Renu Bohra, the CHRO of National Engineering Industries Ltd. (NBC Bearings), brings a wealth of experience and a distinguished career in driving strategic HR initiatives. Her leadership has been pivotal in fostering a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and growth at NEI. As the manufacturing sector evolves at an unprecedented pace, Renu’s insights into talent development, agile management practices and the significant trends shaping the future of HR are invaluable. In this interview, she shares how NEI is navigating these transformations and setting new benchmarks in HR excellence and how she’s pioneering contemporary approaches as a leader.
You recently shifted to NEI after a long stint with DB Schenker. Describe this transition and how it has affected you as an HR person.
Well, this is an interesting question. I can say two things were happening simultaneously. Firstly, it entailed leaving behind the comfort of my previous organisation where I had worked for 13 years, which meant bidding adieu to great partnerships and personal friendships. When I joined NEI, I was no longer surrounded by familiar faces and an acquainted environment. Secondly, I was tasked with the dual challenge of establishing connections with colleagues, not only as a peer but also as their HR leader. It has been a fascinating journey so far in getting to know new people, and a different business landscape and to soak into the new culture of my new company.
I saw it as a comprehensive reboot — the new team doesn’t have prior knowledge of me as an individual; their understanding of my persona was primarily shaped by my digital footprint on platforms like LinkedIn and through the observations of my actions and words. Along with that, relocating to a new city introduced me to the new flavours of life.
I am navigating this transition by diligently cultivating a profound understanding of the organisation, its business dynamics and its people. Establishing and nurturing relationships with all stakeholders is paramount, as is building my credibility. My learnings as an HR veteran demand an appreciation of the specific nuances of each company. As an HR leader, I am committed to discerning and promoting the positive cultural elements that need to be upheld and sustained.
As the CHRO of National Engineering Industries Ltd., what are your primary priorities in leading the HR function within such a diverse and expansive organisation?
NEI is on an ambitious growth trajectory and is transforming to propel the expansion. As a Great Place to Work-certified company, we will continue in our endeavour to build a culture of high trust and high performance. Sustenance of growth necessitates the evolution of the next generation of leadership pipeline. Over the years, NEI has built a formidable team of highly talented and dedicated employees, making talent retention a key priority. Our focus lies in nurturing future leaders and enhancing diversity within the organisation.
In recent times, we have also observed some riveting hiring trends. There’s a strong emphasis on promotion before recruitment, which means that the companies prioritise internal talent. This requires us to focus on upskilling and reskilling existing employees to prepare them for new opportunities.
Another trend is the focus on diversity hiring, particularly for individuals with disabilities and from the LGBTQ+ community. This requires us to build infrastructure and awareness, sensitise teams, and partner with specialised agencies to tap into these talent pools.
Finally, there’s a growing need for candidates with a digital mindset across all functions, not just in the IT functions. This means we need to assess these skills in our recruitment process and provide opportunities for employees to enhance their digital literacy. This focus on digital proficiency will ultimately lead to a highly skilled workforce within the company.
As we prepare for change for a successful transformation, another HR priority is change management. Additionally, I am working as an HR functional leader to create a competent HR team that can effectively partner with businesses and use technology to drive excellence.
Reports suggest that the hiring trends in manufacturing are increasing, especially in tier II cities. How do you foresee the talent management landscape evolving in the coming years, especially within the manufacturing sector?
The manufacturing sector in India is undergoing significant transformation, with tier II cities becoming key talent hubs due to lower costs and improved infrastructure. The auto components manufacturing sector in India is experiencing enormous growth, particularly in tier II cities. We anticipate increased hiring from these regions, driven by upskilling initiatives and partnerships with educational institutions.
Key trends shaping the talent management landscape include:
- Skill Development and Vocational Training: Emphasis on specialised training programs to develop competencies in advanced manufacturing techniques and automation.
- Technological Advancements: Increased demand for professionals adept in Industry 4.O technologies, such as robotics, AI, and IoT, to drive efficiency and innovation.
- Employee Retention and Engagement: Focus on competitive salaries, career growth opportunities, and a positive work environment to retain skilled labour.
- Sustainable Manufacturing: Growing need for expertise in green technologies and sustainable practices, reflecting the sector’s shift towards eco-friendly production.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Efforts to build a diverse workforce by recruiting from varied backgrounds and promoting inclusive workplace practices.
- Flexible Work Arrangements: Adoption of hybrid work models where feasible, especially in management and design roles, to attract a broader talent pool.
Our company is dedicated to aligning with these trends to ensure we attract, develop, and retain the necessary talent for continual success in the auto components manufacturing sector.
Additionally, the trends I mentioned earlier are also highly relevant to the manufacturing sector as well. We see a growing need for upskilling in areas like automation and data analytics as manufacturing becomes increasingly technology-driven. The focus on diversity hiring is also crucial in manufacturing, particularly in attracting more women to traditionally male-dominated roles. Companies need to pave the way for inclusive work environments and offer flexible work arrangements to attract and retain diverse talent.
Diversity and inclusion are increasingly becoming critical components of organisational success. Can you provide examples of initiatives or programmes at National Engineering Industries Ltd. that have successfully promoted diversity and inclusion?
Over the years, we have successfully built a strong governance structure in place to support D&I. This includes building awareness and sensitisation around PoSH, providing a safe working place for women, and extending benefits to women employees in terms of cab/transport, crèche facility, leave and flexible working arrangements. We have a notable presence of women workers in our manufacturing facilities, and we aim to increase this representation. We have a long way to go as the demographic is still lop-sided and are focussing on enhancing the diversity ratio by bringing more women through targeted hiring initiatives.
To support women and help them empower their skills, we also intend to start an Employee Resource Group (ERG) to further develop and strengthen the talent pipeline. These groups will provide a platform for employees to connect, share their perspectives, and contribute to key business priorities. We believe ERGs will be instrumental in fostering a more inclusive and diverse workplace while also driving innovation and collaboration.
What strategies do you employ to ensure that your talent management approaches are effectively aligned with the overarching business objectives of NEI?
At NEI, HR works closely with businesses to understand the changing needs and to address future upcoming needs. Our talent management framework recently underwent noteworthy changes such as restructuring the grade system wherein we merged 28 grades into 8+3 levels. This has made our organisation comparatively flat, less hierarchical, less rigid, and more networked.
Our talent management framework is built around a talent-centric approach, and we focus on talent development to create a robust internal talent pipeline. It encompasses all aspects of the employee lifecycle, from performance management to talent development. We have transitioned from a traditional, retrospective performance appraisal system to a more forward-looking performance management system.
This involves quarterly interactive reviews in an open and non-judgmental environment, focusing on employee growth and propserity. We also emphasise job rotation and internal talent mobility to establish a strong leadership pipeline for the future.
Could you discuss any specific technologies or tools that have significantly improved HR processes and employee engagement in your organisation?
We are leveraging technology to streamline HR processes and empower our employees. Our time and attendance module has digitised attendance tracking for both workers and staff, moving away from outdated physical systems.
Recently, we implemented an end-to-end HRMIS (Human Resources Management Information System) which supports our recruitment; LMS (Learning Management System), PMS (Performance Management System), T&A (Time and Attendance), and other needs. A few modules have already been rolled out, with others forthcoming. These have substantially improved our HR processes and employee engagement.
Our partnership with an online learning academy has created a forum to provide employees with asynchronous learning resources enabling them to hone new skills within their comfort and convenience. With processes like these, we are discovering new uses of Generative AI in our recruitment module to bolster efficiency and effectiveness.
The concept of agile talent management is gaining traction. How do you incorporate agility into your talent management practices?
Incorporating agility into talent management practices involves adopting flexible, responsive strategies to meet the dynamic needs of the organisation and workforce. As we are undergoing a huge growth-targeted transformation, agile talent management is essential.
I would like to mention a few practices that are building agility in our talent management program:
- Continuous Learning and Development: Implement ongoing training programs that allow employees to adapt to new technologies and processes quickly.
- Cross-functional teams: Encourage collaboration across departments to foster innovation and problem-solving.
- Flexible Workforce: Utilise a mix of full-time, contractual and freelance (consultants) talent to scale operations up or down as needed.
- Performance Management: Shift to continuous performance feedback instead of annual reviews to promptly address issues and recognise achievements.
- Talent Reviews: To create a talent pool which is mobile and future-ready.
- Employee Empowerment: Empower employees with decision-making authority to enhance responsiveness and engagement.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Use analytics to predict talent needs, identify skill gaps, and make informed hiring and development decisions.
By integrating these agile practices, we are building a strong talent management program to give us a competitive edge and propel our growth.
Flexible work arrangements have become more prevalent post-pandemic. How has NEI adapted to this shift, and what impact has it had on employee satisfaction and productivity?
We have implemented a flexible working model in terms of reporting and leaving hours. The work-from-home policy aids our employees to balance their lives at work and outside. Our leave benefits are employee-centric and support employees in taking adequate breaks for their personal/family needs. However, being a manufacturing organisation where the workforce is required to work in manufacturing facilities, circumstantially, we are unable to provide hybrid working for certain sections of employees.
While we haven’t executed newer modules specifically, our focus on continuous learning and development through the online academy provides flexibility for employees in manufacturing units. They can access training materials and upskill themselves at their convenience, even outside traditional work hours.
Post-COVID, we recognise the need for flexibility and are exploring options to provide more adaptable work arrangements within the constraints of our manufacturing operations.
Recognition and rewards programmes are key to employee motivation. Could you highlight some of the unique recognition and rewards programmes at National Engineering Industries Ltd.?
We have a well-established R&R program in NEI under the umbrella of ‘Protsahan’. It covers a broad spectrum including on-the-spot, monthly, quarterly and annual awards both in individual and team categories as we celebrate individual effort as well as esprit de corps. Intending to cultivate a culture of appreciation in the organisation monthly and quarterly awards are part of the Pitstop meeting at the Business/Function Unit level, where along with the functional performance data respective functional award winners are rewarded with e-vouchers and certification. These initiatives support building a high-trust and high-performance culture for all.
There are separate 9 award categories for annual awards where nominations can be received by the function/manager or self. The R&R committee comprising leadership team members, evaluates each nomination and does multiple rigorous discussions before finalising the winners. A Grand Awards ceremony is organised where awards are distributed by the CEO and leadership team. Our reward and recognition practices have evolved in the past few years and have been appreciated by the GPTW in their cultural audit report.
What’s an interesting piece of trivia from the HR industry that you’d like to share?
Over the years, HR has witnessed an incrementing representation of female employees across the industry. This has led to some myths like HR is dominated by females and therefore only females will get hired in HR. This is also obtrusive that the number of males opting for the HR profession and fewer males in B-school studying HR as compared to other disciplines. The flip side is the fact that this perpetuated the belief that HR is an easy job and that it is more about organising birthday parties or rangoli competitions etc. I have personally struggled with this.
In board room presentations or be it monthly business reviews, the HR’s presentation is mostly placed in the end when all line-functions and BU heads have presented their decks. I think HR professionals should have a strong self-belief that HR plays a crucial role, otherwise, they will not be able to present the voice of the most important stakeholder – the employees.
Renu Bohra, a seasoned HR professional with over two decades of experience, is currently working as the CHRO of National Engineering Industries Ltd. (NBC Bearings). Renu has a proven track record of strategic business partnering, culture-building and organisational transformation in leading companies, spread across key sectors of Logistics, MEP Services, Healthcare, Engineering, and Manufacturing. For her thought leadership, Renu was nominated in Asia’s 100 Power Leaders HR in 2022 and ET Prime HR Leader of the Year in 2023. An alumna of IIT Roorkee, Renu is passionate about people & culture, DEI, the Future of work, and CSR.
