Although my team here in Bengaluru consists of only four people and one manager, HR in Philips is becoming more digital and diversified. Similar to how other established MNCs are handling HR, managers here are encouraged to not just be authoritative figures, but to also provide the necessary guidance and act as counsellors when needed. It's a development to create self-sufficient employees and open the HR roles to more initiatives.
Having such a small team has its benefits! We are incredibly close-knit and are more friends than colleagues. Individually, we all play different roles to support each other. For instance, since I have been here the longest, the rest rely on me for historical data or for when they have to handle situations they have never faced before. When one member tends to be more analytical, others offer the perspective from outside the company… it's a great dynamic. Our manager does not micromanage, and encourages us to work out conflict between ourselves, which means that we are all very close as we know we have to work well together to grow together.