In an exclusive interaction with CXO Media and APAC Media, Bhavya Misra, CHRO, Godrej Capital, explained how Godrej Capital is embracing AI and automation to transform its people strategy—streamlining talent acquisition, enhancing employee learning journeys, and boosting engagement through data-driven insights. This tech-forward approach is enabling faster, smarter, and more personalized HR interventions across the employee lifecycle.
How is Godrej Capital ensuring it attracts and retains top talent in a competitive job market?
Workplaces are evolving faster than ever, and attracting and retaining top talent has been a big part of Godrej Capital’s impressive growth. People today look for more than just compensation – they want opportunities to grow, a smooth integration between work and life, and continuous learning and upskilling avenues. I believe we offer a powerful combination — a legacy brand with over 127 years of trust, a culture that’s inclusive and empowering, and meaningful growth opportunities for both the business and our people.
We ensure our employees have the right platforms to grow. Through the Godrej Capital Learning Academy, we offer learning programs, regular mentorship, and career development initiatives. We also provide internal job posting opportunities, not just within Godrej Capital but across the larger Godrej Industries Group, allowing employees to explore new roles, take on challenges, and shape their career paths.
Diversity and inclusion are also key pillars of our strategy. With women holding almost 40% of leadership roles in the company, we actively create an environment where diverse perspectives foster innovation. And when it comes to rewards, we don’t just recognise performance – we celebrate employees who truly live our values. Additionally, we focus on employee-friendly policies like trust-based, uncapped sick leaves and flexible work options, among others, ensuring our people feel supported in every way. By combining continuous learning, clear career paths, and a culture of inclusivity, we ensure that top talent is not only attracted but also motivated to stay and grow with us.
How is Godrej Capital leveraging digital learning solutions to upskill employees and ensure continuous professional growth?
At Godrej Capital, we are committed to nurturing a culture of continuous learning, and we leverage digital learning solutions to ensure our employees stay ahead in an ever-evolving industry. With Godrej Capital Learning Academy, we empower employees to tailor their development based on their unique career goals, ensuring that the content they engage with is both relevant and impactful. We offer a good mix of classroom and online access to programs based on need identification. Our program design ensures business impact at the centre with a clear definition of need and culminates with objective assessments to measure movement.
Our programs, such as Edge, Accel, and Elevate, are specifically designed to support employees’ professional development, while our digital learning platforms ensure they stay future-ready.
We provide employees with on-demand access to a wide variety of online courses, webinars, and virtual workshops. This flexibility enables learning at an individual pace, catering to different learning styles and personal schedules.
Moreover, we integrate learning into the flow of work by encouraging employees to apply newly acquired skills in real-time projects. This reinforces the value of their learning and ensures they can immediately contribute to the organisation’s success.
How has the talent acquisition landscape in the financial services sector evolved in recent years? What are some key hiring challenges companies face today?
Companies that thrive are the ones that adapt – not just to technology but to the evolving needs of their workforce. The financial services industry has undergone a significant transformation, driven by rapid technological advancements, shifting employee expectations, and a stronger emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Consequently, HR is no longer a support function but a key driver of business success. As AI and data analytics become more deeply integrated into financial services, the demand for digital skills has surged. At the same time, employees today seek more than just a paycheck – they value flexibility, purpose, and opportunities for continuous growth. The rise of hybrid and remote work models has broadened the talent pool geographically but has also presented challenges in fostering team cohesion and maintaining company culture across dispersed teams. At the same time, diversity and inclusion have become central to recruitment strategies, with companies increasingly recognising that diverse teams drive better innovation and decision-making.
In terms of challenges, frontline hiring comes with its own set of challenges — frequent job changes driven by salary hikes, growth, or attractive designations often lead to inflated compensation levels. This segment also sees a high dropout rate, making the actual hiring effort much greater than the final number of joinees. Gender diversity remains a challenge due to limited availability, making internal development and retention even more critical. At the leadership level, the talent pool is often limited, with a constant demand for high-calibre professionals.
AI and automation are transforming HR functions globally. How are these technologies reshaping hiring, learning, and engagement across industries?
AI and automation are indeed transforming HR functions across industries, offering enhanced efficiency and new capabilities in areas like hiring, learning, and employee engagement. While AI tools are becoming increasingly relevant, we believe the core business needs should always take priority. At Godrej Capital, our approach starts with clearly defining the problem before exploring existing solutions or building new ones. For example, we’re using AI for language translation to support our diverse employee base across India, and also to enhance customer service experiences. One such use case is leveraging AI for language translations for local employees across India. We are also using it to enhance customer support.
It’s crucial to keep the business challenge at the centre and maintain a balance between automation and human interaction. Therefore, we use AI to complement our HR functions, ensuring that technology augments, rather than replaces, the personal touch that is so central to our culture.
With rapid digitalization, what are the most in-demand skills for professionals in the financial sector, and how should organizations rethink their upskilling strategies?
As digitalisation accelerates, skills such as data analytics, AI and machine learning, cybersecurity, and digital banking are in high demand in the financial services sector. Along with these technical skills, competencies like adaptability, problem-solving, and customer-centric thinking remain essential.
At Godrej Capital, technology is central to all our operations, with a large part of our tech and innovation built in-house. This strong foundation allows us to evolve continuously and stay ahead in a rapidly changing landscape.
To stay ahead, organisations must rethink their upskilling strategies. Role-based learning paths are crucial, as are micro-learning techniques, AI-driven platforms, and hands-on, real-world projects. By making learning a continuous habit rather than a one-time event, organisations can ensure that their employees are always prepared for the next big challenge.
What are some key initiatives at Godrej Capital that have helped improve employee engagement, collaboration, and overall workplace culture?
At Godrej Capital, we prioritise career growth, collaboration, and well-being. Our mentorship programs provide top talent with personalised attention and clear career paths for growth.
Employee Resource Groups like ENABLE and SHE Rises keep employees engaged, while the Women in Sales mentorship program promotes diversity. Beyond learning and mentorship, our policies – such as late-night travel support, caregiver and elderly care leaves, uncapped sick leaves, medical transition assistance, mental health support, and crèche facilities – enhance the employee experience.
Our rewards and recognition programs reinforce company values by celebrating behaviours that align with our culture. We also emphasise leadership accessibility, structured engagement initiatives and collaboration ensuring employees feel valued, supported and empowered to grow.
While automation streamlines many HR functions, how does Godrej Capital ensure a balance between technology and human interaction in employee experience?
We believe in a ‘tech-enabled, human-driven’ approach to HR. While automation and AI streamline various functions, we ensure that critical decisions around career growth, feedback, and personal development remain human-led.
We emphasise mentorship, open communication, and leadership involvement to maintain that essential human connection. While technology enhances efficiency, the human touch remains central to our employee experience, ensuring that our people feel supported, valued, and engaged.
Sugandh Bahl Vij, APAC Media
