Presents

HRXpert
Helping You Understand HR Better
July, 2011 1

FROM THE EDITORS DESK

Greetings from HRXpert Team!!!
We proudly present to you the fourth edition of HRXPERT. While musing on what should be the theme of this edition, my eyes fell on a magazine clipping. It dealt with the growing complexities of employment bonds. Since history, there has always been inequality of power sharing between the employer and the employee. We may say today an employee may be able to achieve a competitive pay due to growing demand of skilled labor in the market-place. However, when it comes to designing the employment bond, sadly the power still rests with the employer. The term Employment Relationship refers to the conditions under which the employer decides to hire labor and the employee decides to sell his manpower to the employer. HR professionals today have more prominent roles to play in regulating the employment relationships. We were overwhelmed with the kind of participation and the motley assortment of views regarding our Theme: Employment Relationship: Crucial Challenges for HR. We have published three articles about this topic, which cover different aspects of the same topic. The article Challenges faced by HR professionals talks about emerging challenges for the HR community, and also focuses on Employment relationship challenges. Change Management is a short and lucidly written article which provides us with ideas to achieve effective change management. In the HR Toolkit section, we have articles on two important models: one describes a Learning and Development Model through a case and the second one is about Knowledge Management models. We have also tried to give the beginners in HR a taste of case studies through the section Brainstorming with Case Studies. As HRXpert team strongly believes in A teacher affects eternity, we have the section Faculty Speaks where XIMBs Father George Joseph, S.J. opens up his world of wisdom. In the section In and Around the Industry we have an article that gives insight into the HR practices at Hotel Taj. While going through the article, one realizes how small changes can lead to big results.We also have some short articles on philosophical thoughts and reflections in the section Reflections. If reading through the articles you ever feel the need to just see the fun side of HR apart from the challenges, you can always look up Fun at HR Desk. We enjoyed going through all the articles and would love to have such enthusiastic participation in the future. Please send in your comments to ximahr@ximb.ac.in.

Happy Reading !!!

HRXPERT Team Editor Swagatika Priyadarshini Sub Editor Anjali kumar 2

Swagatika Priyadarshini

CONTENTS

EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP & VARIOUS CHALLENGES FOR HR The Employment Relationship: Crucial Challenges for HR ..................................................................... 4 The Employment Relationship: A Holistic View ................................................................................... 10 The Employment Relationship: Crucial Challenges for HR ................................................................... 14 Challenges Faced by HR Professionals in Todays Workplace .............................................................. 21 Change Management .............................................................................................................................. 25 HR TOOL KIT MODELING LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................... 29 Knowledge Management ........................................................................................................................ 36 BRAINSTORMING WITH CASE STUDIES Case Study: ABC Hotel (Based on Internship Program) ................................................................ 42 F ACULTY SP EAKS In Conversation with Fr. George Joseph........................................................................................... 46 IN AND AROUND THE INDUSTRY ............................................................................................ 50 The TAJ'S People Philosophy and STAR System .................................................................................. 50 REFLECTIONS Leadership in the Changing World ......................................................................................................... 55 Will I Fit In? .................................................................................................. 61

How to make your Workplace Employee-Friendly? (ELF Story) .......................................................... 63 Fun at HR Desk .68

THEME OF JULY 2011 HRXPERT: EMPLOYMENT RELATIONSHIP & VARIOUS CHALLENGES FOR HR

The Employment Relationship: Crucial Challenges for HR

of information , easier communication & increasing environment. With these rapid changes, new paradigms of business are constantly getting created, while the status by quo of is continually technological complexity of business

challenged Himanshu Kapadia, Wellingkar Institute Dynamic Business Environment: Today, we are living in the age of change and dynamism. The world as we know it is increasingly changing at a faster pace defined by global competition, faster flow

forces

breakthroughs, economic growth, market evolution, societal changes, shifts in

consumer tastes and political events. Changing Employment Relationship: The pace and nature of changes in the environment in which businesses of today operate, the nature of employment

relationship is undergoing fundamental changes. Reengineering, shifting market downsizing, and make other factors have contributed to rapid changes in existing jobs and creation of new ones. There are no rigid job definitions. Functional flexibility is the new rule of the game. The role and composition Organizations of teams are has expanded. using

which are observed in recent times like the Employment Bonds that are being used by the organizations as tools to minimize the potential loss of a bad people investment. In this quest to win the War for Talent, employers often make promises that are likely to be met only if the pace of growth in the business continues steadily. However, the business realities of the downturn in the recent past have shown us that growth may not be uninterrupted or steady all the while and managing human resources might have to be re-adjusted to satisfy other stakeholders, particularly shareholders, by cutting down on promises made earlier, as a consequence, impacting the relationship between employee & employer. Organizational Psychology is a subject which applies the principles of psychology to one of the most important areas of peoples life work, specifically, with the human aspects of the workplace and aim of improving peoples efficiency, and hence organizational effectiveness, through the knowledge of human behavior. Employment Organizations change within Relationship addresses the in Future of

increasingly

temporary staffing and contractual labor as a means to mitigate the cyclical changes as well as manage costs and efficiencies. These changes on have the following Resource

implications

Human

Management for both organizations and employees: 1. Companies no longer assure lifelong employment to their employees 2. Employees do not profess complete and lifelong loyalty to the employer. 3. A talented and committed human resource base is emerging as a source of great competitive

advantage. 4. There is an increased focus on HR practices & policies to retain and motivate the workforce. The companies need to invest in their human capital fully well knowing it could be their riskiest investment. Hence there are risk mitigation / hedging methods in HR

issues

employee

relationships

resulting from the impact of factors such as: Internal competitive pressures

Technological changes Changing individual expectations and behaviors

Psychological

Contract

between

the

employer and the employee involves the beliefs about the obligations that are predicted on the unstated perception that a promise has been made between the two stakeholders. Psychological contract is

The new employment contract is analyzed from inside and outside organizations and the issues are addressed from both a human resource management and work

dynamic. It implies the inferences of the Employee value Proposition as promoted

psychology perspective. Emerging Challenges for HR

by the organization. It refers to the way the employment relationship is interpreted. It helps build the people dimension into thinking about organizational strategy.

Employment Relationship: Trust the employment relationship

Valuing

Now, the purpose of business strategies becomes how to get the best return from their employees energies, knowledge and creativity. Managing the favorable balance of this ever changing Psychological

implies that both the parties viz. The employers & the employees should have trust in the relationship. Employers should pay attention to building employees trust in the organization through transparency and management credibility. This means clarifying what is or on offer, meeting necessary,

Contract is going to be one of the biggest challenges for the HR practitioners going forward. Well Being

commitments,

when

explaining what has gone wrong and monitoring employee attitudes from time to time. Non-fulfillment may lead of to what perceived disconnect. has been

The workforce today has matured beyond wanting only compensation at par. They demand more from the job well-being. The organizations today have also

obligations Congruence

between

promised & what the employees receive from the organization strengthens trust in the employment relationship. Psychological Contract

recognized that an employees emotional and physical well-being is essential for overall efficiency and maximum

productivity of the employee. Hence a slew of measures will be required to be initiated by the HR Managers of tomorrow.

Information

to

the

severing

of

an

employment

One of the cornerstones of any relationship is the openness of communication and the amount of information sharing that is done in good faith. Employment relationship is no different. Organizations going forward will have to design policies which enable them to seamlessly share relevant

relationship. Involvement

Numerous empirical studies over the years have shown that a positively engaged workforce is more likely to be closer to their optimum performance. Intellectual stimulus and creating a challenging and compelling environment for every employees

information on a continuous basis with their employees and engage them in the state of affairs from time to time as important stakeholders driving in a

involvement is going to be a great challenge for the HR Managers going forward. To keep up the morale of the workforce and to ensure that there are enough opportunities create to differentiate the quality of internal talent pool, creating platforms for employee involvement will be vital for maintaining a healthy employment relationship. In the absence of such available platforms,

transparent and accessible environment. Fairness

Adopting fair practices and ensuring that there are no inherent bias that creeps into any of the HR related processes whether it is the recruitment, performance evaluation, compensation parity or even for that matter, facilitating the exit of an employee, there should be no room for any prejudice, preconceived mindsets and meritocracy should be the norm. This is a very difficult target to achieve, especially given that some of these processes rely on a great degree of an individualistic assessment of the

boredom, monotony, lethargy and atrophy can easily creep in dislodging the balance & harmony of the employment relationship Consequences of Mismanagement of

Employment Relationship: The problem occurs when the employee perceives that the organization has failed to meet its obligations towards the employees and vice versa. This is a cognitive

situation. When fairness in process is religiously followed, it significantly reduces the employee employer litigation matters. Any lapse in maintaining a stringent check on the fair and unbiased treatment can lead

experience when either of the parties forms judgments regarding the level of breach of

the

unstated

psychological

contractual

HR managers have quite a lot on their plates. Organizations trying to improve the quality or efficiency of employees work can gain a great deal while taking into consideration the holistic view of the Employment Relationship from the point of view of the employee and vice versa. Empathy from both sides is the key in this symbiotic association. A strong organizational culture aligned with the vision and the strategy of the company can elicit the highest performance and retention of the top talent thereby enabling the organization to truly emerge as a great place to work in. References: Employment Relationship by Archana Tyagi & Rakesh Kumar Agarwal Indian Journal of

relationship. This perception not only leads to negative feelings about the unmet expectations associated with specific promises, but also to more general feelings of organizational belongingness mutually in term and of not being Such

valued

respected.

alienation in the minds of the employees would lead to the following behavioral reactions: Lack of commitment Increased Absenteeism & tardiness Frustration Job Insecurity Disengagement

All this ultimately results in Voluntary Turnover / Attrition which eventually results in elevating people costs to the organization and lower productivity. Conclusion: This is a turbulent time for the HR managers. With increasing number of legal cases involving mostly employees revolving and the

Industrial Relations Vol. 45, No. 3, January, 2010 Anderson, N & Schalk R (1998), The Psychological Contract in

employer,

around

Retrospect and Prospect Journal of Organizational Behavior, 19:63747 Blau, P.M. (1964), Exchange and Power in Social Life, New York, Wiley.

employments bonds, HR managers have a strategic role to play. From acquiring the right talent and designing perfect

employment agreements to helping the employees sustain or have a peaceful exit,

Mayer, R.C. Davis, JH & Schoorman F.D. (1995), An Integrative Model of Organizational Trust, Academy of Management Review, 20: 709-34

The War For Talent - Steven Hankin of McKinsey & Company in 1997, by Ed Michaels, Helen

Handfield-Jones, and Beth Axelrod, Harvard Business Press, 2001 ISBN 1578514592, ISBN 9781578514595.

Organ, D.W. (1988), Organizational Citizenship Behavior: The Good Soldier Syndrome, DC Heath & Company, Lexington, MA

The Employment Relationship: A Holistic View

volatile economy and a younger profile. Let us look at the characteristics of Gen Y Is optimistic about new possibilities and the future Has Desire and and drive making for a

entrepreneurship difference Has a

keen sense of competition

Aby J Kottukappally, Symbiosis Centre for Management

The role of HR Manager has evolved from a traditional transactional manager to that of an administrative one to that of a strategic one. The evolution of terms such as Business Partner is an indication of the same. Often HR Manager is confronted with issues such as retention, talent acquisition, development, recruitment etc. which have become increasingly complex as the years passed by. Though the challenges faced by HR are many, I would like to focus on a couple of them which are outlined as follows:-

both regional and global To him work is essential, but the focus is on shortening the process Has a deep interest and pride in owning state-of-the-art technology Wants a lot of money and he wants it now. His focus is shifting from Family

First to himself first, his work, his friends, his things, and his world Shifting perspectives and priorities of Gen Y:1. Local to Global though the focus is deeply rooted in their own community, there is increasing

awareness of global opportunities 2. Generation Y Before we proceed to address the above issues, we need to identify where these challenges arise from. It could be traced back mainly to a demographic dividend, a 3. Service to Core Competencies focus is on honing ones skills and expertise Workplace - an expense to an investment the workspace is

10

made more attractive and reflects the identity of the company 4. Inherited Identity to Created Identity independent developing identity based an on

than 40 percent of employees said their systems established clear performance

goals, generated honest feedback or used technology to streamline the process.

Mapping the same with the characteristics of the Gen Y, it turns out that the failure to

merit of education, job profile, etc. 5. Job Security to Growth

implement a properly designed PMS will fail to retain and nurture the talent for organizations growth Gen Y is highly tech savvy. Given that a great deal of networking happens through social media sites, the questioning of banning the social media networks at work

growth is more important than security 6. WORK- Life to WORK - LIFE focus is more on quality than quantity; irrespective of

geographical space 7. Connections to

place remains a puzzle. The latest trend among corporates being to increase their brand visibility through these sites often ignores its own internal customers

Collaborations teams based on individual skills collaborate keeping in mind a larger goal [1] Traditionally in organizations, the

(employees). Does an organization which runs on good-to-get-work-done soft wares stand a chance in this era? After all the survival of the organization depends on how well they connect to this tech savvy generation. Workplace diversity As suggested by an HBR article, there are three approaches to manage diversity: Assimilation paradigm: Were all the same., Hire diverse employees; encourage uniform behavior.

development of an individual is mainly facilitated by training, stretch assignments etc. The only pertinent question being, how many organizations effectively use it, i.e. in terms of changing needs of business and individual? Although we as HR managers prefer to say that performance management system has helped to increase the

performance of the employees, a recent study by Watson Wyatt showed that only three out of 10 workers agree that their companys performance management

system helps improve performance. Less

11

Differentiation celebrate

paradigm:

We Match

realize

that

the

environment

ministry

differences.,

would put a spanner in the works. The result was that specialists in environmental studies became extremely valuable for the company. If the company follows the market pricing of the jobs, sustainability becomes an issue. This constitutes the ability of the HR to address the basic issue of supply and demand. How much would the intrinsic and extrinsic factors of the compensation make a difference

diverse employees to niche markets. Integration integration paradigm: paradigm The transcends

assimilation and differentiation promoting equal opportunity values cultural differences. and The

result being that employees diverse perspectives positively impact

companies work.[2] But how far has the above approach worked in the corporate arena? We do have firms who have successfully managed diversity to their competitive advantage and firms that have failed to address the issue. But often we find that the sources of diversity cant just be natural, it might as well be forced. A recent survey brought out the fact that number of women on board of directors seems to be far less in India than the internationally. Now the Ministry of

considering the profile of the future work force? Growth of SME and Leadership We find the rapid resurgence of SME in the new millennium. The success story of an SME is centered on one or two key persons, the absence of whom leads to its downfall. This phenomenon can also be put in a different perspective for the corporate world. We find that the companies fight for the right people. Why does it happen when HR has put in place a so called an effective succession planning? We may find that the so called systems have failed to produce leaders that are much required for the growth of the business. Management Guru Ram Charan has co-authored a book called Leadership Pipeline which outlines the leadership passages in a typical

Corporate Affairs (MCA) has mooted a proposal that a firm with more than 5 independent directors is supposed to have a woman director. Are the corporate firms ready to take up this challenge? Green Jobs India Inc. was expected to complete some big ticket projects on the back of second term of UPA govt. at the center only to

12

organization as well as an SME so that the company is not found of dearth of leaders. In-house or Out-house The vegetable oil to software giant Wipro had done away with joint CEO model, replacing them with a single CEO. The reason cited being lower than growth expectations. But if we dig a bit deeper we could see that one of the kins was elevated to an executive position. Many see that the question of running the business would ultimately rest with the family veterans. A different case in point would be the Future group who adopted a family business board letting professionals CEOs run the business.

As Gen Y is set to enter the workforce, the pertinent question would be that regarding family based succession. Professional CEOs need to be given the accountability for the P&L of the firm. References 1. http://www.merinews.com/article /future-work-priorities-of-gen-y-inindia 2. Making Differences Matter A New Paradigm for Managing Divers by David A. Thomas and Robin J. Ely

13

The Employment Relationship: Crucial Challenges for HR

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming. ~Goethe

Mansi Praveen and Bhavna Khar,XLRI The fundamental reason behind the highly dynamic employment relationship of today stems from hyper competition-the

Business has transformed to an almost warlike situation. Business is said to have become synonymous with cut-throat,

survival of the most competitive type of situation .Thus, in order to cope with hyper competition, organizations will value

unpredictability, disorder and stress facing modern organizations. And other

human capital as an asset, very highly, and will develop the same in new ways, along with their systems and core competences. This pressure to be flexible will challenge employment relationship, especially so

environmental forces are said to have created this waves of changes. Disorder is created at the interlude between the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new economic cycle, based on political,

because it will necessitate the development of new organizational structure.

economic or technological forces as drivers of change .Organizational behavior

specialists concur that such disorderly changes will result in corporate confusion and anarchy due to the economic and competitive forces .Managers are thus facing strong and highly career challenging forces. They contend that their work in

New The

organizational basic purposes

structures served

and by

knowledge based competition organizational structures are as follows: 1. Identify and percolate the

organizational aims.

14

2. Control the allocation of resources and the flow of produce created by the various functions in the

organizations.

An

organization

which

ceases to learn soon declines and enters the death stage of the organizational life-cycle. Following are some of the new

organization 3. Delineate and control the duties,

organizational forms: Modular organizations Boundary less organizations Distributed knowledge system Virtual organization Re-engineered corporation Atomized organization

rights ,functions and roles of the organizational members In the present era, knowledge based resources within an organization will base the success and guide the organizational structure design. For example, ERP, sales systems have an influence on the workflow and organizational because the functional efficiency

The challenges associated with these new organizational structures are related to interdependence: Highly needed, advances in IT and communication systems, capital mobility related reforms, have made it more cost-effective. All parties to a business transaction are highly dependent on each other for their desired outcomes.

differentiation

associated with these systems garners profitability of the organization. Knowledge - based systems today have empirically proven their mettle in cost reduction and better communication along with increased capabilities to support employee learning and knowledge management. Bureaucratic organizations today have their inbuilt design deficiencies exposed. They were initially created when it was possible to commoditize knowledge .Today, very little control can be exerted on knowledge flow, and the insights can flow in a more open manner. Controlling and routinizing the knowledge, as happens in bureaucratic organization stymies creativity and

Management of such systems has increased in complexity, due to dispersal of authority across parties. For instance, the knowledge base of firms is intrinsically linked to the knowledge of their employees. This is particularly the case in knowledge-intensive business services, where the production of services is almost entirely dependent on the ability of the firm to make use of the knowledge of the employees. Applying a distributed

learning- the corner stones to learning

15

knowledge system view of the firm helps us understand that how knowledge is created is more important than what knowledge the firm and its employees have. The

2. High informational, technology intensive) vs. low skill, low pay and low training involvement jobs 3. Flexible specialization of

knowledge base of firms is intrinsically linked to the knowledge of their employees. This is particularly the case in knowledgeintensive business services, where the production of services is almost entirely dependent on the ability of the firm to make use of the knowledge of the employees. Applying a distributed knowledge system view of the firm helps us understand that how knowledge is created is more

workforce allowing deskilling and multiskilling of workers vs. new structures introduced only for the sake of perpetuation inequality and power centers. How the previously listed organizational structures relationship affect has not the been employment ascertained

empirically yet. However, the following three issues are the basis for the deep shifts taking place in the very nature of work: 1. The interlink age between

important than what knowledge the firm and its employees have. (2001, JACOB NORVIG LARSEN) Workplace Flexibility and Its implications on the employment relationship To survive in this hypercompetitive world, new workplace practices are being designed to pass on the risk burden (some of it, at least) from the State and the private organizational entities and on to the employee him/herself. The following

technological changes and their impact on organization structure and processes. 2. How the structural changes and new affect forms of organizations integration,

the

organization and distribution of roles and responsibilities. 3. Job content, job-design and their co-ordination by HRM

important choices have emerged: 1. Stable vs. a new, contingent workforce

systems. In order to perform skill matching, exploit employee creativity, organizations have been using total quality management, just-

16

in time, lean manufacturing, team-work and empowerment. Past changes have included increased knowledge, relevance higher of level operational of work

Managers

have

been

simultaneously

manipulating the following aspects: 1. The tasks, duties, responsibilities, work- elements that are bundled together into definable jobs. 2. Redesigning job contexts into which jobs are placed, positioning new jobs through job families into the broader framework of organizational design, the job holder`s occupation ,the career stream to which jobs belong, the work process of which it forms a part. 3. The interaction flow between and jobs, control,

interdependence, higher cognitive-abstract qualifications needed for optimum

performance, increased emphasis on soft skills and social competences. New systems of work organization, such as lean production and total quality

management, have been introduced by employers throughout the industrialized world to improve productivity, quality, and profitability. However, few studies have examined the impact of such systems on occupational injuries or illnesses or on job characteristics related to job strain, which has been linked to hypertension and cardiovascular disease. The studies

informational

power associated with the jobs. 4. Aligning of these jobs with the organizational modifying commitment the strategy by and the

competence by

reviewed provide little evidence to support the hypothesis that lean production

required

employees through the use of various HRM systems like

"empowers" auto workers. In fact, auto industry studies suggest that lean

compensation, management, etc. Psychological Contract

Performance

production creates intensified work pace and demands. Increases in decision

authority and skill levels are modest or temporary, whereas decision latitude

Against the background of a changing business environment, the psychological contract between the employer and the employee is susceptible to be broken. It is important, for managers and supervisors in organizations to have a proper appreciation

typically remains low. (1999, Paul A. Landsbergis, Janet Cahill, Peter Schnall) By flexibility today, the manipulation of jobs-context, content and so forth is implied.

17

of

the

nature

and

dynamics

of

the

discrepant information differently from novices. Thus, the organization should support this change in employee mind-set

psychological contract and its implications on employee behavior and attitudes. Psychological functions like Contract serves many stability,

through some HR policies like getting employees actively negotiate new job

predictability,

security and control. The cognitive view of Psychological Contract conveys important principles about managing change in

conditions after a merger. Though these exercises, the psychological contract would change thereby enabling the organizations to redefine the employment relationships.

employees mind-set e.g. experts process

Framework for Psychological Contract

Changing Structure of employment: With the changing business scenario, there is a dynamic change in the way short term employment relationships are perceived. For example, some of the perceived trends in the changing relationship are: Long term jobs with a single

The labor market offers mainly short term and unstable jobs

The attitudes most appropriate to employment relationship are

entrepreneurial because individuals need to manage their career

efficiently to maintain their own employability.

employer are a thing of the past

18

But, studies have shown that the long term employment relationship have proved to be very resilient. Heere and Salmon, in their research have drawn attention to a theory called insecurity thesis which is a social theory stating that there is a connection between the developments in the world of work (as stated in the bullet points above) and the changes in the individuals and societys life beyond. They note that

Restructuring In a dynamic economic environment, the behavior and attitude of the employees is changed drastically. Thus, special emphasis should be paid by the employers to strengthen the employment relationship. The changes felt by the employees after a layoff are: Working in a new organizational structure and design New job sites, new bosses, new visions, new team roles,

government, policy makers, trade unions and management organizations- all express concern at the levels of risk and instability which is defining contemporary life now a days. They are working towards

responsibilities and new policies Taking on more work, managing ongoing cost reductions Different progression opportunities New rules of employment

strengthening employment relationship as employees are the greatest asset of an organization which provides them

relationship and new rules for the negotiation relationship Loss of peers and changes in the social fabric of their work life On-going fears about the survival of their own job The organization resorts to strategies which are mainly based on control and process within the

competitive advantage. Job stability and employee outcomes Jon stability of an employee in an

organization is a signaling effect to the employment relationship. But this

relationship is not empirically proved. For example, there is a market variation in the average tenure that employees have on jobs across countries. Also, employees change jobs more frequently while they are young which shows that the age structure can influence job security.

containment. Due to this, there is a loss of honest communication, resistance to change and decreased morale. Employees sense a loss of trust and loss of information sharing. This lays more stress on individualism and a sense of vulnerability and insecurity pops

19

up in the employees.

The organizational

HR

is

evolving

to

fill

these

gaps.

structure changes to a centralized. Also, many studies have been done to capture the attitude of employee after layoffs. It is proved that job satisfaction; organizational commitment and job

Employees are the greatest asset of an organization and nurturing and providing them the opportunity to grow will act as a competitive advantage for the firm. The growing importance of employees and their relationship is described by Steve Jobs in the quote The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay

involvement reduce drastically. Attrition rate shoots up for the organization once the economic situation starts reviving. Thus, as stated above, there are many areas which affect employment relationship and

20

Challenges Faced by HR Professionals in Todays Workplace

say in negotiating for their rights and balanced inequality in power on the table. Tushar Sharma, IMI Globalization and increased competition has transformed the way companies operate in todays environment. Fast changing volatile environments, increased consumer demand, shortened product life cycles, increased technology etc. have impacted the relations between employees and the In India, post-independence, the State favored welfare of labor and formulated laws and regulations for their protection and social security. Job security was the main issue for the employees and scarcity of job opportunities meant low attrition rate for the employers. Industrial Relations in India were governed by three partiesGovernment, Trade Unions and the

employers in a big way. During Industrialization, in many countries including India, employees were perceived as just another source for achieving means of production. Abundant supply of labor meant that employers had an upper hand in the negotiation and they could exploit labor for their own means. This widespread exploitation combined with growing

Management. This cordial environment deteriorated with increasing militarism of the trade unions. Increased political

support, protection from the law and multiplicity of trade unions created a rigid environment for productivity to increase and MNCs to operate in India. Liberalization opened doors for many Multinational companies in India to

influence of collectivism in that era gave birth to the idea of Trade Unions. This collective group of employees had better

operate. The boom of IT sector created an unprecedented demand for knowledge

workers. This changed scenario gave birth

21

to a new and unique employee relation challengeschallenge of managing an

employee relation policy will have to keep these issues in mind in order to create a perfect synergy between the external

individual knowledge worker. State also began changing its role from being a welfare provider to a facilitator in providing cooperative employees promoting environment and the between the and the

environment, organizations strategy and the HR policy. Todays employees are not concerned about job security. The challenges and rewards in the job are the major drivers of job satisfaction for the employees. Employment contracts today do not govern the

employers for

productivity

organizations. The dilution of the strength of Unions has also opened a new window for changed employee has relations. begun to

relationships between the employees and the employers. Psychological contracts are replacing contracts. transactional According to employment Rousseau,

Cooperative

bargaining

replace collective bargaining which again poses new challenges to Human Resource professionals. Today employee relations are governed by new actors in the society too. Consumers play an important part in the way an organization operates. For example during 1990s widespread protests were conducted by people in opposition to employment of child labor employed by Nike in Third World countries. In light of this criticism, Nike had to change its conditions of labor. This incident also shows the role of media in todays employee relations. New issues which have emerged in todays global environment are: creating sustainable

psychological contracts are beliefs held by the individuals in mutual expectations between the two parties (Rousseau, 1989). So, if the employee expects rewards and recognitions in return for the contribution made by him towards achieving the organizations goals, it is simply fulfillment of psychological contract. These

expectations are not static and continuously keep on changing and also play an important part in perceived fairness at the work environment. If these expectations are met mutually then it will lead to higher employee satisfaction. Factors of Psychological contracts are: engagement and employee

environment, protecting rights of minority groups, promoting safety issues, preventing child labor and sustaining customers. Any

22

Employment Contract
Employee effort & Rules adherence + Employee reward & Job security

External Context

Psychological Contract
Commitment & Motivation =

HRM Practices

Expected outcomes

Engagement & High Performance Leadership

For achieving all this, todays HR role should be strategic in nature. This strategic nature of HR can be developed in many ways:

Employee Involvement

Communication

Strategic HR

Respecting individuality

Empowering employees

All these trickle down from the Top management of the company. Google has been able to attract and retain its top talent by creating one of its kind work environments for its employees. It has catered to the individual needs of its

23

employees and provides fun environment to its employees at work. These have been incorporated by its founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page itself and today Google is the topmost employer of choice among the employees. This has been possible only by incorporating strategic HR policies which create joy among the employees and caring for the needs of the employees. Thus, it is easy to say that employees are an important resource who gives organizations their competitive edge. Pay packages are not the instruments for retaining valued

employees anymore. Organizations will have to continuously innovate to retain talent. In todays context, it is a war for talent and the best way to achieve retention is to engage in constant up gradation of processes to bind every values employee to your organization.

References Rousseau Denise, M. (1989), Psychological and implied contracts in Organizations; Employees Journal. Responsibilities and Rights

24

Change Management

Pranav Chawla, IMT Nagpur

What is Change Management? Change management is an art of making changes systematically i.e. in a well-planned and organized manner in an operating organization. Why Change Management? Change is the only constant thing in our life. Every organization undergoes change at one point or another, may be temporarily, may be at the wrong time, may be too early, may be too late or maybe, just may be forever. The reasons for the organizational change in the current scenario may be external or internal. The external factors affecting the organization can be rise in competition among rivalries, changes in the economy, changes in government policies, fluctuation in cost of raw materials, advancement in technology etc. The internal factors can be appointment of new leader i.e. CEO, decline in profitability, union problems, implementation of new technology etc. These days, the most visible changes that a common man encounters are Mergers & Acquisitions, Technological changes and Downsizing. Thus, managing change is of utmost importance to ensure the

effectiveness of these desired changes, to take care of the undesired side effects of the changes implemented in the organization and to provide strategies to manage the resistance to change. Resistance to Change Management It is easy to change the things that nobody cares about. It becomes difficult when you start to change the things that people do care about or when they start to care about the things that you

25

are Lorenzi and Riley. Change is inevitable still

changing.

It is advisable for an organization to adapt for changes otherwise new strategies will not be perfectly implemented and the

people

are

quality programs, if implemented, shall not deliver the expected results. Effective Change Management Slowly seeking for acceptance is not what we want from change management. This will unsettle the present working scenario and will result in the same lower levels of performance. When an organization is looking for a change, the first and foremost thing to be taking care of is to remove the reluctance to change. Effective change management can be done if we follow the under mentioned steps: 1. Accept the reality is the first step. People dont accept the change

reluctant to accept this reality. It is a part of a human nature. People resist change because of the following reasons: 1. They are afraid that the change may act as an impasse to their current level of performance. 2. People are used to do things in the same way as they are doing it from years. The quote, You cant teach an old dog new tricks also coveys the same message. 3. Some people find limitations of resources such as scarcity of time, scarcity of manpower to implement the desired change. 4. People in the higher level of

readily so a negative frame of mind can never give desired results. They should be rational as this helps in unbiased analysis and a better judgment. 2. Try not to avoid the ongoing process (of change). Avoiding the process is not a solution but one should follow the process. Change is not the objective but it is the process to achieve the objective.

hierarchy consider themselves more powerful or influential and are afraid that may be the change will eliminate their power of influence. 5. They are afraid of the after effects of change as the outcome is uncertain. They believe in, When change arises, think of the consequences.

26

3. One

should

learn

the

art

to

successfully or even unsuccessfully will certainly help in a better decision. At least one can evaluate what change to implement and what not to. 7. Do not expect quick results. It might happen that after transforming any certain norm, result may not be seen immediately. anxiousness It but may lead to it

anticipate change which is going to happen in future. This is known as Change Foresight. Do not wait for things to be take place, try to predict it and be prepared. 4. Change is mostly done for the good. So, an organization should evaluate long run benefits. Some may argue that this is impossible to measure; nevertheless, it is very essential to get the complete picture of the change. Change is mostly associated with risk. Greater the change,

reviewing

patiently for a certain period of time will certainly pay off. 8. Some people in spite of knowing that changing with the

greater the risk. But the biggest risk in life is not to take risk at all. The benefits associated to risk are so high that risk can be ignored. 5. In implementing the desired change, group consensus is of utmost

contemporary era is very essential still are reluctant to accept this. If you feel the need to change anything then you definitely have to change. Procrastination of a desired change is not advisable as in long term it may be unmanageable. Performing changes with a casual frame of mind can be disastrous. At last to end the article I would like to mention that no one should follow words ofMark Twain, Its not the progress I mind, its the change I dont like.

importance. A wrong change may lead to a series of wrong changes. Taking decision, keeping in

confidence all the stakeholders is usually more effective. 6. Taking reference from the past or from somebody who has already implemented that change

27

HR TOOL KIT

28

Modeling Maximum Results

Learning System

and for

construction tradesmen. The rapid growth of the enterprise challenged the

Development

predictability of timely project delivery owing to the low competency levels of the supervisory cadre. The company had

Performance

instituted a training academy specifically to conduct Supervisory Development training programs for up-skilling these Supervisors. However, improvement there in was their no distinct

post-training

Asha Tatapudi, XLRI Introduction SEW Infrastructure Limited is one of the fastest growing companies in the

performance. The company was concerned about this criticality and wanted to revamp the whole learning and to and development an effective

approach system

implement the

enhance

supervisory

infrastructure industry in India. It has proven its excellence in past fifty years by successful completion of many signature projects and is now diversified into various Infrastructure verticals such as Irrigation, Power, Industrial & Institutional structures, Highways & Bridges, Hydro and Thermal Power projects etc. It employs a talent force of five thousand people. However, its one thousand strong Works Supervisors whose average work experience is eight years are the backbone of this enterprise even though they were not adequately skilled or

capability. Therefore, the company hired a senior Head-Human Capital and assigned him the responsibility to revamp the whole system and to make the training Supervisory more Skill

Development

effective

delivering superior performance results. The Head-Human Capital analyzed and examined the existing training practice and found the following deficiencies in the existing practice: The Supervisors job profile of

formally trained, because they are involved in direct supervision of the performance of

majorly

comprised

supervising the works pertaining

29

to survey, bar-bending, formwork carpentry and masonry. Besides, he was also responsible for resource estimation and daily progress reporting. However,

possess

any

of

those

skills.

Hence, they could not effectively supervise the execution of

construction works. The training environment was class room based and did not resemble a real-time project site by any extent. The training program did not comprise of any competency wise or overall assessment of the candidates either during or after the training program. The training academy did not have any alignment with the projects as it did not understand the training needs of the

they were found to be competent to perform only the task of resource estimation and did not possess the required competency in the other Skill based job areas. The design of the existing content

training

program

comprised of ninety percent of theory and only ten percent of skill based training in the areas of Auto leveling and chain

survey techniques. Considering the academic

supervisors. It also did not focus on transfer of post-training

background of the supervisors, who had merely completed their schooling, they did not possess the cognitive ability to perceive and acquire the Civil engineering based theoretical knowledge that was hitherto being imparted to them. The tradesmen reporting to the Supervisors were highly skilled in their respective trades.

knowledge to the work place. KEY OBJECTIVES To summarize, the issues identified to be addressed in the new system were as follows: To identify the competencies needed for the supervisory

competency development at both the knowledge or skill levels through job and competency analysis

Whereas, the Supervisor did not

30

To

develop

battery

of

To develop an effective training methodology with more practice orientation

competency assessment tools at the following four stages Pre-training level Periodic evaluation during the training for every skill area Grand assessment after the completion of training to assess if the benchmarked competency level is attained Final assessment after two months of the post training performance if it has

To

create

simulated to

construction

environment

provide a real-time experience To define the learning

benchmark levels and ensure every trained supervisor meets the set benchmarks To motivate the supervisors to undergo the learning and

development process To assess and appraise the

incrementally improved or not To assess and map the current competency levels of the

incremental performance results of the supervisors post training To refine the training design and methodology based on the post training behaviors

supervisors and identify gaps mapping to the competency map

STRATEGIC APPROACH FOR AN EFFECTIVE TRAINING MODEL A Core team comprising trainers, construction domain expert & HR representative was constituted & RADAR strategy is adopted to revamp and develop an effective Supervisory Development program. RADAR is an evaluation tool to evaluate the sub-criteria of business

31

excellence

or

quality

management

systems

as

seen

Figure-1

below.

Required RESULTS

Plan & Develop Approaches

ASSESS & REFINE Approaches & Deployment

DEPLOY Approaches

Figure-1: The RADAR model

This is a tool developed by EFQM which encompasses the following aspects: Determine the Results it is aiming for as part of its strategy making process. Action Step: The key objective was to fulfill the requirement of skilled supervisors at projects, so it was derived that the structure of training program should be aligned with their projects. Plan and develop an integrated set of sound Approaches to deliver the required results now and in future. Action Step:

Development of a competency map through a detailed job and task analysis

Development of the content for the training in the ratio of 80% skill / practical based and 20% class room based for lectures and review of previous practical

sessions with assessment tools Design of at a the simulated training

environment academy

Training aids for the pedagogy were listed out

Design of pre-training and post-

32

training assessment tools

training to identify learning reinforcements and to enable the supervisors acquire the

Deploy

the

approaches

in

required competencies. The following tools were used for the effective strategy: Competency Framework Competency refers to a cluster of abilities relating to excellence in a specific task / activity, competence indicates sufficiency of knowledge and skills that enable one to act in a wide variety of situations. For the implementation of RADAR

systematic way to ensure total implementation. Action Step: Handshake was established with the projects to identify the performance through

enhancement

opportunities

competency development of supervisors. The projects were also advised to redesign the roles of the supervisors based on their strengths as assessed after the training program. The supervisors were to be motivated to undergo the training and also improve their post training performance by instituting a special increment of INR 500 per month. They were also provided a full sponsorship to a Diploma in engineering program for their professional and career development. Assess and Refine the approaches followed based on monitoring and analysis of the results achieved and ongoing learning activities. Action Step: Assessments were integral in the

purpose of the new training model, a rolespecific competency framework is

determined with detailed activity specific knowledge and skills at three levels: Threshold (basic/ Silver) Differentiating (superior/Gold) Expert (Platinum)

This is accomplished by developing a competency map by undertaking a detailed job analysis of the supervisors role defining the broad job elements, the set of tasks or activities required to be performed under each job element and the corresponding knowledge, skills and behaviors required to perform those tasks at the said three levels

supervisory development program as they were conducted before, during and after the

33

of expertise. Please refer Figure-2 below to view a cross-section of one job element in a

competency map.

Figure-2: A sample element section of the competency map Methodology: Job Competence Assessment method It was carried out by using behavioral event interviews and observations of outstanding and average performing works supervisors to determine the competencies that
Results

This training evaluation model is a proven tool to determine the effectiveness of training.

differentiate them while performing various tasks / activities and critical incidents. Thereafter, a behavioral event interview was carried out with the concerned domain expert in order to validate the task specific defined competencies. Kirkpatrick Model Figure-3 Kirkpatricks training evaluation model Training Evaluation
Reaction Learning Transfer

34

of the participants has changed The four levels of training at the work place. A post

evaluation as in Figure-3 above signify as follows Reaction Level- Evaluation at this level implies react how to the the

training assessment was made at the respective project location where these & trainees feedbacks were were

deployed

participants

taken from their supervisors to know the difference in

program. The participants were provided infrastructure with & proper adequate

performance. Results Level- Evaluation at this level implies the extent of

facilities which is required to create learning. Learning Level- Evaluation at this level implies the extent to which participants change an environment for

improved results owing to the training and the motivation of the participant from to the improve. project

Feedback

managers were taken to find out the change in the overall

attitudes, knowledge and skill as a result of attending the

productivity at work. ACHIEVEMENTS By adopting the afore detailed strategic model, SEW Infrastructure Limited had successfully developed all its 1267

program. Training need was identified with an assessment prior to the training program to so that each one should be trained specifically Every to their

requirements.

learning

supervisors to the Silver Level and 356 supervisors to the Gold Level and had enhanced its overall performance results by 40% as measured at all its project sites where the supervisors were successfully upskilled. This approach enabled greater predictability in timely project delivery. The supervisors were also highly motivated to attain higher competencies and for being

program was integrated with an assessment given & trainees were

periodic

performance

feedback for effective learning. Transfer Level- Evaluation at this level implies the extent to which the post training behavior

35

placed on a path for higher professional

development.

REFERENCES The handbook of competency mappingSeema Sanghi Figure-4: Supervisors undergoing a competency assessment at companys academy Quality Management- Tilo Pfeifer Measuring Business Excellence- Gopal K. Kanji Predictive Evaluation- Dave Basarab

36

Knowledge Management

effective

management

and

flow

of

For several decades the world's best-known forecasters of societal change have predicted the emergence of a new economy in which brainpower, not machine power, is the critical resource. But the future has already turned into the present, and the era of knowledge has arrived.

--"The Learning Organization," Economist Intelligence Unit Swapnil S Bhure, NITIE Managers watch keenly for how they can align the employees goal with the goal of their company. The most important job for any company is to utilize the potential of their workforce. As the companies are expanding it becomes a challenge for them to handle their most powerful weapon the knowledge. A common workforce planning concern is to determine how to identify, codify and preserve key knowledge and the institutional memory before all the people in whose heads the knowledge resides leave the organization. A company invests in Knowledge management to build a The motto of knowledge management is not to find a replacement for a person who may leave the organization but making that knowledge accessible to the one who will perform the same job in future. The primary thing is to not reinvent again and do the same mistakes which occurred in the past. Working with knowledge is a known as Knowledge knowledge conversion, process that includes knowledge and information and knowledge in the firm.

acquisition, knowledge

protection

knowledge capability that facilitates the

knowledge preservation.

Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes.

--Peter Drucker

37

Key Concepts

Team skills

Innovation

Roots of Knowledge Management

Knowledge Management People Information System

Total Quality Management

Intellectual Asserts

There are some knowledge preservation tools used like mentoring programs, job shadowing, job rotation etc. Behavior of employee plays an important role in making HR policies. Organizational

to disagree with someone, to question and to support someone. But this doesnt happen that no one takes part in the session with free mind. There is a gap in the ranks of participants. When Senior Project

structure is comprised of organizational hierarchy, rules, regulations and reporting relationships which are considered to be the means of coordination and control. Many a times it happens that in hierarchical

Manager gives an idea no one disagrees with him even if his idea is not feasible, everybody follows his solutions, and no one dare express his or her strong contradiction because they fear that it will be deleterious to their career. On the other hand the Manager thinks that he gave a very good idea and implements the concept. So, what is the result? Of course the results are painful. Even if someone had excellent solution he or she would never speak up which creates frustration. This situation lead to attrition and ultimately the most important assert of any organization, their

organizational structure the knowledge of a person is underestimated and that creates frustration among the employee. There are many techniques that are practiced in organizations to face this problem. Many organizations practice brainstorming

sessions in which the Senior Manager, the Project Manager and the employee takes part where all have the equal right to speak,

38

employee and the knowledge is lost. Many companies are facing this problem. This is a very serious issue, as this is directly affecting the growth of the company.

According to my view we can overcome this problem with a model based on Information Technology.

About the Model Concept Brainstorming Based on Information Technology Participants brainstorming All group the members will be of the join a same chat room where every comment written will be displayed with the nickname of the writer. Everyone is free to say whatever in their mind and no one knows, what is the rank of the writer? Everyone will just know the nickname and his views. In this way everyone express their views, disagree with someone, and support too without knowing whose view they have supported or disagreed. In this way an online brainstorming session will be done and the best solution will be chosen. After the process is over, now it depends on all the participants if they want to reveal their names or not. Each one in the group should be willing to reveal the real name. To reveal the names the computer system will ask for the password from all the participants and will display the real names only when all submit their password to the system. Even if one person is not willing to reveal his or her real name then the person have the right to not to give the password to the system and at the end no real names will be revealed. The system will display

participants. It may have Senior Manager, Project manager and the employee

(basically the group may be of the person having different ranking in the

organization). Apart from this the server, computers and the software will also be the participants. Assumption It is expected that every participant has a basic knowledge of computer and chatting. Explanation In this model every person is having a laptop or PC and is connected to the local intranet. Everyone will have a nickname (not known to everyone and unique) which must not be their real name or surname and a password. All these details will be stored in the server. The participants need not to be seating together. The boss may be seating in his cabin and the others may be somewhere else. Now they

39

the real names and the corresponding nickname only when all the players provide their password to the system. It may happen that all the participants not submit their password and wait for the results of Example

the solution suggested. In this way at the end whenever the names are revealed we get the person and whose can be idea praised was or

implemented rewarded.

Participants Aditya, Mahesh, Omkar, Pratik, Sunny

In this example the above mentioned people are taking part in brainstorming, each

participant selects a nickname as shown in fig 1 and a password. Now this is like a chat

40

room, the views of every person will be displayed on everyone computer screen with his nickname. It will be likeWhite- I think we should reduce the cost of our product by $1 to increase the sales Green- No this will not work our break-even point will shift drastically. I think we should invest in advertisements. Orange- Yes, I thing Green is right.

system and a message will be sent to all the participants nicknames. Conclusion This paper provided a high level overview of a new generation brainstorming based on two categories the methodology and the information technology which eliminates shortcomings of Many conventional companies the are showing real names and

Here White gave one solution to increase the sales who is a Senior Manager but Green who is an employee doesnt feel it to be a good idea and opposed him and also put his view on the problem. Orange also supported Green without knowing that he is opposing Senior Manager. At the end of the brainstorming you get the free views of everyone and now the disclosure of all the participants will depends on every participant. The system will ask each participant whether you want to disclose your name or not. If you want to disclose names, then provide your

brainstorming. heading

towards

Knowledge

management and some are leading like Wipro Technologies who received

Information Todays KMWorld-KM Reality Award in the year 2002[1]. Knowledge Management is clearly the crown jewels of a firm. Processing a data can be performed by a non-living machine, but the knowledge and information can only be processed by human mind. It is an ocean of great opportunities where a lot of research is needed to be done. References 1. http://www.domainb.com/companies/companies_w/w ipro/20021119_km_reality.html 2. http://www.asis.org/SIG/sigkm/i ndex.html 3. http://www.apqc.org

password to the system. Now if White, Orange, Blue, Red are ready to publish their names and Green not then the real names will not be displayed. Whenever Green feels that it is the right time to disclose his real name he will put in the password in the

41

BRAINSTORMING WITH CASE STUDIES

Case Study: ABC Hotel (Based on Internship Program) Talent Management Challenge Manager for an

A HR

years. This extraordinary hotel combines an historic aura with contemporary facilities to create an unrivalled luxury hotel experience. This is a very old organization which started in the late 60s. The hotel has employee strength of more than 2000. Though, the hotel is in profits, and employees are treated well, yet it was found that the turnover rates are quite high. The recruitment and selection process is very comprehensive and stringent in this organization. There are four rounds of interviews and the managers who are recruiting want to ensure that the people whom they are recruiting fit in well with

NityaWadhwa, IMT Nagpur ABC Hotel (name disguised) is a 5-star hotel located in New Delhi which deals in corporate hospitality. This has been the preferred residence of visiting heads of state and global business leaders for over 25

the job which is being offered. The recruitment process is really very fine and according to the study done, it is estimated that recruitment costs per candidate is approximately Rs. 22,000/-Once selected, the training regime is quite rigorous. The

42

study also suggests that the productivity is positive for the employees in 99% cases. Employees are part of various engagement activities. They are given various benefits like Medical Insurance, Pension, Provident Fund, Medical Reimbursements etc. Trade Unions in this hotel have entered into agreements with the management, and therefore work for the welfare and benefits of the employees. Despite all this,

have been serving the organization for so many years now, their salaries should be higher than the new recruits. However, the fact is if the new recruit is highly qualified, they will be paid highly irrespective of the experience that they may possess. This has resulted in a lower sense of belongingness amongst the old employees. Though they are loyal to the organization, yet they are not satisfied. This has resulted in

employees are not satisfied with their jobs. Upon analysing the problem, some of the problems found are explained in the following paragraphs. This hotel, at present, is in its maturity phase. The basic reason for discontent among the employees was compensation management. In ABC Limited, this was a matter of concern but only for those employees who have been associated with the organization for more than 20 years. They feel that they are underpaid and there should be some pay parity in the

absenteeism in some cases. According to the survey results with the sample size of 73 employees it was observed that employees' Safety and Security needs are fulfilled but somewhere 30% employees are dissatisfied with their post retirement security and wellbeing and with the welfare schemes for their family. Another problem faced by this company is their unwillingness to change. Since the back end employees of this hotel are old and have been working for so many years now, they are unwilling to change and learn new things. They dont want to alter their mind set. Another challenge being faced by the hotel is high attrition amongst the younger employees. With the Commonwealth

organization. Their contention is that, they should be paid equal to what the new recruits are being paid. But the

management is of the view that they are paid as per their job description and their skills and in no way their compensation is inadequate by any standards. However, the employees are of the view that since they

Games slated to be organized in Delhi in 2010, there is demand for more and more hotels to provide accommodation to people

43

who would be visiting Delhi. Many hotels are going for capacity up gradation and hence, require more staff particularly those people who have some experience in this hospitality industry. As a result of that, many young employees belonging to the age-group of 20-30, who get easily enticed by good salaries and better career

and are unwilling to change. This training program must make them understand the reasons for change. The hotel must give them the necessary training so as to equip them with skills that may be

required to deal with challenges. Reverse mentoring for the old employees can also be tried. If still they are not ready to change, then either they should be given the option of voluntary retirement. Compensation and other benefits offered must be in sync with the persons skills and talent. There should be fairness as far as

opportunities which are being offered by these hotels, are leaving the ABC Hotel. Apart from these reasons, several other personal problems like marriage, ill-health, family matters, problem in working hours etc have also been identified for high attrition.

compensation is concerned. If there

ATTRITION PATTERN
ATTRITION RATE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

are some issues with regards to salary, management must take the initiative of sorting this out as soon as possible. Salary compression can also be introduced in order to distinguish the new employees with existing ones. Good performers

Fig.1: Attrition pattern for each month in the year 2009-2010

must be rewarded and promoted as and when a suitable opportunity for the same arises. There should not be

RECOMMENDATIONS / SOLUTIONS Firstly, a sort of training program must be launched for the old employees who have rigid mindsets

any limit for growth opportunities in a company in particular for those employees who are new to the company and want to grow in their

44

career. This will check employee turnover to a large extent. Personal Counselling can also be tried by various companies to deal with personal issues of employees These were some of the suggestions that the researcher could

it must be ensured that companies must be able to manage the talent in their companies for otherwise they would surely get beaten in this highly competitive market. We must remember that employees are the real strength of any particular company and the need for talent management is even more today considering the plethora of options that employees have today.

recommend to the organization.

Conclusion Talent Management is a serious issue being faced by a majority of the companies. Today

A company that is able to successfully manage its talent would not only earn profits but would also be able to create value for its customers.

45

FACULTY SPEAKS In Conversation with Fr. George Joseph

Sauvik Sarkhel and Tanupriya Negi, XIMB

Father George Joseph, S.J. teaches organizational behavior and Business Ethics to PGDM-1 students of XIMB. His teaching interests include Transformational Leadership, Business Ethics and Individual Behaviors in Organization. He has wide experience and expertise in the field of transformational leadership and human behavior, having done his PhD. on the topic Transformational Leadership and its relationship with Organizational Justice and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. His cheerful persona and novel way of teaching make him quite popular among the student fraternity. The following his insights on the field of HR:

XIMAHR: Why should one take up a career as a HR professional? What are the challenges he/she would force in the due course of time? Fr. Joseph: In my opinion no one should take up anything unless he is convinced of doing what he has to do. If one takes up HR, it must be his or her passion to work with and for people in the organization. Most of the time, the contribution of HR person to the organization is not

measurable quantitatively, colleagues from other department have a tendency to undermine the importance of HR functions. Unless the HR person is convinced of his contribution, he or she might experience stress for no reason at all. XIMAHR: How important is for the aspiring HR managers to have knowledge about human psychology/ behavior?

46

Fr. Joseph: HR managers are like nerve system that connects all departments and different functions to reach the

and eventually leads to bigger crisis. If a person cannot see beyond his nose, and refuses to the reality, then no one can help him. He is like time-bomb, can create death and destruction not only for himself but to all near and dear to him. The business world has enough examples that organizations can be with both strong ethical and

organizational goal. It is essential for him to understand the fundamental aspects of human behavior; otherwise the best in a person cannot be brought out. Especially positive psychology has a lot to offer for the HR managers to create conducive

values

successful

atmosphere within the organization. XIMAHR: How should a HR professional approach team conflicts within the current organization? Fr. Joseph: Most of the time conflicts are not due to technology or some strategic approach to new vision or a goal. Present day conflicts are due to prejudice, ego-trip and lack of openness. If HR manager can point out these human frailties and tackles them tactfully then conflicts will be seen literally as opportunities. XIMAHR: How important do you think is the concept of ethical business in today's profit oriented world? Fr. Joseph: Karl Marx pointed out that

financially strong. In the long term, ethics becomes the most reliable strategy for survival. XIMAHR: How should a HR Professional go about choosing between morals and business requirements? Fr. Joseph: If your approach to life is that in the long term everyone will die and what matters for you are only short term, then invariably values and morals will not make any sense to you. And no one can put ethical principles in to your mind using brain surgery. And ethics is not a play act; it must emerge from ones self and ones convictions. One has to be, in touch with his core self and core believes and values. This alone can guide him in his decision making process. XIMAHR: Do you think that the current HR Professionals are working in Sync with the established business ethics?

History repeats itself, first as tragedy, second as farce. History has proved time and again that business without ethics will harm everyone

47

Fr. Joseph: I do not think that I have any right to pass judgment on the present HR Professionals with regard to ethics. It is for each individual to examine his or her life in the light of ethical principles. In my opinion happiness index is a better measurement of ethical behavior of a person. I maintain that a happy person will be necessarily ethical and a miserable person cannot afford to be ethical. Keep in mind that happiness has nothing to do with pleasure and thrills. XIMAHR: Would you like to shed some light on the kind of work you have done in your field? Fr. Joseph: So far my handling of OB and Leadership existentialist sessions were based on

henceforth, my approach is going to be how to brain wash oneself and others in the positive directions. Why negatives when positives are real possibility!!! XIMAHR: How do you think the role of an HR manager has changed over the past 10 years? Fr. Joseph: Earlier the focus of HR was on controlling the negatives in the workplace. But as the companies enter the new era, there has been a shift to focusing on the positive aspects like motivation, optimism and inspiration. As we enter into an age of increasing uncertainties we realize that these are actually quantifiable i.e. we can measure, observe and manipulate these factors to improve the conditions in the workplace. Also, you have to be quite adept in judging the personality of the person in front of you in order to deal effectively with him. It is the amalgamation of different personalities that constitute a workplace and a HR manager has to keep this fact in mind in order to keep everyone happy. As such, it is not an easy job and one has to be constantly evolving in order to deal with these changes. XIMAHR: Your message to our readers? Fr. Joseph: Keep doing what your heart suggests you to do and dont worry about

approach.

Understanding

human nature as it is, conclusions were pretty grim and dark. I especially enjoyed proving how stupid we are, how irrational one is in choosing clothes to girlfriends, and how meaningless this so called life is. Some liked my teachings; some disliked them and most gave a damn about it. I genuinely

agree with Immanuel Kant that reality as it is is beyond the realm of reason, one cant delude oneself knowing what human

nature is. What we deal with is never the reality but only with our mental models. Mental models are basically how we have been brain washed but parents, teachers, friends and so called role models. So

48

what the world says. It is fools only who run after accolades, wise people follow their

own path. So go ahead, listen to your heart and make the world dance to your tunes.

49

addressing

the

issues

like

talent

IN AND AROUND THE INDUSTRY The TAJ'S People Philosophy and STAR System

management,

perf ormance

assessment and appraisal, employee reward and recognition, were

developed and introduced as a part of TPP with the ultimate aim of employee satisfaction and retention. The STARS program was the one that got the group the Hermes

Award for the most innovative HR policy. TPP not only enabled the Hitesh Agarwal, XIMB group to increase employee

satisfaction and retention level, but also Citation: THE TAJ'S PEOPLE PHILOSOPHY AND STAR by the SYSTEM P. Mohan is a case provided that many enabled strategic them to

advantages

improve their business standards.

written under Gupta,

Chandran, of Vivek for

supervision ICFAI

Centre

Management Research.

Abstract: The Taj Group, in order to show its commitment and belief in its

TPP and STARS System The Taj Group followed a charter called Taj Charter, as given below. Every employee of the Taj Group would be an important member in the Taj family.

employees developed the Taj People Philosophy (TPP). It was their first step they took to shift HR more from a functional role to make it a critical business partner. Many policies

50

The strive

Taj to

family

woul d

always and the

Taj People Philosophy It was a complete program which covered all the aspect of an

attract, best

retain talent in

reward industry The Taj

the

employee career f rom joining the family would commit group until his/her retirement,

itself to formal communication channels, which would foster

hence was also cal led The Womb to Tomb various induction, development, performance Approach. aspects It of covered HR the like and system,

transparency. It reflects that Taj strived to keep its employee satisfaction level high. I t believed in the philosophy that A happy employee leads to a happy customer. Thus, in 2000, to show its commitment employees, developed and The The belief Taj Taj in Group People believed

training feedback

assessment,

performance appraisal and reward management. The TPP was based on the lines of Tata Business

Excellence Model and followed the Taj Charter. The three major work areas of TPP and and

Philosophy ( TPP). They

that employees were the greatest asset to and the very reason f or the survival of their business. Moreover, to motivate the employees and

included processes;

systems learning

development; and employee welfare. Talent management was at the core of TPP as they believed it was of utmost importance to retain

enable them to go beyond the usual level of responsibilities the STARS it

introduced

( Special

competitive advantage.

Thanks and Recognition System) in 2001, as a part of TP P. Also, in 2002, STARS won the Hermes Award for most innovative HR policy in Also, as a part strong of TPP they

introduced

Performance

hospitality sector.

Management System called Balanced scorecard system (BSS). It included Employee satisfaction and tracking

51

system (ESTS). It aimed at raising the employee satisfaction level from 75% to more than 90% and

respect environmental teamwork,

for

customers, awareness, trustworthiness,

and

eventually to 100% with the help of ESTS. Moreover, to weed out under performers implemented feedback. at each the level 360 they degree

excellence in work, new initiatives, courage others. and Based conviction on over were the the among points defined in

accumulated period, they

catego rized

different level. Taj also recognized and rewarded its best employees across all levels of the organization by int roducing the STARS system. STARS recognition Level 1: Silver Grade 120 points in 3 months Level 2: Gold Grade 130 points in 3 STARS System It was a unique employee loyalty and recognition program. It offered no cash incentive, but provided an organization star wide recognition thus aiming to to at months Level 3: Platinum Grade 250 points in 6 months Level 4: 510 < 760 points. (CEOs Club) Level 5: 760 point s or more. ( MDs club) various levels of

perf ormers,

motivating

employees

exceed

their usual lev els of commitment. It aimed reward to identify, those recognize and who The point needed for the STARS could be earned by appreciation by customers, compliment a colleague, forums and various suggestion

employees

excelled in their w ork. Employees attained through for the points acts they of

accumulated

their

kindness or hospitality. Points were granted on basis of parameters like integrity, honesty, kindness, and

schemes. An employee could also get default points couldn 't if the give review any

committee

52

feedback to the suggestions of the employee within two days. This

Group employees and accepted by the organization The recognition of Taj employees directly linked as lead to to customer Happy Happy

ensured prompt response from the reviewing department. According to the point the employee could get a star, which would be pinned on their coat as recognition. facilitated at The the

satisfaction Employees customer

winners

were

annual function held by Taj; they would also get gift hampers, cash vouchers or a vacation in Taj hotel of their choice in India. This

Service standar ds at all Taj hotels improved significantly because

the employee felt th at their good work was being acknowledged

ceremony significantly boosted their morale.

and appreciated. Repeated f ootfalls of customers were noticed after

Benefits brought by STARS: After implementation of STARS customer satisfacti on levels

implementation of STARS. Taj Group won the Hermes award in 2002 for best i nnovation in HR, and in the hospitality industry. Following the award, it also got offers to set up hotels in France

increased significantly. Large number of Taj employees started working together in a

true spirit of teams. Many employees were motivated to do that extra bit and go that extra mile, out of the way to dazzle the customer satisfaction. After the STA R initiative was launched, the innovative Conclusi on Due to its ability to provide better opportunities and give greater

recognition to its employees, the Taj Group gained The many TPP and st rategic STARS

suggestions were made by Taj

advantages.

program motivated its employee to

53

work to the best of their abilities and even transcend their usual

further enabled them to raise their employee satisfaction level from

standards. Moreover, the Employee Retention Group Rate ( ERR) of the in Taj the

75% to above 90%.

was

the

highest

hospitality industry b ecause of its employee-oriented initiatives.

Through TPP and STARS, the Taj Group have successfully set high standards of HR policies in

Through their STARS policy they successf ully satisfied the

hospitality sector. H owever, they do face a challenge from other service sectors like banking, their as many

Recognition need of an employee. Even without offering any cash

benefits, they were able to boost the morale of the employees at all the levels of the h ierarchy. Moreover, the BSS introduced at all level and

graduates

from

institute

showed tendency to get into non hospitality sector. So, they now need to review their H R policies, and come up with strategies that will set them apart in not only hospitality sector but also in overall services sector.

ensured appropriate

comprehensive

perf ormance

assessment. BSS coupled with ESTS

54

REFLECTIONS

Leadership in the Changing World

Satyajit Bagchi, FMS Delhi Leadership as I comprehend This is a turbulent time for the HR managers. With increasing number of legal cases involving mostly employees revolving and the

employer,

around

employments bonds, HR managers have a strategic role to play. From acquiring the right talent and designing perfect

55

employment agreements to helping the employees sustain or have a peaceful exit, HR managers have quite a lot on their plates. For an organization or as a matter of fact any group needs to have a visionary who can guide the team in the best possible manner. In the present times the virtue of good leadership is well acknowledged. Leadership for me means the ability to make the choices that matter the most. Often in our lives we have to choose between what is right and what is easy. Sometimes failures encumber the minds of the bravest souls, but a true leader always finds hope even in the darkest of the times. Leaders often have to trudge along a path often less taken. And it takes a lot of courage and resolve to stand up against the tide. There have been many debates in the past on whether leaders are born or whether they can be nurtured. Time and again it has been witnessed that the greatest leaders were the ones upon whom

him but for everyone: a dream to make the world a better place to live in. The history is adorned with exemplary leaders like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King who have single headedly made significant and unexpected changes to this world. They invoked in the masses a zeal for individual struggle and generated immense passion among millions through their vision and dreams. They used their leadership abilities and degree of influence to conquer hostile situations and continued their work for the cause of the masses. The World is changing, rapidly The world is changing at a fast pace. The urban lifestyle, the rural livelihood and practices, workplace dynamics as well as the personal spaces have all undergone radical changes over the past few years, decades maybe. Managing organizations or governing a nation has undergone a transformation. In a developing nation the lives of the people are affected by a degree of insecurity (in form of job security or even life security), food issues and corruption. Even the developed nations are fraught with problems like terrorism, global

leadership was thrust upon them and who to everyones surprise turned out to be exemplary forerunners. It is that extra mile that one has to traverse that separates a leader from the rest. A pioneer envisages a vision not only for himself but for the greater mankind, he dreams not only for

warming and economic instability. Often an ordinary citizen can be heard wishing for a governance to lead us out of the mess.

56

Maybe a form of leadership: to show us the light. However, despite all the problems the world is now a more convenient place to live in. We have conquered the Moon and sustaining life beyond our Mother Earth is not a scientific fiction anymore. Information is easier to access, connecting with people is definitely much easier than in the times of President Lincoln or Mahatma Gandhi. The changing dynamics First there was an era of sharing and giving, followed by a dominant spell of capitalism. Individualism heightened to a level where you did not even know your next door neighbours name. However in the recent times people have realized the virtues of giving back to the society, of working for a cause more than ones personal gains. The money-making process has now

between the personal life and professional life are blurring. Social and political events have more profound an effect on us nowadays. Adam Smiths Free Society is a practicality now. There has been an ever growing interdependence amongst the

countries and people are emphasizing on the need of ethical values and practices more than ever. Serving the society is not an NGOs job anymore. Organizations: big and small are increasingly participating in CSR activities. Any action by an individual or an organization or on a larger frame a nation now has far reaching consequences. Effective leadership is needed to choose the best way ahead by taking stock of the status quo. A century back Nobel Prize Winner Rabindranath Tagore probably had this on his mind when he scribed Jirno sthobir jak huche jak (Wake from the slumber and challenge the stalemate) Leadership in workplace: The old school Earlier leaders in organizations only

transformed into the development of the whole and collective improvement. The Asian, African and Latin economies are growing rapidly and are becoming the incubation zones for technological

commanded. They were chiefs at the top of the hierarchy pyramid involved in taking

developments and innovative ideas. With the rapid development satellite of

independent decisions, delegating work and assigning responsibilities to their

telecommunication,

networking,

information repositories on the internet or the social networking sites, the world can be truly termed as a global village. The gap

subordinates. Work pattern was structured and offered limited defined growth was

opportunities.

Innovative

thinking

hardly appreciated. Protocols were meant to

57

be never breached. The work place was, well, just a work place. The essential emotional connect with the organizations was limited. Work was like a well-oiled machine always moving in one pattern churning out steady but assembly-line output. The functioning of an individual was constricted to a pre-determined set of orders and the impact of the individuals role on the whole organization was never the focus. An individual was expected to stick to his own role only. Nouveau Leadership Style: Rethinking Leadership The traditional method created an

or hurting the interests of the stakeholders. Why are these businesses an exception? Is it because the organization got lucky of having the service of an exceptional

workforce? Or it is because of the way the leaders of these organizations have led the company forward? Or is it the way they wanted their vision realized? (Is Googles Do no evil: an addendum to Gandhis Speak no evil, See no evil, Hear no evil?) In progressive workplaces employees are given more free reign. Taking of

unnecessary pressure from the employees enhance their marginal productivity. 360 degree appraisals in companies are inplace. The head of an organization (policy makers, management, etc.) is still the most

individual as a subdued follower. But leadership must develop via a series of mature, conscious (also subconscious)

important decision maker, but the opinions of the lower and middle management are also taken into opinion and due diligence is put while making important decisions. In the employee-friendly organizations good ideas are praised and the relevant

decisions over a long duration through a series of events. The baptism of fire tests a persons abilities to its maximum threshold. Entrepreneurial ventures are steadily

gaining dominance and we have seen amazing visionaries transform the way organizations do business nowadays. We have the Tatas or Mr. Narayana Murthy of Infosys who have brought to the work table never-before-appreciated virtues. Doing

employees are given their due credit. Such transformations in these organizations have occurred because of the leaders propensity to support his employees in the collective decision making to realize the

business ethically is not unheard of in such organizations. And these organizations are doing so without hampering its profit levels

organizational goals. However, it needs to be ensured that there are no confusions created where everyone is

58

a decision maker or a leading player that is the defining force in itself. The role of the new leadership style is to prepare us for the future. It shall provide newer avenues over the working-life period of an individual for experimenting with leadership actions and activities so as to enhance the formation of leadership abilities. The times are tough and we are fraught with newer and complicated challenges. It is the time to join hands and start making the difference. Collaborate to excel is a byword now. For any job, so to speak, there has to be a leader. But instead of that sole individual taking all the calls or all the responsibilities, the job can be divided among individuals. Each member can be delegated with their own responsibilities and in turn each member in a team can don the cap of the leader. That individual gets to discuss, share and implement his thoughts, and rise up to the occasion when the situation demands and guide his team forward. A king alone cant win a battle; even the pawn has a role to play and as per the situation needs to take up the mantle. If the responsibilities are divided amongst all, the chances of corruption are reduced. Everything is interlinked now and when a single entity when goes wrong the whole system crashes and creates trouble for

everyone. The learning process has ceased to be a localized one and instead consists of diverse aspects. Different people with their different backgrounds and viewpoints bring different characteristics to the organization. These individual values need to be

respected and this in turn should only end up enriching the organization. A leader needs to communicate to the new employees the vision of the company. Its not just about setting goals and

responsibilities; it is about articulating the views and imprinting them into the minds of your employees. It is about giving a direction from whereon the employees shall have the platform to choose their own methods. Collaborative leadership shall promote

ethical practices and create harmonious groups and congenial workplace

environment. There is a need for the focus to shift from the power over others to the power amongst all. Tagore had written Amra sobai raja amader ei rajar rajotte emphasizing on the right to voice ones opinion. A leader can initiate a project, but any success story is a culmination of the efforts of the whole team. So if each member can in whatever small way become a leader they would be able to put in more

59

effort (and heart) in their work and optimally utilize their abilities and talents. Then their tasks will no longer be

the society, mental well-being are all finding prominence. We are at a dawn where we can decide how to govern ourselves. It is a time to make the proper decisions to ensure a brighter future. Hard questions need to be raised. Should we step aside on issues like global warming and instead focus on reaping economic profits? Should an offender responsible for a Satyam scam or creating a recession in the economy and thus affecting lives of millions let go unquestioned? Or should a man be allowed to die because of inadequate food or warm clothes? But more importantly for how long can we keep mum? We need to choose between what is right over the broader perspective and what is the more convenient in the shorter run. Our wrong choices may bring our severe repercussions on our future generations. Is there a need

monotonous. At Crossroads

Some of us have the privilege of leading a more comfortable life than our forefathers could have ever dreamt of. There has been an unprecedented growth of opportunities over the past century along with its own share of chaos. There is now a greater scope for growth in this globalized world.

for a leader to show us a way? Or should everyone be given the freedom to decide collectively for our future? There are no easy answers. It is high time that we decided tomorrow. Bibliography: Wikipedia With information from on how to lead ourselves

Sensitive issues like holistic development of

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Will I Fit In?

Sarmistha Padhi, XIMB For many it begins the moment Mom or Dad first releases our hands, eyes shining as we step into the strange of and often not to visit. On some conscious level we wish we didnt care so much about acceptance, about fitting in. Our hope is that individuality is rewarded and others see us for who we really are and not as some cookie cutter projection of a certain sex, shape or complexion. And to stand out in some unique or distinguishing way we rebel against the so-called norm because it feels good hell, it feels great! And it works, albeit for a little while. But the paradox is always present we want to be treated the same yet we often yearn to be different. Eventually we find ourselves at the

unfamiliar

surroundings

pre-school.

Walking reluctantly away, this trickle of self-doubt may swell into a flood of uncertainty. Will I get along with others? Will I be met with kindness and warmth? Will I be accepted? Will I fit in? Some of us may have paused, eyebrows raised in concern and hesitation, looking back over toward an equally reluctant

parent, seeking that final little push that says: Go on. Its going to be okay. And for most of us, it is just that okay. Between victories and failures, years pass and we may still hear that quiet voice whispering its questions from a place we try

doorstep of our careers, assessing and being assessed, attempting to apply what little information we can gleam to determine if this organization is the place we belong. If these are the people we want to surround ourselves with. If this is the best use of our

61

education, our skills, our energy and our time. And if we want to earn the trust and confidence of those in power, we

your personal life, tethering you always a single beep or buzz of his device

immediately makes us return to the trance like state of work. The one that earns the paycheck that provides food, and childcare, and vacations and a million other ways of incentivizing conformity. And we do it because everyone does it, and not doing it is irresponsible, childish and self-destructive. So we are told. So you suppress the real you, push it down somewhere deep and tell it to stop bothering you with its ridiculous hopes and dreams. And one day, you forget the difference between the two you that this other you even existed. The bright light of ideation, creativity and individuality is snuffed out by the

desperately want to fit in and meet all their spoken and unspoken expectations. Its only later that we might realize that fitting in may be more than we had bargained for. And then the tradeoffs and rationalizations begin. So what choices do you have as you balance earning a living against your desire to be you the real you in a work environment that both rewards and expects

unquestioning conformity? For many, a double life is a real and pragmatic

approach, the work you showing up when youre expected to show up,

expressing the right emotions for each situation you face. But outside the office youre the genuine article, the one who has untapped talents, passions and possibilities, the one who wishes there was some way of earning a paycheck for what truly sustains you. But a double life can be exhausting. Employers are creeping more and more into

machinery of the organizations which we tirelessly serve. Most organizations are successful in doing this .Only a handful of organizations apart from ruling with the handbook which tells us that whats expected is to be applauded also believe in and support an individual who wants to bring in sustainable change.

62

How to make your Workplace Employee-Friendly? (ELF Story)

Sauvik Sarkhel, XIMB

It is the dream of every employer to create a workplace where employees feel happy about showing up in the morning, where creativity abounds and teamwork thrives and the employees want to stay back voluntarily even after their normal working hours. What is the secret behind such a workplace? What is the reason that such workplaces always resonate with excitement,

about providing all of the little boys and girls in the world with exactly what they want for a Merry

Christmas and having a lot of fun your selves in the process (sleigh rides, singing, dancing)? Who said work cant be fun? Doing work that impacts millions in a positive way is what every employee dreams of. The employer should focus on making the

engagement, positive employee morale and high employee motivation? Can such a workplace be replicated? Yes, it can. You just have to create a workplace that is elf-friendly. Why Elves Are Happy at Work At Santa's workshop people focus on creating a work culture that is elf-friendly, fun, and engaging. Here's what they do to make elves happy at work;

employees aware of the importance of their job and its impact on lives of their customers. It must be stressed upon the employees that they are bringing joy to others through the work they do. Elves have a customer intelligence gathering system that is admired and envied world-wide. How do elves know what their customers want? They ask them. Theyre

Santas elves have a purpose bigger than themselves. Whats not to like

listening to their customers and

63

keeping track of exactly what they want. They supplement their

elves know that they will never run out of work. Job security is a desirable condition to create happy employees. Feelings of job security allow the energy of the employees to be invested in building, creating, sharing, and

intelligence gathering by reading letters to Santa and have a hundred other ways to stay close with their customers. Santa's Workshop and its elves are an integrated, customer facing

producing a helpful, supportive, happy work environment. No bad energy looms in such places.

organization whose sole objective is to produce products that their

customers need, want, and revel in. They have delighted customers who become word of mouth evangelists for them. Organizations have got to stay constantly updated about customer expectations by having a strong intelligence gathering system. It makes the customer feel as if they are an integral and part of the the

Elves have both a known mission and a vision. Elves know that they must meet the goal of presents delivered on Christmas. They must do whatever it takes to make that delivery happen. So, elves have a clear mission that guides their daily work: a mission based on customer feedback so integrated that it

unconsciously shapes the mission. Yet elves are driven by their overall vision, too: to bring joy to all of the girls and boys joy that stretches all year round. This vision is a higher calling that chills and thrills and keeps elves moving on the most cold and blizzardy winter day. Employers should take care that their employees personal goals are aligned to the organizations mission and vision. A clear plan of action

organization

boosts

employees morale when they get to know how happy the customer is with the work they are doing.

Elves feel totally needed and secure in their employment. Elves have lots of customer orders - more than they can fill, for all of the good girls and boys. Since there are definitely more good girls and boys than bad,

64

should be laid out for fulfilling them, in order to ensure a

the bosss ego nor feeding his need to control. There is no competition to hog the limelight. All of the elves work together, under Santa's leadership, to bring out the toys for children. Elves are smart; they know what theyre doing. Santa knows that the best way to lead elves is with gentle encouragement. They dont need micromanaging or to be told how to do their work. The boss should proper give his/her to

harmonious relationship.

Elves are clear about the impact of their work. Elves know that they affect the lives of boys and girls worldwide. Not just during the holiday season, the impact of their gifts is felt all year long. Boys and girls play with toys and cherish memories of holidays with family and friends all year. And, pictures from the Christmas camera bring back moments that they might otherwise have forgotten. Happy employees know about the impact of their work on the lives of customers and co-workers. They know that they make a difference in millions of lives. That's why they are eager to go to work every day.

employees

freedom

express their views and to exercise their creativity. There should be ample opportunities provided to the employees organization. for growth The in the

organization

should foster teamwork and cooperation.

The guy who manages the elves (the boss) is accessible, easy-totalk-with, participative, fair, and fun. Santas the merry workshop laughter in an envelopes

Elves receive perks that make them feel cherished and needed. Mrs. Claus is famous for her cookies that she shares with joy in the workshop. Hanging out with reindeers,

environment of joy. He doesnt play favorites because every elf matters to get the work done. Every elf idea is seriously considered because the goal is happy children, not stoking

particularly a special reindeer with a bright red, glowing nose, is another opportunity not shared by many

65

employees.

The

elf

costumes,

getting knowhow of the technology that powers the development of new products, and gaining information about the linkages between the different products should be the focus. When employees are learning and keeping their skills up-to-theminute, the future of the

supplied by Santa, bring a smile to every childs (and elf's) face. The employees should be suitably remunerated and perks should be provided to them on a regular basis in order to ensure they are dedicated to their work and continue giving their best.

organization, its

employees and

Elves have the opportunity to continue to develop their skills and abilities. Not only do elves learn about all of the new technology that affects new toys in the off-season, they cross train on the job every day. They can make a whole product or cooperate produce a with gift other for elves a to

their stakeholders is secure for generations to come. Trust and respect permeate the work environment where elves spend their day. valued. the of Elves In feel intrinsically Workshop, interaction Santa's and and

behavior the boss

child.

coworkers broadcasts a message of trust, respect, self-belief and value. Not spoken about very often, actions form the message elves believe in. Santa's actions speak so loudly that he rarely needs to say anything about what he believes. It is important that the same trust and understanding between employees and their bosses the is

Promotions are not often available in Santa's Workshop where a flat hierarchy training, rules the day. But, work

changed

responsibilities, and lateral moves are common, so elves can increase their skills and value. Combating the boredom so often found in repetitive work is easy when employees have the

emulated in an organization in order to ensure a thriving and healthy work environment.

opportunity to do different tasks each day. Staying up-to-date on innovations in their field of work,

66

Elves

receive

lots

of

positive These above points try to capture some of the principles organizations should follow to ensure a healthy and competitive

feedback and recognition. Not only do elves receive droves of thank you letters from happy children

everywhere, they receive positive feedback from Santa every day. Thus, they have no need to compete for positive attention, in a work environment that provides lots. This is why elves are almost always smiling. In a work environment in which every employee is happy,

workplace and achieve success with their employees. However, these are not the only factors that make employees happy at work; these are just the basics. But it can be said without doubt that if all of these factors are implemented every day in our workplaces, we wouldve gone a long way toward creating an employee-friendly culture. References: humanresources.about.com/od/.../qt/hap py-employees.htm www.employeremployee.com/happymotivated.ht ml www.inc.com Leadership and Managing Human Resources www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/ 090203142512.htm

recognized, and the recipient of positive feedback, there is more positive feedback available to share. Happy employees recognize their coworkers appreciated. and help is them why feel such

This

workplaces are always vibrating with energy. A happy employee is the one who is most satisfied and willing to give his/her best

67

FUN AT HR DESK
A worker who was being paid by the week approached his employer and held up his last paycheck. "This is two hundred dollars less than we agreed on," he said. "I know," the employer said. "But last week I overpaid you two hundred dollars, and you never complained." "Well, I don't mind an occasional mistake," the worker answered, "but when it gets to be a habit, I feel I have to call it to your attention."

Dilbert at his Best

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