IIM ROHTAK H U M A N E - R CLUB P re s e n ts
H R BULLETIN VOLUME 51
humane.r@iimrohtak.ac.in
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HR BULLETIN
Business sustainability amid COVID-19 pandemic Managing employees’ productivity and keeping them motivated at the same time is very important in this new work from home culture. Business leaders are increasingly concerned about their employees' physical and mental health. 2020 saw COVID-19 become a global pandemic for which the world was completely unprepared. It has disrupted the normalcy of the world, impacting not only the social fabric of the society but most importantly poses an unseen threat to humanity. More so, the global health crisis led to a severe economic fallout last year that resulted in the IMF declaring a recession as bad as, or worse, than in 2009. Henceforth several businesses have been experiencing unprecedented challenges. Against this backdrop, business leaders worldwide have been facing a tough time to adapt to the new world order. For them, survival and sustainability of their business became requisites. One of the major concerns that brought jitters is what they can do next, and should be looking at?
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The challenges As global economies took a deep plunge, several companies struggled to protect employees from losing their jobs. It has been immensely tough for leaders to make informed decisions, manage the overall objective of the organization, and generate enough revenue, given the environment of uncertainty. In fact, the pandemic is yet not over. It is very difficult to predict when it will end and how many more people will suffer. Safety of each individual has become the biggest need of the hour. Now, post-second wave, people are shattered and they are forced to live in fear till normalcy is achieved. Managing employees’ productivity and keeping them motivated at the same time is very important in this new work from home culture. Business leaders are increasingly concerned about their employees' physical and mental health. It has become imperative to focus on how to keep everyone mentally and physically fit till the pandemic ends. Well, Cameron Sinclair, a writer and one of the pioneers in socially responsive architecture, once said, “When sustainability is viewed as being a matter of survival for your business, I believe you can create massive change.” So, even though the pandemic may seem insurmountable for many businesses, survival and sustainability aren’t impossible. Therefore, in pursuit of true sustainability for better survival in the new normal era, what are a few steps business leaders can take? Steps towards business sustainability “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” – Martin Luther King Jr. As so rightly mentioned by Martin Luther King Jr., the business ecosystem was quick to realize that only those organizations who can keep pace with the dynamics of the changing world will sustain. In order to achieve the same, staying calm and showing resilience was extremely important. Moreover, each organization is different, so the key steps also include identifying unique strengths and honing in on the most critical long-term objectives. Improve employee happiness At the same time, it is essential to keep close communication with each team member on a regular basis. Besides, displaying empathy and optimism to keep the morale of the team high play a vital role. The vision of the organization must be expressed repeatedly to keep the team aligned. It is important to keep it very simple and purposeful. Organizations are also staying strong by caring for their employees’ well-being. Managing their emotional challenges along with their safety and security is the top priority. If each of them are healthy, the growth numbers can be achieved later on. So at the moment, revenue targets and growth projections can take a back seat. In a nutshell, it has been a dismal period for both individuals and organizations alike. Considering the impact of wave 1 and 2, it is no surprise how drastically people have been affected by this pandemic. While some faced personal loss, others understood how devastating it can be. It is therefore mandatory to get each citizen vaccinated as early as possible. It is heartening to note that most of the business leaders have taken initiative in vaccinating their employees and families. In fact, if we can save ourselves from a dangerous third wave and minimum loss of lives, normalcy can return earlier than estimated. Businesses will once again start thriving and we may also see so happening by the end of this year. Therefore, making efforts in the right direction will help lay a strong foundation for the business ecosystem.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/employeerelations/business sustainabilityamidcovid19pandemic29785
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Hiring Chief Transformation Officers - A new trend in the market The case for having a Chief Transformation Officer has been building for years. However, corporates were not very sure whether such a role could eventually emerge, or whether it was even needed. The case for having a Chief Transformation Officer has been building for years. However, corporates were not very sure whether such a role could eventually emerge, or whether it was even needed. However, the ongoing pandemic resolved this dilemma forever. Now, as companies undertake the difficult task of rebuilding in the wake of COVID19, the role of a Chief Transformation Officer seems to be the need of the hour. For many organizations, life will indeed be different in a post-COVID world. Whether they are redefining business models, restructuring their supply chains, reframing their market strategies or defining their WFH policies, organizations rebuilding in the wake of COVID-19 will need to undergo considerable change and transition. It is an experienced and highly capable leader – The Chief Transformation Officer, who will significantly improve the chances of a smooth and successful transformation. The Chief Transformation Officer can serve as a catalyst for formalizing the processes used in transformation initiatives. That’s important because one of the other key variables behind a successful transformation is implementing and adhering to such standardized processes. He or she can bring the discipline needed to do so – helping organizations become more adaptable and allowing them to take full advantage of the technology and frameworks they already have. The role of Chief Transformation Officer, is indeed very relevant in these unprecedented times. Who else can possibly absorb the management’s transformation vision and make
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/article/strategichr/hiringchief transformationofficersanewtrendinthemarket29793
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Cathay Pacific Airways appoints Abhijit Abhyankar as Regional Head of People Abhijit Abhyankar will be heading the people team and will be responsible for HR strategy for South Asia, Middle East and Africa. Hong Kong based airline, Cathay Pacific Airways has appointed Abhijit Abhyankar as the airline’s new Regional Head of People at Cathay Pacific Airlines. While he will be stationed at Mumbai, he will manage South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA). His key focus areas would be developing Human Resource strategy and taking care of its execution, along with internal stakeholder management and collaboration, talent management and succession planning, employee engagement, people cost budgeting. All the people efforts would be taken to ensure business continuity and growth, while all taking care of employee development. Abhijit has over 21 years of experience in the hospitality and aviation sector. He has been part of the Hong Kong based Airlines since November 2009. After his earlier roles as Corporate Sales Manager and Area Sales Manager, Northern India, he was appointed Regional Marketing Communications Manager for South Asia in October 2014. Thereafter, in October 2018, he went on to head Marketing and Direct Channel Sales designated as Regional Head of Marketing and Digital Sales for the South Asia, Middle East and Africa (SAMEA) based in Mumbai, India. He was leading the marketing strategy, direct channel sales, customer contact support. In June 2020, he was appointed as the Country Manager for Africa and Indian Ocean and was responsible for the growth of the airline’s business and operations in the region. Abhijit has already been working with Cathay Pacific Airlines and hence understands the business and its expectations. He also has acquired in these many years insights about the diverse markets, the airline operates in. As he takes on a bigger role Abhijit said, “It has been a real honour for me to be appointed to this position”, says Abhijit Abhyankar.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/leadership/cathay-pacificairways-appoints-abhijit-abhyankar-as-regional-head-of-people-29798
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NSDC & WhatsApp partner to fuel skill development for youth National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and WhatsApp have partnered and launched the Digital Skill Champions Program that aims to train India’s youth on digital skills and boost entrepreneurship. 'Digital Skill Champions Program' initated by NSDC and WhatsApp aims to fuel skill development and create entrepreneurship opportunities for youth. Through this program, school and university students would be coached to imbibe digital and online skills that would culminate with WhatsApp and NSDC awarding ‘Digital Skill Champions’ certification. The course is based on a module-format, is comprehensive and intensive in imparting knowledge about important aspects of the online ecosystem, equipping students with technology-based learning on campuses across tier 3 and 4 towns and cities throughout the country. As a recent report by Amazon Web Services highlighted, "India will need nine times as many digital workers by 2025." It is not only the booming IT sector that demands more availability of digital skills but there is a great need for more digital workers even in the non-technology sectors such as manufacturing and education. Shivanth Thukral, Director - Public Policy, WhatsApp- India said, “We are honoured to be a part of NSDC’s mission to skill India and to take shop floor readiness training to the last mile. As India embraces digital innovation and entrepreneurship, it is imperative that the youth today are made aware of and educated about how they can upskill themselves and take charge of their presence online.“ But how could 'Digital Skill Champions Program' help curbe the skill challenge? The partnership identifies two broad areas of collaboration: WhatsApp Digital Skills Academy and Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) and WhatsApp Business App Training sessions.
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/news/skilling/nsdc-whatsapppartner-to-fuel-skill-development-for-youth-29796
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How to boost employee morale during difficult times With the current trend in employee expectations, factors such as compensation, which has boosted morale in the past, has become old news whereas expectations have increased by multiple folds in terms of enhanced benefits, focus on health and wellness, and long-term security Ensuring the overall wellbeing of employees is at the heart of a morale boost. In times of emotional and social crisis, mental and professional wellbeing takes a prominent role at work. It is important that employers proactively respond to employees’ critical needs to make them feel secure. With the current trend in employee expectations, factors such as compensation, which has boosted morale in the past, has become old news whereas expectations have increased by multiple folds in terms of enhanced benefits, focus on health and wellness, and long-term security. Additionally, these expectations have brought forth insecurities that are largely influenced by the current situation. A takeaway from last year is that our engagement model needed to focus more on the development of the employee to address their professional wellbeing. Additionally, with disruptive changes such as long-term virtual work, the need of the hour was an empathetic approach to provide emotional support and act on employees’ apprehensions swiftly to build resilience. Based on our experience since last year, here are some of my thoughts on how to boost employee morale: Communicate with authenticity: In recent times we have realized the true power of transparent and continuous communication. Miscommunications are common when we are connected virtually. Without the subtle cues of inperson meetings
Read more at: https://www.peoplematters.in/blog/employee-relations/how-toboost-employee-morale-during-difficult-times-29792
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