We need to future-proof India's talent for the digital world: Sirisha Palepu, Cisco India and SAARC

The accelerated adoption of digitisation post pandemic, and the demand for emerging technologies has increased the requirement of skilled employees. Qualities that companies consider valuable are changing along with the evolving needs of the IT industry. Sirisha Palepu, director of people and communities, Cisco India and SAARC, spoke to Dataquest about how the company is dealing with the issue of talent transformation and much more.

DQ: How are you handling the issue of talent transformation?

Sirisha Palepu: Emerging technology, evolving business models, and the uncertainty of what the future holds are disrupting our industry, shortening the lifespan of skill sets. According to Gartner, critical skills and competencies will be the number one priority for HR leaders in 2022. To prepare for this new future, reinventing what, how, and where you learn is critical. Trends such as globalization, digital transformation, resilience, and sustainability are shaping a new world representing both opportunities and challenges. As a result, it is essential for employees to be lifelong learners and become adept at leveraging hybrid models of skilling, not only to access the right resources but to prepare for a hybrid future of work.

At Cisco, we help our people do so through a large suite of professional courses that increase skills and teach the inner workings of the company and our industry. Our goal is to build a culture of constant learning and thoughtfulness around career paths. Moreover, our focus on skilling does not stop with our employees. Through our Networking Academy program, we are developing digital talent to meet the growing demand for a skilled workforce in critical, in-demand digital skills such as Networking, OS & IT, Programming, IoT, Infrastructure Automation, and Cybersecurity. We have trained over 10,00,000 learners since inception. We have also rolled out the Virtual Cybersecurity Internship Program with AICTE & NASSCOM, and in phase one of the program, over 26,000 people registered, of which almost 20,000 were shortlisted. As we traverse through 2022, it's important to stay abreast with these changes today to be relevant for the jobs of tomorrow. 

DQ: What about the issue of skilling and reskilling? How do deep tech skills fit into all of this?

Sirisha Palepu: Successful businesses competing in a global economy with a diverse workforce have realized mitigating the talent and skills shortage might require organizations to shift their focus from just recruiting to training, upskilling, and reskilling employees to match the evolving requirements. According to the World Economic Forum, on average, an Indian worker needs about 100 days of reskilling to be ready for future jobs by the end of 2022. A skilling revolution is needed in emerging areas like AI/ML, blockchain, analytics, cloud, robotics, fintech, 5G, IoT, and cybersecurity. Moreover, there is an abundance of scope in the field of L&D with emerging technologies (AI, ML, data analytics) entering the space. Organizations will leverage these technologies to bring in improved content, enhanced programs that encompass future skills, etc.

When it comes to learning and development, we offer relevant upskilling courses and have platforms, such as Degreed and Talent Marketplace, where one can opt for job shadowing programs and learn from peers or leaders across topics and roles. Our Subscription Portfolio offers on-demand, cost-effective and personalized development experiences from leading upskilling portals and forums. The courses can be accessed independently through their respective sites or with our learning platform - Degreed. Additionally, we have dedicated forums like Teams Week and Learning Day, where we encourage our employees to take the time to learn and unlock their creativity. 

The economic and workforce shifts we face today are no doubt daunting, but I believe that viewing them through the lens of people-first rather than individual economic, job creation, or education challenges will open up a world of opportunity.

Inclusion and Collaboration are fundamental to who we are and what we do. We know and believe that diverse teams foster better employee engagement productivity and allow for better problem-solving abilities, as varying perspectives often approach business challenges in a new way. 

Our goal is to build an inclusive culture that ensures our employees bring the most engaged, happy, and valuable versions of themselves to work every day. Our innovative hybrid learning models, practices, and approaches drive talent transformation and inclusion across the organization. With Inclusive Communities and Diversity & Inclusion programs like  JUMP, DARE, our focus is on creating a sustainable workplace that holds inclusivity at heart. In order to change the equation of diversity, we also Cisco's Multiplier Effect Pledge, which is built on one bold idea – sponsorship. This is more than mentoring, where leaders make a personal commitment to be an advocate for a diverse candidate.

Most importantly, at Cisco, we are committed to our conscious culture, built on the importance of everyone being aware or 'conscious' of the environment in which we work. I believe we all have an obligation to make our environment feel safe and inclusive. Take difference to heart is a principle built on conscious culture. It reminds us that we must respect and value our unique personal differences.

DQ: What are the new kinds of job opportunities that are coming up?

The opportunity ahead of us as a nation is immense. The projected global future skills talent in 2025 is 40-45 million. But to make this happen, we need to future-proof India's talent for the digital world, which will keep us Going, Growing, and Guarantee our place in the new world.

Today, according to LinkedIn, India is going through a 'Great Reshuffle' led by job seekers, where professionals are rethinking their careers and are on the lookout for renewed job opportunities. India will see an exponential rise in cybersecurity, healthcare, and business development roles. Data Science specialists and AI/ML engineers are also the most in-demand jobs in India for 2022. 

DQ: What are the key in-demand skills that will help solve real-world industry problems?

As technology becomes core to everything we do, the need and demand for a technologically savvy, digitally native workforce will only surge. We truly believe that India's challenges can only be addressed through a non-linear, non-traditional approach, and technology can improve lives and uplift communities. Therefore, through our ThingQbator programme and Cisco Launchpad, we continue to nurture and work with aspiring entrepreneurs and DeepTech startups to help them develop and scale their inventions as the startup ecosystem has the ability and drive to innovate and solve some of the biggest challenges we face as a society. Moreover, with a dynamic young population, the country also needs a cohort of job creators than job seekers.

As businesses become more technology and data-driven in their approach, the demand for IT professionals will only see an uptake. Moreover, as workers interact with smarter machines, the demand for soft skills will also rise. Skill sets such as creativity, critical thinking, empathetic leadership, and listening skills will go a long way, as these skills will be even more critical in the shifting world. In this evolving environment, skills gaps can become much wider, faster than ever before. Organizations must provide easy access to training resources and embrace more micro, mobile-first, innovative, personalized methods and encourage knowledge-sharing through role-based peer communities to promote lifelong learning amongst the employees.