hr revista 4th edition - best people practices
TRANSCRIPT
HREVISTA
PFACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK
THE MAHARAJA SAYAJIRAO UNIVERISTY OF BARODA
“EVERY RISK IS WORTH TAKING AS LONG AS IT’S FOR A
GOOD CAUSE & CONTRIBUTES TO A GOOD LIFE”
- RICHARD BRANSON
VOLUME:4 ISSUE :4
EOPLRACTIC
EBEST
27th December, 2014
ES
TABLE OF CONTENT
EDITORIAL BOARD
EDITORIAL NOTE
COVER STORY – BEST PEOPLE PRACTICES
CHALLENGES FACING HR PROFESSIONALS IN
CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE
OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS
FOURTH GENERATION LEADERSHIP
BOOK REVIEW - SELECTED
BUSINESS PRACTICES IN HRM
INTERVIEW – MR. MEHUL PANDYA
INNOVATIVE EMPLYOMENT ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES
HR PRACTICE’S – THE STEP BEYOND
HR QUIZ – WHO AM I?
EDITORIAL BOARD
Mr. Chintan Trivedi, HR Executive, TOTO India Industries LTD
Ms. Mansi Davda, Senior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Setu Soni, Senior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Asha Jadav, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Dr. Hemang Joshi, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Hetvi Chatufale, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Karmana Kantharia, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Mr. Khush Brahmbhatt, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Sweety Chauhan, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
Ms. Shivani Suttar, Junior MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
EDITORIAL NOTE
AS WE APPROACH THE END OF 2014, IT'S A GOOD TIME TO
THINK ABOUT NEW IDEAS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO OLD ONES
THAT ENHANCE A FIRM'S “MANAGING PEOPLE” STRATEGIES.
MANAGING OTHERS IS BOTH AN ART AND A SCIENCE, WHICH IS
NOT ALWAYS EASY.
IN A KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY, IT IS PEOPLE — NOT CAPITAL OR
MARKET — WHO MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. AS TALENT
OCCUPIES CENTER STAGE IN THE INDIAN WORKPLACE,
MANAGING AND RETAINING MANPOWER IS BECOMING CRUCIAL
TO AN ORGANIZATION'S SUCCESS. TO ACHIEVE THIS,
COMPANIES ACROSS SECTORS ARE FOCUSING ON SOME OF THE
MORE CRITICAL HR PRACTICES.
IN THIS ISSUE, WE TRY TO IDENTIFY SUCH TRENDS. WHILE
GREAT PRACTICES ARE RARELY PLUG-AND-PLAY, THERE IS
MUCH THAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM UNDERSTANDING WHAT
THE BEST WORKPLACES DO TO ENGAGE, REWARD, AND
COMMUNICATE WITH EMPLOYEES. WE EXPLORE DIFFERENT
INSIGHTS INTO BEST PRACTICES IN DIFFERENT SECTORS AND
HOW IDENTIFYING DIFFERENT PRACTICES HELP BRING
SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS.
-By EDITORIAL BOARD
COVER STORY
BEST PEOPLE PRACTICES
uccessful businesses are those that attract, develop, motivate and
retain the best people. You will get the most benefit from your
people if you have key strategies for doing so. These can include:
Employees are often in a position to see where improvements to
working methods can be made or when market demands are
changing. For example production staff will be aware of inefficient
production processes, while customer service staff will know common
sources of complaints.
Good people management should extend across
all areas of your business. Recruitment,
training and people development, working
practices and the working environment are all
areas which you should continually review to
see where improvements can be made.
People management systems such as performance appraisals, quality
circles, cascade briefings, 360 degree feedback, and internal
communications will help you to get the best from your employees.
An environment that encourages employee engagement will enable you to
reap the benefits of motivated employees. Effective and efficient people
practices (e.g., flexible work arrangements) and processes (e.g., sourcing
candidates through applicant tracking software) can help drive your
business to the next level, and LoveHR can help through consulting,
outsourcing, coaching, and seminars.
Best people practices are the practices that create a bench mark for creating
best organization and the best place to work. Best people practices are not
S
only an outcome of the management practices that are performed in
organization; it is a result of the joint efforts of everyone who work there.
Leadership is the key of taking a practice from good to best. A good leader
will inspire and influence his employees to practice in the best possible way.
Nurturing employee is essential and it is carried out by talent management:
giving right work to the right person.A healthy relationship between
management and employee will help enormously in giving out best people
practices.
In our journey of reading this Magazine further, we will come across
different articles on some the People practices.
Let’s explore the world of best people practices.
CHALLENGES FACING HR PROFESSIONALS IN CHANGING
ENVIRONMENT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF INDUSTRIAL
RELATIONS
When the whole H. R. world is making huge noise about the processes like
Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Talent Retention, Employees
Engagement, Competency Mapping, creating best H. R. Practices, one needs
to be careful of not to neglect the very essential foundation without which all
these processes and practices would just remain Theoretical concepts
making them only a good reading without delivery and whole edifice will
collapse like a pack of cards. That foundation is, “Industrial Relations –
Their Knowledge and Understanding.”
Globalization in early 90s put forth several challenges and demands from
the work force in business especially in the manufacturing setup. Existing
manufacturers started feeling the pressure of new players entering the
market. The expectation of the work force underwent a sea of change as
they were expected not only to maintain the discipline but were expected to
contribute productively and qualitatively to meet customers’ expectations.
Multi-skilling and Multi-Tasking became the way of life.
Under this background, the HR professionals, whose role once upon a time
was perceived to be of policing, changed drastically. HR in the 80s was
mainly focused on countering industrial
relations and taking actions against
workers started changing its face. Trade
unionists were also required to take the
positions far different from the Datta
Samant days. Industries were required to
find innovative means to ensure a balance
between the employees’ expectations and
the ever changing business needs. Cost pressures added use of contract
labor, aesthetically known as outsourcing, in industry many times in areas
which are normally core areas. This gave way to incidents like Maruti Udyog
Ltd, where in HR Manager was gruesomely, assaulted which resulted into
his death.
Although the face of industrial relations as prevailing in 80s has changed
and the incidents have been on decline, there is no respite to H.R.
professionals as sporadic incidents of industrial unrest and strikes do occur.
The government machinery has also started acting proactively, by promptly
prohibiting unjustified strikes as per the Section 10(3) of the Industrial
Disputes Act, 1947. Despite this, on a few occasions, employers fail to
prevent continuance of strike even if its continuance has been prohibited by
the Government. This poses the question to one’s mind as to why this
happens.
I still vividly remember
a statement made by
the former Chairman
and Managing
Director of Tata Steel,
while dealing with a
strike as the
Chairman of the Air
India – Industrial
Relations is Talking,
Talking and Talking.
Now even if one resorts to disciplinary actions and seeks Govt. intervention
for prohibiting strike, it’s not necessary that the strike will be called off. One
has to proactively open the channels of communication and keep them
active. Influential leaders have to be identified and need to be kept busy in
constructive dialogues. Support of the local leaders and law and order
machinery must be taken as and when needed. There is a tendency amongst
the Workers’ Representatives to always take recourse to excuses like “they
are trying to persuade the fellow workers to call off strike, but the mass is
not listening to them. “
When one encounters this situation, he has to put in all the efforts and see
to it that the dialogue continues and all the channels of communication is
kept widely open and active. No deadlock takes place.
The above strategy could be applied when there is a sense of urgency for the
Management since there is a huge pressure on meeting the Customers’
orders and their requirements. Whereas, when the chips are down and
there are no business compulsions, there are few or no orders, the Industry
could resort to a different Strategy and need not show sense of urgency in
resolving the Strike and should utilize the opportunity to iron out by
disciplining a few culprits, who have needlessly resorted to such means by
instigating the Mass of workers. Such actions can benefit the Organization
in a long way.
In today’s times, H.R. professionals must realize that Fair Wages are being
paid to their work force by constantly benchmarking against the wages paid
by similar industries. Gone are the days of exploiting workers by
underpaying them. Work force has more opportunities available to them
than at any point of time in the past. While taking care monetarily, H.R.
Professionals must advise their employers to create a work place where work
force remains engaged, motivated and emphasize on creating a conducive
work environment, which in the longer run is going to benefit the
Organization by contributing positively to its Top line and bottom line. Long
term settlements with even the Contract labor can be entered into for a
steady progress of the industry while ensuring that the Contract workers
also keep on growing and remain motivated. This also eliminates risk of
abolition of Contract Labor as the Appropriate Govt. takes into account this
aspect prior to abolition as per the provisions of Section 10 of the Contract
Labor (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970.
In the forthcoming decade, the world is going through a huge change. The
rise of Indians in the world is also going to press all of us hard. This has
been very correctly realized by the newly elected Narendra Modi Government
and it is has started taking bold initiatives to revamp the whole system
including planning for radical changes in the Labor Laws which are not
currently in line with the Global requirements . So the Mantra for today’s H.
R. Professionals to be successful and effective in Business is - to create
Innovative H. R. Processes and Practices by ensuring Proactive Industrial
Relations which is a key to success.
RAJESH PALKAR (MSW 1985)
GENERAL MANAGER-HUMAN RESOURCES
ALEMBIC LTD.
FOURTH GENERATION LEADERSHIP
At the outset, let me first congratulate students & faculty members for one
more wonderful initiative called "The HR Revista".
The topic assigned to me for this article is extremely relevant not just for HR
fraternity but entire business fraternity. Today, senior professionals do face
the challenge of dealing with fourth generation leadership. On one side,
businesses are facing numerous challenges such as rapid technological
advancements, competition, low margins, challenging targets, etc. and on
the other hand, business leaders have not geared up for dealing with issues
of fourth generation leadership.
Let us understand what is fourth generation leadership?
Instead of defining what fourth
generation leadership is, it would
be easier if we understand some of
the basic traits of fourth
generation leadership. The fourth
generation leadership is
innovative, entrepreneur, open,
smart, bold, frank, blunt etc.
The issue has become more significant as the strength of fourth generation
leaders is rapidly increasing in all walks of life but we as a society have not
made ourselves ready for this big change.
If we want to understand a good example of handing over reins to fourth
generation’s leadership, then we should study the case of Bajaj Auto. We all
know that Bajaj Auto was the market leader in the scooter segment and
there used to be a long waiting period for getting the delivery of scooters.
However, when Mr. Rahul Bajaj handed over the cap to his sons, his sons
decided to close the scooter decision and to focus on bike business. When
this news appeared in press, everybody, including Mr. Rahul Bajaj, was
surprised. It means, even he was not consulted on such an important
matter! He had shared his views with the media that he is not happy with
this decision. However, he did not interfere in the matter and allowed his
sons to decide the future of the Company. The rest is history. We all know
how Bajaj bikes peaked up the market share from Hero Honda. This is a
classic example of handing over the reins of business to fourth generation
leadership.
One more such example is succession planning for Mr. Ratan Tata. He had
declared that he would be retiring in next few months and his successor is
to be identified. Hence a global search was undertaken. After 15 months of
search, Mr. Cyrus Mistry was identified as his successor. The most
important thing to be noticed in the entire transition was the hand holding
process undertaken by Mr. Ratan Tata for the induction of Mr. Cyrus Mistry.
Such strong hand holding process made the handing over process much
easier and effective.
I have had the opportunity to work closely with the Israelis. It is quite
common amongst Israelis to differ with each other on almost all the topics.
However, it is important to note that once the discussion is over and a
decision is taken, then it is treated as a “Team Decision”. Whereas we
Indians agree on everything in meetings/discussions but later on start
ventilating our disagreements in quite an unprofessional manner. This kills
team work.
Our Indian Society teaches us to respect elders. That’s fine. But does that
mean we cannot disagree with our seniors? Certainly it does not. When we
closely monitor the society today, we find that we are going through a big
transformation process and there is no other
option but to create ample space for fourth
generation leadership and involve them in all
decision making processes. We as a society need
to learn the art of respecting disagreements,
especially from young ones.
While we deal with this subject, I feel that one
word that has played a pivotal role in the entire process is “Opportunity”.
Yes, this is the game changer. What has changed in the last few decades is
mainly on the front of "opportunities". All those who are in their thirties,
should speak to their elders and find out the difference in opportunities that
were hardly there viz. a viz. plenty available today at every sphere of life.
Globalization has brought huge basket of opportunities for everyone and all
of us need to reap fruits from the same. Therefore we at HR have no reasons
to complain about high employee attrition. When opportunities are available,
it is but obvious that everyone will certainly take full advantage of the same.
So while dealing with the issue of fourth generation leadership, we must
first accept this ground reality. Hence, while creating a conducive
atmosphere for fourth generation leadership, we must remember that the
leaders that we nurture and groom today will certainly fly to other places
once they have an opportunity!
The second word that comes to my mind while analyzing the subject of
fourth generation leadership is “Openness”. Today, all of us need to exhibit
openness in our approach. Even when we deal with kids, we have to be
open to listen and consider their views. This is significant because earlier,
leadership style was mainly! But now, the managers are leaders who like to
work as facilitators.
Friends, gone are the days when we used to be the custodians of human
resources and keep track on people as watch dogs. Now the major role of HR
is to work as the "Facilitator Dept.” This is extremely important while
dealing with fourth generation leadership.
While engaging the fourth generation leadership, one more expectation from
HR is to ensure that the work place becomes a fun place. All of us have seen
the pictures of beautiful offices of Apple, Google and Facebook. These
companies have invested huge money on making their offices vibrant & fun
place. Such environment helps in bringing out the best talent of employees.
Personally, I am a strong advocate of promoting Sports. This is the one tool
that can help us remove various barriers within the organizations. While
fostering the fourth generation leadership, we must insist on organizing
sports activities to keep people together to remove various layers and
differences.
James Weldon says:
If we can fight together, we must strive together
If we can play together, we must pray together
If we can plan together, we must stand together
If we can cry together, we must try together
For together, forever we bring
The best, the good of it al
BHARAT S GOSWAMI
Sr. VICE PRESIDENT HR
GSPC
Book Review
Title Selected: Why Some People Lead, why Others Follow, and why it Matters
Authors Mark Van Vugt, Anjana Ahuja
Edition illustrated
Publisher Random House of Canada, 2011
ISBN 0307358623, 9780307358622
Length 262 pages
Selected is a thesis about the origins of social
organization and Mark Van Vugt and Ahuja
(the “authors”) introduces the new theory of
Evolutionary Leadership. The authors argue
that modern leadership theories and the social
organization of nations and organizations – and
their leaders, often fail as the style of
leadership is at odds with the hardwired
leadership preferences humans have adopted
through our 2.5 million history as a
species. The book is meant to sum up van
Vugt’s research to date and introduce his findings to a wider and more lay
audience.
“Leadership is entrusted from below, not appointed from above”
If you have ever been a part of an organization larger than one you will know
that where humans cooperate conflicts exist. Even in organizations of one
there are conflicts which goes to show our inability to live in peace. But why
is it that some in an organization lead and other follow? The authors
suggest that just as important as leadership is what they call
followership. Humans choose their leaders based on evolutionary instincts
for optimizing survival, and to follow them. Hence a conflict has arrived over
the past centuries through the industrial revolution whereby corporations
owned by shareholders appoint leaders from the top down. The authors
also argue that when the hunter-gatherers became farmers 13,000 years ago
and thus gave rise to very large societies such as we know today a
disconnect between the leader we personally know to the elected or
otherwise appointed leader we only know through media.
The authors’ conclusion – at least for now, is that successful organizations
and their leaders are so, as they accommodate the evolutionary leadership
and followership principles and keep organizations small and personal.
Research has shown that we as human beings have a capacity for a network
of family, friends and colleagues of 150 people. Just think of it as the
amount of people you have an ongoing conversation with. If you use social
media such as Facebook or LinkedIn you probably have around 150
connections, and so do your connections. So organizations should be
organized around this number. The authors also suggest that particularly
middle management should be appointed from within, and selected by peers
rather than being hired from the outside and appointed.
The authors details six natural leader types and suggest that we all have
these traits to larger or smaller degrees which has successfully developed
through the evolution of human mankind. Each type has its own function
within the group and is needed at different times of the life of the
group. The Warrior primary role is to defend the group against external
threats whether natural or manmade. The Scout seeks new resources and
opportunities for the group in the external environment. The Diplomat
forms alliances to outside group to mutual benefit. The Arbiter maintains
peace and harmony in the group. The Manager allocates resources and
organizes activities. The Teacher distributes knowledge handed down the
generations. The authors invite the reader to participate in online research
to further their studies and develop the theory.
If you have influence on how your organization, whether social or
professional is managed and organized you will find this book interesting
and the authors’ further research enlightening. I think it is very worthwhile
to heed their recommendations particularly in these times of restructuring
and re-organizing to make companies able to whether the economic
difficulties we are living through in this decade.
A groundbreaking, evolutionary science-based exploration of the history of
leadership that explains how and why some men and women evolve into
good or great leaders and some do not.
This is the first book of its kind — reaching into business, psychology,
politics and current affairs — to explore how leadership affects us all.
Selected provides deep insight into our personal and professional lives at a
time when the world urgently needs to acknowledge great leadership.
Chintan Trivedi (MHRM 2009)
Executive – HR
TOTO India Industries Pvt. Ltd.
BUSINESS PRACTICES IN H.R.M.
In business practices, there are so many things which H.R. has to study.
H.R.M. has to deal with all those things but first of all H.R. Manager has to
deal with human beings who are dynamic in nature.
Humans are the most precious assets not only for organization but also for
society. It is responsibility of H.R. Manager to sustain them in an
organization.
In every organization employees have to face many problems. They get tired
from all these problems. One of the major problems which exists in every
organization is 'Organizational Politics'. H.R. Manager also has to deal with
organizational politics.
What is Politics?
In simple terms, politics is a type of a mind game. Definition of
Organizational politics: “The pursuit of individual agendas and self interest
in an organization without regard to their effort on the organization's efforts
to achieve its goal.”
When an employee is not satisfied or he/she thinks that whatever
is going on is not good for him/her, then he/she starts to play politics. In
every organization at every level of management there exists politics and it
even becomes a part of the organization.
When politics takes place?
At the side of employee
When there is jealousy among employees or among groups
Employees get frustrated and try to overcome problems
Employee wants to shirk work
Employee wants to get higher position or wants to get any authority
At the side of Manager
When managers wrongly use their power and authority to influence
other employees
Manager wants to exploit any worker or employee
If manager wants to give some position or authority to any specific
employee of his choice
If manager tries to get any specific work from employees
Manager wants to break unity among employees or wants to break
their informal group
How Politics affects employees and managers?
Negative impacts
Politics affects
negatively on an employee's mind.
Politics breaks their informal as well as
formal relationships. Due to politics,
employee loses their self-confidence.
He/she gets de-motivated. Dirty
politics creates hostility among
employees. Sometimes peers also don’t
help each other only because of bad
politics. Employee's morale goes down due to politics. Many a times, an
innocent employee becomes a victim to politics. Due to politics employees
face demotion or termination. It also leads to strikes in factories.
Positive impacts
Many people think that politics is a bad thing but this type of
mentality is not completely right. While there are people who use politics in
a wrong manner, politics may also affect positively. When there is politics,
an employee gets alert. They take every step very carefully. Employees
always keep their mind open and it creates some smartness in their
behavior. Due to politics employees become more cautious.
Politics teaches us how to survive in an organizational
environment and how to act, react and interact with different people.
Sometimes manager has to use politics for welfare of employees. Manager
plays politics also for those groups whichadversely affect the organization.
Tips to overcome politics
Now that we know both the impacts of politics, a question
arise as to how to deal with organizational politics? So there are some points
which could be useful for managers as well as for employees:
Employee/Manager must remain honest and straight forward
You should avoid unnecessary conflicts
You should avoid gossips and unnecessary talks
Do not try to exploit any employee. If someone is doing so, then you
could stop them from doing this
Don't be afraid to highlight your own accomplishments to your
superiors and peers.
Understand organizational structures, policies, rules and regulations,
etc. where you are working
Before you act on something, make sure whether it is true or not
Avoid speaking wrong about superiors before anyone
Always keep formal relationships in organization. Informal relations
could spoil your dignity at workplace
Once you start working on something, don't be afraid of failure and
don't abandon it. People who work sincerely always get success.
As soon as fear approaches near, attack and destroy it
Always learn something from others’ mistakes of others
Don't worry about those who talk behind your back. They are behind
you for a reason.
Do not put trust in a bad companion nor even trust an ordinary
informal relationship with peers. For if he/she should get angry with
you, he/she may bring your secrets to light. It may destroy your
future at workplace.
Always be confident. If you are not on your side, why should anyone
else be? So always encourage yourself to be confident.
If you have strength/power in your work performance then you can
always break politics.
Here, there are some ways to bust or to avoid
politics. H.R. Manager has to take responsibilities of all employees so he/she
must have knowledge how to deal with everyone. So these tips could be very
useful to H.R. professionals, not only for H.R. Manager but also for
everyone's life. Everyone wants respect from others so they always have to
work for dignity so that people get success in their lives.
DHAVAL R. VYAS
DHRM, Faculty of Social Work
INTERVIEW
Mr. Mehul Pandya, HR Manager, Ernest & Young India Ltd
1. What type of selection process is adopted by the company?
We at Ernst & Young, usually has straight a straight forward selection
process. We depend a lot on Internal Referrals and Campus recruitments for
hiring.
For Campus Recruitment - HR and the functional team goes together to
different institutes and short list the candidate on the basis of certain
screening mechanisms like Written Test, Case Study, Group Discussion,
Interview etc. For Lateral Hires (experienced professionals), we rely heavily
on Referrals and usually, we get from respective functional team only. HR
just has to process the application, coordinate and issue the offer letter
based on the final decision, In case of referrals, functional team usually,
conducts interview and short listing and if selected, HR processes the offer.
However, the fitment and compensation, HR's advise is always taken, but
the final call is taken by the Functional Leader.
2. What should be the size of the group for final selection?
We usually have a panel of 2-3 (including 1 from HR) for Campus
placement. For Lateral Hires, we usually don't have pane but instead, we
have different rounds of screening.
3. What is the information on the basis of which personal interview is
conducted?
Personal interview is usually checks the technical and soft skills of the
candidates like Technical Aspects, theories, concepts, its application etc.
and communication, attitude, confidence, honesty etc. soft skills in the
interview. Personal interview is guided by two things 1st - work profile for
which the candidate is being interviewed and 2nd - candidates CV. Usually,
we also try to follow Behavioral Event Interview methods for more accurate
predictions on the candidates during interviews. However, this process could
vary from function to function (Practice Lines).
4. Comment on the Performance Management of your company. Why
would the practice of PMS at your company have an edge as compared
to companies practicing traditional methods?
We have an online Goal based performance management system which
allows an employee to discuss and finalize the goals at the beginning of the
years with his counsellor. The process, also has a provision to add learning
& developmental needs to achieve the goals set. Further, there is a provision
for mid-year review wherein counsellor and counselee discusses the
progress on the goals and if there are any challenges. If required, the goals
are also revised in light of the Mid-year discussions. And finally, at the end
of the year, there is an objective discussion around your goals and how well
one has faired and accordingly the rating is given to employees. Based on
the rating, you get your bonus and next year's increment.
5. What is the employee perception of the present benefits program?
While, it is very subjective call, but most employees in the organization
would be fairly satisfied about the kind of systems and process EY would
have around HR and benefits program. I would consider EY as par with any
other global organization and it has got many distinguishing awards in
variety of fields.
6. On the basis of job analysis, what kinds of suggestions are given to
the HR department?
Not sure if we conduct Job Analysis or not but we do keep on reviewing our
internal grade and designation structures to ensure that it is aligned with
market and need based.
INNOVATIVE EMPLYOMENT ENGAGEMENT PRACTICES
Employee engagement is built on experience of HR, positive mindset and
business obligation models which finally benefits company in managing
talent and attaining success.
The essentials of employee engagement, similar to any company’s
substance, are some congenital values experienced from business
compulsion models. These ethics determine viewpoint of specific company.
In today’s modest economy, HR Fraternity is expected to influence company
branding through various methods and sources like internal efforts, various
researches and also through employee feedback/consultation. Under
business compulsions, priorities and competitive targets, HR tends to
neglect internal environment, feeling of employee leaving behind appealing
and aggressive workforce.
To simplify the intricacy of the talent management and retention, following
ideas are suggested with sureness that it would help HR practitioner in
building excellent workforce.
1. Surveys and researches
Before getting into the direction and creating different modules for employee
engagement, it is essential to be aware of what is required rather than
imitation from sources. Target oriented efforts would help organization in
fine shaping of talent and would also help employees in becoming star
performers rather than lingering as nonperformer or underperforming asset.
Therefore, periodical internal surveys and researches are of prime
importance. However, generally accepted and result oriented engagement
modules are suggested as below:
2. Informal interactions and retreat
Go for movie, adventures place and have team buildings and fun wars! For
anyone who is putting in relentless work throughout a week, it would be a
great fun and also would work like ventilation of catharsis. Informal
discussions with various groups would help HR in locating options.
3. Reiterate company values
Form a group of under-engaged employees to focus on one of your
company’s thrust areas and entrust them with responsibility of establishing
a mechanism to achieve it. Meet such group/s on regular intervals and
provide them support/guidance to further build the challenging culture. The
person who performs the best be publicly acknowledged for actions and thus
the under-engaged employees’ turns the scenario.
4. Create employee generated value system
Allowing employees to design own ball game and create intellectual war by
forming various task forces and thereby promote team synergy within
various teams that would lead company to improved productivity and
quality. Many teams working on such strategic goals would generate
organizational excellence; however, what is essential here would be game
objective and overall performance of the project. On seeing cognizable
results, all such task force and teams would promote cohesive culture and
directed utilization of under engaged workforce. Finally it is HR to help,
nurture and speed up the progress.
5. Inspire individual projects
Team formation of cross functional employee scan is formed for initiating
uncommon ideas. This would help in getting diversified, meaningful and
creative viewpoint. Such individual assignments aligned with company’s
goal can generate wonderful results. Individual assignments and initiatives
would generate novel directions reassuring creative and energetic workforce
setting an example for all non-performers and under-engaged employees.
6. Celebration of achievement
Display group photos of various task forces/teams on a wall and publish
them around with small write-up on goal attainment. Group photos, game
photos, events photos, activity photos or fun photos on display board would
generate creative recognition of employees. Encouraging and fostering work
relationships and cross functional employee engagement would help HR in
job rotation and career planning.
7. Resolving day to day difficulties
This is a unique initiative to keep under-performing and non-performing
assets engaged for productive cause. Under the initiative, employees are
guided to enlist numerous difficulties tackled by them in their day to day
working and the method adopted by them to encounter such difficulties.
Enlisting such difficulties and method adopted to resolve problems and
issues will form a unique idea glossary. This initiative would highlight the
efforts initiated by employees and on recognition it would work as excellent
engagement initiative as well as would work as an instrument for converting
nonperforming assets to star performers.
8. Recognition and awards
All passing through difficult and time bound tasks for consecutive months,
expects a pat on back. Small, timely and judicious appreciation would
inspire employees to perform better, faster and would also help in keeping
employees focused on company productivity. Recognition of genuine
achievements/efforts would lead to a situation where all employees would
certainly concentrate on their work. This would help HR in keeping
employees engaged and would also help in converting all liabilities into
assets.
9. Inspire charity and empathy
HR can design a policy for appreciating employees who work for noble cause
and demonstrate empathy and help the needy people of society or charitable
institution of their choice. The company can align such efforts with a
specific charity mission of company and such brilliant employees can team-
up and raise fund for group of deprived people or charitable institutions.
This would certainly help employees in feeling management, in other terms
called emotions management.
10. Design retention plan
Under a banner of cost effectiveness, salary and wages bill attracts broad
and immediate attention of top management. As a result,
talented/genius/fully contributing employees finds way out and moves. As a
result, the leftover group is either group of under-engaged or non-performers
putting HR to an odd position of liability management and finally causes
employee management issues. HR can design a retention plan and create
customized/creative retention plan for those genius employees and
simultaneously keep such employees engaged through any of the above
engagement practices OR develop unique engagement practices through HR
experience OR practices developed through various researches and surveys
and further develop talented employees to be more inspired and engaged.
SANJAY SUTHAR (MSW 1989)
DY.GENERAL MANAGER
INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS & ADMIN.
L&T RANOLI
HR PRACTICE’S – THE STEP BEYOND
In today’s world where organizational culture and brand presence are
factors contributing to an organizations success; many firms have an
adopted a pro-active perspective for their peoples practice. To shed light on
this term I can say that an organizations policy that is aimed at creating a
favorable and nourishing environment for its human resource is what
comprises of modern day peoples practices. The increase in transparency
over the internet has led to many changes in the concept of managing
human resources efficiently. Earlier statutory and non-statutory measures
were all that one could associate a different organization with. However,
today organizations are trying to usher a new era of commitment,
contentment and conceptualization of new practices towards its employees.
With multinationals like Google providing one of the best infrastructure
facilities and Virgin Group of companies that have a work schedule strictly
based on Jobs accomplished and not number of hours spent behind a
cubicle, people and entrepreneurs all over the world have started taking
peoples practices seriously. From the change during industrial revolution,
where people were considered as a factor of production which can be
manipulated to optimize their performance to modern day HR practices
which are aimed at creating a creativity enhancing workplace; the corporate
sector has taken a leap of faith into the vast and diverse field of people’s
practices.
Modern day businesses don’t just aim at providing a stock option or
collecting annual feedback from their employees. The corporate sector has
over a period of time evolved into accepting that people need to be given
authority beyond their actual hierarchical authorities. Pro-active measures
like free lunch hour, bulletin boards for employee grievances, informal
leaves question your boss days and organized chaos are just a few examples
of how creative minds can device techniques to cure the workplace from its
stereotype bug. As newer and newer trends keep on emerging, we have truly
entered an age of information where employees all around the world are
given the power to subordinate organizational interests for individual
pleasures, quite contrary to one of Fayol’s principles!
Jaimeen Baxi
Sr. MHRM, Faculty of Social Work
HR QUIZ
WHO AM I ?
1. My surname is named
on a “sauce” even though
I contributed to Human
Relation Movement?
2. Even though I gave bi�h to the most organized movement in the search � a rational and cohesive technical way � managing than also I am the most misunderstood man among all?
3. For me it was said that I used to talk with Ghosts � revolutionary whose surname was given the name to his theory?
4. I gave Four Teen age young Princy who were Pals � the men and his age and his ment? Take the words you like and make my name?
5. I am also a Researcher but my surname can be boiled or stu�ed or could be eaten by everyone?
ANSWERS IN THE NEXT ISSUE