Bhubaneswar: Xavier School of Human Resource Management (XAHR), Xavier University, Bhubaneswar (XUB) conducted its annual business conclave Kshitij at the Xavier City campus, here today. The theme for the session was ‘Future of work – Rethinking Work, Workforce, and Workplace’.

The conclave, graced by the presence of industry veterans and faculty members alike, was inaugurated by Dr. Andrew Dutta (Dean, XAHR). He contributed his thoughts on the theme by stating, “HR will undergo a technological change in the next decade, deepening the data spaces to erase the paradigm of the notion related to workplaces”. He also said that Artificial Intelligence will result in the influx of professionals from the medical field.

The panel was moderated by Prof. Girish Balasubramanian (Professor, Human Resource Management, XUB), and the panelists were Ayaskant Sarangi (Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Wipro Limited), Kapil Mahajan (Head HR, Tata Advanced Systems Limited), Niharika Mohanty (Associate Vice President, Employee Branding, Zomato) and Apoorv Chaturvedi (Head Learning and Development, MagicBricks).

Prof. Girish Balasubramanian initiated the discussion by stating that human beings are constantly in the quest for the future and asked the panelists to share their opinions on the theme. Sarangi shared his experiences from the past 20 years which can prepare people for the future by having inquisitiveness to continuously learn and be aware of the impact of technology on an organization’s culture. He also stated that the biggest challenge for the organizations will depend on their ability to drive the change. Mahajan quoted, “As the world is getting more connected, we start getting disconnected.” He interacted with the students by asking them about the changes that organizations are undergoing currently. He highlighted a few changes such as the inclusive culture in the organizations, disconnection existing between expectations and aspirations of the workforce.

Mohanty shared her views by stating that HR should encourage the employees to have a “Founder’s Mindset” and they should be proactive in implementing the changes that are happening in the organizations. She quoted, “Don’t hire just for skill, but hire for culture as well.” Then, Chaturvedi discussed these four factors: the corporate world, people contributing to the economy, people utilizing the contribution, and the Government, which contribute to the change in the economy. He also highlighted that the gig economy gives people the flexibility to choose the work they want to do in their timeline and rewards people who hustle.

The conclave was then followed by a Q&A session with students asking pertinent questions to the panel which made the session interactive and insightful.

Thereafter, the 13th edition of the Annual Magazine, HR’Xxpert, was unveiled by the honorable panelists and faculty members. This was followed by the felicitation of the panelists as a token of gratitude on behalf of the University. Finally, the conclave ended with a vote of thanks to the speakers, faculty members, and everyone who contributed to make it a grand success.