HR Bulletin Volume 13

IIM ROHTAK H U M A N E - R CLUB P re s e n ts

H R BULLETIN VOLUME 13

humane.r@iimrohtak.ac.in

HUMANE-R|VOLUME13

HR BULLETIN

Why HR leaders are betting high on behavioural skills In corporate circles, especially in India, the role of Human Resources leaders is sometimes viewed as being an administrative, almost supportive one. The implication is that in a business-as-usual scenario, the CHRO, unlike his peers in Marketing or Finance, isn’t often called for to lead from the front. Operating within a familiar lattice of policies and procedures, he has supposedly less arduous targets to fulfil, and consequently, suffers fewer sleepless nights through the year. But the global But the global pandemic of COVID-19 has turned this narrative, debatable as it is, on its head. From companies that employ 50 professionals to behemoths deploying a thousand times that number, HR leaders have been put under an unprecedented and relentless level of strain. Companies have to move swiftly to a trajectory of economic viability, while keeping their workforce healthy and motivated.

Amid the bleak economic outlook, wage-cuts and down-sizing, the present crisis also presents opportunities for revisiting the ways of working and engaging with employees, which may have outlived their purpose.

Turning the spotlight on the people dimension, industry analysts have posited imperatives and prescriptions, to charter a new role for HR leaders. In some insights published by Korn Ferry, the emphasis has been on establishing a “Human Resources War Room’, where the CHRO is the driving force, holding the organization’s other stakeholders accountable to the common purpose

2

HUMANE-R|VOLUME13

Accenture’s article, while viewing the situation from the Indian perspective, focuses only on the criticality of workforce resilience, and offers a five-stage plan for building and sustaining resilience in the workplace. Based on two digital gatherings of Italian CHROs in the beginning of May, Egon Zehnder has arrived at a prognosis, where the new leadership in a post-COVID scenario focuses on emotional welfare, trust, generosity, flexibility and resilience.

From an Indian standpoint, the need of the hour is for an empirical, ground-up study that reflects the multidimensional challenges faced by HR leaders in the country and the solutions proposed by them, for a postCOVID paradigm. It’s imperative, too, that discussions focus on positive, forward-looking aspects, for instance a charter for business recovery, as opposed to dwelling on the adverse impact caused by the pandemic.

As part of the ongoing Positive Psychology-based study being conducted by NUVAH ELINT LLP and BIASINC, HR leaders were surveyed and interviewed. Their responses showed why a new set of behavioural skills are essential for making the journey from survival to sustainability, in a post-COVID Indian ecosystem.

Employer- Employee Expectation In this component of the study, stakeholders were invited to state what they felt were the top expectations of employees from their bosses – and vice versa – in a post-COVID paradigm. The same set of expectations are repeated across both employers and employees, underscoring the need for reciprocity between the two groups.

For 50% of the respondents, emotional intelligence and empathy topped the list. Nowhere was this felt to be more critical than in the healthcare sector, where the vast majority personnel comprise COVID-warriors.

“Going forward, everyone will need to demonstrate a far higher level of emotional intelligence.” – Says Jacob Jacob, Group CHRO of Columbia Asia Healthcare. “Only when one has a mature understanding of one’s own psychological state can one be aware of external situations and be sensitive to the challenges of others.”

This resonates with Dineshwar Pratap Singh, CHRO of Lava International. “Empathy is the biggest need of the hour. Leaders who can’t empathize with others can’t take the correct decisions. Leadership has to be through a genuine understanding of the needs of others – and the underlying assumptions thereof. Otherwise, it becomes a function of arrogance.”

For Swati More, CHRO – Network, Bharti Airtel, empowerment will become key to a meaningful employeremployee relationship, in the future. “For this work, trust is paramount. The existing protocols, SLAs, frequency and mode of reviews need to be revisited. This means that new procedures and “rituals” need to be..

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/why-hr-leaders-are-bettinghigh-on-behavioural-skills/articleshow/76058842.cms?from=mdr

3

HUMANE-R|VOLUME1 3

79% of UK workers want a say in how they return to the workplace As the UK government urges organisations to get employees back to the workplace, new research shows that 79% of employees want their say in how and when that happens. That’s according to the recent ‘Return to Work’ study from Qualtrics.

Commenting on the research, Sally Winston, Head of EX Solution Strategy EMEA at Qualtrics, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is a new experience for everyone and both businesses and employees are looking for the best way to manage this challenging situation.

The research conducted, with 2,000 full-time workers in the UK, shows that eight out of 10 employees want their employer to consult with them about what actions to take to make them feel more confident returning to the workplace.

“Communication and transparency are critical.

Businesses must be open to hearing the concerns, ideas and solutions offered by their workforce and then demonstrate they are listening by acknowledging and acting on the feedback they receive.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, half of organisations have stepped up efforts to consult with their workforces, with 50% of UK workers agreeing their employer is listening to their needs more than before. A similar proportion (46%) say they have also been given more ways to share concerns and feedback with their organisation.

“The ‘return to work’ journey is a new one for us all and employees will have many varied views and concerns about the best and safest approach. Creating an understanding of all the nuances of opinion across the workforce is key to creating the best return to work experience for everyone.”..

However, a significant proportion of UK organisations are not moving quickly in response to employee input, with only 44% of workers agreeing their employer has become faster at acting on the feedback they receive.

Read more at: http://hrnews.co.uk/79-of-uk-workers-want-a-say-in-how-theyreturn-to-the-workplace/

4

HUMANE-R|VOLUME1 3

Spinny offers friendly HR policies, 12-day menstrual leave Spinny, the full-stack online platform for sales and purchase of used cars, has gone ahead and introduced friendlier human resource (HR) policies for its employees. Not only will its women staff members be able to avail 12 days of menstrual leave in a year, those adopting a child will receive financial help of up to Rs 35,000. That is not all, except for those involved in field work, Spinny has allowed its employees to work from home till December 31, 2020.

Some of these policies have probably never before been offered in the auto space in the country. About 20 per cent of Spinny’s workforce consists of women, for whom this menstrual leave will be of immense benefit. These 12 days of menstrual leave will be allowed to all the women, over and above the existing leave policy, without any conditions.

The Company’s family adoption policy will also ensure that the employees are able to offer a new lease of life to orphans. For this, Spinny has collaborated with an NGO, to offer financial aid of up to Rs 35,000 to staff members who adopt an orphaned child. In addition, mothers who go in for adoption will be able to enjoy 200 days of maternity leave if the child is less than a year old or 100 days if the child is older. Fathers who opt to adopt a child will be allowed seven days of paternity leave.

While most of the staff members have been asked to work remotely till the end of this year, the field staff are operating in the field, with sanitisation and social distancing norms in place. Their safety is being ensured while going for home deliveries and test drives.

The Company ensures that employees’ opinions are taken into account while making decisions, so that they enjoy a sense of belongingess. These progressive policies are aimed at making the Spinny workforce deliver their best performance.

Read more at: https://www.hrkatha.com/news/spinny-offers-friendly-hrpolicies-12-day-menstrual-leave/

5

HUMANE-R|VOLUME1 3

KPMG employees seek compensation for loss of pay Employees of KPMG want to be compensated for the 20 per cent pay cuts that were imposed on them in April, without any reduction in working hours. The move, at the time, was made to protect the economic health of the Company, in anticipation of the adverse effects of the pandemic. However, the employees now feel that the revenue of the firm was not as badly hit as was expected, and that it is only fair that the staff be compensated for the salary they lost.

The demand came close on the heels of Deloitte, another of the Big Four, deciding to reverse salary cuts for its employees, following better profits than expected.

Staff of KPMG have started receiving full pay since August. However, when they were allowed to anonymously pose questions during a virtual forum, quite a few of them sought to be compensated for the salary they had lost from April to July, especially when the Company has reportedly experienced a net profit and about seven per cent increase in revenue.

Last month, the Company reported an annual revenue of over $1.9 million, as business had grown in tax, consulting, auditing, enterprise and other areas.

Although KPMG had promised the employees that one per cent of the expected 6.7 per cent yearly pay cut will be reimbursed in June, the staff are seeking further compensation.

Meanwhile, KPMG maintains that the situation is still rather challenging and full of uncertainty; and that this is not the time to decide on an additional salary payback. However, the Company has also stated that if the situation allows a payback, the employees will be the first to benefit.

Read more at: https://www.hrkatha.com/news/kpmg-employees-seek-compensationfor-loss-of-pay/

6

HUMANE-R|VOLUME1 3

State Bank of India gets global recognition for HR initiative “Nayi Disha” The country's largest lender State Bank of India NSE 2.30% (SBI) on Friday said it has got global recognition for its HR initiative ‘Nayi Disha’ which over the course of 1.5 years has touched more than 2.40 lakh employees. The bank has won three Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, also known as the Academy Awards of Learning & Development, SBI claimed in a statement.

It recognizes the best organizations that have successfully deployed programs, strategies, modalities, processes, systems, and tools to achieve measurable results, it said.

Through Nayi Disha, SBI appreciated the workforce for its commitment towards customer service excellence while serving with the same rigour in even the remotest corners of the country, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar said.

"Our belief that Nayi Disha will infuse a fresh sense of optimism amongst our valuable employees, has been proven right, and we will endeavour to engage our human capital in best possible manner at all times," he said.

SBI has won these awards in three categories viz. Best Learning Program supporting a Change Transformation Business Strategy, Best Use of Blended Learning and Best Unique or Innovative Learning and Development Program, it said.

Read more at: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/banking/state-bank-ofindia-gets-global-recognition-for-hr-initiative-nayi-disha/articleshow/77805678.cms

7