Yeshwanth Pendyala on HR Strategies for Hiring and Growth in Thriving Companies
Yeshwanth Pendyala is the Associate Vice President of Human Resources and Industrial Relations at Sid’s Farm, where he plays a key role in shaping the company’s HR strategy and talent management initiatives. With a solid foundation in HR, Yeshwanth brings extensive experience in Learning & Development, Talent Acquisition and Business Partnering to Sid’s Farm, a leading dairy farm in Hyderabad known for its pure and fresh milk delivery services.
Yeshwanth’s key strengths include developing talent supply strategies, stakeholder management, data analysis and analytics, employer value proposition and building candidate experiences.
In his current role at Sid’s Farm, Yeshwanth is focused on aligning HR practices with business objectives, enhancing employee engagement, and building a strong employer brand that attracts top talent from across India. Yeshwanth holds a deep passion for developing people and creating positive work environments, contributing to the overall success and sustainability of organizations. Lets dive deep in the converssation:
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Q. What are the most significant challenges and opportunities facing HR in scaling companies?
Ans: The most significant challenges and opportunities facing HR in scaling companies revolve around hiring, maintaining quality and culture, and adapting HR practices.Wea at Sid’s Farm, frames these challenges as opportunities for HR to enhance talent and support company growth.
Key challenges and opportunities include:
Hiring the Right Talent Rapid growth requires organizations to find candidates who have experience with similar scaling journeys. HR needs to identify individuals with specific skill sets that fit unique roles.
- Maintaining High Standards for Quality and Culture Balancing the need for rapid hiring with the need to maintain high standards for quality and cultural fit is a critical concern. This involves ensuring that new hires align with the company’s core values and can contribute to its growth effectively.
- Innovative HR Practices Adopting innovative HR practices to support company growth, such as creating versatile roles, offering clear career roadmaps, and implementing recognition programs. These practices help attract and retain talent by providing opportunities for growth and development.
- Technology Integration Leveraging technology to streamline HR processes and improve efficiency. This includes using tools like LinkedIn to screen candidates, HRMS systems to schedule meetings, and gamification to engage employees.
- Diversity and Inclusion Adapting HR strategies to cater to a diverse and inclusive workforce. Ensuring that diversity and inclusion are embedded in the organization’s DNA, without gender preferences in hiring.
- Onboarding Providing effective onboarding to integrate new hires into the company culture and ensure they understand the company’s vision and values. This includes centralized orientation, plant visits, and interactions with company leaders.
- Training Implementing intense and regular training programs to reinforce core values and ensure employees understand how to apply them in their roles. Core value champions can help train employees and integrate values into daily work.
- Avoiding Common Mistakes HR should have a clear skill matrix for each role, conduct at least 50% of the interview process in person, and not prioritize turnaround time over finding the right fit.
- Measuring Success HR should measure the success of their practices by assessing on-the-job performance and ensuring a high-touch approach with stakeholders.
- Maintaining Core Values and Culture Companies can maintain their core values and culture by conducting intense and regular training, identifying core value champions, and regularly checking in with employees.
By addressing these challenges and capitalizing on the opportunities, HR can play a crucial role in driving capability, engagement, and inclusivity in scaling companies, aligning HR practices with the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
Q. What innovative HR practices support company growth effectively?
Innovative HR practices that support company growth effectively include a focus on the role itself, career roadmaps, recognition, technology, diversity and inclusion, onboarding, and training. We suggests HR leaders view challenges as opportunities to connect the dots and enhance talent within the organization.
Key innovative HR practices include:
Versatile Roles Roles should be designed to challenge employees daily, providing learning opportunities and versatility across different domains. These roles should push individuals beyond their perceived potential.
- Career Roadmap Providing a clear career roadmap that shows potential growth within the organization, including opportunities for cross-domain movement and faster progression to leadership roles, is also key.
- Recognition Recognition programs should be implemented to appreciate both short-term and long-term achievements. Recognition is not just about monetary compensation but also about how leaders appreciate individual contributions. S Farm, for example, has “Super Employee Awards” to recognize consistent performance and innovation.
- Technology Technology should be leveraged to complement HR expertise, especially during scaling. LinkedIn can be used to filter candidates, and HRMS systems can pre-schedule reviews and one-on-one discussions with reminders. Gamification can also be used to engage employees.
- Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Ensuring that D&I is embedded in the organization’s DNA is critical. S Farm, for example, does not have gender preferences in hiring.
- Onboarding Emphasizing onboarding to integrate new hires into the company culture is also essential. At S Farm, new joiners visit the farm to understand operations and the company’s vision. The founder and MD also spend time training new employees.
- Training Intense and regular training programs should be implemented to reinforce core values and ensure employees understand how to apply them in their roles. Core value champions can help train employees and integrate values into their daily work.
- Workforce Planning Workforce planning plays a crucial role in determining the pace at which workforces are required, considering both volume and the time it takes to acquire the right skills. Collaboration with stakeholders and hiring managers is essential for regular checks on talent and skill set alignment.
- Skill Matrices HR should have clear skill matrices for each role.
- In-Person Interaction At least 50% of the interview process should be conducted in person to better assess candidates.
Q. How should HR balance speed and hiring standards?
Ans: To effectively balance speed and hiring standards, HR departments should focus on several key strategies. Workforce planning plays a crucial role in determining the pace of hiring, considering both the volume of positions needed and the time required to acquire individuals with the right skills. Collaboration with stakeholders and hiring managers is essential for regular checks on talent and skill-set alignment.
Further strategies include:
- Co-owning Manpower Planning HR should partner with the business to co-own manpower planning, aligning recruitment with business needs.
- Volume vs. Niche Roles Divide the manpower exercise into volume-based and niche roles. For volume-based positions, hire a few people first, assess the business response, and then adjust hiring accordingly.
- Comprehensive Processes Set up comprehensive processes with skill sets mapped across roles. Ensure multiple discussions within and across functions to gain a holistic perspective on candidates.
- Cultural Immersion Ensure good cultural immersion within the organization, especially with incoming talent.
- Time Prioritization Avoid putting time as a top metric to track recruitment progress. Focus on the fitment of the individual to the organization and the skills they bring to the table.
- In-Person Interaction Conduct at least 50% of the interview process in person to better assess candidates.
- Skill Matrices Have a clear skill matrix for each role to identify potential candidates effectively.
- Onboarding Emphasize onboarding to integrate new hires into the company culture. At S Farm, new joiners visit the farm to understand operations and the company’s vision, and the founder spends time training new employees.
- Training Implement intense and regular training programs to reinforce core values and ensure employees understand how to apply them in their roles. Core value champions can help train employees and integrate values into their daily work.
- Diversity and Inclusion Ensure that D&I is embedded in the organization’s DNA.
- Versatile Roles Design roles that challenge employees daily, providing learning opportunities and versatility across different domains.
- Career Roadmaps Provide clear career roadmaps showing potential growth within the organization.
- Recognition Implement recognition programs that appreciate both short-term and long-term achievements.
By implementing these strategies, HR can balance the need for speed with the importance of maintaining high hiring standards, ensuring the right talent is brought into the organization while preserving its culture and values.
Q. What role does tech play in hiring?
Ans: Technology is a crucial component of modern HR practices for growing companies, serving as a best friend to HR functions when scaling. Technology can be used to complement HR teams to help them do things more efficiently, especially when the company is scaling.
Specific roles of technology in hiring include:
Candidate Screening Tools such as LinkedIn are used to screen profiles using keywords to filter candidates into different buckets based on their fit. This helps recruiters to narrow down a large pool of applicants more quickly.
- Scheduling HRMS systems allow for the pre-scheduling of one-on-one discussions, reviews, and team meetings, along with automated reminders. This ensures that timelines are met and that human interactions are well-coordinated.
- Gamification Technology can be used to engage employees through gamification.
- Centralized Documentation Technology helps in keeping everything in one place, allowing managers to document and access previous discussions and reviews. This integration supports better-informed decision-making and tracking of employee progress.
- Efficiency Measurement Tech helps track and measure efficiencies.
- Workforce Planning Technology aids in workforce planning, helping HR departments determine the pace of hiring and align recruitment with business needs.
- Skill Assessment Technology is useful in setting up comprehensive processes with skill sets mapped across roles, ensuring the right skills are identified for each position.
While technology is beneficial, it is important to note that at least 50% of the interview process should still be conducted in person to thoroughly assess candidates.
Q. How is HR success measured in growing firms?
Ans: HR success in growing firms is measured through various metrics, primarily focusing on on-the-job performance and the effectiveness of HR practices. The importance is simplifying these measurements to accurately understand the results.
Key aspects of measuring HR success include:
Impact on On-the-Job Performance: HR practices aim to make employees feel more comfortable within the organization, thereby enhancing their performance. Measuring how HR initiatives translate into real-time improvements in on-the-job performance is crucial.
- High-Touch Approach: Ensuring a high-touch approach during the implementation of HR strategies. This involves working closely with stakeholders at every stage to ensure initiatives are well-supported and aligned with business needs. For example, S Farm uses a monthly newsletter to improve organizational intelligence among employees, ensuring functional news is communicated effectively.
- Stakeholder Comfort: Measuring how well stakeholders support HR initiatives is important. This indicates the effectiveness of HR in building strong relationships and ensuring cooperation across the organization.
- Alignment with Organizational Objectives: HR practices should align with the company’s overall objectives. Success is measured by how well HR initiatives contribute to achieving these objectives, such as improving employee experience and enhancing on-the-job performance.
- Balanced Scorecard Approach: While not explicitly mentioned, the combination of these metrics suggests a balanced scorecard approach, where HR success is evaluated based on multiple dimensions including performance, stakeholder engagement, and strategic alignment.
Additional factors from our conversation history which contribute to HR success, though not explicitly stated as metrics, include:
- Versatile Roles: Creating roles that challenge employees daily and provide learning opportunities.
- Clear Career Roadmaps: Providing clear career roadmaps that show potential growth within the organization.
- Recognition Programs: Implementing recognition programs to appreciate both short-term and long-term achievements.
- Effective On boarding: Ensuring new hires are effectively integrated into the company culture and understand the company’s vision and values.
- Intense Training: Implementing intense and regular training programs to reinforce core values.
By focusing on these measurements and continually adapting their strategies, HR departments can effectively contribute to the growth and success of their firms.
Q. What are key elements of successful on boarding?
Ans: First impressions truly set the tone for new hires, making comprehensive onboarding essential, especially during a company’s growth phase. This includes a detailed induction, lasting at least half a day, introducing new hires to various departments, their significance, and key personnel.
Such interactions help new joiners grasp the overarching significance of the departments. Experiential learning, such as visiting operational facilities, allows new employees to connect the company’s vision with its implementation by understanding critical operations like procurement and plant functions.
Leadership interaction further enriches the onboarding experience, with regular training and sessions from founders and top leaders explaining the company’s growth trajectory and the pivotal role of new hires. Cultural integration, facilitated through onboarding, ensures new hires align with and fit seamlessly into the organization’s culture, fostering a sense of belonging and commitment from the outset.
Key elements of successful onboarding include:
First impressions matter. Onboarding is a key element to retaining new hires, especially during a company’s growth phase.
- Comprehensive onboarding. At least a half-day induction to introduce new hires to different departments, their significance, and key people is critical. Central teams should interact with new joiners to help them understand different departments and key personnel, as well as the department’s overall significance.
- Experiential learning. Visiting facilities such as plants to understand operations helps new employees connect the vision to implementation. Getting a whole understanding of operations is key. For example, what procurement means, what plant operations mean, and what happens at these stages.
- Leadership interaction. Regular interactions and training from founders and leadership can help new hires understand the company’s growth and their role in it. The founder can give about one and a half hours to the new joiners to help them understand how the organization is growing and how their role is important to play for the growth.
- Cultural Integration: Onboarding helps new hires align with and fit into the organization’s culture.
Q. How should HR approach volume-based hiring needs?
Ans: When addressing volume-based hiring needs, HR can adopt specific strategies to ensure efficiency and maintain quality. Here’s how HR should approach volume-based hiring:
Co-own Manpower Planning: HR should partner with the business to understand the requirements and co-own the manpower planning exercise.
- Prioritize Skill Matrices: Develop skill matrices for each role to clarify the essential attributes to seek in candidates.
- Implement Hybrid Interview Processes: While virtual interviews can be useful, make sure that at least 50% of the interview process is conducted in person to assess candidates’ personalities and cultural fit more effectively.
- Avoid Time Pressure: Do not prioritize speed over fit.
- Regulate Hiring Pace: Hire a few candidates initially, then take a pause to assess the business’s response and regulate the subsequent hiring steps accordingly. After fulfilling 50% to 60% of the requirement, avoid rushing to allow time to evaluate the performance and integration of the new hires.
- Collaborate with Stakeholders: Collaborate with stakeholders and hiring managers to regularly assess whether the provided talent aligns with the required skill sets.
- Focus on Cultural Fit: Ensure a good cultural immersion within the organization, especially with incoming talent.
- Offer Comprehensive Onboarding: Provide a half-day induction to introduce new hires to different departments, their significance, and key personnel. Visiting facilities such as plants to understand operations helps new employees connect the vision to implementation.
By using these strategies, HR can handle volume-based hiring effectively, ensuring that the organization hires the right talent while maintaining its standards and culture.
Q. How do you maintain culture during rapid expansion?
Ans: To maintain company culture during rapid expansion, an organization can implement several HR strategies:
- Intense and Regular Training Conduct regular training sessions, touching upon core values one at a time.
- Core Value Champions Identify core value champions within the business and partner with them to train employees regularly on the company’s core values. Training should explore the significance of each value and how individuals in different departments can embody it in their roles.
- Regular Check-ins Implement regular check-ins with employees. Even simple actions, like rating how a meeting went, can reinforce core values such as quality and encourage employees to embody those values in their daily work.
- Experiential learning Visiting facilities such as plants to understand operations helps new employees connect the vision to implementation.
- Leadership interaction Regular interactions and training from founders and leadership can help new hires understand the company’s growth and their role in it.
By creating awareness, HR helps new hires understand the organization’s foundational values, enabling them to integrate more effectively into the company culture as the organization expands.
In conclusion, the HR function in growing organisation primarily revolving around hiring the right talent, maintaining quality and culture, and adapting HR practices. To effectively support company growth, HR departments should embrace innovative practices such as designing versatile roles, providing clear career roadmaps, implementing recognition programs, leveraging technology, prioritizing diversity and inclusion, ensuring effective onboarding, and implementing intense and regular training. By viewing challenges as opportunities to enhance talent and connect the dots within the organization, HR can play a crucial role in driving capability, engagement, and inclusivity.
Successfully navigating rapid expansion requires HR to balance the need for speed with maintaining high hiring standards through strategies like co-owning manpower planning, understanding the difference between volume and niche roles, conducting comprehensive processes with skill matrices, and prioritizing fit over turnaround time. Maintaining company culture during this growth is paramount and can be achieved through intense and regular training, identifying core value champions, and regular check-ins with employees, as well as ensuring experiential learning and leadership interaction. Ultimately, HR success in scaling firms is measured by its impact on on-the-job performance, adopting a high-touch approach with stakeholders, and aligning HR practices with the organization’s overall objectives. For further insights into the evolving workplace paradigm, visit
