Business analytics has become crucial in the current data-driven world for companies that want to stay ahead of the competition. Technology is constantly evolving, new trends keep emerging, and exciting business opportunities keep presenting themselves for us to harp on them and take advantage of. As a Future Business Analyst, here are five key trends that you need to know that are actively shaping the business analytics future.

Advanced Data Visualization and Storytelling

One key trend shaping the future of business analytics is advanced data visualisation and storytelling. Traditional reports and spreadsheets are so out because how much attention can you actually pay to boring things? Interactive and visually appealing dashboards are taking over to hold your attention span for longer and help you quickly understand complex data. With the help of various data visualisation tools, organisations can explore insights and trends in real-time, making data-driven decisions more accessible and actionable. In addition, storytelling through data has become a crucial skill for analysts and data scientists. By presenting data in the form of compelling narratives, businesses can effectively communicate insights to all the stakeholders involved and help them understand the significance of the data in the context of their objectives and challenges.

AI and Machine Learning Integration

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) ‘s impact on business analytics is nothing short of remarkable. They are changing the landscape of the future with the help of AI-driven analytics tools. These tools automate data analysis, detect patterns, and accurately predict outcomes. Machine learning algorithms learn from historical data, helping firms make informed decisions and optimise various processes ranging from supply chain management to analysing customer behaviour. Moreover, AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants are increasingly becoming integral to business analytics. They provide instant access to data insights and answer queries in real time. With the advancement of AI and ML, they are programmed to seamlessly and sophisticatedly integrate into analytics processes, leading to better decision-making and streamlined operations. The future of business analytics is bright, thanks to the remarkable impact of AI and ML.

Augmented Analytics

Augmented analytics is another transformative trend shaping the future of data analysis. It automates data preparation, research, and insights generation, thus enhancing the capabilities of human analysts. This leads to faster and more accurate decision-making as analysts can focus on high-value tasks and problem-solving. Augmented analytics tools can also identify hidden patterns and correlations in data that human analysts may overlook. This trend is set to empower organisations of all sizes, allowing employees at all levels to access and interpret crucial data without specialised technical expertise.

Real-time Data Analytics

Relevant and real-time data at your fingertips!

Gone are the days of traditional batch processing of data. Data is generated at an unprecedented rate in the digital era, and real-time data analytics is necessary to stay ahead in the business world. Timeliness is critical, and data processing delays can harm seizing opportunities or responding to emerging challenges. Real-time data analytics allows businesses to access and analyse data as it is generated, providing instant insights into customer behaviour, market trends, and operational efficiency. Responding swiftly to changing circumstances can significantly impact an organisation’s success. Real-time analytics is undoubtedly an essential trend in the future of business analytics.

Data Privacy and Ethics

Wouldn’t you want your personal data to be protected?

Data privacy and ethics have become critical concerns for consumers and regulators as businesses collect and analyse vast amounts of data. High-profile data breaches and privacy scandals have raised awareness about the importance of responsibly protecting and using sensitive data. In the future, businesses prioritising data privacy and ethical data practices will earn greater trust and loyalty from their customers. Adhering to data protection regulations and implementing robust security measures will safeguard sensitive information and ensure business analytics initiatives’ long-term sustainability and credibility.

In summary, the future of business analytics is full of promise and transformation thanks to technological advancements and market changes. Organisations can now present data in a more engaging manner through advanced data visualisation and storytelling. Integrating AI and ML will provide unique insights and enable automation. Analysts can focus on strategic decision-making through augmented analytics, while real-time data analytics will facilitate agility in a fast-paced business environment. Data privacy and ethical practices are essential for building trust and credibility with customers and stakeholders. By embracing these trends, businesses can lead the data-driven revolution and pave the way for a successful, sustainable future.

Businesses are no longer confined within national boundaries in today’s interconnected world. Professionals must pursue a Global MBA to truly excel in the global business arena. It enhances expertise in international markets and cultures while propelling careers to new heights. Here are five compelling reasons why a Global MBA is essential for anyone aspiring to thrive in the global business landscape:

Gain a Global Perspective:

By enrolling in a Global MBA program, students can engage with a diverse group of peers from various countries and backgrounds. Working with classmates from different cultures can help develop cultural intelligence and a global perspective. This is critical for success in international business, as it enables individuals to navigate complex global markets, improve cross-cultural communication skills, and adjust business strategies to meet diverse consumer preferences. A deeper understanding of different cultures also equips individuals to effectively lead multicultural teams and establish solid international partnerships.

Exposure to International Business Practices:

The curriculum of a Global MBA program is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of international business practices. It equips you with knowledge about global trade, foreign investment, international finance, and emerging market trends. Professors with experience in the global market provide valuable business insights and real-life case studies that help develop practical understanding. Through real-world projects and internships, you’ll gain hands-on experience, enabling you to apply theoretical concepts to real-life scenarios. This exposure will help you confidently take on the world of business.

Networking Opportunities:

Embarking on a Global MBA journey can open up a world of possibilities. You can broaden your professional horizons through meaningful connections with peers, professors, and industry experts from different corners of the globe. The network you build during your studies can be invaluable for forging partnerships, discovering new ventures, and propelling your career to new heights. Building a diverse and robust network is critical in international business, where relationships and connections play a pivotal role in success.

Global Business Strategy Development:

In today’s fiercely competitive global economy, businesses must have effective strategies. Pursuing a Global MBA is a powerful way to gain the knowledge and analytical skills to create comprehensive global business strategies. This program equips you to identify new market opportunities, evaluate risks, and tailor business plans to fit international markets. These strategic insights are essential for achieving sustainable growth and navigating the complexities of international trade regulations and policies. As employers seek professionals who can think strategically globally, Global MBA graduates are highly valued in the job market.

Personal Growth and Leadership Development:

Enrolling in a Global MBA program offers more than just improving one’s technical skills. It’s a transformational journey that enhances personal growth and leadership abilities. The program presents challenges encouraging resilience, adaptability, and open-mindedness, such as navigating diverse cultures, collaborating with international teams, and adapting to various business environments. The rigorous academic curriculum sharpens critical thinking and decision-making skills. Graduates emerge from the program as confident and visionary leaders who can navigate the ever-changing landscape of global commerce.

In conclusion, the world is evolving into a closely interconnected marketplace, and to thrive in this global economy, professionals need to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of international business dynamics. Pursuing a Global MBA can provide a unique opportunity to acquire the necessary skills and insights to excel on a global scale. A Global MBA program can help you become a well-rounded global business professional by developing cultural intelligence, honing strategic thinking, and enhancing leadership abilities. If you aspire to make an impact in the international business world, a Global MBA could be the key to unlocking a world of limitless opportunities and achievements.

An in-depth understanding of the consumer’s buying behaviour enables marketers to get an idea of what makes the consumer buy or reject their product if it satisfies their need. It enables marketers to understand not only the habits of consumers but also the factors that influence their decision to buy a specific product. 

Consumer behaviour empowers a marketer with rich insights about his target audience. The insights can be useful while they develop and launch a product into the market. Consumer buying behaviour also enables them to create the right messaging and positioning while promoting the products. It enables to create attractive marketing campaigns that resonate with the target audience and augment sale of the product. 

The study of consumer buying behaviour helps marketers to understand why customers buy their products, when they do it, and what is their frequency of purchase. It also enables them to understand their most preferred brands in the category, the price at which they are comfortable buying the product, and whether they like to purchase it online or at a physical store only after taking a close look at the product and the other options available. 

Why is consumer behaviour important?

Consumer behaviour enables a company to understand the positioning and timing of introduction of a new product. The successful launch, sales, and capture of market share are all related to how well a company has utilized its understanding of its consumer’s buying behaviour. 

As mentioned by Jack Trout in the book ‘Differentiate or Die’, the consumers already have a pre-decided preference in their mind on the products/ brands they want to purchase. To actually break their pre-conceived notions, a product or a brand must be presented with a ‘difference’. That’s where consumer buying behaviour insights can help significantly. Unless a marketer and his company can anticipate how a customer would respond to a particular proposition or differentiation strategy, the product may not get the desired response. 

Factors that influence consumer buying behaviour?

Consumers are influenced by a wide range of factors. They may have more disposable income which may lead to a change in their lifestyle and preference for more expensive brands. Technology, peer reviews, word-of-mouth, and many other factors could also make consumers change their buying behaviour. 

3 Reasons why Marketers should rely on insights from Consumer Buying behaviour?

Consumer behaviour helps a marketer to plan his strategy in order to ensure effective reach and recall among the target audience. It can also help to position the product with apt messaging or brand proposition. 

What else can understanding of consumer behaviour do for marketers?

• Consumer differentiation: A marketer can create new cohorts among the target audience if he understands consumer buying behaviour better. Each cohort or sub-group may have their unique traits and may respond better to certain aspects of the product such as price, usability, durability etc. Accordingly, a marketer can try to tweak positioning subtly and target these cohorts more precisely to drive better sales. 
• Anticipating Trends: By carefully observing and evaluating consumer buyer behaviour, marketers can understand emerging trends.  Once these trends are identified and evaluated for consistency, marketers can pivot their marketing strategies and campaigns by optimizing the use of budgets and human capital to align with these trends. With digital technologies at their disposal, marketers can ‘go-to-market’ faster with their new ideas, A/B test their strategies, and swiftly arrive at the best ones that resonate very well with their target audience and existing customers. 
• Create new and innovative products: Marketers who keep a keen eye on consumers buying behaviour can not only spot trends but also understand how to encash on some peculiar behaviours. Such marketers may identify some new opportunity or lacunae in the market that competitors may have missed or decided to overlook. It can lead them to a ‘blue ocean’ which is untapped. They can create new and innovative products to cater to this gap in the market and gain a definite edge over competing products and companies. In the process, they can gain market share and may also establish a new category in the process. 

In conclusion, understanding of consumer buying behaviour is one of the most potent weapons in the marketer’s arsenal. A marketer who understands, analyses, and applies this to his product/ brand strategy, segmentation, targeting, and positioning, can enhance sales of his products, build excellent brand recall, and also create newer variants of the products that enhance the appeal for a wider range of target audience cohorts. With digital technologies and data analytics advancements, tech-savvy marketers can further use the power of data to create remarkable products and brands.

In the last ten years, social media has taken the world by storm. There’s hardly anyone who does not use some form of social media. Whether its LinkedIn for our professional networking, or Facebook and Instagram for our personal and social interactions, WhatsApp for instant communications, or Youtube for our videos, we use social media extensively. 

Companies must also leverage the power of social media to promote their brand in the minds of their target audience. If utilized well, a good social media presence can help them to accelerate their business. As per a report by social media marketing platform Sproutsocial, 78% of consumers are willing to buy from a company that offers them a positive experience on social media. 

Hence, companies must always be on top of their ‘social media’ game. Whether it’s a disgruntled customer, or an irritated employee, everyone has access to social media and companies must be vigilant on social media at all times to address concerns. If social media is left unattended, the company may not only lose customers but also have to address damage to their brand reputation and corporate image. 

Here’s the good news. An effective social media marketing strategy that is well executed can enable a company to reap rich dividends. We list 5 tips that can be of immense help to companies: – 

1. Understand Companies strategic Goals and Objectives: A company must have a clear strategy in terms of its products or services, and growth plans. The strategic objectives must be translated to clear marketing and communication ideas so that the target audience or key stakeholders can participate in the brand story and help you to get the desired results. Effective social media marketing is not an isolated effort. It must resonate with the company’s strategy and marketing to ensure best results. 
2. Devise a Social Media Strategy based on Target Audience and Desired Goals: It is important to understand the target audience, their demographics, their most popular social media platform etc. Once a clear understanding is obtained, the objective and desired attainment from each of the company’s social media platforms must be enlisted. Once this is finalized, the company must work on the content across each social media platform. Content is the fuel that runs the social media engine. Good content which is informative, engaging, or entertaining can help companies to get good result from their social media efforts. Hence, a company and its marketing teams must ensure that great content that resonates with their target audience across social media platforms must be curated and converted into a monthly calendar. This will ensure consistency of communication as well as recall with the target audience. 
3. Create Campaigns with defined periodicity: While it is good to post daily or frequently across platforms, the audience must also have something to look forward to when they follow your company on social media. Campaigns are a great way of keeping the audience engaged. For example: – Publishing fun content on a particular day of the week. wellness tips on certain days, key technology aspects of the business on some other day etc. can be a good way to build consistency and recall among the target audience. It also enhances the chances of engagement (likes, comments, and shares) by the audience which, in turn, leads to more people liking the brand on social media. 

Companies may also engage with their followers or fans on social media through polls, webinars, quizzes, crossword puzzles related to the business and so on. This will keep the audience engaged and will help the company to occasionally also share a company update or offers from their company’s brands. 

1. Analyse engagement data and refine the social media calendar: When a company starts interacting with its followers on various social media channels, all ideas and campaigns may not work. How does the social media marketer know this? Due to the power of data and reports that social media platforms can generate for him. Through self-service interface for data analytics, most social media platforms enable business users to gain access to the company’s social media data. It can help understand the user’s interaction and engagement across each post. Equipped with such insights, the social media marketing team can refine their social media calendar by incorporating new ideas and stopping the use of ideas which may not have been yielding great engagement. 
2. Use trending Story Ideas: – No matter which industry your company operates in, there is always something interesting happening. A social media marketing team must be constantly updated about the latest trends and happenings in its industry and convert it into engaging story ideas wherein the target audience is captivated with the story and the messaging. It is important to use the popular forms of communications such as short videos and reels to ensure that the target audience get the message within a few seconds. It would be interesting for brands to explore tie-ups with influencers, launch their own podcasts, etc. They may also want to upload some knowledge-based value that they want to share with their target audience. This could include creating an infographic or a research report which can be distributed through social media and the user may download it for free by willingly sharing his contact details with the company. 

I hope you found these tips useful. A great social media marketer must incorporate all these tips and also stay extremely updated with the latest news in the said industry to ensure consistent improvement in social media marketing and the key metrics. 

While we have written a very brief account of what could work on social media, we would surely love to hear what your views are. Since it is a topic of great interest, I am sure you would not shy away from sharing your views. Social media is definitely here to stay in some form or other. Companies that would ace their social media strategy and execution will become market leaders or at least have a significant edge over their key competitors. 

Is your company’s social media plan a great one? Please do run it through the above checklist of tips to see if it incorporates all key points and can be enhanced further.

Ever wondered why the first year of an MBA or a PDGM course teaches you about all the departments of an organization. Why do they delve into finance, marketing, HR, operations, Law, etc.? The answer lies in the fact that a business or a company is not about one area of specialization. A company does well only when all these functions can collaborate efficiently and contribute to the common goal – to accelerate business growth and to enhance operational efficiency. 

We enlist five key tips that can help you to translate your learning from MBA or PGDM into corporate success: – 

1. Understand the business model of the company – “I am an HR professional; I don’t need to sell. I am a finance person, I needn’t pay attention to marketing activities”, these statements are often heard in companies. A siloed approach, especially at the entry or middle level, is commonplace. An MBA or a PGDM comes with a basic understanding of all functions and specialization in one or two aspects of business. The first thing an MBA or PGDM student must do is to understand how their company generates revenue and makes a profit. Everything from income and revenues, to cost and expenses, as well as operating profits and margins must be understood. Any MBA or PGDM student who understands the above will be better placed for success than any of his counterparts. 
2. Know about the TAM, SAM, and SOM of the company – A PGDM or MBA student would ideally have a few days to himself/ herself from being offered a job to joining the company. They must use this time to find more about the Total Addressable Market (TAM), Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) and the Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM) of the company. A deep dive into this will enable them to know more about the market share that the company can obtain and its runway for growth. If they are joining a listed company, reading annual reports of the last few years could be a great exercise to understand the company in-depth and be well prepared on day one of the job.
3. Unbox and unleash yourself – It is very common for an MBA or PGDM student to think that they must stick to their area of expertise and not venture into other business areas of the company. A great way to ensure corporate success is to gain exposure to as many areas and aspects of the company and its business as possible. Never think of it as extra work. You will find use of all the work and hours that you put in later in professional life so its better to get early exposure to all areas. Breaking out of the imaginary siloes that one creates in their head can go a long way in enabling PGDM or MBA students to march ahead in their corporate careers.
4. Enhance Connections and be Curious – Networking within the organization is as important as building a professional network outside. Request the heads of departments and all key personnel in the company to spend some time with you. You will gain immensely from interactions with them. Their perspectives, ideas, and outlook will enable you to garner rich insights into the business and help you to accelerate your own growth in the company. A PGDM or MBA student must also be curious to understand how various aspects of the business works in tandem. It doesn’t cost to think like a CEO, but it will immensely help when one seeks to understand the business of a company better.
5. Be a part of community of like-minded professionals – If you are a PGDM Finance student, you must identify communities and groups (online as well as physical) wherein finance professionals collaborate. The same is true for marketing and HR MBA/PGDM students. It is important to know about the latest trends in the industry and be ahead in terms of your knowledge curve. It can help to accelerate your growth in an organization and will also ensure that you are aware of the opportunities in the industry that align with your career aspirations. 

Is this all you need to transform yourself from a bright PGDM or MBA student into a successful corporate professional? Definitely not. However, ticking the above five points could put most of your competition at bay and you will become an invaluable asset to your company as well as the industry.

World renowned management guru Peter Drucker once said, “Culture eats Strategy for Breakfast”. What he implied is that no matter how good the company’s strategy is, if the culture doesn’t match up, it would be difficult for the company to be successful in the long run. 

What is work culture? 

The key guiding principles for a company to operate efficiently is its vision and mission. A ‘vision’ statement talks about ‘who we are’ as a company and a ‘mission’ statement elicits what the company does to grow sustainably. You might also have seen ‘values’ that a company abides by. The values, beliefs, attitudes and a prescribed way in which a company would operate defines its culture. 

Why is ‘culture’ so critical? Workplace culture influences the type of people who wish to join the company. In order to attract the best candidates into the company, the culture must be conducive for such candidates. Only if such talent comes into the company can it grow as desired and achieve its mission and vision. So, culture is at the focal point of the very existence of the company. 

What’s the role of a future HR leader?

As a future HR leader, you may want to focus on shaping the culture of the company. With the help of the company’s board, CEO, and department heads, you can play a key role in formulating, implementing, and ensuring adherence to a key set of values that eventually shape the culture of the company. 

Can work culture guide employees?

As an employee, you might come from various backgrounds. You may be a fresher or you may have worked in a few companies before joining the current one. Either way, there will be a certain degree of adaptation that you might have to do to acclimatize yourself to the working of the company. By having a clearly defined set of values and ethos, companies can guide their employees on how they must behave, what is expected of them, what kind of values are appreciated and what is not. A work culture is a visible rulebook in action that can help employees to understand what is expected of them not only at their work but also in their conduct while interacting with the customers, peers, vendors, investors, and other stakeholders in the company. 

Why is Work Culture Important?

A great work culture can create excellent employee experience. Employees who are valued, have role clarity, and get a sense of job satisfaction contribute more to the growth of the company.  On the contrary, practices such as workplace politics, favouritism, etc. can drive away great talent. It becomes a double whammy eventually as a bad work culture makes it difficult to attract great talent into the organization. With talent draining out, it is impossible for a company to grow and prosper.

In a survey of job seekers held in 2022, around 23 percent of the respondents said that ‘company culture and values’ are the most critical aspects that they consider before taking up an offer from a company.   

The impact of Culture stretches well beyond the company

Your customers, the current and the potential can rethink the relationship with the company based on the culture. They may make enquiries with current and former employees to understand how the company operates within. It could also form a question in request for proposal (RFP) documents. It’s an integral part of the customer’s decision to work with your company. Hence, culture is highly co-related to the sales growth and bottom-line that your company plans to achieve in the future. 

Key elements of Workplace Culture that HR Leaders must keenly watch and improve

While there are various elements that contribute to a great workplace culture, it is important to narrow down to a few critical ones. An HR leader may be mandated as an owner of a workplace culture but he needs extensive support from senior leaders in the company and their teams to ensure that an employee-friendly and positive workplace culture is created. 

An HR leader must enlist all important aspects of a workplace culture, mark areas of overlap and identify a set of elements that are critical to a great workplace culture. 

Here’s a set of 10 elements that can enable you to create and enhance the workplace culture in your company. 

1. Clarity of Roles and Goals: 

The management team and HR must put in the extra effort to ensure that the employees have clarity of roles, output desired, and key performance indicators. While this is easier said than done, it is important to institutionalize this from a company’s perspective. Once the clarity on roles, and its co-relation with company’s goals and objectives is established, an employee understands how he is contributing to the larger picture and it enables him to quantify and attain a certain level of job satisfaction. The company can also fairly gauge how well an employee performs if such clarity is established from the very beginning. This helps in creating a fair reward and recognition policy and every employee feels valued in such a setup. 

2. Workplace culture must promote inclusivity and diversity: 

A workplace must welcome talent. The selection criteria should be merit and fitment with respect to the role. An HR leader must strive to keep any other biases such as gender, caste, creed, religion, nationality, orientation, etc. out of the hiring process. It would be wise for HR leaders to consider creating a crack team comprising members from all teams to work on the diversity mandate. Companies, today, are working on a diversity ratio to ensure that the mix of employees is not skewed towards male employees. The crack team working on diversity must formulate and implement positive diversity best practices to create a workplace culture that is truly inclusive. 

3. Create a conducive environment at the workplace: 

An HR leader must strive to create a conducive environment at work. People should not be afraid of expressing their opinion. They must feel a sense of security and recognition of their contribution so that they can willingly collaborate towards the growth of the company. Work pressure and deadlines can be intense at times hence a culture where employees are engaged with fun activities so as to create a fun place to work is extremely critical. No employee wants to work for 9-10 hours in a serious place hence HR leaders must pay keen attention to making the workplace an enjoyable experience. 

4. Create a culture where views are valued: 

A workplace should not co-relate experience or seniority with intelligence. Great ideas don’t necessarily come from experience or seniority. From interns to new employees, everyone could bring in fresh ideas and perspectives and it is important to give such ideas their due attention and credit. If people are valued and recognised for their ideas, they won’t shy away from thinking about the company’s operational efficiency and growth. It can subtly, but surely, help to catapult the productivity and growth of the company. An HR leader must ensure that the workplace culture encourages ideas, perspectives, and well-researched opinion and makes all employees, irrespective of their experience or time spent at the company, feel valued for their ideas and efforts. 

5.Establish a strict code of conduct and zero tolerance policy:

It is important to create a great and employee-friendly culture. It is also important to create guardrails within which employees must conduct themselves. An HR leader must ensure that employees can speak freely about their problems and they have access to HR team members for any support or assistance that they may need. There should be clear policies with respect to sexual harassment, code of conduct etc. and HR team members should be available for employees to share their grievances over a personal conversation. It is also important to create a secure and private way wherein employees can talk about grievances, especially in areas such as sexual harassment, while being assured that the conversations would be private and confidential. 

6. Create a fair employee reward and recognition program: 

While remuneration is a key factor in enabling employees to join and stay in a company, it may not be the only reason to retain them. If an employee is not recognized for his efforts, he may feel the need to switch to another company. Talent managers are constantly on the look-out for such employees who can jump ship and take up another assignment with a different company. Hence, a periodic (monthly/quarterly/yearly) reward and recognition program should be one of the top tasks on a HR leader’s agenda. It is not only about announcing the awards though. The way it is given out to the employees also matters. It is advisable to conduct an event where such employees are felicitated on stage with their managers and the senior leadership team of the company being present. Such an initiative can significantly boost the morale of employees and enhance employee retention. 

7.Create a mechanism to capture and utilize employee feedback:

Employees are at the fore-front of everything that an organization does. This includes interacting with customers on a daily basis, interacting with current and prospective employees, pitching the business to new customers, managing new processes, handling customer’s grievances, managing vendors, bankers, suppliers, investors and so on. There’s hardly a facet of business which is not front-ended by a company’s employee. Hence, their feedback is important. If captured and utilized well, it can become a panacea to the company’s challenges, and can provide great ideas for augmenting organizational growth. An HR Leader must try to institutionalize the capturing and utilization of employee feedback. He must leverage the best-of-breed technologies and digital tools to implement this and enable the company to attain the next level of growth. 

8.Empower employees with Flexibility: 

Every employee is at a different stage in their personal lives. Some are single, some are newly married, some are parents to infants and toddlers, some have teenaged children and so on. A company must create policies that enable good employees to circumvent challenges in personal lives and still give their best at work. For example: During COVID-19, if the job required you to work from office, the company could still offer flexible timings to employees with toddlers etc. so that they could manage the professional as well as personal front seamlessly. They could also think of a creche at work so that employees can bring in their toddlers and take care of them while also giving their best at work. An HR leader must be astute enough to ensure that the company’s policy allows a certain degree of flexibility but not at the cost of employee’s productivity. It is an important aspect and the HR leader must draft such policies only after careful consideration and evaluation of its benefits and possibilities of misuse. 

9.Promote Transparency and Open Communication:

An HR leader must create policies that ensure that the requisite transparency with employees is always maintained. Employees must feel engaged and valued at all times. It is important to have open communication and transparency between department heads, management, and team members. This will create a positive work culture and leave no room for misunderstanding, disheartened employees, and lack of productivity. 

10.Planning of Offsites and Social Outings:  

An HR head must ensure that the organization must bond outside of work at a team level, leadership level, and company level. He must create a policy and enable allocation of required budgets to ensure that teams can bond in a social setting. Team games, treks, picnics, etc. can not only bring the teams closer together but also enables them to know each other better. The benefits of such offsites and outings can help the team to not only rejuvenate and recharge themselves but also collaborate better as a team. Hence, it is an important investment and the return on such investments is invaluable. 

If you are gearing up to be an HR leader, the above elements might be helpful. However, companies are very dynamic and evolve as per the macro and micro-economic conditions and business environment. Hence, an HR leader must also keep evolving the workplace culture to ensure that it is most ideally suited to the growth trajectory, mission, and vision of the company. Such HR leaders can retain very happy employees in a positive and growth-oriented workplace and make a priceless contribution to growth and value creation for the company.