What Tata Power looks for in candidates when hiring

Whenever Tata Power CHRO interacts with various HR teams, he advises them to focus on ‘Tata Power 2.0’.

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In the three years since Tata Power has been in growth mode, it has been hiring over 2,000 people every year. They have largely been hiring trainees in various departments: engineering, management, finance, etc.

In the last two years, the 107-year-old power major has also hired specialised talent in IT and specific areas of clean-tech and green-tech.

“We expect to hire another 1,000-odd people next year,” Himal Tiwari, CHRO, Tata Power, told Moneycontrol.

Roles and skills in demand in the clean-tech workforce include data management and data analytics, programming, automation, software development, digital marketing etc.

Focus on Tata Power 2.0

Whenever Tewari interacts with various HR teams across Tata Power, he advises them to focus on ‘Tata Power 2.0’ – a transformation programme which focuses on sustainability, and digital and customer-centricity, to become the utility of the future.

“My advice to my direct reports, who are also HR leaders, is to say that we are now entering a new paradigm of business which is less regulated,” he says. “It is much more B2C and B2B.”

Hence, the focus is on hiring people who can enable this transformation.

Competency model for senior hires

Tata Power has a detailed and patented competency model. It views candidates through three lenses – functional experience, the context of that experience, and leadership competencies. It has a research-based approach towards such hires, involving the board members, the MD, CFO, and other senior leaders.

Moreover, at select levels, Tata Power also has a psychometric assessment. But that’s not the end.

Tewari is a firm believer that interviews give candidates a chance to express themselves. “The best assessments are done when you open the channels of expression,” he says.

To assess how the person is relevant for the role, the CHRO asks some open questions to find out what is not there on the resume.

A lot of times, a key question that Tewari asks is, “If I were to run into your biggest critic, what would he or she say about you? It's a profound question. You will find a lot of people go into self-reflection when trying to answer that.” If candidates say that their critics will have nothing to say against them, he will score very poorly on self-awareness.

Tewari has a standard way of enhancing interview impact. It's a technique called the `prospect of a reference check.’

“I ask the candidate: ‘if I were to call your ex-boss right now, what would he or she say about you?’ It is a high-impact question, and the answers we get are very relevant,” he says.

With this strategy, Tewari believes 95 percent of the candidates tell the truth. “There’s always the chance that I'll pick up the phone and talk to that ex-boss.”