Q.How can HR ensure an ideal workplace and happy employees?
A. HR is pivotal in keeping the motivation levels in the organisation high and instill a sense of belongingness. To actualise this vision one must keep the employee engaged, ensure that individual’s career aspirations are met, create a conducive work environment that challenges and motivates the employee and develop a fair and friendly work environment.
Q. How can HR manage the difficult employees?
A. Every individual is different and has strengths and areas of improvement. It is important for HR to find ways to leverage strengths of the individual in a way that benefits the organisation the best.
Q. How can you make individual performers work as a team?
A. Basically, we must facilitate ways so that they work in a team. In any team there are performers, low-performers, team workers, individual workers, aggressive people, shy people, employees who can handle stress and those who cannot. As HR, we must create activities that promote informal bonding between the members. At NIIT Technologies, whenever we start new projects, we organise team building exercises. Participation of employees in CSR projects also helps in creating a sense of belongingness within a team.
Q. What about those who do not want to come out of their zone?
A. There are many ways HR can help and make a difference to the people who are cocooned in their zone. Problems like these are not new for the HR teams of IT companies as there are many people who only want to work with technology and not be a part of teams. Such people have no interest in handling teams, but are so good at their work that we want to retain them and therefore create a separate role for them where they do not have to do anything else.
You have to understand that such people exist in every organisation and you cannot change them. But, you can always find suitable roles that match their strengths. Such high performing employees require more attention and care. The role of HR is to identify such people and engage with them in such a manner that their energy is channelised in finding their niche.
Q. How can HR figure out the strength of an individual?
A. HR can assess the strength of an individual through different mechanisms. One of the most effective ones is the 360 Degree feedback process where the employee is evaluated by his/her peers, subordinates and supervisors and sometimes also the clients
Q. What traits are a must for a smart worker?
A. Smart people understand their goals and know how to get there. They have the hunger to grow, perform and to accept. Such a worker knows how to prioritise well. He knows what a client needs and does whatever it takes to ensure that customer gets what is expected.
