Q. Being closely related to HR and its practices at Earth Infrastructure, what do you think are the primary areas of inefficiencies in public sector?
A. I feel it is the first level of recruitment, which falls into the category of primary inefficient areas in the public sector. We do not have the right kind of recruitment policies in place in public sector. People are recruited on the basis of reference or next-to-nil interview procedures. Ideally, a new employee should be communicated with right kind of description on the job and KRA. HR is a very soft-skill vertical, which needs to be handled by a person with the right expertise. It is often seen in the public sector that the administration takes care of HR, but it is important to ensure no overlapping of responsibilities in finance, HR and administration takes place.
Q. What does private sector do differently from public sector?
A. Appreciation often goes a long way in uplifting team of employees. In more ways than one, it acts as a biggest psychological stimulus, elevating an employee’s ability to accept the hierarchy and perform better. We have heard of stories where iron fisted leaders would put forth high incentives to boost the morale of an employee. An efficient HR system must work on emotional level with every employee.
On the other hand, in government sector, employees do not have the fear of getting expelled. Issuing a citizen charter as a government policy will serve to be a right step in the right direction.
Q. Private sector employs the best professionals through stringent processes, but still fails to show high productivity figures. Can you please explain the reasons behind it and how can companies in this sector improve the efficiency of their employees?
A. I believe employees must be given incentives on higher performance and at the same time they must never be discouraged for their non-performance. The list of dos and don’ts must be established very clearly. Keeping in mind the disciplinary rules, strict actions must be taken on its violation. Engaging employees on their personal issues like cheap home or car loans can play an important role in enhancing the relationship between an employee and employer.
And as I said earlier also, the fear and greed theory will work like a charm in improving the employee’s efficiency, with maximum results.
Q. Define the role of a leader at a private firm.
A. A leader motivates people in the real sense. He is armed with a sense of vision for others to follow. He shares an emotional or personal aura with his team. He has a fine level of knowledge of his field of operation and excellence. He might not be the best man to have the subject knowledge, but he is someone who knows how to extract the best out of his team members.
Q. How does private sector gain an edge over the public sector?
A. Manpower planning plays the pivotal role in giving competitive edge to a private sector firm over public sector firm. The main discrepancy between these two firms is the development of an organisational chart. Unlike public sector, private sector keeps itself abreast with the infrastructure and manpower planning, and there lies the difference.
Q. What measures should public firms take to contribute to the growth of India?
A. As an effective measure, public firms should be transparent in their operations. A sense of accountability should be owned by the firm. Ideally, there should be a customer care desk operated by a single public firm, where customers can go and narrate their problems.
A common man should not be made to run from pillar to post. I would propose introducing RTI in the public sector as a panacea for these issues. Once the mindset is revamped, work efficiency will follow the suit.
