HCM Excellence (APAC & Middle East) Excellence - July 2023

On the Cover

Navigating Employment Terminations In 2023

HR strategies for ethics, upskilling and legal compliance

- Dr. Deepak Sharma, Associate Professor, NMIMS

Articles

11 Agility In Talent Acquisition: Preparing For The Future And Creating Boundaryless Organizations

Staying ahead of the competition

- Sushant Dwivedy, Managing Director, SHL

17 Workplace Stress And Employee Health: Finding The Balance Buidling a healthy workplace

- Sunny Singh, Founder & Director, NutriHerbs

24 AI: HR Holds The Key To Who Wins The Race

What organizations can achieve with AI depends on how HR enables the workforce

- Malay Upadhyay, Chief Growth & Operations Officer, SalesChoice

29 Covid-19: Employee Preferences And Challenges In Bio-Pharma Sector

Learn how the pandemic impacted recruitment in this sector

- Dr. Ganesh Nikam, MD and CEO, Biojobz

35 Effective Strategies For Recruiting And Retaining Blue Collar Talent In India

Building the backbone of India’s economy

- Nilesh Dungarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, WorkIndia

TOP PICKS

10 Ways Technology Can Change Workplace Culture In 2023

Insights on how technology is reshaping the workplace landscape and fostering innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction

- Sudhakar Raja, Founder & CEO, TRST Score

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership Development

Adapting leadership approaches

- Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya, Professor, Great Lakes Institute of Management

Toxic Leadership: Organizations Are Paying More Than You Think

The impact of toxic leadership

- Neetu Wahi, Head of Leadership Hiring & Integration, Max Life Insurance

Developing Talents Through Experiences

From competency-based development toward experiences-based development

- Mohamed H. Ameen, Head of Talent Management, Regional Transport Office, Government of Dubai

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Nurturing Empathy, Agility, and Growth in 2023

In 2023, the business landscape has seen significant changes due to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. In this new era, organizations must grapple with the impact of toxic leadership, recognize the importance of emotional intelligence (EI) in leadership development, and embrace agility in talent acquisition to stay ahead of the competition.

Read the July edition of HCM Excellence (APAC & Middle East) for insightful articles on the significance of a healthy workplace, empowering employees through experiences-based development, tackling recruitment challenges and opportunities, and much more.

Toxic leadership has emerged as a pressing issue that can tarnish an organization's reputation, erode trust, and have detrimental effects on the well-being of its employees. It is crucial for leaders to promote positive leadership qualities, foster open communication, and uphold accountability to cultivate a workplace culture that values empathy and professionalism.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a seismic shift in workforce motivations and work arrangements, emphasizing the significance of emotional intelligence in leadership development. EI encompassing self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills enables leaders to excel in diverse competencies and styles. Organizations must invest in developing leaders' EI skills to foster inclusivity, creativity, conflict management, and resilient leadership that adapts to various situations.

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In today's fast-paced business environment, agility in talent acquisition has become imperative. Organizations must strategically plan for the future, embrace continuous learning, leverage new technologies, and adopt a flexible approach to recruitment.

Moreover, the pandemic's impact on the workplace has highlighted the importance of employee health and well-being. Work stress can significantly affect the physical and mental health of employees, necessitating a balanced approach to fostering a healthy workplace. Employers should actively seek ways to reduce stress in the workplace and support their employees' overall well-being.

As organizations evolve, so too must their talent development strategies. Shifting from competency-based development to experiences-based development can accelerate talent growth and effectiveness.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had profound effects on recruitment in various sectors, including the bio-pharma industry. While the sector experienced a surge in demand and digital adoption, it also grappled with employee burnout, remote work challenges, and high attrition rates. Post-Covid, the industry witnessed a surge in job changes and demands for higher compensation and remote work options, presenting new challenges for recruiters.

By fostering a workplace culture that values empathy, innovation, and growth, companies can forge a path to enduring success. As we move forward, let us embrace these principles and build a brighter future for our organizations and their workforce.

In brief, this issue provides valuable insights from experts that can help HR professionals confidently navigate the future, create effective talent strategies, and drive organizational success in the post-pandemic era.

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In a world of unparalleled challenges (global pandemic, racial injustice, political rivalry, digital 4.0, emotional malaise), uncertainty reigns. Finding opportunity in this context requires harnessing uncertainty and harnessing starts with reliable, valid, timely, and useful information. The Excellence publications are a superb source of such information. The authors provide insights with impact that will guide thought and action.

Excellence publications are my ‘go-to’ resource for contemporary and actionable information to improve leadership, engagement, results, and retention. Each edition offers rich and diverse perspectives for improving the employee experience and the workplace in general.

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Navigating Employment Terminations In 2023

HR strategies for ethics, upskilling and legal compliance

By Dr. Deepak Sharma, NMIMS

AnEconomic Times article (dated June 1, 2023) lays out figures from Layoffs.fyi, a tracking site, and reports that 726 tech companies have seen 2,00,846 employee terminations in 2023, and since last year, 27,000 employees belonging to Indian startups lost their jobs!

Employment termination involves human resources (HR), legal as well as ethical perspective. Work not only leads to financial support for the employees, but it also offers a social recognition platform to the employees as well as his/her family, and any employment termination practice with the employee being declared as redundant and the skills he/she possesses labeled as obsolete, has to face the society with the stigma that he is not required in the workplace. This may be one of the most traumatizing experiences for him/her as well as his/her entire family.

In India, according to the Industrial Disputes Act (IDA) of 1947, the definition of industry is wide enough to cover startups, the tech sector, and other manufacturing and service sectors. Earlier in 2007, the central government had said that labor laws covered the IT/ITES (information technology enabled services) industry, and it was up to the state government to deal with violations of these laws.

The Tamil Nadu government had clarified that the State’s labor laws applied equally to the information technology and allied sectors and consequently

allowed IT employees the freedom to form associations and trade unions.

Where the provisions of the IDA were violated, knowledge workers may approach the conciliation officer through their trade unions and even subject their erring employer to an industrial dispute. They were also free to form trade unions and could redress their grievances. The IT wing of the New Democratic Labour Front was established in 2015 amidst emerging issues around the retrenchment of 25,000 employees by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

As such, HR needs to manage such employment termination exercises with extreme care and caution, as they may have far-reaching outcomes. HR professionals need to be compliant enough with statutes/Supreme Court and high court guidelines, as well as sensitive enough in planning or executing employment terminations (which IDA, 1947 defines as retrenchment).

It is essential for HR to develop an ethical/legal policy framework for planning and handling redundancy and retrenchments. The HR department may involve itself in the following:

● Along with business leaders planning and focusing on alternate ways to create business value and plans for combating job losses, retrenchment should be the last option.

● Maintaining the trust of employees and discarding rumors.

● Identifying redundant roles and not people.

● Planning and execution in phases, including compliance with section 25F/N of the IDA, 1947, wherever applicable (if retrenched employees are workmen); an even better severance package may be offered.

● Empathy and fair treatment to all employees and consideration of reduction in work hours.

● Maintaining transparency at each step in the process and allowing employees to exit without letting in any performance issues.

● Employee appraisals must be studied to understand their impact on employee capacity and performance.

● Ensuring outplacement, re-employment, and rehabilitation opportunities, investment in reskilling & upskilling employees, and avoidance of decisions to maximize short-term gains.

● Intervention programs for morale upliftment should be geared to assist organizations, their leaders/managers, and retrenched workmen/

survivors to combat the negative impact of retrenchment.

● The process of group sensitization workshops may go a long way toward facilitating an acceptance of the process; during such testing times, it is vital for the organization to keep the self-confidence of the employees intact.

● Nurturing a culture of innovation to help organizations adapt to changing market demands.

Focus on Upskilling Efforts

As per LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2023, upskilling employees is among the top four focus areas of learning and development (L&D) for 2023. It further says that skill sets for jobs have changed by around 25% since 2015. By 2027, this number is expected to double. Eight nine percent of L&D professionals agreed that proactively building employee skills will help navigate the evolving future of work. Large-scale upskilling and reskilling are amongst the top 3 L&D program areas for 2023.

Even LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2022 said upskilling and leadership were amongst the top on the L&D’s to-do list (both may be critical factors in talent retention).

According to Udemy Business Workplace Learning Trends Report 2023, the combat strategy to respond to the pandemic accelerated digital adoption by almost five years. When organizations work on employee adaptability to face unplanned and unpredictable change and crisis, they are likely to be more comfortably positioned to come out ahead of the competition. Also, employees must replace old and outdated skills with new ones. Gartner’s Leadership Vision for 2023, focusing on the need for reskilling, says that the total number of skills required

for a single job was increasing at 5.4% annually, and 33% of the skills that were present in an average job posting in 2019 would not be needed by 2024.

As far as the future of reskilling is concerned, even statutory guidelines mandate it. Section 83 of the Industrial Relations Code 2020 mandates the creation of a reskilling fund for every retrenched worker. In case of retrenchment, only the fund shall be utilized by crediting fifteen days’ wages last drawn by the worker (immediately before the retrenchment) to his account within forty-five days of such retrenchment.

Conclusion

The critical role of HR is to act responsibly and handle employment terminations effectively. When employee separation is planned in the form of retrenchment, how the entire exercise is handled goes a long way in demonstrating the organization’s commitment to its values. HR has to play a key role in ethically managing employment terminations as well as it needs to be very cautious as to how each and every step is being taken (to manage such a process) and the way it is going to impact an employer’s overall credibility in the eyes of the public.

The role of HR in formulating business strategy, initiating the development of a human-centric perspective (and decisions), shaping an ethically driven and labor law-compliant company, as well as convincing top management to support such initiatives is vital for building organization capability in the long run.

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Dr. Deepak Sharma is an Associate Professor at SVKM’s Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS). He is an HR professional, assessment consultant, caricaturist, POSH & corporate trainer, faculty, author, and leadership coach.

Agility In Talent Acquisition: Preparing For The Future And Creating Boundaryless Organizations

Staying ahead of the competition

By Sushant Dwivedy, SHL

Intoday’s fast-paced business environment, it is important for organizations to have an agile talent acquisition strategy that can help them stay ahead of their competition. Agility is the ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances, and it acts as a critical factor in talent acquisition. Organizations that can adapt quickly to changing market conditions, emerging trends, and new technologies will be better positioned to attract and retain top talent.

Agility in talent acquisition involves several key elements, including a focus on strategic planning, commitment to continuous learning, willingness to embrace new technologies, and flexible approach to recruitment and hiring. By adopting an agile approach to talent acquisition, organizations can prepare for the future and create a boundaryless organization that is capable of meeting any challenge.

Strategic planning is one of the essential components of an agile talent acquisition strategy. Setting specif-

ic goals and objectives for hiring and recruiting, as well as creating a strategy to meet those goals, are required. This strategy should consider the organization’s long-term goals and objectives while keeping in mind the state of the market and new trends.

Another key element of agility in talent acquisition is a commitment to continuous learning. This entails keeping up with the recent developments in hiring, recruiting trends, and technologies. Additionally, we should also persistently look out for fresh concepts and industry-leading techniques.

Several activities can contribute to continuous learning, including engaging in online forums and discussion groups. Moreover, reading trade journals and blogs and attending conferences and workshops while networking with other industry professionals are significant steps toward achieving constant upskilling. Organizations can better position themselves to attract and keep top talent by aligning with the recent innovations in talent acquisition.

A willingness to embrace new technologies is an essential factor for agility in talent acquisition. This involves leveraging the latest tools and platforms to reach potential candidates, assessing their skills and expertise, and subsequently streamlining the recruitment process.

New technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics can identify top applicants and gauge their eligibility for tasks swiftly and effectively. Organizations may surpass their rivals and entice the greatest employees by using these technologies.

Finally, agility in talent acquisition requires a flexible approach to recruitment and hiring. This entails having the flexibility to change course when necessary and being receptive to fresh perspectives. Flexibility can take many forms, including offering flexible working arrangements, accommodating the needs of candidates with disabilities or other special needs, and being willing to consider candidates from non-traditional backgrounds. Organizations can access a larger talent pool and build a more diverse and inclusive workforce by embracing a flexible approach to recruitment processes.

In conclusion, it would be safe to say that agility in talent acquisition is significant for organizations to be fu-

ture-ready. Using an agile recruitment strategy allows businesses to stay one step ahead of the competition, entice and keep top employees, and develop a team that can take on any challenge. A flexible hiring strategy, constant learning, a willingness to experiment with new technology, and strategic planning are all crucial elements of an agile talent acquisition strategy. By incorporating these elements into their talent acquisition strategy, businesses may produce a workforce that can promote innovation and development while achieving long-term success.

Sushant Dwivedy is the Managing Director for India and the Philippines at SHL He has more than twenty-five years of experience in the Indian IT industry, having worked in hardware, software, and networking. He has managed services for companies like Microsoft, Xerox, NCR, and Avaya in leadership roles. Would you like to comment?

10 Ways Technology Can Change Workplace Culture In 2023

Insights on how technology is reshaping the workplace landscape and fostering innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction

By Sudhakar Raja, TRST Score

Theworkplace landscape is evolving rapidly, with technological advancements and changing employee expectations driving significant shifts in how businesses operate. As we approach the second half of 2023, organizations must understand and adapt to these changes to stay competitive and create an environment that fosters innovation, productivity, and employee satisfaction.

In this article, we explore 10 key ways technology will change workplace culture by 2023 and how businesses can leverage these trends to their advantage.

1. Embracing the Hybrid Workplace

The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the shift towards remote and hybrid work models, with many employees now

working from home, either full-time or on a flexible basis. This trend is expected to continue well into the future.

The hybrid approach requires organizations to be divided into sectors to allow individual contributors to grow and contribute. Performance management and employee engagement must be customized for each employee in the ecosystem. Universal incentive schemes will not treat employees equally in these instances. Such systems need customized tech-driven rewards, remuneration, and growth tracks.

Organizations must appoint a chief remote work officer to create systems and processes to onboard and retain hybrid workers. New structures and retention approaches will be

needed to manage consultants in the gig industry. If companies want to keep skilled consultants, they must give them enough learning and growth opportunities, and tech will drive such change.

2. Chief of Employee Health and Wellness

Human resources (HR) must consider mental and physical health alongside performance and productivity. Healthy workplaces require businesses to prioritize employee health and wellness as the line between work and life sometimes becomes blurred. Companies must appoint a chief of employee health and wellness to ensure employee mental and physical wellness. Technology can assist remote workers by combining work and life through fitness apps, wearables, mental health resources, and telemedicine services.

By investing in technologically driven employee health and wellness, businesses can boost job satisfaction, minimize burnout, and boost productivity and retention. A healthy workforce is more engaged, creative, and resilient.

3. Harnessing the Power of Analytics and AI

In the digital workplace, data analytics (including text and video analytics) will help firms make informed decisions and optimize operations. Employee performance data may help firms develop, allocate resources, and grow.

Artificial intelligence (AI) will play a significant role in automating huge dataset processing and analysis and providing real-time actionable insights to organizations. AI-powered analytics tools can help firms swiftly spot patterns and trends to make better decisions and adapt to a changing environment.

AI-powered performance management systems let HR executives track employee growth and deliver real-time feedback. AI can assist HR executives develop SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and track employee performance.

It can evaluate employee learning preferences and recommend courses or content. Simulations, games, quizzes, and movies can be created with AI. Employee welfare metrics will also

benefit from AI. AI will also help monitor employees’ mental and physical health to offer support interventions.

4. The Power of Going Virtual (VR)

Virtual reality (VR) will save money and improve work-from-home and in-office employee experiences. Training, onboarding, teamwork, problem-solving, productivity, and engagement will improve. VR enables realistic and immersive training experiences, such as simulating an operating room for medical device training.

Virtual workplace visits, factory tours, and office tours help new hires feel comfortable and confident. Globally distributed teams, like engineers collaborating on product designs, can work together using VR. It allows employees to solve complex problems in simulated environments. VR allows employees to explore unsafe environments and materials in training. VR is redefining employee experiences and transforming learning and development practices.

5. Human Risk Mitigation Technology

Companies neglected human risk mitigation for years. Passive background verification (BGV) has many redundancies. Accepting offers and not joining, absconding, fraud, and other difficulties only surface after a company hires someone and completes the BGV. In this world of unified payments interface and instant transactions, organizations must actively limit

risk and losses. India loses over $100 billion to human risk issues.

Human risk mitigation platforms allow firms to verify candidates within seconds before scheduling an interview. In 2023, there will be an increase in the usage of such platforms to reduce hazards from all levels of employees. One platform can limit risk for employees, gig workers, contractors, agents, students, etc.

Automated risk services let us validate Aadhar, PAN, driving license, voter ID, PF records, and more in seconds! Companies can use these checks to verify all major details of an individual before an interview, reducing the cost of interviewing the wrong candidate.

6. The Growing Importance of Cybersecurity

Data security and remote work risks render hybrid workplaces vulnerable to new cybersecurity attacks. Flexibility and data security are delicate balances. Many employees handle sensitive data, therefore, creating a vault structure with role-based security would protect the company’s precious assets, including customer data, employee data, etc. Privacy and intellectual property education are crucial. Salespeople think they own client data when they bring them in, but the corporation does. Tools that use technology that allow call center employees to call a customer without knowing their phone number need to be implemented.

Our system’s video cameras merely record daily activity for later viewing. AI allows corporations to actively monitor threats from outside and within using their video cameras. Cameras can now be equipped to actively monitor risks.

Cybersecurity will become more crucial as organizations use digital tools and platforms. Businesses must invest in strong cybersecurity in 2023 to safeguard their data, systems, and personnel against cyberattacks. Employees must also understand work device usage terms and avoid using company devices. Companies must restrict risky websites and use software to monitor the usage of employees. This ensures traceability in case of any security breaches from random websites and phishing attacks.

Zero-trust security models, which imply that any user or device, internal or external, could be a danger, are a cybersecurity trend. Multi-factor authentication, network segmentation, and other security measures help firms protect their digital assets and retain employee and customer trust.

7. The Rise of Generative AI and Chatbots

Generative AI can automatically create text, graphics, and music. In 2023, generative AI is already being used in digital workplaces to automate tedious tasks, such as data entry and report generation. Personalizing content

for employees and customers with this technology boosts engagement and satisfaction. Generative AI helps organizations optimize operations, cut expenses, and provide value.

AI-powered chatbots can answer common employee queries and provide personalized coaching 24/7 and also analyze employee feedback. It can help workers with policies, perks, and training.

VR can build meeting spaces, training experiences, and more, while AI-powered virtual assistants and bots can handle chores and schedules. These cutting-edge technologies can make digital workplaces more engaging and efficient.

8. Transformation of Employee Engagement and Retention

As firms recruit across regional borders, remote and hybrid work models have broadened their talent pool. This tendency will continue to affect recruitment and retention tactics as companies compete globally to attract and retain top talent.

As remote work becomes more common, companies must prioritize employee engagement and retention to maintain a strong company culture and the success of their remote workforce. This includes investing in communication and collaboration tools, employee development, and work-life balance options.

Organizations must routinely conduct surveys to gather the data needed to evaluate engagement approaches. Exit surveys and exit data can reveal the real reasons for leaving. This data can help firms improve their retention models by recognizing hazardous work conditions and behaviors.

Generative AI, Chatbots, and VR will be crucial in this field, directly engaging employees. HR needs to rapidly implement new technology to engage and retain work-from-home, consultant, and gig workers.

9. Task-Based and Continuous Appraisal

Appraisal practices will need to evolve to become task-based and outcomes driven. Traditional half-yearly or annual appraisals cannot analyze the developing workforce. These strategies have a recency effect that puts employees at the mercy of their recent actions or achievements.

A continuous and task-based model would mean that employees are evaluated on an Uber-like rating-based model where they are rated for the tasks that they achieve. This requires a solid task management system that feeds into a performance management system. This also allows the employer to monitor the employee and provide feedback and validation as they accomplish tasks. This way, the manager can also course-correct and keep the employee informed of their expectations.

10. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

HR professionals can foster a respectful and inclusive workplace using AI-powered diversity and inclusion solutions. AI can help HR professionals analyze the diversity of their workforce and identify any gaps or biases that may exist. AI can also help HR professionals set up mentoring programs, affinity groups, and awareness campaigns.

The hiring process has racial, age, gender, and other prejudices. AI-based solutions remove all information that could cause discrimination before sending the resume to the recruiter, allowing bias-free recruiting. This guarantees that employers

only view a candidate’s talents, qualifications, and merits. The diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) guidelines will shortly standardize such practices across organizations. AI will also assist HR professionals to evaluate and enhance their DEI efforts.

In conclusion, the 2023 digital workplace will emphasize employee well-being, flexibility, and creativity. These trends and technology can help companies attract top personnel, boost creativity and productivity, and increase corporate value. By investing in employee health and wellness, leveraging productivity tools, and prioritizing remote work, businesses can create a more productive and efficient

workforce that is better equipped to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. Additionally, businesses can boost productivity and cybersecurity by adopting immersive technology and data-driven decision-making.

Sudhakar Raja is the Founder & CEO of TRST Score

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Workplace Stress And Employee Health: Finding The Balance

Buidling a healthy workplace

By Sunny Singh, NutriHerbs

Intoday’s modern workplace, stress is a common occurrence for many employees. High workload demands, tight deadlines, and demanding bosses can all contribute to elevated stress levels. While some stress at work can be motivating and can drive productivity, chronic stress can lead to serious health

problems. Work stress can affect both physical and mental health, which can have a significant impact on an employee’s overall well-being and work performance.

The physical impact of work-related stress can be severe. High levels of stress can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, hy-

pertension, and diabetes. Chronic stress can also weaken the immune system, leading to more frequent illness and infections. In addition to physical health problems, work stress can also take a toll on mental health. Chronic stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues, which can further exacerbate physical health problems.

Employers have a responsibility to take care of their employees’ well-being. While it may not be possible to eliminate all sources of work-related stress, there are strategies that employers can implement to mitigate the negative effects of stress. Here are some strategies that employers can use to help reduce work-related stress:

Offer Flexible Work Arrangements

Flexible work arrangements, such as telecommuting or flexible work hours, can help employees better manage their work-life balance, which can reduce stress levels. Giving employees the option to work remotely, for instance, can eliminate the stress associated with long commutes, traffic, or the expense of transportation. Flexible working hours can also help employees balance their work and personal life, allowing them to manage stress more effectively.

Encourage Communication

Encouraging open and honest communication between employees and managers can help identify sources of stress in the workplace. This can help employers take proactive measures to address the issues. Regular one-onone meetings between managers and employees can help identify stressors and allow for discussions about how to reduce them. This could include adjusting workloads, delegating responsibilities, or offering additional resources to help employees manage their workload.

Provide Resources

Providing employees with resources to manage stress can also help them better cope with the challenges of work-related stress. An Employee Assistance Program or access to mental health professionals can help employees better understand their stress levels and learn coping strategies to manage them. These resources can also help employees identify triggers for stress and learn techniques for reducing or eliminating those triggers.

Foster a Positive Work Environment

A positive work environment can help reduce stress levels. Employers can foster a positive work environment by encouraging teamwork, recognizing employee accomplishments, and providing opportunities for professional development. Creating a culture of respect and appreciation can help employees feel valued and motivated, which can reduce stress levels.

Reduce Workload

Reducing workload can help employees manage their work more effectively, which can reduce stress levels. Employers can consider redistributing workloads, hiring additional staff, or adjusting deadlines to help reduce workload. This can also help employees feel more in control of their work and give them the confidence to manage stress more effectively.

Overall, work-related stress can have a significant impact on employee health, both physically and mentally. Employers have a

responsibility to take care of their employees’ well-being and can implement strategies to mitigate the negative effects of stress. By offering flexible work arrangements, encouraging communication, providing resources, fostering a positive work environment, and reducing workload, employers can help employees manage stress more effectively and improve their overall health and well-being.

It is important to note that these strategies are not one-size-fitsall, and employers should consider their employees’ unique needs and circumstances when implementing stress-reducing strategies. For instance, some employees may have caregiving responsibilities or may need additional support due to health or other personal issues. Employers should work with employees to develop personalized stress-reducing strategies that meet.

Sunny Singh is the Founder & Director of NutriHerbs.

The Role Of Emotional Intelligence In Leadership Development

Adapting leadership approaches

By Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya, Great Lakes Institute of Management

IQ

Goleman

The Covid-19 pandemic, which plagued large parts of the world population, has wrought unprecedented changes in today’s business environment. This has, in turn, led to changing motivations, aspirations, and profiles of the workforce and an increasingly hybrid format of work and employment. Leaders and heads of corporations are therefore having to reinvent and reformat their leadership approaches to suit the demands of the new situation and become more ‘nurturing’, ‘flexible’, and willing to ‘serve’ and ‘partner’ rather than dictate and instruct.

Clearly, these new demands will require a different kind of mindset and psychological makeup from leaders and test their endurance to the limit. In such a scenario, the importance of ‘emotional intelligence’ (EI) in developing these leadership competencies cannot be overstated. As early as 1998, Daniel Goldman had claimed EI was the ultimate determinant of leadership effectiveness rather than intelligence (IQ) or personality. It is widely felt that while cognitive intelligence (IQ) is a better predictor of individual

performance, emotional quotient (EQ) or EI is a better determinant when it comes to teamwork and working with others.

Two decades later, his claims appear even more justified and relevant. Hence, let us try and understand the role that EI can play in leadership development and how organizations need to evolve from traditional leadership training and focus more on helping their leaders improve their EQ.

and Technical skills are important, but Emotional Intelligence is the sine qua non of leadership –Daniel

How Does Emotional Intelligence (EI) Help in Leadership Development?

EI is assumed to encompass five skills that enable leaders to maximize their own and their followers’ performances, viz.

i. Self-awareness – Knowing one’s strengths, weaknesses, values, drives, and impact on others;

ii. Self-regulation – Controlling or redirecting disruptive impulses and moods;

iii. Motivation – Appreciating and relishing achievement for its own sake;

iv. Empathy – Understanding other people’s emotional makeup, and;

v. Social skill – Building rapport with others to move them in desired directions.

These can further be clustered into four broad aspects, encapsulating 12 competencies as depicted in the figure. Exemplary leaders are found to display strengths in all the 12 EI competencies, which leads to visionary, democratic, affiliative, and coaching leadership styles, and such leaders are often regarded as transformational leaders, promoting a collaborative, inclusive, empathetic, and compassionate institutional culture. In fact, these leadership approaches were found to be extremely valuable in responding to the Covid pandemic.

As a concept, EI helps leaders in various ways:

● EI is a complementary interpersonal skill: Effective leaders recognize that employees have emotions that impact their job performance, and hence pay attention to emotions, their causes, and their consequences, in both themselves and others, so that they can act accordingly. For example, an effective leader is quick to discern if an employee is becoming angry with a subordinate for falling short of expectations when instead, the person should be showing empathy and providing support to assist the subordinate to accomplish their goals. Such demonstration of caring behavior also helps to build trust and motivate followers to become

more committed to their jobs and organizations. Hence, EI can be an asset to a leader who already has the requisite intellect and experience.

● EI helps to promote productive feedback: Emotionally intelligent leaders are mindful of how they praise and correct others. Location of feedback (e.g., public or private), communication medium (e.g., face-to-face or email), word choice, and tone of voice are all considered. Additionally, since emotionally intelligent leaders are self-aware, they are more open to receiving both positive and negative feedback and perceive feedback as an opportunity for learning and needed change.

● EI prompts creativity: Emotionally intelligent leaders help stimulate their followers’ creativity. Given that such leaders are more open to receiving criticism or having their ideas challenged, they are also more open to the discovery and recommendation of novel approaches and initiatives, thus allowing followers the autonomy to create and innovate without fear of reprimand.

● EI helps in conflict management: Because emotionally intelligent leaders are better able to control their emotions, they are more likely to remain composed and levelheaded and engage in effective communication and collaboration to successfully handle conflicts. They are also better equipped to consider others’ emotions and intervene appropriately when conflict arises in a workgroup or team of which they are in charge.

What Should Organizations Do?

Organizations are operating in an increasingly global environment. As the workforce becomes more diverse, leaders with high levels of self-awareness and awareness of others are able to build inclusive work environments that allow for the development of individuals with diverse backgrounds, as well as building organizational resilience when facing immense global and economic challenges. Organizations, therefore, need to focus on developing their leaders’ EI skills to improve flexibility, resiliency, adaptability, empathy, self-awareness, and self-regulation.

EI training helps emotionally intelligent leaders to mix and match EI skills and use six different leadership styles to deal with various types of situations; for example:

i. Coercive style – To deal with disasters

ii. Authoritative style – To engineer organizational turnarounds

iii. Affiliative – To build team harmony and morale

iv. Democratic – To give teams a voice in decision-making

v. Pacesetting – To define and set standards of high performance, and

vi. Coaching – To support others’ development

By establishing EI as the prominent leadership determinant, organizations can benefit by evolving from conventional leadership selection and development to focus on developing their leaders’ emotional intelligence. Various researchers have suggested that it is crucial for EI to be included in recruitment checks, selection, development, appraisal, and compensation of leadership personnel, replacing traditional and more expensive human resource management approaches toward leadership development, which are often based on conventional notions of intelligence and personality.

Three questions are required to be addressed by leaders as part of their EI development:

1. What are the differences between how you see yourself and how others see you? While Goleman and colleagues have developed

the commercially available Emotional and Social Competency Index (ESCI-360), other organizations might use their own assessments, all based on the 360-degree feedback approach, for this assessment.

2. What matters to you? A leader needs to work at the intersection of the feedback received from 1 as well as their own aspirations to be intrinsically motivated to change themself and decide which of the competencies they would like to focus on more.

3. What changes will you make to achieve these goals? The leader can choose to work with a trained coach or be more aware of spotting opportunities to practice these new skills (for example – consciously forcing oneself to patiently listen to the other instead of rushing to out in one’s own viewpoint)

Overall, leaders with EI are more likely to build and maintain strong working relationships that are built on trust and respect, leading to greater employee satisfaction and engagement, motivation, commitment, creativity, and overall performance. Replacing conventional leadership training with EI training has the potential to save organizations considerable amounts of resources relevant to leadership appointments and training while also contributing positively to their firms’ performance and growth.

Dr. Sanghamitra Bhattacharyya is a Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management at Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon. An engineer and doctoral degree holder from IIM Calcutta, she has nearly 35 years of work experience in manufacturing, service and consulting sectors, academics, and social development space, and has worked with a range of clients, from the Government of India to multilateral and bilateral organizations and corporate entities. Would you like to comment?

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AI: HR Holds The Key To Who Wins The Race

What organizations can achieve with AI depends on how HR enables the workforce

By Malay Upadhyay, SalesChoice

OnMay 31, 2023, the Centre for AI Safety released a 22-word statement signed by 350 signatories, which included the likes of Open AI’s Sam Altman and Nobel Prize-winning “Godfather of AI” Geoffrey Hinton. The statement read: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.” A day later, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang signaled in a graduation speech that it is not AI itself but those who know how to use AI that might pose a greater risk to present jobs.

Risks to society or jobs can naturally unsettle employees in a company, derail AI investments the organization intends to make, and raise questions among the workforce on job security and corporate social responsibility. Yet, AI usage is fast becoming imperative for businesses to sustain growth and maintain competitive advantage.

If they are to mitigate misinformation and mistrust around AI and enable a responsible, ethical, and efficient use of the technology, human resources (HR) will have to come to the rescue.

To understand how HR can become the crucial cog in any organizational success with AI, we must first understand why AI is becoming a necessity at the organizational level. Fundamentally, AI solutions make it possible to do tasks that were not practical earlier. For those that were, AI can make them better,

cheaper, easier, or quicker. In a nutshell, AI enables organizations to get better results from limited resources.

Once such technology becomes available and economically feasible, organizations have little choice but to leverage it because whether or not they do so, their competitors will. This has been the story with insurgents throughout our industrial age, where adaptability has defined which companies survive and which ones do not.

It is a company culture that dictates an organization’s adaptability, and it is the people that determine the culture. Since most AI investments fail due to poor strategies, poor preparedness, and poor adoption, HR has to step in to ensure that the workforce is supportive of AI initiatives and informed enough to ensure it's responsible, ethical, and effective usage. How can we achieve this?

Support is gained once employees feel their interests are taken care of. In the case of AI, that self-interest primarily relates to job security. All the noise around AI implies that most of us feel threatened by this technology, similar to how we have always felt with the arrival of insurgents. After all, there was a time when even bicycles were perceived as dangerous to society. The nature of the threat changes, and it must be addressed accordingly.

When speaking of job security in the case of AI, assurances seldom make an employee feel convinced. They need objective validation. The problem is that HR cannot estimate AI’s threat level to jobs by their functions or titles. For instance, no two Marketing Managers have the same set of tasks in two different organizations. And it is not roles but tasks that AI replaces. It is important to look instead at the factors that make any task dependent on humans.

This brings us to the how of it all. Even with a calculated estimate of AI’s risk to any job, how can HR avoid the spread of misinformation in the future and ensure the successful and responsible use of AI in organizations?

People gravitate towards information that feels relevant and easy to understand. However, too many of today’s AI trainings are meant for developers and data scientists. What we often forget is that the decision-makers, investors, and users of AI technology in organizations are the non-technical executives and managers, who also happen to constitute the majority of any workforce. For them to understand AI, the training needs to be succinct, with a focus on business examples, laden with usable managerial frameworks, and light on coding and technical complexity they do not need to know.

During training professionals and consulting with organizations over the years, I have found that this is a fundamental gap in the AI domain. If an

organization wishes to ensure that its people are reliably informed and ready to leverage AI, HR cannot leave it to the employees to educate themselves through Google searches or optional courses that are too heavy on concepts they are not comfortable with.

Think of the arrival of personal computers, Microsoft Office, and the Internet. For that matter, think of the arrival of ChatGPT and the current risk of employees exposing sensitive organizational data while trying to use it. Once a technology becomes unavoidable, the onus is on organizations to ensure their people are brought on board in a reliable and responsible way so that they minimize failure risks and do not get left behind in the market.

References:

● Centre for AI Safety: https://www.safe.ai/ statement-on-ai-risk

● Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nvidia-ceo-just-gave-graduation-183507133.html

Malay

Upadhyay is the Chief Growth & Operations Officer at SalesChoice

He brings experiences spanning North America, Dubai, India, and Italy and is an expert in automating the revenue generation engine for organizations. An advisory board member for the University of Richmond’s Customer Experience program, he was recognized as a Top 10 pioneering business leader by Mirror Review. Malay is also the author of the AI Management book series, has published educational courses on the topic, trained 200+ managers on the responsible use of AI, and was part of the European AI Alliance that supported the High-Level Expert Group in advising the European Commission’s AI policy.

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Toxic Leadership: Organizations Are Paying More Than You Think

The impact of toxic leadership

By Neetu Wahi, Max Life Insurance

Recently, a widely circulated video on social media showcased a senior leader within a large renowned organization displaying highly unprofessional and condescending behavior. This incident has struck a chord with many viewers, as it shattered the notion that such behavior is limited to small or family-run businesses. It has raised awareness that toxic leadership can exist anywhere, leaving a lasting impact on individuals’ mental well-being and the overall culture and reputation of an organization.

The video’s relatability resonated with a significant number of people, who shared their own experiences and expressed concern about the detrimental effects of such leaders. It served as a stark reminder of how toxic leadership can permeate any industry or organization, undermining the trust and morale of employees.

The incident sparked a broader conversation about the importance of promoting positive leadership qualities, fostering respectful communication, and creating an inclusive work environment. It highlighted the urgent need for organizations to address toxic behavior and cultivate a healthy, supportive atmosphere that values the well-being and dignity of all employees.

Leadership is the bedrock of success in any organization. However, when leadership becomes toxic, the consequences can be devastating.

As per an article published by Forbes, “Toxic leadership is a combination of self-centered attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the organization, and mission

performance. Toxic leaders consistently use dysfunctional behaviors to deceive, intimidate, coerce, or unfairly punish others to get what they want for themselves.”

You can identify a toxic leader by destructive behaviors, such as bullying, manipulation, and favoritism. The same article lists some common behaviors like micromanagement, being overly protective of the people who follow them blindly, the incapability of receiving constructive criticism, and using fear as a motivational tool.

You would by now have realized by looking at the traits above if you have worked with or are working with a toxic leader. Such leaders disregard the principles of fairness, empathy, and trust, leading to low morale, high turnover rates, and reduced productivity within the organization.

Needless to say, such leaders significantly affect the well-being of employees working with them. A study, ‘‘When Power Hurts’, conducted on 156 employees (48% males, 50% females, and 2% binary) and published by Conferences.Org, clearly states that employees working under a toxic leader experience emotional exhaustion, become frustrated by work, develop burnout syndrome and the desire to leave work.

Effects of Toxic Leadership on Organizations

Counter-productivity: Since employees subjected to toxic leadership are more likely to exhibit higher levels of emotional exhaustion, they engage in counterproductive work behaviors. Such behaviors include spreading rumors, withholding information, and intentionally undermining colleagues, which can disrupt team

dynamics and erode trust among employees.

Impact on innovation: Toxic leadership fosters a hostile work environment that hampers employees’ psychological safety. Psychological safety, as defined by Gartner, is an environment that encourages, recognizes, and rewards individuals for their contributions and ideas by making individuals feel safe when taking interpersonal risks. A lack of psychological safety at work can inhibit team learning and lead to in-groups, groupthink, and blind spots. A lack of freedom to share ideas openly can lead to a lack of innovation in an organization.

Organization performance: Toxic leadership exerts a harmful influence on organizational performance and productivity, as evidenced by a study conducted by Harvard Business School. The research findings

highlighted that organizations led by toxic individuals tend to experience a decrease in employee engagement and motivation, ultimately leading to lower productivity. Toxic leaders often establish an environment characterized by fear and excessive control, impeding creativity and innovation within the organization.

High turnover rate: Toxic leadership significantly contributes to elevated turnover rates within organizations. Employees who endure toxic leadership are more inclined to seek opportunities elsewhere, resulting in a loss of valuable talent and increased recruitment and training expenses. According to a report published by Gallup, employees working under toxic leaders are twice as likely to leave their organization compared to those under supportive leadership.

These revelations underscore the critical need for organizations to address toxic leadership and create a healthier leadership culture. By nurturing supportive and empowering leadership qualities, organizations can foster higher employee engagement, enhance productivity, and mitigate turnover rates. Investing in leadership development programs and promoting positive leadership behaviors can help create a conducive work environment that attracts and retains top talent while driving organizational success.

Toxic leadership is not new, neither the fact that it has devastating implications. The detrimental influence of toxic leadership stretches far and wide, impacting the well-being of individuals, team dynamics, and overall organizational performance. Organizations must

confront this issue head-on in order to cultivate a healthy and productive work environment. The adoption and promotion of emotionally intelligent and ethical leaders play a pivotal role in curbing the prevalence of toxic behaviors.

Furthermore, nurturing a culture characterized by open communication, trust, and accountability is of utmost importance. Organizations should actively encourage employees to provide anonymous feedback, regularly conduct employee surveys, and establish clear channels for reporting toxic conduct. Holding leaders answerable for their actions through just policies and procedures is paramount to fostering a culture that vehemently rejects toxic leadership.

By addressing toxic leadership, organizations can create an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and empowered to perform at their best. This transformation requires a collective commitment to nurturing positive leadership qualities, fostering open dialogue, and establishing robust mechanisms for accountability. Only through concerted efforts can we dismantle the destructive effects of toxic leadership and pave the way for a brighter, more harmonious future within our organizations.

Ultimately, this video has served as a wake-up call, reminding us of the profound impact that leaders’ conduct can have on individuals and the organization as a whole. It has prompted a collective reflection on the significance of promoting professionalism, empathy, and respectful behavior at all levels of leadership.

Neetu Wahi is the Head of Leadership Hiring & Integration at Max Life Insurance. She is an Associate Certified Coach, trained, experienced, and certified by ICF Credentials and Standards.

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Covid-19: Employee Preferences And Challenges In Bio-Pharma Sector

Learn how the pandemic impacted recruitment in this sector

By Dr. Ganesh Nikam, Biojobz

TheCovid-19 (Covid) pandemic was a forced, inorganic, but a pivotal moment for many industries, especially the bio-pharma sector. While the business side saw major opportunities coming up at global level and initiated a healthy repurposing of many bio-pharma long-term goals. The geopolitical dynamics also coerced a significant change in the supply chain and manufacturing of key ingredients, which created a lot of new business configurations for the Indian bio-pharma sector.

On the other hand, Covid also altered a lot of softer aspects of the bio-pharma industry in India, which was quite traditional till 2020. These softer aspects pertained to organization culture, adapting to new demographics, work-life balance policies, digital

penetration in every aspect of the work environment, and the emergence of a new set of employee preferences in the bio-pharma sector. So, both business and internal flux dealt a significant impact on the recruitment function.

Since we are currently, and thankfully, out of the worst period

of Covid, it is better to talk about the after-effects in the recruitment and aligned functions post-Covid. During Covid, unlike other industries, the bio-pharma sector saw a jump in business coupled with the fact that this industry maintained high operational capabilities. It meant the whole sector was almost working 24/7, with multiple shifts and more work hours per resource.

Adhering to Covid restrictions and still maintaining high productivity, the bio-pharma sector saw a massive penetration of IT and digital tools in the work environment, high stress for human resources without any significant commercial incentives, emergence of work-from-home (WFH) infrastructure, lack of job change opportunities and fast forwarding of the otherwise slow compliance process. During Covid, the overall attrition rate saw a significant drop as people stuck to where they were working.

Post Covid, we saw an immediate release of pressure valves, and at the employee level, people went berserk in finding better

jobs, better companies, and better compensations. Even companies were shedding the extra weight that they acquired during Covid times. The attrition rate quickly rose to an avg. 24% in the industry and recruitment functions just did not have the breather time to adjust. Recruiters found a different business world to operate and following things changed.

Compensation First, Loyalty Later

One question which was generally never asked in bio-pharma interviews was why did a candidate change multiple jobs. Employees in this industry gave a lot of time to the companies

they worked for - loyalty and commitment mattered, and employers rewarded such traits. The compensation adjustment was fine. Many employees in the industry have had to work longer hours, deal with increased workloads, and face the challenges of remote work, which lead to burnout and stress.

But increments did not follow in that proportion, and the sacred thread of loyalty ruptured. Recruiters suddenly started facing insane compensation hike demand from 50% to 100%, a figure unheard of before in this industry. Talented resources were negotiated with multiple employers and rejected offers at the last minute.

Do You Have WFH?

It is the first question asked by potential candidates across all levels even before the recruiter started explaining the job description. From minimum WFH days in a week to supporting infrastructure that will be provided to employees are some of the questions which came soon after. WFH policies have become a key component in candidates deciding to join any company and especially female employees.

WFH is a non-issue in a corporate headquarters, but implementing it in a manufacturing unit becomes challenging as candidates persist and companies must find ways to oblige. Recording of reporting and exiting time, work hour management, and supervising productivity in a remote environment were some of the new challenges that also needed to be addressed quickly.

Zoom Invite

Everybody’s calendar is now taken over by Zoom invites. Virtualization of the recruitment process is a permanent change. Companies have had to adapt to conducting virtual interviews and hiring remotely. It is beneficial as a lot of time and money was getting wasted in coordinating and conducting face-to-face interviews. Virtual platforms are not only giving tools to conduct interviews but also starting the process of intelligent and unbiased assessments.

difficulties, communication issues, and the inability to read body language during interviews.

Enter Generation Alpha

IT and digital departments have swelled during Covid times and hence entered Generation Alpha in a traditional bio-pharma sector. The new demographics have a new set of demands as they are more sensitive to the values and culture of the organization and even the physical work environment they work in. Add to that mix is the emergence of diversity, teamwork, innovation, work-life balance, and sensitivity to larger societal values.

Organizations need to strongly inculcate these modern elements into their cultural realignment and drive long interventions to make it deep and wide within the org design. New talent will extremely value these elements as preference while applying and staying while they are inside the organization.

Attrition Is an IT Industry Problem. Is it Really?

Although an inevitable occurrence, the pharma industry always thought it was some years away. Except for their sales department, all other core functions were insulated from high attrition. Covid precipitated it for many reasons, and the IT problem has now become a bio-pharma problem as well. Although the new hiring took a little slow road, replacement hiring due to attrition was a roller coaster ride.

Recruitment functions not only have to adapt quickly to fast forward their recruitment process to hire quickly but also go back to their own HR function to devise new ways to retain talent for a longer period. A twenty-four percent average attrition rate and higher for companies on the other side of the spectrum was a recruitment nightmare and is keeping them awake all the time.

Furthermore, the pandemic has led to a shift in the focus of recruitment in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry towards skills such as adaptability, remote working abilities, and digital skills. Companies have been looking for employees who can work in a rapidly changing environment and can adapt to new technologies and working practices. The Indian bio-pharma industry was at the front line in battling and defeating Covid, but the war, in return, changed the industry as well. I feel it did more good than bad for the industry.

Virtual recruitment has its own set of challenges, such as technical

Dr. Ganesh Nikam is the Managing Director & CEO at Biojobz.

Developing Talents Through Experiences

From competency-based development toward experiences-based development

By Mohamed H. Ameen, Government of Dubai

Despite widespread recognition that experiences accelerate development, few organizations use them as their development framework. Instead, managers and employees are left to struggle with complex and difficult-to-apply competency-based development models. Typical competency-based development approaches do not support organizations to accelerate development or provide employees with a guide for managing their career growth. They mainly focus on centralizing the development plans on the behaviors that describe the competency dimensions, not on the outcomes that define performance success

within the organization. Therefore, a fundamentally different solution is needed if we want to grow better talent faster.

From Competency-Based Development Toward Experiences-Based Development

Experiences-based development is a promising, efficient, and easier approach to talent development. The experiences approach answers the key question: What is the most effective way to enable managers and talents to quickly develop new capabilities?

The experiences approach contributes to the growth of employees by accelerating their career development by defining the specific experiences needed to excel in a role or function. It describes the outcomes that an employee must demonstrate to prove competence (i.e., create a forward-thinking business strategy for entering new global markets), while the competency-based development approach only describes the precursors to that outcome (i.e., is a strategic thinker who understands business management).

The experiences approach is not intended to be an exhaustive list of org. capabilities or the key business drivers. Rather, it describes the key experiences needed to grow or evaluate one’s competence. For example, the core experiences of the talent management leader that contribute to being fully competent include building talent strategies aligned to the organization’s competitive performance and its future scenarios, developing leadership bench strength to ensure the organization’s business continuity, and developing, engaging, retaining and mobilizing talents.

How to Design the Experiences

Adopting the experiences-based development approach as the basic development framework requires integrated collaboration between the business senior

leaders and the talent management leader to discuss and agree on the critical experiences that define success in key roles. The defined critical experiences are a perfect reflection of the key business capabilities and business drivers that shape the organization’s competitive performance and its future scenarios: the experiences approach contributes to developing talents by ensuring that all the development initiatives are focused on the business context of the role, not just a list of competencies.

It defines and measures the success of developing talents through the extent to which employees can understand the business context of the organization and master the key experiences and themes needed for the role’s success. Managers and employees should meet to review the defined experiences in the development plans, categorize these experiences under key development themes, and discuss which next experience makes the most business sense to pursue.

Why the Experiences Approach Is More Successful Than Other Approaches

Five key reasons why the experiences-development approach is successful in developing talents.

Business connected: While competencies can feel abstract, experiences are real, tangible, and familiar.

“Create an expansion strategy for the business growth in the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) market” is easier to comprehend than “Increase our leaders’ strategic thinking capability.”

Focused on results: Experiences approach describes actual outcomes that must be achieved, not the behaviors or skills that precede an outcome. The experiences approach describes the expected results (present an expansion strategy for the organization’s growth in MENA Market), while the competency approach describes only the ingredients (to think strategically, to present strategic solutions for the business growth).

Easy to assess: It is a simple process to evaluate which experiences someone has had and which they need. Given that experiences are tangible and observable, assessing their completion is far more objective than assessing progress against a competency.

Practical career guides: Experiences approach provides specific insights into what is needed to move up or over in an organization. It presents an integrated framework for the identified experiences needed for organizationtal success in specific roles.

More certain: The human brain craves certainty and predictability – such as knowing the potential paths

for career advancement. Stress levels increase as certainty decreases. Making concepts like career progress more explicit can potentially reduce stress and the workplace distractions it causes.

Experiences are an effective business-focused tool to identify, assess and develop talents; they are more successful when all the assessment and development activities are experience focused. This means talent professionals must now rethink the adopted talent development tools and consider a shift from individual development plans into individual experience plans.

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Mohamed H. Ameen is the Head of Talent Management for the Regional Transport Office of the Government of Dubai. He is a global talent-thought leader and talent management thinker.

Effective Strategies For Recruiting And Retaining Blue Collar Talent In India

Building the backbone of India’s economy

By Nilesh Dungarwal, WorkIndia

India’s blue-collar workforce plays a crucial role in driving the country’s economic growth and development. From manufacturing and construction to transportation and hospitality, these skilled workers form the backbone of various industries. However, recruiting and retaining blue-collar talent can be a significant challenge for employers in India. Limited formal education, high attrition rates, and intense competition are some of the hurdles organizations face. To overcome these obstacles and build a strong blue-collar workforce, it is essential to implement effective strategies.

Understanding the Target Audience

Blue-collar workers often come from diverse backgrounds and

have varying levels of education and skill sets. It is crucial for recruiters to identify these workers’ specific requirements and expectations, considering factors such as geographical location, language proficiency, and cultural sensitivities. This can be achieved through targeted surveys, interviews, and focus groups, enabling organizations to tailor their recruitment strategies accordingly.

Tap into Local Communities

Engaging with local communities is crucial for recruiting blue-collar talent. Building relationships with community leaders, participating in job fairs, and organizing skill development workshops in nearby areas can help attract potential workers. By actively

participating in the community, organizations can create a positive brand image and gain the trust of potential employees.

Job Advertising and Recruitment Channels

To reach blue-collar workers effectively, organizations should leverage both traditional and modern recruitment channels. Traditional channels include local community centers, employment exchanges, and word-of-mouth referrals. Digital platforms, such as job portals like WorkIndia, and social media, have gained popularity and should not be overlooked. Language-specific job advertisements and simplified application processes are crucial to attracting and engaging blue-collar candidates.

Enhance Recruitment and Selection Processes

To attract the right talent, organizations need to revamp their recruitment and selection processes. By leveraging digital platforms and social media, organizations can significantly widen the reach and accessibility of job opportunities. Additionally, conducting skill-based assessments and interviews can help identify candidates with the required capabilities and technical skills.

Provide Competitive Compensation and Benefits

Offering competitive wages and benefits is crucial for attracting and retaining blue-collar talent. Employers should conduct

regular market research to ensure their compensation packages are in line with industry standards. In addition to monetary compensation, organizations can also consider providing non-monetary benefits such as healthcare benefits, insurance coverage, and opportunities for skill development and career advancement.

Prioritize Employee Engagement and Development

Blue-collar workers often face a lack of recognition and limited growth opportunities, which can lead to high turnover rates. To address this, organizations should focus on employee engagement and development initiatives. Providing regular feedback,

recognizing and rewarding performance, and creating a supportive work environment can go a long way in motivating and retaining blue-collar talent. Additionally, offering training programs to enhance their skills and providing opportunities for career progression can boost loyalty and commitment.

Foster a Culture of Inclusion and Diversity

Creating an inclusive and diverse work environment is crucial for attracting and retaining blue-collar talent. Organizations should promote diversity and eliminate any form of discrimination or bias. Encouraging a culture of respect and equal opportunities can enhance job satisfaction and foster a sense of belonging among the workforce.

Prioritize Health and Safety

Blue-collar workers often face physically demanding tasks and work in hazardous environments. Prioritizing health and safety measures is essential to ensure their well-being and job satisfaction. Employers should invest in providing the necessary safety equipment, training, and regular safety inspections. Demonstrating a commitment to

employee safety can significantly impact retention rates.

Recruiting and retaining blue-collar talent in India requires tailored strategies that address their unique needs and aspirations. Organizations can attract and retain talented blue-collar workers by understanding their preferences, leveraging targeted recruitment channels, providing skills development

opportunities, offering competitive compensation packages, and fostering a positive work culture. It is important to recognize that while some strategies may overlap with white-collar recruitment, there are distinct differences that must be considered when engaging with blue-collar talent. By implementing effective strategies, organizations can build a skilled and dedicated workforce to drive success in India’s blue-collar industry.

Nilesh Dungarwal is the Co-Founder & CEO of WorkIndia. He envisions leveraging emerging technologies, fostering strategic partnerships, and expanding into untapped markets to empower the blue-collar workers of India.

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