Dear Readers, With immense pleasure, we present to you this issue of TogetHR.
Faculty Advisor: Prof. Rohit Dwivedi Prof. Sonia Nongmaithem
Team usHR: Ankita Shah KNK Srividya Noopur Borwankar P Padmini Sourojit Ghose
We all rejoiced when we heard that India born Chief Executive of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi is one of the 18 women who are now heading America's biggest 500 corporations. But the point to ponder over here is that only eighteen of the Fortune 500 companies are being led by women. Has the disputed glass ceiling really been shattered? The cover story of this issue “Breaking the glass ceiling” mulls over this very subject and also discusses the role of HR professionals in bringing about the sought after change. Under the Concoction section this time, articles on diverse themes have been served on your platter. Article of the Issue is “What makes an employer of choice” deliberates on the question every employer wants the answer to - what any employer can do to retain its best talent and win its employees’ hearts. The article “Is the approach to motivating employees and rewarding them intrinsically relevant from an Indian organizational context” puts forth an interesting idea as to whether or not money is the intrinsic motivator for the Indian workforce. Change management in the context of organizations is an ever popular topic. But who propagates this change and makes it successful. “Role of middle managers in change management” discusses this. The world is going green. There is a sudden surge of awareness about protecting environment amongst companies. Amidst these “greenwashing” of the world, has HR remained untouched? To know more, read the article “Green HR”. This time we got an opportunity to have an interview with Mr Benjamin Felix, Titan Industries, which is presented in the Conflux section of the magazine. Across all B-schools, the managers of tomorrow are busy having their first taste of the corporate life that awaits them. With the intention of capturing these experiences, the Contest with the Best section presents an opportunity to you to share your experience with everybody and also to win a prize for the same. Team usHR has been continuously getting your support and we extend our gratitude for the same. Do write in to us with your feedback @ hrclub.iims@gmail.com. Happy Reading!!!
Team usHR
Conflux
May - June 2012
1
1 Excerpts of Interview with Mr Benjamin Felix Rajkumar, Titan Industries Ltd
Concoction 4 4 Role of Middle Managers in Change Mgmt - Sugam Malhotra, Vineet Gijre | IMI, Delhi
7 Green HR - SOWMIYA .V |SDM IMD, Mysore
Cover Story -
10
KNK Srividya | IIM S
Women, today, are a force that the world cannot afford to ignore. With organizations across the globe paying special heed to their gender diversity ratios, the infiltration of women across all industries is without doubt, on a rise. Contemplating whether the glass ceiling has really been shattered and what is the role that HR professionals can play to address this issue.
17 Approach of Motivating Employees in Indian Context
- Raspal Singh, Sidharth Panigrahi TAPMI, Manipal
Connoisseur Speaks!
19
Contest With The Best!
Disclaimer: The views presented are the opinion/work of the individual author and The HR Club of IIM Shillong bears no responsibility whatsoever.
21
Conflux
client. I think the real difference is the depth of specialization and decision making. As a consultant you go into a great deal of depth and specialize in your area of expertise, whereas in my current role decision making pays a larger part and I am able to see the outcome of the initiatives that I plan.
How do you Please elaborate on the job responsibilities you undertake as Assistant Manager HR, PED Division, Titan Industries Ltd?
identify which employees require what kind and what amount of training? Is it possible that sometimes employees have to undergo unnecessary training?
I am responsible for the HR Function of the Precision Engineering Division. My responsibility is similar to that of an account manager, where I manage a team of HR generalists and interface with HR subject- matter experts. How different has the experience been here compared to your internship experience during MBA in XLRI? I did my internship in the Human Capital Practice area with KPMG where I did a compensation and benefits survey for a www.iims-ushr.in |
There are generally three sources of identifying what
training
an
employee required. We have the development plans decided during the individual’s performance appraisal which are linked to the key responsibilities that he/she has taken up. Apart from this 1
Conflux
we have a role based competency mapping that we undertake annually and the competency gaps identified are another input. Also, sometimes there are initiatives which are taken up at an organization or department level which also warrant some kind of training input. There is no such thing as unnecessary training, all training inputs are designed to improve the performance of the individual and meet the aspirations of the organization. However, it is possible that due to lapses in training program design or by oversight in nomination decisions the efficiency of the learning management process may be reduced. Could you throw some light on your Performance Appraisal system? We follow a Management by Objectives method, where at the beginning of the year, KRA’s are derived from the overall plans of the organization. The KRA’s are reviewed every six months to take course correction actions if necessary.
The PMS process also measures the
performance using Critical Success Factors which
focuses on the “HOW” and not only on the “WHAT”? Can you discuss the measures Titan takes to control attrition? The attrition levels of Titan are much below the industry average. We look at both lead as well as lag indicators when it comes to attrition. We have an open channel of communication with our employees to ensure they are encouraged to discuss any grievances. We also have engagement surveys which give us indications of any systemic issues that could lead to attrition. Apart from these, when an employee resigns, we do an exit interview to understand why the employee is leaving and the factors influencing his decision. These inputs are used to draw up engagement plans and as an outcome of that control attrition. How do you manage people resisting change especially when the senior leadership of the organization demands the change? Resistance to change stems from a fear of the unknown and a sense of insecurity. So it is important for us as the agents of change to ensure everyone is kept well informed
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of the change that is about to happen and the benefits of the
adequate resources are our primary tasks. Also, when the
change.
going gets tough we need to work on innovative ways to
We have often seen Human Capital Management and
reduce costs.
Talent Management being synonymously used with each
How significant is
other. What is your take on that?
the role of IR in
Well these terms are really dependent on how each
Titan?
organization uses them and like you mentioned they are
Industrial Relations at
used synonymously. My take would be that Human Capital
Titan
Management is in a broader sense, managing the
largely cordial and
capabilities and resources of the organization and Talent
harmonious, but that
management on the other hand, is managing the key or
does not in any way reduce the significance of the role. IR is
critical Talent of the organization. It is essentially a subset
about being able to create a balance between the
of Human Capital Management.
aspirations of the management and the employees. And
In the present time, when every company tries to cut
we have to constantly work on maintaining this balance in
down its budget, how feasible is it to invest on Talent
this constantly changing world.
management activities?
What, in your opinion, is the future of HR?
Investment in people and investment in Talent are
THE FUTURE IS HR. The Role of HR has changed
important for the
significantly over the years and the function has moved from
long
strategic function. I firmly believe
business and hence investments
should be seen as long term
investments
been
a service function to a
term
sustainability of any
those
have
and
sustainability
that of
any
business depends a lot on its people and its people model.
should be attacked last. As HR professionals, building this business case and urging managements to allocate www.iims-ushr.in |
the
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Concoction
How many times have we heard the clichéd statement – “Change is the necessity of life”? Isn’t it something we all constantly experience in our lives? A child going to school for the first time, a teenager moving out of a school to a college, a graduate moving into the unknown world called the corporate are all examples of changes in life. These are just examples to show how change is a part of our lives. Then isn’t it right when said “change is the only constant”. The human tendency is to always remain in the safe confines of the known boundaries, but the external environment always forces upon a change. The same concept applies to the organizations world-wide. An organization needs always to be on the vigil and implement a change philosophy frequently in order to remain competitive in the changing external environment. Demanding customers, changing global and economic conditions, market saturation, increasing costs are just few reasons why a need for change might become inevitable for an organization. Sometimes, a change might be simply driven by a desire to change. Everybody understands the need for change, but is it easy to bring a change? Humans by nature are scared of the unknown and thus resist any deviation in their routine. In
order to create readiness for change, it is important to make all stakeholders understand the advantages of the future, the disadvantages of not changing, showing gaps between current performance and future required performance, providing the needed resources to implement change and rewarding behaviors compatible with the desired change. Change might cascade from top or might initiate from the bottom. However, the distance between the top and bottom in the hierarchy will results in communication gap and make a well-thought of change strategy fail in seconds. This is where the role of middle managers becomes significant. Top-Bottom Change Even the most brilliant of strategies can fail if they are simply formulated by the top management and passed on to the bottom of the hierarchy for implementation. Senior managers are undoubtedly the decision makers in the organizations and front line workers do what they are told
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Concoction
to. The managers at the top are usually the ones farthest from the frontline realities. And the decisions made at the peak often prove unworkable at the ground and thus the best of the strategies fail during implementation. But, with no sense of power or task ownership, the lower wrung employees are unable to associate their daily activities with the strategic objectives of the organization and this is where strategy implementations fail if not given a proper direction. The objectives, goals, and a consistent line of action are determined by the middle managers. These objectives are specified by them and made clear to the employees below them. The line of action should be consistent with the mission, vision, goals and the strategy – both short-term and long-term. Bottom-up Change Managers are closest to the action – it is their teams who must change their working ways for successful change implementation. However they are in best position to bring innovation to the processes to increase productivity. Sometimes, this change comes at a cost, a cost most organizations are unwilling to bear. When this innovation is
passed on from bottom to top, there might be resistances. The senior management might not welcome such innovations; reasoning that the most innovative and productive processes are already in place and the suggested change would merely add to costs. The senior management would want status quo in such conditions. However, the middle managers can effectively deliver the right message to the senior management as they are in better position to make them understand the importance of the breakthrough that the lower wrung employees might bring. The middle managers convert the vernacular language into a language that the senior management will understand – Strategy. The Different Roles of Middle Managers during Change At the helm of each change in an organization lies a successful communication channel. Employees seek open and direct communication and the best person do to this effectively is the immediate supervisor and hence the role of middle managers becomes important as the communicator of the change. Sharing as much information as possible on a regular basis and as broadly as possible is the key to winning support. Communicator:
No change can succeed without the quintessential buy-in at the middle level. It is important to Advocate:
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Concoction
explain to people “why” change is necessary. Explaining “why” makes the people feel important and valued, whereas simply telling “what” to do is like ordering and makes them feel obligated to change. One of the important roles of a middle manager in a change process is to take charge of things and providing a direction for the change to happen smoothly. This involves continuous Communicator Liaison:
Processfocussed
processes of selecting, appraising, rewarding people and all core businesses are aligned to the changes desired. Conclusion Change is an inevitable part of life, be it humans or organizations and it truly is about the survival of the fittest. There is no stopping for those who are able to successfully sail through the dynamisms of change. Sometimes, there exists a need of some guiding angel to make the process smooth. Middle managers can become these guiding angels for organizations in the process of change.
Advocate
Role of Middle managers Resistance manager
Coach
Liaison
interaction with stakeholders and feedback on the progress.
giving
various a timely
Any change process is going to see resistance from almost everyone, especially the employees who have to change their ways to see through the change. Handling this resistance and converting it into employee buy-in is an important role of the middle manager. This is possible through open communication; working with them and making them understand the need for change. Resistance Manager:
For a change to last, it has to be reflected in the core processes of the organization. Thus, it becomes important for the middle managers to ensure all Process-focused:
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Sugam Malhotra | IMI, New Delhi Vineet Gijre | IMI, New Delhi 6
Concoction
“The future of a country is shaped by the way a country invests in the development of its human resources. As in the case of all countries, and especially as a developing country, Bhutan too has grand visions and aspirations. We have therefore, invested heavily in HRD from the early stages of our development process and continue to do so. In turn, we hope to become an IT enabled knowledge based society to build a wholly green and sustainable economy within which pursuit of happiness will be the conscious goal of every citizen.” This is the opening speech of the Prime Minister of Bhutan at a recent human resources conference held in India. What does the above excerpt imply? It indicates how important “Going Green” is in this contemporary era and the subsequent role of an HR. In this 21st century, we are entering a green economy – one in which consumer and employee expectations and future environmental change will require businesses to address “green” issues. With the universal issue of global warming and on-going talks on carbon taxation, it becomes inevitable for today’s organizations to go green. In tandem with this subject
matter, the role of HR becomes inevitable to help organisations go green. And hence the term ‘Green HR’ has taken shape. In simple terms, Green HR is environmental friendly HR initiatives resulting in greater efficiencies, lower costs and better employee engagement. Green HR is about focusing on managing, giving direction to and finally retaining people while eliminating workplace inefficiencies, using greener processes and initiatives. When a company decides to integrate sustainability with its business strategy, holistically, HR leads the crowd as the key participant in ensuring that employees become a part of this practice. As per Dan Sanford, Managing Director of Buck’s Communication practice who directed the survey, “Many employers now recognise that green programs in the workplace can promote social responsibility among workers and help retain top talent. More than 60% of survey respondents have made environmental responsibility part of their organisation’s mission statement”. According to the survey, 78% of the respondents use Web or Teleconferencing to reduce travel 76% promote the reduction of paper use 68% implement wellness programs to foster employee’s proper nutrition, fitness and healthy living
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7
Concoction
These statistics clearly indicate the importance of adopting green practices in today’s times. Some of the modern HR initiatives towards Green HR include increasing awareness among employees about being environmental friendly, promoting car-pooling, video recruiting, going paperless and initiating cleanliness drive. On this front, there can be innovative initiatives by HR like initiating Tree Plantations on special occasions and celebrating “Go Green” day in office by asking employees to wear green attire on that day. There can be an exhaustive list of such ideas; these are just a few examples.
It is the role of HR in ensuring that environmental responsibility becomes a part of company’s vision and mission. Going green facilitates HR to ensure better employee engagement; HR should welcome and embrace ideas on going green contributed by the employees. This initiative can be further invigorated by incentivising the whole program. Monetary rewards or gifts/perks can be given to the best idea. In this context, Google has yet again emerged with an out of box idea – Self-Powered Commuter Program. This program encourages Google’s www.iims-ushr.in |
employees to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by commuting to office by walking, riding a bike, cycling or even rollerblading! And those employees who participate in this initiative earn points, which then go towards donation to any charity. Google donates $100 for every 20 days of self-powered transportation. Isn’t this an innovative initiative benefitting all the stakeholders? Generating and raising awareness has and will be one of the key primary roles of an HR manager. This role has yet again seen it applicability in going green. Raising awareness among employees is the most critical aspect in Green HR. Lighting in office overnight wastes enough energy to heat water for 1,000 cups of tea! Given such astonishing facts, it becomes inexorable to adhere to greener practices. Considering the above facts, the critical role of HR comes into play by raising awareness via communication; conducting awareness programs, to help employees take their green step. Talent retention has become estimated that it costs as employees annual salary replacement. Given this
a costly affair. One survey much as 1.5 times the to recruit and train a backdrop, how does an
8
Concoction
organisation keep them on staff? Even in tough times one must find creative ways to keep top talent. Right now, sustainability is being measured in the marketplace. Apart from the basic measurable indices, companies are being rated based on the sheer Greenness, if that is even a word. Such is the level of importance of going green in this century of crammed carbon emissions. Green HR also plays a critical role in attracting and retaining talent. These days many applicants prefer to work with a company who not just provides mere employment but goes a step further. New graduates look for employers with strong environmental and social credentials. When a company attaches an image of environment responsibility to itself, it stands out of the crowd in terms of brand image. This will in turn attract the best talent and help in retaining it.
and glitter to the brand and reputation. And I would like to reiterate that it is the role of an HR in facilitating these momentous initiatives. Being green can become an integral part of the company’s way of doing business. The green opportunity for many organizations can be a compelling competitive advantage. The concept of go green can be seen more as a profit centre than as a cost centre. In the near future, going green will no mere be a mere certification or brand, but will become the way of life. Green HR can appositely be termed as “Turning unnecessary expenses into necessary profits!”
There is a 5 fold benefits to the company by going green. And the role of HR in nurturing the entire process of going green is inevitable. Cost cutting reputation
Enhance
Increased efficiencies Enhance Reputation Attract new business Better employee engagement Green ideas and concepts are beginning to gather pace within the HR pace, often complementing existing sustainability based initiatives. Such practices are essentially delivering both tangible and intangible benefits to the organization, rather than simply adding a gloss www.iims-ushr.in |
SOWMIYA .V | SDM IMD, Mysore
9
Cover Cover Story Story
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10
Cover Story
Women, today, are a force that the world cannot afford to
“We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly.�
ignore. With organizations across the globe paying special
- Margaret Atwood
heed to their gender diversity ratios, the infiltration of women across all industries is without doubt, on a rise.
the advancement of women
Contemporary India does have examples such as Naina
into
Lal Kidwai, Indira Nooyi, Kiran Majumdar Shaw and
management has not kept up a similar
Chanda Kocchar. But such women are few and far
pace.
higher
echelons
between. It is yet to be seen if these limited examples
of
An investigation into the
demonstrate the existence of
possible reasons for this
parallel shifts in the stature of
incongruity has led to the
women at the workplace,
understanding
across industries and
structural
across all levels of
and
that
deep
institutional
perceptions are the root cause
hierarchy.
for this. Society has its own
Although today, the
stereotypes and biases against
term Glass ceiling is quite well
women in executive positions.
known, for the uninitiated - the
Women are viewed as fragile
term "glass ceiling" was coined in a 1986 Wall Street
and lacking in the qualities that are considered important
Journal report on corporate women by Hymowitz and
to be successful managers. When it comes to leadership,
Schellhardt. It is a concept that most frequently refers to
traditional masculine traits have higher perceived value
obstacles faced by women who attempt to achieve senior
than the feminine characteristics.
positions in corporations, government, education and nonprofit organizations. Although the number of women in the workforce has increased and will continue to increase in the field of governmental service and in educational area,
www.iims-ushr.in |
Now, the question arises - Why is
it
important
for
HR
professionals to understand the concept of the Glass Ceiling?
11
Cover Story
The answer to this can be found in the answer of the
getting the top management on board and ascertaining
subsequent question.
their sustained commitment towards the cause, deciding
Can the organizations of today afford such a bias? The
on the key steps to be taken and finally reviewing the success/failure of the steps are a few broad measures that
answer is a resounding ‘No’.
need to be taken. Organizations all over the world are recognizing the need to best utilize the available talent in the company, irrespective of the gender. For this, the existing barriers for women to move
upwards
in
Role of the Organizational Culture Existing current HR policies and practices like hiring
the
practices, growth chart of women in the organization,
corporate
ladder should be
pay differences (if any), differences in promotion based
removed.
Competent
on gender should be reviewed The perception, opinion and awareness of the employees about a possible bias against women in the organization are important
women should be given the chance to be in decision
Existing policies and programs that support the career
making roles and not sidelined only based on gender.
growth of women to the top management positions, and
This is where the role of the HR department comes in.
also evaluation of the effectiveness of such policies
Human resource professionals are at a position wherein
should be done
they can take measures which have a wide impact on the organization. HR professionals should take the initiative to identify whether the glass ceiling phenomenon exists within their organization and should proactively take actions to overcome it. There are certain suggestive actions that HR professionals can take to rise above the glass ceiling. It is only an indicative list that HR professionals can consider as a starting point. Knowing the culture of the organization, www.iims-ushr.in |
12
Cover Story
Commitment of the top management Top management’s dedication to talent management, including women in senior positions should be measured The fact that gender diversity at higher ranks, especially at board level, is an important factor that
Continuous reforms in existing policies based on the feedback gained Acknowledgement of successful senior-level women as role models to motivate and encourage women at other levels Reviewing why women leave the organization
contributes to the success of the organization, should be demonstrated
Based on the reasons for the turn-over, provision of adequate flexible work-options for women and fostering
Line managers should be trained to raise awareness
a comfortable environment for women
and to help them understand the barriers to women's advancement
Implementation of leadership development programs for women, including international assignments, if applicable In any case, emphasis must be laid on the delivery of quality work and assessment should not be based on gender. Human resource professionals have a substantial role to play—whether it is through changing the culture in the organization, formulation of workplace policies or through spreading awareness among the workforce —to evolve women leaders across the world. And it is by no means a small task. It is not just a challenge, but a huge
Measures to be taken
responsibility that the future generations of HR professionals have to be ready for.
Development of new programs that encourage the growth of women in the organization
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Concoction
go on to say “We care” to its employees but its sanity becomes questionable if the employee’s supervisor is impatient while listening to his/her problems or turns a deaf ear towards him/her. The psychological contract gets severed. As long as the give and take relationship remains equitable employees remain satisfied.
With fatter pay packets and better perks your competitors are ready to lure the best out of your talent pool. Employee retention has become a major problem with this growing war for talent. Therefore, it is necessary for an organization to attract the best talents and in turn retain them and motivate them. This calls for the organization to have that extra edge over competitors and thus be the employer of choice. What a man desires is unfailing love; better to be poor than a liar Like any other relationship the proverb stands true for the employeeemployer relationship too. ‘Unfailing love’ happens only when there is undying
trust and care. There is this constant need to make an employee feel important. This calls for the employer to stand true to his promises. Both the employee and the employer need to trust each other. Employees constantly assess the organization. The actions of who’s who in the organization need to constantly reinforce the employee’s belief that they are being cared for. An organization and its policies might www.iims-ushr.in |
Till the time an employee’s professional and personal needs mesh with that of the employer, a win-win situation exists and everything functions smoothly. But unfortunately it is not easy to strike this balance all the time. Just like the conscious, unconscious and subliminal levels in a human being, there are various layers in an organization too. To add to this are the variety of people of varied psychologies. It is probably not possible that all the grooves fit in very well every time.
It is then that there is a need for easing and customizing solutions for some employees. Some retro fitting is needed. Thus being the employer of choice is also about being flexible and yet be equitable in dealing with its employees. Some may like to be in their comfort zone and do very little productive work each day while challenging work might be the stimulating factor for the others. Pay may be a motivator for one employee while recognition for another. Being an employer of choice is all about employer branding strategies and value proposition for employees. It is about differentiating the organization from the
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Concoction
competitors in the industry, about nurturing the employees as well as the psychological contract.
Just like a product needs to be aligned to the basic needs of the customer for it to have a pull, so does the employer branding strategies. It is therefore natural that organization might have a different mantra for different employees. It is about identifying the need for affinity of an employee. In an interview with an employee as a part of my summer internship project, it emerged that it is a “Family feeling” towards the organization which helped employee stick to his workplace. On further probing and analysis, it was found that the factors that contributed to this ‘Family feeling’ were as following:
open door organization where people are easily accessible, a strong feedback mechanism, open links of communication, work-life balance, appreciation and recognition, good career progression and a promising future. We can go on to list quite a few factors that would determine being ‘the employer of choice’. But I think the solution might be on the intangible side of the spectrum. It is more to do with the bonding that the employee forms with the organization via his manager; the satisfaction that s/he derives out of it. It is the feeling of oneness with the organization, when the organization becomes a part of his/ her personal sphere. I had the privilege to work with one ‘employer of choice’ and I realized that apart from the above listed factors it was also about mixing up the ease of a small company with the sophistication and complexity of a large organization. I believe employee satisfaction is the hygiene factor for an organization to become the employer of choice. The motivating factors are far more intrinsic. It is like the subtle music playing in the background whose presence goes unnoticed but its absence pinches. It is the feeling that the employees carry with them.
Relationship with the supervisor Best friends at workplace Say in the work allotted to him Though some people complained about the work life balance being hit and the compensation not being equitable, the ‘Family feeling’ pulled them together. Despite these complaints, the employees stuck to the organization. When we talk of ‘An employer of choice’ the first things that come to our mind are – A good work environment, an www.iims-ushr.in |
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Concoction
This called for delving deep into understanding the day to day actions of the managers because that held the secret behind their ‘success mantra’. Though these were small thoughtful actions, they created a huge impact on the psychologies of the employees.
The city of survey fell in the tier–II category and hence the measures taken were relative to the culture existent there. There was “Samosa day”, “Jalebi day”, a day set aside for a closed group get together of the employees and their families in a luxurious club, a day in the week called the “Lights off day” when the office would close at 5 pm so that the employees could go home and enjoy their time with their family showing they cared about the employees work life balance, a yearly meet of the ‘techies’ in the organization at a central place where they could discuss the relevant developments, learn from each other and form a personal bond which is a very rare thing given the boon of IT. They went a step further and connected with the families of the employees and it was this gesture that mattered to the employees. On special occasions such as birthday or anniversary of the employee, the manager would send out a personal invitation to accompany the employee to office on his/her www.iims-ushr.in |
special day. With a small gathering of the employees, a customized note of thank would be given to his/her spouse for being a constant support, making them realize their silent but magnanimous role, their silent contribution in the firm’s success. In a surrounding of people who matter the most to an employee, it helped to build that bond. Such a practice in tier-II cities gets directly to the heart of people and makes a huge impact. The decisions of leaving an organization are discussed at home before a final call is taken. How about making a positive impact there? They had caught the pulse of what was driving their subordinates and that is how most of the talent retention was taking place. Therefore, if an organization wishes to be an employer of choice then it is equally important that they be vigilant about its middle management. They have greater impact on the company’s performance than almost any other part. They play a crucial role in redefining and representing the organization to the employee. For an employee: Manager = Organization. The values a manager exhibit, the way he communicates, the work and team dynamics all determine the engagement levels of employees in the team. They become the strategic relations manager. It is only through them that an organization can build in the feel good factor and leap a step ahead in etching a mark in the employee’s heart and mind. Tarun Avtar Arya | FMS, Delhi 16
Concoction
Industry has witnessed a transition from company to customer, and
now to employee. Today, employees form core of industrial belief. The outside-in approach of appeasing customers is replaced by inside-out approach with believe that customer delight is derivative of employee satisfaction. Motivation is the buzzword in field of human resource practice. Interestingly, what underlines the need of motivation is not action, but end result (i.e. employee drive to walk the extra mile). From military to schools, time has always chosen the recourse of motivation to get the work done. Underlining this concept of motivation, studies have been conducted to understand variables affecting motivation. Researches, experiments and plethora of analysis emerge everyday citing component of motivation. One of the variables which have been talked over in industries and institutes is money. Cases, studies and reports have come out with claims that money does not necessarily constitute the source of motivation. But how sustainable is the analysis viz-a-viz other nation? For example would the results of the study be the same if carried out in a third world country? Thanks to Abraham Maslow that human needs was broken down to several components. Known as Maslow’s hierarchy, the model outlines five needs of human: www.iims-ushr.in |
physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-
actualization.
Self actualiz ation
A close observation of the model would Esteem draw a mind map between the problem statement and Love/belonging the model. What makes Safety people (in US and Europe) believe Physiological money is not the intrinsic motivator? Answer: the level of income and the facilities which they receive, the scope of equal opportunity. Before reaching to a conclusion, we should appreciate the rationale behind the needs of a nation. Contrary to former statement, India as a nation is marred by opportunities and income. Our strengths include knowledge and emotions. Consequently, we fall into the bracket of ‘love/belonging’ need of hierarchy. This implies that the immediate hierarchies are needed to be catered, which is safety. Thus, money works as finest indicator of intrinsic motivation. One would definitely not focus on developing intellectual assets in a country, where seventy percent of population lives in rural area under the condition of labor intensive capital. We propose a framework called the 5G Model for working towards intrinsic motivation of a nation/culture:
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Concoction
Guide
Gauge
Give
Generate
Garner
Gauge:: Gauge the strengths, weakness, opportunity an strength of a nation/culture. For example, the SWOT analysis of India’s hierarchical needs is carried out below:
Internal
Strength: Love/Belonging, self actualization
Weakness: Physiological
External
Opportunity: Esteem
Threat: Saftey
Advantag e
Disadvantage
Generate :: Look at the weakness and threats. Focus on threats, which would act as the immediate source of motivator. Weakness should be focused as a long run objective. One should generate ideas by focusing on short term (evolving) and long term (sustenance). Garner :: Gather ideas to address the threats and weakness. The Chinese use two brush strokes to signify crisis, one brush stroke meant for opportunity and other for danger. Crisis is a double edge sword that can be leveraged either to get the best or face the worst. Careful www.iims-ushr.in |
assessment needs to be done while analysis threats and opportunities. The opportunities of today can turn into threat tomorrow and vice-versa. Give :: It is vital for organizations today to offer incentives to employees. Incentives should not be mundane and management should make sure to understand employee needs without biasness or preconceived notion. Offering incentives (both tangible and intangible) not only motivates employee but also results in improved employee performance, an increased belief of company’s ownership within employees. These factors ultimately yield profits, quality assurance, process and technical improvement for the company through higher degree of employee participation. A holistic approach of Give and take Model can be shown as below: •Offer incentives which result in derivation of factors scotching threats and weakness. •Example: Pizza/Popcorn/Cookie Days & Executive Recognition
Offer
Question
Map
Act
•Ask what they want out of work •Understand the reason.
•Match motivators to the company or department culture •Consider each employee’s age and life stage
•Bring a community speaker to speak on subjects of interest to employees like personal finance, stress management or improving relationships •Example: Thank you card or e-mail, themes contest
Guide :: Understand how the implementation went and evolve the model for sustainability (i.e. long term goal accomplishment). Raspal Singh | TAPMI, Manipal Sidharth Panigrahi | TAPMI, Manipal 18
Connoisseur Speaks!
Connoisseur Speaks!!! Hi, I am the works manager of a well performing industry. However the performance has declined over the last 2 years and the profits are now increasingly becoming negative. This downturn is being blamed on my inefficiency and lack of commitment when it is the workers and staff that are loitering around in the premises and even the machinery is badly in need of maintenance. However I have been asked to resign after shouldering the blame in front of the board of directors. What should I do now?
Hi, I am a fresher and have recently joined my new job after my engineering. It’s been only a few days here and I have already started feeling depressed at this workplace. From the first day itself I have been getting negative vibes in the office. The workplace was not at all welcoming and the concerned people were not even aware of my joining. All this and the events that followed have lowered my morale and I find it hard to sustain here. What do I do?
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Hi, we understand your situation. This is a common problem faced in the workplace where the fault is of someone else and the blame is shouldered by another. We understand the emotional and mental trauma you are facing where having worked diligently and with full commitment towards the welfare of the company you are being blamed for the downturn. Especially when the fault is someone else’s and you know the people also. Our suggestion to you would be to communicate to your immediate head and make him aware of the situation. Explain him that it is the workers who are idling away time which has resulted in loss of productivity. Again the machine is badly in need of maintenance. You can get an engineer’s report regarding this to prove the same to your head. Again you can show your past performance as further proof of your diligence and commitment towards the company. We are sure your efforts shall not go in vain. Your efficiency shall be recognised. In case you are still being forced to shoulder the blame despite all this, approach the HR head and/or the grievance redressal cell that may exist in your organisation. Hope we are able to help you.
The problem you are facing is very common when the company does not take the orientation programme seriously. There are a few requisites for an effective programme which are seldom observed and hence the system becomes ineffective. However, you should not lose heart and try to adjust yourself in the new environment. Interact with more and more people, get their feedbacks, and try to learn from them. Concentrate on the work given to you and try to be innovative in your own way. Prove your worth to your superiors which will help you in getting challenging projects which will lead to increased interest in the work. In extreme case, talk to the HR of your organisation and explain to him the problem you might be facing and get his/her guidance on the matter.
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Connoisseur Speaks!
Hi I am the senior manager of an FMCG company. We recruit a lot of sales managers to market our products. The sales managers sign a clause on joining which requires them to convey their physical locations to their GM at all times, even on Sundays and other holidays. It is also ensured that these policies are conveyed to the sales force on their joining. However, now it has been observed that a group of 20 sales managers have not been following these rules and regulations since a long time. As the senior manager I need to decide whether this sales force should be laid off or not. What should I do?
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We understand the dilemma you are in. you as the senior manager need to take a decision which involves various issues. If you comply with the company policies and fire the sales managers you would fall short of sales managers which would impact the profitability and image of the company. On the other hand if you ignore the issue it would give a wrong message amongst your junior employees encouraging more misconduct and noncompliance with the rules. Our suggestion to you would be to speak to these employees separately, understand their reason of non-compliance and act accordingly. Give them a warning regarding the situation if they are at fault. Make the situation very clear that they were informed about all the conditions of the job prior to joining. Noncompliance with these clauses would bring serious action against them. Despite this if no change is observed then give them a PIP but even if doesn’t work, fire the employee. Because, if for once this is tolerated, it would be repeated again by other employees. This would spoil the work culture and impact the goodwill of the company. While warnings are given to the concerned sales managers prepare a back-up plan in case it becomes necessary to fire them.
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Contest
Last date for sending the answers for Contest: June 30th, 2012 Email ID: hrclub.iims@gmail.com Subject of the email: TogetHRContest5_CollegeName www.iims-ushr.in |
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Contest
This Issue’s Results The prize for “Article of the Issue” has been awarded to Tarun Avtar Arya from FMS, Delhi for his Article “What makes an employer of Choice?”. He is awarded with a cash prize of Rs.1000/- and a Certificate of Appreciation. All other articles selected for the issue shall also receive Certificate of Appreciation. The prize for “Contest with the Best” for MAR-APR 2012 Issue has been awarded to Somya Harsh from SDM Institute for Management Development, Mysore. She is awarded with a cash prize of Rs.500/- and a Certificate of Appreciation.
The cover page of the article should only contain the Title of the Article, the Author’s Name and the Institute’s Name. Results shall be announced in the next issue of TogetHR For other updates, check our Facebook page – “usHR-HR Club of IIM Shillong” Also certain entries which could not make the cut to the TogetHR will get figured on our blog
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Last Contest Answers APPRAISAL MASLOW INTERVIEW
Announcements Team usHR invites articles from B-Schools all across India. We are looking for original articles related to field of Human Resources. References should be cited wherever necessary. The best article will be featured as the “Article of the Issue” and would be awarded cash prize of INR 1000
BENCHMARKING EMPLOYMENT Main Answer: WHISTLEBLOWER
Instructions: Kindly email your article with the file name and the subject as <Title of Article> _<Institute Name>_<Author’s name/Group’s name> by 30th June 2012 Article must be sent in Microsoft Word Document (doc/docx), Font: Times New Roman, Font Size: 12, Line spacing: 1.5. The size of the article should be between 7001000 words
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Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management Mayurbhanj Complex, Nongthymmai, Shillong - 793 014 Email Id: hrclub.iims@gmail.com Mobile: +91-89740 52909
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