Recognize What People Are Looking For In Their Careers

Veena swarup, an accomplished HR leader shares the strategy behind rewards programs in PSUs, and the lessons that can be derived from them.

- Vikas Arora

Veena Swarup, Former Director (HR) Engineers India Limited, who also served as the General Manager (HR), Oil & Natural Gas Corporation, shares perspectives from her 33 years of experience as a Human Resources Leader in the Public Sector. Besides sharing the wisdom accumulated while leading the HR function, she also brings in a unique outlook from PSUs that work in a more rule-driven and constrained environment when compared to the private sector.

In this interview, she highlights how crystal clear transparency in compensation structures keeps teams motivated, and gives her suggestions on converting constraints into opportunities.

In your years of experience as an HR leader in PSUs, how did you know that the rewards strategy worked or not?

A. By observing the engagement levels of employees, their productivity and that of the organizations. To some extent, I will also say that the attrition rate shows the level of satisfaction with the rewards strategy. These are a few indicators which show whether the rewards strategy is working or not.

Metrics like engagement, attrition, & productivity depend on a combination of factors – rewards may be one of these. How do you know that it is the rewards program that is having a direct impact on a given metric?