HRudaya

5 Principles for Uncertain Times - Indra Nooyi

2011-11-04T05:56:00.003+05:30

She came, she spoke and she gave the answers. Well, some anyway. PepsiCo's India-born Chairperson and CEO, Ms Indra Nooyi, had the tough job of speaking last at the three-day long AdAsia2011. But she was not at loss for words in her concluding keynote speech, she provided some solutions to dealing with uncertainty.

Dressed in orange and sporting a black jacket, Ms Nooyi, who flew into New Delhi from the Middle East in a private jet just for the keynote, stuck to the conference theme of dealing with uncertainty.

“We are living in a period of negative uncertainty,” she emphasised, “Creativity has given way to fear and risk has triumphed over ingenuity,” she said, grimly pointing to how companies today were grappling with a crisis of leadership, crisis of governorship and severe crisis of expectations.

“While I don't have all the answers, I do have five thoughts,” she said.

FIVE LESSONS

Her first tip to corporations was: recognise and accept that we are in a new era of uncertainty, and adapt accordingly.

Second, lead for today as well as tomorrow at the same time. “It is companies with a clear long-term mission that will thrive. So, we have to work on two time scales at once,” she said.

Third, make big changes to big things. “Disruption is now our friend, not our enemy, she told the marketers.

“If you don't disrupt yourselves, the competition will,” was her warning.

Fourth, nurture talent. “In the time of volatility and uncertainty, the way we buy, broaden and bond our talent will be the key to whether we atrophy, just survive or thrive.”

And, her final piece of advice to heads of corporations was to be super-visible as a leader. “We need to communicate all the time.”.

FIZZ IN EMERGING MARKETS

Ms Nooyi rued that the $60-billion PepsiCo, which employs 300,000, still had most of its business volumes and revenues coming from the developed world.

“I wish 60 per cent of our business was in emerging markets,” she said, saying she was working on getting to a 50:50 situation in the next five years — “50 per cent in emerging markets and 50 per cent in developed markets.”

“We are all evolving models, the book on this has not been written yet,” she concluded.

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Why Companies Aren't Getting the Employees They Need

2011-10-25T09:02:00.001+05:30

By PETER CAPPELLI

Everybody's heard the complaints about recruiting lately.

Even with unemployment hovering around 9%, companies are grousing that they can't find skilled workers, and filling a job can take months of hunting.

Employers are quick to lay blame. Schools aren't giving kids the right kind of training. The government isn't letting in enough high-skill immigrants. The list goes on and on.

But I believe that the real culprits are the employers themselves.

With an abundance of workers to choose from, employers are demanding more of job candidates than ever before. They want prospective workers to be able to fill a role right away, without any training or ramp-up time.

Bad for Companies, Bad for Economy

Andrea Levy

In other words, to get a job, you have to have that job already. It's a Catch-22 situation for workers—and it's hurting companies and the economy.

To get America's job engine revving again, companies need to stop pinning so much of the blame on our nation's education system. They need to drop the idea of finding perfect candidates and look for people who could do the job with a bit of training and practice.

There are plenty of ways to get workers up to speed without investing too much time and money, such as putting new employees on extended probationary periods and relying more on internal hires, who know the ropes better than outsiders would.

It's a fundamental change from business as usual. But the way we're doing things now just isn't working.

The Big Myths

The perceptions about a lack of skilled workers are pervasive. The staffing company ManpowerGroup, for instance, reports that 52% of U.S. employers surveyed say they have difficulty filling positions because of talent shortages.

But the problem is an illusion.

Some of the complaints about skill shortages boil down to the fact that employers can't get candidates to accept jobs at the wages offered. That's an affordability problem, not a skill shortage. A real shortage means not being able to find appropriate candidates at market-clearing wages. We wouldn't say there is a shortage of diamonds when they are incredibly expensive; we can buy all we want at the prevailing prices.

The real problem, then, is more appropriately an inflexibility problem. Finding candidates to fit jobs is not like finding pistons to fit engines, where the requirements are precise and can't be varied. Jobs can be organized in many different ways so that candidates who have very different credentials can do them successfully.

Only about 10% of the people in IT jobs during the Silicon Valley tech boom of the 1990s, for example, had IT-related degrees. While it might be great to have a Ph.D. graduate read your electrical meter, almost anyone with a little training could do the job pretty well.

A Training Shortage

And make no mistake: There are plenty of people out there who could step into jobs with just a bit of training—even recent graduates who don't have much job experience. Despite employers' complaints about the education system, college students are pursuing more vocationally oriented course work than ever before, with degrees in highly specialized fields like pharmaceutical marketing and retail logistics.

Unfortunately, American companies don't seem to do training anymore. Data are hard to come by, but we know that apprenticeship programs have largely disappeared, along with management-training programs. And the amount of training that the average new hire gets in the first year or so could be measured in hours and counted on the fingers of one hand. Much of that includes what vendors do when they bring in new equipment: "Here's how to work this copier."

The shortage of opportunities to learn on the job helps explain the phenomenon of people queueing up for unpaid internships, in some cases even paying to get access to a situation where they can work free to get access to valuable on-the-job experience.

Companies in other countries do things differently. In Europe, for instance, training is often mandated, and apprenticeships and other programs that help provide work experience are part of the infrastructure.

The result: European countries aren't having skill-shortage complaints at the same level as in the U.S., and the nations that have the most established apprenticeship programs—the Scandinavian nations, Germany and Switzerland—have low unemployment.

Employers here at home rightly point to a significant constraint that they face in training workers: They train them and make the investment, but then someone else offers them more money and hires them away.

The Way Forward

That is a real problem. What's the answer?

We aren't going to get European-style apprenticeships in the U.S. They require too much cooperation among employers and bigger investments in infrastructure than any government entity is willing to provide. We're also not going to go back to the lifetime-employment models that made years-long training programs possible.

But I'm also convinced that some of the problem we're up against is simply a failure of imagination. Here are three ways in which employees can get the skills they need without the employer having to invest in a lot of upfront training.

Work with education providers: If job candidates don't have the skills you need, make them go to school before you hire them.

Community colleges in many states, especially North Carolina, have proved to be good partners with employers by tailoring very applied course work to the specific needs of the employer. Candidates qualify to be hired once they complete the courses—which they pay for themselves, at least in part. For instance, a manufacturer might require that prospective job candidates first pass a course on quality control or using certain machine tools.

Going back to school isn't just for new hires, either; it also works for internal candidates. In this setup, the employer pays the tuition costs through tuition reimbursement. But the employees make the bigger investment by spending their own time, almost always off work, learning the material.

Bring back aspects of apprenticeship: In this arrangement, apprentices are paid less while they are mastering their craft—so employers aren't paying for training and a big salary at the same time. Accounting firms, law firms and professional-services firms have long operated this way, and have made lots of money off their young associates.

Of course, a full apprenticeship model—with testing and credentials associated with different stages of experience—wouldn't work in all industries. But a simpler setup would: Companies could give their new workers a longer probationary period—with lower pay—until they get up to speed on the requirements of the job.

Promote from within: Employees have useful knowledge that no outsider could have and should make great candidates for filling jobs higher up. In recent years, however, an incredible two-thirds of all vacancies, even in large companies, have been filled by hiring from the outside, according to data from Taleo Corp., a talent-management company. That figure has dropped somewhat lately because of market conditions. But a generation ago, the number was close to 10%, as internal promotions and transfers were used to fill virtually all positions.

These days, many companies simply don't believe their own workers have the necessary skills to take on new roles. But, once again, many workers could step into those jobs with a bit of training.

And there's one on-the-job education strategy that doesn't cost companies a dime: Organize work so that employees are given projects that help them learn new skills. For example, a marketing manager may not know how to compute the return on marketing programs but might learn that skill while working on a team project with colleagues from the finance department.

Pursuing options like these vastly expands the supply of talent that employers can tap, making it both cheaper and easier to fill jobs. Of course, it's also much better for society. It helps build the supply of human capital in the economy, as well as opening the pathway for more people to get jobs.

It's an important instance where company self-interest and societal interest just happen to coincide.

Dr. Cappelli is the George W. Taylor professor of management at the Wharton School and director of Wharton's Center for Human Resources. He can be reached atreports@wsj.com.

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5 ways to build your people skills

2011-10-11T09:17:00.001+05:30

I am always pained by human resources people asking for “a seat at the table”. I have never seen any other function in the business making the same demand of their colleagues. Ever heard of a finance person asking for a seat at the table? Ever heard someone banging on the door demanding to be let in? Well, that's what it sounds like when someone says, “HR has earned a seat at the table”. How about designing the party where you want to be invited? As long as someone ... anyone else, can do your job half as well as you do, you stand the chance of not being invited to the party. You need to ensure that the key ingredient of the party is what you will bring in. If it is a dance party, bring in the music and be the DJ. You will have people pleading to have you over early so the fun can begin.

In addition to having a deep skill of all aspects of managing people and traditional areas of specialisation such as talent management and rewards management, HR professionals will have to supplement these with some new areas of expertise. Here are five new areas I recommend building your skills in. This is not just for HR people, but for anyone who wants to build their people skills for the workplace of the future.

Market research: The ability to mine data and generate insights will be a key skill. The insights should drive all the people decisions of the organisation. Think of the amount of effort that goes into understanding what the customer wants. Imagine the returns you would get if you put the same rigour in mining insights about your employees.

Technology: Comfort with technology will help professionals build their digital literacy. To be able to build a strong employer brand that is attractive to the current and potential employee pool globally, you will have to understand the possibilities that technology offers and see how you can leverage it. Millennials learn better through video. How about creating nifty videos of your ideas? And that does not mean getting a professional agency to do it!

Financial savvy & humane savvy: You will need to understand the financial implications of your choices. The implementation of the ideas will need to be done in a humane fashion. This is no longer a contradiction. It is the way in which business is expected to operate. While the decision has to be financially viable and good for the long-term health of the business, the leaders of the future workplace will keep the human element in mind.

Creative communication: The next decade will see a large number of people under 30 being added to the global workforce. Between 2010 and 2030, India will add 241 million people in the working-age population, Brazil 18 million, and China will add 10 million people in the same time. Think of this generation as one that speaks a foreign language that you do not know. That is the communication challenge of working in a multi-generational work environment. You have to learn to speak many languages. Some people find it hard to learn languages. The best time to start doing that is now.

Governance: You will need to build a deeper understanding of legal frameworks not just about laws relating to employment, but also about corporate governance, taxes, and sustainability that have so far been left to the legal department. Global leaders will need to learn at least the basics of the legal framework of doing business in a country and also know the basics of employment laws in operation. I am assuming you know these for the country you operate out of. How many others countries would fall in that category?

How well would you say you currently stack up against these areas? How would your colleagues rate you on these? Let me know.

(Abhijit Bhaduri is the Chief Learning Officer, Wipro)

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Pink slip party back again !!

2011-08-14T08:17:00.002+05:30

With pink slips starting to fly, it’s time to yodel the blues at Big Blue.

As many as 165 ‘resources’ — euphemism for employees on contract — have been shown the door by IBM Global Technology Services, the consulting and outsourcing firm that’s part of the US hardware giant, two sources familiar with the development said.

And another 1,000 are expected to be given the marching orders soon.

The sackings are believed to be part of a first round of downsizing, likely on account of IBM losing or ramping down some projects.

“The company has not cited any reason. In fact, no one barring the top management had any inkling of the move,” one person said, requesting he be not identified.

Typically, contract employees or consultants are hired just for specific project requirements.

The action comes even as the US and Europe grapple with recession, which is expected to have a significant impact on outsourcing firms.

When asked to confirm the job cuts, a spokesperson for the company said, “IBM continuously transforms its business, rebalancing skills and capabilities in order to meet the changing needs of clients and our business as a whole.”

Dataquest, a journal that tracks the industry, estimates IBM in India had revenues of Rs14,132 crore in the year to March 2011, clocking a growth of 14% over the previous year. Nearly 52%
of the revenues came services delivered to clients outside India.

“The move to lay off people depends on how specific projects shape up. This is normal practice in the US,” said Shamanuja Das, editor of Dataquest.

“In fact, in the US, most companies follow this practice. Unlike India, where management usually thinks twice before asking its employees to leave, US has a different culture,” Das said. “So, in case a project is not giving expected returns, people involved in it get fired.”

Also, new hires at IBM Global Technology Services have either not received their offer letters or are yet to be given a date of joining, a source said.

IBM has fired staff in the past too. In 2008, it reportedly dismissed around 700 freshers with the onset of the financial crisis.
Interestingly, last month IBM had increased the notice period to be served by its employees from 30 days to 90 days, in an apparent bid to reduce attrition.

With the slowdown in US imminent and fast approaching Oct-Dec time frame companies will be cautious in hiring work force and will take this opportunity to get rid of non performers. Expect more and more firings happening in the upcoming months !

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Why recruiters like Facebook ?

2011-08-09T06:59:00.002+05:30

By JOE LIGHT

More companies are trying to tap Facebook Inc.'s 750-million-plus user base to
find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with
LinkedIn Corp., which has dominated the online professional networking arena.

Facebook's use as a job-recruitment tool remains small, but its appeal may be
growing. Some recruiters say they have all but eliminated their spending on job
boards, which can charge a few hundred dollars per job posting, depending on
volume. Others note that while LinkedIn contains a more comprehensive résumé
database, candidates tend to value referrals from their connections on Facebook
more.

The majority of social-media traffic to Waste Management Inc.'s careers website
comes from Facebook, beating out LinkedIn, said Jenny DeVaughn, manager of
social media and employment branding. The Houston-based environmental services
company is currently trying to fill 1,500 positions—from software developers to
garbage truck drivers.

In addition to posting jobs and videos of current employees on its Facebook
page, the company has recruiters and other employees find user groups and join
discussions.

When asked for comment, LinkedIn referred to its chief executive's remarks from
last week's conference call to discuss earnings. During the call , CEO Jeff
Weiner said users tell the company they want to keep their personal and
professional networks separate.

Indeed, Jeff Vijungco, vice president of world-wide talent acquisition for Adobe
Systems Inc., said that in focus groups, prospective job candidates were sharply
averse to being contacted through Facebook for jobs.

"The antibodies kicked in pretty quickly. They thought it was very invasive," he
said. The company posts job openings on its Facebook page, but Mr. Vijungco said
they have had more success finding employees through LinkedIn.

Facebook hires account for less than 1% of the total hires companies are making,
according to Jobs2Web, which helps companies track the sources of candidates and
hires.

But if current growth trends continue, Facebook could rival traditional job
boards in 2012, said Jobs2Web analytics manager Phil Schrader.

Matt Mund, Monster.com's vice president of product management, acknowledged that
Facebook as a recruiting platform is growing rapidly. The company, which hosts a
job board and other recruiter services, launched its own Facebook app, dubbed
BeKnown, in June, and the application now has nearly 800,000 monthly users,
according to AppData.com, a market research group. Over the next couple of
weeks, the company plans to launch a program where companies can offer employees
cash rewards for making referrals through the app.

"While I wish every company used Monster, social is a solution that many people
are using," he said.

As the number of job postings overall has bounced back from the depths of the
recession, Monster's core job postings businesses have benefited. Revenue in the
second quarter at Monster Worldwide Inc. rose 25% to $270 million from the prior
year.

LinkedIn's revenue from company recruiters is also growing rapidly. In the
second quarter, the company's hiring solutions segment—which among other things
helps recruiters search through their profile database for candidates—grew 170%
to $58.6 million from the same quarter a year earlier.

Still, Facebook is making a dent. VMware Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.,
cloud-computing company, hired its first full-time recruiter dedicated to
working on social networks in November and is building a team of recruiters who
will focus on social platforms. The company, which is hiring for about 1,200
positions, has cut back on the number of jobs it posts to job boards, said Will
Staney, talent acquisition Web strategy manager.

While VMware still relies on LinkedIn to recruit higher-level executive talent,
Mr. Staney said that Facebook users tend to spend more time on the service and
are easier to reach than LinkedIn users. Since February, the number of monthly
active users on its Facebook page more than tripled to 11,000, he said.

Beginning next week, the company also plans to pilot a new Facebook application
that will allow them to search for candidates on BranchOut Inc.'s Facebook app
which, similar to BeKnown, builds a professional networking layer on top of
Facebook and has more than 2.6 million monthly users, according to AppData.com.

Candidates have been 50% more likely to apply to positions they found through
Facebook than through other means, said Mr. Staney. "[Job boards] just blast it
out. This is much more efficient and targeted," he said.

Source : wsj

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New trends in HR !

2011-01-26T07:50:00.004+05:30

Infosys may have over a lakh of employees on its rolls, but it has an equal number of ex-employees as well and the IT major is not merely looking at them to rehire but also tap them for knowledge, people, career and events.

About 96,650 people have been Infoscians in the last 30 years and are now working in other companies in the sector or have chosen to become entrepreneurs, the company said at its FYQ3 results recently.

Alumni network

Realising that a one lakh-strong ex-employee pool was not to be overlooked, Infosys launched the green channel last year where alumni were given the option of returning to the alma mater. About 2,500 applications were received through this channel and about 500 offers have been made.

The company also launched an alumni network on January 1 this year and has received about 13,000 applications so far for registration. “This is not exactly directed at recruitment, but could lead to referrals where ex-Infoscians could refer some of their friends for jobs at the company,” says Ms Nandita Gurjar, Senior Vice-President and Group Head, HR, Infosys Technologies.

The company has reduced its dependence on recruitment vendors by almost 15 per cent this year, as 61 per cent of the 5,500 laterals recruited were through referrals. For an industry that has seen and accepted employees changing jobs as frequently as twice a year, Infosys is now coming down heavily on frequent job-hopping. “We will not hire anyone who has switched jobs more than twice in five years,” says Mr Mohandas Pai, Head, HR, Infosys Technologies.

Campus hiring

The IT major is in the process of visiting 240-plus engineering campuses and 50 business schools this year and will hire close to 26,000 freshers. About one lakh of the current talent pool are engineers, a ratio which the company is planning to change. By 2014, about 60 per cent of the employees would be engineers, 20 per cent business management graduates and the rest from other streams, Mr Pai has already indicated.

Our View

Many IT companies are following the trend of welcoming their ex colleagues. The point here is why are companies let go their best talent ? Large corporations tend to ignore the career aspirations and are not in a position to assess the capabilities and retain those who have great potential to grow vertically and take up additional responsibilities.

Sowmya

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Organizational Culture Change

2011-01-12T06:21:00.001+05:30

Mohit Kishore

The changing culture is a complex problem faced by many organisations. It's a lot like repairing the engine of a moving vehicle. While new firms have the luxury of gradually building the culture that best serves their interest, larger organisations tend to find themselves ‘stuck' with cultures that may be completely at odds with their stated vision or strategy. The big question then is whether it is possible to change culture mid-course. The answer may lie in understanding how culture is created in the first place.

individual & organisational values

The crux of culture is values — in simple terms values expressed in the form of behaviours is what is perceived as culture. Values themselves may be of two kinds — individual and organisational.

The source of organisational values is usually the values of the founders. However, with time, as the firm transitions the values could change. This could be due to a lack of attention paid to the developing culture, particularly when meeting the demands of rapid growth. This takes the form of indiscriminate addition of individuals whose values may be at odds with the founding values. While organisational values may be documented formally, the ‘real' organisational values are informally “stored” in the minds of members of the organisation.

Individual values may be of two kinds — expressed, and suppressed. Expressed values are those that members of an organisation choose to express in their behaviour based on their assessment of what is required in the organisation or ‘what works'. The other values possessed by an individual member may be suppressed, at least in the organisational context. It is this interplay between “stored” organisational values and individual values that develops into “culture” in the manifested form. The metaphor of an iceberg could represent this interplay. What is seen above the surface is culture, but what lies beneath is the cause — the complex, ever-evolving dynamic of organisational and individual values.

The right culture

The next question that arises is — what is the right kind of culture for a particular organisation. The simple answer to this would be — the culture in which there is no conflict between organisational and individual values, and where organisational values themselves are aligned to what the organisation seeks to achieve. It is important to recognise that the culture manifested at any time is indeed already the most appropriate culture for the current interplay between organisational and individual member values.

However, this culture may happen to be completely counter-productive to the organisational goals, owing to degraded organisational values or high conflict between individual and organisational values. Any attempt to transform culture by simply manipulating the manifest dimension of culture will not succeed unless the underlying interplay of values is not addressed.

Thus, culture transformation must address both organisational and individual values. On the organisational values front, one may first need to begin with an assessment of what the organisation's values really are. If the current state of values is a diluted version of the original intent, a fresh rediscovery or redefinition of values may need to take place in order to define an ideal state.

On the individual values front, the first intervention should be at the ‘input' stage, where new members are inducted. If a well-defined organisational identity or value is in place, it is not difficult to identify and add individuals who are in alignment. The bigger challenge is for existing members. Here, the solution is likely to be a more gradual one. It may involve a reassessment of all levels in the hierarchy to determine the “culture” icons best suited for leadership roles in the “new world” as it were. Leadership roles are the key fulcrums upon which culture is reinforced. This is because leadership behaviours typically tend to activate the relevant values in followers (provided the followers subscribe to those values at least partially).

Over time, a culture transformation process would start to work on the organisation's memory, replacing negative versions of the organisation's values that are “stored” in the minds of members with fresh versions, till the new version becomes the new normal.

Setting right a malfunctioning or poorly aligned organisational culture is undoubtedly a complex process and may require an intuitive, right-brained mindset on the part of the designers, as well as multiple iterations to arrive at the right solution.

Finally, culture needs to be an integral component of organisational strategy, as it is the foundational building block upon which the organisation's purpose can be manifested into reality.

(The writer is a management professional. He can be contacted at mohit.kishore@gmail.com)

Source : Businessline

Sowmya

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Are Women employees most mobile ??

2011-01-11T07:12:00.001+05:30

Employees in the country in general, and women in particular, are the most mobile and are expected to take the lead in finding new jobs in the New Year, with Delhi women being in the top-seekers, says a survey.

"We see a clear upswing in the domestic job market. Employees across various sections - age groups, cities, income, education etc - are showing an increasing trend in mobility. With both employment and employee preference on an upward curve, 2011 is expected to see a strong positive development in the organised employment sector," Ma Foi Randstad Managing Director K Pandia Rajan said today.

Ma Foi Randstad is the largest integrated HR services company and part of the 12.4-billion euro Randstad Group, which the world's second-largest HR services company, based in Diemen, the Netherlands.

While women are the top job-seekers, according to the Ma Foi Randstad Workmonitor Wave 4 study that is an indicator of employee mobility, Delhi has the highest mobility index among the major metros. The national capital also has the highest factual job change and the highest job-loss fear figures.

As per the survey, amongst all countries surveyed, India has the highest index of 153 indicating that employees here show the greatest intent to change jobs in the next six months. This is as against 141 recorded in last quarter. India is followed at a relatively large distance of 29 (or more) points by China, Mexico and Chile reflecting a relatively high mobility index in these nations too.

The mobility index is least in the Luxembourg, Germany, Hungary and the Netherlands indicating least employee churn, says the survey.

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Communication is Key to Success

2011-01-11T06:16:00.001+05:30

So you have an idea for a business—one that you believe has the potential to alter the industry. You have put together a simple, straightforward proposition that potential customers find easy to understand. You have raised the necessary capital, gathered a team and publicized your new venture by every means available. What happens next?

It’s time to deliver on your promises. And the only difference between merely satisfactory delivery and great delivery is attention to detail.

Anyone who aspires to lead a company must develop a habit of taking notes. I carry a notebook everywhere I go. Most of my entries are like this one, from a Virgin Atlantic flight years ago: “Dirty carpets. Fluff. Areas around bow dirty. Equipment: stainless steel, grotty. Choice of menu disappointing—back from Miami, prawns then lobster (as a main course) in Upper Class. Chicken curry very bland. Chicken should be cut in chunks. Rice pretty dry. No Stilton available on cheeseboard.”

What’s most revealing is this final note: “Staff desperate for someone to listen. Make sure flight staff reports are actioned IMMEDIATELY.” I’m pleased to say that they now are. This is the real key to getting all the other items on the list done—employees are better able to report problems and get them fixed before I come along with my notebook.

And as you decide how best to deliver your product or service, keep in mind the company’s core business values, the medium-term strategic considerations and where the industry is headed in the long term. Make your decisions on the microlevel in light of that bigger picture, and your business should be headed in the right direction.

This problem-solving process should not be limited to the launch. Owners and leaders of established companies should sample their business’ products as often as possible. Many bosses regularly speak to staff at all levels, but often they do not follow up on problems they uncover. This means that their employees never learn what importance the chief executive places on getting the details right, or see just how necessary and possible it is to address the everyday problems that come up. If you foster a corporate culture of waiting for someone else to solve problems, the company will suffer the consequences.

Great delivery also depends on great communication, which should start at the top. Be brave: hand out your email address and phone number. Your employees will know not to misuse it or badger you, and by doing so, you will be giving them a terrific psychological boost—they will know that they can contact you anytime a problem comes up that requires your attention.

Instilling attention to detail throughout your new company will prove especially important when the business begins to gain ground. It always tickles me when a spokesman explains to reporters that a company experiencing delays or other problems in delivering a product or service is “a victim of its own success”—as though it had undergone something rare and freakish. Delivery is not just limited to the company’s first day: Employees across the business should be focusing on getting it right all day, every day.

A few years ago, I saw warning signs that we were starting to stumble when I received a letter from a couple who had planned to travel on Virgin Trains in Britain. We had seen a rapid 50% increase in passenger numbers, and suddenly people were finding it difficult to get a seat on the busier routes. The letter writers had not realized that they now had to book seats in advance. When they arrived at the station, they found the staff unhelpful. Given that the husband was disabled and needed assistance, this was pretty terrible of us.

I personally helped them with their problem, and in the process became concerned about the bigger picture for this company. I penned a letter to Ashley Stockwell, the brand and customer service guardian for Virgin Group, asking him to take a look. Thanks to our renewed focus on delivering great service and attention to detail, we got better and soon received plaudits. I’m proud to say that Virgin Trains delivered on its promises—it wasn’t easy.

Finally, if you do start to see success in the form of new and repeat business, remember to keep a cool head. You’re delivering change, and if you are succeeding, other businesses are very probably getting hurt in the rough and tumble. They will try to shut you down.

Be sportsmanlike, play to win, and then befriend your enemies. If you do fall out with a partner, colleague or competitor, call that person a year later and take him out to dinner. It is likely you have a great deal in common. After all, why did you both get into the business in the first place? To deliver change, serve customers, reform an industry—does any of this sound familiar? Now, what can you create together?

by nyt syndicate

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Part Time Jobs - Are you ready ?

2011-01-08T07:21:00.001+05:30

Anjali Prayag

Bangalore, Jan. 7

After offering flexi hours and work-from-home option, tech MNCs are now giving their employees a larger work-life balance choice through part-time work, that is., work for half of a week or choose to work for fewer hours during the entire week.

Starting January 1, SAP Labs India rolled out this new initiative for its employees: they could either choose a four-hour per day work week or decide to work full day for just three or four days in a week.

Terming this as ‘another step to provide a meaningful work life balance' for its employees, Mr Bhuvaneswar Naik, Vice-President, HR, SAP India, said that the salary would decrease in proportion to the option chosen.

Reducing workload

Global tech major GE-Jack F Welch Technology Centre too offers its employees the ‘part-time option' where employees can reduce their workload and consequently decrease work days to fewer than the standard work week days, with a corresponding adjustment in compensation and benefits. Compensation and benefits such as leave, provident fund and gratuity will be reduced to reflect the reduced work schedule, says Mr Raj Raghavan, HR Leader at GE-JFWTC.

Accenture has gone one step ahead and has ‘institutionalised' the flexibility in teams and groups where flexible work options were difficult to operationalise. Through Project Santulan, it has identified those specific roles and ‘flexidised' and ‘unbundled' them.

“We looked into every role and identified components of it which could be done flexibly. Interestingly, the roles we identified belong to job families that potentially impact over two thousand people in the organisation,” says Mr Prithvi Shergill, Human Resources Lead, Accenture India.

Honeywell Technology Solutions does offer part-time working option to employees, including women employees immediately after their statutory maternity leave and employees taking care of special short-term situations at home involving families.

They are also allowed to work part-time either to complete higher studies or for health reasons on a case-to-case basis for periods of time as agreed to with their immediate managers, says Mr Uday Tulapurkar, Director and HR Head India, Honeywell Technology Solutions.

Flexi variants

Ms Saundarya Rajesh, Founder-President, Avtar Career Creators, a recruitment firm that helps people find flexi jobs, says that with over a dozen variants of flexi-working in the Indian workplace, which are proven and tested in terms of efficiency and productivity, companies are surely waking up to the fact that it is better to provide legitimised flexibility than manage absenteeism and low performance and in the case of a woman, even a break in career.

“All large cities are magnets of talent but commuting is a challenge with infrastructure not quite keeping pace with development. Today's lifestyle and the double-income family also impose unique demands on time – for both the man and woman and such options are useful,” she says.

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How to write Employee Handbook

2010-12-17T11:36:00.004+05:30

By employing small business management techniques to write your employee handbook, you can be assured it will be effective and to the point. Remember, your employee handbook is not your policy and procedure manual. Jean Scheid takes a look at your employee handbook and what should be in it.

Handbook Vs. Policy & Procedure Manual

Your employee handbook is not your policy and procedure manual. Nor do all businesses need a policy and procedure manual. For smart small business management; however, a good, clean employee handbook is necessary.

A policy and procedure manual is usually full of information on each policy your business has and what the policy or procedure is for each. It's more of a step-by-step guide of how to's in case employees have operational questions. It can also be more of a training guide that is updated from time to time or revised entirely.

An employee handbook, on the other hand, is usually not revised unless a new labor law results from a government agency or your company changes or updates a rule contained within the employee handbook.

What Should Be In It?

By employing small business management techniques to write your employee handbook, you'll have a great guide you can give to every employee you hire. Before you begin to write your employee handbook, make a list or table of contents. Even if you think something doesn't apply to your business, you should cover it. The most popular topics are:

Welcome to new employees - This should be a brief statement on the history of the company and a welcome by the owner.
Orientation period - It's important to note that the US Department of Labor does not recognize what is called a "probationary period." Companies may use the word "orientation" or "getting to know period." In this section talk about how long the orientation period will be for the employee; usually one to three months.
New hire requirements - Here you should list all documents new hires will be required to produce, or fill out, such a driver's license, employment applications, W-4, and the completion of the I-9 (US employment eligibility form).
Work schedule - This should clearly explain the hours your business is open and what work schedules are assigned.
Employee's wages - Explain the difference between hourly and salaried employees and explain overtime pay. In almost every state, an hourly employee who works over forty hours must be paid at time and one-half. Check with your local Department of Labor if you're not sure.
Bereavement leave - Explain the company's policy on bereavement leave. If your policy is only for certain family members and amount of time allowed off, list them clearly.
Jury duty & voting - By law, no employer may terminate any employee who is called to jury duty; so clearly explain that. You don't have to pay the employee if they are called to jury duty unless they wish to use accrued sick, vacation or personal time. Employers must also allow employees to vote at any time of the day. While you can suggest they vote during off-hours, you can't demand they do so.
Military leave - Employers are also not allowed to terminate any employee who is called to military service. Let them know their job is safe.
Dress code and appearance - Give a general description of how you want employees to dress and the type of conduct you want them to adhere to.
Holiday pay - Clearly list what holidays will be paid holidays.

What Should Be In It (cont.)

Sick or personal time - State if your company has a sick or personal time policy and how they can earn it. If hours do or do not accrue, explain this.
Vacation pay - This section should outline how long an employee must work at your company in order to receive vacation pay and if it graduates in weeks off the longer they stay employed. To protect yourself, include a statement on whether vacation pay accrues or doesn't accrue and why.
Hazardous conditions - You want every employee to feel safe and free of hazardous conditions. Give them the opportunity to leave the work site if they feel they are in danger. You should also write a separate safety manual.
Payroll deductions - Explain all the deductions you will take from employee's paychecks including federal, state, social security, Medicare, state tax, local taxes, wage garnishments, uniforms, etc.
Company benefits - If your company offers health insurance, a retirement plan or dental plan, briefly state how long they must be employed to participate and direct them to the person in charge of handling company benefits.
Workman's compensation insurance - Tell you employees you have workman's compensation insurance and direct them to the labor law poster that describes what to do in an accident.
Employee performance evaluations - Let your employees know how you plan to evaluate their performance and at what intervals. Also state that a good employee performance evaluation doesn't necessarily mean a raise in pay.
Warnings and disciplinary actions - List your employee warning and disciplinary action procedure. Check with other companies in your area similar in size to your to find out what they do for warnings and consequences. Networking can be extremely helpful here.
Sexual harassment and discrimination policy - All employee handbooks should include a sexual harassment policy and a discrimination policy. Most insurance company's who hold your business liability insurance will insist you have these policies in written form.
Addendum - Leave room for future addendum's to policies contained within the handbook and state the date the handbook was written or revised. If you do revise anything in your handbook, give it a new revision date.
Employee acknowledgment page - Include a page that says the employee was given a copy of the employee handbook on a certain date and have the employee sign the acknowledgment page. Keep a copy of the acknowledgment page in their employee file and give them a copy.
At Will Clause - Find out if your state is an at-will state meaning you may terminate an employee for any reason or they may quit for any reason. If you do have such a policy, make sure to include it.

Have it Reviewed

Before you give out your employee handbook, ask your Management to review it. Often, they will make suggestions, improvements or offer additional items to include that are specific to your type of business.

Ask your local Department of Labor to review your employee handbook to ensure you are in compliance with wording and other information.

Seek the advice of a labor law attorney or network with other companies. Most companies will offer to help you with your employee handbook at no charge if you can agree to network or throw business each other's way; or are not in direct competition with the company.

Make sure to employee small business management skills to write your employee handbook and make sure you know what should be in it before you begin to write it.

If you wish to have your HR policies / Employee Manual / HR Manual evaluated by our professionals get in touch with us for free consultation.

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How HR is helping employees to re-wind ?

2010-12-14T07:51:00.001+05:30

How HR is helping employees to re-wind ?

If you were told you could put your feet up and take a nap in office, would you think Santa Claus came your way a bit early in the year? In case you think one is spinning a yarn, be assured this is no dream.

Increasingly, Indian companies are opening their doors and minds to unconventional and even fun methods of unwinding that can bring the zing back in their employees. From power nap rooms, culinary workshops to raising your mug for beer, perks are not just about money. This New Year choose the concepts you would like your HR to introduce at your workplace, pronto.

Sleep at work

When Radhika Iyer, an assistant manager at CBay Systems, Mumbai, mentioned the Crash-out Room at her office where employees can take a quick nap, her friends thought she was a master storyteller. CBay Systems is a medical transcription, medical billing and coding services company which has round-the-clock operations. “I was taken aback when I first joined the organization and was told about it,” she recalls. “I had quit my previous software organization due to stress and here I was told, there is a room where I can sleep.”

Work is fun too: (clockwise from top) employees enjoy a game of foosball at the Chill Zone, RPG House, Mumbai; dartboard practice at Chill Zone, RPG House; 10-minute naps at the Crash-out Room refresh employees at CBay Systems, Mumbai; and co-workers learn to make chocolates at Broadridge Financial Solutions, Hyderabad.

The Crash-out Room has 20 bunk beds for employees to take a 10-minute nap when stressed at work or take a quick nap during lunch time (1 hour). But there is a rider: An employee wanting to take a nap has to inform his/her section head. No permission is required to take a nap during lunch hour.

Why it works: Sanjay Shanmugaum, vice-president, human resources, CBay Systems explains, “Employee health is a top most concern for us. With this objective in mind, we have set up Break-out Rooms (with recreational facilities such as table tennis and dart games) and Crash-out Rooms for our employees. They are aimed at relieving physical and mental stress.” The company has found that these rooms have proved to be a “hit” and has resulted in “an increased inter-employee interaction, thus increasing a sense of belonging with the company”. The high point, says Shanmugaum, is that “these rooms have projected a ‘we-care’ attitude for CBay Systems, thus aiding in higher (employee) retention”.

Project robot

When competitiveness at work transcends to play, it sharpens one’s game. And when there’s a cash award thrown in, there’s no reason to complain. Progress Software India (PSI), Hyderabad, holds BotWars (a game in which competitors make robots and then teams compete with each other’s robots) every quarter, called PSI Robocode competition and Age of Empires tournament. These are held not just for fun but also to pose a challenge to employees at computer educational games. Kiran Kumar, software engineer, who took part in the Robocode competition, says, “It is relaxation from work. As one is engrossed during after work hours at something that is intellectually stimulating, it is immensely challenging to be a part of such competitions at the workplace with one’s colleagues and teammates.”

Why it works: Sachin Hejip, director, centre for enterprise in progress division, PSI, explains: “As a product company, we need to find ways to think on our feet and out of the box. We are also very self-driven and expect a lot in terms of communication from our team members. These events, organized by the employees themselves, help to improve soft skills—providing employees excellent opportunities of learning and growth outside of their regular work. We also give cash awards to the winners ranging from Rs10,000-20,000, depending on the event.”

Hobby central

If it is games for some organizations, then it is about developing hobbies for others. Broadridge Financial Solutions (India) Pvt. Ltd, a financial services company, Hyderabad, organizes creative workshops where employees can learn the art of origami and calligraphy and how to make chocolate, pots anddiyas, and puppets. The families of employees can take part too.

After every workshop, employees fill up a feedback form, sharing their experiences and also give recommendations on how to improve these workshops. The company organizes future workshops based on this feedback.

Why it works: These initiatives are conducted on Sundays to ensure employees can come with their families,” says Rajita Kumar, head, human resources, Broadridge Financial Solutions. “The aim is to explore new creative ideas and spend time together.”

Let the beer flow

Most organizations throw parties quarterly, half yearly or annually. But NetApp India, Bangalore, organizes a beer bash every Friday evening with unlimited beer on the tap for its employees. Needless to say, it is the most awaited day of the week. “We look forward to the lively, chilled-out social evenings for a heavy dose of fun, laughter, camaraderie and office chit-chats. It is a great way to de-stress, unwind and connect with the fellas,” says Keith Dias, workplace resources director, NetApp.

Why it works: S.R. Manjunath, senior director, HR, NetApp India, says: “We have social evenings over drinks and snacks where employees can unwind and connect with their colleagues at an informal level, irrespective of their designations. This helps in narrowing the gap between employee and employer. We also have Nintendo Wii, table tennis, and other indoor games. Initiatives like these build camaraderie within the employees and strengthen team-building initiatives.”

Chill Zone

From a mixed bag of games (adventurous ones too for the sporty types) to listening to music to even enjoying a quiet read, the Chill Zone at RPG House (earlier known as Ceat Mahal), Mumbai, has something for everyone. There is a music station, a video games section with an LCD television and recliners, a mini library (books, CDs, DVDs), a pool table, chess and carrom sets, a table-tennis board and a dart board too. Interestingly, the zone also has a punching bag to vent out your anger, when the going gets tough. Employees can use the facilities anytime during work hours and even after work. Vinod Kumar, head marketing, Ceat, who plays games at the zone every day, says, “The range of games available is exciting. I also feel it helps in bonding with team members, as the informal atmosphere here helps in having work-related discussions in a relaxed and open manner.”

Why it works: The Chill Zone is a perfect example of how the organization trusts its employees, says Arvind Agrawal, president and chief executive, corporate development and HR, RPG Enterprises. “While there will be no negotiations on deliverables by allowing employees to use office time for recreation, it re-emphasizes its trust on the fact that employees are responsible human beings who know what is expected from them and are focussed on deadlines. It also provides them with the much needed stress-buster, making RPG a fun place to work for.”

Isn’t it time you send your wish list to your HR?

Author : Sheela Nair

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Hiring Spree in India

2010-12-09T05:53:00.001+05:30

New Delhi: In line with India's strong growth story, the July-September period has witnessed a smart surge in hiring activities that is likely to remain bullish in the December quarter, says a report. Out of 9,117 companies surveyed by recruitment firm across 52 countries, 76 per cent of organisations in India made active hirings in the July-September quarter of the calendar year.

This reflects a jump of 5 per cent since January, recruitment firm Antal International said in its report titled global snapshot. "The market is expected to remain strong, with the percentage of companies planning to hire over the next three months even higher at 81 per cent, with increased jobs in healthcare, manufacturing, real estate and IT/ITES during the fourth quarter (October-December)of the year," the report noted.

In another good news for the employees, the report also pointed out that attrition rate is expected to decline during the remainder of 2010 from the September quarter which saw one of the five businesses letting their staff go. "For chief executives and HR directors around the globe, the key business challenge is already shifting away from headcount reduction or containment to how to source the talent they will need in improving markets," Antal CEO Tony Goodwin said.

This reflects the improved global employment markets, where 57 per cent of organisations are in the process of hiring in comparison to 54 per cent in June quarter. Globally, Asia stands out as the healthiest jobs market for managers and professionals with 86 per cent hiring trend in Thailand, China (81 per cent ), Philippines (80 per cent) and Singapore (79 per cent).

The report is based upon material sourced from over 9,100 businesses in commerce, industry and the financial services sector across 52 countries in September and October 2010.

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10 Things Recruiters Won't Tell You

2010-11-19T07:16:00.003+05:30

1. “There are better ways to find a job.”

A recruiter or agency is one part of a job search, but it shouldn’t be your primary source – and maybe not your secondary one, either. Referrals – that is, a connection made by someone you know – remain your best bet. CareerXRoads’ annual survey of more than 200 employers shows that the percentage of hires made through referrals has remained remarkably consistent over the last five years. Nearly 27% of respondents said referrals were the biggest factor in external hires in 2009, practically unchanged from its 27.1% figure in 2005. Third-party agencies, meanwhile, accounted for only 2.3% of external hires last year, compared to a 5.2% success rate in 2005.

2. “We don’t work for you.”

Christy Ezelle, a media advertising executive in New York, was in her first job out of college when she got a call from a headhunter working for a major advertising agency. It was a good experience, until she tried to negotiate her salary – the company wouldn’t budge. Why? They had already shelled out for the headhunter that tracked her down – a fee that was eating into the amount they were willing to pay Ezelle.

Recruiters work for the hiring company, and that’s where their allegiance lies – not with the job-seeker. That means headhunters will always be more interested in making their client happy than in finding a candidate the best possible package, says Carolyn Dougherty, an executive search consultant in Villanova, Penn. “There’s a belief that the recruiter is working on the candidate’s behalf and that’s not the case,” she says. “They’re working for the client – that’s where the fee is coming from.” And because most recruiters don’t get paid until the position gets filled, they care more about sealing the deal than about getting you another $10,000.

3. “Until a year ago, I was a car salesman.”

There are no laws or rules that govern what constitutes an “employment agency” or who can call himself a recruiter, and setting up shop is pretty easy: A year’s worth of advertising, office space, travel and communications equipment is just $50,000 for an experienced recruiter like Eleanor Sweet, who runs the Remington Group in Barrington, Ill., an hour outside of Chicago; a rookie could put out a shingle for far less. Anyone can do it, she says, “It’s pretty much like getting a real estate license.”

That means job seekers have to vet a recruiter with the same diligence they’d investigate a potential employer. Ask how long the recruiter’s been in the business, and where they’ve placed candidates in the past – and then call those companies and confirm, experts advise. Also, though a certification isn’t required to be a recruiter, there are a handful of designations a pro can earn. Getting certified as a Temporary Staffing Specialist, a Personnel Consultant, or a Professional in Human Resources don’t require any coursework, but all require previous experience and the passage of an exam – legitimate hoops for a dedicated professional to jump through. One strategy to avoid at all costs: firms that charge for job search services or call themselves “fee-based counselors” raise red flags with experienced recruiters, because “It’s expected that the company pays the fee,” says Dougherty. (see No. 2, above).

4. “The job we advertised may not exist.”

Recruiters often advertise appealing jobs that aren’t vacant, just to build up a stable of candidates, says Nick Corcodilos, who heads the executive search firm North Bridge Group and runs www.asktheheadhunter.com in Lebanon, N.J. From a staffing firm or recruiter’s perspective, this is a practical way to do business, because many assignments offer a bonus for filling a key job fast. But for the job hunter, it’s misleading, raising false hopes at an already anxious time.

That doesn’t mean an applicant’s efforts are useless. Just because there’s no job now doesn’t mean there won’t be one in a few months. Jeremy Dixon, general manager at A-1 Temps in Tampa, says client companies will ask him for 50 people qualified for customer service positions “in a couple of weeks.” If he has a sufficient pool of established applicants, he can place them in a hurry.

For the best odds of success, job-seekers should identify companies and positions they’re specifically interested in and seek out recruiters who work with them. (This is particularly true for anyone seeking an upper management job, for which companies typically rely on an established relationship with a recruiter or recruiting firm.)

5. “We already know quite a bit about you.”

As soon as you sign up with a recruiter or search firm, they check you out – your background, your credit history, even legal records. That’s why they have applicants sign all those disclosures. If you want to work with them, you have to submit. That’s fairly standard in the job market these days, whether or not you work with a recruiter, but unlike a recruiter, a prospective employer usually doesn’t do the background check until after he’s met you. That gives a candidate the opportunity to impress on his merits, and explain anything that might be dodgy in his history. Working through a recruiter, a job seeker might never get that chance.

In that case, all you can do is make sure that the information they have is accurate, says Corcodilos. Almost 80 percent of credit reports contain errors, and 25 percent have what’s considered to be a “serious error” such as false delinquencies or accounts that did not belong to the consumer, according to a 2004 study from U.S. PIRG. To ensure you’ll be judged on your own merits, check your credit report for errors and take steps to fix what you find.

6. “Our jobs aren’t so hot either.”

Because most agencies don’t get paid unless they place candidates at jobs, the weak labor market has taken its toll. In Orange County, Calif., for example, the 20 largest employment firms saw revenue drop almost 20% in 2009, prompting many to lay off employees, according to an Orange County Business Journal survey. A lot of experienced people have left the field, says Darrel Gurney, an independent career consultant who runs the CareerGuy.com web site, leaving “empty desks and brand spanking new people who have never done this before.” That means you often don’t get the best help in your job search, particularly working with smaller firms, he says.

Bigger, national and international firms are doing better. Revenue at Switzerland’s Adecco, the world’s largest staffing company, rose 16% in July and August. Meanwhile, revenues at domestic search firms Manpower (MAN: 55.82, +2.06, +3.83%) and Robert Half International (RHI: 27.54, +0.55, +2.03%) are up 15% and 6% respectively in the last three months, in part a result of an increase in revenue-producing job placements.

7. “You’re at the mercy of a computer, just like online job board users.”

The rise of online job sites like Monster (MWW: 19.37, +0.35, +1.84%) and Careerbuilder has changed the way many staffing professionals work. The sites use computer programs to scan applications for particular keywords – and now, so do recruiters. Even if you submit your resume on fancy stationery, it gets scanned by the recruiter or staffing agency. Especially for entry or mid-level jobs, cover letters don’t get read, Gurney says: It’s this digital process that drives the professional match-making.

To get through the computer gatekeeper, applicants need to make sure the relevant, searchable words are on their resumes. For example, he says, if you want to work in the entertainment industry, listing a past job at Sony Pictures on your resume isn’t enough; the word “entertainment” must be there too. Candidates who aren’t sure what the magic keywords are should look at the description of the job they’re applying for, says Jessica Mazor, an account manager for the accounting and finance business at Kforce Professional Staffing (KFRC: 15.21, +0.47, +3.18%) in New York. The “must have” criteria in the description are particularly important.

8. “The ‘temp-to-perm’ carrot is rotten.”

Many staffing agencies hold out the promise of permanent jobs after success in a temporary position, but that trend isn’t holding in this recovery. Since temporary employment trends hit bottom in September 2009, the U.S. Department of Labor says the service and professional sectors have added 392,000 temporary jobs. But the CareerXroads survey showed that positions explicitly advertised as temp-to-perm accounted for just 1.6% of all hiring in 2009 – and even in better times, that rate was only around 3%. “Temp-to-perm is basically a marketing ploy,” says Corcodilos, who says it’s really more of a fantasy: “It’s what recruiters would like to see happen.”

9. “If you have a job, I could get you fired.”

Not all recruiters are careful, and the last thing you want is to have your resume land on the desk of your current boss. This is a very real risk, says Sweet, president of the Remington Group, so job seekers need to make sure they know exactly what recruiters are doing on their behalf. “Put every recruiter you work with on notice,” she says. “Say, ‘You do not have permission to release my paperwork without my permission.”

And then there are the aggressive recruiters who pull resumes off LinkedIn profiles and job boards and circulate them without getting the candidates permission – or even letting him know. That’s what happened to Michael Segel, an information consultant in Chicago, who was interviewing with several different companies when one prospective employer asked him why he’d received his resume twice. An overzealous recruiter whom Segal had never met had sent it. Now Segal only posts his resume as an un-alterable PDF, and he keeps careful track of where he and any recruiters he’s working with send it. He says it can’t stop the practice of unauthorized circulation, but if he’s contacted by a recruiter he doesn’t know, he can quickly figure out what’s happened. “I usually cut off contact right there,” he says.

10. “If I’m in Virginia, I probably won’t help you find a job in Nebraska.”

If you’re willing to relocate, don’t rely on your contact in your home city to help you find work outside the area — even if you’re working with a national search firm. Recruiters at big firms have little incentive to spread your resume around to other locations; they’ll have to split a commission with the colleague that helps you land a job. Instead, send your resume to the branch offices in the places you would like to go. As soon as that office has you on file, “they take ownership of your search,” says Sweet. Smaller, more local firms agree – and may even refer you to someone else. “We have alliances with other staffing companies,” says Diana Wall, a senior account manager at Accel Financial Staffing in Oklahoma City. “There’s no commission – it’s all friendly referrals.”

Source : SmartMoney.com

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Facebook, Twitter can harm your job prospects

2010-11-15T06:03:00.002+05:30

MELBOURNE: It seems employers and recruitment companies look beyond the resume, letters of recommendations and other information when evaluating a prospective employee, they are increasingly scrutinising the candidates' social networking profiles to vet job applications.

Job hunters are being told to clean up their profiles or risk being overlooked for jobs by prospective employers, because the companies are watching, reports News.com.au.

"Sites such as Facebook are being used increasingly by companies to screen candidates," said Marcus Sandmann, Michael Page's head of marketing for Asia Pacific. " Social media is all about an online public forum. What you put online stays online, and it opens you up to extra scrutiny. People looking for roles need to be mindful of that," he said.

Scanning Facebook is not yet built into Michael Page's official recruitment process, but the company's 'more savvy consultants' always examine social networking profiles. This is to better understand candidates and unearth any 'peculiar behaviour'.

Michael Page also uses professional networking sites such as Linkedin to cross-reference candidates' employment history and other details. "It is not just Facebook. We cross-reference details on candidates' Linkedin profiles to make sure it matches up," said Sandmann.

Another recruiter , Hays, found that almost half of all jobseekers thought social networking profiles should not be used to vet applications. "Most jobseekers believe their personal life is personal and their social-media profile should not be used as part of the decision-making process," said Hays regional director Peter Noblet.

"But it is in the public domain and, as a candidate, you don't have much control over whether it is used or not. It can no longer be argued that Facebook is purely social and Linkedin is business. The lines have been blurred and companies are looking at those profiles more and more in the same way they Google candidates' names to see what's out there," he added.

Twitter , video-sharing sites such as YouTube and online forums or blogs are also being used to gather information about prospective employees.

"We can no longer keep digging in the same hole to find talent. Social media is going to have a much greater influence on recruiting," said Rick Khinda, Adecco head of marketing.

Source ET

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Fate of Indian MBAs in UK !

2010-11-03T15:16:00.001+05:30

LONDON: A young Indian immigrant, Sultana from Hyderabad — she has a masters in business administration from a British university — is working as a waitress. ''Unfortunately, I'm not getting the chance I was expecting.

That's why I'm here in a fast food restaurant,'' she said in a radio programme on Sunday. She added, ''Most of my friends work in fast food restaurants because they're not getting (what) they deserve for what they studied.'' Others are employed as night-time security staff.

With UK barely out of a crippling recession and with unemployment nearing 2.5 million, good jobs are hard to come by. A tough-talking home office minister, Damian Green, said, ''Those coming into the UK under the highly skilled migrant route should only be able to do highly skilled jobs. It should not be used as a means to enter the low skilled jobs market.'' He went on, ''While it's important that low-skilled jobs are filled, there are hundreds of thousands of British people who could be doing them instead of a migrant.''

Such workers are categorized as Tier-1 immigrants under a points-based system started in 2008 by the previous Labour party government. This was tailored to attract ''the brightest and best''. Indians who graduate or complete post-graduate studies in a British university also fall into the Tier-1 classification and are permitted to remain in the UK for up to two years to acquire professional experience.

But there is a hint that the system introduced by Labour could be altered. It will also form the foundation of an immigration cap to be imposed by the present Conservative party and Liberal Democrat coalition administration effective from April 2011; and which is expected to be announced soon.

There are wider concerns among UK authorities that the Tier-1 post study work route is being exploited by some migrants who provide bogus qualifications to obtain visas. However, the Left-oriented Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said,''Damian Green is on shaky ground in implying that highly skilled migrants coming to the UK under Tier-1 are entering the low skilled job market in significant numbers over a sustained time period.'' It further said, ''It looks very much like an attempt to justify a drastic reduction in Tier-1 visa numbers under the proposed cap.'' It could undermine Britain's economic recovery, it warned.

Source TOI

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Procrastination does not pay - Sanjay Anandram

2010-10-31T08:39:00.002+05:30

Procrastination does not pay

Sanjay Anandram

About three years ago, he had given up attractive career options with MNCs to join a startup. The CEO of the startup had talked of his vision to make his outfit the leading company in its field, of profitably growing his company ten-fold over five years and of value creation. To achieve these goals, he said he needed experienced executives to lead the business. The executive was to be part of the company’s three-member leadership team with the freedom to chart the course of his business lines. Finally, there was the very attractive stock option plan on offer that swung the needle for the executive.

The executive looked disillusioned because the stock option plan wasn’t yet implemented. He had first dropped hints and then had had conversations with the CEO regarding this. He was told that tax implications were being studied, the company was being re-structured, that an Esop consultant had been appointed, that there were complications on account of earlier employees. In any case, the stock option plan hadn’t been implemented. All the executive had was a letter that mentioned how many shares he was eligible for and over what period. No other details of the plan were available and no shares had ever been issued.

He was convinced that he had been taken for a ride and was therefore looking around for other options. A startup wasn’t part of these – once bitten, twice shy.

The company the CTO worked for was one of the shining examples of 21st century entrepreneurship in India. Though just over five years old, it was a market leader and was known for its very intuitive, fast and user-friendly technology. The CTO, who had been with the company since its inception and believed he owned a good percentage of the startup that he helped build, was passionate about his job and considered a technical wizard inside and outside the company.

One day, the CTO decided to leave the company—the technical challenges were no longer there, he wanted to again be part of a brand new startup and, in his own words, ‘do exciting stuff’. He had been in conversations with another startup and was about to resign. However, he decided to check on the number of shares he owned in his startup. He was shocked to learn that apart from the employment letter issued several years ago that just mentioned the number of shares he...would be eligible for and over what period, there was nothing. He had no idea how many shares he actually owned and how many were outstanding, how much money was owed and what his rights, responsibilities etc were. Upon writing to the company, he was told last week that the details of the plan and his share holding were finally being sent to him! He’s now thinking whether all startups operate in this fashion.

There are probably no villains in both these examples. It was probably a case of procrastination by the CEO—either because the CEO himself wasn’t clear or comfortable about stock options or because he didn’t consider the matter important enough. In either case, the impact was rather serious. The two people in the examples above felt cheated—they had trusted the CEO and worked hard in the hope that their stock would be worth something significant over time. And to discover that the most elementary steps hadn’t been taken with regard to their stock was a big let-down. The trickle down impact of this is that top talent will be hesitant to join startups. The contract discussions will now be a lot more involved. Costs and time spent on negotiations will go up .

If people are the most important asset of a company (tired cliché I know!), then they deserve to be treated with respect and regard. Not as expendable resources. Ignorance of employee matters and lack of time for understanding and implementing a plan are not excuses. They betray a mindset, part arrogance, part ownership and control orientation—“Don’t worry, he won’t go anywhere”, or “What’s the problem? We’ll sort it out—my word is good enough” or, “ I actually don’t want to part with my stock; if he leaves, I don’t want him sitting on some shares”.

Words and intent have to therefore be matched by action and deeds. People have choices and need to be treated with respect.

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IT Companies - Hiring Up and Attrition Down !

2010-10-25T06:38:00.001+05:30

The just-concluded earnings season of the country's top four IT firms reveals that the recruitment levels in the $60-billion IT industry has returned to its October-December 2007 peak. The icing on the cake is the news that average attrition in the industry saw only a marginal rise during the quarter on a sequential basis and job hopping is also expected to stabilise in the next two quarters.

Infosys Technologies (INFOSYS.BO : 3053.25 0), the country's second largest IT exporter, added 7,646 employees during the July-September quarter, which almost touches the net hiring of 8,100 people done in October-December 2007. The current hiring by the company has been the highest in the last three years.

TCS, the country's largest IT firm, broke all records as it surpassed its October-December 2007 peak. During the July-September quarter, the firm added 10,717 employeescompared to 7,522 in October-December 2007. TCS has upgraded its gross hiring target from 40,000 to 50,000 on the back of higher demand.

Though hiring of employees by Wipro (WIPRO.NS : 448.9 -21.25) Technologies at 2,975 during the quarter was relatively lower compared to its peers, the company surpassed net additions of 2,389 made during October-December 2007. Unlike Infosys and TCS, Wipro's hiring picked up during the April-June quarter itself with 4,854 net additions.

According to Saurabh Govil, Wipro's senior vice-president (HR), demand is healthy in the industry at all levels. The company is also hiring more sales executives and consultants for its onsite work. However, the main recruitment focus remains on technical professionals.

Surprisingly, attrition levels in the industry, which had shown a significant increase last quarter, seems to be stabilising now. "As most of the salary hikes have taken place and people have made job changes, this was not a quarter of peak attrition. However, the percentage increase in attrition is not low, though it might have increased in absolute terms as the base now is higher," says E Balaji ,director and president, of HR firm Ma Foi Randstad.

Govil stresses, "Our attrition levels have increased only marginally this quarter compared to the last quarter (from 23% to 23.5%). We had given most of our salary hikes in February and now things are stabilising. There is a balance in the overall demand and supply of professionals."

Attrition rate at TCS increased marginally to 14.1% in July-September from 13.1% during the preceding April-June quarter. In case of Infosys, it went up from 15.8% to 17%.

Overall, the growth rate in attrition for the industry slowed down during the quarter compared to the preceding quarter.

Arup Sengupta, associate director, IT practice at recruitment firm Manpower, says, "Attrition has not increased significantly this quarter because in the preceding quarter, companies concentrated on lateral hiring. Since IT companies now have global delivery centres, they are sending their employees for onsite work, which is an influential retention strategy. However, attrition levels are expected to be flat in the next two quarters."

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Using Twitter for Recruiting !

2010-09-19T08:24:00.000+05:30

With more than 55 million tweets a day, many accuse Twitter, the micro blogging site, of being a drain on productivity. But that’s a misconception you had better not encourage. In fact, scores of companies have piggy-backed on the popular communication tool to build some wonderful productivity apps.

What makes these companies tick is Twitter’s open ended framework that provides users with endless possibilities within the 140-character limit. Using this structure, people have simply begun building conduits and pipes to connect to the service to perform various day-to-day tasks.

Instant sharing, of course, is the central idea behind micro blogging. And built around this capability are tools such as Twit-Pic .com and Twitter share .com that lets you swap photos and other digital media with friends and family. For those into software programming, for instance, a Twitter-based services on Snipt.org allows the sharing of snippets of code.

Spun from the same fundamental concept of sharing, there are sites such as TweetMyJobs.com and TwitJobSearch.com. These have turned Twitter’s limited format of short, text-based announcements into a front-end for employers to promote their job openings, and for jobseekers to search for those jobs. Since Twitter is as real time as it gets, there is a perception amongst jobseekers that career openings show up here before they hit the traditional online jobsites such as Monster or Naukri.

Think regular news sites give dated stories? Microblog-based applications can help. Take, for instance, Tweetnews.appspot.com, a brainchild of Yahoo BOSS engineer Vik Singh. This app simply takes Yahoo’s news results and compares them to emerging topics on Twitter. In short, it uses topics that are most popular on Twitter as an index for determining the importance of different news stories.

Other similar sites that use Twitter trends to sort top world news include TwitScoop.com and Twittersphere .com. The Twitter trend finder gives them an edge over the algorithm-based ranking systems, such as Google News, by offering faster updates and better relevance, Twitscoop claims.

Twestival.com is another example wherein people have piggybacked on the microblogging framework to organise events to raise money for charity. The site claims to have already organised more than 150 offline events across the world, and raised over $1.2 million within 14 months.

On the hardware side, businesses are making use of the ubiquity of Twitter to keep you connected with your home appliances. Botanicalls.com, for example, has a Twitter-enabled hardware kit that lets your home plants ask for water every time the moisture level in the soil dips.

The DIY assembly kit has a tiny moisture sensor attached to a circuit board with an Ethernet port that connects to your internet. After you have the system in place, you just need to place the sensor into your plant’s soil. This keeps tabs on the moisture level, and once it drops below a certain range, the system sends you a tweet saying your plants are thirsty.

On a similar principle, IBM’s Andy Stanford-Clark claims to have hacked into his home electricity meter to tweet energy usage. If you follow his tweets (www.twitter.com/ andy_house), you can see in real time when Stanford-Clark turns his lights off or whether he has an unusually high electricity usage on a particular day. Updates are sent via sensors in the home, and the system uses IBM middleware to connect to the service.

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Indias hiring rising !

2010-08-04T15:31:00.001+05:30

Corporate India's [ Images ] hiring activity is likely to increase around 30 per cent this year, with banking, information technology and fast moving consumer goods sectors leading the industry, global workforce solutions provider Kelly Services has said.

"Overall, across the main 7-8 key verticals studied by us, an average 30 per cent rise in hiring activity is likely this year as compared to the last year. Expansion plans of firms, revival in attrition rates and taking on board recruitment managers indicate a strong recruitment phase in the next six months," Kelly Services managing director Kamal Karanth told PTI.

Kelly Services on Wednesday released a study on employment conditions and salaries across key sectors, which aims to guide organisations in their workforce planning.

The Employment Outlook and Salary Guide 2010-11 revealed there is an increased demand for talent at mid-senior levels and even fresher levels, particularly in banking, IT and FMCG sectors.

"Fresh recruitments in banking and IT industry are likely to increase by 40-50 per cent this year compared to the last year, while FMCG may see a 20-30 per cent growth in hiring."

The main factors propelling the upbeat hiring sentiment include strong domestic demand coupled with country's fast economic growth as well as revival in the US economy.

Other key sectors expected to see strong hiring growth include telecom, engineering and real estate, the study said.

The study highlighted that in the banking sector there was a constant demand for banking and finance professionals and high quality customer-oriented services.

The current 'hot job' in the banking sector is that of relationship managers to provide advice and financial planning.

In the business process outsourcing sector, managers are expected to be in high demand as the focus is on process improvement and cost efficiency.

"Sales and marketing executives are likely to be in hot demand with companies across sectors want to market themselves aggressively to expand their businesses," Karanth added.

The study also stated that attrition rates across various sectors are on the rise with the revival in the job market.

The banking and IT sectors are likely to see an attrition levels of 15-16 per cent this year, while FMCG and telecom may see 10 per cent turnover rates on their large bases.

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Employee Retention Strategies to curb attrition

2010-07-29T06:55:00.003+05:30

Bangalore: Desperate to rein in high attrition levels, India’s top information technology (IT) firms are offering mid-term hikes, promotions and even restricted stock (shares that are locked in for a fixed period before they can be sold) to keep employees from hopping on to rival companies.

Most IT firms had cut perks and frozen salary hikes during the downturn of 2008-09 as business from customers had slowed.

But with the economy improving in the US—the largest market for Indian IT firms—customers are offshoring more work to save costs and remain competitive.

Graphic: Paras Jain; photo: Madhu Kapparath/Mint

To meet this spurt in demand, IT firms are scouting for experienced employees who can deliver quality codes to their customers.

Much of this requirement is at the three- to seven-year experience level, the segment where most IT firms are losing employees.

Some “85-90% of IT-ITeS (IT and IT-enabled service) companies now are looking at off-cycle compensation-related interventions such as retention bonuses, off-cycle salary increases and equity-based incentives to control this situation,” said Sandeep Chaudhary, performance rewards consulting practice, South and West Asia, for US human resource consultancy Hewitt Associates.

Infosys Technologies Ltd, India’s second largest IT firm, has given two salary raises —8% and 13-17%—since October. In June, it gave at least five shares to each employee to commemorate the beginning of its 30th year.

These measures, though, haven’t cured it of its troubles yet. In the June quarter, Infosys lost 15.8% of its employees—its highest attrition since 2002.

Chief executive officer S. Gopalakrishnan isn’t daunted. “We expect attrition to subside in the next two to three quarters” as the churn settles in the industry, he said.

Wipro Ltd, the third largest IT firm in the country, gave promotions to 20,000 employees earlier in July—more than double its typical number in a year—and handed out restricted stocks (securities locked in for five years) to 8,000-9,000 middle and senior managers.

“Typically, promotions are given to 7-8% of the workforce,” says Saurabh Govil, senior vice-president, human resources, at Wipro Technologies, the firm’s IT services arm that has some 112,925 employees.

“Steep hikes are not the only answer,” he said. Staff would also be given options to work onsite or in different roles. Wipro’s attrition in the June quarter was 23%.

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd’s (TCS) attrition at 13.1% was the lowest among the big three. India’s largest IT firm gave promotions and average wage hikes of 10% in April, after a gap of one year. Its focus now is on non-monetary components: rotating jobs more often, not just within projects but across technologies, verticals and locations; and encouraging more first-time managers to take up people management courses.

“Retention is the focus today,” said Ajoy Mukherjee, vice-president and head of global human resources at TCS.

He ruled out a mid-term pay hike, but the variable pay component distributed every quarter, he said, would help retain people.

Chaudhary, too, does not favour excessive hikes. “While compensation may seem to be the most obvious cause of the current attrition, excessive usage of compensation-related interventions is not recommended as this will actually intensify the problem of wage inflation.”

The IT biggies, meanwhile, are adding to the churn in the industry.

Infosys has raised its hiring forecast for fiscal 2011 to 36,000 from the 30,000 it announced in April. TCS plans to hire 40,000 people. And at least a third of these hires would be experienced professionals from rival firms.

poornima.m@livemint.com

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Offshoring creating more jobs in India

2010-07-27T07:19:00.001+05:30

Offshoring and outsourcing in services from call centres to accountancy and medicine have created good jobs in terms of pay and working hours in developing countries, according to a study published on Monday.

But the International Labour Organization (ILO) study found that improved work practices in the outsourcing industry could reduce excessive rates of staff turnover.

The study gives the lie to claims that outsourcing of such work has created "cyber-coolies" or "electronic sweatshops", said Jon Messenger, an ILO researcher and main editor of the study.

"The jobs being created in offshore business services in developing countries are reasonably good quality jobs by local standards in terms of wages and working conditions," he said.

The book looks at outsourcing in the two biggest markets, India and the Philippines, and two growing Latin American centres, Brazil and Argentina.

A study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) last year found the global market for information technology-enabled services was about $54 billion in 2008. The industry includes companies such as India's Infosys Technologies (INFY.BO) and Wipro (WIPR.BO).

100 PCT TURNOVER

Wages are below those for similar jobs in rich countries -- one of the main motives for companies to outsource operations -- but average pay in the sector in India is nearly double that in other areas of the formal economy, the ILO study found.

In the Philippines they were typically 53 per cent higher.

The study found that average weekly hours were 46-47 hours in India and 45 in the Philippines, whereas one fifth of workers in developing countries work more than 50 hours a week.

But negative factors such as frequent night work to handle customers' different time zones, and demanding targets enforced by electronic monitoring resulting in a low level of worker autonomy, led to extremely high levels of staff turnover.

Sometimes the turnover rate in the typically young and well-educated workforce could exceed 100 per cent a year, and rates of 30-40 per cent are not unusual.

"A few key changes in policies and practices could actually make these good jobs even better while simultaneously helping to reduce staff turnover which would benefit businesses," Messenger told a briefing.

These could include steps to improve health and safety for night workers, such as regular check-ups, and more flexibility for workers to organise their time and to meet targets.

Naj Ghosheh, an ILO researcher and the other editor of the book, said governments would want the industries to develop and innovate to move up the value chain rather than simply replicating imported processes. They would also want to retain skilled workers at home rather than encouraging them to emigrate.

The industry is highly influenced by language skills, with India and the Philippines serving English-speaking countries, Argentina serving Spain and Mexico building up operations to serve Spanish-speakers in the United States.

Africa is relatively underdeveloped although Nigeria's computer-literate population gives it potential.

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Attrition on the High !

2010-07-25T17:26:00.001+05:30

BANGALORE: As in case of Infosys Technologies, the attrition rate of India's third largest IT bellwether Wipro too jumped to 15.8 per cent during the first quarter (April-June) of this fiscal (2010-11) from 9.8 per cent in like period year ago (2009-10) and 12.1 per cent quarter ago.

As a result, net addition for the company's flagship IT services business was 4,854 people in the quarter under review as against 3,725 in the previous quarter (Jan-March) of last fiscal (FY 2010) and minus 735 a year ago.

"Overall demand for IT skills has gone up with a rebound in the economy and uptake in tech spending. The attrition has gone up also due to many employees leaving for higher studies or business schools," Wipro Executive Director Suresh Senapaty told media here Friday.

On a quarterly basis, the voluntary attrition rate shot up to a whopping 23 per cent as against 8.4 percent year ago and 17 percent quarter ago.

Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services alone accounted for 16 percent of the attrition as against 14 percent a year ago and 17 percent a quarter ago.

The total number of employees in the firm's IT services business has increased to 112,925 at the end of June from 108,071 quarter ago (March-end) and 98,521 year ago.

Involuntary attrition, however, declined sharply by 1.4 per cent from 7.7 percent year ago and 2.1 per cent quarter ago.

"Our net utilisation of employees during the quarter was 78.4 per cent as against 77.1 per cent year ago but marginally down from 79.3 percent quarter ago," Senapaty added.

Earlier, Infosys July 13 admitted that its attrition rate increased to around 16 per cent from 11.1 percent year ago and 13.4 per cent quarter ago.

Source ET

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Why Employees leave Job ?

2010-07-16T18:16:00.002+05:30

Do you get into the office without a plan of action for the day? Are you not being rewarded for your efforts? Does your boss often pull you down and embarrass you in front of colleagues?

If any or all of these ring true, it might be time to shake things up.

Here are 10 signs that could indicate that it’s time for you to move on – either from your current job function or from your organization – to other adventures.

1. Social networking but not working

Are Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter taking up more of your working day than preparing that PowerPoint presentation? If your company doesn’t allow access to these sites, perhaps your energies are focused on finding proxy sites which allow you to access sites that have been blocked by your company.

Or, do you simply dread coming to office and wait for the day to end quickly?

If this happens some days a week, then maybe you simply need a holiday. “But if one spends more than a month populating Farmville on Facebook, then yes, it’s stagnation and you need to move on,” says Purvi Sheth, chief executive officer of Mumbai management consulting firm Shilpusti Consultants.

2. Been there, done that

If your job has become so routine or monotonous that you can do most of it without thinking much, what are you doing in it? Essentially, you are not learning much or growing in that role, so you won’t be able to stay motivated for long. “Careers are not ponds, they are streams; they have got to be going somewhere from somewhere,” says Dony Kuriakose, director of Delhi-based recruitment firm Edge Executive Search Pvt. Ltd. “If you’re not moving, you’re dead in the water.”

Remember that if you have become too complacent and start taking the company for granted, your employer will soon recognize that, putting your role in jeopardy.

3. Not challenged enough

This is related to the point above. But if you feel that your organization is not giving you the right exposure or a challenging enough position, you could end up becoming very frustrated. “Take the initiative of engaging with (your) employer and…ask for more responsibilities,” says Pankaj Arora, managing director of Protiviti Consulting Pvt. Ltd, a business consulting and audit firm. If that doesn’t work, look for challenges elsewhere within or outside your organization.

4. Unmet goals

You want to become a team leader or a business head but your employer is moving you around into different departments without really promoting you. “It is time for you to move on when you feel your career objectives are not being met or fulfilled by your employer,” says Ms. Sheth.

5. Too big for your shoes

You were good at your first job, so you were promoted to the next level and the next level and so on. But now you have reached a position which is too much for you to handle. This is popularly referred to as the Peter Principle which states that in a hierarchy, employees rise to a level of their incompetence.

Either you need to re-skill and reinvent yourself pretty quickly to survive in that role or you need to move into another position which is a better fit for you.

6. Closed to change

Today’s organizations are nimble on their feet and are often changing their processes or businesses to meet delivery and cost pressures. If you can’t handle that change because you are too set in your ways, you could end up getting left behind. Or, maybe you don’t agree with your organization’s changes at a philosophical or an ethical level. “There are certain reasons why you work at a place and there are certain things that enthuse you,” says Mr. Kuriakose. “If those core issues change and you suddenly find that you’re working for a place that you wouldn’t have joined” it might be time to rethink.

7. Politics over mechanics

Every organization has politics and it’s smart to keep on top of major changes as well as the movers and shakers of your organization. But if your professional relationships at work have become so entangled and complicated that they are keeping you from your work, that’s a problem. Don’t let politics become more important to you than the mechanics of your job.

8. You’ve been overlooked — again

Are your batch mates from school and college more successful than you are? Or is your company promoting people with less experience and fewer achievements above you? Figure out why that is happening. If they’re working harder and are smarter than you, then consider adding to whatever skills are keeping you from that next job. But if your company is overlooking you, then it might be time to go where you get more recognition.

9. Don’t want your boss’s job?

We typically envy our bosses not only for their higher salaries but also for the responsibility and authority they command. But if you don’t aspire to be in your boss’s position at some time in the future, then it’s time to look around and reconsider your career plans. You can’t stay in your current position forever. Not everyone has to be the top dog, but a career path that promises advancement and satisfaction is a good road to be on.

10. Evil thoughts about your boss?

Ok, so all of us have some evil thoughts about our bosses every now and then. That’s normal. If you hate him or her as a person, deal with it. But if your professional relationship is troubled, then you have a problem. “You have to work with all kinds of people,” says Mr. Kuriakose. However, a boss who is always pulling you down, and maybe embarrassing you in front of colleagues, could be harmful for your morale and progress. Time for some introspection and perhaps an exit strategy.

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Are Indian Companies better in Talent Management ?

2010-05-23T12:35:00.001+05:30

Corporate employees are a happier lot this summer. Increments are being announced, unlike last year when companies had to defer pay hikes and even cut salaries in many cases.

With the economy bouncing back and stronger signs of global recovery, more opportunities are available for employees who sat tight in their jobs through the whole of the global meltdown. With fear of attrition looming on their heads, companies are offering good increments to their employees.

The average increments this year have been in the range of 15-20%, with sectors like IT and ITes, auto and auto components, leading the pack. In the IT space, the increments have been in the rage of 25-30% while ITes was lower at around 15-20%, according to TeamLease Services.

Sectors like BFSI, retail and telecom were lower at around 12-18%. “Telecom which was the most happening sector in terms of hiring last year is right now going slow. This is because most new operators are done with their hiring,” says James Agrawal, consulting director and head of executive search firm BTI Consultants.

Similar is the fate of retail, which hasn’t performed as well as companies had expected. “Most retail firms have slowed down their expansion plans,” Surabhi Mathur-Gandhi, general manager-staffing at TeamLease Services. In 2006-2007, the telecom sector saw increments in the 20% level while retail was even higher at 25-35%.

Across sectors though, people with very niche skills, who are critical for the companies have been given a handsome increment in the 40-70% range. These would include high-skill functions such as clinical research, R&D who constitute about 2-4% of the overall workforce.

Similarly, mid-level management which was most impacted last year has also seen very high increments in the 40-60% range. “Companies now have growth and expansion plans and these mid-level executives are critical for executing these plans,” says Mathur-Gandhi.

Pre recession companies across sectors offered goodies like golden handcuffs and other long terms benefits. Now, after the recession, they are being more realistic and are being more cautious when offering long term benefits to employees, says Agrawal. During the boom period, companies were offering ESOPs, cash benefits, housing and vehicles linked with extended period of work to its employees.

While stock options are still being used as a retention tool, goodies like joining bonus as well as performance or annualised bonuses have been reduced drastically. “Joining bonuses are being done away with for now as talent is readily available. Companies are closely monitoring their cost to hire and are willing to wait rather than be in a hurry and pay more for a hire,” says Mathur-Gandhi.

Performance incentives though are back again but have been reduced from the level of about 25-30% of a persons CTC to about 15-20% today.

Interestingly, Indian companies are more bullish about increments as they need to retain talent and compete against their MNC counterparts. “A lot of MNCs will be vary of giving double digit increments this year,” says Gangapriya Chakraverti, India business leader, Mercer information product solutions business. While Indian companies seem more bullish this year, Chakraverti cautions that even though they need to retain talent, no Indian company wants to go overboard with increments this time. “Of course, increments here would still be subject to how these companies perform,” he adds.

Mathur-Gandhi of TeamLease Services points out that increments at MNCs this year would still be muted because parent companies back home are still in the rationalisation mode. To retain talent and also attract more talent from larger MNCs, Indian companies are offering better compensation today. While smaller Indian companies have had problems in paying higher increments this year and are facing attrition, mid-sized and large Indian companies have been able to retain as well as attract new talent, she says.

Source ET

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