HR FOCUS

Retain and Gain: Making your Superstars Stay in the Company

Rajiv Misra

R Square Consulting

As an MSME owner, you would have faced the challenge of recruiting, high performing and high potential employees for the organization. Since your company may not be well known or your brand may not be powerful enough; to attract key talent that would prefer working for better known brands. Even if you are able to attract and hire such team members, you are unable to retain them for long due to a number of reasons. As a result, most MSME owners go back to the tried and tested formula of hiring average employees who would stay with the company for long. The cost of having these average employees is paid by the owner / founder in terms of his time, effort and slow growth in business as most critical jobs have to be done / supervised very closely by him.

As an owner of Medium and Small Establishments, you must have gone through numerous cycles of attracting – settling – motivating good performers; only to find them fly away

for greener pastures. As a reaction, some of you may have resorted to hiring only the average, who will give you the (false) sense of stability! But then you feel stifled that the organization is not moving forward as you wished. So there is a dilemma in your mind on what is the best course of action.

So how can you as the MSME Owner/ Founder retain high performing and high potential employees?

The first step is to understand what such employees want. In a pool of prospective employees “high-performing, high-potential” candidates are not more than 10-15% of the total population. Due to this, they are in high demand and they know their value. Although, research on the subject lists out between 7 to 10 reasons why such employees stay in a company, let us focus on the two important ones that are critical to Retention. Interestingly, these two can be easily provided by the MSME Owner/Founder.

Their Oxygen

The first factor is that such employees are used to succeeding in tough situations and they thrive in these situations. They are constantly looking for a challenge and get bored and leave in case these challenging tasks are not given to them. As the owner/founder, you need to create these opportunities which challenge these high potential employees.

Sense of Achievement

The second reason is they seek autonomy in completing the task/challenge. What they are looking for from the Owner/Founder is the broad outcome/ level of achievement that is expected from them and then be left alone to figure out how to complete the task with the given resources and time. That way they own the challenge and feel extremely proud on achieving desired outcomes.

As explained above, if in the past, the Owner/Founder has employed only average employees, there is a constant requirement of detailed instructions as well as monitoring at each step. Such employees are dependent on the Owner/Founder to make decisions. Imagine if you put star performers in such a work environment, the result is disillusionment and disengagement of such an employee and his exit is only days away.

Great achievements have only been possible where boundaries were relentlessly pushed.

It requires a change in mind set to for a MSME owner to manage and retain high performers. Are you willing to let go of the way you have been working till now and take the risk of letting a high potential employee do things which only you have been doing till now? Are you willing to be a coach and mentor to self-driven employees so that they are constantly challenged and perform at a high level of effectiveness?

As they say, what got you here, will not take you there!

AUTOMOTIVE TEXTILE COMPONENTS

KHYATI SUTARIA

PG Department of Textile Science and Apparel Design, SNDT University, Juhu, Mumbai

Abstract

History of textiles has changed in no time with no limits, from clothing to house textiles to industrial textiles. Textiles used in transport falls under the category of Mobitech technical textiles called Automotive textiles. By building in the essential properties which are necessary for good performance and safety, nonwovens help reduce the weight of the car, enhance the comfort and aesthetics and provide advanced insulation, fire retardancy and resistance to water, fuels, extremes of temperature and abrasion. Keywords: Automotive, Car Roof, Carpets, Car Seats, Seats Cover, Non-Woven, Headliners.

Introduction

In Western Europe 1,50,000 tons per annum of textile is used in the automobile industry. Approximately 50 square yards of textile material is used. Each car requires approximately 12–14 kgs of material. The second and third largest markets for automotive textiles are the USA and Japan. Two-third of textiles are used for interior trim, that is, seat covers, roof or head-liners, door liners, and carpets. Remainder goes to the other parts of the automotive. The world’s biggest nonwovens manufacturer estimates 42% of its sales tied to the automotive sector.

USE OF KNITTED FABRIC IN AUTOMOBILE

By building in the essential properties which are necessary for good performance and safety, nonwovens help reduce the weight of the car, enhance the comfort and aesthetics and provide advanced insulation, fire retardancy and resistance to water, fuels, extremes of temperature and abrasion. Circular knitted fabrics are used in the interiors of cars for seat covers, door panels, headliners, headrests, boot covers, sunroofs, and parcel shelves. Having the virtues of high flexibility, comfort while traveling, stretchability, and high-grade visual quality; these fabrics will have good potential. The following are the decorative parts where knitted fabrics are applied 1. Automotive carpeting, 2. Automotive seating, 3. Seat covers, 4. Automotive headliners, 5. Car covers.

2.1 Automotive Carpeting

Moulded carpet generally refers to the carpets used in the interiors of cars. The molded carpet is designed to hug the floor-pans, so there are no pockets of loose fitting carpet. The process of creating the moulded carpet requires the original floor pans and having the carpet laid upon the pans with a backing in between. There are several styles of moulded carpet, the most popular include 80-20 loop. Carpets feel good, it makes a car ride quieter, so that is nice, and provides a homey feel.

2.2 AUTOMOTIVE SEATING

Most car seats are made from inexpensive but durable material in order to withstand prolonged use. The most common material is polyester. Polyester non-woven in the cover laminate and polyester non-woven also in the seat squab and Cushion. A seat cover comprises a knitting of a three-dimensional structure, conforming in its external shape to that of a seat and including at least main portions, side portions and welt portions integrally knit into a one-piece form. The knitting further includes integrally knit portions covering overhang portions and corner portions of the seat and/or rear and bottom portions of a front back of the seat.

2.3 Seat Covers

Most cars driven require seat covers as it is slightly uncomfortable to drive long distances without good seat covers. The body tends to get fatigued if you are driving without seat covers. This may be due to the reason that seat covers provide more cushion effect. It is easier to clean the seat covers than to clean company fitted seats. You can easily change seat cover if it gets damaged. It will be cheap, but if you have to get company fitted seat covers changed it will cost more. You can get a variety of seat covers. It will give a premium feel to ordinary cars.

2.4 Automotive headliners

Most cars come with fabric seats and upholstery as standard fit. These components are cheap, but are prone to getting dirty. It typically consists of a face fabric with non woven or foam backing. Headliners consist of multilayered composite materials that bring together multiple functionalities, including the requested look, feel, stiffness, and sound reduction needed in cars. Most headliners consist of a tricot knit fabric that is napped to provide a soft touch and uniform appearance. Recent headliner developments include environmentally friendly products made of recyclable backing-adhesive and face fabrics.

2.5 Trunk liner

Synthetic mat designed to protect the automobile trunk against damage from dirt or spills and to pad cargo against abrasion or shock. Specifically, a trunk liner shields the vehicle carpet from damage. Trunk liners are usually removable, so they may be cleaned or re-

placed.

3. The advantages of using knitted fabric in automotive

1. Superior strength and weight 2. Abrasion resistance

3. Thermal protection 4. Flame resistance acoustic insulation

5. Air filtration

6. Easily moulded and retains shape 7. Readily sewn, seamed, coated, dyed and laminated Knitted fabric helps reduce the weight of the car. It enhances the comfort and aesthetics and provides advanced insulation, fire retardancy and resistance to water, fuels, extremes of temperature and abrasion. Resistance to soil and water it helps to maintain the beauty of interior of the car. Easy to wash and maintain. Small accidents such as spilling of drink or muddy foot can be easily washed or replaced at minimum cost. Headliners consist of multilayered composite materials that bring together multiple functionalities, including the requested look, feel, stiffness, and sound reduction needed in cars.

Reference

1. https://technicaltextile.net/articles/upholstery-in-automobiles-3100

2. https://acmemills.com/automobile-textiles-visible-components/

3. https://www.fibre2fashion.com/industryarticle/1807/application-of-textiles-inautomobile

4. https://www.edana.org/nw-relatedindustry/nonwovens-in-daily-life/ automotive#:~:text=By%20building%20 in%20the%20essential,extremes%20 of%20temperature%20and%20abrasion.

EVENT UPDATE

Apparel Textiles and Home Supplies Expo India 2021 will be held virtually by Trade India

The Apparel Textiles and Home Supplies Expo India 2021, the country's leading B2B online marketplace platform, is gearing up to host its seventh Marquee virtual event. The pivotal trade exposition, which will take place between the 8th and 10th of April, will support Indian manufacturers, suppliers, and exporters of apparel textiles and home supplies by providing them with a virtual platform that will enable them to digitally communicate with global buyers, exhibit goods and services to visitors, etch business partnerships, obtain eligible leads, and appoint distributors for the first and largest virtual trade show in India dedicated solely to fashion textiles and home goods. Traders, Customers, Manufacturers, Media Houses, Service Providers, Ecommerce Sellers, and Exporters from the textile and home supplies sector will benefit from the Apparel Textiles and Home Supplies Expo India 2021, which will allow digital interactions with prospective buyers and sellers from across the country and around the world. The much-anticipated trade show will also feature a variety of well-known stalls with appealing services and amenities. Furthermore, the virtual expo will have guaranteed solutions for a wide variety of customer inquiries and business needs.

For generating real-time leads and sales, the event will also provide Live Chat Enablement and Networking Facilitation. There will also be a range of personalised booths with brand logos, messaging, product samples, and multimedia handouts or brochures at the tradeshow.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, companies have been subjected to numerous travel restrictions and physical contact. The virtual trade show would enable businesses to begin real-time digital transactions using the digital medium. The Virtual Apparel Textiles and Home Supplies Expo India 2021 will showcase a wide range of products from the apparel, textile, and home furnishing industries. Using Tradeindia’s cutting-edge market platform, the expo will assist in meeting various critical requirements related to the aforementioned industry verticals and more.

The event is expected to be a powerful and promising business networking forum for both buyers and sellers, allowing them to strike lucrative deals that will help them stay ahead of their market competition. The diverse technology and digital product show will also contribute to the advancement of improved business practises, work values, and the products that result. “We are delighted to reveal that we are the first B2B platform in the country that has successfully conducted 6 virtual trade expositions that have bridged a diverse range of industries and verticals in the last five months,” Sandip Chhettri, COO, Tradeindia, said prior to the tradeshow’s start.

“We are delighted to reveal that we are the first B2B platform in the country that has successfully conducted 6 virtual trade expositions that have bridged a diverse range of industries and verticals in the last five months,” Sandip Chhettri, COO, Tradeindia, said prior to the tradeshow’s start.