Dr Krishna Gopal Rajanala, General Manager – Human Resources, Dempo Group of Companies, shares his journey, insights on HR challenges, and advice for aspiring managers
Tell us something about yourself
I am a management graduate with a PhD in leadership, which I did much later. I have about three decades of experience and have been in the HR function for a long time.
What made you decide to pursue a career in Human Resources?
It was by chance. I did my management, and science before that. For a management student, people become important, as management is all about people and doing things. You can get into any function and execute until a certain time, but understanding people becomes critical.
I got into teaching management, early on. In the sense that, we were exploring the science of management, understanding, and discussing the subject and I got to teaching it. I got into training and behaviour from there and then into every other aspect of HR. And here I am today.
You are the General Manager – HR of the Dempo Group of Companies. What has been your motivation to reach the pinnacle of your profile?
That is just progression. General Manager, that is a label. You are a manager. Assistant, deputy, etc., are just adjectives that companies give you depending on your role.
Speaking of assuming general managerial responsibilities, one wants to helm and be in charge of the function at some point. It is good to reach that position because then one can direct the thought and actions, and do the best required for the function.
I grew to this position in my previous organisation – General Manager or the head of the function when I was around 32 – it was a quick, rapid succession.
How do you align HR strategies with the overall business goals of your company?
That is a process. Business goals are the ones which drive every activity. Once they are in place, you have to ensure that people are set too, in terms of the requirement of manpower, skills, and their alignment to the workplace, etc.
The direction comes from the business. All your actions related to HR start from that point.
You understand the organisation’s vision and strategic objectives and translate these into specific HR initiatives that will help achieve success. It starts with acquiring the right people for that. Then you put in systems to ensure they stay, contribute, and grow with the organisation.
Then to improve performance or promote a high performance-oriented culture, you devise policies and processes to emphasise, evaluate, and motivate performance. And so on.
You then review and adjust these practices/programmes, to stay aligned with changing business needs.
HR strategies come from business. You do what is needed, and sometimes you do not do what is the general fad.
What is your leadership style?
My style is participative. I often tell my team this is a ‘round table’ with no head chair. This is a good way to look at it because everybody brings ideas.
For structure, you have a hierarchy in the organisation for commands, orders, reporting and appraisals. But when you get down to the basics of the work, everybody chips in equally, where each one does their bit, whether small, big, less or more. One needs to have this outlook towards work.
I like working with youngsters. It is mostly easy to inspire or motivate them. It gives you a sense of doing something valuable when you can inspire something in young people. If you have youngsters in your team, you want to listen to them.
I do not know if my leadership style is just because of my ability, it is a result of my team, and that is how I look at it.
What are your greatest strengths and how do they contribute to a managerial position?
You need to focus on work and have the attitude to be result-oriented. Much of what you achieve will happen because of these two qualities.
Attention to detail, analysing things well, structuring the process, generating ideas with people, listening and adapting, delegating where required and letting them do. This helps get problems resolved or get things done.
What do you consider to be the biggest HR challenges facing our industry today?
The actual availability of skilled people in most sectors, is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry today. Everybody is suffering from the lack of adequate skills here, in terms of getting the right people or getting people to do the right things.
Even young resources passing out from schools and colleges, though good, still need the industry to assume the responsibility of training them or scaling up their skills. That is one major challenge.
Can you please share your insights on the current HR landscape in Goa?
We are unique as we have a mix of traditional industries, like tourism and hospitality, emerging sectors such as IT and startups, and different sizes of industries. This is a mixed bag of challenges.
In the tourism and hospitality sectors, the focus is on talent acquisition, retention and regular training to maintain service standards. The challenge here is to create a positive work environment, reduce turnover and manage demand in peak seasons.
The IT and startup ecosystem in Goa is growing. There is a need for high technical talent, which is a shortage locally, and you are sourcing from different areas. The HR function needs to be innovative and flexible with its strategies; flexible and competitive benefits, a culture of performance and professional growth, etc.
Then of course, you have the manufacturing and MSME sectors, which consist of the standard mix of HR programmes including industrial relations efforts, and the usual stuff.
There is a need for local organisations to appeal to a diverse workforce as we seek talent from outside. There is a need to keep up with the times and adopt tech-driven solutions.
The HR debate in the state is healthy with several forums such as the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM) Goa Chapter, the newly formed National Human Resource Development (Goa Chapter) and Goa Management Association (GMA). These forums ensure that the HR thought is updated and evolving.
What training and development strategies should organisations in Goa adopt to enhance workforce capabilities, and how are they addressing the skill gap in the region?
That is a tough one that requires me to respond with one answer where the strategy will be specific to organisations and their context. The skill gap necessitates a strong focus on industry-specific training.
As I said earlier, tourism and hospitality constantly focus their learning and development (L&D) initiatives on specialised training in customer service, hospitality management, language skills, behaviour, etc.
Digital and tech competencies are now a major area, with several organisations and educational institutions focusing on emerging technologies, data analytics, etc. Organisations can partner with local academic institutions to create tailored programs to bridge skill gaps and provide a pipeline of tech candidates.
In general, cross-functional training and focus on soft skills development can help organisations create talent who can work across departments, prepare them for higher responsibilities, and add flexibility, which is particularly important in smaller setups in Goa. Coupled with internal programmes such as job rotation, and hands-on projects, these can hone leadership and problem-solving skills.
It is easier said than done as finding and training skill sets for specific technical skills required for the vast MSME and manufacturing sector in Goa is tough.
In the last few years, we in Goa have adopted blended learning approaches, given the small training need size, and the reach of knowledge through digital platforms.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Your question is at a unique time, as I look forward to relaxing in a lounge chair in the next two months. I should be on a break.
I have been here for about eight years. Before this, I was in a company for about 15 years and in between, I worked with the Government of Andhra Pradesh for a year as a Director in one of its Authorities. I might find some sphere of activity somewhere soon. There is also much you can do outside an organisational context.
What advice would you offer those who aspire to take up leadership roles in the HR domain and lead functions of top corporates?
Becoming a General Manager is not a milestone. You become the head of/or lead a function, which is just a title. People choose a particular domain or function in which they work because they like doing that. They grow in that function due to their excellence, performance, ability and passion.
So, there are three things that one requires to do well in their area of expertise.
One is that you should be passionate about that particular function. Secondly, you should be ahead of the curve in knowledge and information about your area. Lastly, and more importantly, you must leverage technology, to assist work and affect greater efficiencies.
These attributes can build on inherent competencies, and one should find themselves in a key position in the organisation, whether you call it General Manager, or whatever title
