Mudita Chauhan, Head – HR, CoinDCX, shares the top HR challenges facing the crypto industry, strategies to identify the right talent and build a high-functioning team, the hard and soft skills required in the post-pandemic era, and the way HR and business leaders can boldly re-imagine the future of work.

The pandemic caused both temporary and permanent shifts in business models and how and where work gets done. Which changes in the crypto industry do you believe will be short-term? On the other hand, which transformations are likely to extend into the post-pandemic era?

As we emerge from more than a year of an almost 100% work-from-home scenario, some type of hybrid workplace is always going to be a reality going forward. It not only gives employees flexibility in how and where they work but also provides organisations access to talent pools that were earlier restricted by location.

A hybrid environment is here to stay and will also give teams more independence to work in a manner that suits them best instead of being forced to conform to uniform corporate policies and restrictive attendance management systems. Having developed more comfort with managing productivity in a remote setup, engaging a global crypto talent pool will also emerge as the next option.

HR leaders across organisations are smack-dab in the middle of reimagining how people and businesses can thrive in the post-COVID era. What are the top HR challenges confronting the crypto industry today?

The most important challenge for the crypto industry today is getting the right talent to help us power towards the next growth phase. It is crucial for us to tap into the intersection of the best, highly-skilled talent who believe in the promise of crypto and are passionate about bringing about the crypto revolution.

While many soft skills will never go out of style and are transferrable across a wide range of roles and industries, the shelf life of hard skills is rapidly shrinking. Which soft and hard skills are becoming increasingly valuable for jobs in the crypto industry?

The most important soft skill that also ensures that one is able to navigate the constantly shifting hard skills requirements is active learning. The ability to always seek out and digest new information is essential; initiating and taking control of your own learning journey (which would be enabled by the organisation) is paramount. The willingness to always challenge yourself by taking on new projects and learning from your mistakes are also facets of the same skill. Aside from that, we at CoinDCX regard a candidate’s passion for crypto as the most important aspect, and we evaluate that first before looking at other skills they can bring to the organisation.

Additionally, hard skills such as blockchain engineering, cyber security, product development, and understanding of fintech products are incredibly relevant in the crypto space.

How can HR functions in the crypto industry use technology to improve employee experience and business performance?

Technology is ingrained in all employee-facing processes to such an extent that it now comes naturally to any HR function which is determined to deliver differentiating employee experience. Aside from automation and making all employee touchpoints as easy to use as possible, we believe that people analytics will be an essential factor determining an organisation’s ability to drive the team towards greater efficiencies and stronger results. As a result of all of this, employees will, in turn, have more time to focus on self-development initiatives by utilising online learning aids, which should provide a fillip to their overall happiness quotient at the workplace.

What do you believe are the most crucial traits that HR and business leaders in the crypto industry ought to cultivate and demonstrate to drive business success in the post-COVID future?

In the post-COVID-19 future, being empathetic with one another is crucial. Business leaders should be an inspiring force for other team members to emulate, especially in tackling challenges with an unwavering focus and determination to innovate solutions. Leaders should be able to understand the changing industry landscape ahead of time and ride the tide at the right opportune moment to the best advantage of the organisation. Being able to identify the right talent and build a high-functioning team is equally important. Additionally, business leaders should focus on security and compliance while building any product and process.