Best companies to work for 2013: At Ujjivan, diversity has always helped, says Vittal Rangan S

In its tenth year, India's Best Companies to Work for Study - 2013, the largest study in the country on workplace culture, attracted participation from around 550 organisations spanning across 22 industries. A great place to work was defined as a place where you trust the people you work for, take pride in what you do and enjoy the company of people you work with.

The Economic Times spoke to Vittal Rangan S, Human Resources, Ujjivan Financial Services on diversity versus performance, data versus human interface and attrition.

Designation: Head - Human Resources, Ujjivan Financial Services

Present stint at company: 3 years

Previous assignments: Birla Sun Life Insurance, Cholamandalam, Asian Paints

Which side are you on and why?

A. Diversity versus Performance?

I believe Diversity & Performance go together. At Ujjivan, where 100% of our customers are women, diversity has always helped in getting the right balance on productivity, lower portfolio at risk and higher loan ticket size.

B. Career HR people do a better job at human relations or HR is too important a job to be left to career HR guys?

HR is a practice backed by strong scientific research on human behavior. Career HR people add to the knowledge by bringing right HR Practices in business. However, HR is too important a job to be left only to career HR guys. Leadership of people is an honour. Leaders cherish this and not see this as bleak routine.

C. Data/analytics-driven HR versus human interface driven HR?

In HR, context is as important as content. While analytics provide history and trends, the actual human interface will connect the right context. The value lies in how we apply what we make out of analytics.

D. HR will survive the next decade or will HR be replaced?

Administrative HR will be replaced; Transformational HR that supports change effectively will survive & drive future businesses.

E. HR is HR department's job versus HR is a shared responsibility:

HR is the leadership agenda and therefore, a shared responsibility.

F. According to you, what is HR's biggest dilemma?

HR dilemma is to balance employee expectations vs business priority. The successful HR-friendly organisations are those who have mastered this art.

The attrition rate in your own department is:

Attrition rate of my department is the same as organisational attrition levels. We closed the year 2012-13 at 22%.