Empowering Individual’s Growth & Transformation

In the rapidly evolving landscape of education and professional development, traditional learning methods, jargon, and frameworks are giving way to a new era of sophisticated and personalised learning fueled by cutting-edge technology. This seismic shift has ushered in an unprecedented level of personalisation in the learning experiences of individuals, particularly in the corporate world.

Employees now expect to be treated as “internal” customers, and employers are increasingly prioritising a “employee-centric” approach that profoundly impacts the way learning is delivered and experienced.

In a recent LinkedIn Live Event, Dwen Hwee, HR Head, Singapore and Korea at Tata Consultancy Services and Billy Elliott, Regional Director for APAC at Top Employers Institute, discussed an outstanding best practice of how they make learning available to anyone to learn anytime, anywhere, using any content or any device.

Here are some key learnings from the session.

TCS’s Culture of Learning and Democratizing Skills

TCS, a renowned global leader in IT services and consulting, has fostered a culture of learning by creating a comprehensive learning ecosystem. This ecosystem encourages employees to take charge of their careers and focuses on people, purpose, and the democratisation of talent and skills within the organisation.

TCS offers a range of learning formats, including self-paced learning, virtual classes, game-based learning, and more, supported by partnerships with external training providers.

Building a Robust Learning Ecosystem: Addressing Digital Demands and Driving Business Success

TCS recognised the need to develop a comprehensive learning ecosystem to address the evolving demands of digital technology and ensure the continuous growth and development of its employees. Several factors contributed to the development of this learning ecosystem, including:

• The need to have Talent Fungibility as a strategic employer branding value
• Learning as a driver of business success
• The need for the organisation and employees to have relevant skills
• The Digital Transformation Wave and remain innovative

To build a learning culture within TCS, which translates to purpose-led talent development, they developed it across five pillars:

1. Providing training opportunities – Linking learning with career and rewards
2. Being a partner function – Fueling business growth by being a part of business strategy & operations
3. Onboarding more training partners – Creating innovative & seamless learning ecosystems
4. Provisioning learning content – Building agility and hunger to learn and unlearn
5. Conducting technology or leadership programs – Nurturing growth & transformation mindset while focusing on cost & efficiency

TCS has developed various initiatives to support these pillars:

• Talent Development Digital Ecosystem – TCS developed a talent development digital ecosystem anchored in their HR and resourcing teams. They engage, retain, and develop employees across the globe, aligning closely with the business to support its growth. The ecosystem includes the iEvolve learning and competency management system, which offers a diverse range of learning formats and proficiency levels. The iEvolve system serves as a one-stop-shop for employees to access training and certification records, whether internal or external. Various learning formats are on the platform, including in-person workshops, hackathons, self-learning and Gamification. As an example, under the digital ecosystem, TCS uses a virtual iQclass, where employees can learn from other employees overseas in a live session. This digital employee experience enables TCS’s 5As of learning – which is for Anyone to learn Anytime, Anywhere, using Any content delivered on Any device.

• The T-Factor – using an in-house built Algorithm using AI, provides a measure of relevant skills for all TCS employees. TCS employs a unique approach called the T-factor to cater to employees at different experience levels. This approach encourages employees to develop expertise in multiple digital technology skills while also excelling in one or a few specific areas. The T-factor was introduced to anticipate the increasing demand for digital technology skills, and it ensures that employees are prepared and trained to apply these skills in real business contexts and support customers in transforming their businesses.

• Xcelerate  – This is TCS’s career guidance management platform designed to help employees navigate their career paths. Through Xcelerate, employees can log in and input their desired roles, preferred technologies, and a timeframe for progression. The platform then generates a personalised learning path based on the employee’s current skill sets and desired career trajectory. Xcelerate also offers interactive features such as 360-degree feedback, where colleagues and supervisors provide comments and feedback, fostering holistic development in both technical and soft skills. Employees can participate as mentors or choose mentors from a registered list. The platform provides employee insights, including learning paths of employees in desired roles, competency gap analysis, and engagement indexes. Xcelerate seamlessly integrates with TCS Elevate, a talent framework comprising three pillars: Junior Talent, Mid-level Talent, and Emerging Leader and Senior Leadership paths.

Driving Career Advancement: Transformative Benefits of TCS’s Learning Ecosystem

Over 170 000 employees across TCS have been placed in projects across the business, which will help them reach the roles they desire in future. At TCS, their learning ecosystem results in numerous benefits for our employees. They gain a wide range of digital technology skills while specialising in specific areas, positioning themselves for career advancement.

Through personalised learning paths and continuous access to training programs, they engage in ongoing learning, ensuring their skills remain relevant. Our interactive platforms, like Xcelerate, provide holistic development opportunities through 360-degree feedback and mentorship, nurturing well-rounded professionals.

Actively participating in shaping their learning journeys improves employees experience and increases employee engagement, ownership, and motivation.

Balancing AI and Human Expertise in HR: Insights from SABIC India and Top Employers Institute

Artificial Intelli

gence (AI) is rapidly growing in various industries, including HR. While AI technology offers numerous benefits, such as increased efficiency and reduced bias, it raises concerns about the lack of personal touch. In a recent LinkedIn Live event, Preet Boparai, Head of HR for India, at SABIC and Billy Elliott, Regional Director for APAC at Top Employers Institute, discussed the emerging use of AI in HR and the importance of maintaining a balance between AI and human expertise.  The webinar explored examples of how AI has proven beneficial and the potential downsides of relying solely on technology.

The session also provided insights into how SABIC India leverages AI while retaining the human element in HR operations. Here are some key learnings from the session: 

Read ahead to get a snapshot of some of the session’s highlights; fill in the form to get the recording of the webinar to watch whenever you have a moment.  

Balancing the Benefits and Concerns of AI in Human Resources: The Need for Human Oversight and Intervention 

Using AI tools in HR has proven successful in saving time and effort. For example, AI tools have proven successful in recruitment by saving time and effort for recruiters and offering personalised feedback to candidates. These tools employ natural language processing and facial analysis technology to evaluate the fit of candidates for job positions. However, a critical issue with AI tools in recruitment is the potential for bias and discrimination. In a notable case, a recruitment tool demonstrated a preference for male candidates over female candidates. Therefore, it is necessary to have human oversight and intervention to ensure that algorithms are not giving biased results. 

SABIC Shows How AI Tools Can Help HR in Employee Engagement and Retention 

SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals, has harnessed the power of AI to enhance employee engagement and retention. Here are some ways they’ve implemented it: 

• Development of a chatbot for digital employee experience: SABIC developed an advanced chatbot called Amber, which has proved invaluable during the pandemic. It acted as a seamless two-way communication tool, promoting connection and dialogue by regularly seeking feedback from SABIC employees about their experiences working in an evolving, flexible environment. The chatbot is used to identify disengaged employees and those who are at risk of leaving. By proactively identifying these employees, SABIC has been able to retain them, thereby reducing its attrition rate. However, SABIC also emphasised the importance of informing employees about the tool and ensuring that conversations between employees and HR are confidential. 
• Gathering insights from employees: SABIC has also used AI tools to gather employee feedback during the COVID-19 pandemic. This feedback was used to launch SABIC Care, a flexible employee health benefits plan.  

• Personalised learning journeys: SABIC also uses Percipio, a platform that offers a range of courses and content for employees to upskill and reskill themselves. This platform uses AI to personalise the learning experience and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the learning process. 

Balancing AI and Human Intelligence 

While AI tools can provide valuable insights and baseline information, SABIC emphasised the importance of involving human intelligence in decision-making. The solutions SABIC created were well thought through and catered to the entire organisation. SABIC also recognised that AI tools are not infallible and that there may be instances where the predictions made by these tools need to be corrected. Therefore, the company has created a feedback loop where human intelligence can correct and improve the accuracy of AI tools. 

Fostering Collaboration Between AI and Humans in the Workplace: HR’s Vital Role 

In today’s fast-paced, technologically driven world, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that machines and algorithms can do everything better than humans. However, as we rely increasingly on artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace, it’s essential to remember the value of the human touch. Recent studies have shown that many employees negatively perceive their HR departments. Some don’t even know who their HR representative is, while others don’t trust that any action will be taken if they report a concern, such as harassment or discrimination. With the increasing use of digital tools, this gap between HR and employees could widen further. 

However, the solution isn’t to eliminate AI and go back to the days of paper forms and in-person meetings. Instead, HR departments need to remember that technology should be used to enhance and support human interaction, not replace it entirely. The key is to maintain honest and meaningful conversations with employees.

This means closing the loop and letting employees know what actions are being taken in response to their concerns, even if the news isn’t always positive. No amount of technological advancement or process improvement can replace regular communication and connection between HR and employees. 

Ultimately, the best approach is to view AI and humans as a united team working together to empower the future of the workplace.

It’s up to us to take responsibility for making positive changes and not depend solely on technology to solve all our problems.