NTPC Limited: 2024 BEST Award Winner, #3

This utility’s transformation is coming to fruition with the support of the talent development function.

As a utility company with the ambitious goal of having a renewable energy portfolio of more than 50 percent by 2032, NTPC Limited is on a fast track to major change. The company aims to make power more accessible, inexpensive, and dependable by shifting to cleaner and renewable energy sources. "Variable renewable energy integration into the grid has created opportunities for prospective solutions under the banner of auxiliary services, such as battery energy storage, efficient unit ramping up and down, and more," explains Surenthiran Narayanasamy, deputy general manager of HR.

To meet its goal, NTPC—headquartered in New Delhi, India, with a 16,500-person workforce—is instituting both backward and forward energy integration into coal mining and power trading as well as exploring renewable energy, waste-to-energy, and green hydrogen. During the next eight years, the company plans to add 60 gigawatts of renewables to its portfolio.

The talent development team is supporting the transformation to renewable energy by performing essential tasks to facilitate appropriate employee training. Last year, the team launched extensive training and educational collaborations to engage more than 2,200 participants in 82 programs to align staff with global net zero goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Specialized skills training

As part of that effort, the TD function created training and certification programs in emerging areas. "Our organization is strategically addressing organizational needs by focusing on enhancing functional competencies for present and future roles," explains Narayanasamy. "With a keen eye on dynamic business requirements, the L&D initiatives, in partnership with L&D Institute, are tailored to cater to emerging technologies and finance domains."

The certification programs encompass crucial areas, such as renewables, solar, wind, energy storage, green hydrogen, and financial modeling. "Through rigorous training, more than 800 employees have been equipped with these specialized skills and certifications, paving the way for targeted job assignments that capitalize on their newfound expertise," Narayanasamy states.

Forward-looking projects

Those future-focused initiatives are all part of the utility's Grow Our Own Timber philosophy to expand its employee knowledge base and capabilities. The TD function leverages targeted, needs-based learning and continuous upgrading for future technologies. "The organization enhances its personnel by tailoring learning courses for operations and maintenance executives, with a focus on technical and safety modules relevant to their positions and posting locations," says Narayanasamy.

A comprehensive leadership framework for staff development and succession planning empowers high-performing individuals to navigate specialized leadership programs, such as the 10X Leadership Program and the Samarth Program. The latter initiative facilitates role transitions and aids employees in advancing their careers.

In a nod to new technologies that will be critical for employees to understand and integrate renewable energies in the not-so-distant future, the TD team developed several digital curriculums and future skills development sessions. The emerging courses cover topics such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the Internet of Things, blockchain, and cybersecurity. More than 300 executives completed courses in AI and the Internet of Things, ultimately earning certifications.

Performance management upgrades

In many of its learning initiatives, the TD team uses cutting-edge technologies, such as simulators and virtual reality, for immersive learning experiences. "This approach not only addresses specific skills gaps but also integrates seamlessly into the daily workflow," Narayanasamy explains. The team has enhanced the performance management system by emphasizing continuous assessment and real-time feedback and fostering meaningful performance conversations. "This ensures that our workforce is not only skilled but also continuously evolving to meet dynamic challenges," Narayanasamy adds.

The performance management system underwent significant changes last year with the introduction of weekly planning; self-assessments; and monthly assessments by department leaders, which promote real-time performance feedback. In particular, the weekly planner function has been instrumental in aligning employee performance objectives with organizational goals. Such an innovative methodology ensures a continuous and objective assessment, according to Narayanasamy, fostering a culture of agility and accountability within the company. The TD team also launched a mobile application for the weekly planner to boost accessibility for on-the-go employees.

Regarding the introduction of assessments, a "key performance area directory" allows for uniform assessment across functions. In addition, results from a third-party "competency/potential/value assessment" inform promotion decisions as well as reveal the competencies on which training program content should focus to help employee growth.

Workforce planning

Overall, NTPC takes a holistic approach to TD, recognizing that "individual performance hinges not solely on competencies but also on motivation and job design," explains Narayanasamy. The TD function recently implemented a competency-based workforce planning system that acts as a dynamic repository. The system enables data-driven decision making for critical HR functions, including recruitment, succession planning, job rotations, transfers, promotions, and L&D.

Through implementation of the internal job market portal, "we effectively identify and cultivate individual strengths while aligning them with organizational requirements," Narayanasamy notes. "This strategic approach underscores the importance of building organizational capability through targeted learning opportunities and harmonizing individual aspirations with collective performance objectives, thus ensuring a comprehensive talent management strategy."

The TD function met a challenge head-on in navigating a recent wave of retirements, necessitating rapid training of a significant influx of new hires and lateral movements. The team implemented a robust onboarding process, which included a one-year Executive Trainees Scheme for 655 recruits in 2022 and 750 recruits in 2023 alongside a tailored orientation program for 267 lateral hires and 390 fixed-term hires.

The approach ensured participants' seamless integration and readiness for their roles, according to Narayanasamy. Additionally, he states that "internal promotions and role changes were supported through the two-week Samarth training, benefiting 474 operations and management executives with job rotation facilitation and standardized \[training\] modules."

Those innovative initiatives collectively represent NTPC's commitment to "staying at the forefront of talent management, fostering a culture of continuous learning, and ensuring the organization's resilience for future challenges," Narayanasamy adds.

View the entire list of 2024 BEST Award winners.