Good day, Ayushi Srivastava. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

Yes.

I am requesting you to introduce your professional journey in academia. Could you briefly share that?

Sure. So my name is Ayushi Shrivastav. And I have completed my graduation in the year 2019 from Lucknow University. And then I started pursuing HR, MBA and HR with specialization in HR and finance both from BBAU and which got completed in the year 2024. And I have four years of experience.

Handling a team of interns as well. Uh, in my college. I have also been booked. I have also worked as an uh, uh, placement coordinator.

Got it. That experience as a placement coordinator and working with a team of interns provides good exposure to managing people. Let’s begin evaluating your skills step by step to understand your depth in key areas relevant to the HR Executive role. Starting with performance management: How do you ensure alignment between employee performance goals and organizational objectives?

I'm sorry, can you come again?

Sure. How do you ensure alignment between employee performance goals and organizational objectives?

OK, yes. So I have been handling the performance, performance management in my you know career wherein like as you know like performance management is a continuous process of setting goals and monitoring performance basically. So it is very necessary that the goal alignment is done properly wherein ensuring the employees are aligned with the institutional or the organizational objectives then identifying the strengths and the gap.

Move the employee productivity and efficiency, the regular feedbacks is also important employee development that is training, skill enhancement, career growth is also really important. And then we can go for the fair evaluation that ensures the, you know, ensure the transparent and objective and biased performance assessments. And the last comes is the recognition and the rewards and also the accountability to, you know, identify the clear expectations and the.

Abilities of the employees are properly met. So performance management it also helps in tracking employee performance and also to align them with their organizational objectives and provide them the proper feedback. And if you talk about in a university setup, performance management you know helps evaluate the faculty and staff performance based on teaching quality, research contributions, administrative responsibilities as well.

Understood. You’ve outlined a comprehensive approach to performance management, including goal alignment, feedback, skill development, fair evaluation, and recognition. Let me ask—how would you handle a situation where an employee or faculty member consistently falls short of performance expectations despite regular feedback and development opportunities?

OK, I lost you in between, sorry.

No problem. How would you handle a situation where an employee or faculty member consistently falls short of performance expectations despite receiving regular feedback and development opportunities?

OK, so as I mentioned as I gave a clear you know structure about how the performance management is done and if even then after given the. You know, regular follow-ups and the, you know, regular feedbacks, the employee and the faculty member are lacking. So firstly we need to understand why the performance is lacking. Is there is, is there a skill gap? Is there the work is over work overload issue is there. Or if there is a, you know, lack of clarity in the roles and the KPIs. So these, these needs to be done. The diagnosis first needs to be done. And after the diagnosis is done and we are aware of the, you know, the root cause. Set the clear expectation that says that defining the clear KRAS and we can revise the KPIs for the employees, for faculty members and other teaching outcome research targets that can be revised and can be communicated in a formally in a very transparent way. There we can also do a one-on-one discussion that is also known as counseling can be done. You know wherein to conduct a confidential discussion and we can listen, you know actively to their perspective where they are lagging and.

And then is the support and development wherein the mentoring, the workload or you know, sorry, the mentoring, the training can be provided, the faculty members can be, you know, supported with the teaching, the research guidelines, the academic resources. And then and even then we can last option is the performance improvement plan wherein a set, bound and measurable goals can be given to them and where can there can be we can provide them.

The exact problem is and it also maintains while maintaining their respect and the sensitivity that is very important for the faculty members.

Continuous feedback during the PIP period that is important and the monitor and the review can be done. The periodic reviews can be done, done. And if if the performance improves, improves then we can close the PIP on a positive note and the corrective actions can be also taken if there is no improvement that is you know role realignment or we can extend the Pips back.

And at at last comes the disciplinary action as per the policies, as per the company policy or the institutional policy.

Yes.

Understood. That’s a solid, step-by-step approach—from diagnosis and counseling to support, performance improvement plans, and ultimately disciplinary action if necessary. You’ve clearly broken down the process with actionable and professional measures. Let’s test your understanding in another area. Specifically for compensation and benefits: How would you ensure that the compensation system remains both competitive and equitable in an educational institution?

OK. So competitive and like you mentioned one more thing, composition compensation should remain competitive and?

Equitable. Competitive and equitable—how would you ensure that?

Oh, OK. So compensation management is something that also has been my area and I have been working across the compensation management since four years so, so as to keep the compensation competitive and you know equitable. There is a need that a regular salary benchmark is being you know.

Using we can use the market surveys as other, you know, peer institution data and you know to stay competitive also the internal equity can be there that that means that ensuring the fair pay for the similar roles on the scale and the experience based right. And also there can be you know we can maintain the clear salary bands and the grade structures for the particular roles and you know, as per the designations as well and. The performance linked pay can also be there that is increments that includes.

Conducted against the similar roles in the education area, the industry sector.

As well and the rewards incentives and you know, they also helps in, you know, controlling the cost and helps in motivating the employees, you know, and, and they, it also helps them to, you know, give the high performance as well. The total reward approach can also be there. As I mentioned, you know, the career development, you know, the career growth, job stability, and these are specifically, you know, in an academic institution, these are very important.

Fringe benefits system.

And also, you know, aligning with the compensation decision with institutional budgets is really important and transparent communication is also important. So like in, in a, in a university setup, balancing the competitive composition with the affordability is can be achieved through structured pay bands, performance-based increments, the non monetary benefits like resource supports and career development as well.

Got it. You’ve provided a thorough explanation covering both external benchmarking for competitiveness and internal equity, alongside structured pay bands, performance-linked rewards, and the inclusion of non-monetary benefits. One quick follow-up here—how would you handle a situation where senior faculty members express dissatisfaction with the current compensation structure compared to industry peers?

OK, so, OK, so I have faced this issue, issues that you know that the employees they you know they show their dissatisfaction about the compensation. So in that case it is really necessary that first a diagnosis is done diagnosis in the. Diagnosis in the sense like we need to 1st listen and with respect and empathy.

Well, so we need to understand the root cause if the where that dissatisfaction is coming from, whether it is from the market comparison or it is the internal equity or whether the role has been expanded or some additional responsibilities has been given to the faculty member or if there is delay in the increment or the promotion and like thereafter we can share how compensation is straight or mined, we can let that faculty member know about the compensation.

And there can be one-on-one confidential discussion can be scheduled wherein acknowledging their experience, their contribution and their concern to avoid any defensiveness like if if it if he or she is a senior faculty member.

Bands, approvals, increments and you know, we can also explain the institutional constraint at the policy very honestly, but professionally and also within we can explore the options whether how we can, you know, come on the conclusion whether we can provide them special allowance when policy if the policy is permitting, we can give them research grants academic and you know incentives the leadership roles or that at additional responsibilities.

And also the fast track reviews during the next appraisal cycle can also be done. Apart from that, you know, non mandatory recognitions can also be done like conference sponsorships can be given. And after the whole discussion is being done. And once we are able to solve the you know, query or we can, we are able to come on the parallel or you know, outcome, we can document the discussion and we can you know.

Treatments can be made and we can provide very clear, you know, timeline and also next review pointed when the review will be done and the follow follow up should remain, you know, on on trust. So so yes, and senior faculty member they they respect has to bear the transparency has to be maintained. And yeah, the long term fairness is also necessary with with the faculty member.

OK.

How would you foster a positive and collaborative work environment in an educational institution?

Hello.

Yes, I’m here. How would you foster a positive and collaborative work environment in an educational institution?

OK, so this, this is something, umm, about the, uh, employee engagement. So in my, uh, like journey, I have been doing the employee engagement, you know, so wherein again, like for, for fostering A collaborative environment in an institution, we can promote transparent and respectful communication across the department that.

Very necessary. We can create the regular forums, meetings and even the feedback channels for the faculty and the staff. And there can be cross department collaboration as well that can encourage the joint projects, you know, research committees involving the faculty and the staff from the different departments and also leadership support and you know, culture as well, ensuring the leadership models, you know, collaborative behavior is being followed and recognizing and rewarding the teamwork, not just the individual achievement. You know, we need to.

Report, uh, you know, and, and as a team as well and you know, uh, we can do the professional development as well, organizing the workshops, training sessions, mentoring program, encouraging the knowledge sharing and the peer learning as well. And the recognition and engagement can be, can also be done also. Uh, we need to since, uh, either it is an institution or the. Organization, uh, with academic institution or whether it is IT sector, there are conflicts. So there has to be conflict.

Uh, resolution mechanism mechanism as well. So to address the conflict only and can be addressed through structured enough and, and in a fair and a respectful, you know, manner. And it is very necessary to maintain a safe and inclusive work environment for the safe environment for the, you know, female employees, female or faculty members as well. The posh act can also be implemented and we can.

Taken for the collaborative environment and an institution and like and in an academic institution, you know, collaboration really improves the teaching quality, the research output, the administrative, the whole administrative efficiency by bringing the faculty and the staff together towards the shared goals.

Yeah. So these are the some steps that can be.

Got it. You’ve highlighted key strategies such as promoting transparent communication, encouraging cross-department collaboration, leadership support, professional development, structured conflict resolution, and maintaining a safe and inclusive work environment. All valid points, and your focus on applying these in academic institutions adds a tailored perspective. Let's touch on another important aspect. How do you use data to make informed decisions, identify trends, and measure impact in HR processes?

OK, so how do I use data to?

How do you use data to make informed decisions, identify trends, and measure impact in HR processes?

OK, so and OK.

Uh, like data is really important. So being an hour, like we have the, you know, the end to end data of the employees from start of when they apply for the job and until and unless they exit. So that is really important. Like HR analytics is an important part wherein.

You know the data is being used to make this.

And though HR trends completely so for that we what we can do is HR data includes the recruitment metrics, the time to hire, offer acceptance rate, attrition, retention data, attendance and leave patterns, payroll and compositions, employee engagement, survey feedback. So these are the datas that have been used in an hour. So for that we can, you know, analyze and you know, identify the trend.

How we can do that? We can review the data regularly, hours can identify the trends such as you know, if there is a high iteration rate in an specific department or if there is a skill gap or a training needs to be done. What is the opportunities and pattern? What you know if the performance improvement it has to be done or if the performance is declining, you know the compensation competitiveness, you know the data-driven decisions can be taken, you know for improving.

You know, revising the engagement initiative, adjusting the workforce planning as well. So there are some HR analytics tools that can be used that are HRMS, ATS reports, you know surveys and the feedback rules. There is the actual dashboard as well and pivot tables can we can also be used for the same and it is very necessary to ensure the accuracy and the confidentiality as well validating the data. Before we analyze them and also maintaining the confidentiality and ethical use of employee data as well.

The hiring strategies.

So, yeah, so HR, the best practice in short can be data. Once taken there, the inside has to be taken, the actions has to be taken and then the review needs to be done. So if data shows the high iteration in the department, Hrs can immediately, you know, investigate the workload, leadership or compensation issue and take the correct corrective action in an institution. So this is how the data works and data plays it very important.

For in in entire HR process.

Understood. You’ve emphasized the critical role of HR data, from recruitment metrics to attrition and workforce planning, and how tools like HRMS and ATS can assist in identifying trends and enabling actionable decisions. Your point about maintaining confidentiality and accuracy adds to the professional handling of these processes. Next, let’s explore your knowledge of employment regulations and best practices. How would you ensure compliance with labor laws and institutional policies in HR operations?

Sorry to interrupt, we're down to the last 5 minutes.

Sure. So how compliance and labor laws, uh.

I can handle right? This is the question.

Yes.

How would you ensure compliance with labor laws and institutional policies in HR operations?

OK.

OK, so OK, so labor laws in HR labor laws and compliance is at an Uber important aspect. Umm the role of compliance and labor laws in HR operations you know is really important where the policy alignment will labor laws needs to be done. The HR ensures that all institutions policies are you know aligned with the applicable labor laws such as the EPF.

Nice payment of wages. Minimum wages at the graduate.

POSH Act policies are reviewed and are updated periodically to remain legally compliant strategy compliance that can be taken into consider in the day-to-day in the you know, daily HR operations that ensures timely PF, ESI, tax and statutory filings are done to you know maintain maintenance of employee records and register proper classification of employees such as faculty, staff contract and outsourced as well.

Pause. And the workplace safety, you know, in an institution. It, it, it has basically the pause it it has converted internal compliance committee and wherein the posh awareness and the training is being done. The contractual and the appointment compliances also needs to be there wherein the HR ensures you know the appointment. Let us comply with the legal requirement, clear terms for the probation notice period, the working hours and the leave and also the HR have needs to maintain the updated document and support the internal audit. The.

And you know, regulatory requirements, the employee awareness needs to be done where an employee handbooks the orientation programs and the circulars and trainings can be given to the employees and can be communicated to reduce the noncompliance and the grievances as well. So in an, you know, academic compliance, you know, supports A regulatory requirements, the faculty contracts and the audit and ensuring the smooth and ethical HR functioning as well, so.

Yes, these are the. These are some pointers that I want want to highlight.

Thank you. You’ve effectively covered the various aspects of compliance, including labor law alignment, statutory compliance, record maintenance, workplace safety, contractual compliance, and employee awareness. Your focus on auditing, regulatory requirements, and communication further demonstrates a structured approach. Finally, I see that you hold an MBA in HR and have certifications in SAP HCM and SuccessFactors. How have these qualifications enhanced your ability to perform in HR roles?

So these have have these qualifications have definitely helped me a lot in handling the HR part. Wherein as I you know, as you can see, I have SAP, SAP success factor. So wherein like it, it is really important like in daily recent sorry, sorry. And I was just gathering my thoughts. So SAP success factor, it is basically.

See a cloud based, you know human Capital Management system that helps in using and managing the employee life cycle from hiring till the retirement. So the modules of staff success matters are related to the employee central data management that has helped me in the entire HR practice. The recruitment and the onboarding that include the job posting applicants tracking interview coordination performance and goals that.

That has helped me in goal setting, appraisals, feedbacks and performance reviews. The LMS learning management system that helps in training programs, certifications and the skill development salary, the compensation management, analytics and reporting. These are the some success you know SAP success factor, you know components that has helped me.

In the entire HR process and made it easier for me to handle the entire, you know, HR.

Related work and SAP success factor, you know, it basically is a centralized employee data and it also helps in improving the compliance, the audit readiness, the data related decisions can be taken from them. So it has really helped like whatever learnings I have done that has really helped me entire my, you know, HR related work that I have been doing currently.

So yes.

Yes.

Professor Srivastava, I see that you have pursued an MBA with a focus on Human Resource Management and have engaged in an HR internship at XcelPros Technologies. Could you discuss the key learning outcomes from your internship and explain how the experience shaped your understanding of HR operations?

Yes, absolutely. So as I have been working in the as an hour at Excel project has it has given me extensive experience wherein I have I can confidently say that I have you know hands-on experience at the end to end HR recruitment in Excel Pros. I have learned the recruitment part, the onboarding, the employee engagement, performance management, the entire end to end HR.

It, uh, you know, work and I have also, uh, gauge experience on handling different, uh, tools as well, whether it is ATS, HRMS that has helped me to grow and has also helped me enhance my skills. I have also been doing the stakeholder management as well at Excel proof technologies that has helped me how we can communicate to the clients as well, how we can take down the requirements.

So you know, working at Excel Pros has gave me an extensive understanding and knowledge wherein whatever skills and whatever certifications I have done at Excel Pros, I was able to implement and I was able to get a real time hands on experience over there.

That's insightful, Professor Srivastava. Considering such extensive hands-on exposure during your internship, how do you envision translating these learnings, particularly recruitment tools like ATS and HRMS, into effective instructional practices for a classroom or a training environment?

I'm sorry, can you come again with a question? I lost you in between.

Of course. Given your hands-on experience with recruitment tools like ATS and HRMS during your internship, how would you incorporate that knowledge into a classroom or training environment to effectively teach others?

OK, so yes, the HR and the.

HTTS and the HR Ms. related knowledge can be, you know, incorporated wherein ATS is nothing but it is. It is just a software where is you know, the recruitment process is being tracked, the job posting, application, resume screening, interview scheduling and hiring status is being done.

ATS mainly tools the job posting, increasing screening the resumes, coordinating the interviews, maintaining the candidate data and the best example is SAP Success Factor Recruitment Greenhouse, Zoho recruit you know and the same is ATS and the HRMS. So I have been I have working knowledge on ATS and HRMS wherein ATS helps in managing the recruitment of the candidates and HRMS helps in managing.

Employee data, payroll performance so in an in an institution ATS helps in managing the bulk recruitment of faculty members and staff can be done while HMM supports the attendance, payroll appraisals and you know, compliance so.

Yes.

Yes.

How would you make the practical application of these tools engaging and accessible for students to ensure they develop both the technical skills and a deeper understanding of HR processes?

OK, so how I can practically use this?