Publicis Sapient are a digital transformation business operating around the world. Their Chief People Officer, Kameshwari Rao gives an insight into the business’ people development strategies.
It’s no secret, the success of an organisation is intricately tied to the skills, abilities, and knowledge of its people. When people are offered avenues to acquire experience and pursue personal growth, they become more invested, motivated, and committed to the shared goals of the organisation.
Our purpose “To help people thrive in the brave pursuit of next” is the north star through which we look at people growth. Our values of “Learning Mindset”, “Embracing the Future” and “Partnering for Client Impact” remind us every day how we enable our people to transform, and have access to new age learning courseware.
At Publicis Sapient we are focused on 10X growth and that can only be achieved if we help our people with the right avenues to grow and learn new skills. To do so we are focused on building a culture of 3E’s – experimentation, entrepreneurial and equity where all our people are enabled at every step. This is crucial to building a motivated workforce that is better equipped to tackle complex challenges and drive meaningful impact.
Organisations that prioritise their people’s growth and development, is crucial to creating an environment where individuals can chart their own path, build their careers, and develop in ways that bring their potential to life. This commitment to personal and professional development is a key factor in building transformational solutions that have a positive impact.
So, what does this philosophy on enabling people’s growth involve and how do we operationalise it in a virtual and globally distributed environment?
Creating the right environment
A work environment that is both inclusive and collaborative, where individuals feel psychologically safe to bring their authentic selves is crucial. There is value in providing people with the freedom to choose their own career path, without any limitations. When people have space where they find a purpose and can openly discuss their ideas is when organisations are best positioned to create a high-performing work culture.
Creating the right experience
As an organisation that enables digital transformations for clients, we also value the importance of internal transformation. As digital experts, we recognise that the experience we provide in fostering growth is essential for individual development. With that in view, we are continuously improving our systems, processes, and tools such that our people have the right resources to pursue their personal and professional growth.
Operationalising the ecosystem
Focusing on the foundation through a skills matrix/taxonomy to lay the foundation for people’s growth, we have co-created a global data architecture at both the people and organisational levels. This structured system categories and organises various skills and capabilities according to job roles. By focusing on proficiency levels, we ensure there is a clear understanding of skills required for each role, enabling people and their managers to identify areas for growth and development.
