Niyati on Designing Organisation Work Culture

Xobin Leadership Series with Niyati Goel

This time for Xobin, we feature Niyati Goel, Sr. Manager of Global Compensation at Hershey’s.

Niyati is a strategic and global HR leader who gives credence to that culture and top talent brings aggressive assets. She is HR 40under40 and PeopleMatters Emerging HR Leader in India. Niyati focuses on designing an effective compensation and benefits program with her analytical capabilities, behaviors to endure business performance.

Formerly joining Hershey’s, Niyati was working with AirAsia & Mondelez International for almost a decade and held an array of leadership roles in Human Resources, crowning as HR Transformation Leader.

How did you start your career in this field?

When pertaining to the thought about getting my MBA my first choice was XLRI —, I loved the program there and realized that HR was for me.

Niyati, can you share snippets about your professional journey from India to the USA?

After completing my MBA, I got placed from campus at Mondelez International Mumbai, working there for more than seven years. In Mondelez, I was an HRBP for various functions in different roles and countries and also responsible for Org design. In the nascent stage of my career, I got a chance to work directly with the C-level leadership team in Singapore with Mondelez International and that played a critical role in shaping my career ahead with AirAsia in Malaysia and then to The Hershey’s company in the US.

As a Global Organisation, how do you ensure there is a consistent Employee Experience and Culture?

I’m appreciative that wherever I have been part of it, our beliefs don’t just get advertised on papers. Rather, in our organization, we exhibit and live them.

Building an inclusive culture involves being reachable and listening to the team. Moreover, it involves understanding team members’ needs. It involves pursuing strategies that can stimulate the organization. Rather than looking for differences in diversity, look for similarities to blend the team.

I strongly believe in the “say/do” principle. If you commit to something, you need to cling to that responsibility. We keep taking pulse surveys and implement the feedback from them as well. This amplifies trust with your teams and your peers and reinforces a culture of ownership.

What’s your biggest advice for designing a Compensation & Benefits Program?

I thoroughly support the emphasis on rewarding and recognizing the tremendous work that our employees do. In addition to typical elements of compensation, providing consistent feedback is very crucial.

It is ideal to design a program that the organization can sustain in the long run. The reason being, once you start the program, the expenses are going to accelerate every year.

Before launching a compensation and benefits plan for your organization do extensive research of health and tax benefits and competitive companies and then go ahead with it. 

How is your company reacting to COVID-19?

We have put a lot of obligations in place to assure the health of our employee’s works onsite. Besides classic hygiene protocols, we have put in operation daily health checks that include health screening questions and temperature checks.

We are adopting video technology instead of physical meetings and have learned how to effectively work remotely. 

Any suggestions for future HR leaders?

The time I spent in my profession out-of-doors of the HR function served me very well. It enabled me to comprehend and witness the demanding situations confronted by different functional areas.

Top HR Professionals must be seen as robust companions who, primarily based on their enterprise and useful wisdom, offer relevant and sensible insights.

Thank you so much to Niyati for taking the time to share your thoughts with Xobin. Watch this space for the next blog in the Leadership series, coming soon!