Nishchal: Hello, and welcome to the People Lead Show. This is your host, Nishchal Dua. And today, I have with me Satyajit Menon. He's the global head of people experience at Innovacar It's India's first health tech unicorn.

Nishchal: Satyajit has more than twenty years of experience across companies like General Electric, Fidelity, Lehman Brothers, and Snapdeal. Thank you for joining us today, 

Satyajit:  Thanks, Nishchal. Pleasure having, You know, us both here and hopefully, we make have some amazing conversations today. 

Nishchal: That's what I'm looking forward to.

Nishchal: And I think there's a lot to be unpacked today about employee experience, employee engagement, the tactics and the strategies. But before we get into that, I would love to know What is it that you like outside of work? 

Satyajit: Yeah. So I am an accidental HR person.

Satyajit: And I started my career actually flying planes. I had, You know, I've always had this passion of being a pilot. I consciously wanted to be a part of stunt flying as opposed to carrying passengers inside a plane. So I think my true journey of an individual contributor started there.

Satyajit: I also Enjoy playing the guitar whenever I, you know, have the time to. I've been, I've been a football fan since the age of ten. 

Nishchal:  That's exciting! I think I've heard a few of these things before, but I've never heard a pilot in the role of a global head of people experience.  What is it you can learn from all the knowledge and experience of flying planes? 

Satyajit: Yeah. I think one of the things that I could take away from my journey as a pilot was , The profession of flying entails a lot of decision making.

Satyajit: But then that decision making also happens through, you know, like you have to follow a set of Logical steps before arriving you know, to that decision. I mean you know, God forbid, even if there's a Even if there's a plane that has to crash or an or if there's an exigency that takes place.

Satyajit: To get to that exigency also, You have to follow a set of steps. And I think that decision may the ability to just make decisions and at the same time, Have a contingency plan if plan a fails. 

Satyajit: . So I think that's the second aspect.

Satyajit: And the third aspect is really committing to yourself first before you commit to anybody else so I think that sense of discipline really making decisions logically. 

Nishchal: Amazing. That that's lovely to hear because this could easily be a leadership podcast. What I would take away from that is how you need this ability to thrive in uncertainty because This entire industry, the HR industry, the people industry, so to speak, has been going through a lot of changes over the last couple of years. 

Nishchal: So, Satyajit, as the global head of people experience, What is it that comes directly under your purview? 

Satyajit: So my ethos generally  is really that happiness is a byproduct of you know, one or two things. But I think the primary thing that I enjoy doing is making people successful. Nine times out of ten, If you're a successful individual, you you're also happy.

Satyajit:  But in a you know, in a in an ecosystem like ours where people Interview and then they come in, join a company. It's not really for the free coffee or the, you know, TT tables and the, you know, the remote working, it's really about if I join your organization, can I make a career out of Myself? , 

Satyajit: I wanna make sure that We hire the right set of talent into the organization. Once they're in you wanna make sure they're given the tools and the resources to thrive in that sort of ecosystem. 

Satyajit: . I also, in my role, you know, try and make sure that we don't look at performance as, As an annual exercise. It's like this big great festival where everyone gets disappointed. Right? 

Satyajit: And I always tell people at Innovaccer that, you know, lead your life on a on a quarter to quarter basis. Have the long term vision but don't keep that so long term that it goes beyond twelve months. 

Satyajit: And then just hire a really good, smart bunch of folks that are better than us in what, you know, we do. . 

Nishchal: So lots of Interesting takeaways here. I wanna get a very quick short answer from you on . 

Nishchal: what do you think are the top two or three biggest questions or dilemmas that you would want answers to?

Nishchal: What are you struggling to get Ahold of or what are your biggest priorities getting into 2024.

Satyajit: yeah. I think, you know, Companies are struggling to have their people aligned to that shared vision or shared goal because they're all sitting in different homes, you know, all kinds of different places.

Satyajit: I think that shared mission and that shared goal is going to be one of the biggest and toughest challenges as we move into next year.

Satyajit: I think the dilemma really is how can we enable people to drive a sense of excellence in them, which is how can they how can they Develop and become better in their work.

Satyajit: And so just focusing on learning, coaching, mentoring are things that are going to be super important as people start to reboot into the culture of their organization. 

Satyajit: And second is, you know, just driving a sense of purpose and excellence in people so that they get back into being ambitious to become a better version of themselves. 

Nishchal: I wanna switch gears and go specifically deeper into employee experience now. When we talk about employee experience, when we talk about EX as a framework what is your strategy? 

Satyajit: historically, if you needed to find an answer to something you would have to go through multiple steps to reach your answer.

Satyajit: And so HR has a tremendous job to do in making sure that, You know, you empower people as much as possible so that they find the answers faster than we can provide to them. Which means that you look at a lot of you look at a lot of AI, a lot of automation into building some of those Things which are otherwise time consuming. The second aspect of it is I think consumption of information. 

Satyajit: So I think just making sure that, you know, everything that we show to our people as an experience is more illustrative Then being very literature focused. As you would see, like, PowerPoint presentations today are getting shorter and shorter. 

Satyajit: And I think the third aspect of it really is in terms of moving towards conversations because that enhances experience more than emails. . And so it's you know, we at least at Innovaccer, Eighty percent of our employee experience and engagement is centered around having conversations with, With people. So I think those two, three things are, like, super vital for us. Very 

Nishchal: interesting.

Nishchal: I like that because as a marketer, I see very similar trends in all the activities that marketers are doing because we're now moving towards a version of the world where attention span has been dropping consistently. 

Nishchal: WHere do you think the strategic narrative of employee experience breaks down the most?

Satyajit: So, you know, experiences It's different in different companies. 

Satyajit: A lot of companies fall for this trap that just because company a does this we should also do this.  Get a get an original pulse. And then the fun of it is to really create something that caters to your organization's needs.

Satyajit: So I think that's the that's one of the first things that we should do. 

Satyajit: So you have to nuance Your your employee experience 

Satyajit: there's no point doing something that's full company And then it really shows up poorly in your engagement score and then just don't complicate HR so much that, you know we are a very simple function. And, you know, we are not dealing with machines. We're dealing people.

Satyajit: . Very, 

Nishchal: very interesting nuggets that came out of here.

Nishchal: Something you mentioned in the beginning was how to identify the original pulse of my people? How do I find the types of people that triggers? So what exactly are the listening mechanisms that you have and how do you ensure that you stay in touch with The on ground reality, the grass root, so to speak.

Satyajit: So we follow a three step process.

Satyajit: And that's basically self and then there's team, and then there's leadership. The self is a far more straightforward approach where We ask people eight to ten super critical things, which we feel will benefit an individual personally. And then we take all those responses that we've received from a self perspective. And then we run it past with the whole team. 

Satyajit: And then we interview and ask them the reasons behind why they would have picked an answer, Oh, like that. And then once we've collated all of those answers, Our leaders play an important role in also interviewing the team at large because the questions are a reflection Of that specific leader. .

Satyajit: . And so the leader also plays an important role in interviewing team. So it's an exhaustive Process that we religiously do once in three months. And so we invest a lot in just hearing people, Not just at an individual level, but even at a team level.

Satyajit: So that we get a holistic view on what our team is feeling like. And then when we start building solutions that is a collaborative effort. Again, you know, one of the things that a lot of companies May want to switch is that the action planning or just, you know, getting back with all the feedback that's been said it's usually a decision sometimes made by a few people in a room. But if you take that feedback to A team and say, what would you like us to solve? And what are the two, three major things you need us to solve?

Satyajit: And, you know, Sure enough, they'll you know, it's it's very participative. 

 And then most important thing is after it's solved, is to go back to people and say, you know, you said that we did.

Satyajit: Because that's where credibility comes, you know, into play.

Satyajit: So it's a full blown sort of collaborative effort that we aim to do.

Satyajit: It doesn't necessarily have to be perfect, But it definitely has to be inclusive. 

Nishchal: . In all of this process, am I correct in assuming that this is not an anonymous process? 

Satyajit: So that's the that's the thing that actually is something that a lot of companies are still working on, which is how do you create a sense of trust and a safe space where people feel that they have the freedom to you know, To report this not anonymously.

Satyajit: A lot of organizations when they do this kind of evaluation, the scores also organically tend to become better and better. I think what typically drives a result positively is if the actions are taken swiftly And if they're taken collaboratively. 

Satyajit: , I think if you ask me honestly, my What a wonderful world it would be if those surveys were not anonymous and somebody could Just walk up and, you know respond to them without the fear of you know, that.

Satyajit: But so but it's a journey. 

Satyajit: . That said, I think outside of these surveys our engagement model is also to make sure that We meet individuals as well. By that, I mean people who are really some of our best talent.

 And I think There, the the treatment is slightly more nuanced because you wanna make sure that your best people stay with you. 

Satyajit: And I think that's that's the second aspect of engagement that we've sort of looked at very deeply. Very interesting. 

Nishchal: I think that's the holy grail that if we can achieve that level of transparency and collaboration where everyone universally feels comfortable sharing what's on their mind The fear of attribution, nothing like it. Having said that, you did talk about action planning and how you mentioned two words, very interesting words. Best action should be taken swiftly and collaboratively.

Nishchal: I would like us to go slightly deeper into this. So how does action planning really work out?

Satyajit: , So our idea of collaboration is to not keep anything away from the manager. So if you don't involve the manager from the beginning how will the HR person have the context, the background, 

Satyajit:  We run a session called GLAD, Sad, and Mad which is essentially a free for all you know, feedback that people are open to sort of Explored into, like, what they feel that they're really happy about, what they feel a little, you know, sad about, those kind of things. And it's and it's a pretty exhaustive Brainstorming session that we have. It's amazing how actively people participate in it because that's their renting ground. It's their safe space. aNd in those in that safe space, the manager is not invited for the first, you know, half Because you wanna make sure that everybody feels comfortable talking about it.

Satyajit: But what we also set very clear expectations with that group is is that your managers are gonna come back into the room. And what we're going to do in that is basically look at it constructively

Satyajit: , your success is going to be dependent on your manager. It's the harsh reality, But it is a good reality too because, you know, your manager is the one person who really is going to invest in your career is going to take a lot of In in interest in making sure that, you know, you do well for yourself. 

Satyajit: But once that's the actions are sort of identified, We don't go after solving ten things at the same time. We ask the group what are the top two things you want us to solve for you. We are also transparent telling them that if you've if you've called out this as a problem, expect this to be solved in the next six months. Because it is a deeper problem.

Satyajit: It requires larger consensus and so it's gonna take time. And, you know, the the best part is employees understand. They get it. You just have to be honest with them and tell them and keep updating them of what's happening there. . 

Satyajit: But the action planning exercise is a combination of respondent, manager, and HR. So it's a it's an absolute team effort From that perspective. 

Nishchal: Is there an instance that you can share with us an example of a particular feedback that came in? It was swiftly acted upon. The impact was also seen on employee experience.

Satyajit: Yeah. I I think given we are a global organization you and and most of most of our folks who are in the middle of All the healthcare adventure that happens sit in the US. So the India organization is is predominantly An engineering product. You know, the the the engine room is here in that sense. And then in the US, we've got a ton of wealth of, So a wealth of knowledge in terms of health care and some of the challenges that the industry faces there.

Satyajit: One of the feedback you know, mentions were around, Could we get those could we have, you know, some mind sharing time with you know, with with folks in the US? Can we get Time to understand what some of their challenges were. And we we do the session, which is called Innomix, Which is largely you know, the the leadership engagement with with a group of people.

Satyajit: The real value of that of that meeting is to understand the human behind the leader. You know, sometimes you look at a leader and and they're young people. Right? So when they look at somebody who's who's who's Probably, you know, about twenty, twenty five years of experience. It can be a little intimidating.

Satyajit: But the idea is to break ice to and I tell leaders that please show them your vulnerable side. Because if you tell them that you are not perfect it inspires a lot of young people to make mistakes, to learn from them, and not be scared of failing. And that whole session is really about how they became a leader. You know?

Satyajit: . So I think it's giving them that perspective of what is a leader, why do what do I do as a leader in this company, and and it just gives a very fresh perspective to to these young minds. 

Satyajit: . It is hugely appreciated by people because they finally got an avenue where they could Listen to a leader, talk to them. And most importantly, just sort of know that they're also human beings, you know, just like us. They're not cut cut from a different cloth.

Nishchal: Precisely, I think something like you mentioned earlier, the majority of the job is just listening and talking to people. And if you do that right, it's You can solve any problem out there. Alright. Trying to wrap up on the employee experience front. How do you, at this point, measure Efficacy of employee experience.

Nishchal: So how do you measure the scale of employee experience? What are the KPIs or metrics or indicators that you have right now to effectively judge whether my workforce is engaged or not engaged or disengaged 

Satyajit: regularly?

Satyajit: Yeah. So I think, Our engagement scores are obviously you know, they keep fluctuating from from time to time, but we have We do have annual targets. And then what happens is that each of the leaders carry targets for themselves too. So by that, I mean, how many organizations have we seen where A department has a people goal.

 And so, you know, I think anything related to people has to be a mutually shared goal. 

Satyajit: And and I think that so so largely, there are four parameters on which One could assess it and we look at it from, you know, are your are you clear about your goals? Do you get feedback and are you sort of working with a sense of Purpose and do you have enough clarity around it? Do you get told how you're doing? The third is do you get recognized and appreciated Through what whatever forums. It could be through social media.

Satyajit: It could be a pat on the back. But are there platforms where you are shown that sort of appreciation? And the fourth is, Does your manager invest in your in your learning? 

Satyajit: We take our top talent retention very seriously. For us, that is super important. On onboarding you know, onboarding a new hire is is is really important.

Satyajit: Most companies do a postmortem of it. We like to create that experience from the beginning. So pre onboarding for us is is super critical because then we feel that if a candidate is clear about how we are as a company right from the beginning, then decision making at the time of an offer is just much more easier.

Satyajit: We follow objectives and key results as our performance philosophy. So everything's really nuanced and broken down and simplified for ˛ people.

Satyajit: Nischal:

Satyajit: Very helpful. Thank you so much for that, Satyajit. 

Satyajit: For all the people leaders who are listening to this today, Is there any piece of advice you'd like to share with them? Anything that you can give them as a piece of as as a nugget of sorts for the next year and and their people goals? 

Satyajit: Satyajit:

Satyajit: Yeah. I I think, you know, having worked with talent for the last twenty three years The only thing that has changed you know, like, for example, I started working in two thousand one.

Satyajit: It's largely the same issues that are there even today. 

Satyajit: The only difference now is that if you truly are treating employees As partners, as opposed to employees, don't think they're they're naive. They know everything.

 The world has become not just flatter, but it's become smaller. So you know, you can sit here and know what it takes to build a business in Estonia. 

Satyajit: . So I would request, you know, I think leaders as leaders, we've got to treat the workforce of today and the future As partners and you don't have to do any brand building.

Satyajit: You just have to make sure that your Your employees advocate everything for you. 

Satyajit: You just have to treat your employees with respect, make them your partners in the decision making process, And magic will happen after that. 

Satyajit: Treat them with compassion. Look at them as your partners. And you know, your organization will just be working wonders from there.

Satyajit: Right on. Right on, 

Nishchal: Satyajit. Thank you so much for that. I think That was helpful. This entire discussion with you was very insightful.

Nishchal: I've got two pages worth of notes with me right now. Once again, thank you so much for joining us today. And for everyone who's listened to this, I would really advise that you look up Satyajit on LinkedIn. He keeps sharing what he calls Satyavachan. These are slices of work life balance advice.

Nishchal: And it's it's very interesting to see his take on LinkedIn, so definitely try and find him there and follow him there. Satyajit, thank you so much for taking out the time and talking to us here today.

Satyajit: It was a pleasure being here with you, Nishchal. And thanks for having me. And, And for all the viewers, wish you a fantastic twenty twenty four.

Satyajit: And yeah, may may you chase success after excellence.