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Dear Readers,
We take pride in releasing the fourth issue of TogetHR.
With the financial year at its close, corporates busy tallying their accounts and balance sheets, the
going on media buzz regarding the elections in five Indian states, all highlight the need of
statistics in ensuring efficiency and accuracy in different situations. All in all, the commonality in
almost every major happening is the vital role of anticipating, forecasting and predicting
changes, be it the new expected regulations or the exit polls. With this insight we present you
the role of analytics in the field of HR through our Cover story: “HR Analytics - Adding value to
Organisation”
Under the Concoction section, Article of the Issue is “Generation Z as Human resource”. It
talks about the concept of change and highlights the quality of Generation Z which will
become the future workforce of organisations. The article “Change is Motto”, takes the
concept of change further. It talks about how organizations are realizing the significance of
managing and conforming to change. As it is rightly said that change is the only thing that is
permanent. The article on ”Role of HR professionals in satisfying subtle needs” captures the
vital role an HR professional plays in maintaining work-life balance – a crucial requirement for
improved efficiency and productivity of the organisation. Is “Employee sabbatical- a double-
edged sword?” discusses whether organizations give employee sabbaticals or not, and what
are its pros and cons.
We got an opportunity to interact with Ms. Neha Karde, GM (Corporate Human
Resources), Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. She shared her views over the recent trends in HRM
and those specific to Mahindra & Mahindra as well. The detailed interview features in the
Conflux section.
Campus Buzz section of this issue talks about ‘HuRicane’, an online HR quiz organized by team
usHR to enrich the HR knowledge of the participants here at IIM Shillong.
Team usHR would like to extend heartfelt thanks to all our readers.
Do write in to us with your feedback and enjoy reading this issue!!
Team usHR
Faculty Advisor:
Prof. Rohit Dwivedi
Prof. Sonia Nongmaithem
Team usHR:
Ankita Shah
KNK Srividya
Noopur Borwankar
P Padmini
Sourojit Ghose
Mayur Kumar Lakhmani
Neetisha Arya
Pooja Batheja
Sakshi Prashar
Disclaimer: The views presented are the opinion/work of the individual author and The HR Club of IIM Shillong bears no responsibility whatsoever.
Cover Story 10 - Ankita Shah | IIM S
In the ever changing business scenario HR functions have evolved from a mere functional and clerical role to giving valuable importance to human capital and predictive analytics strategy commonly known as HR Analytics. HR analytics plays a significant role in providing valuable insights for the proper and efficient functioning of an organisation.
Conflux 1
1 Excerpts of Interview with Ms. Neha Kharde
Concoction 4
4 Employee Sabbatical – A Double Edged Sword
- Vibhav Kardam |IIMS
7 Change is the Motto
- Vidhatri M | GIM
14 Generation-Z as Human Resource
- Sunny Lekhraj Telang | SIMSREE Mumbai
18 Role of HR Professionals in Maintaining Work
Life Balance - Mahajan Abhijeet | IIM Indore
Campus Buzz 20
Connoisseur Speaks! 21
Contest With The Best! 23
Con
tent
s March - April 2012
Conflux
www.iims-ushr.in | 1
Please tell us about your experiences before joining
Mahindra &Mahindra.
I graduated from JBIMS in 1993. It was a time when not
many people took up Human Resource Management as a
serious career option. But I was always interested in HR and
was personally fascinated by the design aspect of it. My stint
in L&T gave me a number of opportunities to learn more
about this field. L&T is one company which had an HR
department even before the HRD ministry was established.
So the learning there, was immense.
After that I shifted to BPL mobile, Mumbai circle. Telecom
industry was one of the sunrise sectors during this time. You
see, start-ups have their own challenges and working there
added a completely new dimension to my experience. I then
moved to UK for the next four years to pursue CIPD
qualification. There I worked as a
recruiter for a company which is into
online buying of shares. It gave me a
very good understanding of HR
functioning in a developed economy.
Post that, I worked in Pidilite where I learnt how aggressive
FMCG sector is when it comes to recruitment. All these
experiences helped me understand how the role of the HR
department varies from sector to sector.
Then I moved to Tata Motors as Head of the Recruitment
and Competency vertical where I worked in different
processes. Finally I was attracted to the Mahindra Group.
This company offers a lot of freedom for employees. In
2008, I was on sabbatical for 18 months and moved to
Switzerland with Family and did my PhD at the Swiss
Management Centre. After returning back to India I went
back to my work at Mahindra. During that time, there was
expansion in the group domains and I was appointed as the
Head of Project Harmony. It was only last year that I joined
the Corporate HR department and was involved with the
entire chartering of the Mahindra Rise.
Please tell us something about
Mahindra Rise.
Rise, is a concept, a philosophy which
aims at creating a culture. We attempt to
Tete e Tete with
Ms. Neha Kharde General Manager -Corporate Human Resources,
Mahindra & Mahindra Limited
On Mahindra Rise and
Human Resources at M&M Ltd
Conflux
www.iims-ushr.in | 2
bring in practices where all the stakeholders rise along with
the organization. We believe in
rising for change wherever
necessary, instead of just
accepting the way things are.
We have tried to create an HR
framework where we train
people and try to inculcate this philosophy into them. The
main aim is to deliver this brand experience to our
customers in every way possible.
What is the importance of developing new talent for
M&M?
The main difference between Tata Motors and M&M is that
in Tata motors emphasizes on grooming the internal talent
while the philosophy of M&M was always to bring in
talent from outside. Both companies follow
opposite beliefs. At M&M, we now realise the
importance of both outsourcing talent as well
as developing it in-house. Therefore, we try to
strike a balance between both to get the best
possible results.
In times of recession, how do you pursue talent
management-something which does not clearly
have defined ROIs?
It is true that talent management is affected immensely
during recession. However this is not the case at Mahindra.
It is the commitment of the top management towards
development of talent which
sustains our efforts to promote
talent management in the
company. Furthermore, these
practices are practised in-house
at Mahindra, which reduces
cost, and consequently helps us insulate ourselves against
such problems. Also, Mahindra continued to perform well
even during the downturn of 2008. So, we have never faced
an issue engaging in talent management.
We have often seen Human Capital Management and
Talent Management being synonymously used with each
other. Do you also agree with this view?
No, I don’t agree to it. Human capital
management and talent management cannot
and should not be used synonymously. Talent
Management is the process of identifying key
successors and hot pots and grooming them in a
systematic manner so that their talent can be
harnessed effectively. Human Capital Management
on the other hand is a broader term which is not just
restricted to successor planning. It encompasses
talent management as well.
Mahindra entered two wheeler segments by taking over
Kinetic Motors in 2008 in India and in 2011 they acquired
Conflux
www.iims-ushr.in | 3
Ssangyong Motor Company in South Korea. During these
acquisitions what challenges did you face while tackling
with the cultural differences, inter-personal conflict and
the likes?
It is common to face challenges during acquiring and
integration and Mahindra is no exception. Even we faced
challenges but what is important is how we handled it. We
believed at integrating the activities and harmonizing them.
However, this is not a rule. In fact it depends upon the need,
market conditions and the company cultures followed. When
a company is acquired, depending on the situation, we let
them work independently.
There is no function-wise
integration. For
instance in case of
Swaraj, it was
better for us to
let them function
as they did, before
the merger. They have
their own strengths and
making them work according to the Mahindra philosophy
would only have reduced their efficiency. And our strength
lied in allowing them to function as they actually were.
During mergers, therefore, the important thing is to allow
both companies to leverage on their respective strengths.
There is a notion of gender bias in the IR sector of HR.
What is your take on that?
Well, yes, this domain has traditionally been employing men.
However, the scenario is fast changing. Women are now
being given equal opportunities. Nowadays, you see equal
number of women on the shop floor. The gender bias, that
once used to exist, is slowly getting eliminated. And a similar
belief is shared at Mahindra as well. We have started with a
tie-up with Ford and Ford factories employ a lot of women.
How has the human resource management contributed to
the rapid growth of M&M?
The Rise philosophy is an important feature of the growth of
M&M. And Rise is driven through two things – one is the
brand and the other is the internal portion which is done
through HR. It is crafted by top the HR management and all
the big HR heads are involved in the key decisions.
Mahindra gives a lot of importance to this domain and
recognizes the contribution of the development of human
resources towards the holistic growth of the organization.
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 4
“One of the great perks working at Intel in the US is that
every seven years you get eight weeks paid Sabbatical” ,
Jeff Hodgkinston. Jeff is a senior member of Intel
organization and this will be his fourth sabbatical. No doubt
this statement of Jeff makes it evident that he was eagerly
looking forward to this. This break like the earlier three will
help him rejuvenate his body and mind, improving his work
performance when he returns. The icing on the cake is
that he is getting paid for all this. Look at another
statement “Tim took 3 months to complete the assignment
which he earlier used to complete in 2 months”, John
Gatte, senior manager, IFCIA Corporation, complaining
about the negative impact a long sabbatical had on one of
his subordinates. Sabbatical, as I see it, is a double-edged
sword. If not planned, implemented and controlled
properly, could backfire on the organization over time.
Seeing the plus side of the sabbaticals we can say that
they are of great help in employee retention and
development. They give employees the respite they need
to balance their work/life needs by providing them an
opportunity to
pursue their
hobbies and
areas of interest.
This in turn paves
way for greater
productivity,
higher morale on
the job which ultimately leads to increased job satisfaction.
Sabbaticals are of immense importance in professions that
crave for creativity and innovation like that of scientists and
researchers. Sabbaticals give employees the creative
space they need to think something new and different.
Probably this explains why the list of the companies that
have successfully implemented various sabbatical
programs is headed by Apple and Intel which are known
for their innovative products. For software companies
sabbatical is way through which they can test their bench
strength in terms of project readiness.
A sabbatical program can help employees gain perspective
and return to work with a stronger commitment to the
company. Apart from the numerous benefits that sabbatical
offers to the direct beneficiary (the employee taking
sabbaticals), it also gives a chance to the employee to fill
in his shoes for acquiring new skills and competencies.
Sabbaticals provide him/her an excuse to get away from
the daily monotonous task and learn new things.
Employee sabbatical a double - edged sword
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 5
If we see the other side of the coin then we will observe
that sabbaticals don’t always paint a rosy picture as
seemed at the first instance. Many times it happens that
sabbaticals are restricted down the hierarchy and across
the departments. The employees who are not included feel
neglected which could decrease their morale and work
performance. Employee loyalty and trust may also at times
get affected as a result of this perceived partiality.
Sometimes taking a sabbatical for an employee proves to
be a nightmare when he is unable to adjust to his job after
returning back.
As a result of this the employee feels out of sorts,
disinterested and demotivated. This is more common for
jobs which have continuously changing work environment.
For employers sending employees on sabbatical turns
disastrous when they resign midway or sometimes even
don’t report back to work. This problem leaves organization
with a huge gap to fill especially when the employee was a
senior member of a team or was working for a long time at
a position. Seeing the urgency of the work requirement
and importance of the emptied position, the vacancy is
filled in an unplanned and haphazard manner which further
complicates the issue.
Sabbatical, in India is a relatively new concept. When I
probed sabbaticals in Indian context as compared to their
cross border counterparts I observed two major
differences. Firstly unlike foreign private organizations like
Intel and Google where the main purpose of sabbatical is
to reinvigorate the employees, in India, sabbatical is used
mainly as a cost cutting tool and social service move.
Employees in Indian organizations are mostly not given
more than 50% of the
salary and are often
required to work for
an N.G.O. during the
sabbatical period.
The other difference
comes in the way
society sees an
employee on
sabbatical. In western
countries and USA
sabbaticals are taken by the society as a common practice
whereas Indian society attaches social stigma with the
person without job. As an aftereffect he is bound to feel
dejected and low on self-esteem. This could deter
employees from taking sabbatical in spite of all its benefits.
After analyzing both sides we can say that the positives of
the sabbatical program outweigh the negatives but the
repercussions cannot be easily
ignored otherwise the results
could be tragic as
discussed. In my
opinion a
befitting sabbatical
policy can easily
take care of
these issues.
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 6
First of all the sabbatical policy needs to clearly specify the
eligibility requirements which should be strictly based on
consistent performance and number of years worked in the
organization. The policy also should define the
compensation benefits that will be given during the period.
The compensation should be uniform for all the
hierarchical levels to maintain parity. By that I mean for
example if the decided compensation is 90% of the pay
during sabbaticals. Then all employees whether one is
working at junior engineer level or as a board member
should be given 90% of the salary during his sabbatical.
For best results sabbatical should be given after
determining the parameters on which the organization want
the employee to improve and this must be communicated
to the employee in advance. Appropriate measurement
metrics should be in place to check for post sabbatical
improvements which will determine the effectiveness of the
sabbatical program and further refinement in it if required.
Pre planning of how the employee’s work will be handled
during sabbatical time is also of paramount importance.
Lastly I feel that the policy must clearly indicate that there
is no job risk in taking a sabbatical for the employee. A
felicitous sabbatical policy possesses the potential to play
humongous role in organizational development and
profitability. Similarly an ill-prepared one can be the biggest
hurdle in organizational growth.
Vibhav Kardam | IIM Shillong
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 7
Change can affect an organization in numerous ways.
Change occurs when organizations shift their strategies
and processes, or through mergers and acquisitions, or
restructure, or downsize, or introduce new technologies.
The result of such an organizational change results in
stress amongst employees and all the baggage that
accompanies it.
Theoretically, managing change seemed easy to me
because whenever I was quizzed on the same, I would
give the same rhetoric reply as to managing change starts
with the top management realizing the need to confront
change, and collaborating with the middle level managers
in setting a strategy to handle change and then
communicating this strategy across the organization.
Pheww!! Such a participative method, of course, would
help the management succeed in changing organizational
culture and employees’ attitudes rather than top-down style
of management to handle change. Then, why is change
still feared and why do some organizations fail in their
transformation initiatives to confront change?
When management executives are asked the reasons
behind their successful change management programs,
they give a variety of different answers. This is because
they form their perspectives from their personal
experiences in their firms, and on different factors. Some
of these factors called the ‘soft factors’ include
leadership skills, ability to motivate, communication skills,
culture prevalent in the organization, commitment between
top management and employees towards change etc.
Managing these factors is necessary but definitely not
sufficient to bring about change as they are not easy to
measure, and even if measurable, the results need not be
authentic and most importantly it is difficult to change
existing attitudes and relationships.
The emphasis on ‘hard factors’ has gone amiss in the
pursuit of the soft factors. Some of the hard factors that
help in bringing about change are the specific time period
required to accomplish milestones in the targeted change
program, the number of people required for this program
and their ability to complete the program on time, and the
projected financial results that the intended change
program is expected to achieve. These hard factors are
easy to measure, and form the base of most businesses.
Thus, it is essential to begin with the hard factors and then
include the soft factors in the change management
program.
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 8
Having talked about change programs, let us consider a
recent incident – “The acquisition of Motorola Mobility
Holdings, Inc. (MMI) by Google for $12.5 billion.” These
two companies are poles apart in their cultures, working
styles and their business processes. Google focuses on
software and has the
advantage of flexibility while
Motorola Mobility specializes
in hardware (phones) where
once the phone is delivered in
the market, MMI loses its
flexibility of correcting the defects in the phone. Despite
Motorola delivering some hit cell phones, it lost out its
market share because of little innovation from its
employees, and the bureaucratic layer of middle
management. It is obvious that due to the cultural
differences, employee lifestyles, management issues, the
employees of MMI would find it hard to adapt to the
prevalent Google culture. Thus, after the acquisition,
Google decided to treat MMI as a separate entity for the
time being.
Google would be a trendsetter if it could manage these
differences. From the business perspective, we as
customers would benefit from this acquisition but Google
must give a thought to MMI’s employees. MMI’s
employees would love to be associated with a brand like
Google but face the problem of management style. While
most of the employees in MMI are middle-aged on
average, the employees of Google are far younger on
average. So, the former employees would not like to have
terms dictated to them by
Google’s employees. MMI’s
employees’ lifestyle is different
from those of their Google
counter parts right from the way
they dress, the car they use to
the salary and incentives they receive. Google should not
only view MMI solely for its patents but should also
consider it as a complementary partner and work towards
synergy.
MMI has realized, from its past mistakes, that how
important change is. And, to implement change, a work
culture is needed that adapts quickly to new challenges
and opportunities; something Google prides itself for. By
being part of Google, Motorola can now have the edge it
always wanted. While Google makes its OS more and
more functional, consumers can be sure that support for
their handsets is always ready. It instills in customers a
kind of confidence that makes them stick to MMI’s phones.
Though we perceive MMI as a corporate mogul – stuck in
Vidhatri Mannem Goa Institute of Management
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 9
its past, their recent actions and products have shown
sparkles of innovation and needless to say, innovation is
synonymous with Google. By being partners, both can
benefit each other to achieve their ultimate goal – market
dominance (Google’s Smartphone OS dominance).
According to a Google press release, Google plans to
“supercharge” the Android ecosystem. Although Google
will operate MMI as a separate entity, the structural
changes will not only strengthen Android smartphones and
devices, but are projected to change the smartphone
environment.
They should consider both the hard factors as well as the
soft factors of change as discussed above to bring about
this synergy. Google should conduct team training
programs for the managers in MMI and Google to come to
a consensus in adopting methods to create a more flexible
work environment. Managements of both Google and MMI
should chart out the future strategy of MMI in alignment
with Google’s.
On the other hand, since Google is growing, it could take
the best of the management experience of MMI and try to
integrate it into its corporate policy. On 29th October,
2011, Mr. Jha, CEO of MMI announced 800 job cuts to
rein in costs, as they prepared themselves to be acquired
by Google. Google should plan an employee retention
strategy for the existing MMI employees as job security is
of paramount importance in these times. If Google cuts
more jobs after the acquisition, then the synergy may get
disturbed and become one-sided, and the entire deal could
collapse.
It’s high time for Google to show its competence on the
concept of ‘Change’ as well. Vidhatri Mannem
Goa Institute of Management
Vidhatri Mannem
Goa Institute Of Management
Cover Story
www.iims-ushr.in | 10
Cover Story
Cover Story
Cover Story
www.iims-ushr.in | 11
HR ANALYTICS Adding value to organisations
In the ever changing
and dynamic
environment where
businesses operate
in uncertainty, operations have transcended from a
transactional to a strategic level, technology has not only
highlighted but also validated the importance and worth of
the irreplaceable human capital, and HR functions have
evolved from a mere functional and clerical role to giving
valuable importance to human capital and to
predictive analytics strategy commonly
known as HR Analytics. HR
analytics plays a significant role in
providing valuable insights for the
proper and efficient functioning of
an organisation. It helps in
anticipating, forecasting and predicting
changes not only in the internal environment
i.e. within the organisation but also in the related external
environment.
Technological progress in the form of
automation of processes like payroll,
succession planning, need to identify the
“what if” circumstances, determine the
workforce trends before and as they happen
and to initiate a proactive approach towards
uncertainties and the
dynamic environment
have made HR
analytics a must for
any organisation. In
this world where everything is quantified and measured in
numbers HR analytics plays a crucial role in measuring the
vital contribution HR makes towards the growth and
progress of an organisation. It can be
easily summarised in words of
Zach Thomas of Forrester
as, “Forward-looking
analytics that push well
beyond traditional metrics
are the cornerstone of
this effort. But siloed
systems, inconsistent data,
and a lack of benchmarks and
tools have made this increasingly difficult to achieve. To
address this problem and become more strategic, HR
professionals must get their arms around the data, identify
key performance indicators (KPIs), settle
on a technology approach, and infuse the
data into their organization.”
Cover Story
www.iims-ushr.in | 12
As an HR Head or Manager, an individual needs to take
key decisions in various fields vis-à-vis performance
management, selection and recruitment, packages and
salary offered and the training
that needs to be provided. The
CEO of the organisation is
more interested in numbers in
terms of cost per employee,
conversion rate, attrition rate,
absenteeism, ageing analysis,
joining ratio, effective employee relation, workforce
utilisation, rise in productivity and output and hence its
impact on the organisations top line and bottom line rather
than in simply qualitative terms. HR analytics facilitates this
process. It helps aligns the HR strategy with the corporate
strategy and supports strategic planning by accelerated
use of current data and information and a more
effective decision making
process. The recent trends like
increasing economic constraints
which any organisation faces,
the growing need and
importance of human capital
and focus on using HR metrics
to quantify HR contributions has
heightened the need and importance of HR analytics.
HR analytics is not only talked about but also increasingly
implemented in today’s world. Renowned organisations like
Cognizant, Oracle and Ramco Corporations have
increasingly implemented HR
analytics in their organisational
structure. Ramco Decision
Works, a corporate
performance management
solution, provides tools to
measure how well an
organisation is meeting its targets and hence be
accountable for the resources that it manages. Oracle HR
Analytics as implemented by Oracle is a subset of Oracle
Business Intelligence Applications (OBIA). Oracle analytics
help provide timely, fact-based insight into activities across
the entire organization including CRM, Supply Chain,
Finance and HR. Here data processing is enabled
from multiple systems; cross-
functional analysis becomes
possible. Oracle HR Analytics
supports the organization all the
way from insight to action with
extensive integration of
workforce, financial, and
operational data sources and
guided analytical workflows. Furthermore Cognizant uses a
HR analytics system known as HRTIPS which serves the
Cover Story
www.iims-ushr.in | 13
same purpose. Another example is AT&T and Google
which has shown quantitatively that one who takes
initiative will give a higher job performance as compared to
one who has only high academic achievements.
Statistics further corroborate the significance of HR
analytics within any organisation. Statistics shows that
approximately organisations that implement HR analytics
have been able to increase their sales
growth figures by 8%, net
operating income by 24%
and higher sales per
employee 58%. The
biggest
advantage of
using HR
analytics within an organisation is that it makes the
complex data required easily accessible especially with
role, responsibility, profile and package demarcations for
future references, analysis and optimal decision making
process. It also facilitates active and immediate action in
the corporate world where timely and quick action is
extremely essential for gaining competitive advantage over
the rival firms.
Despite the importance, need and role that HR analytics
can play within any organisation, a large number of
organisations are still to implement it and exploit the
advantages it beholds. Though there arises several
difficulties in implementing HR analytics in terms of cost,
restructuring, consent within the organisations the benefits
it has makes it a must for any organisation.
Lastly the words of Clay Shirky, US Now, truly reflect what
role HR analytics can play in adding value to an
organisation- “A revolution does not happen when society
adopts new tools, it happens when society adopts new
behaviour”.
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 14
I would like to begin my article with a quote which I find
relevant to our present situation and to the theme of my
article. Ronald Reagan once said: “Each generation goes
further than the generation preceding it because it stands
on the shoulders of that generation. You will have
opportunities beyond anything we've ever known”
Human Resource is an inseparable part of a business.
Irrespective of its size, each business relies heavily on its
Human Capital, particularly the Innovation driven and
manufacturing driven organisations. With changing time the
methodologies of doing business have changed
commensurately. The changes in these methodologies
were mainly driven due to emerging generations within the
society.
Each business required alterations with oncoming of new
generation. Organisations capable of quickly adapting to
this change are able to survive while the rest struggle.
Changes in the customer behaviour with each new
generation was evident to companies, it was also known to
them that the same characteristics are being reflected
within the organisation, since the new recruits belong to
the same generation.
Belonging to generation Y, I’ve seen the differences in the
manner of doing business between my generation and the
previous generation. Since entire generations of
employees are being replaced in regular intervals, it
becomes essential for Human Resource Managers to align
himself with these changes. A new generation is knocking
on the doors of these HRMs, eagerly waiting for an
opportunity to prove themselves.
Generation Z, also known as Generation I, or Internet
Generation, and Generation Text, and dubbed Generation
@ is the new work force for any organisation. The
characteristics of this generation are of vital importance to
HRMs, since some of the traditional theories of HR would
seem less effective while managing them.
RECRUITING: According to me the most important
aspect while recruiting Gen z employee is to forget the
outdated concepts of Degrees and Certifications that
symbolized quality. HRMs would want to recruit them on
the basis of relevant ideas
and
methodologies to their
business rather than the degrees and certifications they
hold. This has been true for ages, right from Henry Ford to
Mark Zuckerberg. Imagine what it would be like to miss out
on Mark Zuckerberg while recruiting just because you were
emphasizing on degrees. Recruitment for the younger
generation would require emphasizing on Talent and
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 15
relevant Innovative Ideas and being lenient on the actual
qualification front.
Recruitment sources would also require an overhaul.
Traditional sources of recruitment such as employment
agencies would have to
be given less priorities.
If there is a Talent
available out there, you should be rest
assured that the name will pop up on
a social networking site more
than often.
HRMs would have to extremely mobile during
recruitment process. Searching techniques have to be
broadened to include more of internet localities. Age old
written exams and interviews would require new
supplements to gauge the employee. Needless to say the
process has to be technology driven. Psychological
analysis would also play a vital role during assessment.
Competitive edge for companies would rely on how they
are able to identify younger and younger talent for
recruitment.
ALIGNMENT: This generation grew up with
Yahoo and Google. Internet is their hometown. Search
engines, cell
phones and
now smart
phones are
extended part
of their
senses. They
communicate
through technology, primarily on social media sites and
their network of friends is large, much larger than any
other generation. As ‘digital natives', they are comfortable
sharing their personal lives and private thoughts with a
large network of people, many of whom they have not met
face to face. They are not focused on developing
relationships but rather on the getting immediate
responses to their requests.
HRMs would have to take into account this peculiar trait.
Gen Z is exposed to different kinds of social network over
the internet and has the constant urge to communicate
with everyone possible. For HRMs it will be essential to
manage their work force
given the fact
that there
are
multiple ways in
which they can get distracted and
deviate from the goal. HRMs will have to ensure that the
employees are aligned in such a way that they identify
themselves with the goal of the organisation and are clear
about individual goals set in front of them.
As earlier mentioned, Gen Z will have an internet presence
far-reaching than their physical presence and will not
differentiate between their private and professional life
when it comes to expressing their thoughts. So it has to be
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ensured that employees do not communicate classified or
sensitive information which could be used for the wrong
purpose.
A good HRM will be able to publicize his organisation
through his employee’s communication channels. A good
boss creates a good impression; a good impression gives
birth to good thoughts and Gen Z excels in communicating
their thoughts through whatever means available. Just
imagine what kind of organisational brand can be created
through social networking sites if a HRM is able to keep
most of his Gen Z employees happy.
MOTIVATION: Gen Z would require different
sets of motivational techniques within the organisation.
Monetary incentives would drive them to a certain point but
not all the way. For them, working environment will need to
support various forms of technology including the use of
personal gadgets and personal social media site
participation. Each new technology which is an integral
part of their personal lives has to be part of the office
environment as well.
They will seek out organizations with a large social media
presence and understanding of how to use it, creatively, to
build and market products and services. Occasionally they
will seek help out from others from the virtual world to
share ideas, create products, and service customers. Gen
Z being very independent, would look for employers who
can provide them with self-directed training environments
where they can learn without being dependent on others
very often.
Employees from Gen Z will be bubbling with energy; it
would be absolutely critical how their energies are
channelled. HRMs would have to ensure majority of it is
utilized for the organisation’s benefits. Social gatherings,
cultural events and other employee engagement activities
within a company would have to be organised more often
since they are integral part of Gen Z’s lives.
Recognising the efforts of employees would be one of the
key factors to encourage them. Most of them have set out
to achieve high goals and to make it big. It would motivate
them if HRMs are able to recognize their efforts. Long time
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www.iims-ushr.in | 17
employee retention would not be problem if due
recognitions, acceptance of new ideas and greater scope
of creativity is provided to them.
Gen Z loves a challenge, wants to be surrounded by
bright, creative people, want everything right now. They
thrive in multimedia environment and can learn any time
anywhere. So it would be absolutely necessary to include
majority of their learning process through various forms of
multimedia. It can be clearly seen that motivation for the
Gen Z would be sets of small efforts which look out for
their “basic social needs”. If the above mentioned steps
are taken care of, they’ll serve as an extended employee
retention program as well.
Some other motivations could be providing flexible hours,
work from home, less or no attire regulation at workplace
and encouraging parallel careers for the employees.
Gen Z employees would not be leaving organizations
rather manager’s inability to deal with the frustration that
comes with managing the younger generation.
There is a new breed of
players coming into
the stadium,
players who are in a
league of their own, if given
an opportunity and guidance
are going to redefine the way the game is played. Looking
at the present economic scenarios over the world, it’s not
a pretty field we would be handing over to them, probably
one of the worst conditions the economies have been
through, but the final and the most important characteristic
which I forgot to mention was that this generation is
Innovative, which has been the driving force behind all the
businesses.
If this generation as a consumer has been responsible for
the drastic changes seen across the globe, across the
businesses, we can only imagine how much disruption will
be created by their innovations when they ascend within
organisations.
For my conclusion I would like to quote Bill Gates whose
words precisely portray the potential of Gen Z: “Generation
I will be able to conceive of the Internet’s possibilities far
more profoundly than we can today. This new generation
will become agents of change as the limits of the Internet
expand to include educational, scientific, and business
applications that we cannot even imagine”
Sunny Lekhraj Telang | SIMSREE Mumbai
Concoction
www.iims-ushr.in | 18
To begin with, let’s consider
the Maslow’s hierarchy of
needs. Now every organization
claims that it more or less has
satisfied the needs of an
individual given in the
hierarchy of Maslow. This is where a scope for
investigation lies. Is it really so? If yes, then why do the
employees fail to achieve a sustainable balance between
the work and life? One of the
Nestlé’s HR policies is that it tries
to make the workplace so
comfortable that the employees
should feel happier while coming
from home to office rather than
vice versa. But is that true for the
others as well? And the answer really is “NO”. Because no
matter how much organizations speak of, they fulfill the
hierarchy of Maslow’s needs only to some levels.
Physiological needs, is what even the Government takes
care of, for most of the individuals. Then if we were to talk
of safety needs, social needs, or self-esteem needs, these
are fulfilled by the companies through the many
schemes and offers they have in their jobs. All
the parties that people attend, all the movies
that they watch, all the enjoyment they do, to
achieve a work life balance, is but just limited to
up to four levels of Maslow’s pyramid.
But what the organizations
turn a blind eye to is that there
is a fifth level also in the
hierarchy given by Maslow,
which is the “Self Actualization
Needs”. The most fundamental
and essential fact is that, until this need is satisfied, an
individual can never have a sound balance between work
and life, with the extreme case making him a workaholic or
lethargic fellow in the company,
none being good for the company.
The first step is that one must ask
himself “why I am doing and what
am I doing?” just as Will Smith
says, “too many people spend
money to buy things they don’t
want, to impress people they don’t like”. Most of the times
we are busy in our life without giving a thought to the fact
whether whatever we are doing corresponds to our values
and purpose of life. It is just like a captain of a ship
announcing to his subordinates, “we are in middle of the
sea, but we don’t know where to go from here”. Our lives
are not much different. We are also busy in
doing things, with our joys and sorrows, but we
are not able to establish a proper balance
between work and life, as we never ask
ourselves, “what is the purpose of my life and
do my present activities align to that purpose?”
If at all we get the answer to this question, then
Role of HR professionals in maintaining
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www.iims-ushr.in | 19
not only we will direct our lives properly, but we will be
eternally happy and blissful. We must ask ourselves, “If I
were to die now, what would my friends, relatives and
people who know me talk about me?” One would love to
be known as a good, loving and caring person. But soon
after evaluating our present pursuits, we realize the harsh
but true reality. We come to know that we are really giving
time to do things which would be done for the pleasure of
others, and not for the pleasure of our selfish desires.
Despite the most sophisticated and advanced learning
processes today, what is taught merely teaches one to
focus on the transient goals, all of our affection is based
on fleeting things, and moving behind our selfish pursuits.
One has to rise above this dimension for a change. A
change which will be a positive one, and one which will
bring about a real sense of satisfaction, enabling an
individual fulfill his self-actualization need, and at the same
time, benefitting others.
For all this, one has to ask oneself whether the activities
that one is doing are for his/her own selfish desires, or are
things done for others selflessly. Man by nature is a social
animal, and there is always a tendency “to love others and
to receive love from others”. Love in this context does not
mean romance with the opposite sex, but it means selfless
service attitude. To some extent at least, one must have
this selfless service attitude towards others, without any
reservations for the self. When this is fulfilled, then comes
an inner feeling of satisfaction, which makes him happy. It
not only makes him happy, but also makes him generous,
humble, courteous, and loving and caring to all in the
society.
The HR professional has a very important role in this
regard. The HR professionals need to make the individual
realize that he/she has such a need called as self-
actualization need, and then help him achieve it. Most of
the people remain miserable because of ignorance. So
they need to realize it first, and then can be guided.
Physical things around us won’t really make us happy in
the long run. If they were to make us happy, then we
would not have found millionaires and billionaires
committing suicides due to frustration.
The HR professionals have a great deal of work in this. It
is they who need to focus on the fact that, instead of
“making things better”, they must strive to “make people
better”. Because when the hearts are transformed, then
great heights can be achieved. Making things better, only
leads to another stage in which they have to again make
them better, and then again, and then again. This cycle
will never stop. When we make people better, then groups
become better, organizations become better, society
becomes better, country and eventually the world becomes
a better place.
Mahajan Abhijeet A | IIM Indore
Campus Buzz
www.iims-ushr.in | 20
Come March and it is time for exams. Students gear up on
the preparation and the stress of study increases. To
relieve this stress, usHR team organized a
stress buster online event for the
students of IIM Shillong.
HuRicane, the 1st ever online
HR quiz was held at the campus.
The event required the participants
of the 1st and 2nd year PGP batches to
register in groups of 2. The quiz comprised of
20 questions and the teams were required to answer them
in a time limit of 30 minutes. The
team which gave the highest
number of answers
in the shortest
possible time was to be
declared winners. In case
of a tie, the team that
answered the maximum number of
star marked questions correctly was to be declared
winners.
The event generated considerable interest among all the
participants and 16 teams registered for the event. The
level of difficulty of the questions asked in the quiz ranged
from absolute sitters to very tough ones. A few questions
contained graphs and 1 question contained a cartoon
description too. The questions basically aimed to test the
overall HR knowledge acumen and the ability of the team
to work together and effectively.
There was a tie in the end between
3 teams, all of whom
answered the same
number of
questions correctly.
However, as pre-
declared, on the
basis of number of star
marked questions answered
correctly and the time of submission,
the team “CPR” formed by Anzaar Rana and Kailash
Madan were declared winners. A cash prize of Rs. 1000
was awarded to them.
The winners said it was mainly due to
team work that they managed to win
the event. The event was widely
appreciated and the participants
expressed their desire that more such
events should be conducted.
Campus Buzz Online HR Quiz conducted in IIM Shillong
Connoisseur Speaks!
www.iims-ushr.in | 21
Hi, my immediate boss was my batch mate in post-
graduation. Due to personal grudges of those days he
is showing bias against me. He is making me work
overtime everyday which is disrupting my personal
life. Also he keeps insulting me in front of his
colleagues and mine. My work life has been
completely disrupted despite the effort and
commitment I have shown. What should I do? Please
help.
Hi, I am 26 years old married woman working in an
MNC. My husband and I have been working for
this organisation since past 4 years and came to
know each other here itself. After a year of
marriage now we are facing problem to be at the
same place. Earlier we were in different process, but
now we both are part of the same process. The
problem we are facing here now is that our fellow
employees keep us isolated and don’t talk to us
much. The main reason behind this is I feel that
post-marriage we both were too much involved with
each other and used to spent time together without
caring for our fellow employees. Now this is having
negative repercussions on us. Please suggest a
solution so that we can gain back the confidence of
our fellow employees and get a chance to mingle
with them.
Connoisseur Speaks!!!
Spouses working at the same place create different kinds of problems. We can understand the situation you are facing and this problem needs immediate attention because it may turn worse if it gets too late. Constant efforts by you and your husband can easily solve the problem. You can start with a few simple steps like other than the lunch hours, don’t take coffee breaks together. Try to go on the short breaks with your friends in the process. During lunch hours also, sit with your friends rather than with your spouse. If your desks are adjacent or very nearby, then request your TL to provide you desks in such a manner so that you can increase your interaction with other employees rather than with each other. Get involved with your fellow employees more and more. You will need to make constant efforts for a short while and hopefully situation will be fine soon.
Hello, we really empathise with your situation. Such situations of personal bias are not new or unheard of in the workplace. Our advice to you would be firstly to try and keep your personal and professional life separate. We know it is easier said than done but letting work related issues affect your personal life would harm you drastically. Again go and talk to your immediate boss, explain him that college days are over and we should not get our personal problems in between work. This would not only harm you but also the work quality and hence the goodwill of the company. Our advice to you would be to resolve the differences between you and him. In case he is still adamant to treat you wrongly, maintain a performance record of yours, continue working effectively and with sufficient proof approach your boss’s boss with the happenings. Even if that fails then please talk to your HR head about the situation and approach the grievance redressal cell if one exists in your organisation.
Connoisseur Speaks!
www.iims-ushr.in | 22
Hi, I am a 30 year old man working in an
MNC in Mumbai. I am at the Team Leader
post and have been at this post for the past 2
years. During this period I have seen many
employees working under me and significantly
contributing as a group. However, currently I
have 2 employees under me, only seven months
old in the organization, who are always
competing against each other, at times for no
reasons. It is in a way affecting the morale of
other employees who constant see the conflict
in front of them. These two employees cannot
get along with each other and they constantly
complain about each other to me. What
should my approach be in dealing with such
employees? Please tell me a way out because I
have not come across such a situation before.
I understand the situation you are facing and such a conflict very adversely affects the work environment and the morale of the fellow employees. This is a very sensitive issue and needs to be dealt very carefully by you as you can only bring harmony at the workplace. First step should be to individually talk to them and let them know that how their behaviour is adversely affecting the workplace environment. Tell them that they are valuable assets to the firm and that such behaviour would not only affect them but also the workplace. Take the matter seriously with them and ask them to work out their differences and ensure that they understand the gravity of the situation. If required, a third party intervention can be welcomed i.e. in case the situation goes out of control. Make them realize the repercussion of the extreme steps that can be taken against them. However, take up these measures only when they refuse to manage the problem on their own.
Contest
www.iims-ushr.in | 23
Last date for sending the answers for Contest: April 30th, 2012
Email ID: [email protected] Subject of the email: TogetHRContest4_CollegeName
Unscramble these five Jumbles, one letter in each square, to form words related to HR
usHR, IIM Shillong
Connect the following
SAPAILPAR
OLMASW
MEBNHGNRKCAI
RVWEINTEI
NPYOETMMLE
Contest
www.iims-ushr.in | 24
This Issue’s Results The prize for “Article of the Issue” has been awarded to Sunny Lekhraj Telang from SIMSREE Mumbai for his
Article “Generation-Z as Human Resource”. He is awarded with a cash prize of Rs.1000/- and a Certificate of Appreciation.
All other articles selected for the issue shall also receive Certificate of Appreciation. The prize for “Contest with the Best” for JAN-FEB 2012 Issue has been awarded to Sowmiya V from SDM
Institute for Management Development, Mysore. She is awarded with a cash prize of Rs.500/- and a Certificate of Appreciation.
1. Assessment Centres
2. Attrition
3. Hawthorne Effect
4. Performance Appraisal
5. Talent Management
6. Cost Leadership
7. Downsizing
8. Succession Planning
Team usHR invites articles from B-Schools all across India. We are looking for original articles related to field of Human Resources. References should be cited wherever necessary. The best article will be featured as the “Article of the Issue” and would be awarded cash prize of INR 1000 Instructions:
Kindly email your article with the file name and the subject as <Title of Article> _<Institute Name>_<Author’s name/Group’s name> by 30th April 2012
Article must be sent in Microsoft Word Document (doc/docx), Font: Times New Roman, Font Size: 12, Line spacing: 1.5. The size of the article should be between 700-1000 words
The cover page of the article should only contain the Title of the Article, the Author’s Name and the Institute’s Name. Results shall be announced in the next issue of TogetHR
For other updates, check our Facebook page – “usHR-HR Club of IIM Shillong”
Also certain entries which could not make the cut to the TogetHR will get figured on our blog www.iims-ushr.in
9. Mentor
10.Counselling
11.Enculturation
12.Benchmarking
13.Grievance
14.Negotiation
15.Recruitment
Last Contest Answers
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