Auto Kontempore, Pune was the second edition in the series for Co-Creating a Sustainable Approach for Talent management in Automotive Sector. The first edition was held in Delhi in November 2017 and a consultative report was created as an outcome of the discussion conducted there through a Large-Scale Interaction Process. The present event at Pune was following up on the same to create a sustainable approach to Talent Management in the Automotive Sector.
The event witnessed the coming together of industry stalwarts on a common platform for identifying the present and prospective challenges faced by the auto and auto components sector related to talent. Participants explored issues from the widest possible perspective and endeavoured to come up with some innovative and bold solutions to the most imposing questions on talent issues being faced by the industry.
Process
Auto Kontempore at Pune pushed the boundaries of ideas and dared to explore beyond where most industry events venture. The process started with a brief introduction by Mr. Amal Das, the convenor of the event. This was followed by context setting by Mr. Gajendra Chandel. This was followed by a true crowd-sourcing of ideas achieved through a Large-Scale Interactive Process (LSIP). The LSIP discussions were presented, augmented and further supplemented in a panel discussion at the end.
As part of the LSIP, the participants were divided into 6 groups to have a 4-step discussion process. The groups were christened as continents – Africa, America, Antarctica, Asia, Australia and Europe. In Step 1 participants made their individual observations regarding talent-related concerns faced by the industry, their impact on business and what they believe various stakeholders could do to solve or mitigate the challenges. This was followed by, in step 2, intense discussion amongst the group members. In this step Various challenges, their impact and ideas to solve them were collated at each table and curated on a separate chart sheet. Step 3 was a world café, where various continent members visited other continents and each continent presented their collated work in the earlier step to all other continent members. A lot of agreements and questioning followed this intermingling of the groups. As step 4, the continents regrouped and prioritised 3 challenges and 3 ideas to help solve those challenged. The outcomes were noted on a separate chart.
The continent leaders then participated in a panel discussion moderated by Mr. Gajendra Chandel, to discuss and present their continents and their own ideas.
Outcome
Mr. Chandel, in his context setting address, pointed out the various disruptive changes facing the auto industry – fuel, automation, electric, autonomous and connected vehicles. He emphasized on how the various major automobile manufacturers are culturally different and hence their talent requirement and management practices vary vastly. Automobiles are changing with more and more embedded software in them and hence there is a huge change in the type of talent required for the industry. A subsequent challenge will be the sourcing and retaining of that highly skilled talent which will not only be a differentiator for companies, but indeed become an issue of survival.
The LSIP process discussions are summarized in the following table:
| Challenge | Ideas to Solve |
| Output from education institutes not aligned with industry requirement | Systematic, robust internship programs to be created by Institutes and Industry |
| More Meaningful engagement of industry and academia | |
| Seamless flow of professionals on sabbaticals from industry to academia and vice-versa | |
| Dual Education System | |
| Collaboration between IT industry and Auto Industry | |
| Involve IITs as thought leaders | |
| Radical and Rapid Technology Changes | Re-skilling with tie-ups with institutes |
| Futuristic organization structure and roles with planning for transitions | |
| Cloud-based sourcing of talent | |
| Shortage of Talent | Cross-functional fungibility |
| Inclusive workforce mindset and manager sensitization | |
| Cloud-based sourcing of talent | |
| Creation of an industry specific nodal talent body to influence policy making, provide training and skilling | |
| Manage flexi-working | |
| Skills for Future
– New Technologies – IOT / Manufacturing 4.0 – AI – Electrical / Mechatronics |
Industry Academia collaboration
– Mentoring by industry – Faculty Exchange with industry – Co-created courses – Vestibule Training – Vertical Integration |
| Industry Specific Institutions | |
| Cultural Fit
– New Age / Vintage – Indian and Multinational – Multi-tasking / Compliance Job Role |
– Create a strong Learning Culture
– Mass Upskilling – Integrate Learning with PMS – Agreement with Unions to incorporate learning – Reinvent the working structure – Modular project-based organization design |
| Compliance | Influence the government to introduce flexible and cost-effective workforce management practices and change labour laws |
| Engagement and Retention | Redesign the Organisation |
| Use of Reward and Recognitions | |
| Work culture that fosters innovation, creative and flexibility | |
| Changing Demographics
– Career Aspirations – Company Ecosystem – Diversity – Engagement of multi-generation talent |
Empowerment / Engagement |
| Technology focussed skill program | |
| Agile and inclusive policy framework | |
| Customized HR environment | |
| Imbibing customer needs across businesses | Design Thinking |
| Cross-Rotation of People in functions | |
| Analytics Usage | |
| Talent Productivity | Objective Performance Definition and Evaluation |