i nterview

The pandemic became a catalyst for change in organizations:

Lenovo India’s HR leader

In an exclusive interaction with People Matters, Subhankar Roy Chowdhury, Executive DirectorHR, Asia Pacific, Lenovo India, shares some insights on the trends brought forward by the pandemic that will have significant implications for businesses in the long term; the biggest challenges in embracing diversity and inclusion at a strategic level; and how companies can create a culture where people from all walks of life can share their talent and feel a sense of belonging

by yasmin Taj

The pandemic became the largest catalyst for transformation in the corporate world in the past one and a half years. The changes brought forward by the pandemic completely transformed the way work is done and the way the workforce is perceived. While health, wellbeing, and communication became paramount, aspects like diversity and inclusion too found new meaning in this new normal. And now, as organizations battle out the second wave of COVID-19 and try to keep their employees safe, it is time to take a relook at what return to work would mean for them.

In this exclusive interaction, Subhankar Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director-HR, Asia Pacific, Lenovo India shares

some insights on the new trends brought forward by the pandemic that will have significant implications for businesses in the long term; the biggest challenges in embracing diversity and inclusion at a strategic level; and how companies can attract or retain diverse talent from any location around the globe.

Subhankar Roy Chowdhury, Executive Director-HR, Asia Pacific, Lenovo India is responsible for developing the people agenda aligned to the business for Lenovo India. Since APJ region offers a wide range of people-focused themes because of complex geographies with varied people issues, disparate talent needs, multi-generation workforce, different socioeconomic models of growth, and different labor markets and policies, he plays a critical role in creating the right talent agenda for the organization. He is also a speaker and mentor with varied interests and experiences in cross-cultural leadership, organization transformation, HR technology, and talent practices to create a human work environment in the digital age.

Here are the excerpts from the interview.

The crisis has brought in many new trends in terms of how and where work gets done. What trends do you think will have significant implications for businesses in the long term?

The pandemic has triggered unprecedented disruptions in workplaces and school, to social connections and industries. It has also accelerated digital transformation into warp speed in 2020, creating radical shifts in the new “everythingfrom-home" environment. As a wide array of companies re-examine the workplace's functionality and recalibrate to varying levels of a work-from-home or work-from-anywhere, we’ll start to see more traditional office workspaces become periodic collaboration hubs and home offices become the day-to-day workplace in a new hybrid work model.

This presents a series of challenges and opportunities: • For Work, accelerated digitization offers new opportunities, and companies will look to invest

As a wide array of companies re-examine the workplace's functionality and recalibrate to varying levels of a work-from-home or work-fromanywhere, we’ll start to see more traditional office workspaces become periodic collaboration hubs and home offices become the day-to-day workplace in a new hybrid work model

The global telework movement initiated by the pandemic has the potential to boost the careers of D&I talent. With the mental bias around work from home diminishing and realized productivity improvement, underrepresented employees can join & rejoin the workforce while balancing work and life

in a solid business continuity plan and effective collaborative tools. The challenge they may face then is privacy concerns. • For Workforce, it means a new strategy to supporting, retaining, and developing talent. Health and well-being will continue to be a priority with people operating in the new normal. • For Workplace, we can expect smarter offices with more collaborative spaces. Companies will continue to offer flexibility in work hours. But as employees start returning to the workplace, the challenge is ensuring everyone’s health and safety.

Please share some insight into lenovo’s latest Diversity & Inclusion Report. How has lenovo’s D&I policy evolved/ transformed in the last two decades?

Lenovo’s Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Report highlights the annual snapshot of workforce demographics, hiring and attrition data, and a recap of the past year's diversity and inclusion highlights. Under the theme “Smarter for all”, the third annual report celebrates Lenovo’s achievement of reaching its three-year representational goals for gender and race/ethnicity.

Since Lenovo first began reporting its workforce representation three years ago, the company has experienced progress in several key areas:

Representing Gender Equality Globally:

• The representation of women within the overall workforce remained consistent from 2019 at 36 percent. • Representation of women within executive roles worldwide grew from 18.5 percent to 21 percent. • Since first announcing the company’s three-year goal of 20 percent in 2018, the representation of global female executives has grown three percent.

Remote work, beyond being effective, has opened up opportunities for inclusion. People who can’t afford transportation to work can work virtually. Companies can attract or retain diverse talent from any location

around the globe. What’s your view on this?

The global telework movement initiated by pandemic has the potential to boost the careers of D&I talent. In our COVID-19 Workplace Practice survey conducted last year, 85% of employees indicated better worklife balance with reduced commute time and dressingup time, allowing them more time to focus on work, family, and personal hobbies. 50%+ employees indicated they could better manage work and home responsibilities while working from home. With the mental bias around work from home diminishing and realized productivity improvement, underrepresented employees can join & rejoin the workforce while balancing work and life.

We are conscious that remote work also comes with its own set of challenges. But practice over time and embraced by every individual in the organization, remote work can present opportunities for all of us to think about what it truly means to collaborate and improve our organizations. There are some ways to transition employees to remote work option more smoothly, and these include:

• Having effective hybrid

working tools: When the pandemic hit, 40% of Lenovo employees indicated ergonomics, systems, and connectivity as a challenge while working from home. For effective long-term hybrid working, we will require enhanced devices, builtin high-speed connectivity that allows employees to work from home effectively, along with policies/ allowances for ergonomic setup.

• Focusing on customer

experience: Inability to meet customer F2F has been a big challenge during the pandemic.

Ensuring top and personalized customer experience while working virtually would be a key focus area.

• Enabling management

of virtual teams: Equipping managers with tools and training for effective brainstorming and work planning would make the transition easier.

• Investing in virtual employee engagement:

The pandemic has served, and should serve, as a catalyst to embed more inclusive practices and effective leadership within the organization. Remote work is a powerful way to attract, support, and retain talent from all backgrounds and help break down barriers uniquely faced by underrepresented employees

E-learning has been the most used employee program during the pandemic and will be an even bigger developmental and engagement tool for employees in 2021.

What, according to you, are the biggest challenges in embracing diversity and inclusion at a strategic level? How can the challenges be surmounted?

Below are some common challenges to embracing diversity and inclusion and ways to surmount them:

Common challenges:

• Changing demographics: The Millennial workforce has a whole new set of values, attitudes, skills, expectations, learning styles, and ambitions, as compared to the tenured workforce. With • COVID-19 pandemic and the impact on women:

Like most global crises, the impact of COVID-19 has also not been genderneutral. There is a considerable gender gap in employment, with only 21% of women in India active in the labor market (and declining as per the latest survey), 29.2% of women holding technical roles, and 14.6% Indian

Despite pandemic challenges, we are heartened to see that there is still an overall increase in employee perception and satisfaction towards Lenovo as a diverse and inclusive place to work

Diversity and inclusion initiatives risk being ineffective if they are only developed to comply with corporate governance and self-regulation. They may be well-meaning but are misguided in their intention and approach. We need to switch our mindsets to rethink and reinvent our diversity and inclusion approach as growth opportunities.

the increasing share of millennials in the workforce, inclusive work practices for the multi-generation workforce are going to evolve constantly. • The complexity of a global organization:

There is no one size fits all. What works for one country or region may not work for another. Customized D&I solutions with a global-local approach are necessary for impactful results. women in senior positions.

Here are some ways through which the challenges can be surmounted:

• Commitment from top management • A systematic strategic plan with set quantitative and qualitative goals • A holistic approach • Employee involvement • What gets measured gets done

• Diversity as imperative for the development of new products/services

How do you see the impact of the pandemic on D&I policy at lenovo? How has the organization been building an inclusive environment for the workforce? Please shed some light on the initiatives taken by lenovo.

Despite pandemic challenges, we are heartened to see that there is still an overall increase in employee perception and satisfaction towards Lenovo as a diverse and inclusive place to work. In a study done internally in 2020, our diversity dimension scores have been encouraging. As an organization, Lenovo is committed to providing a supportive environment that is inclusive and safe. This includes implementing various initiatives such as diverse hiring, flexible working arrangement, Women in Lenovo Leadership (WILL), Women’s Leadership Development Programme (WLDP), and D&I training to name a few.

How do you foresee the evolution of D&I strategy in the near future, especially in light of remote work culture? In the post-pandemic world, do you think, we need leadership that recognizes the potential of diverse talent and understands its implications on inclusion and culture? Post-COVID-19, the world would continue to see organizations realign work practices around flexible work hours, benefits, childcare, performance management, employee wellbeing, and engagement

The pandemic has served and should serve, as a catalyst to embed more inclusive practices and effective leadership within the organization. Remote work is a powerful way to attract, support, and retain talent from all backgrounds and help break down barriers uniquely faced by underrepresented employees. Now, more than ever, companies will need to put in the work to address underlying biases, stamp out discrimination and promote inclusivity if they want to create a culture where people from all walks of life can share their talent and feel a sense of belonging.

D&I requires sustained effort, and it starts with leaders and managers paving the way by being more compassionate and making conscious inclusion a daily practice. PostCOVID-19, the world would continue to see organizations realign work practices around flexible work hours, benefits, childcare, performance management, employee well-being, and engagement. Those who adapt the fastest will be successful in building a diverse and inclusive workforce for the future.

After releasing three insightful editions, Alight is back with the fourth edition of the Alight Solutions’ State of HR Transformation Study in partnership with People Matters.

The study, which was launched during the People Matters TechHR SEA virtual conference, is themed around Emerging Stronger and sheds light on how some organizations are ahead of the curve in emerging stronger.

Last year, Alight Solutions brought forward the construct of Adaptable HR as a guide to navigating the increasingly uncertain business and talent landscape in the midst of the biggest crisis faced. Exploring the anchors of adaptability in HR functions, Alight has consistently observed that the HR Operating Model (interchangeably referred to as HR Service Delivery or Business Model) plays an important role in driving confidence on execution and productivity. When complemented with the right HR technology strategy, the results are amplified further.

This year, as we continue to face new challenges and uncertainties posed by the pandemic, Alight found that organizations with Adaptable HR are emerging stronger to:

• Lead in being digi-

tal: Adaptable HR report twenty times the NPS on technology satisfaction as compared to market averages. This is due to the digital success enabled by leveraging HR Technology to complement the HR

Operating Model. In addition, 50 percent of Adapt-

Adaptable HR,

at the forefront of #emergingstronger

As organisations chart the journey during the watershed events triggered by the pandemic, Alight Solutions tested the construct of Adaptable HR and observed that Adaptable HR functions are emerging stronger across several parameters.

#emergingstronger to

Lead in being digital for HR and the business:

Organisations with Adaptable HR functions have 22 times the Net Promoter Score (NPS) on technology satisfaction as compared to the market averages. They are 3 times more likely to be ahead in adopting augmented technologies (like robotics) in HR. Drive Better reSultS:

Proactively enable the right shifts in the way we work:

Organisations with Adaptable HR functions are 3 times more likely to be proactive in driving institutional change, new ways of working and adoption of work technologies. This has held true during the accelerated asks in the pandemic period and will likely strengthen in the future with the rise of a hybrid workplace.

Reimagine the HR function as a leader for organisational change:

Organisations with Adaptable HR functions are 3 times more likely to succeed in delivering a closer partnership with the business through their operating model and capabilities. They are 2 times more likely to succeed in their efforts on employee experience. Both of these are critical in leading organisational transformation.

Shape and deliver the right value of HR to stakeholders:

Organisations with Adaptable HR functions are almost 1.5 times more confident on their HR strategy and execution. They are also

1.7 times more productive.

• Organisations with

Adaptable HR functions are 1.5 times more likely to have

favourable growth in revenues and profit

before tax in the coming 12 months.

• Organisations with

Adaptable HR functions are 1.5 times more ready to address talent risks posed by the changing environment.

able HR have advanced along their adoption journey of robotics and cognitive technologies to drive efficiencies and improved experience for employees.

• Enable shifts in the way

we work: Adaptable HR functions are three times more likely to be proactive in driving institutional change, new ways of working, and adoption of work technologies. In fact,

Adaptable HR functions report the use of up to five forms of work technologies. Factors that enabled quick adoption include

investment priorities and the right efforts in helping adoption through investments in manager/ leader enablement. • Reimagine HR: Adaptable HR functions are three times more likely to succeed in delivering closer partnership with the business through their operating model and capabilities. The specific capabilities demanded in

Adaptable HR functions are what sets them apart and enables the organization to be agile by design.

• Shape and deliver

value: Adaptable HR functions are almost three times more confident in their HR strategy and execution. This foundation and investment priorities enable them to be better equipped to address complexities and more proactive in responding to changes.

The world of work too has undergone a drastic transformation in these times. Adaptable HR functions have proven that HR is truly at the forefront of shaping and delivering value to

#emergingstronger

Accelerated change, Opportunity and reality

engines 3-4 of innovation, cost effectiveness and market expansion are creating new HR demands Hybrid work models will get created to suit unique business and market contexts without compromising outcomes and experience Work & life health and wellness concerns have increased, yet organisations are least prepared to address them

1%

NPS on HR technology is not acceptable in a world that is mostly virtual / getting to hybrid right now

Adaptable Hr take leading actions

50% more ready to address strategy linked talent risks around change, cultural alignment, critical skills and job redesign 2X more invested in employee experience and tailored interventions to ensure success of programs 70% led selection and adoption of new Work Tech demands created by the pandemic and future hybrid work models 22 times the market NPS on HR technology achieved through successful technology leverage focused on adoption and insights

Adaptable Hr likely to sustain momentum & discipline

3X more confident

on their HR Operating Model to enable accelerated value delivery in a dynamic business and societal recovery

1.5X more rigour

on measuring the Role of HR initiatives and enabling corrective actions

2X more focus

in driving employee experience on moments that matter will enable them to drive better adoption of new ways of working

Low Effort High Impact

Philosophy on reducing transaction effort while enhancing agility and business acumen

stakeholders, enabling us to adopt new ways of working and enable digital success. Throughout this report, observations were shared in terms of how Adaptable HR organizations have paved ways for new co-creations and solutions for people and organizations to emerge stronger.

Talking about this year’s study, Vikrant Khanna (Sr. Director and Advisory Lead at Alight Solutions), exclaimed, “ We are delighted to see how Adaptable HR function led organizations are recovering from the impact of the pandemic, while there is still quite a bit of uncertainty in the environment, the construct of Adaptable HR acts as a lighthouse for organizations to emerge stronger”

Shaswat Kumar (Vice President and Asia Leader, Alight Solutions) says, “This year’s findings demonstrate that Adaptable HR function led organizations are likely to succeed in their change agenda. This will enable organizations, not only to compete better but also to deliver the right value to its constituents and shareholders”

Certainly, the future belongs to organizations that are able to continue their journey of Adaptable HR, lead transformation, and emerge stronger!

The State of HR Transformation 2021, is the fourth IT IS AN ACCUMULATION Of ALL INdIvIdUAL BEHAvIOr CHANGES ANd THE LArGEr OrGANIzATION CHANGE WHICH LEAdS TO BUSINESS SUCCESS. IT IS NO SUrPrISE THAT OrGANIzATIONS WITH AdAPTABLE Hr fUNCTIONS ArE 1.5 TIMES MOrE LIKELY TO HAvE fAvOrABLE GrOWTH IN rEvENUES ANd PrOfIT BEfOrE TAX IN THE COMING 12 MONTHS

edition of the Alight Solutions’ flagship study on this subject. The study data was captured between Jan 2021 and Apr 2021 through an online survey. The insights combine data captured via a survey that saw participation from over 1,700 respondents (which were filtered down to 1,022 based on completeness and accuracy of responses), and observations of Alight Solutions in the space of HR Transformation.

With an unwavering belief that a company’s success starts with its people, Alight Solutions is a leading cloud-based provider of integrated digital human capital and business solutions. Leveraging proprietary AI and data analytics, Alight optimizes business process as a service (BPaaS) to deliver superior outcomes for employees and employers across a comprehensive portfolio of services. Alight allows employees to enrich their health, wealth, and work while enabling global organizations to achieve a high-performance culture. Alight’s 15,000 dedicated colleagues serve more than 30 million employees and family members.

Alight Solutions delivers next level transformation!