For Chetana Patnaik and her HR team, the overarching goal is to make sure that employees always feel connected to the larger organizational goals, while feeling empowered to contribute their unique ideas.
Patnaik is CHRO at Indian tech firm LTIMindtree, with U.S. headquarters in Warren, New Jersey. She gives her take on how HR teams can help foster a “future-ready” workplace culture that balances connection with empowerment.
What strategies have proven most effective in making sure your organizational culture is robust?
In the rapidly evolving IT industry, cultivating and sustaining a robust organizational culture requires intentionality, agility and alignment with a clear purpose, vision and values. At LTIMindtree, our purpose, “Solve to Unleash Possibilities,” forms the backbone of our approach, driving us to create a culture that is dynamic, inclusive and growth oriented.
Our vision, “Enabling businesses and communities to flourish in a hyper-connected world,” and our values, “Driven by Purpose,” “Act with Compassion,” “Be Future Ready” and “Deliver Impact” are the compass that guide our decision-making and shape our organization.
A key initiative that embodies our overall strategy is the recently launched LTIMindtree Rhythm, our balanced approach to the future of work. The essence of Rhythm is fostering deep connection, seamless collaboration and sparking innovation while providing flexibility across all levels of the organization.
We recognized that in today’s hyper-connected and fast-moving landscape, ensuring continuous alignment and collaboration among teams is crucial not only for performance, but also for creating an environment where innovation thrives.
As part of our talent engagement strategy, Rhythm ensures that our employees are always connected to the larger organizational goals, while feeling empowered to contribute their unique ideas. It facilitates frequent and meaningful interactions across departments, enabling cross-functional collaboration and breaking down siloes.
This not only enhances teamwork but also encourages diverse perspectives, leading to more creative and innovative solutions. By creating structured opportunities for engagement, associates feel more engaged, motivated and in tune with the company’s direction as well as larger purpose.
Furthermore, our enhanced talent framework is closely linked with the skills and capabilities our associates need to demonstrate to stay competitive. By linking performance with continuous development, we foster a future-ready workforce that can respond to rapid technological shifts. It also includes our rewards and recognition framework, which celebrates behaviors and contributions that embody our values, which reinforces the culture we seek to sustain.
Using our framework and approach, we not only maintain operational efficiency but also cultivate an environment where connection, collaboration and innovation are part of our DNA. This ensures that both our associates and the organization are primed to flourish in a fast-paced, hyper-connected world.
What recent trends in HR do you find most significant, and how are they influencing your strategic planning?
In today’s dynamic business environment, several HR trends are reshaping the way organizations attract, retain and develop talent. At LTIMindtree, we have a steadfast focus on holistic and total well-being of our associates, DEI and workplace experience. We have, however, identified a few key trends that are essential to integrating the growth of our associates and organization into our strategic planning to stay ahead in the competitive IT landscape.
One of the significant recent trends that we are focusing on is the integration of generative AI and building the capabilities to leverage this technology. We have integrated AI tools within our ecosystem. Our associates have already begun using these technologies to enhance their productivity and decision-making capabilities.
We are also conducting knowledge sessions to enhance the know-how of using AI effectively. By fostering a culture of innovation and continuous learning, we aim to create a future-ready workforce that can adapt to rapid technological advancements.
In addition, we are focusing on skills-based talent management. As the pace of technological change accelerates, traditional roles are evolving, and skills are becoming the currency of the future workforce. To stay ahead in the game, we are shifting from role-based performance management to a skills and capability-based approach.
Through our initiative, “Unboxing Talent,” we have introduced an objective proficiency scale for our associates to achieve deeper proficiency through continuous skilling and individualized learning pathways. Our AI-based system generates automated individualized learning pathways for our associates based on their current skill set, aspirations and available opportunities within the organization.
This approach aligns closely with the skills and capabilities our associates need to stay competitive. By linking performance with continuous development, we foster a future-ready workforce capable of responding to rapid technological shifts.
How have you seen the role of HR evolve over your career, and what key lessons have you learned that can benefit other HR leaders?
HR has transformed into being strategic to business success. Early in my career, HR was heavily focused on compliance, talent acquisition and employee relations. Today, HR is expected to drive organizational transformation, create a development focused workforce to drive organizational growth and efficiency through upskilling and rotation.
The value economics today focuses also on enhancing employee experience and shaping culture. The rise of technology, data analytics and a global talent pool has expanded the scope of HR to include strategic talent planning, DEI and talent management.
Some of the important lessons which I have learned include:
Focus on employee experience. Creating a people-first culture that values total well-being of employee, growth, and belonging is essential. Prioritizing engagement and development fosters loyalty, productivity and long-term success.
Leverage technology. Leveraging data analytics to arrive at decisions equip HR leaders to share actionable insights with business leaders and stakeholders, ensuring more effective people strategies that are measurable and impactful.
Embracing inclusivity. The concept of inclusivity has evolved in the past two decades. Today, it also includes the expanse of skills and capabilities of the organization. We have moved from our unconscious biases and have a diverse talent pool.
Embrace agility. The rapid pace of change—from digital disruption to global shifts in work culture—requires HR leaders to be adaptable, innovative, and quick to respond to evolving talent needs.
High-touch in high-tech environment. In hybrid dynamics of IT industry, people connect is a must. All necessary interactions, be it career related discussions, collaborative brainstorming, etc., are best done when people connect one-on-one. So I believe it will always remain critical to strike a balance between high-tech and high-touch environment. Our Rhythm initiative is all about bringing people together aimed at addressing this aspect.
By applying these principles, HR leaders can significantly contribute to organizational success and future-proof their teams.
In what ways do you see AI transforming the HR landscape, and what should HR leaders consider when integrating AI into their processes?
AI is transforming the HR landscape by automating routine tasks, enhancing decision-making through predictive analytics, and improving the overall employee experience. From recruitment to talent management and employee engagement, AI is reshaping HR functions to be more efficient and insights driven.
Some of the key AI applications that we are leveraging or moving towards across overall HR function and HR shared services include talent acquisition, employee engagement, performance management and development, and predictive analytics.
Some of the considerations for HR leaders to look out for:
Data privacy and ethics. HR leaders must ensure that AI tools comply with data privacy regulations and maintain transparency in how employee data is used. Ethical considerations are critical to avoid biases in AI-driven decisions, especially in recruitment and promotions.
Bias mitigation. AI systems can unintentionally reinforce biases present in the data they are trained on. HR leaders should work with AI providers to understand how bias is managed and actively audit AI processes to ensure fairness and diversity.
Human-AI collaboration. AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot replace the human touch in HR. Leaders should integrate AI as a complement to human judgment and decision-making, particularly in areas like employee relations, culture-building and leadership development.
Change management. Implementing AI in HR requires thoughtful change management. HR leaders should focus on upskilling their teams, fostering a culture of innovation, and ensuring employees understand how AI enhances rather than threatens their roles.
These will enable HR leaders to harness the power of AI to drive efficiency, innovation and better decision-making, while maintaining a people-centric approach.
