaniam. He stressed the need to return to the original office culture. Krithivasan also pointed out that most valuable lessons are learned observing senior employees.

?TCS does not support long-term remote work and believes the traditional office is most effective. Most clients also want their employees back in offices. While TCS extended the return deadline, Subramaniam cautioned there will be consequences for not complying with the ultimate March deadline. He cited security risks to businesses from a lack of office controls over remote employees. ?

Aon India Survey: Salary Increases to Rise in 2024 But Attrition Rates Ease; Organisations Focus on Benefits and Wellbeing

Salaries in India Expected to Rise 9.5% in 2024 as Firms Focus on Benefits

Aon India's survey of 1,400 companies found average pay is projected to increase 9.5% across sectors in 2024, up from an actual 9.7% hike in 2023. Manufacturing and professional services will see the highest raises at 10.1% and 9.7%. Other sectors like NBFC, BFSI and life sciences will see increases between 9.8-11.1%. Junior roles will get 9.9% while mid and senior management will see 9.4% and 9.1% respectively.

The survey also found talent attrition dropped to 18.7% in 2023 from 21.4% the prior year. With attrition easing, companies are shifting focus from cash bonuses to benefits like wellness programs, flexible work and enhanced healthcare. HR leaders need strategies to develop resilience, address skills gaps and foster ethical cultures as talent demands evolve. India's large talent pool provides opportunities if firms align employee value with learning over rewards.

NTT DATA's Plans to Implement 4-Day Work Week in India and Use of Continuous Performance Management

NTT DATA, a global IT services company, plans to implement a 4-day work week for its business process outsourcing (BPO) segment in India. The company has already rolled out the shorter week in its US BPO operations. NTT DATA shared plans to discuss the new schedule with Indian government authorities.

?The company's headcount in India has grown to 40,000, making it the largest base outside Japan. NTT DATA employs a total of 190,000 workers globally across six innovation centers. India is also home to one of these centers focused on new technologies. The BPO division in India has seen 25% growth and now employees 20,000 staff.

?Julie Downing, Head of HR at NTT DATA Digital Operations based in London, discussed continuous performance management and supporting employee experience. She noted trends like hybrid working becoming more popular post-pandemic. Younger workers also expect faster career development and companies aligned with social causes. Technology skills also change rapidly, requiring agility from employers.

?NTT DATA uses an internal tool for continuous feedback. Employees can update managers regularly on performance and training needs without year-end reviews. Peers and subject matter experts can also provide input. This helps managers create tailored development plans factoring diverse perspectives. The system documents successes like client projects in real-time