A company can only be as good as its employees. MetricStream has been acing the hiring game and on the forefront leading the plan is their Chief Human Resources Officer, Seema Iyer. With a degree in Demography from Berkeley and over twenty years of experience, she has the perfect knowledge that led her to develop plans for hiring policy at MetricStream.
1)Tell us some of the best practices followed by MetricStream for hiring and retention of employees in the AI/ML space.
We listen to employees. Our survey participation rate is over 80% and during Covid was above 90%. We continue to tweak our programs based on what we hear. Our current employees ask is for more career development opportunities, better work-life balance, and wellness programs. We pride ourselves on being a mid-size company with large-company benefits and cutting-edge thought leadership. To focus more on AI/ML, which is key for us, we’ve recently hired a leader for GRC Innovations in the US. He has a strong background in AI/ML and is looking forward to providing mentoring to employees who want to learn. So, we can offer access to virtual training, manager-led mentoring, and on-the-job development for employees in the AI/ML space.
2) What are the challenges you face while hiring candidates? How has L &D initiatives helped in bridging gaps in skills?
We are seeing an increasing volume and velocity of interconnected risks, and our products are very data-centric to meet this demand. The demand for candidates with AI/ML experience and training has outpaced the supply. While we continue to hire externally, we also look at training our current employees. We also encourage innovation by inviting employees to suggest product enhancements through our Red Hackathon and Blue Innovation Program. This program encourages employees to share their ideas by submitting suggestions for accelerating innovation at MetricStream. It is a great opportunity for employees to exchange ideas, foster collaborative learning, and directly influence the trajectory of the company. We continue to see many ideas involving AI/ML.
3) Could you give us an insight into some of the unique HR Business Models that have helped to make a significant impact in terms of people culture and long-term growth plans?
We are family-oriented. We welcome people to the MetricStream family. While we are seeing some attrition like many organizations, we are also seeing a lot of ex-employees return to MetricStream. Our employees don’t know as yet, but we are planning on introducing Paternity Leave for all the fathers to spend some quality time with their young ones.
We are socially relevant. With our new product line for Environmental and Social Governance (ESG), we are supporting organizations in their efforts to grow responsibly. This has resonated really well. Our engagement surveys show an employee score between 83%-93% for the question “I am proud to tell people what MetricStream does”.
And we are fast-paced. If you have an idea, get an agreement, and go run with it.
4) Tell us something about hiring at the Leadership Level and the value proposition that HR practices bring to the organization at various levels.
Over the past 18 months, while many companies were hunkering down, we focused on bringing top talent to the company and promoting from within. As we interview talent especially at the leadership level, we look for leaders who align with our values of growth, collaboration, and disruption. Our value proposition builds from our core values, right from hiring to how we work with our customers, how we treat our employees, etc.
5) What are your hiring plans for India this year?
We’ve hired almost 200 employees since April directly and many more through our partners. We expect to hire another 200 over the next 6 months. Our hybrid work model allows us to hire anywhere in India and we’ve seen almost 40% of our new hires in locations outside of Bangalore, our head office.
6) Could you elaborate on your commitment to Diversity and Inclusion at various levels in the organization?
While it’s been an area that we’ve always been important, it will take center stage starting January. Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion, innovation, and collaboration that empowers our employees to help customers transform risk into a strategic advantage. As a starting point, all our job descriptions will go through a scan to ensure that we root out unconscious bias in the writing, introduce diverse hiring panels, develop current talent, and be inclusive throughout the company. It’s a comprehensive new program that we can’t wait to roll out.
