Leaders
The past few years have reshaped the human resource industry in many ways. There have been massive changes in the mindset of both employers and employees. While the market is still turbulent, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to counter these curveballs. HR leaders are expected to deliver more. They are required to build a good employer brand, actively listen to employees, build engagement & retention strategies, and attract top talent, while looking for cost effective tools and practices that can help them address any current and future uncertainties as well.
One renowned name in the industry, Veena Bansal, Head HR, Merino Industries is a gifted, vibrant, and outspoken professional with over 22 years of operational and strategic expertise in the Human Resources domain. She is a restructuring and transformation specialist with an instinctive ability to grasp organizational details and personalize HR deliverables to drive business effectiveness.
In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur Magazine, Veena Bansal walks us through her vibrant professional journey.
Take us through your early educational journey and prior industry experience that you bring to the table.
My educational journey had been quite exciting as my early schooling days were spent across Geographies like South, Rajasthan and Punjab before my family settled down in Delhi, these experiences in my early days gave me a flavor of diversified cultures across India. I am a commerce graduate from IP College, Delhi University and an MBA in Human Resources. Education to me is an ongoing process hence I did a few MDP programmes from IIM and PG Diploma in Human Resource Management from XLRI Jamshedpur.
I consider myself lucky enough to have got exposure in FMCG, IT , Infrastructure, Real Estate and Manufacturing Industries in varied HR roles and an exposure to a plethora of cultures with a diverse set of teams and partners in a career spanning more than two decades.
I initiated my journey as an Intern in Godfrey Philips and graduated from generalist to Recruitment specialist role. Got myself into the IT Industry for a couple of years in the Talent Management space, though I was doing very well but my learning was not to my satisfaction. The IT Industry offered great 'Work Life Balance' but the desire to soil my hands into core business and partnering as an HR was a desire which took me to other Industries which were full of Male dominance, traditional approach towards HR and other known nuances typical to Indian professional world. During my tenure in Real Estate I was entrusted with an opportunity to lead HR Operations while I was very young with only 8-9 years of experience. For the last 14 years I have been handling Senior Leadership roles in the HR domain.
Tell us about the various roles and responsibilities that you shoulder as the HR Head in your current assignment. What has been your primary focus area as an HR Leader?
I’m currently spearheading Merino Group's Human Resources department. And as a senior leader, my focus has been towards shaping a performance-driven work culture and creating a workplace that supports transformative growth, and at the same time, achieve the organization's long-term and short-term business objectives. Merino is undergoing an aggressive Business growth journey hence as an HR Head my primary role revolves around Business partnering ,Change Management, collaboration and about involving employees in decision-making processes and giving everyone the opportunity to voice their thoughts without fear of being judged or targeted. The final decision is, of course, the responsibility of the leaders, but encouraging a free flow of ideas contributes to transparency and fosters a sense of togetherness, where employees feel they belong and matter. I have effectively led HR Strategies to have a robust Performance monitoring system, Talent Development and retention across all business verticals.
What are some of the most pressing challenges that you encounter as an HR professional? How do you successfully mitigate these challenges?
Keeping your workforce engaged is one of the biggest challenges that organizations face today. To address this, I believe in collaboratively developing real-time feedback mechanics, improved people accessions, and adaptability to new ideas. Collaboration is a buzzword for making sure people know you're listening to them, whether formally or informally. That's how I've kept the workforce interested. Moreover, one of the most essential issues is acquiring and maintaining talent. This can be solved by creating a more diversified organization; thus allowing us to expand our talent pool.
Further, managing the performance of individuals, teams, divisions, departments, and enterprises are also some of the constraints businesses need to deal with. Redefining how you work and creating a pleasant working environment are two tiny steps toward addressing people's skill shortages. In addition, COVID-19 required fast adaptation to shifting market realities. One must not only operate a successful firm but also needs to look after the well-being of their staff.
What trends do you foresee developing in the Indian HR industry going forward? How do you keep yourself aligned with industry changes?
As the HR industry evolves, I believe it is a constant learning process. I'm an ardent reader, which has helped me stay connected with the developments. Connecting with people from different departments can help you get the necessary experience. Furthermore, becoming future-ready and overcoming obstacles as they arise requires a necessary competency. This is where I apply my knowledge to effect positive change. What drives them today is the cause and what kind of career progression they will have. Hence, it is all about employee engagement so as to bring about the company’s growth bandwagon.
"Bringing transformative growth by achieving organization's long-term & short-term business objectives has been my core objective"
Drawing from your experience as a business leader, what would your advice be to young women and girls who also aspire to become business leaders and entrepreneurs in the future?
As a budding entrepreneur or Business leader you must be armed with strong values, strike the right balance (it’s a fine line) and be focused on your professional Goals. Dive deep into what you aspire to pursue as a career and make firm decisions. You must start early as an Entrepreneur as it gives you enough time to take risks, fail, learn and re-emerge as a successful individual. Don`t be afraid of experimenting, being creative or failing. These qualities only differentiate you from the crowd.
Veena Bansal, Head HR, Merino Industries
Veena Bansal has been an enthusiastic leader who has been focusing towards shaping performance driven work culture and building a workplace to support the transformative growth & enable accomplishment of organisation`s long term and short-term business goals.
