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Managing Talent & Careers & Succession Planning Human Resource Management Submitted by: Aditi Shinde – 156 Lovenish Ruhela – 131 Vijay Singh – 158 1

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Page 1: Managing Talent & Careers & Succession Planning- Group 10

Managing Talent & Careers &

Succession Planning

Human Resource Management

Submitted by:

Aditi Shinde – 156

Lovenish Ruhela – 131

Vijay Singh – 158

Aditya Vaidya – 169

Kundan Ramteke- 126

Neha Sabnis- 132

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INDEX

Sr. No. Topics Page No.

1 Introduction 4

2 Managing Talent 7

3 Finding New Talent 22

4 Retaining Talent 27

5 Assessment Of Potential 34

6 Managing Talent In Virtual Teams 41

7 Succession Planning 51

8 Ethical Issues In Career & Succession Planning 60

9 Bibliography 63

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We are grateful to Mr. Amit Nayak, General Manager- HR of Bluestar for giving us

his valuable time & sharing his immense knowledge in the field of HR.

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INTRODUCTION

All organisations, whether in the private or public sectors, need to be able to find people with the

right skills to fill key and top leadership jobs. This process needs to be managed, and traditionally,

large blue-chip companies ran highly-structured, mechanistic, secretive and top-down schemes

aimed at identifying internal successors for key posts and planning their career paths to provide

the necessary range of experience. These schemes worked reasonably well in a stable environment

where structures were fixed and careers were long-term. But with growing uncertainty, increasing

speed of change in the business environment, and flatter structures, succession planning of this

sort declined in the 1990s. How could one plan ahead, it was argued, for jobs that might not exist

next year? One apparent result was that more and more people came to be appointed to top jobs

from outside organisations. A further problem with traditional succession planning was that it

failed to take account of non-managerial roles – a brilliant scientist, for example, who might be

crucial to the future of the organisation and who wanted to stay in a research role.

In a climate of growing skills shortages and lack of confidence in the leadership potential of the

existing workforce, interest in succession planning has revived. The new succession planning

looks quite different from the old version, with a broader vision and far closer links to wider talent

management practices.

Through this project report, we try to understand the important function of HR i.e. talent

management, career & succession planning & its implications on the organisation. Moreover, to

get a better insight on these functions, we visited Bluestar to understand their HR practises.

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Blue Star is India's largest central air-conditioning company with an annual turnover of

Rs 2900 crores, a network of 29 offices, 6 modern manufacturing facilities, over 1200

dealers and around 2800 employees.

It fulfils the air-conditioning needs of a large number of corporate, commercial and

residential customers and has also established leadership in the field of commercial

refrigeration equipment ranging from water coolers to cold storages. The Company also

offers comprehensive Electrical Contracting and Plumbing & Fire Fighting Services.

Blue Star's other businesses include marketing and maintenance of hi-tech professional

electronic and industrial products.

Blue Star has business alliances with world renowned technology leaders such as

Rheem Mfg Co, USA; Hitachi, Japan; Eaton - Williams, UK; Thales e-Security Ltd.,

UK; Jeol, Japan and many others, to offer superior products and solutions to customers.

The Company has manufacturing facilities at Thane, Dadra, Bharuch, Himachal and

Wada which use state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment to ensure that the products

have consistent quality and reliability.

Blue Star primarily focuses on the corporate and commercial markets. These include

institutional, industrial and government organizations as well as commercial

establishments such as showrooms, restaurants, banks, hospitals, theatres, shopping

malls and boutiques. The Company has started pursuing the residential segment with its

wide range of sleek and contemporary Room ACs. In accordance with the nature of

products and markets, business drivers, and competitive positioning, the lines of

business of Blue Star can be segmented as follows:

Electro Mechanical Projects And Packaged Airconditioning Systems

Cooling Products

Professional Electronics And Industrial Systems

Our visit to Bluestar gave us a lot of insight to the HR function in Bluestar. Through the

interview of Mr. Nayak, we noticed that the all the HR functions are completely

transparent & the department continuously strives for the betterment of its employees. It

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does everything possible to keep the employees happy & satisfied with the company. The

company believes that the employees are a very important factor in the success of the

organisation & keep them satisfied will ensure the success of the organisation. The

company is not involved in any unethical practises & ensures that no biases are made

towards any employee.

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TALENT MANAGEMENT

Talent management refers to the skills of attracting highly skilled workers, of

integrating new workers, and developing and retaining current workers to meet current

and future business objectives. Talent management in this context does not refer to the

management of entertainers. Companies engaging in a talent management strategy shift

the responsibility of employees from the human resources department to all managers

throughout the organization. The process of attracting and retaining profitable

employees, as it is increasingly more competitive between firms and of strategic

importance, has come to be known as "the war for talent."

Talent management is a mission critical process that ensures organizations have the

quantity and quality of people in place to meet their current and future business priorities.

The process covers all key aspects of an employee’s “life cycle:” selection, development,

succession and performance management. Key components of a highly effective talent

management process include

A clear understanding of the organization’s current and future business strategies.

Identification of the key gaps between the talent in place and the talent required

to drive business success.

A sound talent management plan designed to close the talent gaps. It should also

be integrated with strategic and business plans.

Accurate hiring and promotion decisions.

Connection of individual and team goals to corporate goals, and providing clear

expectations and feedback to manage performance.

Development of talent to enhance performance in current positions as well as

readiness for transition to the next level.

A focus not just on the talent strategy itself, but the elements required for

successful execution.

Business impact and workforce effectiveness measurement during and after

implementation.

The term "talent management" means different things to different organizations. To some

it is about the management of high-worth individuals or "the talented" whilst to others it

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is about how talent is managed generally - i.e. on the assumption that all people have

talent which should be identified and liberated

Role of Talent Management

The role of talent management is to make confident that the organization has the accurate

community in position to accomplish all the essential roles. It diminishes the threat to the

long term prospect of the business or organization by make sure that there is a channel of

inhabitants with the right expertise, practice and behaviours to complete key point in the

opportunity. There are several strategies implicated in talent management and

responsibilities that necessitate to be accepted. Employee consideration and constant

employee assessment are two essential tasks. If you want to make sure you have the very

most excellent strategies and procedures in position to spot talent and develop the

abilities of your group then employing professionals in this field is a high-quality

thought.

As well as recognize the talent and carrying out consideration to see who might be

appropriate for undertaking future roles and responsibilities, a thorough development

program will need to be put into practiced. By helping members of staff gain more

knowledge in a exacting area or providing them with a comprehensive training program

towards the very top you will make sure smooth transitions at a later date with observe to

staff moving into new jobs and taking on extra responsibilities.

It is the strength of character of any organization. Without competent employees it's

tough to visualize any organization succeeding. A particularly fundamental role of talent

management is to make available leadership development training to potential and

existing manager. Talent can either be get hold of from outside the organization or raise

from the inside. Talent management ensures that all potential employees get the position

they justify by provided that training and accepted feedbacks.

Lots of organizations have a preference their potential employees to receive recognized

leadership development training and concentrate leadership programs. These training

programs can be carrying out in the organization's own educational services through a

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simulation program managed by human resource companies that play the trainers' role,

and even by outsourcing the training to a guidance organization.

Leadership development training can be classified into following categories:

On-job training,

Official training

 Judgment

Mentoring

To develop leadership expertise on the job has need of employees to take jobs or project

coursework that include leadership farm duties. Employees can learn from colleagues

with more experience. For those who prefer a more special approach can hire a personal

leadership adviser. Personal instructor can provide intensive leadership development

training.

Components of Talent Management

Talent management includes seven components that, when implemented strategically, combine to keep an organization on the leading edge.

1. Strategic Employee Planning- Developing your organizational goals and strategic plan is the first step. Next you must think about how to reach your goals and implement the plan. More specifically, you must identify the key roles and personnel who will get you there. You may already have the positions and people in place, or you may need to adjust the current structure to fill the gaps.

2. Talent Acquisition and Retention- Bringing new talent into your organization is important, yet equally so is recognizing and cultivating talent you already have in-house. Hiring from within your organization is more cost-effective, so when you’re working at talent pooling, remember to look internally as well as externally.

3. Performance Management- Aligning the right person with the right role is the heart of performance management. Its ultimate goal is to ensure that roles align with business strategy to achieve goals. It enables you to ensure that you’re aligning a talented employee with a role that suits them, develops goals for success, supports their development, and moves the organization forward.

4. Learning and Motivating- Semantics become important here, because learning is more than training. Learning is the acquisition of information and skills, which yields knowledge and experience. Implement learning programs that include activities and tasks that support the organization’s culture and initiatives. When employees see how their growth impacts the organization, they’ll see just how valuable their role is.

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5. Compensation- Alignment remains the important concept. Aligning your strategic goals with incentives means recognizing employees, rewarding contributions to success, and acknowledging their value to the organization.

6. Career Development- This ties back to the talent retention component and the notion that hiring from within is not only an option, but often preferable. Nurture potential leaders by providing professional development tools that can advance their career.

7. Succession Planning- Knowing the talent within your organization is a start. Knowing the key roles essential to its success is equally vital. Which roles are critical to success? Who currently fills those roles? What happens when those positions become available?

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Talent Management Process

1. Entry- Determine the key leverage skill sets required by the organization in order

to move into the future. The organization’s strategic plan should give an

indication of these, as well as what constitutes the core competence that will

ensure a future for the organization. This will all, in turn, direct you to what talent

you should be sourcing.

a. Source the required people from the appropriate avenues. 

b. Be sure to have very detailed job descriptions that include specific

competencies required. 

c. Apply behaviour-based interviewing to select the best candidates. 

d. The ability to retain talent starts from the quality of the first point of

contact. 

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e. Carefully consider how you orientate a new employee into the culture of

the organization, the work area, and the specific job. 

f. Assist a new employee to transition into the organization and to be able to

produce a quality deliverable within the first three months of tenure. This

will go a long way to ensuring that the placement will be successful. 

2. Retention- Retaining your talent will not solely depend on what you pay them.

We have found from exit interviews that many high performing individuals will

leave an organization for the same or, in some cases, even less remuneration if

other needs of theirs are not being met.

a. The culture, the way things are done around here, plays a huge role in

creating a work environment that will draw individuals in or repel them.

The culture is created through the systems, processes, technology,

structure, leadership, and behaviours of people and teams in the

organization. 

b. Congruity in values between the organization and the employee will also

exert influence on an individual’s decision to commit to an organization. 

c. The most important relationship for any individual in an organization is

the relationship with one’s immediate manager. Ensure that your

managers have the skills to constructively lead their direct reports and

their teams. 

d. Involve individuals in decision-making in their areas of responsibility.

Involve high performers in cross-functional projects. Allow people to feel

that they are making a difference. 

e. Make sure that each new employee is the right fit for the organization’s

culture, and then ensure fit with the work area, and then the actual job.

Revisit this person-environment fit, as people and circumstances change

and some adjusting or repositioning may be required for best results. 

3. Development- Development is about growing people to meet both own and the

organization’s needs. Development plays a large part in talent management. No

organization can afford to promise a person a particular job through development.

At best, you can offer the promise of making a person more eligible to be part of

a pool of talent who would be looked at when positions open up, and then only if

the existing skills match the position requirements.

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a. Competencies need to be broken down into their four components:

i. Knowledge(what you know)

ii. Skills(what you know how to do)

iii. Behaviour(what you do)

iv. Attitude(what you are willing to do)

b. Assess every employee’s competency profile. This would include

establishing if there are any competency deficiencies that are responsible

for the gaps that exist between the actual and desired current performance,

as well as gaps between current competencies and possible future

performance needs.

c. Avoid getting trapped into only developing weaknesses; focus on keeping

strengths at the cutting edge.

d. Create opportunities for development through different methods; such as,

training, job shadowing, job rotation, involvement in projects, cross-

functional exposure, and teamwork. 

e. Make sure that the training provided is linked to the strategic needs of the

organization. 

f. Mentoring can play an important role in developing others, as well as

strengthening relationships. This goes a long way to influencing feelings

of belonging to an organization.

g. Build in stretch deliverables for high potential individuals to produce, as

being challenged by what they do often meets individual’s personal

needs. 

h. Link talent development into the performance management system.

4. Performance - Identifying potential is one component of talent management, but

actual performance reflects on usable talent. Sound performance management

practices are crucial.

a. Clarify roles throughout the organization, ensuring alignment with the

strategy, as well as across functions.

b. Involve individuals in setting their own performance agreements. These

agreements need to be firm on objectives to be met, deliverables to be

produced and at what quality standards, actions to be taken, and the

deadlines.

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c. People need to be held accountable for what they deliver, but against

performance agreements that function as working documents so that

adjustments are made to them as circumstances dictate. 

d. Feedback is essential - ongoing, objective and constructive. 

e. Positive reinforcement, when done with genuineness, goes a long way to

making people feel recognized.

f. Tap into what would make talented individuals within your organization

feel rewarded; it is not necessarily always about money or upward

mobility.

5. Pass it on- Identify high performance individuals who display characteristics

favoured by the organization. Use this pool of talent to help transition new

employees into the organization. This will ensure the entrenching of desired ways

of operating. It has also been found that the better the first experiences of a new

employee, the more likely the individual is to be retained by the organization and

the quicker performance results can be achieved. Talented individuals can also

serve as mentors throughout the organization and it can be seen as recognition or

as a reward to do so. Innovations by talented individuals can be introduced into

systems, processes, and approaches in the organization in the pursuit of

continuous improvement. They should also be recognized for this.

The human resource professionals are the cornerstone of any organizations. They not

only solve business problems today but also participate in strategic aspects of the

organization; talent management is one of them.

Talent Management Strategy

Formulation of a talent management strategy is the responsibility of the HR function.

This is often done in consultation with the business function. Be it talent mapping and

planning or performance, recruitment and retention the human resource professionals of

the day are seeking out ways to streamline and integrate their functions with the broader

business functions.

In Aditya Birla group, for example there is huge dearth of leadership positions at the top.

The company is expanding globally and at a rate faster than it can grow its human

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capital. This has lead to talent deficit and this is common in many organizations. The

problem requires a comprehensive set of solutions.

Again in the same organization as mentioned above, people are empowered very early in

their careers to give them more responsibilities and build more competencies in

employees. This enables to develop high potential personnel. The organization runs an

internal programme IDventure where they promote entrepreneurship. You have an idea;

you come forward, share and develop a comprehensive business plan. The best plan

receives a support from the organization!

Needless to mention now, organizations require an integrated approach to talent

management. There is a need to strategize in HR functions to enable and support the

business functions. Some strategies in this direction could be:

Aligning Business strategies with the HR strategies: Business HR is one

function that is developing fast as part of the human resource department. The

person is responsible for ensuring a smooth relationship between business and HR

functions. They work with business heads to develop people strategies to support

both short term and long term business objectives.

Performance Planning and Evaluation: An integrated HR approach means that

are uniform and standard procedures for employee performance evaluation and

compensation, up and down the organization. Performance is linked to growth

and the process adds value for employees to evaluate their work on their own.

Indian digital disk giant Moser Baer employs such process.

Strategic Manpower Planning: HR and Business function are interrelated. None

can exist without the other. HR functions need to work in collaboration to assess

current and future manpower requirements are plan for the same. They need to

strategize on the approximate manpower requirements, the relevant skills and

educational qualification, compensation and the like. This has to happen well in

advance. Recruitment itself means a host of other activities like training and

development, compensation, induction and orientation etc.

Mapping your Talent: An ever increasing emphasis is being laid on identifying

the top performing and talented employees to think of ways to develop, nurture

and retain them. Further organizations also like to keep skill inventories for

contingencies. As organizations realize the skills and abilities of individuals, they

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can then be more focused on devising means and strategies to attract, develop and

retain these people.

Miller-Talent Pipeline- This is a concept given by Tony Miller in which he explained

how different employees should be managed in the company. This pipeline defines that

how the employees recruited should be managed in the organization according to their

performance. The model is shown below:

The above model, known as the Miller talent pipeline model enables us to understand and

be able to explain to others how the process works. Looking at stage one of the model it

is a design and process which will help in attracting talent to the organization.

At stage one of, we have filtration process namely testing, profiling and interviewing.

This process needs to be exceptionally good. This process will also be used for

promotion within the company for internal and external candidates and everyone needs to

be treated exactly the same.

The second stage is to populate the model of the movers. We should have a clear idea of

how many we want in this model and before we have spoken about 20% (this is our

talent powerhouse). This requirement will drive our recruitment which can be either

internal or external. Succession planning which is critical to any organisation will draw

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its requirements from 20% pool. Depending on the type of job and level of job suitable

people will be plugged in at any of the five levels shown on the diagram. They will either

be an immediate fit or may require some further training and development prior to their

taking up the position.

The 70 - 20 - 10 principal was the brainchild of Jack Welch. The principle is very easy to

understand what is important is to recognize that the bulk of the organisation and

accounts for approximately 70% of the organisation's staff-this 70% we label as stickers.

They represent the solid fabric of the organisation and require training and motivation to

ensure they are fully engaged with the company's activities. The next number is 20%, this

forms what we have referred to as movers in the Company. This is talent pool for future

development and of course for succession planning. The 20% the employees of the

company who should receive the maximum amount of training and development and

should be earmarked for various positions as part of your integrated succession plan. The

next group is the one that causes great concern. This is the group that comes under

bottom performing 10%. They don't require more training, they don't require coaching,

what's needed is swift exit from the organisation. 

This is not a well renowned model for talent management but as this model defines what

has to be done for the organization in present and in future it can be really helpful for an

organization.

Talent Management Principles

Principle 1 - Avoid Mismatch Costs

In planning for future manpower requirements, most of the HR professionals prepare a

deep bench of candidates or manpower inventory. Many of the people who remain in this

bracket start searching for other options and move when they are not raised to a certain

position and profile. In such a scenario it is better to keep the bench strength low and hire

from outside from time to time to fill gaps. This in no way means only to hire from

outside, which leads to a skill deficit and affects the organizational culture.

Such decisions can be taken by thinking about the ‘Make or Buy’ decision. Perhaps

questions like - How accurate is the demand forecast? How long is the talent required?

Can we afford to develop? Answers to these questions can better help the talent

management to decide on whether to develop or buy talent.

Principle 2 - Reduce the Risk of Being Wrong

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In manpower anticipations for future an organization can ill afford to be wrong. It’s hard

to forecast talent demands for future business needs because of the uncertainty involved.

It is therefore very important to attune the career plans with the business plans. A 5 year

career plan looks ridiculous along with a 2 year business plan.

Further, long term development and succession plans may end up as a futile exercise if

the organization lacks a firm retention strategy.

Principle 3 - Recoup Talent Investments

Developing talent internally pays in the longer run. The best way to recover investments

made in talent management is to reduce upfront costs by finding alternative and cheaper

talent delivery options. Organizations also require a rethink on their talent retention

strategy to improve employee retention.

Another way that has emerged of late in many organizations is sharing development costs

with the employees. Many of TATA companies for example sponsor their employees’

children education. Similarly lots of organizations use ‘promote then develop’ programs

for their employees where the cost of training and development is shared between the

two. One important way to recoup talent investments is spotting the talent early, this

reduces the risk. More importantly this identified lot of people needs to be given

opportunities before they get it elsewhere.

Principle 4 - Balancing Employee Interests

How much authority should the employees’ haves over their own development? There

are different models that have been adopted by various corporations globally. There is

‘the chess master model’, but the flipside in this is that talented employees search for

options. Organizations can also make use of the internal mobility programs which are a

regular feature of almost all the top organizations.

Current Trends in Talent Management

1. Talent War : Finding and retaining the best talent is the most difficult aspect of

HR management. HR survey consultancies are one in their view that

organizations globally are facing a dearth of talented employees and it’s often

more difficult to retain them. Further research has also shown that there is clear

link between talent issues and overall productivity.

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2. Technology and Talent Management : Technology is increasingly getting

introduced into people development. Online employee portals have become

common place in organizations to offer easy access to employees to various

benefits and schemes. In addition employees can also manage their careers

through these portals and it also helps organizations understand their employees

better.

3. Promoting Talent Internally : An individual is hired, when there is a fit between

his abilities or skills and the requirements of the organization. The next step is

enabling learning and development of the same so that he/she stays with the

organization. This is employee retention. An enabled or empowered means an

empowered organization. It is also of interest to organizations to know their skills

inventories and then develop the right individual for succession planning

internally.

4. Population Worries Globally : World populations are either young or aging. For

example, stats have it that by 2050 60% of Europe’s working population will be

over 60! On the other hand a country like India can boast of a young population

in the coming and present times. Population demographics are thus a disturbing

factor for people managers. Still more researches have predicted that

demographic changes in United States will lead to shortage of 10 million workers

in the near future!

5. Talent Management to rescue HR : HR has been compelled to focus on qualitative

aspects equally and even more than quantitative aspects like the head count etc.

Through talent management more effort is now being laid on designing and

maintaining employee scorecards and employee surveys for ensuring that talent is

nurtured and grown perpetually.

6. Increase in Employer of Choice Initiatives : An organization’s perceived value as

an employer as helps improve its brand value in the eyes of its consumer. Most

importantly it helps it attract the right talent.

Benefits of Talent Management

1. Right Person in the right Job : Through a proper ascertainment of people skills and

strengths, people decisions gain a strategic agenda. The skill or competency

mapping allows you to take stock of skill inventories lying with the organization.

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This is especially important both from the perspective of the organization as well

as the employee because the right person is deployed in the right position and

employee productivity is increased. Also since there is a better alignment between

an individual’s interests and his job profile the job satisfaction is increased.

2. Retaining the top talent : Despite changes in the global economy, attrition remains

a major concern of organizations. Retaining top talent is important to leadership

and growth in the marketplace. Organisations that fail to retain their top talent are

at the risk of losing out to competitors. The focus is now on charting employee

retention programs and strategies to recruit, develop, retain and engage quality

people. Employee growth in a career has to be taken care of, while succession

planning is being performed those who are on the radar need to be kept in loop so

that they know their performance is being rewarded.

3. Better Hiring : The quality of an organization is the quality of workforce it

possesses. The best way to have talent at the top is have talent at the bottom. No

wonder then talent management programs and trainings, hiring assessments have

become an integral aspect of HR processes nowadays.

4. Understanding Employees Better : Employee assessments give deep insights to the

management about their employees. Their development needs, career aspirations,

strengths and weaknesses, abilities, likes and dislikes. It is easier therefore to

determine what motivates whom and this helps a lot Job enrichment process.

5. Better professional development decisions : When an organization gets to know

who its high potential is, it becomes easier to invest in their professional

development. Since development calls for investment decisions towards learning,

training and development of the individual either for growth, succession planning,

performance management etc, an organization remains bothered where to make

this investment and talent management just make this easier for them.

Apart from this having a strong talent management culture also determines how

organization rate their organizations as work places. In addition if employees are positive

about the talent management practices of the organization, they are more likely to have

confidence in the future of their organization. The resultant is a workforce that is more

committed and engaged determined to outperform their competitors and ensure a

leadership position in the market for their organization.

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AT BLUESTAR

What kinds of training programs are carried out at Bluestar?

- Bluestar has 3 types of training programs:

1. For freshers selected through campus placement:

They give three months training for those who are recruited from campus. Training

mainly includes behavioural, functional and technical aspects.

2. Onboarding:

They provide 2 days on boarding process to understand the organization culture so that

newcomer gets familiar with the organization.

3 Reference:

They provide the 5 days self development program on functional , behavioral and

technical aspects.

How does Bluestar help its employees in career development?

The employee is always for challenges & seeks to outperform them. With good package,

they also look for growth in career. The employee is at first taken as an understudy by his

superior. Working under his superior, he gets to learn a lot of things about his job & the

key decisions he takes. After understanding the working of the organisation, the

understudy is given more responsibilities. The responsibilities go on increasing from time

to time. He is, later, transferred to another location to understand the different cultural

setup. This process continues with the promotion of the employee.

What team building activities are carried out at Bluestar?

Bluestar execute various forums like trekking, management games to strengthen their

team. Among these many are done informally.

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FINDING NEW TALENT

Talent management implies recognizing a person's inherent skills, traits, personality and offering

him a matching job. Every person has a unique talent that suits a particular job profile and any

other position will cause discomfort. It is the job of the Management, particularly the HR

Department, to place candidates with prudence and caution. A wrong fit will result in further

hiring, re-training and other wasteful activities.

In order to find the right talent, it is important to determine the key leverage skill sets

required by the organization in order to move into the future. The organization’s strategic

plan should give an indication of these, as well as what constitutes the core competence

that will ensure a future for the organization. This will all, in turn, direct you to what

talent you should be sourcing.

  Source the required people from the appropriate avenues. 

  Be sure to have very detailed job descriptions that include specific competencies required. 

  Apply behaviour-based interviewing to select the best candidates. 

  The ability to retain talent starts from the quality of the first point of contact. 

  Carefully consider how you orientate a new employee into the culture of the organization, the

work area, and the specific job. 

  Assist a new employee to transition into the organization and to be able to produce a quality

deliverable within the first three months of tenure. This will go a long way to ensuring that the

placement will be successful. 

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STRATEGIES TO ACQUIRE TALENT

1. Campus recruitment

Campus placement or campus interview is the program conducted within educational

institutes or in a common place to provide jobs to students pursuing or in the stage of

completing the programme. In this programme, industries visit the colleges to select

qualified students

Types of campus placement:

There are two types of campus placement. They are on-campus and off-campus

On-campus placement

This is the placement program organized only for the students within the educational

institute. In most cases student in the final year of a program will participate in this

placement program.

Pool Campus

This job placement program is conducted within a group of colleges.

Off campus placement

This job placement program is for students from other institutions. This program will be

conducted in a common place (it may be in a college or in some public place) where

students from different colleges will take part.

Project Placement

Companies recruit students to do their academic project in the industrial environment.

Student Internship Placement

Companies recruit the students as interns. Internship will be during their student period.

2. Job Portal

A web site where employers can post job offers, and people looking for employment can

post their skills.

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3. Advertising

Advertisements are the most common form of external recruitment. They can be found in

many places (local and national newspapers, notice boards, recruitment fairs) and should

include some important information relating to the job (job title, pay package, location,

job description, how to apply-either by CV or application form). Where a business

chooses to advertise will depend on the cost of advertising and the coverage needed (i.e.

how far away people will consider applying for the job

4. Recruitment agency 

Provides employers with details of suitable candidates for a vacancy and can sometimes

be referred to as ‘head-hunters’. They work for a fee and often specialise in particular

employment areas e.g. nursing, financial services, teacher recruitment

5. Social Media

The latter part of this past decade is proof of the unyielding power social media networks

have on talent management. Since inception in a Harvard dorm room only 6 years ago,

Facebook has grown to more than 400 million users worldwide. To put this figure in

perspective, that’s more than the population of the United States and Canada combined!

Even more remarkable, the fastest growing age bracket of active Facebook users is 35 –

49 year olds, highly contributing members of the workforce1. Add Twitter, LinkedIn,

Ning and the countless other social networks, and you have a powerful talent acquisition

tool.

Throughout the coming decade, social networks will continue to be the best way toform

relationships with both passive and active candidates. Instead of the one-time static

relationships candidates might have expected from recruiters, social networks will allow

recruiters to have long term dynamic relationships with an extensive talent pipeline. With

passive candidates making up more that 70% of the workforce, leveraging these

relationships through social networks is more important than ever

6. Search Engine Optimization

While job boards will continue to play an important role in sourcing and identifying

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qualified talent in the coming decade, search engine optimization will also become a key

component in strategic recruiting. Search engine optimized talent hubs will gain

popularity, allowing candidates to filter jobs by class, location and company. Organic

search engine optimization is now viewed as one of the most cost effective and under

utilized ways to generate applicant traffic to a company’s listed job openings. Every

month, there are over 226,000,000 job related searches on Google. A rapidly increasing

proportion of job seekers are now turning to a limited number of search engines to locate

opportunities that were previously found through traditional jobsearch channels8. This

means that in order for candidates to find job openings within your organization, your job

descriptions must be optimized to rank well with search engine results.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is defined as the process of developing and structuring

Web content to be easily discovered by search engines and therefore by people. SEO has

long been part of an organization’s strategy to drive traffic to their individual corporate

website. The concept is simple, the higher your website or job *description appears on

the list of search results for a given set of terms, the more web traffic your website and

job description can expect to receive. Quality content that is search engine optimized will

get picked up for a wider range of relevant searches, resulting in a higher number of

quality candidates and essentially a more effective recruiting campaign.

7. Personal recommendation 

Often referred to as ‘word of mouth’ and can be a recommendation from a colleague at

work. A full assessment of the candidate is still needed however but potentially it saves

on advertising cost.

AT BLUESTAR

Finding new talent is a challenge for the HR.

Which sources do you to tap to find new talent?

In Bluestar, 20% recruitment is done through campus placement, 30% through Job

Portals, 20% through placement agencies and 30% through Employment Reference

Scheme (ERS)

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Under ERS the employee below managerial level who has referred the person

selected receives 10,000 and employee at managerial level receives 20,000.Bluestar

recruits Engineers, Diploma engineers and MBAs.

What is the screening process?

A criterion followed by the company is: minimum 60% aggregate in all examinations

followed by a written test, group discussion, HR interview and functional interview.

The screening of candidates will take place at every round.

Do you try to maintain diversity in workforce?

Bluestar does not take any proactive measures to maintain diversity in workforce.

However it does not differentiate employees on any basis (gender, religion, etc.) &

has a diversified workforce.

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RETAINING TALENT

Gone are the days when a person would join an organization in his mid-20s and would

work till his retirement in the late-50s. Today the young professionals hop jobs,

especially during the first 4-5 years of their work life. Though the Indian service industry

is basking in the light of outsourced jobs from the developed countries, they also cannot

ignore the fact that the BPO industry is also facing one of the highest attrition rates,

infact never heard before in India, of around 35%.

It is a fact that it is the people that add value to organizations. It is also a fact that human

is a restless species that, unlike the immovable Banyan tree, cannot stay rooted in one

place. People need to move on for one reason or another, and the organization stands to

lose. Let us look at some of the reasons behind the massive attrition rates: -

1. Gap between organizational and personal values and goals is one of the major

reasons of the attrition rates. If they go parallel, there is no way both would be

satisfied and inevitably, the organization would lose out on a talented

employee.

2. Working environment is another major factor. Employees in the knowledge

era demand creative and a democratic work environment. Failure on the part

of the management to provide such an environment will result in a talented

employee leaving the organization.

3. The competitive world has made sure that there is high work pressure on the

employees of any organization. This has led to psychological problems like

stress, and in extreme situations, total burnouts. It also leads to other health

related problems.

4. Movement for higher salary is also common among the younger

professionals. There is no shortage for organizations who are looking for

talented employees and who are ready to shell out a hefty salary for a talented

person. Other lures like better job opportunities, higher posts and overseas

assignments are also major factors in the attrition rates.

5. Not taking proper care during the recruitment and selection process and not

taking proper care to fit the right person to the right job also breeds

dissatisfaction among the employees.

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6. Bad or opaque policies from management on issues of succession planning

and promotion, appointments for senior positions also is a major factor which

makes the organization lose out on the talented employees.

The professionals have different aspirations at different times of their career. During the

initial years, they have good salary and foreign assignments. Next on the list is working

on cutting edge technology. More seasoned professionals look for learning opportunities.

So employees tend to move to those organizations which provide them with means to

fulfill their aspirations.

Retaining the present employees is of the foremost importance to the organizations

because; the company would have already incurred heavy costs in the form of training

and development. Now if the organization has to look for a replacement for the employee

who has left, it involves a lot of costs like - hiring costs, training and induction costs and

over and above the biggest loss it has to bear is the loss of time which is irrecoverable

and is very costly, so to say, in this era of severe competition.

At the same time, it takes time for the new employee to adjust to the new work

environment. During this time the productivity of the employee will be low. The HR

department will have to fit the new employee into a proper role in the organization. Apart

from causing the company a monetary loss and breaks in their day-to-day operations,

attrition contributes to knowledge transfer, which is a great loss and adversely affects

business.

Some ways to help keep your employees motivated, engaged and committed to your

business:

Role of organisation

Empower and Enable

For employees to succeed in their role, a sense of personal ownership in their work is

important. Provide a clear understanding of deliverables and timeframes, then give your

people the freedom to decide how best to complete the work. Supporting your employees

means they can focus on producing their best work. And where possible, involve them in

decisions that affect their work and the overall direction of the company.

Reward and Recognise

Frequently recognising and rewarding accomplishments is one of the most powerful staff

retention strategies. One way to do this is to boost your employee’s visibility by

publically recognising them at staff meetings or through a business-wide email. Also,

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take the time to say a genuine “thank you” to make people feel valued and appreciated

for their efforts. You can also acknowledge your employees for their hard work with

appropriate monetary rewards (such as a salary increase or bonus) or non-monetary

incentives (such as the opportunity to lead a new project) to assist with career

progression.

Challenge and Develop

Opportunities for growth and advancement are key to retaining your top performers.

High achievers tend to be life-long learners, so providing them with ongoing training will

enable them to keep their skills up-to-date and assist with their career progression.

Challenging your staff with new responsibilities and allowing them to lead projects

where they can be stimulated and acquire new skills is an effective strategy to keep them

in the business.

Lead and Support

The quality of an employee’s relationship with their manager and co-workers is a critical

factor in their overall satisfaction at work. For leaders interacting with a team; ensure

your expectations are clear, communicate openly and honestly, and keep promises.

Having a good relationship with staff members will help managers to develop a positive

work environment where frequent feedback and new ideas can be shared. By spending

one-on-one time to discuss progress, employees will feel like a valued member of the

team.

Equitable treatment of employees.

Most human resources professionals are well attuned to the surprising speed with

which employee-related information can flow through an organization. News about

marked differences in salaries and assignments spreads particularly fast and creates a

perception of unfairness. When employees perceive their work environment as unfair,

they'll seek greater equity with another employer.

Cultivate a sense of ownership.

Employees can be profoundly motivated by personal investment in their work. Some

employees are motivated by creative or intellectual challenges in their jobs. Other

employees are inspired by the knowledge that they are contributing to something

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meaningful. Successful work environments encourage and support these personal

investments by offering employees a sense of ownership in what they do.

Meaningful opportunities for growth.

Talented employees don't become that way by happenstance. Typically, they seek out

and capitalize on opportunities to learn new skills, meet new challenges, and

diversify their workplace experiences. In short, talented employees are not satisfied

unless they are in a work environment that supports their continued growth.

Professional development libraries, mentoring programs, and lunch-and-learn

seminars are all affordable ways for your organization to demonstrate that it values

employee growth.

Acknowledge and appreciate good work.

Most organizations have incentive plans that reward the achievements of outstanding

employees who exceed targets or quotas. But too often organizations overlook the

importance of acknowledging the consistent, everyday work of their most responsible

employees. Opportunities for raises and promotions are certainly important

incentives, but so is simple gratitude. For example, celebrating employee

anniversaries with a day off, gift certificate, or savings bond is an easy, affordable

way to say thanks.

Role of managers and supervisors

When employees make the difficult decision to leave their jobs, it's often because

they've experienced dissatisfaction with their supervisors rather than dissatisfaction

with the organization. The management styles and leadership ability of your

supervisory staff therefore play an important role in employee retention.

For most employees, their work experience is shaped by their direct interactions with

management. Employees who enjoy supportive, communicative relationships with their

managers are much more likely to report high job satisfaction than employees who don't.

But mutually pleasant relationships between employees and their managers aren't always

enough to retain employees.

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To actively retain employees, managers and supervisors must:

Take time to identify each employee's unique attributes — both strengths and

weaknesses — and delegate assignments accordingly.

Set clear, stable, and achievable expectations for each employee.

Communicate often with reporting staff.

Establish — and adhere to — a regular meeting schedule.

Provide regular performance feedback.

Seek employee input and ideas.

Many times, managers are promoted to supervisory positions because they possess

expertise in a particular operational area. As valuable as this expertise is, an effective

manager also should possess strong leadership skills, with the ability to encourage,

motivate, mentor, and coach others. Organizations that have a commitment to attracting

and retaining talented employees know that ongoing leadership training for management

is crucial.

Learning from employees

In developing an employee retention strategy, get help from the experts: your employees.

Too often, organizations overlook this invaluable resource.

Many sophisticated survey tools are available to help human resources professionals

assess morale and solicit suggestions for improving the work environment, but

sometimes less formal approaches work just as well. For example, traditional suggestion

boxes can be effective, if they're implemented properly. Whatever approach you take, be

sure that:

Senior management has clearly communicated to employees a genuine

commitment to improving the work environment.

Employee respondents are assured of anonymity.

A mechanism for providing feedback is available to employees at all times, not

just when a special assessment is being conducted.

Information that you receive from employees is actually incorporated in the work

environment — and employees see it in action.

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As you gather suggestions from your staff, be sure to also schedule exit interviews with

departing employees. Exit interviews can be conducted in writing, but in-person

interviews will generate more useful information, particularly if they are well structured

and end on a positive note.

During the first part of an exit interview conversation, query the employee for

information about his or her decision to leave. For example, you could ask the following

questions:

What factors led you to accept a position with another company?

Was your job with us what you expected?

How would you evaluate your performance? Your manager? Our organization?

In the second part of the interview conversation, solicit suggestions from the employee

for improving the work environment, such as, "If you were running this organization,

what changes would you make?" By concluding exit interviews in this way, employees

leave with the sense that their opinions were heard and valued.

AT BLUESTAR

What measures do you take to retain the existing talent?

Bluestar follows three strategies to retain employees.

Bluestar engages in welfare activities such as ESOPs, immediate financial assistance

during personal crisis, allowances, etc.

It engages in developmental activities such as grooming, up-skilling, etc.

The third is brand equity which boosts the self-esteem & satisfaction of the employee

that he gets from working in the company. Any employee craves for attention &

respect he earns at any public event due to alliance with Bluestar.

How do you deal with poaching?

According to Mr. Nayak, poaching is unavoidable in today’s scenario. If a key employee is

being poached, Bluestar increases the pay package of the employee to retain him. However,

there is a limit to which they can do it.

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Also, Mr. Nayak believes that employees do not leave organisations, they leave bosses.

Hence it is important to understand the trigger for the employee to leave the organisation.

Therefore, 3 things that can retain the employee in the organisation are: comfort level,

freedom & empowerment and organisational culture & transparency.

The culture of the organisation is such that there is a sense of belongingness among the

employees.

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ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL

The talent “pipeline” for applicants to fill key leadership positions may be drying up due

to imminent retirements and increased productivity demands.

Many organizations report that they aren’t fully confident that they can staff key

leadership positions in the next five years.

Internal organizational programs that focus on leadership development of high potential

employees can provide a more reliable source of qualified supervisors, managers and

executives to meet the forecasted needs.

Potential assessments are tools used to determine an employee’s skill set and potential for

leadership. Using the assessments, organizations can identify future leaders and help train

them for leadership roles.

Identifying employees

It is important to differentiate between high performing and high potential employees

when selecting applicants for participation in leadership development programs.

• High-performers give immediate return on investment, with estimates averaging from

more than 50% additional value, to as much as a 100%increase in productivity over

average performers.

• High-potentials are typically defined as those demonstrating high-level contributions,

organizational values, potential to move up to an identified position within a given

timeframe, and potential to assume greater responsibility.

For example, some organizations operationally define high potential employees as those

who are able to assume greater responsibilities within the next two years and who exhibit

a history of high-performance and leadership potentials; also may be defined as

employees who are able to advance two leadership levels within 4-8 years and who

score well on various assessment criteria.

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Three general types of high-performers typically fail to become high-potentials:

• “Engaged Dreamers” have high motivation, but only average ability.

• “Unengaged Stars” have aspiration and ability, but do not fully believe in their work or

organization.

• “Misaligned Stars” have ability and organizational commitment, but lack the drive and

ambition for success at the next level.

Ten “fatal flaws” that can derail managers from a high-potential path:

1. Specific performance problems with the business

2. Insensitivity to others

3. Coldness, aloofness, arrogance

4. Betrayal of trust

5. Over-managing: failing to delegate or build a team

6. Excessive ambition

7. Failing to staff effectively

8. Inability to think strategically

9. Inability to adapt to a boss with a different style

10. Overdependence on a mentor or advocate.

NINE BOX PERFORMANCE POTENTIAL MATRIX

Nine Box Matrix measures each employee’s performance against his or her potential to

lead in order to assess an employee’s matrix position.

Performance criteria can include progress against goals, results delivery, performance

level and direct report development levels. Leadership potential may be comprised of

learning agility, potential next moves (vertically and horizontally within the organization)

and willingness/ability to address weaknesses. Additionally, it is the use of a

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competency-based tool within an assessment center context, augmented by human

resource assistance, to identify high potentials.

The matrix is used to evaluate an organization’s talent pool.

The X axis (horizontal line) of 3 boxes assesses leadership performance and the Y axis of

3 boxes (vertical line) assesses leadership potential. A combination of Y and X axis

makes up the box within the grid that the leader is placed. 1A - High Performance/High

Potential, 3C - Low Performance/Low Potential, etc...

1A (high potential, high performance):

Stretch assignments, things they don’t already know how to do, assignments that

take them beyond their current role; high profile, where stakes are high

Give them a “start-up” assignment, something no one has done, a new product,

process, territory,etc…

Give them a “fix-it” assignment, a chance to step in and solve a problem or

repair someone else’s mess

Job change, rotations, job swaps, - an opportunity to experience a brand new

role, short term or long term

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Help them build cross-functional relationships with other A players

Find them a mentor – at least one level up. Provide an internal or external coach

Access to exclusive training opportunities

Access to meetings, committees, etc… one level up; exposure to senior

managers, VPs; advisory Councils

Watch out for signs of burnout

Watch for signs of retention risks; know how to “save” a hi-potential

Next level up exposure, responsibilities, shadowing

2A (high performance, moderate potential):

Development activities similar to 1A

Difference is often degree of “readiness” for larger roles. Development is

preparation for longer term opportunities

3A (high performance, limited potential):

Ask what motivates them and how they want to develop

Provide recognition, praise, and rewards

Provide opportunities to develop in current role, to grow deeper and broader

capabilities and knowledge

Provide honest feedback about their opportunities for advancement if asked

Watch for signs of retention risks; know how to “save” a “hi-pro” (high

professional)

Ask them to mentor, teach, and coach others

Allow them to share what they know, presentations at company meetings,

external conferences, to be “the highly valued expert”

1B (good/average performance, high potential):

Development activities similar to 1A

Difference is current performance level

Focus more on competency gaps that will move them from B to A performance;

good to great performance

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2B: (good/average performance, moderate potential):

May not be eager or able to advance; don’t push them, allow them to stay where

they are

Continuously check-in regarding willingness to advance, relocate

Provide occasional opportunities to “test” them

Provide stretch assignments

Provide coaching and training

Help them move from “good to great”

Tell them they are valued

Listen to their ideas

Praise their accomplishments

Trust them

3B (good/average performance, limited potential):

Combination of performance management, training, and coaching to help them

move from “OK to good”

Provide honest feedback about their opportunities for advancement if asked

 

1C (poor performance, high potential):

Find out the root cause of poor performance and together develop an action plan

to improve

Consider moving the high potential to a different role (may have been a poor fit)

Provide additional support, resources

Look for ways to “attach” to 1As, 1Bs, or 2As

After a “reasonable” period of time, if performance does not improve, then re-

examine your potential assessment

2C (poor performance, moderate potential):

Focus is on boarding, orientation, relationship building

Provide a peer mentor

Provide formal new leader training

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3C (poor performance, limited potential):

Use a performance management approach, not a developmental approach·

Improvement action plan vs. an IDP

Clarify expectations

Identify and remove “blockers”, poor performers that are standing in the way of

high potentials · Provide clearly defined goals

Be explicit about the ways in which they must improve

Provide remedial coaching and feedback

After trying all of the above, after a ”reasonable” amount of time, move the

person out of the role. Dismiss or move to individual contributor role

Benefits:

1. It’s a simple way to assess any population of leaders on two important dimensions

2. It’s a great way to facilitate a dialog amongst a senior leadership team. Teams use it to

calibrate their expectations and ratings

3. With a good open debate, the multiple perspectives provide for a much more accurate

assessment (vs. one person’s opinion)

4. The process can facilitate a shared sense of ownership for the organizations talent pool

5. It’s a great way to identify development needs and transition to development planning

AT BLUESTAR

Does bluestar take any special efforts to track the potential of an employee?

If yes how successful were these assessment strategies?

A: Yes, we have been trying to find good talent in our organization itself. These days

it’s becoming very difficult to find good people as there is huge demand supply

mismatch in the job market. There are lot of jobs available but too less applicants.

Plus the entire process of recruitment is often very costly. Thus we are improving our

internal potential assessment systems to generate the pool of talent within our

organization so that we can nurture good potential leaders.For this purpose we have

many initiatives. Our culture plays a major role in assessment of potential.

Each employee in the organization has a reporting manager who tries to assess the

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employee’s potential under him. The HR personnel frequently take feedback from

the managers to know the progress of their subordinates.

This activity is carried out at regular intervals and is an independent activity and not

related to appraisal process. The appraisal process happens just twice a year but this

activity of feedback happens quite often. We generally generate a pool of employees

with good potentials

We try to nurture such employees by assigning them a basket of training program,

making them capable to carry out greater responsibilities in future.

This is a very effective way for finding good potential within our organization.

What criteria are considered while assessing an employee?

A: We look for a competent employee. The employee has to be functionally suitable

and behaviourally sound. A person with good knowledge but lacking behavioural

skills, unable to work in a team, not willing to take initiatives typically gets

eliminated in this process and his growth in the organization remains stagnated. On

the other hand person with average functional competency but a good team player is

always given preference.

Bluestar has always been in search of good talent and our effective potential

assessment techniques have helped us to strengthen our organization. The success of

this assessment can be learnt from the fact that about 80% of our top manager today

had started their career at Bluestar doing some entry level job.

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MANAGING TALENT IN VIRTUAL TEAMS

Virtual teams, or, as they are sometimes called, “geographically dispersed teams” (GDT),

are rapidly becoming the way the world does business. They consist of a group of

individuals who are able to work together across time, space, and organizational

boundaries with links strengthened by webs of communication technology. Companies

are now able to hire the best of the best, regardless of location. In theory, the members of

these teams complement each other and share common goals as do most any other type

of team that you may think of. They are each committed to a common purpose and while

working together, hold each member as well as themselves accountable for getting the

job done. Virtual teams do not simply consist of individuals working from their homes

(“tele-workers”), but rather they are comprised of employees working at home or in

small groups in offices all over the world. With advancements in technology and the

constant outsourcing that companies all over the world are implementing, virtual teams

may eventually be the “norm” in the way to do business.

The Technology

The technology plays a vital role for virtual teams. Without the use of advance

technology, virtual teams cannot be effective. The Internet is the primary technology

used by the virtual teams. The Internet offers many facilities for the virtual teams. Some

of them are:

1. Email

2. VoIP (Voice Over IP) . voice conferencing

3. Video conferencing

4. Groupware software programs such as Google Docs where teams can work

collaboratively.

5. Software for conducting demonstrations and trainings such as Microsoft Live

Meeting and WebEx.

When it comes to the technology, not only the software matters. The virtual teams should

be equipped with necessary hardware as well. As an example, for a videoconference, the

team members should be equipped with a web camera can a microphone.

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Types of Virtual Teams

There are many different configurations of virtual teams. Although virtual teams can

undertake almost any kind of assignment, team leaders and members need to have a solid

understanding of the type of virtual team they work in and the special challenges each

type presents. What these teams have in common with all teams is that team members

must communicate and collaborate to get work done and/or to produce a product. Virtual

teams, unlike traditional ones, however, must accomplish this by working across

distance, time, and/or organizational boundaries and by using technology to facilitate

communication and collaboration. There are seven basic types of virtual teams:

Networked teams

Parallel teams

Project or product-development teams

Work or production teams

Service teams

Management teams

Action team

1. Networked Teams- A networked virtual team consists of individuals who

collaborate to achieve a common goal or purpose. Such teams frequently cross

time, distance, and organizational boundaries. There typically is a lack of clear

definition between a network team and the organization, in that membership

frequently is diffuse and fluid, with team members rotating on and off the team as

their expertise is needed. Team members may not even be aware of all the

individuals, work teams, or organizations in the network

2. Parallel Teams - Parallel virtual teams carry out special assignments, tasks, or

functions that the regular organization does not want or is not equipped to

perform. Such teams frequently cross time, distance, and organizational

boundaries. A parallel team is different from a networked team because it has a

distinct membership that identifies it from the rest of the organization. It is clear

who is on the team and who is not. The members of a parallel team typically work

together on a short-term basis to make recommendations for improvements in

organizational processes or to address specific business issues. Virtual parallel

teams are becoming a fairly common way for multinational and global

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organizations to make recommendations about worldwide processes and systems

that take into account a global perspective. Parallel teams also are used

domestically when expertise does not reside in one location or in one

organization.

3. Project or Product-Development Teams - Virtual project and product-

development teams also can cross time, distance, and organizational boundaries.

Team members conduct projects for users or customers for a defined, but–

typically–extended, period of time. Their tasks usually are non-routine, and the

results are specific and measurable. A typical result is a new product, information

system, or organizational process. The difference between a project team and a

parallel team is that a project team usually exists for a longer period of time and

has a charter to make decisions, not just recommendations. A project team is

similar to a networked team in that team members may move on and off the

project as their expertise is needed. It is different from a networked team in that

membership is more clearly delineated from the rest of the organization, and a

final product is clearly defined.

4. Work or Production Teams- Virtual work teams and production teams perform

regular and ongoing work. Such teams usually exist in one function, such as

accounting, finance, training, or research and development. They have clearly

defined membership and can be distinguished from other parts of the

organization. Many work or production teams are now beginning to operate

virtually and to cross time and distance boundaries.

5. Management Teams- Management teams can be separated by distance and time.

Today, many management teams are dispersed across a country or around the

world but work collaboratively on a daily basis. Although these teams often cross

national boundaries, they almost never cross organizational boundaries. The team

members collaborate on a regular basis by means of audio conferences or video

conferences about the achievement of corporate goals and objectives.

6. Action Teams- Action teams also can work virtually. Such teams offer

immediate responses, often to emergency situations. They cross distance and

organizational boundaries. These teams are formed during emergencies and when

quick decision has to be made.

.Managing virtual teams

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Today it isn't uncommon for companies to have as many as 50 percent of their employees

working on virtual teams due to globalization or expansion by their own company. So it

is necessary to manage virtual teams but the problem is that too many companies treat

their virtual teams the same way they treat teams that share the same physical locations

but these teams need to be managed in a different way and the main challenges that are

faced by the companies are :-

Lack of clear goals, direction, or priorities – Because it is tougher to

communicate with and inform team members who are geographically dispersed, it

is often difficult to keep all team members focused on the same goals, especially

over time. 

Lack of clear roles among team members– In virtual teams, it is especially

important for team members to clearly understand their individual roles and how

their work impacts other team members.

Lack of cooperation and trust – Because there is a lack of face-to-face contact

inherent in virtual teamwork, the process of establishing trust and relationships

that lead to group cooperation can be very arduous. Over time, this lack of

collaboration can lead to a lack of trust amongst team members. 

Lack of engagement – With virtual teams, people can easily become bored and

"check out" because there is a lack of dynamic face-to-face interaction and

because there are more distractions.

These challenges or pitfalls can be met by taking some actions which can be as follows:-

I. Focus on people issues. Essentially, successful teaming depends largely on the

effective interaction of team members. Virtual teams need to compensate for the

inherent lack of human contact by supporting team spirit, trust, and productivity.

This can be dealt with by taking following steps:-

Develop a team web page where virtual team members can share information and

get to know one another.

Create ways for team members to interact and communicate informally. Use real-

time communication tools like Instant Messaging or social media sites such as

Facebook or Twitter to create a virtual water cooler of sorts that allows people on

virtual teams to communicate more spontaneously.

Build a collective online "resource bank" to share information and experiences.

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Find ways to "spotlight" team members.

Send electronic newsletters or updates to the team.

Create ways to virtually celebrate successes as a team.

Partner team members at different locations on projects and rotate these

periodically.

II. No trust, no team. Task-based trust is one of the factors that differentiated top

performing teams. In virtual teams trust seems to develop more readily at the task

level than at the interpersonal level. There are four warning signs that trust is in

low supply in virtual teams:-

team members do not refer to themselves as "we"

they do not appear to know one another very well

they are openly negative;

they do not regard others as credible.

Actions that can be taken:-

Make sure teams meet face-to-face at least once early on in the team's formation.

Spend some part of the meeting focused on building relationships and learning

about team members' capabilities.

Be sure team members feel empowered to make and act on decisions. Because

virtual leaders do not have "face time" with team members to check in, leaders

are more likely to micromanage team members without realizing it.

Help people manage conflicts, not avoid them. Conflict is likely to be ignored or

may escalate quickly in a virtual setting. Therefore, leaders need to more

proactively manage conflict.

The team leader should model and reinforce these positive behaviours. 

III. Watch out for performance peaks. While virtual teams who have been working

together for more than three years tend to be more successful than teams working

together for less time, many virtual teams face a performance peak around the

one-year mark. After that, performance tends to level off or even decline.

Clearly define team roles and accountabilities to minimize frustration and

misunderstandings that can damage morale and derail productivity.

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Review and refine team processes regularly.

Periodically examine the level of team performance. Collect feedback from

various stakeholders to assess the team's performance.

Based on the outcomes, identify barriers to high performance, as well as steps that

can be taken to overcome these barriers. 

IV. Virtual team leadership matters. Leadership is the factor most important to the

success of virtual teams. To overcome the limitations of distance and to be fully

effective, team leaders in a virtual environment must be especially sensitive to

interpersonal communication and cultural factors. To overcome the limitations of

distance and to be fully effective, team leaders in a virtual environment must be

especially sensitive to interpersonal communication and cultural factors.

Organizations can avoid this performance barrier by selecting team leaders who

not only have the necessary technical skills but also have the soft skills required

to effectively lead in a virtual environment. If you're a team leader, it's not easy to

learn that you may be the cause of your team's poor performance. But there are

many ways to improve your performance and get your team back on track. Some

of them are as follows:-

Set clear goals and direction and revisit these as priorities shift.

Engage team members in the development of team strategy.

Provide time for team building through periodic face-to-face meetings.

Provide timely feedback to team members. Be responsive and accessible.

Emphasize common interests and values and reinforce cooperation and trust.

Create a system to easily integrate new team members.

Teach the importance of conflict resolution.

Celebrate team achievements and successes

Six Critical Success Factors

Seven factors affect the probability of a virtual team’s success:

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1. Human Resource Policies- Human resource policies should support working

virtually. Systems must be integrated and aligned to recognize, support, and

reward the people who work in and lead virtual teams.

a. Career-Development Systems-Team leaders can help to support virtual

team members by providing career opportunities and assignments that are

comparable to those in traditional team settings. Applying promotion and

career-development policies and actions fairly to people who work in

virtual settings helps to reinforce the perception that working virtually is

an accepted career option. Virtual team members often mention that they

fear that they will be looked over for promotional opportunities because

they are not seen every day. This fear is not unfounded. Managers who

lose visual and verbal proximity to their employees often put up the

strongest resistance to alternative work and team arrangement. Virtual

team leaders must ensure that the members of virtual teams have the same

career-development opportunities as the members of traditional teams.

b. Rewarding Cross-Boundary Work and Results- Organizational reward and

recognition systems often favor individual and functional work. Virtual

team members, however, frequently operate in a cross-functional and/or

cross-organizational environment. Changes must be made in the ways in

which people are recognized and rewarded. Leaders must develop

performance objectives for team members that include working cross

boundaries and sharing information to support virtual teamwork.

Providing Resources and Support for Working Virtually. Create and

support policies that provide your team with technical support for working

remotely. All team members should have equal and immediate access to

electronic communication and collaboration technology, training, and

technical support. Many virtual team leaders set a standard for technology

and make certain that everyone has access to the same hardware, intranet

and Internet connections, and applications. They ask the information

systems group to assist in the implementation.

2. Training and On-the-Job Education and Development-Formal training in

using technology is vital for success. In addition to a formal training curriculum,

make certain that the team members have access to continual on-line training and

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technical support. Ask your training department about the feasibility of creating

and implementing these types of systems. Learning how to use technology is not

enough to guarantee success. Team leaders should make certain that they get the

training and support they need to be adept at facilitating meetings using technical

and nontechnical methods. Training in facilitation skills should be an integral part

of a development curriculum for team leaders and team members. Provide

training and support for your team in working collaboratively across

organizational, cultural, and functional boundaries. Many organizations provide

direct consulting support and training to virtual teams in this area.

3. Standard Organizational and Team Processes- Consider developing and

implementing standard team processes. The use of standard processes reduces the

time needed for team startup and may eliminate the need for unnecessary

reinvention of operating practices each time a team is chartered. Practices need to

be flexible, however, to promote adaptation to a particular virtual team’s

situation. Common standard technical processes, especially for parallel, project,

or network teams include

• Team charters

• Project planning

• Documentation

• Reporting

• Controlling

4. Electronic Collaboration and Communication Technology-As a virtual team

leader, they need to select electronic collaboration and communication technology

that meets the needs of your team. You also will need to ensure that the

organization is ready to support your technical needs. Introducing the electronic

communication and collaboration technology needed for virtual teamwork, such

as desktop video conferencing or groupware

5. Organizational Culture- Organizational culture includes norms regarding the

free flow of information, shared leadership, and cross-boundary collaboration.

Help to create organizational norms and values that focus on collaboration,

respecting and working with people from all cultures, keeping criticism

constructive, and sharing information. The organization’s culture sets the standard

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for how virtual team members work together. An adaptive, technologically

advanced, and nonhierarchical organization is more likely to succeed with virtual

teams than is a highly structured, control-oriented organization. The success of

virtual teams is related to how the organization fosters or impedes trust between

itself and its external partners.

6. Team-Member Competencies-The people who work as virtual team members

have to develop their own competencies. First, virtual teamwork is not for

everyone. Serving on a virtual team may seem too transitory for some individuals

who need face-to-face interaction and stability in a work environment. Without

the structure of a co-located setting and day-to-day contact with team members,

they may feel lonely or left out. All members of traditional and virtual teams need

solid grounding in their respective disciplines. However, virtual team members

need new competencies. Team leaders can help to facilitate competence

development by working with team members to create learning plans that use

training and on-the-job assignments. The definitions of team member

competencies will vary, depending on the team’s type, mission, and composition.

There is, however, a relatively stable set of six critical competencies:

a. Project-management techniques

b. Networking across functional, hierarchical, and organizational boundaries

c. Using electronic communication and collaboration technologies

effectively

d. Setting personal boundaries and managing time

e. Working across cultural and functional boundaries

f. Using interpersonal awareness

AT BLUE STAR

Does Bluestar have any virtual team in their organisation?

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Bluestar does not maintain virtual teams in their daily operations but sometimes

the top management comes together momentary to deal with a certain problem or

to make any changes regarding policy or structural changes in the organization.

Currently bluestar has management virtual team in which is dealing with the

change in performance appraisal system.

What measures is bluestar taking for the smooth functioning of virtual

team?

Smooth functioning of virtual team is ensured by proper communication

between the team members via different modes of communication like, mobile

phones, e-mails, video conferencing etc. Their current virtual team which is

working on changing the performance appraisal policy has the top management

including the HR head. Communication between the team members takes place

on a regular basis and meetings are also arranged according to the time available

and the importance of the meeting.

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SUCCESSION PLANNING

Succession planning is a process for identifying and developing internal people with the

potential to fill key business leadership positions in the company. Succession planning

increases the availability of experienced and capable employees that are prepared to

assume these roles as they become available.

Models of succession planning

1. Succession planning by position - management driven

Incumbent identifies the individual(s) who are in their view best qualified to

move into the position in the short term (say within 1 year); the medium term

(within 2 years) or the longer term (3-5 years);

The incumbent may also identify their perception of the development needs of the

candidates they have named;

Sometimes the organisation decides that the succession plan is a strictly

confidential document; consequently the only people who are aware of the

succession plan are those who develop it. Even when there is some awareness that

a succession plan exists, frequently the people on the succession list are not told

that they are, unless the company decides to create "fast track" programs for these

individuals. Sometimes the information is leaked informally, however employees

are rarely consulted or asked to participate in the process; and

Following the development of the succession plan, there may or may not be

specific development for the individuals who made the list. Sometimes the

incumbent will take a special interest in one individual who has been identified as

a potential successor, and will develop a mentor/protegee relationship, in which

the incumbent coaches and guides the person who has been identified for their

role.

Advantages of this approach:

This is the simplest model; based on the assumption that the best person to

identify who would be able to do the job is the person who is currently doing it;

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The most common reason why organisations use this model is that it is often the

approach the CEO is most comfortable with. He/she is able to scan the list and

see if there are any positions which have no identified successors (thus

identifying succession gaps in the organisation); and is able to look at which

names tend to arise most frequently; providing a snapshot of those who are

generally perceived to be the "stars"; and

This approach is the least costly and the quickest; and does not require a high

level of organisational commitment. It serves the purpose of ensuring at a

minimum that managers are thinking about succession issues; and are aware that

succession planning is partly their responsibility.

Disadvantages/risks:

High risk of encouraging corporate "cloning". This can have serious business and

EEO implications. The incumbent (who may have a fairly narrow perspective of

the world) tends to identify individuals who are most like him/her in terms of

educational background, experience, and personality style. Unconsciously, they

may be also looking for someone of the same gender, socio-economic status, and

family situation (indeed some will even acknowledge that they believe these to be

relevant to the ability to do the job; although such biases often "go underground"

and the managers know better than to openly acknowledge that these are their

belief systems!);

Problematic in large organisations in which the incumbent in the position does

not know employees across the organisation. The identified successors tend to be

people the incumbent works with, and candidates from other areas are not

considered; and

Risk that the person identified does not aspire to the promotional positions they

have been identified for.

2. Creating succession planning "pools"

In this model, high potential candidates are identified within the organisation as

the senior managers of the future;

They are usually selected by a task force of senior managers (often with the

assistance of Human Resources) who set aside a day or more to go through a list

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of all employees above a certain level and assess which individuals should be

identified as high potential. To facilitate decision making, they will often agree on

some criteria by which to select the individuals, and may have the person's most

recent performance appraisal as an additional resource;

In some cases, candidates may be further narrowed down through an assessment

centre process or through an interview/evaluation process; and

Once the pool has been identified, those who make the list will generally receive

some special attention. How much attention will depend on the organisation's

willingness to make a financial commitment to the program. Often the Human

Resource Department puts together a "fast track" program in which they assist the

person to develop an individual development plan. They may provide some group

training; they may institute a mentoring program, and identify certain training

programs these people should attend.

Advantages of this approach:

This type of approach tends to be somewhat fairer because more managers are

involved in the selection of the people who are identified for the High Potential

program; thus providing some checks to offset bias. However for this to be

effective it is essential that the committee undertaking the selection is itself both

diverse and open to organisational diversity. It also tends to be fairer because

some criteria for selection of high potentials are usually applied; and

This approach is also more likely to recognise the value of providing broad

background for the high potential employees rather than a single functional

stream of experience.

Disadvantages/risks:

In large organisations the majority of employees may not be well known to the

task force members, and their view of the person may be influenced by the level

of visibility the person has in the organisation (which of course can be limited by

the type of work they do and even their relationship with their manager). As a

result, talented employees who do not have a high profile may be overlooked all

together; and

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An even more insidious problem is the effect on employee morale of having such

a program for those who are sometimes called "the anointed ones". In many

organisations, it is widely known which employees have been identified as high-

potentials, the other non-identified employees can be severely discouraged and

demoralised. Some organisations have discovered that the backlash from a high-

potential program offsets any benefits it may have. Some organisations

discontinue their high potential/fast track programs for this reason.

3. Top-down/bottom-up succession planning

This model is based on the current and expected future needs of the organisation, as well

as on ongoing two-way communication with employees. It has the greatest potential to be

able to deliver improved outcomes for women. This process involves:

Senior management as a group determines what competencies are required to

enable a person to take on the key roles, for example, at a middle or senior

management level, considering organisational requirements for "the

manager/employee of the future". Certain criteria for progression are determined

as across-the-board requirements for development, for example, education levels,

organisational cross training, participation in management training;

All employees at a pre-determined level are provided with the information

developed by Senior Management via a session about succession planning and

career development. This session outlines clearly the requirements for

progression in the organisation. This enables staff to determine whether or not

they are interested in progression; and to self-identify if they wish to be involved

in a program which will help them to meet the criteria for development and

progression;

Employees who signal their interest in progression then participate in a workshop

in which they are given guidance and led through such processes as: a) using 360

degree feedback to determine their strengths and weaknesses particularly relating

to management skills, b) developing their own individual development plan and

reviewing it with other appropriate people, c) learning how to take responsibility

for their own career growth, and d) considering what would be good "next

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moves" for them to make in their careers. Assessment centres could also be used

as part of the workshops;

The results of the 360 degree feedback, as well as the individual development

plans, and possible "next moves" would be maintained by a manager on a human

resource information system. Each person's file would be updated annually or

more frequently;

A report on each of the people participating in the development program would

be generated annually. This report would provide input for any senior level

succession planning taking place. Thus senior management would be able to get a

snapshot of how many people aspire to progression, and what progress they are

making in working through organisational requirements; and

Employees who initially opted not to participate in the development program are

able to change their mind at any time and join the development program.

See Succession Planning Pilot Process for a suggested strategy to implement this

succession planning model.

Advantages of this approach:

Because the program leans so much on employee self-selection, there is less

likely to be conflict with EO principles and thus ensure that a broader group of

people participate;

The program serves to empower employees; to help them feel that they have

some control over their careers and are not at the mercy of others;

The across-the-board criteria for progression ensure that there is less chance to

"work the system" (e.g. to wire jobs for favoured applicants); and

The process is transparent. There need be no secrets or hidden agendas. This

engenders a higher level of trust.

Disadvantages/risks:

Three things are pre-requisite for the success of this program: Strong across-the-

board support at the most senior levels of the organisation, consistency in application,

and follow-through. A program like this should not be introduced if there is not a

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strong commitment to its continuation. At a minimum, two years would be required

in order to see significant results and a changing culture.

To ensure that gender equity outcomes are enhanced, it is also important in this

process to:

Have consistency and uniformity in the process of job analysis, definition of

competencies and in performance evaluation processes;

Ensure that high-potential women are identified and that managers are proactive

in this process (see the description of the Motorola plan below); and

Have diversity or equal employment outcomes included in the performance

indicators of management, for example, retention of women or number of women

included on the succession plan.

STRATEGIES

The first step for an organization is to identify its core strategy, which may not be the

same across the whole company. Do you tend to buy or build? Look not just at

whether people tend to be promoted from within (building) or hired from outside

(buying). Also review the firm's modes of adding new systems or functions. Are they

bought from outside or built inside? Then assess the advantages of each: Hiring from

outside can bring in new technologies not available inside, as well as new ideas and

ways of doing things. Companies that always promote and develop existing

employees can become very insular. But the down side is that acquiring new talent

can be extremely expensive.

By going internal, you save money, enhance employee engagement and morale, and

gain ample time to get to know promotion candidates quite well. Another good

preparation step is to evaluate the organization's approach to two goals: Is it primarily

results-oriented, mostly focused on organizational culture, or is there a good balance

between the two? Finally, there are five strategies for effective succession planning.

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1. Measure for the three C` s of fitness

Continuously measure of potential future leaders on the basis of their competence,

connection, and culture. How strong are their business and planning skills? How

well do they connect with other people? And how closely, and with how much

passion, do they model the organization's chosen culture? Competence and

connection are both crucial.

2. Implement tools for development. 

Magic in the mix is a set of tools for developing those chosen as future leaders.

There are three--job experience, coaching, and formal learning. Job experience is

not what's on the employee's résumé when he or she was hired, but the job

rotations, projects, and special assignments that the individual is given once in

the company. Coaching should be done by as many different managers as

possible, and top management participation in coaching key candidates is crucial.

Formal learning involves identifying personal attributes that the company wants

in its leaders--usually soft skills--and bringing high potentials together

periodically to learn them. Candidates also use these sessions to network with one

another.

3. Involve talent in the planning. 

Candidates should be interviewed periodically about what they would choose as

their next job, what they feel they learned most from the past job, and other

wishes.

4. Cast a wider net--in a bigger ocean. 

Developing a small coterie of candidates to eventually fill a handful of key jobs

can be short-sighted. Dig deeper, select more potential leaders, and don't pigeon-

hole them. See how each develops and how the business changes, keeping each in

mind for any one of several possible slots.

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5. Focus on the future. 

The talent you need today isn't the same as you'll need in 5 years, so develop both

flexibility and vision. Imagine coming business developments and then seek the

talent that may be needed for the changes.

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AT BLUESTAR

Which model of Succession Planning do you use?

Bluestar uses ‘creating Succession Planning pools.

What are your succession planning strategies?

Bluestar has created a Leadership Development Program through which they

identify high performing employees who can replace a key position. Except for

the top management, nobody is informed about the selected employees. The

employees are watched for their behavioural skills & monitored for their

performance. They are given certain responsibilities to analyse their managerial &

decision-making skills. Certain training, if required, is imparted. Finally, when

the need arises, the employee is promoted to the position.

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ETHICAL ISSUES IN CAREER & SUCCESSION

PLANNING

Ethical issues in talent management and succession planningSuccession planning as part of talent management is not finding crown prince or pre-

selection. It is the action taken to ensure that qualified professional people are available

as needed It is about building an executive and professional cadre of excellence. While

planning for succession, an HR manager needs to remember that Ethics and values in

selection at senior levels changes culture throughout the organization. The HR manager

needs to follow an ethical approach as the decision to select a particular person for a

particular position is going to have a long term impact on the organization’s integrity,

culture and reputation.

The HR managers must ensure that by their actions they portray a strong ethical

behaviour in turn help in retaining the worker’s trust and faith in the organization.

Aspects like fairness, confidentiality, honesty, in dealing with people, openness,

transparency of processes of evaluation and selection are immensely important. Apart

from that, treating people with dignity and respect helps the employees’ self-esteem. A

clear message should be sent across the organization through the HR manager’s actions

that ‘Individuals are accountable for their own careers’ and the good performers will

always find higher responsibilities, important roles and better benefits in the

organization. At the same time, it should be conveyed to all the employees that the

management will not shuffle around their poor performers. Poor performers will be dealt

with using a plan of action to improve or to choose another career

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Q 1. The pressure of hiring someone who has been recommended by a friend, someone

from your family or a top executive?

- The HR executives have faced this situation sometime during their career. They

don`t hire the employees because they came through reference but they select

them on the basis of their qualifications. But at times they have to surrender to the

pressure if the recommendation comes from a top management

Q 2. Poaching/head hunting candidates from competitors for key management

positions

- It happens very often and it can have a negative impression of the company in the

market.

Q 3. What measures do you take to carry out an ethical and un-biased succession

planning?

- There is a structured process for measuring talent. A committee of 5 members is

set up for succession planning which includes top management, functional head

and HR head. As there is a team of 5 different members from different

department the chances are of unethical and biased decision don’t arise.

Q 4. Internal candidates who are competent (Knowledge Skills, Abilities) and eligible

for promotion are overlooked and external candidates are sought for key

management positions.

- It is not applicable and the company gives preference to the internal employees

first.

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CONCLUSION

Highly demanding business environment makes it imperative for the organizations to

build competence in the form of superior intellectual capital. It is agreed by almost all

CEOs of big companies that it is the human resource - a talented one - that can provide

them competitiveness in the long run.

It has become the duty and responsibility of the new age HR managers – who are now

termed as Human Capital Stewarts to manage the human capital as well as the knowledge

capital and become not only a HR manager but also a knowledge facilitator.

So it is the duty of the HR department to nurture a brigade of talented workforce, which

can win them the war in the business field. The talent has to be spotted, carefully

nurtured and most importantly preserved.

Right person for the right job - is the new mantra.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

http://www.icims.com/content/company/whitepapers/

evolving_talent_trends.asp

http://www.sergaygroup.com/Smart-Talk/Talent-Management.html

http://www.tony-miller.com/talent_management.asp

http://www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/white-papers/

ninebestpracticetalentmanagement_wp_ddi.pdf?ext=.pdf

http://www.icims.com/content/company/whitepapers/

evolving_talent_trends.asp

http://www.humanresourcespeople.com/profiles/blogs/talent-management

Succession Planning Insights & Experiences- V. V. Ramani

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