Ruchita Sharma

▶0:01HostWelcome to the Built by People podcast, where we share the stories and insights of the world's top HR leaders. Join us as we dive deep into the minds of HR executives, uncovering their strategies, challenges, and triumphs in shaping today's workforce. I'm excited to welcome Rachida to the Built By People podcast. Rachida, thank you so much for joining us. And as a starting question, I always love to ask if you could share a little bit more about your career journey.

▶0:56GuestWell, my journey into HR wasn't exactly planned. I went to MBA school with dreams of majoring in finance. I completed my minors in finance, but fell completely in love with HR and hence decided to make that as my major. Looking back at that combination of studies, understanding the financial side of things has been a huge help when navigating the dynamics of a shop over the years. Professionally, I like to think of myself as an HR architect. I build cultures, scale teams, and sometimes torn down old ways of thinking to make room for something better. My passion lies in navigating complex transformations, whether it is integrating cultures during M&As or reimagining talent strategies to future-proof organizations. Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of working across America, Asia, Europe, India. With brands like Guardian Life, Fidelity, GE, et cetera. I like when I'm called a translator, someone who can connect strategy to culture, technology to people. My friends call me professional troublemaker for loving a good challenge. To the stagesco, I've had the chance to build HR functions from scratch. It's a very rewarding experience. So thanks, Dave, for inviting me to your podcast. I'm excited to share my lessons. About leadership change and why HR is so much more exciting than most people give it credit for. Let's dive in.

▶2:22HostRachida, thank you so much for that great introduction. And my first question is related to HR transformation projects, which is something that you mentioned during that great intro. How do you approach leading HR transformation projects across diverse cultural environments? And what are the key success factors in managing change?

▶2:44GuestSo I always start with the lay of the land. What's happening now? What's working? What's not? What do we want to change? It's like piecing together a puzzle. So when I was leading a Workday whole suite implementation, building the HR function for Guardian Life at India, I was transitioning out of 3 systems. The primary motivator for this change was to get on the same system as your headquarters. But key part of the puzzle for me was aligning global objectives, consistent data tables, but not forget the local realities. My local reality was constant changing workforce due to expansion and attrition rates, and my intent to keep the HR function 80% self-serviced. I needed the processes to be easy and intuitive. The transformation effort was hard. We never lost our way, though. Because the north star was very clear to everyone. It was a very successful project and we completed it in record time. So here is the secret. The success comes down to 3 things. Listen, listen, listen. Listening helps you understand local challenges, build trust, and create buy-in. There'll always be some people who will love you for what you're doing and some who will be skeptical. But if you're listening well, you can tailor your tools and build appropriate communication strategies to find the right balance. Alignment is a currency, and it's a currency which never loses its value. You need it to collaborate. You need it to create your advocates and move forward. And last but not the least, always know your data. It drives decisions. It measures impact. Most importantly, it builds credibility.

▶4:34HostRachida, what strategies have you found most effective in ensuring HR teams earn and retain a seat at the decision-making table among C-level executives?

▶4:46GuestThere is really one key strategy, proving HR drives business outcomes. I always speak the language of business. I make sure HR initiatives are tied to ROI and the organization's priorities. Whether it is about reducing friction for employees, improving retention, or building strong talent pipeline, I connect HR's work to what keeps my CXO up at night. Credibility also comes from a very high C2 ratio. If you promise something, deliver it consistently. I've had some very interesting experiences, David, with senior leaders who were notorious for not partnering well with their HR leaders. But when I started working with them, I rarely had a partnering challenge. They were not easy on me. The assignments were tough and very interesting. One thing I regularly got as feedback from them, or something I've seen a lot of HR leaders who are very successful have done, is have an independent view. You have to bring a fresh perspective and the courage to challenge assumptions. Ultimately, the journey from being seen as an administrative partner to a strategic one comes from understanding business challenges and offering forward-looking solutions.

▶6:02HostRashida, given your belief in constant learning, how do you encourage organizations to embrace a learn, unlearn, and relearn mindset?

▶6:13GuestLet's be honest, learning, unlearning, and relearning can be exhausting. There is no instant gratification. You're constantly on a path and it, it's like your caterpillar larva butterfly back to caterpillar stage. There's an emotional side of learning. People feel awkward, stressed, unsure. When you're stepping into something new, you don't know what's happening and it's normal. But the reward comes when you embrace those feelings and push through. Encouraging this mindset means creating a culture where experimentation is celebrated and hierarchy doesn't dictate who gets to contribute. People need transparent conversations, the freedom to disagree, and most importantly, leaders who walk the talk. With the right mindset, one can learn by observing your experiences of life, but it is also very important to build a strong infrastructure for learning. Whether it is formal training, peer learning, or trying out different roles, people need options. And yes, most importantly, celebrate the wins along the way. Acknowledge those who exhibit that mindset. That's how you make it stick.

▶7:27HostRachida, how can HR leaders leverage automation and evolving employment models to stay competitive in today's fast-changing world?

▶7:36GuestThis question is so close to my heart, Dave. I can talk whole day on this. Automation and flexible work models are so critical to your game, especially after COVID. Tech in HR has exploded. So the possibilities are immense. I was reading World Economic Forum says that by 2030, 30% of the corporate roles as we know them today will largely be replaced by technology and AI. New roles, of course, will open. I don't think so it'll happen this fast, but it is certainly well on its way. There is an article and a podcast by George Berson, which is about the rise of super workers, which is very insightful, and I would highly recommend everyone to listen to it. So coming back to your question, with all that change, the most common question I get is, what is the right solution for us? What if we wait for something cooler to come by? Because every day there are new solutions coming. I remember when I first time went into AI implementation for talent acquisition when I was in Fidelity almost a decade back. I realized tech wasn't my hardest part. It was changing how we worked that took the most effort. So waiting for the coolest solution would have only delayed engineering, re-engineering of our processes or the ability to redesign our playbook. Here is the thing. You have to start with why. Why are you automating? Is it to improve efficiency, enhance productivity, or create better employee experience? That gives you the foundation to build your HR IT playbook. So going back to your question, some areas where HR can make a big impact with automation is streamlining operations. Of course, you reduce handoffs, simplify your processes, empower employees with self-service tools. This should largely be done to improve experience while driving efficiency versus the other way around where efficiency becomes important. And that's where I've seen organizations go wrong. People analytics is another place where you can go beyond basic metrics like headcount and your time to hire. And there's so much possibility with predictive insight. You can plan for attrition, identify skill gaps, stronger Stronger workforce planning, engagement surveys are already being analyzed using contextual analysis. If you have the right performance management system, it can help you build strong learning strategy, which can be personalized issue with scale. You don't need to focus only on high-pots or critical talent. You can cast a wider net. Job reengineering and skill mapping are going to be critical with AI getting more active in our lives. So that third thing, which I would say HR needs to watch very closely. There is another thing which is starting to take shape is where workplace tech is becoming very close to HR tech. So the introduction of collaboration apps, sharing live screens, we are talking today storage of files and data, all that leads to opportunity to evolve employment models. You can use flexibility, remote, onsite, different time zones. Constant need for different kinds of expertise, knowledge management. There is so much more that it brings for you. We can also use workplace tech. I haven't done this. This is something I've been wanting to do. We can use workplace tech to do sentiment analysis of our employees, just like we do it for our customers. But remember, automation isn't about replacing people. It is about enabling them to do their best work.

▶11:13HostRachida, what lessons have you learned from managing HR operations across different regions of the world? And how do you adapt your leadership style to different cultural contexts?

▶11:27GuestIf I have to say one thing I've learned in this, everyone everywhere has a what is in it for me, the WIFM lens. Success might look different depending on where you are, who you are. But the desire for it is very universal. Back when I was in GE, I was working with CIOs across the globe. On paper, they had similar roles, similar goals, but their approaches were so different. It was like I was at some school where I was learning so much about styles and choices while keeping the plane in the air. Some valued sharp, efficient delivery. Others wouldn't let you in if they didn't feel the rapport. And then some preferred collaborative decision-making, even if it meant it took longer to get things done. So yes, understanding cultural nuances is of course the key, but here is what I do consistently. Build trust. It's the foundation of everything. Keep your communications open and regular. Misunderstandings, surprises, loss in translation. You do not want any of that. Read the room. Humor and storytelling, my favorite parts of arsenal. They need to match your audience. You have to be very careful about that. So adapting your style might mean being a coach one day and directive next day. The key is to stay flexible and responsive. And the most rewarding part is the relationships you build along the way. They often last a lifetime. It is worth the effort.

▶13:05HostGeeta, any parting advice you'd like to share with our audience?

▶13:09GuestGiven our audience is largely in HR, I strongly recommend experimenting, understanding technology, and focusing on you constantly evolving with the business. Most times we risk reacting to the situation. For us to have future-forward solutions, It's very important for us to do our homework and be not afraid of some brave decisions.

▶13:36HostRita, that's great. Thank you so much for joining us on the Built by People podcast. It was a pleasure to have you involved.

▶13:43GuestThank you.