The conclave, organised by the Bengal Chamber’s People Management Committee, highlighted that HR function today no longer plays a supportive role but a proactive and key role in charting the success of an organisation.

Human Resource Management has taken a new role and name as People Management that facilitates achieving the organisational goals, the speakers said. It is not just anymore about employees leaves, compensations, promotions and reimbursements.

Speaking at the conclave, Somesh Dasgupta, Chairperson of the People Management Committee, The Bengal Chamber and President (Corporate Affairs & Admin) India Power Corporation Limited said, “This kind of conclave adds value to the role of Human Resource Management. It makes HR personnel aware about their roles and responsibilities to mange people for the future."

"This kind of conclave provides a valuable platform for need based professional connectivity for professional development by providing tools and techniques to handle external environment. Young professional should be in touch with professional bodies like Bengal Chamber Of Commerce, CII etc. The senior HR professional should promote connectivity. This is not a waste of time but it improves work, quality and helps in coping with crisis situations. You can’t manage people unless you engage in connectivity,” he said.

With the economy focused on innovation and change, a common issue facing most organisations is managing the work force in face of loss of positions with robotic applications.

Automation, artificial intelligence and robotics are hitting the corporate landscape on an ongoing basis.

With advance development in industry and technology, corporate processes are taking a new turn.

Human resource has been replaced by People Management as most companies are facing concerns of work force redundancy with the entry of disruptive forces which are fast changing old patterns of working systems and functions, emphasised the speakers.

“For any organisation’s HR success, no instrument can move without human intervention," said Chandrasekhar Ghosh, President of BCCI and CEO of Bandhan Bank Ltd.

He said, "I have taken over 15,000 interviews in the past two years and I have learnt that it is very important for the senior levels to be in touch with the front levels. This increases efficiency and impacts business positively. And at the same time this builds commitment from the front level staff. Technology and skill upgradation is the need of the hour. At the same time high touch can not be replace by hi-tech. Personal touch is always required along with technology."

Some of the key points that came up during the conclave were that companies across sectors are investing in expanding their HR wing to ensure that learning and development, talent acquisition, diversity and inclusion, etc, are managed well. Organisations are also replacing erstwhile vertical hierarchies with flatter, more horizontal networks - linking together traditional functions.

Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, Chairman & Managing Director, National Aluminium Company Limited said, “The World is going through a rapid speed in technology which is having a cascading effect. When I took over NALCO coming from the steel sector I found that there was a fixed mind set among the staff force. I then realised through experience that HR professionals can play an integral role in shaping the mindsets of the work force."

"HR professionals by taking the right risks can steer the company towards success. Introduction of artificial intelligence can be a disruption among the human resource but it creates jobs in other areas which the HR professional should be aware of. HR excellence can be achieved by quantifying data," said Dr Chand.

“Earlier tradition was the fashion, now fashion is becoming the tradition. There is an unsettling pace in this destructive era. Technology will fill the gaps between intention and capacity. HR people will then get more time to address real policy issues. Old classical values like dedication, honesty & sincerity will hold fort, " said Dushyant Nariala, IAS, Principle Secretary, of the West Department of School Education, Govt. of West Bengal.

The conclave highlighted that disruption in the new age is nothing but innovations that create new market by discovering new types of customers. Therefore, business leaders need to change and shift from old paradigms.

It was also emphasized at the conclave that both technology and human resources have to work side by side to emerge as successful in this highly competitive age.

There should be collaborations and partnerships and bridge building between academia and industry to create a more market ready, technological savvy, skilled workforce for the future, the speakers at the conclave said.