Social Media Increases Engagement With Prospective Talent And Build Employer Brand: Amit Narain, Head HR, Nestlé
Amit Narain, Head of Human Resources - Nestlé talks about the head count projections for 2018 along with Nestle's hiring strategy and work culture of the comany. Edited Excerpts:
How do you convince employees to continue working towards the set goal
Passion and commitment is the cornerstone of the people who work with Nestlé India and their values and principles are congruent with the organisation. In Nestlé India, we believe in working as a close knit family, where people are encouraged to build an authentic relationship with each other that promotes trust and credibility.
While we take pride in being a large and respected food and beverage company with over 105 years of heritage in India, yet we are humbled with the fact that the world is rapidly changing, and we need to adapt and evolve with the changing environment. In order to encourage our employees to meet these goals we have committed to the following:
1. Encourage learning and give people a chance to innovate and take risks without the fear of failure
2. Become more caring and compassionate as an organization so that our policies and practices are contemporary and in line with the expectations of employees
3. Use systems and processes as an enabler and not deterrent
4. Give people a larger sense of purpose.
We see our people as ambassadors of the organisation who believe in these goals.
The competition is growing in FMCG sector. Has it anyhow affected hiring in Nestle India or called for change in hiring strategy?
One major change in our hiring strategy is the increased use of social media platforms to engage with prospective talent and build a strong employer brand. Irrespective of what other companies are doing, we believe people are increasingly looking for ‘meaning and purpose in their work’ apart from a challenging and interesting workplace which enriches their career.
Gone are the days when people worked with only the intention of earning an income. Remuneration is important, no doubt, but it’s more of a hygiene factor today. Employees particularly want to work in companies that are adding value to the society and making lasting social impact.
We have a young and dynamic workforce, where 70 percent of our employees are millennials. According to the Nielsen Global Survey conducted across 60 countries with 30,000 respondents, 36 percent of the millennials would prefer to work for companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact as compared to 28 percent Gen Xers or 26 percent Baby Boomers. Nestlé India provides to its employees values and purpose that empowers individuals, impacts local communications and changes lives.
What strategies can help bring organisational stability?
The single most strategy that induces organizational stability is a high level of trust amongst its employees. At Nestlé India we believe that it is important to regularly communicate with our employees and also be open to their feedback. A two way communication, which is transparent and authentic helps build trust and makes the organization resilient.
2017 had largely been a slow year in terms of recruitment. How have your recruitment policies been affected?
At Nestlé we believe in promoting talent and providing people with growth opportunities. One of our strategies has been to provide more opportunities from within the organization, first before seeking talent from the market. Internal job Postings and Employee referral programs have helped us in this endeavour.
How are you planning for 2018? What are the headcount projections?
We are looking at 2018 with a lot of enthusiasm and optimism with continued focus on Internal Job Postings and Employee Referrals. Especially since these platforms have shown higher retention rates and more optimal match between the skills solicited and the requirement for a given role. Also our strong focus will continue to be in having constant and seamless engagement with campuses across the streams to maintain our agenda for being an Employer of Choice.
What about cross industry hiring – which industries do you majorly hire from and for what profiles?
Our constant endeavor in Nestlé India is to recruit the best talent for any given role, irrespective of the industry. There are some roles that require prior FMCG experience, however we strongly believe in the diversity of experience and talent that enriches an organisation, injects new thinking and enhances the power of creativity.
How have your recruitment policies changed with the advent of social media? What are the challenges in the HR industry?
Social Media platforms have played an important role in connecting with our future talent. The two way engagement with prospective candidates has become easier, faster and impactful. Nestlé India, through a strong social media engagement strategy has communicated its employee value proposition and the Nestlé way of life to a much a larger audience.
Again, like every change, social media has its own share of challenges and opportunities. Social media asks an externally facing function like HR be more pro-active, agile and swift in its digital communication strategy, it is also encouraging the HR functions across organisations to create newer roles and policies.
_20240428181258original_image_40.webp)
