Women in HR have been architects of change, redefining the landscape by championing progressive policies, embracing technological advancements, and cultivating work environments that prioritize the holistic development of individuals.

Meet Sneha Banu, stands out as a confident, diligent, and reliable HR professional with a wealth of experience spanning various HR domains. Hailing from the deserts of the UAE, Sneha possesses exceptional interpersonal skills that allow her to connect effortlessly with individuals from diverse backgrounds and nationalities.

Sneha’s educational journey is marked by excellence, holding a Bachelor of Science Honors degree in Psychology with a specialization in Human Resource Management from Middlesex University. As an Associate member of CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development), Sneha is actively working towards achieving Chartered status and pursuing a master’s degree to further enhance her expertise.

Her professional journey includes valuable experiences gained from a talent agency (Hirerightt Executive Search), a big 4 firm (KPMG), and the IT aviation sector, where she has contributed significantly within the domains of HR and consulting. A passionate individual, Sneha is committed to staying abreast of the evolving HR landscape, preparing for future-readiness by embracing technological and cultural changes.

Sneha’s versatility shines through as she leverages her diverse skillset to excel in her work. In addition to her background in psychology, she is a graphic designer, a QPR licensed suicide prevention gatekeeper, and an academic with exceptional analytical skills. These qualities, coupled with natural leadership abilities, make her a standout professional in her field.

In a short span of her budding career, Sneha Banu has already achieved remarkable recognition. She was recently honored with three prestigious awards at the Middle East’s Leadership Awards 2023 and Asian Leadership Awards 2023 organized by World HRD Congress and World Women Leadership Congress. The accolades include the Woman Super Achiever Award, Dr. Tarita Shankar Award for Excellence, and Middle East’s Woman Leaders Award. These awards serve as a testament to Sneha’s passion for enhancing organizational experiences and her dedication to continuous learning and upscaling.

Multifaceted Talents and Diverse Passions

Sneha, born and raised in the UAE with Indian origins, embodies a multiskilled individual with diverse interests and passions. Her strong emotional intelligence and empathetic nature facilitate effective connections with people from varied backgrounds. As a staunch advocate for social justice, Sneha firmly believes in equal opportunities, respecting individual choices, and fostering a space for learning from mistakes.

Proficient in various artistic mediums such as pencil sketches, painting, mixed media art, wire art, nail art, and digital content creation, Sneha is a mixed-medium fine artist and graphic designer. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she is an avid reader, constantly seeking to expand her knowledge and occasionally delving into poetry, creating content-rich materials. An analytical and theoretical approach guides her exploration of movies, television shows, and content, as she enjoys delving deep into various forms of entertainment.

Drawing on her past experience in coordinating a dramatics club during her university days, Sneha finds joy in scriptwriting, directing, and acting, displaying a natural flair for hosting and engaging audiences. Traveling stands out as another cherished interest, providing Sneha with the opportunity to explore and indulge in new experiences.

Pursuit of Ikigai

Sneha passionately shares about Ikigai, a profound Japanese concept that signifies the convergence of one’s passion, mission, vocation, and profession to create a purposeful way of living. She emphasizes the significance of discovering a sense of purpose and fulfillment in both work and daily life by aligning one’s passion, mission, vocation, and profession. Sneha believes her chosen line of work offers a unique platform that allows her to check all these boxes.

In her role, Sneha naturally encounters opportunities to aid individuals in need, providing a listening ear for their grievances and addressing sensitive topics and concerns. This aspect of her work has bestowed upon her a profound sense of purpose in life. Over the years, she has been fortunate to receive feedback from former colleagues expressing appreciation for her contributions, even long after leaving a firm. These testimonials highlight the impact of her assistance with sensitive issues, guidance and counseling during challenging times, and prompt support for their needs. Stories of individuals choosing organizations based on positive experiences and warmth felt during the recruitment and onboarding stage fill Sneha with pride and purpose, serving as continual motivation for improvement and evolution.

In her previous organization, as one of the few female representatives in the support function, Sneha advocates for various essential needs of her colleagues, particularly in terms of women’s health and comfort. Her initiatives, such as implementing privacy rooms for women and dedicated spaces for lactation breaks, directly address employee needs and bridge existing gaps. Finding creative solutions to address these gaps brings Sneha immense joy and further solidifies her sense of purpose in her professional journey.

The Evolving Role of HR

As a dedicated professional, Sneha is committed to ongoing learning and enhancing her skills and knowledge. Keeping abreast of the evolving landscape within the global HR realm has been a driving force for her, particularly in the wake of significant shifts brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The transformation in HR has been remarkable, evolving from a traditional role focused on transactional support and operations to encompassing learning and development, employee relations, and now emerging as a strategic business partner.

Sneha observes a significant evolution in the role of HR, transitioning from routine administrative functions to a strategic business partnership. The focus has shifted towards advocating for employee experiences, cultivating organizational culture, and providing crucial frontline support during crises. Amid the unprecedented challenges posed by COVID-19, HR professionals, emerged as frontline soldiers within their organizations. Their priorities shifted to safeguarding the mental and physical well-being of employees, adapting to changing needs, facilitating necessary resources, and maintaining organizational morale. In Sneha’s view, this transformation underscores the pivotal role of HR in navigating and addressing the complexities of the modern workplace.

Recognizing the ever-changing dynamics of the job market influenced by socio-economic and geopolitical shifts, Sneha underscores the importance for HR professionals to continually learn and upgrade their skills to stay ahead of the curve. Her roadmap includes pursuing CIPD chartered status and enrolling in further education programs, with the goal of remaining relevant in this dynamic landscape. This approach is not only aimed at broadening her perspectives but also enhancing her thought leadership, enabling her to make positive contributions to any organization she is associated with.

Driving Digital Transformation in HR

Reflecting on her journey with her last organization, Sneha recalls the unique circumstances surrounding her entry, marked by a merger that transitioned the company from a traditional owner-led structure to a mid-sized independent vendor. Simultaneously, it became a sister company to a global industry leader. At the time of her arrival, the organization heavily relied on manual and paper-based processes. The overarching goal was a keen focus on digital transformation to elevate the employee experience, reduce response times, enhance sustainability by minimizing paper dependency and carbon footprint in alignment with the UAE’s 2050 vision, prioritize a data-driven approach, and act on feedback.

Spearheading the initiative, Sneha took on the role of project lead for the implementation of an HRMS platform. This step streamlined data, providing a unified solution for various HR needs, including attendance, time and leave management, and shift scheduling. The platform also introduced a community-oriented space with a feed section. This facilitated easier regulation of medical insurance and personal data. In a bid to enhance employee experience, the platform offered online doctor consultations, simplified searches for insurance-covered doctors and clinics, and established a health hub, fostering a sense of community and healthy competition among employees. The introduction of entertainer options via the platform not only enhanced the overall employee experience but also fostered a sense of togetherness.

Additionally, the launch of Learning Management System (LMS) platforms streamlined employee learning needs and broadened knowledge accessibility. Integration with Microsoft 365 significantly improved work quality and reduced response time by providing various tools and shared spaces. The adoption of multiple portals, including Thomas profiling and credence background verification, further eased data maintenance, enhanced visibility, and improved user experience. Reflecting on the rapid transition from manual, paper-dependent processes to the current digital state within a span of one and a half years, Sneha finds it truly astonishing.

The introduction of entertainer options via the platform not only enhanced the overall employee experience but also fostered a sense of togetherness. Additionally, the launch of Learning Management System (LMS) platforms streamlined employee learning needs and broadened knowledge accessibility. Integration with Microsoft 365 significantly improved work quality and reduced response time by providing various tools and shared spaces.

The adoption of multiple portals, including Thomas profiling and credence background verification, further eased data maintenance, enhanced visibility, and improved user experience. Reflecting on the rapid transition from manual, paper-dependent processes to the current digital state within a span of one and a half years, Sneha finds it truly astonishing.

Enhancing HR Processes and Policies for a Positive Workplace

Sneha takes pride in her contribution to enhancing the HR processes and policies of her last organization. Notable improvements made to the HR landscape include, but are not limited to:

• Undertaking HR digitization efforts, successfully transitioning manual, paper-based practices towards more data-driven digital practices.
• Attempts to improve communication channels by using more visual aids to make emails and announcements more engaging and to ensure it reaches a wider audience by creating a sense of anticipation.
• Collaborating on the development of policies aligned with market standards and updated labor law changes.
• Curating bi-yearly engagement calendars, orchestrating events aimed at enhancing employee morale, experience, and engagement by creating a positive community setting. These events encompassed various activities such as creative and sports-related competitions, celebrations, team-building exercises, and wellness programs.

Mastering Time Management

Sneha credits her two years of experience at a Big 4 firm, coupled with her commitment to pursuing her CIPD while working, as a significant period that finely honed her ability to manage time effectively and multitask. Reflecting on her undergraduate years, she views her involvement in various activities – volunteering for event organization, coordinating the dramatics club, and fulfilling responsibilities as the elected student council representative – alongside managing studies as a positive training ground for multitasking.

Maintaining a structured, disciplined, and organized approach has been key for Sneha. She relies on multiple checklists and trackers, plans and prioritizes tasks before execution, and allows room for breaks and occasional procrastination, all of which contribute significantly to effective time management. Additionally, she leverages various techniques and tools such as the important-urgent matrix, Pomodoro technique, and project management tools to enhance this process.

Sneha firmly believes in the uniqueness of individuals, emphasizing that preferences and needs evolve over time. As a result, she advocates for a continuous process of experimentation and adaptation to understand what best suits current requirements. Being open to acknowledging when something isn’t working and regrouping is the key, according to Sneha.

Crafting Success with Passion

As highlighted above, Sneha underscores the necessity of continuous learning in today’s rapidly changing job market, keeping abreast of the evolving geopolitical and socio-economic landscape that influences organizational culture and motivations. Living in these dynamic times, she sees firsthand the shifts and impacts these changes have on fields like HR, which fuels her aspiration to make a meaningful impact within this ever-changing landscape.

Beyond this philosophical principle, Sneha finds significant motivation in the opportunity to positively contribute to enhancing employees’ experiences and understanding their motivations within the corporate setting. She believes that embracing adaptability and collaborating with diverse teams and individuals creates a safe environment essential for enhancing the overall employee experience and cultivating a positive psychological contract within any workspace.

To ensure the continuity of these values for future generations within the business, Sneha emphasizes the importance of setting specific goals and milestones focused on cultivating a culture of continuous learning and growth. One of her key objectives is to establish leadership development and individual development programs aimed at nurturing emerging leaders within the organization she associates with, similar to the successful program in her current organization. These programs would include mentorship opportunities, structured training modules, and regular knowledge-sharing sessions to impart crucial skills and knowledge essential for leadership roles.

Moreover, Sneha highlights the importance of implementing a robust feedback mechanism that encourages open communication and learning from experiences, thereby fostering a culture of continuous improvement. Setting benchmarks for ongoing learning initiatives, such as regular upskilling workshops or industry-specific seminars, ensures that the workforce stays abreast of industry advancements and evolving trends.

Furthermore, Sneha is dedicated to promoting a collaborative environment that values diversity and inclusion. By encouraging cross-functional teamwork and providing opportunities for diverse perspectives, the aim is to create an atmosphere that fosters innovation and personal growth.

Ultimately, Sneha’s goal is to leave a legacy of empowered leaders equipped with the skills, knowledge, and mindset necessary to navigate future challenges and drive the business forward.