Niraj Varia
Director of HR Transformation & Change Management Global HR
Cushman & Wakefield
What has been the highlight in your career journey so far?
The recent HR transformation experience at Cushman & Wakefield, disrupting from within the organisation; leveraging technology, putting employees at the centre, to define and direct the HR strategy and programme.
Having worked as a management consultant at many large corporations, what is this biggest lesson you have learnt from your journey?
Whilst transforming HR is a ‘mature science’, the challenge organisations face is finding creative and innovative solutions to accelerate the return on investment.
HR models and structures will always vary from company to sectors. However, from your expertise is there a specific model that you consider to have a significant positive impact with regards to transformational leadership?
Having worked with many consulting organisations, I have learnt there is no right answer. The move in HR towards a Consulting partner model is a new and exciting development in the next stage of the HR re/evolution.
Is there ever a time where change management is not required? And why?
In our era isn’t change constant? Isn’t the pace of change increasing? Do you find the attention span in organisations is reducing? Therefore, I think change management is continuous, and we need to rethink how to Adopt change in our organisations.
What is the most common disruptive challenge that Cushman & Wakefield encounter from clients?
Disruption and volatility within their businesses and how professional services organisations like ours will advise and enable.
With the rising conversation of AI and up-skilling new and existing talent, is this something that HR managers should be concerned with right now or would you consider that there’s yet to be further development that is yet to be established.
Even if organisations see AI as a future opportunity, digitisation is already upon us. Digitisation does not just impact HR but across our businesses, so yes HR leaders have to change. We are best placed to determine the future of work, but in my opinion not skilled up as yet.
Looking forward to our event in Amsterdam, what is the one thing that attendees can expect to learn from your session?
Discussing the inevitable change in the role, behaviours and characteristics of the ‘future CHRO’; in coping with current (digitisation, AI, D&I, social responsibility, disruptive change) and future trends.
If you’re looking for new ideas, fresh perspectives and insights on the future of work, then you’ll want to attend HR Vision Events. This is a two-day event with 3 streams running in parallel, enabling deep dive conversations focused on the future of work, digitization, leadership, L&D, culture and employee experience.
Despite HR being a human-centric discipline, technology is rapidly evolving the conventions of good practice. We have put together a free 11 page e-book which includes:
– NASA’s perspective on the rise of the bots
– ‘Getting social’ with Deutsche Telecom
– Karen Brown at Baker McKenzie address humanised technology
– The concept of human robotic partnership
