With over 12 years of experience from traditional organisations to new organisations and now in change management, Animesh Dhari Singh is playing a key role in adding value to the organisations by improving people and their skills. In this exclusive interaction with Deepshikha Singh, Managing Editor, Higher Education Review magazine, Animesh Dhari Singh, Manager Human Resource, Cachet Pharmaceuticals highlights on various aspects that job seekers of the new generation should take note of.

Tell us about yourself. How did you pave your way into the HR industry? What is it that sets apart the Pharmaceutical industry employees from others?

I remember my first job interview in the year 2006, where I was asked about my future plans and I responded that I want to be in the other side of the table where I could take interviews, my interviewer subtly replied that it would come with experience and I had to work very hard, since then I have aimed for the same and today I am heading the human resource department of a Cachet Pharmaceutical (subsidiary of Alkem Labs). Despite me not from the same industry, ensured my learning should never stop. After completing MBA, while I was still working, it made a huge difference in my approach towards a given task. I have never considered any of my project lesser than the other it is all about prioritizing and completing what is on your plate.

• What is the impact of COVID-19 on the Pharmaceutical industry in terms of jobs and skill development?

Within Pharma industry, we have faced major challenges in our plants and for logistics support due to non-availability of manpower, raw materials and more. Sales employees face issues in generating sales as they are unable to conduct in-clinic promotion as they used to in the pre-Covid scenario. Skills development has been reinvented specially for Indian pharmaceutical industry where our sales employees was not well-versed with format of online training, paperless environment, online sales review and meeting, but as the time has passed all our employees now have learned the same and is able to seamlessly work in the new environment impeccably.

• While short-listing candidates for employment in Pharmaceutical industry, what are the top skills that today’s recruiters look for? What would be your advice to job seekers of today?

Top skills for pharmaceutical industry would be Communication & Language, Detailing, Computer literacy, Multi-tasking, Competitor’s awareness, Teamwork, Conscientiousness, Understanding of legal and regulatory matters, and Personal management.

Jobseekers should be accommodating and need to be adaptive in the current scenario as the environment is dynamic and the changes are regular in any industry.

• What are the top qualities that according to you can be used to define a strong resume?

For freshers, the resume should not be more than one page and for experienced maximum two pages. It should be concise and should not beat around the bush, rather focus on actual activity than additional information.

The chronology of the experiences or educational qualification should be from recent to former, as it will catch the eyes of interviewer. Be honest rather than hiding any kind of deviations.

• How much of a challenge is digital adoption going to be in the hiring process for college students?

As most of the interviews due to Covid-19 be it technical round or HR round is happening over the video call where in participant tends to see the screen and not the camera due to which eye contact is missing which holds a huge importance in impressing the interviewer. Lack of physical proximity, signal issues and participants' nervousness in communicating via technology tend to make for artificial, flat communication.

• The shortage of skills and talent has been a long standing issue now. According to you, what's the prognosis and, more importantly, how can it be remedied?

Dependency on technology has made the intelligence quotient (IQ) easily available for mass, however emotional quotient (EQ) has reduced a lot where in the basic reason of formation of a society is idea generations, cultural grouping etc. I personally believe the most important factor of skills & talent depletion is being away from your basic instinct, thus EQ should always be given more weightage than IQ.

• Which are the top skills trending in the Pharmaceutical industry? According to you, which are some of the courses that job seekers can pursue to strengthen their resume?

Being updated on government changing regulations and compliances, personal management, unlearn and re-learn should be given more weightage in skills required in pharma industry. Courses a student should opt for Pharmaceutical industries would be B.Pharm, D.Pharm, if job seeker is wanting to make career in marketing and sales should definitely opt for MBA, To get into Production, QA/QC, Research you can choose Industrial pharmacy/ Pharmaceutics as specialization in M. Pharmacy Clinical Research/Trials require you to be a pharmacology specialist in M. Pharm.

To get into research you should do your PhD further specialization in M. Pharmacy, Herbal drugs manufacturing/Research require a Pharmacognosy specialization in M. Pharmacy, You have multi options like Regulatory affairs/ pharma co vigilance/ Epidemiology/public health to choose as options but those are upon your interest.

• Unlocking the STEM skills pipeline is diversity and that inclusion is the route to hitherto untapped potential. What is your take on this?

I feel STEM education is long sowed in Indian education system which has always kept huge amount of potential untapped among our students & it has been nurtured in every Indian household because our society has never excepted alternate education system like sports, acting, pottery, or any kind of arts. It is a disgrace that until now we do not have proper colleges, institution, and training center for such educations.

• In the post-pandemic days, there may be jobs that get lost forever. Which jobs do you think are more prone to these risks? Also, which jobs do you think will become popular in coming times?

Travel industry, Eatery joints, tourism, textiles industry are the most effected industry due to pandemic and many jobs related to these industries may be lost forever. Automobiles and Real Estate related job would flourish more as the new normal pushes you to keep distance and usage of public transport will reduce drastically, similarly now as the home has become your office and you tend to spend more time due to “work from home” at home hence chances of people buying own homes would be more.

• What would your advice be for leaders and students as they reset for the new normal?

Time to Create: The pandemic has brought people closer and motivated them to explore unchartered waters. People and organizations are becoming more adaptive, embracing cultural diversity, willing to manage risks. It means organizations need to seize this moment to understand and evaluate how unique talents, functions, contributions, and innovations can be better utilized.

Communicate with Compassion: The virtual world may be tech-driven, but the art of simple and impactful communication still counts. It is critical in driving teams, meeting business goals, and collaboration. Reach to the heart and remember listening is the most powerful communication ever invented.

Be there for the team: Empathy and emotional intelligence have emerged as the new game changers for work-environment and workforces. An open dialogue and communication, encouraging feedback and suggestions, high quality practices for emotional & physical well-being of employees must be a priority. Face your fears with knowledge and awareness!

The New Reality leadership is about maximizing the human spirit’s creativity, talent and positivity that can outclass any digital creation in workplace and beyond.

• You have certainly displayed some stoic optimism and growth in over your career, what has kept you going? What is it that motivates you to go beyond your limits?

I do not think that I am there yet, and I am not trying to be humble. I think that being optimistic is a state of mind which can be developed in everyone and it is one of the keys to become an achiever. Life will hit you with numerous opportunity and challenges never try to be away from it, rather you should welcome and learn something out of it.

Let me share an life story here when I was working with a service industry and had spent some time with the organization, I have started giving interviews for internal job posting, and over the period of 1.6 years I have given seven (7) interviews that too in multiple departments, I was so determined to get a promotion that rejection never stopped me. In those times I was shattered and demotivated but ensured I gathered myself and was always ready for my new objective.

Everyone wants to become big but only few try to sustain that fire within. You need to keep the fire fuelling; each have a different kick identifying the kick is the only way for me.