Q. My journey as an HR professional
A. I started my career with Satyam Infoway (Sify) as a graduate after which I moved to EY a big four company, as a consultant. My role as a manager with STG proved to be the real catalyst in my career as an HR professional. I have worked in HR both in India and US. However my longest tenure till date has been with Xerox Business Services Here I was given a chance to influence and set the agenda, challenge and establish strong stakeholder relationships across the HR business and transform it into a value adding function.
The last 14 years have been, most exciting and interesting filled with immense learning and increased self awareness as an individual. They have also seen me leading many challenging people programs.
Q. Challenges I have faced till date
A. One of the biggest challenges I have faced is to create an environment within the organization that encourages longterm stable employment.
Organizations need to contribute to the employee feeling that they can be successful. To do this HR personnel need to embrace programs like talent management, employee engagement programs that add value to the skill sets of the employees. Companies also need to ensure that individuals feel accountable and responsible for the role they play within the business.
HR also has a unique role to play in working with all the other functions in helping to create a culture of continuous improvement where ideas and opportunities are encouraged, so that the people strategy sits firmly at the center of all business objectives.
From an operational point of view as a HR professional you must know the operational language and have the metrics that are totally aligned to the objectives of the business. You must always know what it takes to get from A to B. From a personal perspective, you should also know when it is time to move on.
Q. Challenges specific to ‘digital-age’
A. A proper integration of HRM and IT, with the purpose of creating value for employees and managers is most essential and challenging. Today Human Resources Management (HRM) has a very important facilitative and strategic role in organizational success. Several financial and non-financial performance measures of an organization are positively related to its levels of HRM Strategic Integration (HRMSI). One needs to develop a better understanding of strategic HRM and its impact on organizational performance while making it more tech-savvy.
Q. Advice for managing workforce diversity
A few pointers on how to manage a diverse workforce
** Expect all employees of all backgrounds to meet required standards and perform to the best of their ability.
** Set an example of encouraging diversity by developing relationships with colleagues whose backgrounds differ from yours.
** Look for ways to incorporate diverse perspectives and talents into efforts to achieve organizational goals.
** Always focus on job-related issues, not personal issues, when dealing with employees.
** Avoid both positive and negative stereotypes.
** Have key materials, such as safety information, translated when possible.
** Use pictures and symbols on warning signs so that everybody can understand.
** Respond promptly and firmly when employees express prejudices or stereotypes.
** Remind them of your policies that prohibit discrimination.
Q. Effectiveness and importance of rewards an recognitions in strengthening employee engagement and retention
A. Employee recognition is the timely, informal or formal acknowledgement of a person’s or team’s behavior, effort or business result that supports the organization’s goals and values, and that has clearly been beyond normal expectations. Appreciation is a fundamental human need. Praise and recognition are essential to build an outstanding workplace.
There are two aspects to employee recognition. The first aspect is to actually see, identify or realize an opportunity to praise someone. If you are not in a receptive frame of mind you can easily pass over many such opportunities. This happens all too frequently. The other aspect of employee recognition is, of course, the physical act of doing something to acknowledge and praise people for their good work.
Q. Ask yourself – why should you get involved in employee recognition?
A. Firstly, because you can use the principles to great effect in your own working relationships (and personal relationships).
Secondly, because employee recognition has a huge communication component! Recognizing people for their good work sends an extremely powerful message to the recipient, their work team and other employees through the grapevine and formal communication channels. Employee recognition is therefore a potent communication technique.
Q. Ways to attract best talent
*** If you want to get awesome employees who are willing to go the extra mile, you better make yourself prominent in your industry. You have to make yourself well known by establishing yourself as an authority in your industry. Whenever a potential employee comes to your website, Facebook page, LinkedIn, Twitter or any other online presence, it should be so engaging that it makes them think.
*** If you don’t just want to wait around for talent to find you or don’t have time to seek it out yourself as the business owner or hiring manager, then get your employees to help you search. Employee referral is a powerful way to attract the right talent.
*** You don’t have to sit around and wait for great talent – you can always approach them yourself. While you’re not guaranteed a yes, you can always plant the seed that you’re interested in someone for when they decide they want to change employment.
One strategy that has worked for me is ‘hire slow and fire fast’. Don’t be afraid to part ways with the bad hires, they quickly impact productivity, moral and culture
Q. The secret to hiring the right candidate
A. As you know, there is no such thing as a secret ingredient in special recipes. Likewise there is no secret mantra to hire the right candidate. It is all about the ability of the employee that is reflected in his CV, his past experience and expertise,
To hire candidates who will be in for the long haul, all one can do is to follow this simple strategy. Be proactive, unconventional and open-minded. Be clear about what you are hiring for quality or quantity based roles. One strategy that I would like to share is ‘hire slow and fire fast’. Don’t be afraid to part ways with the bad hires, they quickly impact productivity, moral and culture.
Don’t become pigeonholed into thinking the person with the exact necessary experience is the right person for the role. Someone may have been in a totally different career, like engineering or computer science, but the analytical skills they possess might be beneficial to the job. Ask a question that may not pertain to a typical job interview and see how the candidate responds.
Q. My advice for young candidates facing an interview
A. To be as star, give your best shot at the interview, right from your dress code, to your CV, to how you conduct yourself during the interview. It is the right mix of all this which will fetch you a great job.
Do some homework around the employer, the interviewer if possible. In your mind try to associate the interviewer with someone you know in personal life. This will help you tackle the person with more comfort.
Remember it is not about doing different things, but rather doing the same things differently. Try to convince them around the very question – why should I hire you? Is it your hard work, determination, ambition or your skill sets.
