Group chief HR officer Humsha Ramgobin believes that progressive HR practices are essential for driving innovation in an ever-changing industry. At Mediclinic, this vision is put into action through three core pillars: leadership development, workforce agility, and technology-driven innovation.
“At Mediclinic, progressive HR practices embody a commitment to fostering an integrated and engaged HR community that drives meaningful transformation across our organisation. This vision translates into concrete actions through several key initiatives,” she says.
“First, we actively promote the sharing of best practices across our diverse markets, ensuring that innovative ideas and successful strategies are disseminated and adopted universally. Our ‘Leadership Circle’ conversations engage our leadership team in meaningful dialogue around critical leadership topics, empowering them with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead with empathy, clarity, and vision.”
Recognising the importance of nurturing young talent, Humsha explains how they provide coaching and mentoring opportunities for emerging leaders. “This not only enhances their professional development, but also strengthens our leadership pipeline,” she adds.
Furthermore, she highlights how listening to hospital teams is paramount, particularly in addressing the challenges of attracting and retaining core talent like nurses.
“We engage with them to identify solutions to the challenges they face, particularly in attracting and retaining our core talent, such as nurses. We are investing in key initiatives focused on nursing remuneration, flexibility, and career development to ensure we meet the evolving needs of our workforce.”
Humsha mentions how Mediclinic is also leveraging technology, particularly AI, to streamline operations and enhance information delivery. She explains how diversity and inclusion also remain central to the HR strategy.
“A significant aspect of our transformation involves leveraging technology, particularly AI, to integrate and automate some administrative functions. This not only streamlines operations but also enhances our ability to deliver timely and relevant information to our teams, fostering a more agile and responsive HR function.”
“While we have made significant strides in diverse appointments at junior and middle management levels, we recognise the need to enhance representation at senior levels. We are prioritising the recruitment of diverse talent, particularly women and individuals from designated equity groups, and have maintained over 40 percent female representation at middle & senior management levels.”
Moreover, the wellbeing of their employees, especially in the post-Covid landscape, has been a critical focus. “We emphasise psychological safety, encouraging leaders to cultivate environments of empathy, care, and connection. As part of the transformational leadership programme that we are embarking on, leaders are being skilled with tools to refine how they support their teams with compassion, helping them navigate our evolving industry.”
“Our approach to progressive HR practices and meaningful transformation at Mediclinic is rooted in collaboration, inclusivity, and a strong commitment to the wellbeing of our workforce. By translating our vision into actionable strategies, we are enhancing our organisational culture and positioning Mediclinic as a leader in the healthcare sector.”
Speaking about some key HR transformation initiatives she has led that have created lasting influential change, Humsha acknowledges having the privilege of leading several transformative initiatives that have shifted the landscape of Mediclinic.
“One of the most significant accomplishments has been the transformation and appointment of CHRO roles in our three operational markets, Southern Africa, the Middle East and Switzerland. By implementing a modern HR leadership playbook, we have empowered our CHROs to navigate the complexities of economic volatility, shifting workforce expectations, rapid technological advancements, and geopolitical challenges with greater influence and credibility.”
“Additionally, we spearheaded the development of an integrated HR strategy across the Group. This strategy focuses on standardising our technology and shared capabilities, optimising performance, and enhancing the employee experience. A core component of this initiative has been our commitment to attracting and retaining key talent, ensuring that we remain competitive in a dynamic market.”
Furthermore, Humsha says she has prioritised leading one cohesive HR team through collaborative platforms and active engagement with their global HR team.
As a strong succession plan is crucial for organisational continuity, she states that she believes it must be sponsored and led by top leadership, facilitated by HR, and include regular evaluations, structured training, transparent processes, and a commitment to diversity.
According to her, there are many key elements that go into building a strong succession planning strategy, and some include:
- Regular evaluation of current employees' skills, and readiness for advancement
- Structured training and mentorship initiatives
- Well-defined criteria for selecting successors
- Commitment to diversity and inclusion
- Open dialogue about career paths and succession plans with employees
- Ongoing assessment of the succession plan’s effectiveness
- Alignment of succession planning with overall business strategy to ensure leadership readiness for future challenges and opportunities
“Succession planning is only successful and effective if approached by embedding such elements within an integrated framework to mitigate any risks associated with leadership transitions and maintain operational stability,” Humsha adds.
She notes her own succession planning as one that involves developing the leadership skills of her team, and ensuring a strong pipeline of future leaders.
Being named a top global HR influencer is a recognition Humsha doesn’t take lightly. For her, this award isn’t just about personal achievement, but about how she has made people feel seen, heard, and valued throughout her career."
“Since receiving the award, I have been very reflective of my 32 years of HR experience and had the privilege of gaining exposure to a wide range of industries, including financial services, FMCG, retail and healthcare. I had the good fortune of leading the HR strategic development and implementation of a wide range of business transformation projects.”
‘I have also built up an understanding of how HR fits within the business and helped develop ways to transform organisations to incorporate automation and meet the demands of constant change. Many of my peers have been inspired by my work ethic and the significant success I have achieved in implementing HR strategies and objectives into tangible business solutions.”
According to Humsha, it has become more imperative for her to share her skills and experience with a broader audience. “I have created HR, leadership and young talent platforms internally to engage, influence & shift perspective and develop skills. I have also participated as a thought leader on a number of professional platforms locally and globally to share my learnings and perspective on current issues and future direction in HR.”
