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Sunil Pathak

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Sunil Pathak

Director-HR

Cadence Design Systems

Sunil Pathak is a member of:

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Briefly tell me about your company and the HR strategies you have in place.

Cadence is one of the worlds leading electronic design automation (EDA) companies. Cadence enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of todays integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software, hardware, IP, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems.
In terms of HR strategies, Cadence focuses on three critical components in order to provide an atmosphere most conducive to our people.

a) Emphasis on creating a winning work culture in our organisation: Towards this goal, we aim to provide an environment that is open, supportive and sets the stage for the employees and company to succeed. When opportunities arise, employees are encouraged to take on challenges and step beyond their comfort zones.
b) Make Cadence a great place to work: HR endeavors to attract, retain and develop a strong community within Cadence by bringing in the right mix of good leadership and technical talent focusing on leadership, people and talent management programs and learning & development initiatives.
c) Organizational effectiveness: To ensure that as an organization we have processes and practices which help us respond to our customers needs fast, thus aiming at quick and effective decision-making and improvement in productivity.

What are some of trends you are seeing in HR?

Over the past years the business landscape in India in the technology sector has gone through a paradigm shift and as a result there are varied and multiple opportunities available to people, both from technical and managerial perspective. Hence the challenge is to broaden the talent pool and provide a dynamic growth path for individuals within the organization.
Due to this demand for the right talent, one of the noteworthy changes we are seeing is the change in recruitment strategies, such as using social media and referral programs. Social media also has a big role to play in creating awareness about the organization and HR departments are always on the lookout for creative ways to target and hire the right people for the positions within the company.
HR is now expected to partner more aggressively with the business leaders in practically all the areas.

In the era of ever changing business, explain the difficulties in planning the Human Resource?

We need to keep in mind that the business scenario has changed dramatically from the past; it is very dynamic in nature. In such a situation, one has to start right from the first stage of manpower planning, which is projections. Three factors are important to keep in mind:

a) Manpower projections: Businesses have to have a forward vision and set expectations for the number of people they will need in an organization so that they dont end up with either a surplus or deficit of people at any point in time.
b) Bringing in the right person for the right job: Career prospects and growth, portable skills, and compensation are some of the considerations that hiring managers and HR have to keep in mind.
c) Retention: Companies invest a lot into new employees to ramp them to productivity. Once s/he starts contributing, the organization should aim at motivating and developing the person as a future technical or leadership resource. Development opportunities, leadership/technical training modules, and incentives are some of the key aspects to be kept in mind so that the employee can grow within the organization.

How do you Motivate Employees with Rewards in your organization?

The key is that organizations should have a culture of recognition and appreciation. Motivation is tied to higher set of responsibilities, career growth prospects and rewards instituted by the organization.

At Cadence, we focus on the what and the how. Not only do we pay attention to what the individual employee has achieved; equal importance is also given to how the employee accomplished the goal. We maintain a close connect with the employees, acknowledging and appreciating them through suitable rewards and providing them with competitive benefit packages along with career opportunities.

When you hire people what are you essentially looking for?

We at Cadence put a lot of emphasis on technical competence and collaboration skills. Another crucial criterion we look for is a flexible/adaptable attitude. In todays dynamic work culture, the ability to absorb changes and adapt quickly is critical for both the individual and the company.

What promotional techniques work best for you and why?

The biggest promotional technique is word of mouth. We pride ourselves in creating a winning culture for our employees, and this is borne out by the fact that Cadence enjoys a robust and high internal referral rate.

Cadence is well known to be involved in cutting edge technology, so our reputation speaks for itself. We are regularly featured in the various technology forums and there is a lot of awareness about the value which Cadence brings.

Workplaces are changing. Cultures are evolving. The average employee today is different from his/her counterpart from a decade ago too? What is lacking and what does he/she need to keep in mind in todays working scenario?

The business scenario and work places have changed considerably in just one generation. The effect of this transformation can be seen in terms of workplace dynamics, technology advancements, company culture, and individual mindset.

Workplace dynamics have undergone a tremendous change, mostly for the better. The boom in the IT industry has propelled India to a global leader in software design and IT, and has encouraged portability of skills into new roles and verticals. People have more opportunities to expand their career horizon and develop their skill sets. An inevitable consequence of this growth is that employee expectations have risen in terms of the kind of work that they want to do, job responsibilities, compensation packages, infrastructure facilities and the overall culture of the organization.

This past decade, technology has changed the way we live, work and do business. Its effects are pervasive and far-reaching. In terms of the work place, systems and processes have speeded up the pace of work and productivity is much higher. Expectations from both companies and employees have increased and for the most part this acceleration has had a positive effect on businesses.

In terms of company culture, one of the impacts of technology is that it lets people work from anywhere, anyplace and at anytime. This flexibility has further contributed to the evolution of a new work culture.

As a result of the boom in opportunities, there is a shift in employees mindset –stability and a long-term career with one company are not as important as they were a generation ago. This poses a challenge to managers in that they need to keep employees motivated and productive while managing demands for faster promotions and frequent pay rises.

How to attract good people, retain the better people and advance the best people?

First and foremost, maintaining a good people connect is vital. Three variables come in to play here:

a) Talent acquisition: HR team has to concentrate on bringing in the right set of people to the organization, either through lateral hiring or campus initiatives. A right talent acquisition team which is capable of mapping the right kind of people with the overall organizational goal is of utmost importance.
b) HR and managerial connect: HR and managers should put in place policies which ensure that employees with the right skillset and potential are recognized, rewarded and are given opportunities for growth within the organization.
c) Learning and development: The organization has to provide opportunities to all employees to develop their leadership and technical skills so as to build up a strong team that is able to take the business forward.