Dr. Parul Pandey has been an HR professional for more than 20 years. She graduated as a Philosophical Doctorate in Human Resource Development and has been working since then as an HR Manager, Director and Head of Talent and Development for several companies. Her career path led her from Deutsche Bank to Microsoft – and she ended up as the Vice President for Talent and Engagement at DIAGEO India.
We can definitely say that this businesswoman knows a lot about the workforce in companies. She succeeds in her business field because she understands how important people are for businesses – in fact, they are a company’s most valuable asset. This lady realized how to align business strategy and people to make the whole company succeed.
We are happy that Dr. Parul Pandey visited the Global Female Leaders summit 2019. Due to the fact that technology and Artificial Intelligence became huge topics in businesses, we have been curious regarding the impact of technology on the working force. And who would be a better interview partner for this topic than the Vice President for Talent and Engagement of a fast moving-forward company like DIAGEO India?
In this article, you will find a summary of our exclusive interview. Watch the full talk now on our YouTube channel!
Technology taking over jobs is a real issue
At the Global Female Leaders summit 2019, technology was a huge topic – besides others like geopolitics and neuroscience –and it also keeps Dr. Parul Pandey busy at the moment. Eighty percent of the processes at DIAGEO India have been done manually a few years ago. They moved forward and started using technology very recently, which required an enormous learning process. They hired tech services to digitalize their main business fields.
Since the use of technology, the company has become even more successful. It simplified the life of many employees, made processes more efficient and actually saved money. They have far more insights due to technology, which comes back in a modified strategy that is even more aligned with the target market.
However, technology helps the company to succeed – but how can it support employees? Parul Pandey underlined that technology taking over jobs is indeed a real issue. Let’s be honest: Very simple tasks can be done by Artificial Intelligence now. In her opinion, the current challenge is to advance the talent development of people. Evaluation and judgment kind of roles become highly valuable for the company – so these are the jobs employees need to fulfill. Therefore, it is the responsibility of DIAGEO India to develop a training program for workers with simple tasks acquiring additional skills for those new jobs.
How HR contributes to the global development of a company
DIAGEO has not always been as successful as it is now. Five years ago, they took over the Indian organization, which only served the Indian market so far. Over the last years, they have developed the business to an extent that it became a global company – a respected competitor in the world market of alcoholic beverages with an outstanding portfolio of premium brands.
We wanted to be known as the most trusted, respected and winning organization.
Dr. Parul Pandey, Vice President Talent and Engagement, DIAGEO India
The transformation was heavily shouldered by the HR function. The department had to attract talented workers and to create new and efficient processes for their tasks. Moreover, it was their job to extend their market, reach a larger community and include the government properly.
The company reached high development in a very short period of time. Before, Pandey admitted, it was doing literally anything as long as business is coming. With HR as the main driving force, they reached a stage now, where the brand is known for ethical responsibility in the alcohol beverage industry. They set benchmarks for competitors – especially concerning communication with government and the private sector.
We would claim that this is something every company should be proud of. You are interested in how they reached this status? Watch our YouTube video with the full interview now!
