Finding Purpose in your Career with CHRO (APAC), Société Générale
We had the privilege of speaking with Mukta Arya, Chief Human Resources Officer at Société Générale, about her journey of finding purpose, her path to becoming a HR leader, and her commitment to fostering a coaching culture and leveraging people analytics.
This insightful conversation is adapted from the “Making Sense of Work” podcast with Jean Balfour in September 2022. This episode is a must-listen for leaders who believe in leading from the heart and making data-driven decisions that empower their teams.
Mukta Arya’s Professional Journey
Mukta is a Human Resources professional with over 25 years of experience in multiple industries and locations across APAC. In 2006, she joined Société Générale in Mumbai as Head of HR for India and has been with the organisation for the past 17+ years. She transitioned to Hong Kong in 2010 as the Regional Head of Talent Development and Inclusion and served as Head of HR for Southeast Asia in Singapore for four years. She is now based in Hong Kong and is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Société Générale, APAC.
Mukta is also a certified coach and a PCC graduate with Bailey Balfour!
A Journey to Finding Purpose in Work
You may be wondering: with someone as senior as Mukta, did she reach her career level by chance, or through understanding her purpose and what truly excited her? While Mukta attributes her initial shift to Société Générale as chance, we believe it’s her strong sense of purpose and passion for her career that led her to become Chief Human Resources Officer!
One journey we found fascinating about Mukta was her journey to discovering her purpose. In the podcast, she shared about her deeply introspective and intentional journey which was grounded in self-awareness and reflection. She shared that finding her purpose began with recognising what truly made her happy, which is helping others in a meaningful way – which she found in her role in HR.
Here are some steps she’s outlined to finding purpose
1. Reflection and Self-Discovery: Mukta took time to think deeply about her life, work, and values. This reflective process involved quiet, uninterrupted moments. She mentioned a pivotal moment one day, lying on her couch on a Sunday afternoon. This quiet time helped her tune out external noise and focus on what genuinely resonated with her.
2. Journaling and Listing: Mukta used a self-inquiry technique by listing her strengths, weaknesses, values, and the activities that gave her a sense of joy or fulfilment. She also identified things that drained her energy or made her feel demotivated. This method helped her uncover patterns and core values that aligned with her work and life.
3. Identifying Non-Negotiables: Mukta identified her core values and principles she felt she could never compromise. This clarity allowed her to set boundaries in her career, guiding her to make choices that aligned with her principles rather than being swayed by external opportunities or trends.
4. Feedback and Self-Awareness: Mukta emphasised the importance of self-awareness, which includes being open to feedback, even the “ouch” moments. She sought out feedback from others and was willing to accept both the positive and negative aspects. This feedback served as a mirror, helping her understand blind spots that could either support or hinder her purpose.
5. Embracing Growth and Improvement: Recognising her need to improve as a listener, Mukta worked to refine this skill, aligning it with her purpose of helping others. She pursued coaching training and certification, viewing it as both a professional asset and a way to support others better. Her commitment to continuous improvement kept her aligned with her purpose.
6. Aligning Work with Purpose: Mukta found that HR, with its focus on supporting and developing people, perfectly matched her purpose, and she stayed through the course of time in this career. This alignment allowed her to stay committed to her role, despite challenges, because it contributed to her sense of fulfilment. By aligning her job role with her purpose, Mukta found a sense of calm, focus, and satisfaction in her work.
Mukta’s journey reminds us that purpose is often less about a single “aha” moment and more about a deliberate process of understanding ourselves, acknowledging our strengths and areas for growth, and aligning our actions with our deeper values and motivations.
Building a Coaching Culture at Société Générale
Moving from the topic of purpose to coaching, Mukta went on to share the impact coaching had on Société Générale’s culture.
Coaching is seen as an important life skill, beneficial not only in the corporate world but also in everyday interactions with family, friends, and colleagues.
She believes that fostering a coaching culture encourages people to think constructively and arrive at their own solutions rather than being directed.
How Coaching Evolved at Société Générale
When Société Générale first introduced coaching around 12 years ago, it was still a relatively new concept, and there was some skepticism. However, over time, employees recognised the value of coaching, especially as they began to find solutions independently with the help of a coach.
The organisation has invested significantly in building this culture by offering coaching skills programmes for managers and developing a structured pathway for employees who want to become certified coaches.
This involves a heavy commitment of resources, including both financial investment and personal time for training and certification.
Mukta also describes coaching as a “way of life” within the organisation.
It has become a go-to support system for employees facing challenges or seeking to improve specific skills. Employees feel comfortable asking for internal or external coaching support, viewing it as a constructive and empowering resource rather than an intervention.
She stresses that coaching at Société Générale is not a one-off initiative but a continuous process integrated into the company’s day-to-day culture.
We share more about the impact coaching has in organisations in our blog and we are happy to partner with Société Générale in training their amazing managers and leaders in our Level 1 Coach Training programme!
Leveraging People Analytics at Société Générale
Another key strategic initiative introduced by Mukta was a strong emphasis on people analytics.
Mukta views HR professionals as “artists with a scientific mind,” able to transform raw data into meaningful insights that support decision-making across the organisation.
She emphasised that HR has access to a wealth of data, including employee demographics, attrition rates, succession planning, and absence records, and it is crucial for HR professionals to connect these data points to identify trends, address challenges, and tell compelling stories to leadership.
Key Applications of HR Analytics
Data analytics at Société Générale plays a pivotal role in strengthening HR’s value, enabling the team to go beyond intuition or general observations.
Mukta believes HR analytics supports diversity and inclusion efforts by uncovering demographic trends within departments or regions, prompting questions about the concentration of certain profiles, potential risks, or the need for diversification.
Mukta highlighted specific examples where data analytics influences HR decisions, such as examining leave patterns to assess policy effectiveness, analysing recruitment and succession planning data to prevent bias, and identifying areas where workforce diversity could be enhanced. By basing these insights on “clean data,” the HR team can build robust cases for policy changes, demonstrating that their initiatives are backed by solid evidence rather than assumptions.
In her view, data-driven decision-making not only increases HR’s credibility within the organisation but also ensures that HR initiatives align closely with business objectives.
Through HR analytics, Mukta and her team can provide leaders with a clearer understanding of the workforce, making HR a more strategic and impactful partner at Société Générale.
Real-World Examples of HR Analytics in Action
Here are some of the detailed instances Mukta shared:
1. Demographic Analysis for Diversity and Inclusion: HR analytics helps assess the demographics of different departments or regions, revealing concentrations of certain profiles. This insight encourages HR to diversify teams or redistribute talent to mitigate potential imbalances.
2. Succession Planning Insights: Beyond surface-level diversity, HR analytics examines succession candidates’ backgrounds to ensure a more inclusive approach to leadership development.
3. Policy Evaluation (e.g., Leave Policies): Analysing leave data helps HR assess workload or stress issues, guiding necessary policy adjustments.
4. Recruitment and Attrition Analysis: By understanding turnover patterns, HR can make informed decisions about retention strategies and workplace practices.
5. Employee Wellness Indicators: Analysing absenteeism data reveals patterns that indicate stress or burnout in specific teams, helping HR proactively address workplace issues.
To Sum up…
Mukta’s approach demonstrates that HR analytics at Société Générale are not about creating arbitrary reports but rather generating actionable insights that shape policies, reinforce inclusivity, and make HR a strategic driver within the organisation. Mukta does everything with purpose and intention, driven from her values.
Mukta Arya is truly a powerhouse in the world of HR, sharing even more of her insights in our podcast with Jean. Be sure to check out the full episode on Apple or Spotify.
About the Author
Jean Balfour is Managing Director of Bailey Balfour and Programme Director of our ICF Accredited Coach Training Programmes. Jean is passionate about helping people to have good conversations both at work and at home. She believes that coaching is a life skill and that you never regret learning to coach.