Evolving employee needs – the only constant

A dive into Procter & Gamble India’s mission to keep employee well-being at the core of everything it does  

The consumer goods industry, like all other industries and sectors, also witnessed the impact of external headwinds and volatility caused by the pandemic, that impacted each aspect of human life and the economy. However, despite these headwinds the Indian economy grew by 8.7% in 2021-2022 as we emerged from the pandemic. The pandemic also brought with it multiple trends, and while some have faded away already, many others are here to stay. For example, the accelerated penetration of digital – not only in terms of the household penetration, but also in terms of the number of aspects of our daily lives that it has impacted, has permanently evolved the way we function.

The pandemic re-emphasized the importance of focusing on the health, hygiene, and wellbeing of everyone, including employees at the workplace. It reiterated that the wellbeing of people is directly linked to their progress and hence, to the progress of organizations they drive.

At P&G, well-being of our people is at the core of our priorities since our inception more than 180 years ago. We truly care for our people as well as their families, and we strive to continue to empower them in bringing their full selves to the workplace, through our policies and programs. We have continued to create an environment of mutual respect, where opportunities to thrive are available and accessible for every single employee.

As a society, also affected by the pandemic, we are moving towards a reimagined definition of inclusion.  No two people are alike, and a unique workforce has diverse and dynamic needs that are constantly evolving with time. Hence, a cookie cutter approach will not work.

At P&G, we strive to be inclusive to every single person and their needs. We celebrate the uniqueness of each employee’s journey because we know that loyalty and success stem from the times when people feel inspired to make a difference, have equal opportunity and multiple ways to continue growing, feel pride in making an impact and know they’re being valued and rewarded for their contributions to their team’s and our company’s success.

Be it supporting the flexibility needs of our people through a hybrid work model, catering to their wellbeing through our dedicated wellness program, prioritizing their mental wellbeing through our diverse wellbeing initiatives, or equipping the workplace to meet their everyday needs and more, we are investing our heart and mind in making P&G, a great place to work for our people.

This high-impact organization can be made possible primarily with the pivotal role leaders and managers play in the everyday journey to fuel the personal and professional growth of the people. In line with this, our leaders at P&G take it upon themselves to conduct valuable engagement sessions with their teams at a regular frequency, to help them gain insights, coaching and mentoring, as well as an opportunity for reverse-mentoring. We are also making deliberate efforts to curate valuable in-office and virtual moments with the right opportunities to come together for collaboration, coaching and celebration, for all our employees, especially for those who have recently joined P&G. We believe that this is a critical enabler in driving employee excellence, and we aspire to empower our people by fostering a culture of continued coaching, collaboration, and celebration at the workplace.

As we grow, and move ahead in the new decade, we are consistently evolving our beliefs and values. As they say, change is the only constant. So, we are embracing this change in the mindsets, and are moving towards shaping a skill-based organization, where best talent is defined by the skills they possess, versus being driven by codified and traditional factors. This talent then goes on to form multiskilled and multifunctional teams, which in-turn propel the organization towards achieving its goals, in an agile, accountable, and resilient manner. Skills have always been part of our vocabulary as an industry, but the time is now to reimagine what skills mean, what they do and the role they play in the organizational journey towards delivering business and personal goals.

In the new decade like the decades before, we continue to invest in our people and their well-being, because we believe, that only when our people feel happy and healthy at their core, is when they will be able to bring their full selves to work and take the organization to newer heights.

Authored by : Srinivas P.M., Head – Human Resources, P&G India Sub-Continent

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ET Edge Insights, its management, or its members

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