Interview Yugandhar Penubolu

Hello Yugandhar, could you please introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your experience in the HR field in general?

Hey, I'm Yugandhar, and I've been working in corporate business and operations management for over 20 years. I'm actually the co-founder of 247hrm.com, which is an HR management company with a cool platform. This platform helps organizations with HR modules like payroll, leave, attendance, expense management, recruitment, and performance management. We also help with employee development and talent initiatives, analyzing talent, retention, and succession. We even offer workshops to help put these ideas into action. So yeah, we provide these services alongside our SaaS platform.

But let's focus on 247hrm.com, as it's our bigger product and has a significant impact on organizations. It's not just about keeping track of employees and their discipline. We believe that the most important factors are performance, potential, and development. So we help organizations create action plans and actually implement them. We've also done some in-depth research and partnered with IIT Hyderabad for modules on engagement and well-being. It's all about HR strategy leading to people development, fostering a great culture, and ultimately driving organizational growth.

What sets us apart is that we have a learning management system integrated into our platform. Unlike most platforms that focus on employees accessing content, our system takes it a step further. It allows organizations to create and share their own content, run programs, and manage feedback and assessments within the system. We provide tools for program management, assessment centers, trainer skill metrics, and scoring on the learning platform itself. The system also provides valuable insights to organizations, individuals, and teams, showing how learning is progressing and the impact it's making.

Oh, and by the way, I also run another company called Quill at Will - A Writing & Publishing Platform . Our product is a platform for creative expression, where people can blog, write short stories, and keep an e-diary. You can even store videos and audio diaries there. It's a versatile diary tool.

I'm also an author. I wrote a book called "The Transformational Lens," which you can find on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Goodreads, and Kobo. The book is targeted towards managers and young entrepreneurs. It covers the fundamentals of building and managing teams, organizations, and developing people. It also touches on topics like communication, innovation, and creating cohesive teams.

I'm really passionate about organizational development and behavior. My goal is to make a positive impact on a larger scale, reaching a broader audience and benefiting employees as a whole. Because, you know, when employees benefit, organizations benefit too. That's the key.

So if they install your software, all their HR needs will be covered, right? Is there no need to find anything else?

Yeah, absolutely! Our platform is designed to help HR manage people processes and seamlessly develop individuals. But here's the cool part - it's not just for management, employees themselves get a ton of insights and analytics. They can see their development needs, track their earnings, leaves, work patterns, and even plan their goals. You don't have to wait for appraisals to know how you're doing. The system provides progress updates at the individual, team, and organization levels even before appraisals happen.

And get this, the system allows for self-ratings and supervisor ratings. It has a built-in chat feature, kind of like WhatsApp, within the goal and performance management system. This means you can plan your work, ask for help from your supervisor, and keep a record of it all. It's not just about setting and getting goals, it's about supporting your work planning and achieving those goals. Plus, it helps you address challenges, seek assistance, and prepare for your future performance assessments. You get those valuable interim insights along the way.

It's all about empowering individuals and giving them the tools they need to succeed.

So in your opinion, is it possible to run a company with an HR department, but without any kind of technology, with let's say some basic outdated Microsoft Office style doing things?

Sure thing! Look, it's technically possible to run a company without an HR management system. But here's the real question: Do we just want to run a company or do we want to run it efficiently and effectively?

With an HR management system, we can bring in more intuitiveness, user-friendliness, and valuable insights that support day-to-day activities, weekly planning, yearly progress, and people development. As the organization grows, relying solely on Excel sheets or Word documents becomes pretty challenging. It's essential to have a system in place that enables us to understand, manage, track, and develop our people.

Having an HR management system in place is not just beneficial for the organization, but it also empowers the individuals within it. It streamlines processes, enhances productivity, and ensures that everyone's needs are addressed. So yeah, a well-designed system truly makes a difference for both the organization and its people.

Okay, I got it. Also, you spoke about the learning management system and in my opinion, being able to learn and learn efficiently is one of the most important skills of the future…

Absolutely! How we approach interactions with others plays a significant role in our learning journey. Do we let our ego dictate that our views must align with theirs? Or do we embrace the opportunity to gain different perspectives and insights from their viewpoints?

When we engage with others, we have a choice in how we learn and grow. A learning management system provides a structured approach to learning, facilitating assignments, information sharing, and consumption. However, as individuals, our consumption and application of knowledge may vary. It's important to consider how open we are to different perspectives and resources, and how we can integrate what we learn into our own lives, teams, and organizations.

Networking is another crucial aspect of learning. As we build connections, we create networks where information and resources can flow. Networking doesn't have to be overly complex; it can be as simple as maintaining regular conversations with a specific group of people. Within that network, we can act as facilitators, both seeking and providing information and resources. By consciously facilitating the flow of information, we become valuable contributors to the network.

In fact, if we actively expand and organize our network, strategically sharing information and resources, we become even more effective as facilitators within that network. By being the top-of-mind person for others, readily sharing valuable information, we strengthen our role as a facilitator within the network.

You've told me that you have a second product which is about the creative efforts of different people. So is it somehow related to your first project?

Creative expression is indeed a crucial aspect of individual growth and development. Each person has their own unique way of being creative, and fostering an environment that encourages and facilitates creative expression is vital, both within organizations and in families.

By encouraging and enabling expression, we open up opportunities for personal and collective growth. When individuals feel comfortable expressing their needs, views, and ideas, they create the possibility for others to respond and provide valuable insights or solutions. Expressing oneself allows for the exchange of perspectives, which can lead to a transformative shift in one's outlook on life.

And I think that being an entrepreneur in the tech sphere is the chance to develop and show two skill sets: technical and creative. So yeah, do you agree with that?

Absolutely, I completely agree. Creative expression is the key to unlocking the full potential of our creativity. Let me share an example. There's a video by David Kelly that illustrates this point. In the video, he tells a story about a young child in school who sculpted a horse out of clay. However, another child remarked that it didn't look like a horse at all. As a result, the child stopped creating altogether, stifling their expression due to a lack of creative confidence.

This example highlights the importance of both confidence and expression in creativity. It's not just about being creative; it's about having the confidence to showcase our creativity and harness its power. So, nurturing creative confidence and fostering expressive abilities are crucial aspects of realizing the true value of creativity.

What would be your advice to people who are just entering the workforce?

Should they focus on developing the necessary skills to be sought after in the workplace? Yes, I believe individuals entering the workforce should approach it with confidence and see it as an excellent opportunity to meet new people, learn, and absorb knowledge. It's not just about what you can take from the workplace, but also what you can contribute.

Everyone, including newcomers, has something valuable to offer. Whether it's providing support, being a team player, or sharing ideas, there are various ways to contribute. It's important not to fear ridicule or doubt the value of your ideas. Instead, actively participate, absorb information, and contribute to the best of your abilities.

Participate, absorb, and contribute are three crucial words for newcomers in any organization. Many people focus solely on absorbing information without taking action, but true growth comes from actively contributing.

I agree with you on the importance of these steps in content creation. Whether it's consuming content, curating it, or producing your own, the learning process remains consistent across industries.

Furthermore, storytelling plays a significant role, especially for newcomers. Allowing them to share their stories fosters networking and connection within the organization. It eases the process of meeting, discussing, and collaborating while facilitating learning. Storytelling can be a powerful tool for newcomers to contribute and make a difference in the workplace.

In fact, storytelling also extends to personal branding. Having a blog or writing stories serves as a form of self-reflection, sharing experiences, and showcasing skills and expertise. It acts as an interactive CV and resume, allowing others to understand and connect with your journey.

So, in summary, newcomers should focus on developing skills, actively participate, absorb knowledge, contribute their unique perspectives, and embrace storytelling as a means of personal and professional growth.