How AAM India is Designing the Workforce of Tomorrow

For over a century, the automotive industry has been defined by precision engineering, manufacturing scale and relentless operational discipline. Today, the industry’s foundations are being reshaped by a set of dynamic forces: the shift toward electric mobility, intelligent systems and digitally integrated operations. In this new landscape, competitive advantage hinges on how quickly organisations can reconfigure skills, mindsets and leadership models, and not solely (or even mainly) on engineering excellence.

At AAM, a global Tier-1 automotive and mobility supplier, this transformation is unfolding across its Indian operations through a network of manufacturing plants and a global capability centre in Pune supporting its engineering and enterprise functions worldwide. As its driveline systems evolve toward EV platforms, lightweight materials and automation-led manufacturing, the change is as much about people as it is about technology.

In a conversation with IMA India, Sandeep Gokhale, Chief Manager – Human Resources, AAM India, offered an inside view into how the company is redesigning hiring, capability building, leadership and culture to stay ahead of disruption.

The automotive sector is transforming rapidly. How is AAM India rethinking its hiring and future skill requirements?

AAM India has consciously shifted from hiring for pedigree to hiring for capability. In a stable industry, educational credentials or prior employer brands often served as reliable indicators of potential. In today’s environment where EV architectures, digital manufacturing systems and advanced materials are redefining roles, static indicators are not good enough.

Instead, the organisation now defines explicit ‘skill stacks’ for every critical role. An engineer may require driveline fundamentals, simulation expertise, EV exposure and the ability to collaborate in a global matrix. A plant supervisor must demonstrate structured problem-solving, safety leadership and people management capability.

Hiring journeys are being redesigned around these requirements. Interviews probe how candidates analyse a production disruption, approach a quality breakdown, or collaborate across geographies. The focus is clear – hire for adaptability and demonstrate problem-solving, not tenure alone.  

Every new hire undergoes a rigorous cross-functional immersion program, rotating cross departments before choosing a specialisation. This structured exposure builds contextual understanding while enabling informed career alignment, strengthening both engagement and long-term retention.

To prepare for the next 3-5 years, we have overlayed our EV and e-drive roadmaps, automation investment and digital priorities with internal data such as succession gaps and hiring bottlenecks. This yielded a dynamic heat map. Currently, it points to deeper EV system knowledge, stronger automation capability, and enhanced data literacy and leadership depth in critical roles. Development priorities flow directly from these insights.

What skills today signal future readiness?

Three competencies consistently stand out.

Learning agility and structured problem solving have become foundational. The ability to navigate ambiguity, connect disparate data points and adopt new technologies quickly are non-negotiables.  Digital and data fluency is equally critical. While its application varies by role, comfort with data, whether in engineering analytics or shared services, is now baseline. Finally, collaborative ownership defines performance in global matrix. Individuals are expected to work across plants, functions and geographies while taking end-to-end accountability rather than operating in silos.

What operational changes have enabled this shift?

We have made deliberate interventions across job design, assessment and sourcing. In job design, we now describe roles in terms of outcomes and capabilities rather than tenure or companies they have worked for in the past. In assessments, we rely heavily on case-based discussions, technical simulations and structured behavioural interviews evaluated through clear rubrics. In sourcing, we have widened our funnel by engaging diverse institutions, exploring adjacent industries and identifying internal talent with transferable skills. This has improved the day-one readiness and flexibility to redeploy talent as needs evolve.

Automotive learning cycles are traditionally long. How do you balance depth with speed?

We follow a T-shaped talent philosophy.  The vertical bar of the ‘T’ represents deep domain mastery in areas such as driveline engineering, metallurgy, quality and safety. These require structured programs, mentorships and sustained real-world exposure. The horizontal bar represents emerging capabilities such as EV fundamentals, analytics tools and automation interfaces, which are delivered through shorter, focused modular interventions. This approach allows us to preserve technical depth while accelerating exposure to new and evolving technologies, thus respecting the rigour of manufacturing while enabling agility.

How are you strengthening frontline and mid-level leadership and cultural agility across plants and knowledge centres?

Leadership effectiveness is critical in times of transition. We focus on three areas: clarity, capability and reinforcement. Leadership is defined not just by output; but by about coaching, communication and modelling values. Development programs are built around real AAM scenarios. Reinforcement happens through skip-level interactions, structured feedback and recognition of desired behaviours. Cultural agility, meanwhile, is built through exposure and shared language. Engineers spend time in plants and operational leaders participate in global forums. Cross-functional assignments are encouraged. At the same time, we anchor everyone around consistent themes – ownership, speed, safety and continuous improvement. Over time, this help create an integrated AAM India identity rather than isolated siloes.

How do you maintain engagement during a phase of change?

During a period of change, employees seek clarity on three questions: What is changing? Why? What does it mean for me? We address these queries openly by communicating the business rationale transparently through town halls, small group discussions and open HR sessions. We also provide training, role clarity and acknowledge any uncertainties with honesty. We have realised that when employees feel informed and heard, engagement sustains, even amid disruption.

How has the CHRO role evolved in this context?

The CHRO role has shifted from stewardship to strategic co-design. Talent and culture are now business differentiators. In India, where plants and global capability centres play central roles in global delivery, HR must anticipate rather than react. For us, the key questions now include: Which capabilities will define success in three to five years? How do we build and deploy them across plants and GCCs? How do we use culture to drive safety, innovation and speed? My role increasingly involves translating strategy into skills, structures and behaviours that make sense in our context.