HRinIndia

Ladies Special - Dedicated Job Portal for Women

2009-11-10T09:40:00.004+05:30

Looking for a job? If you are a woman interested in a part-time/full-time vocation or wish to volunteer your time at an NGO or even work from home, Naukriforwomen.com is your click to employment.

The website is a one-stop career portal that aims to empower Indian women by facilitating employment while giving them the opportunity to discuss and seek advice on various issues related to the workplace. The website is an initiative by Priya and Pullak Mohanty, who have also co-founded the popular Memsaab.com.

"The idea came about when we looked at the working population in the west and saw that the number of men and women were equal. But in India, the population of working women comprises only 13 per cent of the total work force. We feel every company and employer has a moral responsibility to help bridge this gap," says Mohanty.

Thus started the Naukriforwomen.com community, where women can connect with each other and realise their true potential. So far, more than 5000 jobs have been posted on the portal with more than 1000 success stories.

Tough start

The portal is enthused by the belief that women possess special qualities and their workplace needs are different from those of men.

Through this initiative, the site aims to provide a common platform where both employers and job seekers can communicate directly and understand each other's needs to make the workplace women-friendly. Mohanty says, "The initial days were tough. We started with only 20 odd jobs on our site. But now we have thousands. Every day, we adapt and improve to meet the needs of the community."

To post jobs at Naukriforwomen.com, prospective employers and recruiters have to register themselves. After a thorough background check, the account is approved of, after which they can post jobs. Every job posted on the site has to go through an approval process by the support staff. The site already has over 2500 registered employers and recruiters who post relevant jobs for women across all strata of society.

Let's celebrate

The founder duo celebrates when someone writes in about her successful journey to securing a job. Last month, the site crossed over 100,000 registered users and also reached another milestone when it registered 2,500 employers and recruiters. But Mohanty feels that the most memorable day will be when the site is instrumental in helping every single individual of the community attain her dream job.

A few people, though, have criticised the service as a feminist movement. "But every time we receive a "Thank you" note from our successful job aspirants, we are overjoyed," smiles Mohanty. And though Mohanty feels that they have miles to go before they can call the venture a success, they are almost about to realise their objective in terms of providing an exclusive job listing and professional networking opportunities for the benefit of the working women.

The founders want to take the site to every Indian household. Mohanty adds, "Our aim is to inspire and encourage all women to contribute to their family income, even if they don't want to venture out of their homes."

Source - hindustantimes

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Apple's Steve Jobs named CEO of the decade

2009-11-07T09:59:00.002+05:30

SAN FRANCISCO: He single-handedly saved Apple, wrought a revolution in online music, created a world-beating smartphone and led Pixar to

Steve Jobs through the years | Why India should have at least four Steve Jobs
dominate computer animation.

So it's no surprise that Apple chief executive Steve Jobs was named CEO of the decade on Thursday by Fortune magazine, which said that Jobs' success in reordering four industries - computers, music, movies and mobile telephones - was "unheard of."

"It's often noted that he's a showman, a born salesman, a magician who creates a famed reality-distortion field, a tyrannical perfectionist," the report said. "It's totally accurate, of course, and the descriptions contribute to his legend."

Comparing Jobs favourably to Henry Ford, PanAm's Juan Trippe and Conrad Hilton, the report said: "In the past decade, Jobs and Apple have entered and changed the industries of music, movies and cell phones. The company has also remained in the computer business, where it continues to innovate as it has done for decades. Remaking any one business is a career-defining achievement; four is unheard of."

The report surveyed Jobs' achievements since he returned to Apple in 1997, 12 years after being ousted from the company he founded.

It took him several years to get the company back in shape. Even as he introduced his long-term digital lifestyle strategy and the revolutionary iTunes software and music player in 2000, the company was facing bankruptcy.

It now has 34,000 employees and is valued at over $170 billion. During this period he also nurtured computer animation shop Pixar, which he sold to Disney in 2006 for $7.5 billion, making him the largest shareholder in the entertainment conglomerate.

Raghav
Founder HRinIndia
www.hrinindia.in

HRI Foundation
303 Motherland Building
3rd Main 3rd Cross
Kamanahalli
BANGALORE 560084

# 91.988.008.0321

Indians design Boeing / Airbus

2009-10-16T08:52:00.000+05:30

Indian aviation expertise is now no longer confined to the cockpit and the crew. Domestic talent is now being tapped for the design and system integration of aircraft as well. Aerospace majors such as Airbus and Boeing have formed partnerships with the IISc, IITs and IIM-Bangalore to develop their next-generation air-birds, including A380s, A350s and the 787 Dreamliner.

Chief executive officer of Airbus Engineering Centre India (AECI) Eugen Welte told ET that their company had decided to set up operations in India to source talent and develop competency here. “Of the 130 people recruited here, 120 are engineers and the company will increase the number to 400 by 2012,” he said.

“As part of our internationalisation strategy, we will offshore 20% of our work by 2020, and India will get a big share of this followed by Russia and China”, said Mr Welte.

According to Joellle Willaume, head of the engineering division at AECI, the projects are focused on high-end technology. “Young people can bring in a lot in terms of innovation. We will be going to IISc and IITs for campus recruitment by December-end or early January to recruit more hands. We are also sending engineers to Europe to gain more expertise from teams there,” she said.

Arpita Sen, a 24-year-old graduate from IIT-Kanpur, is one of the young engineers, whose dream of joining the aerospace industry came true when Airbus recruited her. At AECI, Ms Sen plays a key role in engineering design of planes in the areas of system integration and flight control. “I have been applying all what I learnt at the IIT here”, says Ms Sen.

Tarun Jain, a 26-year-old graduate from IISc, is working at AECI on design work in fluid dynamics and aero-design framework. He is also assisting in the work of aero data production and airplane design. “We are working on designing an antenna to provide internet service in planes,” she said.

Srinivasan Bhaskaran (35), who leads a team of 20 people works on developing high-end tools to support the system design of Airbus in their day-to-day activity. “We work on weight reduction and maintaining redundancies on the A350,” he says.

Chugh Krishnan, a 32-year-old graduate from IISc is working on reducing the drag of the aircraft at AECI, which has influence on the fuel consumption of the aircraft and creating a comfortable environment such as ventilation for the passengers inside the plane.

Boeing, which started its Indian lab in Bangalore with 30 engineers, said that this lab was the third of its kind outside the US where engineers work on multiple projects involving advanced design, autonomous and network-centric systems, spacecraft designs and new structure and material technologies.

Boeing has stated that another 100 engineers will collaborate with its various projects being carried out with premier Indian academia and research and development (R&D) institutions. The Boeing lab will be partnering with IISc to develop and integrate advanced structural technologies to enable future aerospace structures. It will also be working with National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) for analysing and testing aircraft landing gear.

Mr Welte of Airbus said that due to availability of this talent pool, India can play a major role for future projects such as building planes which are 30% more efficient than today’s craft. “We are going to start strong R&D activity in India. We will look at future materials which can reduce fuel consumption, noise and weight”, Mr Welte said.

Remembering Roy George VP-HR Pricol

2009-09-26T12:09:00.002+05:30

Friends,

It is with a deep sense regret i have gone through the news of sad and sudden
demise of one of our fellow Members of HRinIndia.

Roy J George died due a labour unrest at Coimbatore-based auto instruments
maker, Pricol, that went haywire on Tuesday. He succumbed to injuries he
sustained after he was assaulted by a section of agitating workers.

Current:Vice President-HR at Pricol Limited

Past:General Manager-HR at SEFORGE LIMITED
Vice president-HR at Isteel
SBU HR Head at Samtel Group

Please go through his illustrious career in the following links

http://www.linkedin.com/in/royjgeorge
http://royjgeorge.blogspot.com/

I had the privilege of meeting Roy in Chennai when he was in Satyam Cinemas and
had in fact met him during my visits to chennai.

He is a focused HR professional and has a passion to network with other members
of HR fraternity.

In this hour of great crisis our sympathies are with Roys family members. I
personally miss a professional / personal friend of mine in Chennai.

Raghav
Founder
HRinIndia
9880080321

-------------

News Report

Labour unrest at Coimbatore-based auto instruments maker, Pricol, took an ugly turn on Tuesday with the company’s vice-president(human resources) Roy J George succumbing to injuries he sustained after he was allegedly assaulted by a section of agitating workers.

Roy (47) had suffered multiple head injuries after the workers reportedly attacked him with iron rods at the company’s Periyanaickanpalayam unit on Monday. He died at a private hospital on Tuesday. Four staff members were also injured.
Pricol had on Saturday dismissed 42 workers at its Kuniamuthur unit for indiscipline. The company said that capacity utilization slipped to 10% as a group of workers were not allowing others to work.

12 workers held for V-P murder

Labour unrest took a bloody turn when a section of agitating workers killing a Coimbatore-based firm’s vice-president (human resources) Roy J George. "Despite constant warnings and a showcause notice, they (workers) didn’t shape up,’’ Pricol executive director Vanitha Mohan said.

Roy, an alumnus of IIM-Calcutta, was spearheading efforts to bring operations back on track by initiating a dialogue with the agitating labourers. "The workers attacked Roy using iron rods and wooden sticks,’’ Coimbatore SP N Kannan said. The police arrested nine workers from the Periyanaickanpalayam unit and three workers of Chinnamadhampalayam unit.

UKs new restrictions for Jobs

2009-09-06T17:57:00.002+05:30

Britain will tomorrow unveil plans to restrict jobs going to skilled workers from overseas, including India, amid recession leading to a

Home Office sources on Sunday said British firms will be forced to advertise jobs solely through UK jobcentres for a month, instead of the present 15 days, before being allowed to recruit outside Europe.

The qualification period for skilled foreign workers employed by multinational companies to become eligible for transfers to Britain will be doubled to a year. The measures recommended by the Migration Advisory Committee are designed to tilt the odds in favour of British jobseekers and those from EU countries with a right to work in the UK.

The threshold of income at which foreign nationals become eligible for a work permit under tier 2 of the points-based immigration system, which covers skilled workers, will be raised from £17,000 to £20,000, effectively shrinking the job pool for skilled overseas workers.

Source PTI

OUr views :

Will this impact Indian knowledge workers particularly those in the Software Development area ?

Are there enough unemployed qualified and experienced local citizens who can fill these ?

Will this impact the companies which are to hire people ?

Raghav
Founder HRinIndia
www.hrinindia.in
raghav@hrinindia.in

Top 100 Dirtiest sites

2009-08-21T09:54:00.000+05:30

Internet security company Norton Symantec has come up with a list of Top 100 Dirtiest sites, which could infect your computer with malware.

Malware is a software that can damage or compromise a computer system without the owner's consent.

Natalie Connor, spokeswoman of the anti-virus company, said that even visiting any of the named websites could expose a computer to infection and put the personal information into the hands of unwanted people.

"What people don't realise is when you type in a website, you're bringing down information on a page and with it could be malware," News.com.au quoted her as saying.

The list was compiled with the help of global data collected on Norton Safe Web, a site that analysed websites' security risks.

The infected sites had on average 18,000 threats and 40 per cent of the sites had more than 20,000 threats, while 75 per cent of websites on the list were found to be spreading malware for over six months.

According to Connor, most websites in the list had adult content with unprintable names, suggesting they contained hardcore pornography.

Some others sites include those on ice skating, deer hunting, catering and legal services.

Hackers can apparently obtain personal information using keystroke-logging software from both PCs and Mac computers.he reps said that hackers are a force to reckon with as cyber crime is increasing rapidly.

She added: "The last thing we want to do is scare people, we want to educate them so they know how to protect themselves.

"It's not about the fame any more of creating viruses and getting in the media. They're making money."

Norton released a sample of the dirtiest websites:

17ebook.com

aladel.net

bpwhamburgorchardpark.org

clicnews.com

dfwdiesel.net

divineenterprises.net

fantasticfilms.ru

gardensrestaurantandcatering.com

ginedis.com

gncr.org

hdvideoforums.org

hihanin.com

kingfamilyphotoalbum.com

likaraoke.com

mactep.org

magic4you.nu

marbling.pe.kr

nacjalneg.info

pronline.ru

purplehoodie.com

qsng.cn

seksburada.net

sportsmansclub.net

stock888.cn

tathli.com

teamclouds.com

texaswhitetailfever.com

wadefamilytree.org

xnescat.info

yt118.com (ANI)

Are you happy with your job ?

2009-08-18T21:59:00.001+05:30

The challenging economic conditions are taking a toll on employees, as nearly half of the executives around the world are dissatisfied with their jobs, and do not trust their leaders, a survey says

According to Executive Quiz, conducted by global executive recruitment firm Korn/Ferry, nearly half (47 per cent) of employed executives surveyed are either somewhat or very dissatisfied with their current position.

The lacklustre job market has not only left executives unhappy with their jobs, but the survey results also uncover a lack of trust for corporate leadership, the survey said.

"Global recession has left fewer employees to do more work, often for less pay. Stress levels are high and some executives are getting burnt out.

However, irrespective of the business cyclicality, firms must take proactive steps to keep key employees engaged if they want to retain them for the long term and be seen as an employer of choice," Korn/Ferry CEO and President (Leadership and Talent Consulting) Ana Dutra said.

Asked what best described employee morale within their company, 45 per cent of employed executives said either 'fair' or 'poor', followed by 42 per cent who said 'good' and only 13 per cent believe it is 'outstanding'.

No. 20 Convergys

2009-08-08T11:17:00.003+05:30

At no. 20 is the leading contact centre and billing solutions firm, Convergys Corp. As of October 2008, the company claimed to have approximately 13,000 employees in India.

In August last year, the company shut down one of its Mumbai centre. One of its eight centres in India, the Malad centre employed around 400 executives. Convergys has two centres in Mumbai in the suburbs of Thane and Malad. Sources said a few employees at the Thane centre have also been asked to leave.

Convergys currently operates from major facilities in cities across India including New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Pune, and Bangalore. Employees working in these locations provide technical help desk services along with customer support for Fortune 1000 companies in financial services, communications, consumer products, and other industries.

Remembering Ranjan Acharya

2009-07-16T19:08:00.001+05:30

I am shocked to know the sudden demise of a good professional friend - Ranjan Acharya who breathed his last at Wipro Office Bangalore.

He is a great visionary and HR thinker i have come across.

He is always available and whenever we called him to speak at HRinIndia HR Conferences and Meetings he has readily agreed. He is a simple HR practitioner without having any hang ups. Always smiling and willing to help fellow HR professionals.

At this crucial hour of crisis our sympathies are with his family member.

Though is no more with us his writings, speeches will continue to remind us of a great fellow HR professional

HR family has indeed lost a great thougth leader and it will be difficult to fill the void left by Ranjan. Ranjan you have not gone anywhere you are always with us, the moments we spent will keep us reminding you !

Raghav
Founder HRinIndia

HRI Foundation
303 Motherland Building
3 Main 3 Cross Kamanahalli
BANGALORE - 560084

+ 9880080321 -

Hire and Fire Policy in India

2009-06-22T12:33:00.002+05:30

Hire and fire policy not acceptable in India: Mittal

Supporting the idea of labour reforms in the country, telecom czar Sunil Bharti Mittal said "hire and fire policy" is not going to be acceptable in the country and asked India Inc to be much more benevolent.

"I think labour reforms again are something desirable but having a hire and fire policy in a country like India is not going to be a acceptable task, neither should that be the requirement from the industry," Mittal, who's the Chairman of diversified conglomerate Bharti Group told private news channel.

"We have to be much more benevolent much more care taking of our labour force and our people and that at least the philosophy that I hold very dear to myself and I think all industry players must (follow the same).

However, he maintained that there will be times of distress for corporate houses, when they may take such steps. He thus voiced for a "platform" where the government and industry can hold discussions on such a subject.

"...there will be industries in distress ... and they need to have some flexibility from time to time so it will be desirable for the industry and government to come together create a platform on which they can have a discussion when in trouble, how should industry behave," he added.

Corporate houses, both in India and abroad, have resorted to job cuts to stay afloat amid the global economic crisis.

This is the perspective from Non IT sector. The IT industry may have to have a more dynamic policy with respect to hiring and terminating.

Raghav
Founder HRinIndia
raghav@hrinindia.in
09880080321

12 Qs to Measure Employee Engagement

2009-06-21T23:00:00.001+05:30

12 Questions to Measure Employee Engagement

Do your opinions seem to count? Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important? Have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Five years ago, The Gallup Organization began creating a feedback system for employers that would identify and measure elements of worker engagement most tied to the bottom line--things such as sales growth, productivity and customer loyalty.

After hundreds of focus groups and thousands of interviews with employees in a variety of industries, Gallup came up with the Q12, a 12-question survey that identifies strong feelings of employee engagement. Results from the survey show a strong correlation between high scores and superior job performance. Here are those 12 questions:

Do you know what is expected of you at work?

Do you have the materials and equipment you need to do your work right?

At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?

In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?

Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?

Is there someone at work who encourages your development?

At work, do your opinions seem to count?

Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?

Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?

Do you have a best friend at work?

In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?

In the last year, have you had opportunities at work to learn and grow?

Reprinted with permission. Copyright 1992-1999 The Gallup Organization, Princeton, NJ. All rights reserved. Gallup and Q12 are registered trademarks of The Gallup Organization.

Cost saing at what Cost ?

2009-06-10T11:22:00.001+05:30

More than six months into the slowdown, India Inc has firmly pressed the cost control button, and this applies to everything from business class travel to lavish parties. No industry exemplifies this change more than the once booming IT industry. Talk to any Indian IT company today and the magic word is 'cost saving'.

Tata Consultancy Services, for example, reduced its operating expenses from 16.37% of its revenues last year to 14.58% of its revenues this year, a decrease of 1.79%. TCS made it work with various cost saving measures it undertook last year. Interestingly during the year some IT companies went to the extent of making it an agenda to save one dollar a day. What paid up for TCS was a reduction in discretionary spending. It saw reduction of costs in software, hardware and material procured for rendering systems integration projects by 0.48% and in recruitments and training by 0.33%. However, it saved the most with reduction in cost of software licences procured by 0.62%. Travel and conveyance was another area where it reduced expenses, by 0.34%. TCS saw its reserves and surplus touching Rs 13,248.39 crore this year, an increase of 22.59% over last year's Rs 10,806.95 crore due to accretion of profits.

The other side of the story is that some of these companies never paid any heed towards costs at all during the boom. Many IT companies extended their limits to retain engineers. Some paid variable components every month instead of yearly or quarterly, while others offered incentives in the form of travel and parties. But it began to change when clients started observing and demanding value for every penny they paid. At one end, margins were hurting, and on the other, increasing expenditures were hurting. IT companies did not only have to then curb lavishness but had to make strategic choices in the way they were hiring and utilising their assets. Like TCS which said it will hire 70% freshers going ahead, a strategy it never tried before but that is paying off well for the company.

It seems the global economic slowdown may perversely come as a blessing in disguise for some companies that are finally beginning to view cost savings as a constant endeavour.

Source : indian express.com

Can we create more jobs in India ?

2009-05-28T23:55:00.001+05:30

Geneva, May 28 (DPA) Global unemployment levels will be worse than previously predicted, the International Labour Organisation said Thursday, revising upwards its previous numbers.

According to the new data, unemployment could hit global rates between 6.5 percent and 7.4 percent. This would roughly be equal to 210 million and 239 million unemployed worldwide.

The new data showed a projected increase of between 39 and 59 million unemployed, compared to previous estimates released earlier this year which said unemployment would rise by between 24 and 52 million people.

The ILO warned that youth was being hit particularly hard. By 2015 around 300 million new jobs will have to be created just to absorb growth in labour force.

The organization warned of an 'impending labour crisis.'

While there were some predictions for economic recovery in 2010, the ILO said the job market would take longer to recover.

'On average, it can take four to five years after a crisis starts for pre-crisis unemployment levels to be recuperated,' ILO Director General Juan Somavia told reporters in Geneva.

He warned of possible political unrest if unemployment increased and social nets were not there to catch the jobless.

The rise in unemployment was 'unprecedented,' Somavia said, and more workers were at risk of losing their jobs and falling into poverty.

The information was released ahead of next week's International Labour Conference in Geneva. At least ten heads of states were expected to attend, including France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Will it work ? Reservations in private sector

2009-05-19T21:58:00.002+05:30

It is sad to see that the Government will try to push through legislation make it mandatory to have reservations in the private sector.

India Inc should stand up and oppose any such move which will be detrimental to 'meritocracy'

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) on Tuesday said the new government may bring in legislation on job reservation in the private sector for scheduled castes (SCs), scheduled tribes (STs) and backward classes but the industry chamber will oppose any such move.
"Since the issue of affirmative action was kept on margins...the issue would resurface as India Inc is anticipating that Dr Manmohan Singh, who would become the Prime Minister (for the second term), might repeat the call for reservation in the private sector," the chamber said in a statement.

Assocham president Sajjan Jindal said industry would oppose legislation for reservation in the private sector. But it would keep on employing people belonging to "downtrodden sections of society".

HR professionals in manufacturing, hospitality, engineering, automobiles and other labour-intensive industries such as textiles, and gems and jewellery have started keeping records of SCs/STs and "other backward communities" employed, it said.

The chamber claimed that the private sector "accommodates poorer sections of society more than what is absorbed by the government and its public sector undertakings".

It said in a competitive economy, productivity has to be maintained and that cannot be possible "if reservation is imposed on it".

Will linking of CEOs compensation to Cos Performance help ?

2009-05-06T17:36:00.001+05:30

New Delhi, May 6 (IANS) A majority of Indian firms believe that there is a need to evaluate the performance of the top management and board members and to link the salaries of chief executives to corporate performance, said a report released by auditing major KPMG Wednesday.

The report, 'The State of Corporate Governance in India: 2008', prepared on the basis of a corporate governance poll conducted by KPMG in India, said about 85 percent of the respondents said linking CEO remuneration to company performance would help improve corporate governance.

'CEO performance evaluation process should be introduced when the company is performing well. Evaluation of CEO performance sends a clear message that the CEO is accountable to the board and introduces a healthy balance of power,' the report said.

About 71 percent of executives said India did not have stringent penalty for poor corporate governance comparing to developed countries, the report said.

'There are a few areas where regulation could be strengthened such as limiting the number of directorships, mandating greater role for nomination committees in independent director appointments and instituting swift and stringent punishments,' said Neville Dumasia, executive director and head of governance, risk and compliance services at KPMG.

The poll has also highlighted that there is a need for greater empowerment of independent directors and measures to protect minority shareholder interests.

'So long as we continue to have a process wherein independent director appointments are largely driven by promoters, empowerment of independent directors and protecting minority shareholder interests will continue to be areas of concern,' said Richard Rekhy, chief operating officer and head of advisory services at KPMG India.

Raghav
Founder HRinIndia
www.hrinindia.in

# +91.988.008.0321
raghav@hrinindia.in

NPS rules by PFRDA

2009-05-03T23:01:00.002+05:30

Suresh Parthasarathy
Source : Businessline

Citizens of India will now have an option of securing their post-retirement life with the New Pension Scheme established by the Government under the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).

The scheme has come in to effect from May 1, 2009. The unique feature of the scheme is the flexibility offered for investors to choose their asset allocation as well as their fund managers.

This scheme has already been made mandatory for Central Government employees from 2004 and is said to have earned a weighted average return of about 14.5 per cent (according to PFRDA) over the last one year.

How it works

Two types of accounts are available under the NPS.

Tier-I account: Individuals can contribute their savings for retirement into this non-withdrawal account.

Tier II account: Under this saving facility, individuals are free to withdraw their savings whenever they require.

Tier I account is available for contribution from May 1, 2009. The commencement of the Tier II account will be notified shortly by PFRDA.

Who can be member?

A citizen of India, whether resident or non resident aged between 18-55 years on the date of submission of the application can open this account.. Investors can open these accounts in 22 entities prescribed by PFRDA. These include LIC, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank and UTI Asset Management.

Who are not eligible?

Individual who are not granted an order of discharge by a court (un-discharged insolvent), individuals of unsound mind and pre-existing account holders under NPS.

Minimum contribution per instalment is Rs 500 and minimum contribution per year is Rs 6000. There should be a minimum of 4 contributions made each year. Over and above the mandated limit of a minimum of four contributions, account holders can decide on the frequency and extent of the contribution across the year as per their convenience.

Withdrawal

On attaining normal retirement age (NRA) of 60 years account holders will be required to compulsorily withdraw at least 40 per cent of their pension wealth and the remaining 60 per cent can be withdrawn as a lump sum or in a phased manner.

A minimum of 10 per cent every year will be allowed under phased withdrawal.

If an account holder makes a withdrawal any time before 60 years of age he has to compulsorily annuitise 80 per cent of his accumulated pension wealth; such sum should be used to purchase annuity from any Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority regulated life insurance company.

The remaining 20 per cent can be withdrawn as a lump sum.

In the unfortunate event of death of the account holder at any time, the nominee will have an option receive 100 per cent of NPS pension wealth in lump sum.

If the nominee wishes to continue with New Pension System, he or she will have to subscribe to NPS individually.

Investment choice

The NPS offers you two options to invest your money. Active choice: Individual funds (Asset class E, asset class C and asset class G). Auto Choice: Lifecycle fund (see table).

Option one, called active choice, will allow investors to choose the proportion of money going in to equity (E), credit risk bearing income instruments (C) and government security (G).

Investors can also choose their fund managers out of a basket of six fund houses.

However, investment in equity would be restricted to index funds tracking the BSE Sensex and S&P CNX Nifty and subject to a maximum of 50 per cent of investor’s money.

In case the participant is unable to make a choice regarding asset allocation then contributions would be invested in “Auto Choice”. In auto choice the investment would be determined by a predefined portfolio.

For copies of the Offer document and Scheme details look at files section of our HRinIndia Group on Yahoo. All you wanted to know about the New Pension Scheme (NPS) announced by Pension Fund Regulatory authority India is here http://tr.im/kmt7 read the welcome kit which has a wealth of information.

Compiled and bought to you by

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303 Motherland Building
3rd Main 3rd Cross, Kamanahalli
BANGALORE - 560084

To Get in touch with us -

raghav@hrinindia.in
sowmya@hrinindia.in

# 91.988.008.0321

Best Employer in India - No 11 Godrej Consumer Products

2009-05-01T23:51:00.000+05:30

GODREJ CONSUMER

Industry: FMCG
Employees: 1,354
Workplace locations: 8
Business units: 1
Unique roles: 105

“WE SEE our employees, and not our brands, as our greatest assets,” says Adi Godrej, Chairman of the Rs 7,500 crore Godrej Group. It’s a healthy giveand- take relationship, and it is more pronounced in a slow market like this. Says Sumit Mitra, Executive Vice-President (HR), Godrej Consumer, the Rs 1,200 crore group flagship: “The company’s philosophy is do more for people, but also demand more from them.”

The company has always followed a policy to weed out non-performers. Now, it has made its rewards structure sharper than ever before. Says Godrej: “We have a strong performance-linked bonus system and have even extended employee stock options across all levels of management.”

The group believes in empowering its employees and taking initiatives for their development. So, Godrej Consumer offers multi-skilled training to its employees so that they can play multiple roles, instead of hiring afresh and adding to costs. More recently, it launched a consumer immersion programme. Employees, across functions, are encouraged to interact with consumers on Godrej products and pass on feedback to the product development team. One outcome of such engagement is greater emphasis on fragrance and packaging. Says Mitra: “The rough consumer interaction, they realised that, besides core values, fragrances and packaging play a key role in buying decisions.”

In May 2008, the group unveiled a new brand identity that promised “brighter living”. It wasn’t just a cosmetic change, says Mitra. “We took every employee through the attributes of brighter living at a mindset level, and told them that we meant it.” The Godrej brass gives two numbers to make their point. Attrition, says Mitra, is just 1%. Adds Godrej: “In 2008, only 20 stocks gained, and Godrej Consumer was one of them.”

—Ajita Shashidhar
Source :outlook business

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No.10 Mariott Hotels

2009-04-26T18:22:00.000+05:30

MARRIOTT HOTELS INDIA

Industry: Hospitality
Employees: 3,250
Workplace locations: 4
Business units: 5
Unique roles: 27

BUSINESS IS tough, which is even more reason for Marriott to hone its workforce. “Our values get stronger during such times,” says Rajeev Menon, Vice-President for Marriott in India, Malaysia, Maldives and Pakistan. The company’s pyramid organisation structure has associates (its front-end staff ) at the top. They are the company’s biggest asset, says Menon. “So, we have already paid bonuses and the increment has been 8-10%,” he says.

Once a year, associates take an online survey of 42 questions on personal leadership, teamwork, worklife balance, personal growth and rewards. “The survey helps us understand associates and improve their performance,” says Gurmeet Singh, Area Director of HR for India, Maldives and Pakistan.

Marriott runs 14 different training programmes for its employees, and the investment on training is on the no-compromise list. New recruits undergo a week-long training, and follow ups after 60 days and 90 days on the job. There’s an online programme to develop skills of associates and a portal that facilitates their personal development. At the managerial level, Marriott employees are categorised into three bands: red (entry level), blue (department-head level) and purple (divisionalhead level). Across these bands, the company runs a talent development and succession plan. “We have groomed about 80% of our associates to the red band,” says Singh.

With an average increment of 8-10%, Marriott is not a big paymaster, and its 30% attrition rate is a cause for concern. “But we don’t lose employees due to monetary issues. It’s mainly to foreign competition and luxury cruises,” says Nayna Panjanani, Director of HR at JW Marriott (a division of Marriott, in Mumbai). “Many do come back.” Adds Singh: “We focus more on recognition than on rewards.” Every May, Marriott hosts an associate appreciation week, which is a time to thank its associates. “Th e executive committee is on the floor serving them,” says Panjanani.

Source : outlook business

No.9 Domino Pizza

2009-04-26T18:19:00.000+05:30

DOMINO’S PIZZA INDIA

Industry: Food services
Employees: 5,620
Workplace locations: 5
Business units: 176
Unique roles: 32

IN MOST organisations, a 106% attrition rate would be alarming. At Domino’s, it’s pizza as usual. That triple-digit rate is at the entry (delivery person) level, populated by 12th pass students who are still finding themselves. At the store manager level, the attrition rate is 21%, much better than the industry average of 40-45%. At the corporate office, it’s almost nil, with several employees having been in the company since it was formed in 1998-99.

The challenge for Domino’s is how to keep its 20-somethings interested, compete as it does with the BPO industry, which offers higher salaries and more perks. Still, people stay. Some even return to a system that empowers them to perform and gives a fair opportunity to the deserving to rise through the ranks. For instance, by clearing four training modules, a delivery boy can become a store manager in five years. Straight out of class 12, Raj Sahi joined as a delivery boy in 1996. Today, the 33-year-old oversees the Western region, and is responsible for a turnover of Rs 100 crore per year. With financial assistance from Domino’s, he also completed his graduation.

Employee education is a stated objective at Domino’s— it spent Rs 45 lakh in 2007-08 on training and will spend Rs 55 lakh this year. The company has tied up with leading institutes for distant education courses (both graduate and post-graduate). It also sends chosen employees for a one-year, residential, customised management course at IMT Ghaziabad. Says Ajay Kaul, Chief Executive Officer, “If they stay with the company for two to three months, they see the benefits flowing.”

Store managers are seen as the CEO of their stores. Says Basab Bordoloi, Vice-President (HR): “They practically run the business, which inculcates an entrepreneurial zeal among them.” Store managers handle their store as a separate business unit. They have the right to question corporate moves that have cost implications on their store. “The sense of responsibility and career growth keeps us motivated,” sums up 25-year-old R Devrajan, who manages six stores in Delhi.

No.8 LG Electronics

2009-04-26T18:15:00.000+05:30

LG ELECTRONICS

Industry: Consumer durables
Employees: 3,000
Workplace locations: 41
Business units: 1
Unique roles: 417

THE PREMISE for HR at LG is if the company takes care of its employees, its performance will improve. Yet, just five years ago, LG India was losing 35% of freshers within a year of them joining the company. That number is now down to 5% and not one employee earmarked as core talent or in the successor group has left in the last one year.

Behind this turnaround is a change in the basis of expectations from employees and the way they engage with the company. Activities were introduced and processes were reoriented towards increasing inter- and intra-departmental interaction, promoting fun at work, providing instant recognition and improving work-life balance. LG was considered a tough place to work, especially at the branch level.People were slogging even on Sundays to meet targets. This workaholism ended when the HR imposed a blanket ban on employees working on Sundays. Initially, workers accustomed to chasing targets at the expense of personal lives still flouted the diktat, but HR followed through—they called up employee homes on Sundays and holidays to confirm that employees were not working.

Touches like this make Dr Yasho V Verma, Director (HR and Marketing Sales), LG, say: “On paper, every HR team is strong, it is implementation that matters.” Small things, like the 30-minute freewheeling session with the boss, count. Team leaders managing less than 15 people have to do this once a month; those managing more than 15 people, once in two months. They also have to take their team out every month, at the company’s expense.The bonding and interaction improves trust and team spirit, and creates a better working environment. After these measures were introduced, late sitting in the office reduced by about 80%.

A similar concept exists at the blue-collar worker level too. An HR person takes line guardianship of 30-40 employees, and meets them once a month for at least 15-20 minutes to hear them out and understand their mindset. The onus of resolving employee issues lies with the HR person, and processes in place make them accountable.

For employees, professional growth is important. So, the HR team prepares a five-year plan for employees based on a three-day workshop with them, where behavioural and functional capabilities are assessed. A clear training plan is drawn up on how to achieve the goals. Two months back, this programme covered 1,250 employees. Every month, 40 more employees are added, with the eventual objective of covering all 3,400 employees at LG. Verma sees HR people as “psychologists” who can read employee minds and take quick action. LG’s numbers show they have been doing that.

No.7 Eureka Forbes

2009-04-26T18:09:00.000+05:30

EUREKA FORBES

Industry: Consumer durables
Employees: 9,400
Workplace locations: 243
Business units: 4
Unique roles: 106

AT EUREKA Forbes, employees who have put in two years in the company are eligible to contest an in-house election for ‘councillors’ and ‘senators’. In 2008, 270 candidates contested for 56 seats (42 councillors and 14 senators); they even drafted their own manifestos, and articulated plans to develop their ‘constituencies’. All employees cast their votes through a secret ballot to elect the ‘house of Eurochamps’. Councillors meet once a month, the senate once a quarter, to address employee issues. “The idea is to ensure the voice of our people is heard in the decision-making process,” says Suresh Goklaney, Vice-Chairman & Managing Director, Eureka Forbes: “The concept has helped us eliminate barriers in the flow of knowledge and communication across hierarchies.”

For a direct-selling company like Eureka Forbes, employees are its single biggest asset. The company looks to take people with average educational qualifications and turn them into performers through a mix of training and performance-based incentives.The company runs an induction programme for newcomers and a refresher course for front-line employees. In 2000, Eureka Forbes tied up with Narsee Monjee Institute of Management and Higher Studies, and floated an academy to offer management diploma courses to its employees. The academy is still active. The company is now planning to team up with premier B-Schools to co-develop sales-centric training programmes.

Succession planning is also a critical item on the company’s agenda. It is working on a programme that will help it spot potential managers and mould them for bigger roles. So, a front-line sales person can grow to become a Vice-President.

Eureka Forbes, says Goklaney, is highly performance- driven. “Compensation at all levels is performance-linked and the variable component varies from 40-60%,” he says. However, attrition is high. “Although it is 4% at senior levels, it is 30% at the front-line,” says Harsimran Singh, Senior Vice-President-Human Resources & Organisational Effectiveness. Still, she says, there’s a silver lining to this high rate of attrition: “It helps to align the employee base with regular performers.” And that helps the business—and, in turn, the people who run it.

Source : outlook business

No.6 Intuit Technology

2009-04-26T18:06:00.000+05:30

INTUIT TECHNOLOGY

Industry: IT
Employees: 224
Workplace locations: 1
Business units: 1
Unique roles: 16

A WORK culture that answers to customers is Intuit’s “secret sauce”, says Managing Director Vijay Anand. “Engineers, typically, never get to connect directly with customers. They sit in their cubicles and come up with cool products they think people will want. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work that way,” he says.

So, Intuit teaches its engineers to follow their customers—that is, meet prospective users of their products, at their workplace (small enterprises like a tailor shop, a local kirana store, a beauty salon, a welding shop, a farming field). The objective is to see their pain points first-hand, and then design products that provide a soothing effect.

Typically, 10-15% of the work time of engineers is left free for them to follow the customer home, connect with the outside world and solve real-time problems that have the potential to become the next big Intuit product. Unstructured time, it’s termed. “This free time is not monitored—you are free to do as you please,” says an employee.

Engineers don’t have to wait endlessly to see their ideas take shape—it can take just six weeks for an idea to move into the prototype stage. UVG Sekar, Head, Human Resources, says Intuit helps engineers hone their entrepreneurial skills, be it the ability to take risks, the passion for an idea, taking an idea to fruition or customer orientation. Products like TurboTax, the number one tax preparation software in the US, and QuickBooks, the number one business accounting software for small enterprises,are outcomes of such support systems.

This open culture requires active participation by senior management. The company is proud of this culture—senior managers are often found lounging around with employees, discussing ideas and strategies. Access to senior management is actively encouraged—Founder & Chairman Scott Cook himself conducts a few training sessions for employees every year. All this makes it a satisfying experience for employees, who vote with their mouths—30-40% of lateral hiring in the company is through employee referrals.

Source : outlook business

No.5 ITC Welcome Group

2009-04-26T18:03:00.000+05:30

ITC Welcomgroup

Industry: Hospitality
Employees: 2,000
Workplace Units: 26
Business units: 14
Unique roles: 21

THE DOWNTURN, THE MUMBAI TERROR ATTACKS, AND MOST recently, the shifting of the IPL to foreign shores, have affected the hospitality sector adversely, but the Rs 2,300 crore ITC Welcomgroup hotel chain has no plans to slow down. The company isn’t lowering growth projections or reducing its workforce. In fact, ITC’s cash-rich, debt-free hospitality division plans to double the number of rooms in its luxury hotels to 5,000 in the next three years, to be in a good position to ride the upturn when it happens.

At a recent conference in Gurgaon, senior officials from across the country discussed how to weather the current difficulties without any major internal upheaval. The message that went out to employees at the end of the three-day conclave was: “no layoffs or pay cuts’’. Given how most other companies are taking drastic cost-cutting measures just to stay afloat, that message would have been very reassuring for employee morale.

Employees have always been treated well, even after they retire. Although it is the ideal hunting ground for other services players such as airlines, business process outsourcing (BPOs) and banks, especially at the junior management level, ITC Welcomgroup has managed to keep attrition down to 11%, well below the industry average. “That has been made possible,’’ says Anil Sharma, Vice-President and Head of HR at ITC Welcomgroup, “by benchmarking our salaries to those paid in these industries, ensuring that the cash component is the highest in the salary, and also paying a handsome retention bonus at the end of three years.’’

For middle-level managers, the benchmark is the hospitality sector: hospitals, competing hotels and real estate companies, because these companies were luring away its managers. ITC Welcomgroup also added the best in lifestyle benefits—houses in good locations and expensive cars—to take care of employees’ family needs. For those at the very top, it is Hindustan Unilever, Infosys and the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) that became the competition.

A high basic pay is just one part of the package; other intangible benefits such as job satisfaction, ability to move within the organisation and the freedom to express opinions also help in employee retention. Moreover, the company’s distributive leadership model, as opposed to centralised leadership followed by most companies gives strategic business unit (SBU) heads full autonomy and authority to run their respective businesses as they see fit. Also, its emphasis on collective action has built team spirit among employees.

Nakul Anand, CEO, ITC Welcomgroup, feels that morale is high because the company takes care of most employee needs. And he should know, having spent 33 years in the company. Every employee gets ample opportunities to rise up the ladder. Says Sharma: “The only limits to growth in our company is our own competence.” He cites the example of Sunil Sikka, who rose from bellboy to general manager over a 30-year period, after getting 17 promotions.

Anil Sharma recruited Jeevan Unnithan, who was a captain in the army, as an assistant manager nearly six years ago. Today, Unnithan has risen to the post of Divisional Human Resource Manager. “Even in these troubled economic times,
I know I can sleep soundly because I am working with ITC Welcomgroup,’’
says Unnithan .

Source : outlook business

No.4 Cisco Networks

2009-04-26T17:55:00.001+05:30

Industry: Networking
Employees: 4,600
Workplace Units: 7
Business units: 4
Unique roles: 72

CISCO PRIDES ITSELF ON ITS NETWORKING ABILITIES—HUMAN networking. So, one would expect the company to stress on HR practices that pamper employees. Surprisingly, HR boss Subhash AK Rao is remarkably blasé on what differentiates Cisco as a workplace. “By itself, we don’t do anything out-of-the-ordinary—rather it is the degree to which the attributes of a good workplace come together that makes us unique.” To top it all, this isn’t your usual MNC, where control rests outside India. With 20% of Cisco’s leadership based here, India calls the shots too. Rao explains: “India today leads 28 sectors for Cisco worldwide, up from just five earlier. This has opened up new opportunities.” Because a chunk of Cisco’s work is driven out of India, people here are exposed to a wider canvas.

In a day, a Cisco employee could be working for four different geographies, two technologies and three markets. Employees find this variety exhilarating, but admit its hard work. Long hours are common in Cisco, but employees have the flexibility to work according to their timelines. “If you want to take off early on Friday or get into office late on Monday, nobody will stop you. We are treated as mature adults—there’s no nagging,” says a young hire.

The opportunity to work across different technologies and diverse customer groups is another attraction at Cisco. This is possible, says Rao, because Cisco does not follow a single technology religion. “We started with routers, moved into switches and followed up with data, voice, video and now mobility. There are 20 technologies in which Cisco is either number one or number two globally. At Cisco, we cover the gamut of the hi-tech industry—not many organisations give you this opportunity,” adds Rao.

Although the size of the organisation is $40 billion with 60,000-plus employees on the rolls, Cisco works like a cluster of businesses (built around a particular echnology area). An old Cisco hand says each business unit runs like an independent company, and is responsible for its products and revenue stream. “Targets are set internally and people within the business unit are responsible for these targets. You are pretty much on your own, and that’s what keeps the spirit of innovation alive,” he adds.

At Cisco, innovation is not just about technology and engineering—it’s also about how to run the business. Explains Rao, “Our mantra is collaboration and teamwork. For example, formal reporting is a very insignifi cant part of what defines you—you are defined more by how many councils you are on, what you are leading and what initiatives you are a part of.” Also, as Cisco transitions from simply selling a product to sharing risk and revenues with customers, everyday brings with it new lessons.

Cisco’s tagline of ‘changing the way we live, work, play and learn’ may sound a little exaggerated to outsiders, but Rao says the company actually walks the talk. For example, the use of technology at the workplace enables employees to work anywhere and collaborate with anyone—whether it’s a video-conference at the touch of a button or a ‘virtual office’ router at home. Cisco does not believe in commute to compute— the rationale is that you should be able to compute from anywhere and commuting should be more around collaboration.

People inside Cisco use the phrase ‘worklife integration’ to describe the Cisco culture. “If you enjoy what you do and are able to do it at your convenience, I can’t think of a better alternative,” sums up Rao.

Source : outlook India

No. 3 Taj Hotels

2009-04-26T17:50:00.001+05:30

Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces

Industry: Hospitality
Employees: 13,500
Workplace Units: 43
Business units: 64
Unique roles: 395

WHEN TERRORISTS ATTACKED MUMBAI’S TAJ MAHAL HOTEL ON November 26, last year, hotel employees immediately swung into action trying to save the lives of the guests trapped inside. The heroic manner in which they saved the lives of hundreds, at great personal cost, is well known. When the ordeal was over, the Taj Group not only had to undertake the huge task of restoring the 106-year-old structure to its erstwhile glory, but also to renew the confidence of its traumatised employees.

While some were scared of getting back to work, others were wondering if they had a job to go back to. The day after the attack was snuffed out, the company set up a trauma centre, and with the help of 15 counsellors and psychiatrists from the Tata Institute of Social Services, got each employee and his/her family counselled. “We convinced them that the Taj was safe and so were their jobs,” reminisces an emotional HN Shrinivas, Senior Vice- President, Human Resources, Taj Hotels. “Each one of them had their share of anxieties, but in the end, they all pledged to work together to once again make the Taj Mahal the best hotel in Mumbai.”

Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata personally met the families of the deceased, and distributed a compensation package of Rs 7 crore. This included a lumpsum payment and other facilities such as ensuring a spouse got the last-drawn salary of the deceased throughout his or her lifetime, taking care of the children’s education, and so on.

This humanitarian approach has underlined how the Taj Group backs its employees even during times of crisis. Employee well-being, says Raymond Bickson, Managing Director, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, has always been a priority. “We want to be recognised among the best employers in the country.” It is the people who are in the trenches that have made the Taj what it is, he says. A guest at the Taj interacts with the hotel staff on at least 42 occasions each day, right from getting a wake-up call from the operator and getting room service to getting information at the front desk and being greeted by the doorman, says Bickson. “All these employees can be at their best only if they love what they do and feel a sense of belonging.”

To instill this, the company has put in place several programmes such as the ‘speed programme’, through which it identifies good performers and gives them a double promotion. It has also put together an ‘emerging leaders programme’, under which hundreds of managers with leadership potential have been selected and put through a rigorous training programme. “We need 2,000 leaders in the next 10 years and we have already charted out a career plan for these candidates,” says Bickson.

Good employee retention practices help maintain market share and margins. “There are 37 global hospitality brands wanting to enter India and we have to keep up with the times.”

Despite the economic slowdown, the Taj Group is expanding aggressively. The hotel chain plans to double its rooms from 10,000 to 20,000 in the next couple of years. To do so, it will need a lot of manpower. “One can’t open hotels and not hire. However, we will first look at internal movements,” says Bickson.