AN INTERVIEW WITH HEAD HR, MOOG CONTROLS INDIA PVT. LTD.

2/26/2022

Prakash Shivanna is a versatile people leader with over 20 years of experience in designing, planning, and managing the entire life cycle management of people functions. He worked as a senior HR leader with SKF Technologies Private Limited and Otis Elevator Co. Presently, working as Head HR with Moog Controls India Private Limited.

Prakash is a strategic planner with proficiency in streamlining business, policy formulation and rationalization, automation, change management, and conceptualizing and implementing OD interventions.

Now, it is not "Cost to Company (CTC)", it is "Investment on Employee (IOE)."
HR is emerging as a core profit center with a strong and close strategic relationship with the CEO & CFO to make strategic decisions to maximize the profit and growth.

1. How would you describe yourself?
I am a gregarious person. I enjoy helping people get better in their personal and professional lives.

2. What was one important thing you learned in the early days of your career?
My first association was with BPL Ltd., a leading consumer Products Company with high valuesin the 90s. BPL made me value members of the team and help them by creating opportunities to grow.

3. What are your biggest accomplishments?

Moving from village to corporate world and acquiring an identity as agile HR Leader.
Mentoring and coaching many young HR Professionals from rural backgrounds.
Delivering the results by aligning personal values with organisational values.

4. What is your leadership philosophy?
Reeti, neeti, and prourutthi are my philosophy. Perception, perfection, and perseveration are my leadership pillars.

5. What would you do to retain top talent in the Company?

Paying them more than the market.
Creating challenging positions to challenge their talent.
Engaging them in critical/strategic projects.
Creating a backup for them (as a contrary approach).
Investing in their career growth.
Ensuring a great employee experience.

6. Is HR a cost center or profit center?
Many organizations do not consider HR as a profit center. HR is no longer a cost center. HR is emerging as a core profit center with a strong and close strategic relationship with the CEO & CFO to make strategic decisions to maximize the profit and growth. Now, it is not "Cost to Company (CTC)", it is "Investment on Employee (IOE)."

7. What are the top challenges you are facing in HR?

Talent acquisition – getting the right people to the right positions.
Managing the expectations of younger generations.
Generation gap conflicts between Gen Y & Gen Z.
Illogical expectations of unionized workers.

8. What are the top HR Challenges in IT and BT companies?

Talent attraction, development, and retention.
Lack of focus on personal values and qualities (focus on skill-set, not an attitude).
Focus on individual-based policies rather than organizational policies.
Engaging the workforce and managing diversity.

9. According to you, what are the different faces of HR?
An advocate, a mentor, a cop, an advisor, an enabler, an activist, a conductor and a master.

10. Technology seems to be playing an important role in HR. Your comments...
Technology making HR an e-HR. Technology is making HR simpler and smarter. Technology strengthens the processes of talent acquisition, performance management, data management and analytics, compensation and benefits, policy administration, grievance tracking and handling, remote working, and so on. HR professionals must have strong technical skills along with their HR skills and knowledge to excel in the profession.

11. Name the top competencies HR Professional should have…