In episode 19 of “Diary of CHRO,” João Ricardo interviews Atma Godara, an engineer who transitioned into a career in Human Resources.
Godara has been a Top HR Influencer for many years. He is currently Vice-President of HR at the ACME Group, one of the leading global companies in sustainable and renewable energy.
He worked at Netflix for four years, where he held positions as an HR Business Partner (HRBP) and Head HR, as well as serving as a Human Resources Business Partner in the APAC region.
In this episode, he discusses what makes Netflix’s culture unique, the company’s approach to hiring and performance, and its famous “keeper test.”
Godara also shares advice for young HR professionals: “Know your business really well. You should know your business to the extent that if someone outside is having a conversation with you, they’re unable to tell whether you are an HR person or a business person. And why I’m telling this is very, very important. I used to think that, ‘Okay, it is a given that when you are working in a business, you know the business, but over the years, I have realized — even in my teams, I get sometimes surprised — that the HR people don’t even know the basics of the business.”
He elaborates: “See, the marketing person will know about marketing, the finance person will be aware of finance, but the HR person has to understand the entire organization: its philosophy, strategy, numbers, its future, how the industry is evolving (…). What are some of the headwinds or tailwinds you’re anticipating in the next few years? Are you going through your annual report diligently every year? Do you understand the numbers in detail? These are very, very important things to understand because unless you understand the business, you will never be able to solve the HR problem. So knowing the business is a non-negotiable.”
Watch the full episode:
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