In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the role of Human Resources has never been more crucial in shaping organizational success. In this exclusive conversation, Shikha Rai, Senior Vice President & Head of HR and IT at Canon India, sits down with Dr. Sunil Singh, Editor-In-Chief of HR TODAY, to share valuable insights on Canon India’s HR transformation journey. The discussion explores how Canon India is leveraging digital innovation, fostering diversity and inclusion, and cultivating a culture of continuous learning and employee well-being. Through thoughtful dialogue, Shikha Rai highlights the strategic priorities and people-centric initiatives that are positioning Canon India as a future-ready and respected employer in the digital age.
1. With the rapidly evolving tech landscape, how is Canon redefining the role of HR to align with its vision?
Canon India’s vision is to be a leading company in digital imaging industry through innovative technologies, revolutionary marketing activities and sustainable growth. To be the company that is respected by people and people who work for Canon and those related with it take pride in their association.
To make this vision a reality, HR’s mandate is to continue building an organisation that operates at a high velocity with an efficient, engaged and productive workforce; with strong ethics, collaboration, team-spirit, innovation and continuous development being few of the foundational pillars.
The HR function has rapidly evolved to embrace digital transformation, an imperative that gained momentum during the pandemic. One of our focus areas has been to leverage technology for collaboration as people work remotely or in hybrid formats. To ensure seamless collaboration across these dynamic environments, we have integrated technologies that facilitate daily operations, enabling real-time connections, smoother teamwork, and faster turnaround time, further embedding a culture of continuous learning and change management within Canon.
Additionally, we are leveraging people analytics to understand employee needs and preferences, detect engagement drivers and behavioural trends. This data-driven approach also helps in identifying diversity and inclusion gaps, ultimately fostering a more connected, inclusive, and future-ready work environment. Together, these efforts strengthen our HR practices and nurture future leaders who champion Canon’s commitment to excellence and innovation.
2. What initiatives have Canon implemented to drive continuous talent and skill development across the organization?
At Canon, holistic employee development remains a core priority, ensuring personal growth aligns seamlessly with professional excellence. To nurture this vision, we’ve implemented several initiatives that are aimed at fostering continuous learning and well-rounded development.
One such key initiative is our “Learning at Workplace” program, which offers a variety of e-learning modules covering essential skills such as communication, negotiation, and leadership. In addition, we have introduced focused in-house workshops and structured learning modules that cater to different career stages and aspirations.
As part of our growing learning ecosystem, we have integrated LinkedIn Learning into our development programs. The People Development team has worked closely with Subject Matter Experts to identify and curate course content that is tailored to various job roles, ensuring both relevance and impact. It includes engaging 60-minute demo sessions and access to a wide range of modern courses, allowing employees to upskill at their own pace. In line with our innovation-focused approach, we are also using AI-powered coaching through LinkedIn. This provides personalized, data-driven learning experiences tailored to individual needs.
For our service and technical division, we create a robust technical foundation by hiring apprentices under the Skill India initiative and taking them through a structured training program at the Canon Technical Center.
We’re also building a strong ‘Coaching Culture’ across the company, wherein over 60 senior leaders have been trained as internal coaches to guide and mentor colleagues across various functions, offering personalized support. We have also been running multiple batches of our flagship Leadership Development Program, an in-house classroom training program for individual contributors and senior managers. Through these initiatives, we continue to promote a culture of continuous learning and development, helping employees stay agile and grow in today’s fast-changing workplace.
3. Can you share insights into how Canon is supporting the development and mental well-being of its female workforce?
At Canon, we are deeply committed to fostering the growth and mental well-being of our female workforce, empowering them to thrive both personally and professionally. As the workplace continues to evolve, we prioritise employee stability, engagement, and a strong sense of belonging. Our focus on gender diversity is reinforced through ensuring pay parity, equal access to growth opportunities across the organisation along with various interventions that provide an equitable & inclusive environment.
To support overall well-being of our female workforce, we offer confidential counselling, mentoring by senior women colleagues, and regularly host wellness programs such as yoga sessions; workshops on women’s health, financial planning; POSH trainings, thus ensuring a holistic approach to well-being. Our ‘WE@Canon’ (Women Empowerment at Canon) program further focuses on leadership development, networking opportunities, gender sensitisation workshops etc. Initiatives like these ensure that Canon’s women workforce continues to grow, with increasing representation at senior leadership levels, fostering a more inclusive and dynamic corporate environment.
Building on our commitment to supporting key life transitions, we have ‘Reboot’ initiative designed to facilitate a seamless post-maternity transition, helping new mothers integrate back into the workplace with a healthy work-life balance; in addition to offering flexible work hours and daycare assistance. As part of this initiative, we engage with new mothers to understand how they are managing the dual responsibilities of motherhood and their careers, identifying any areas where organizational support could be beneficial. Further, we connect with their managers to assess the support being provided and any challenges they may face. This structured approach enables HR to offer guidance, coaching, and bridge any gaps, creating a workplace that is inclusive and responsive to employees’ evolving needs.
Additionally, through our De-light Day initiative, we promote a healthier work-life balance by encouraging employees to log off and turn off office lights at 5:30 p.m. As part of our commitment to a safe and supportive workplace, we also provide company-arranged transportation for women employees, ensuring their comfort and security.
Through these integrated efforts, Canon strives to build a workplace where every individual feels valued, supported, and empowered to succeed—reaffirming our long-standing commitment to employee well-being.
4. With the evolving workforce, what strategies is Canon adopting to attract and retain top talent?
Since inception, Canon’s corporate philosophy has been “Kyosei” which is – living and working together for the common good. Guided by this principle, all our programs and initiatives are designed to promote healthy living, collaboration, appreciation, work life balance and a higher purpose, while fulfilling our social responsibility as a corporate family. Our vision statement is “People who work for Canon and those related with it will take pride in their association”.
For attracting top talent, what comes to the fore is Canon’s unique Employee Value Proposition of being a respected brand, an organisation that values diversity, believes in employee development, boasts of high employee satisfaction and does periodic benchmarking on compensation and benefits to remain competitive.
Following are few of the strategies to retain top talent:
- An employee friendly culture where we listen to the voice of employees and are open to change.
- Ensure a transparent performance management framework focusing both on efforts and results, along with periodic structured feedback sessions
- Prioritising continuous development through training, mentoring and coaching
- Providing opportunities for growth with both lateral (job rotations) and vertical movements and also opportunities for contributing in cross-functional projects
- Comprehensive reward and recognition program which acknowledges both exceptional individual performance and team contributions
- Opportunities to bond with colleagues in formal & informal forums thus creating a spirit of belongingness
- Benchmarking various benefits and compensation with the industry
More than half of our employees have been with Canon for over a decade, and with an attrition rate of less than 10%, we take pride in the trust, stability, and career opportunities we provide. This strong, long-term association reinforces our commitment to continuous investment in our people, cultivating a culture where every individual feels supported and valued.
5. How is Canon fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment that encourages innovation, collaboration, and a strong sense of belonging?
At Canon India, one of our core values is “respect for all people regardless of age, gender, race, religion and culture.” In line with our corporate philosophy Kyosei, we embrace a rich blend of generations, geographies, and backgrounds, fostering a dynamic exchange of perspectives across India and beyond.
While fostering diversity, leveraging collaboration, driving innovation and navigating change are part of the competencies used for recruiting, rewarding and evaluating employees; we have various processes, programs and initiatives that support in building the culture and realising outcomes tangibly.
Processes are reviewed periodically to ensure that they are fair and equitable to diverse segments of the organisation. We have certain interventions for example – ‘new hire assimilation’ process helps us understand cultural fitment issues, if any, of a new hire; while ‘Reboot’ interviews with new mothers and their manager give insight into any support required with regards to work or personal challenges being faced by a new mother.
WE@Canon is Women Empowerment program under which various initiatives are taken to ensure equitable, inclusive and safe working environment. Moreover, People with Disabilities (PwD) are being integrated into our workforce where we ensure infrastructure, accommodations and good role fitment.
On innovation, we have a bottom-up approach with a program called ‘Breakthrough’; where employees are encouraged to voice their ideas for change. These are followed through with formation of small taskforces for formulating proposal and implementation. To instil a culture of collaboration, we encourage employees to appreciate the support received from another colleague by presenting ‘thank-you cards’ from a digital card shop.
Further, initiatives like Family Day, Employee Chalo Office, Beyond-work networks help employees create stronger bonds with each other and with the families. Mondays are designated as ‘Red Hot Passion’ days where Canon employees come to office in some element of Red, Good morning walks and mid-day flash mob are fun elements that bind Canonites together with a sense of belongingness.
As we move forward, Canon India remains committed to nurturing an environment where diversity is celebrated, inclusion is embedded in every aspect of our operations, and employees experience a deep sense of belonging while driving meaningful progress.
As organizations navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, Canon India’s holistic approach to people, culture, and innovation serves as an inspiring blueprint for HR leaders everywhere. Through her thoughtful perspectives, Shikha Rai underscores the importance of aligning HR strategy with business vision, fostering diversity and inclusion, and investing in continuous development and well-being for all employees. This insightful exchange with Dr. Sunil Singh reinforces the value of HR as a catalyst for sustainable growth and positive change. Canon India’s commitment to empowering its people and driving meaningful transformation stands as a testament to the enduring impact of forward-thinking HR leadership.
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