Finding the right cultural fit is essential

16 May 2013 | Views | By Rahul Koul Koul

Finding the right cultural fit is essential

Ms Neetu Wadhawan, vice president, Global HR, Cadila Healthcare

Ms Neetu Wadhawan, vice president, Global HR, Cadila Healthcare

Talent plays an important role in the success of any organization, more so in the pharmaceutical sector, which is knowledge-intensive and skill-driven. Since inception, Zydus group has placed a lot of importance on building people assets. Our HR motto is "We build people to build our business", hence talent acquisition and talent management plays a crucial role. Whether it is a recruitment at the entry level for freshers or lateral entry, the sourcing for each position is done with utmost precision. Zeroing in on the right talent is an important part of the entire process as the cost of acquiring talent today is huge and wasted opportunities could prove a setback. Many organizations consider campus recruitment as essential, as it helps in building a talent pipeline in the organization. So, which institute to visit and what background to recruit from, are usually the questions that any HR manager will face.

While academic background does give an edge to any candidate, organizations today are also looking for the "right cultural fit". Every organization has its own DNA and the survival of the fittest will depend on speed and dexterity with which a fresher is able to integrate himself or herself with the organization. The attitude of the individual comes next. The other attributes that come into play are humility, discipline, time management and respect for systems and processes, all of which are in sync with our organization's core values. The eagerness and willingness to learn, the knowledge quotient and the speed of learning are the other attributes, which we look for at Zydus. The organization's on-boarding plan helps a newcomer settle at a fast pace.

The brand of the institution has its own prominence. Today, many institutes have the academia-industry interface on a regular basis, which gives them an insight as to what the industry is looking for. A true professional is a person who has all the facets of learning imbibed, not only through academics but also through the extra-curricular activities and other activities undergone during their graduation. Internship at a reputed organization and the topic of training and the learning derived thereof holds merit in the final placement. Diverse background and narrow specialization both have their own advantages. If you are looking for a specialist role then narrow specialization would be the key factor and if you want the person to play a generalist role, then diverse background experience would come in handy. With job rotation and cross-functional teams playing a significant role, diverse background comes in as a benefit.

Of the hiring that we did in 2012, over 700 freshers were recruited across the organization. Of this 60 percent was in sales and 40 percent in other functions. While our experience has been good with hiring freshers, our focus is also on retaining this level of talent. Job hopping is an industry wide phenomena and every 2-3 years there is a transition window that opens up. Our HR strategies on talent management and retention looks at fast track career progression for the freshers who are identified as high potential performers.

The need of the hour today is to see how quickly we can get 'plug-n-play' professionals who can start delivering from day one of their joining the organization. In an organization such as ours where we are continuously on the growth path, there are ample opportunities to grow and also contribute to the organization's growth. The freedom to innovate, getting ideas implemented, taking ownership for one's work and being mentored by industry stalwarts is what a new talent gains by being a part of Zydus.

There are over 16,000 of us worldwide racing towards our goal of becoming a $3 billion company by 2015. Hands-on exposure to such new initiatives and growth plans can prove to be invaluable learning gateways for new talents in the organization. This is also where the two-way street opens up: A new talent entering the organization must not just look at what the organization can do for his or her career. It's equally about what he or she can do in the organization that can make them an integral part of it.

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