In the pursuit of fostering a harmonious ecosystem, Ganesh Iyer, Senior Director of Human Resources at ADP, believes HR professionals must engage with employees, creating an atmosphere of coexistence through technological innovation and continuous learning.

A professional for more than 15 years, Mr. Ganesh maintains that investing in honesty can yield high returns. He advocates for lifelong learning and encourages humility in the face of continuous growth.

Early in his career, Mr. Ganesh recognized his affinity for people connections, a realization facilitated by a mentor.

He has also displayed a willingness to learn continuously. “When you are willing to learn, people are ready to invest in you,” stresses Mr. Ganesh.

He adds: “You must be humble enough to pursue learning as continuous journey.”

And he still finds his marketing education from MBA useful in HR practices. Especially in nurturing an employer brand.

This is essential in the competitive war for talent. “You try to build practices to attract, engage and retain talent in a way better than your competitors,” he explains. Also, employees become brand ambassadors of the firm.

In his initial years at ADP (2012-2018), Mr. Ganesh identified the need for HRs to be seen as connectors rather than institutions.

“HRs must bridge the gap between the employee and the employer,” he says.

“We must have open and transparent conversations with employees,” he adds, explaining that HRs impact both personal and professional lives of individuals.

Among the innovative transformations Mr. Ganesh has
been part of, he cites operating a lean but efficient team.

“The reason for our effectiveness was the integration of technology,” he recalls.

For example, sending automated personalized email reminders under the HR head’s signature to remind employees of their family members’ birthdays.

Further, Mr. Ganesh’s helped introduce the HR experience survey, which records employees’ assessment of HR practices.

Today, ADP offers the survey to its customers. Thus, Mr. Ganesh has been part of technological innovations which went to the market.

“Everything with a people dimension has a market dimension too,” he adds.

For HR professionals to be effective today, he suggests acquiring greater horizontal effectiveness beyond domain expertise.

Further, they must voice their opinions and leave a mark wherever they go. “No one is going to recognize you unless you speak and sell your work well,” he advises.

Mr. Ganesh draws inspiration from his experiences in sports, emphasizing the values of team participation, collaboration, and constructive criticism.

He encourages learning from those better than oneself, emphasizing the importance of the heart and mind connection, a lesson instilled by his mother—a retired government officer.

Second, she taught him the value of honesty.

“People will look up to you if you’re honest. You’ll also cultivate a circle of trustworthy people around you.”