The Indian IT services industry has grown almost tenfold from about $8 billion in 2000 to over $88 billion (estimated aggregate of IT software and services revenue), employing about 2.8 million people. Despite economic uncertainties in Europe and lower technology spending in the US, Nasscom pegs 2013 export revenue growth at about 11 per cent. The Indian IT services industry has gone through several phases, each time reinventing and adapting itself to meet the changing demands of the global customer. From developing applications to maintenance and support, it has morphed into an integrated services provider, ready to ride the internet and telecom boom and take on next-generation technologies. From leveraging the erstwhile cost advantage/price advantage model to offering more services at the same rate; from an offshore outsourcing model to consulting-led model, the industry today is seeking new service delivery models to remain competitive and relevant. Today, the industry stands on the threshold of another reinvention and the subsequent leg of the journey will be dictated by next-generation technologies and innovative models of service delivery. The path the industry players choose next is going to make all the difference. Those who step onto the right path will emerge as tomorrow’s winners. Technologies Pushing The Frontier Key technologies that are pushing the frontier of the industry are cloud, mobility, analytics, and social media along with security and data management and IT modernisation. Cloud is not the next big thing, it’s already here and happening. The industry is currently seeing an increase of cloud-services providers who are offering integrated services and specialized services and all that lies in between. Whether it is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), customers are looking for providers who understand all the nuances of cloud, who know precisely the demands of the business and offer them in models best suited to their needs. The advent of mobile devices (smartphones and tablets) is changing the way business is done today. Businesses operate in an “anywhere and anytime” environment. Organisations across the world are opting for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approaches, and access to enterprise apps on any mobile platform and device is the norm. Creating, deploying and managing mobile apps and devices is really the future of the game. Social media is another huge trend that is fast catching up in the business context. Enterprises, both Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C), are now looking to engage with their customers, suppliers and employees to drive better collaboration, customer intimacy and innovative channels of communication. Today, the rate at which data is created is astounding. The proliferation of data, along with varied formats, brings with it huge opportunities in analytics. Business Intelligence (BI) and data warehousing technologies have existed for some time now; what makes the data into ‘Big Data’ is the velocity, volume, variability and the unstructured nature of the data. IT players are now looking at combining data from sources including social media – blogs, tweets, posts, emails, videos, mobile conversations, and other sources, along with traditional structured data from the ERP or CRM systems to derive unimaginable insights. With customers demanding data anytime, anywhere and on all platforms, IT players need to find ways to manage these devices along with the proliferation of data. They also have to ensure security of these multiple devices and environments, while offering interoperability across several platforms. Players who are able to simplify, standardise and automate their technology and related processes will emerge as leaders. And players who are able to combine the power of tech themes, driving the convergence of these technologies, will emerge as winners. Delivering Business Outcomes Today customers want business outcomes. They are not interested in the number of people or the number of hours; they want better business value and outcome, at the same rate of course. In terms of engagement models, customers today are looking for strong partnerships, deeper engagements, and innovation and leadership qualities. To get there, players in the industry must re-invent themselves, not only in the services they offer, but in ways they deliver the services and how they engage with their customers. Domestic Opportunities Beckon Opportunities to service the domestic market are also improving. Along with emerging markets like Russia, China and Brazil, the Indian domestic market is poised for growth. Industry experts peg the growth at 17 per cent CAGR, reaching $15 billion by 2014 from $8 billion in 20105. While American and European markets are looking at the second wave of IT, by seeking modernisation of their legacy systems, India, backed by strong fundamentals, a conducive environment and a supportive government is seeking new technologies along with an as-a-service model to meet its IT needs. Early players in this space will stand to gain. Companies looking to bring their global experience to the domestic market will have to adapt themselves to the specific needs of Indian customers in terms of sales, customer engagement models, solutions and offerings and delivery methods. Tomorrow’s Winners To get ahead as leaders, the industry must look beyond horizontal offerings and gain specialisation through vertical expertise. This will give them that extra edge and be more relevant to the customers and the segment in particular. Financial services, insurance and manufacturing along with hi-tech and telecom have been the major drivers of the IT service industry thus far. But healthcare, retail, and media, among other emerging verticals are catching on, and predicted to grow faster in the coming years. The industry needs to ramp up and build expertise in these areas. The industry will have to find smarter ways to deliver business outcomes, rather than just satisfactory project delivery. Starting with gaining deeper insight into the customer’s business, creating stronger relationships, having clear and measurable outcomes, and partaking in risks, industry players will need to optimize their business operations and find smart ways to execute projects across platforms, devices and locations to drive true measurable value. Such a method provides value to both the customer and the service provider. To keep up the impressive growth, the industry will need to find smarter ways to nurture and grow in-house talent, as well as grow inorganically through acquisitions. Industry players need to invest in training and find new ways of nurturing, and more importantly retaining talent, in an industry where attrition is the norm. To retain performers, organizations need to carve out exciting growth paths for their employees in order to deter them from moving on to the next company that offers an increment. Along with talent-investments, acquisitions will form a crucial part of the industry landscape, as it gears up to meet customer demands. Through acquisitions, industry players will be able to enhance portfolio, gain specialised IP and expertise. The industry could see more mergers and acquisitions in the coming years especially in the areas of emerging technologies both in the IT products and services space. The Indian IT services industry is poised to re-invent itself and is raring to go into its next growth phase. Tomorrow’s winners will be those who can walk on the path as masters of technology, armed with domain and vertical knowledge; those who can delve deep into the customer’s psyche and forge powerful partnerships that yield true outcomes, and above all deliver IT through innovative and next-generation models. (Raman Sapra is Executive Director and Head of Strategy, Technology Themes and Consulting, Applications & BPO, Dell Services)
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Consumer centric technologies like digital and social media have over the years resulted in consumers driving business instead of the other way round. That means companies have to re-evaluate their traditional business models, to adapt to the new reality of 'consumer-driven' business models and completely re-think their marketing and product mix strategies. The slowdown added to the list of a marketer's worries. In a discussion with Businessworld's Prasad Sangameshwaran, Antoine De Riedmatten, global industry leader, consumer business for leading consultancy Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, talks about the growing influence of the CFO, how it's impacting marketing decisions and how companies are leveraging more from their loyal customers. Excerpts:Have marketers behaved any differently in the latest bout of a slowdown?Marketers have been under huge pressure from CFOs. This in itself is a significant departure from the past. The role of the CFO has grown in terms of helping to make the choice of investment, because companies acknowledge that because of a slowdown they cannot do everything. Recently people from Google were telling me that they get more and more requests from companies for measuring the ROI on their digital advertising and not about mere statistics on traffic to the site. More and more marketers are being compelled to make a business case to justify their marketing spends on any medium. They have to measure and maybe they are not better at measurement as their focus is mainly on concept and ideas. But now they have been compelled to focus on ROI. India has a big advantage here as businesses here have traditionally kept a tight leash on finances; they are often focused on profits and cash flows. That will help in the world of today.Apart from CFOs taking active interest even in marketing decisions, are marketers also playing their game any differently? There are other changes. One is that we are seeing more collaboration between consumer goods companies and retailers in developing products jointly that will be exclusively sold by the retailer. We are also seeing that food retailers are also entering the cellular services business and banking services to stay connected with the youth. Companies are moving away from their traditional core competence. They don't see themselves as just retailers but as someone who can reach millions of customers. And if you can reach so many consumers who trust your brand, the thought seems to be, why not sell them other services. But that would require additional marketing investments…Yes, that's a risk. But margins are different from one business and another so usually the new business has better margins than the traditional business. Also they think of loyalty programmes as an asset and find different ways of catering to their loyal customers. Loyalty programmes are key as retailers have the most information. That's ultimately what everyone is fighting for, knowing what's in the mind of the customer. What are some of the key concerns of CMOs?There are several concerns. One is on how to use the social networks. The ones who have tried to control it have lost. For the CMO it's a challenge. The problem is again on how to measure the impact of what you are doing in social media.Another area is to find out the influence of mobile phone on retail. Actual purchases using mobile phones are small and will remain small. But the question is how does a mobile phone impact the way consumers shop in the future. For example mobile phones aid consumers at several points, when you are hunting for the nearest store, or when you are at the store and comparing prices with other outlets. The very fact you have a smartphone makes you a different consumer from those who do not own a smartphone. Smartphone consumers get more information through their phones, which is valuable and shall change the way marketers need to talk to them.
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Jayantika Dave has tried it all — international marketing, consulting and has even been an entrepreneur. But it is in Human Resources (HR) that she found her calling. Now, as VP, HR, of the India unit of Ingersoll Rand, the $14-billion global diversified industrial company, Dave looks for Emotional Quotient, Technology Quotient and Survivor Quotient when choosing leaders.At Ingersoll Rand, HR is an integral business partner, with a key seat at the table. That said, Dave would like to provide greater flexibility at work and compensation and accelerated catch-up path for anyone who opted out of corporate work for a period of time and would like to rejoin the mainstream.Excerpts from her conversation with Businessworld.in.What made you choose HR as a profession?Quite honestly, I stumbled into HR! In my MBA, I had a dual specialisation of marketing and HR, and for a long time was doing roles as varied as international marketing, consulting, and being an entrepreneur. Fifteen years ago, I took up an opportunity in HR with Hewlett Packard, and thereafter, I have not wanted to be in any other profession. I strongly believe, that a good HR professional can make a tremendous difference to an organisation, to a business, and to every employee. It doesn’t get better than this!What has been the biggest achievement of your career?I am very proud of having been a part of teams creating organisations that stand out for their outstanding people practices in all areas, exceptional employee engagement, and HR teams that have continuously grown in stature. This has always been in partnership with the leadership of the organisation, and could not have been achieved without them.What have been the primary traits/qualities that have helped you attain your present position?A never-ending thirst for learning, a burning desire to excel, a quirky creative streak, and a passion for helping others achieve their dreams!What are the challenges you are facing in your organisation?We have accelerated our transformation to a progressive, diverse and inclusive organisation, while at the same time growing very aggressively. This feels like doing a mid-air switch from a Boeing to a Dreamliner — while keeping the plane on a steep flying path! This change has been very exciting and very energising for everyone — and with the challenge that leaders now need to learn new skills to fly this exciting new aircraft, need to help their teams unlearn the old and learn the new, and unleash the creativity that exists in their teams, to create an even more fascinating aircraft!What are the steps a company should take to develop and motivate future leaders?We at Ingersoll Rand follow a multi-pronged approach to leadership development, aimed at being successful in a VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Changeable, & Ambiguous) world. We aim to build VUCA leadership skills which enable leaders to convert volatility to vision, uncertainty to understanding, complexity to clarity and ambiguity to action.We do this through a 3-step process including educating on key leadership concepts; challenging their thinking capability and harping on execution so that clearly defined goals are reached.For the leadership, we insist on 4 Cs - convergence thinking, conceptual flexibility, concept formation, and an unerring customer focus. Our leaders are expected to be economic, intellectual and social assets and a lot of value is attached to societal impact.What is your rate of attrition? We have consistently had attrition that is below the industry norm.How do you retain talent in your company? Talent retention is considered to be a key aspect in our organisation and we continue to have structured programmes to help retain employees. The Path to Premier Performance is one of our key employee initiatives. The objective of this programme is to create a cohesive, premier performing organisation based in a shared vision, purpose, competencies, brand promise and values.We believe in constantly seeking feedback from employee and leverage it to enhance our work culture. The ‘Built to Succeed & Last’ (BTSL) is such a programme for employee feedback. In addition, we also have flexible work arrangement, environment health & safety initiatives, effective rewards & recognition programme etc.What sets your company apart from other companies as far as work culture goes?Ingersoll Rand has been built on the key tenets of being a progressive, diverse and inclusive (PDI) organisation, and this defines the organisation culture. PDI is a strategic initiative that helps us create a progressive culture leveraging differences and providing an inclusive environment where people and new ideas are allowed to thrive regardless of their background, level in the company, gender, age etc. What is the biggest challenge you face when selecting people?Success in this new VUCA world needs people who have the ability to lead and act despite volatility and ambiguity; that can think strategically, yet are able to hunker down and deliver; and who are open enough to change course as quickly as the environment demands. These are hard skills to find readymade and our approach is to look for people who have the 3 Qs – the Emotional Quotient, the Technology Quotient (being comfortable with and wanting to experiment with technology), and the Survivor Quotient (being able to do more with less), and build the rest through on-the-job projects.How do you track employees' satisfaction or dissatisfaction in your company?For us to accurately track the levels of satisfaction/dissatisfaction, we engage in conducting regular surveys seeking employee feedback on every organisation initiative/policy and programme. We have an annual Employee Engagement Survey which is run globally. We also have locally designed surveys for quick feedback on new initiatives, as well as to ask for suggestions. In addition, we have a website where an employee can pose any question to our CEO, and a response will be given. All our leaders have been trained on ‘Managing by Walking Around’, so that they can gauge the pulse in an informal way, directly from the employees themselves. On the basis of the feedback received through all these channels, we design specific initiatives and share progress through quarterly employee townhalls. How important is HR to the bottom line of a company? How should HR be integrated with the core line of business?In Ingersoll Rand, HR is an integral business partner, with a key seat at the table. This is apparent from the fact that one out of our three key organisation focus areas globally, is centered on employee engagement and a PDI culture.In our planning process too (long range as well as annual), HR objectives are tied in tightly with business objectives, and are key to business success. We use the Hoshin Kanri planning process, and using that process, business focus areas where HR needs to lead break-through initiatives that would impact business success are identified.In addition to the Hoshin or breakthrough objectives, we have initiatives around what we call the business fundamentals for HR i.e. our reason for existence. Initiatives here are centered around industry leading practices in hiring, development, rewarding and retaining leaders and employees. How has the downturn affected HR?We have needed to learn new skills to operate in an environment that is no longer predictable. For example, our talent development processes have needed to change from 3-5 year horizons, to initiatives that are able to deliver results in a shorter term. We have needed to learn how to be agile to adapt to the changing needs of business, to keep employees energised and connected to the organisation even while economic uncertainties exist, and help our leaders stay focused on the key people areas that matter.If you could change three things about HR practices, what would they be?Three areas that I would like to work on further:Even more flexible work environments and work optionsMore flexible compensation and total rewards system – option to take rewards in cash, in kind (as investment in employee development) or investment in the future (housing etc.) or some combination of allAccelerated catch-up path for anyone (any gender, any age) who opts out of corporate work for a period of time, and is interested in re-entering the mainstream again As told to Poonam Kumar
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It's an unusual start. But you will, perhaps, agree with the comparison. There is a scene in 2007 Hollywood flick Ratatouille where 'chef' Linguini serves restaurant critic Anton Ego a simple ratatouille that transports Ego back to his childhood and memories of eating the tasty stew. Offering a similar experience is Prajwal Parajuly's The Gurkha's Daughter, a collection of short stories. The stories simply take the reader back to the days when she started off reading Malgudi Days by R.K. Narayan and his short stories such as ‘An Astrologer's Day’ or, perhaps, chose to read through Guy de Maupassant's short stories such as ‘Boule de Suif’. The Gurkha's Daughter has eight stories, narrated at a leisurely ease and blended in the social, political and cultural milieu of Nepal, Bhutan, and Indian states in the north-east that border these countries. And Parajuly touches a deeply emotional chord by connecting with not just those living in the region or are familiar with the geography, but also with readers outside the circle who are curious to discover more. Parajuly spent his childhood in Gangtok and has a master’s degree in Creative Writing from Oxford University and has worked as an advertising executive with a New York newspaper. Before embarking on this book, the author spent time travelling around the North East. In 'The Cleft', Kaali is deciding between staying with her mistress in Kathmandu and fleeing for a better tomorrow to India. She has to reach Birtamod, a town in Nepal near the Indian border in order to escape. In 'The Cleft' Kaali’s disfigured lip and the lure of a surgery to fix it is a topic frequently brought up by widowed Parvati, who barters work and more work for a surgery. A hill station in West Bengal, Kalimpong houses among many migrants, a Bihari store keeper, Munnu, competing with neighbouring stores for profits. In this story titled ‘Let Sleeping Dogs Lie’ Munnu seeks to solve the problem of a frequent kleptomaniac, who is also the daughter of a powerful lawyer in town. It's a sensitive issue to bring up with the girl's parents, considering the difference in social status. And the timid shopkeeper solves this by simply hiring his burqa-clad wife to man the shop along with him. In Darjeeling, where 'The Mixed Blessing' is scripted, Parajuly tells us a story a poor engineering graduate’s frustration of having over uninvited guests, his fight with poverty and his inner demons, and his silent resistence against Christianity despite his affinity with the helpful missionaries who visit him for a regular chat. Two friends make a pact, fill each other's bowl with spit and drink it to prove their friendship to each other in Kathmandu in 'The Gurkha's Daughter'. One moves to the UK, the other stays back, perhaps inevitably in search for another best friend. What merits applause is ‘The Father’s Journey’, the story of young couple Prabin and Khushboo and their life with their daughter Supriya. The story of a father who journeys through Supriya’s life --- since the day she was born to her adolescence and finally her days as a young lady in quest for a suitable husband -– all through, there are ups and downs, bonds weaken when Prabin is awkward about talking to his daughter when she comes of age, but strengthen again, when Supriya finds that her father is her best friend whom she can confide in — be it participating in a beauty contest or her choice of (non-Brahmin) man in her life. Each story begins with a map giving the reader of the location where the story is woven. So, for those who don’t know their Katmandu from Kalimpong, this seems to be a good place to begin exploring. This is an era where writers such as Janice Pariat (Boats On Land) and Parajuly are rediscovering the rich local cultural collage and weaving stories around it. And Prajwal Parajuly, born to Indian father and Nepali mother, has meticulously mastered this art with The Gurkha’s Daughter. And considering that publisher has ordered the book's first reprint, Parajuly seems to have his pulse on contemporary writing. businessworldbooks (at) gmail (dot) com
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Not so long ago the question how to deal with China was an evolving conundrum. It is real now. As real as an elephant — looming large over all that it views, with a large appetite and largely prepared for a fight but peaceful until provoked. And just like the pachyderm, feared. In an increasingly multi-polar world where American power is seen to be dissipating as its economy wobbles, China is still a nation that can surprise friends and foes alike. The West doesn’t understand it because it fears Beijing’s ambitions. Most in Asia, walloped on and off by China, fear the dragon due to historical reasons. Read more columns by Rahul Sharma here A recent meeting of ASEAN nations and India in New Delhi merrily skirted around the potential Chinese threat without mentioning it in so many words. Given Beijing’s strong trade linkages with the region, its economic might, military muscle and aggressive posturing, there are few who would want to upset the elephant. Southeast Asian nations wouldn’t want to disrupt trade worth more than $360 billion. India, which is aiming for bilateral trade to reach $100 billion soon and is yet to solve its boundary dispute with China, is also pussy footing around like all others. There is too much at stake. For the rest of the world, China is a huge opportunity that devours natural resources like nobody else as its factories spew carbon into the skies and vastly cheaper products into foreign markets. It is not easy to fully engage China, as it is dangerous to remain completely disengaged. In 2013 China, coming out of serious political scandals that shook the Communist Party leadership and with a new president, will want to assert itself — slowly but surely. Xi Jinping, the new president who is seen to close to the military, could indulge in additional scaremongering in the South China Sea where Beijing is in a territorial spat with some Southeast Asian countries. Similarly, its differences over a bunch of islands with Japan could take a turn for the worst. A new government in Japan might be belligerent. That China takes up a lot of time of policymakers in Washington and elsewhere was evident when the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) released its report on global trends in December. It took a long-term view of geopolitical trends and analysed the state of the world through 2030. It surmised that we are moving away from a unipolar world as America’s hegemony erodes after the severe global financial meltdown that has left several Western powers waste in its wake and said that relations between Washington and Beijing would be the most important bilateral ties to shape the future. The Americans are slow in accepting China’s inevitable rise, which may or may not be peaceful as it is difficult to point to the route the Chinese leadership will take to the top. However, what we know is that if China continues to grow at even slightly slower rate its economy will overtake that of the United States in about 15 years. We will then be pretty close to 2030 that the NIC is projecting. To get there, China will have to have internal peace and stability. A widening rich-poor divide accentuated by wealth accumulation by party officials and their families and cronies and bridging the development levels between the countries coastal belt and interior will be the two major challenges for China. A seminal part of the exercise will be taking the large state-owned companies away from party officials. When systems need to change, opposition rises and challenges the need to end a status quo. In China, skylines change faster than systems that have governed the country for decades. For sustainable change, the core has to change. In China, the core is the Communist Party that has ruled the country since Mao Zedong led a group of rag-tag revolutionaries to victory back in 1949. In 2013, the party won’t change, nor would the systemic disadvantages China is battling. What will, however, change is the world around China. And in that change will lie reasons for China to make certain shifts that would allow it become slightly more patience with others. The pushback is already beginning. The ASEAN meeting in New Delhi was a sign, as Southeast Asian nations and India agreed to cooperate on maritime security. Southeast Asian countries aren’t keen to see their region dominated by one or two global powers. They will be happy to have India play a bigger role to balance China. Earlier, an ASEAN summit in Cambodia ended acrimoniously after leaders of member countries failed to come up with a joint statement at the end of the conference. The disagreement was over China’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea. And Japan will push back too now that a more assertive prime minster is in place. China has asked Shinzo Abe to meet it half way, recognize that the islands in question were disputed and start negotiations. Abe is unlikely to give in quickly and that might make the Chinese uncomfortable and prone to more high-pitched rhetoric. The initial months of the coming year will be important for China and the world, as Xi settles in and possibly changes tack to become more accommodating in his dealings with the neighbours. Alternatively, he can of course push hard and take a tough stand to gain brownie points at home. Whatever be the case, the elephant will continue to be around — in the room and outside — and restless. All of us just have to find our own ways to deal with it. (The columnist is president, public affairs, Genesis Burson-Marsteller and a former newspaper editor. He has a deep interest in matters related to China and Southeast Asia)
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Tina Vas never dreamt of being an hiring manager. After her MBA from University of Mumbai, Vas chose to take up a career in Sales and Marketing. However, after moving to the US, she shifted focus to HR and quite liked it. Ever since, hiring, talent management, employee engagement, employee feedback — have been the mantra of her professional life. There have been days where she has had to lay off employees in the US as a result of slow down, but each day has been a learning excercise for her, she says. Management jargons aside, empathy and fairness to people are important qualities for any HR professional, says Bangaluru-based Vas who has been with Collabera, an IT services, consulting and financial services firm, from July 2012. What made you choose HR as a profession?Funnily, HR chose me, despite my best efforts to keep away from it! While pursuing my MBA, subjects such as Organisational Behavior and HRD always brought out the best in me. The dean at my college tried his best to persuade me into choosing HR for my specialisation. Back then, I was fascinated by the glamour of branding & advertising and hence, I ended up specialising in Marketing. While my career commenced in Sales & Marketing, my marriage and subsequent relocation to the US brought about an abrupt end to my sales career in India. In the US, the only opportunities available to me were either in Programming or in HR. HR appeared to be the only option, as the logical/programming part of my brain was clearly not beckoning — and that’s how I reluctantly began my journey in HR!Interestingly, 1999-2000 was still the IT boom time in the US and I had to hit the ground running. Hiring, employee engagement, litigation, immigration — all of it and in large volumes required a steep learning curve. I got so involved in finishing the job, that it was only two years later that I realised I had dived into mainstream HR. Since then, there’s been no looking back!What has been the biggest achievement of your career?On the work front, in one of my previous roles, I have spearheaded the integration of six companies, which required not just professional capability but strength of character as well — decision making, fairness, foresight and convincing ability along with the art of saying no to people in power. It was a wonderful experience and ultimately, it was a successful integration (barring 1 of the units, which had structural flaws).What have been the primary traits or qualities that have helped you attain your present position?To start with, I think it was the God fearing upbringing that ensured that there was no room to be frivolous. The primary ingredients of hard work, perseverance, sincerity and honesty gave me the first footing. My parents were a working couple; while there was ample guidance and motivation, there was very little supervision. Very early in life my parents instilled in me the belief, that you are what you make of yourself. I truly think that instilling this responsibility in me ensured that I took charge. Through my difficult teens, my father played a very important role in my life — he had tremendous faith and confidence in me. If I have to name one quality or trait that has helped me excel, it is the confidence with which I approach life. I owe that to my dad in a great way.I was a shy kid and a nervous teenager, developing public speaking skills and social flair once I began my MBA. It was then that I realised how much I enjoyed interacting with people, so much so that it ended up being what I do for a living! When there is a symmetry between who you are as a person and what the job requires, your chances of succeeding are stronger. Through my many years of managing HR in the US, I have had to manage some difficult exits as well as conduct mass layoffs. Nothing in life readies you for such tough situations! I would like to believe that empathy for people and a fair approach are paramount in such times.What are the steps a company should take to develop and motivate future leaders?Given that leadership development is a meticulous exercise, an organisation needs to identify what its current leaders are like. Further, it should list down the set of essential traits, qualities and values that it values dearly — akin to a ‘must-have’ set of attributes it envisions for its future leaders. Also, a company should determine what leadership style suits it best and accordingly institute a dynamic in-house leadership development programme. Next step is to identify high-potential employees (defining parameters such as ability to take up additional responsibilities, problem solving skills, propensity to take risks, team player and the like). Based on an assessment of the prevailing leadership gaps, these candidates should be put onto a fast track leadership program that encompasses mentorships, management classes, team building workshops, stretch assignments and coaching. The goal is to make such candidates widen their horizon and think beyond their purview, identifying themselves with(and relating better to)the broader vision of the company. Equally important is to put in place succession plans for critical roles, while also charting out a retention programme for current and future leaders.How do you retain talent in your company?Numerous studies have shown that it’s usually less expensive to retain and develop in-house talent vis-à-vis external hires. Thus, we can surmise that talent management is clearly an art as well as a science! At Collabera, we have instituted a 360 degree plan for deeper employee engagement that offers a clear-cut career growth path as well as opportunities for personality development. Employee recognition is a fundamental aspect of Collabera’s culture, with employee feedback being a critical action point for our leadership team.What sets your company apart from other companies as far as work culture goes?Collabera provides an opportunity for great minds to come together and produce great results. The company provides ample freedom and flexibility to employees, thus bringing out the best in people. We immensely value passionate and self-motivated employees, given that we work on the principle: If you provide the right environment and support, most passionate employees will find a way to deliver excellent results. What is the biggest challenge you face when hiring?In an industry where the war for talent is intense, with multiple options beckoning an employee, it gets very hard to be selective. Despite such challenges,some aspects that Collabera is categorical about include hiring high-quality tech talent; making sure a candidate’s values, attitude corresponding with those of the organisation. This ensures that we have an employee who can blend in with ease, someone who shares a similar outlook and belief on aspects that are especially important to us.How do you track employees' satisfaction in your company?In addition to undertaking frequent employee satisfaction surveys, we keep all channels of communication open with our employee base. There are umpteen formal and informal forums of engagement where we seek feedback from employees on a variety of topics. Further, each business unit has a dedicated HR business partner (HRBP) to identify, strive to solve issues (if any). These HRBPs engage with every employee in their business unit and are very muchconscious of the pulse of our employees. How important is HR to the bottom line of a company?More often than not, I have heard from peers that it is very difficult to quantify the importance of HR in a company’s overall scheme of things. In my opinion, there’s no other way other than measuring HR to clearly highlight the ensuing benefits and the impact on the bottom line. This is possible when companies take a broader view on this and adopt a more holistic approach. Unmistakably, HR takes up the onus of transforming a company’s core asset — people, into a robust competitive advantage. A good first step would be to identify the key business metrics, correlate them with the bottom line objectives and chart out the HR function’s responsibilities in a way that interconnects these success parameters. Once done, HR should then look at developing initiatives to add value to the company and help improve these metrics, with regular assessments for taking stock and course-correction (if necessary).How has the downturn affected HR?HR resonates with one simple philosophy — a company’s leadership placing the employees ahead of everything else. The economic downturn, more than any other time, has proved that organisations that truly care for employees are the ones to have emerged successful. Those organisations that didn’t layoff people, those that invested in employees’ career enhancement are the ones which are revered the world over. In fact, the downturn brought out HR’s mettle to the fore, showcasing why HR is a critical, underlying element in the organisational mix. How should HR be integrated with the core line of business?If anything, the nature and responsibilities of the HR function will only grow in complexity. Hence, adopting a consultative approach is one of the best models to integrate HR with core business. The starting point is to align decisions about the human capital with those of key success elements to achieve business results. Such a scenario instills a matrix-like reporting structure — a HR business partner will then report to a business unit head as well asthe HR head, making him/her accountable on multiple fronts. This collaboration allows an HR professional to work in a consultative manner and make a significant contribution to a company’s core line of business. (As told to Poonam Kumar)
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Are we in the middle of an information revolution that dominates and shapes virtually every aspect of our lives? Or is this just the very beginning of a revolution that will change our world every five years or even every two years?How much further will this take us? How prepared are we to handle this unending and ever increasing flow of information? We get impressed with new technology rapidly and we also get blasé about it equally fast. These are superfluous questions at a level but also very fundamental. The pace of change in the information age is so rapid that we barely have the time to reflect on how we are hurtling towards a profoundly new way of life. The Internet is just 20 years old. Mobile communication devices are slight younger. Wireless access of telecom for data and multi-media is still evolving. As we enter the third year of the second decade of the third millennium, it seems that managing information will be the most challenging activity for all of us. At the institutional and individual level. For governments and corporates. For families and societies. The best way to manage the revolution created by information is to harness it.Let me take the liberty of offering some suggestions on how to cope and co-opt the digital world. For Governments: Embrace social media, don’t fear it. Ensure that each ministry, department and official understands that social media is as much a part of our life as telephone has been in the past. Traditional forms of communication will not go away. Diamond cuts diamond. Online and social media is as benign and as malignant as the people who use it. Be nimble enough to react fast to developing situations. Don’t censor it or shut it down. You will fail. For Corporates: Don’t overwhelm your consumers with information. Play it subtle. Yes, the new digital media is a great vehicle to reach out to your target audience. But information overkill will drive them away. A few thousand likes will not translate into a better topline. Constant pestering will not endear you. It will just add to the clutter you want to break. In the end, the quality of your product and service will decide your success. Everything may change, but there is nothing like a happy consumer to ensure continued success. For Societies: The revolution of information will not automatically support every revolution you want to support. Every cause may bring thousands to the fore. But there will be millions who will stay away. Causes will have to be inclusive for revolutions to be effective. The conservative corners of societies will soon find that the world is a circle. There are no corners left. Everyone will be open to scrutiny and question. Be prepared to be answerable and accountable. Those who want to hold on the past, will find themselves grasping at straws. The blizzard of information and knowledge will sweep away most cobwebs of the mind. For Connected Individuals: It’s great to have an ever increasing digital footprint. But sharing pictures and offering opinions and creating online connections will not necessarily make you a more accomplished person. It is easy to choose your interests online. But don’t let that make you insular. Browsing news in a paper will help you know more about the world around you than being a subscriber of selected feeds. Remember, you don’t know what you don’t know. The virtual world can’t replace the real world.(Pranjal Sharma is a senior business writer)
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Making a policy is not easy. Making an informed policy is tough. And making a policy that has been informed by the appropriate inputs is perhaps the toughest task that decision makers in the government face. This was painfully evident during the recent debate in India’s Parliament on allowing foreign direct investment in retail. The decision included several complex issues including linking farmers to markets, protecting domestic manufacturing, mitigating job losses, creation of sustainable employment, monitoring of cheap imports. The debate was peppered with many questions, facts, truths, half-truths and falsehoods. For most people following the debate it was impossible to tell fact from fiction. In fact many policy makers themselves were confused and perplexed with the complexities. It is never easy to balance all interests while taking a reform forward. India and developing countries will increasingly face such situations when critical decisions on complex issues have to be taken. This type of policy making requires a steady flow of independent research and studies to equip government to take an informed decision. Not only that. It is also important to make such research available to civil society so that the process is transparent and inclusive. There is an old adage that advises us to look before we leap. Unfortunately, lack of adequate information means that most policy makers leap before they can take a good look. Recently I attended an experts’ roundtable that discussed supporting research to inform agricultural policy in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This roundtable was organised by Global Development Network (GDN) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations.While organisations like FAO have been directing policy at a multilateral level for decades, newer entities like GDN are creating much needed capabilities in research. GDN is an international organisation that focuses mainly on strengthening skills of researchers in developing and transition countries. GDN also brings together researchers and their work so that the best results can be shared. Its programmes are supported by several global foundations and governments. Refreshingly, this global organisation is based in New Delhi, in the heart of developing world, and not in a western capital. GDN supports sharing of knowledge within the developing world. There are many successful policies in South Asia and Africa that can be replicated across the region. With some research based effort, adapting such policies can save developing countries a lot of time and resource. While governments in these countries share their experience, it is often lost by the time it percolates to ground levels workers. Connecting research agencies and those that work at grassroots is an efficient way of sharing knowledge.Therefore a debate on FDI in retail and subsequent implementation has to be guided by research based knowledge. Research shows that while agriculture may be about 20 per cent of GDP in India, it supports 50 per cent of the workforce. Therefore any effort that claims to help farm sector and employment for youth must integrate this fact while drawing up the policy. Policy makers at the central and state level will have to step up their intake of research based studies to strengthen decision making. In fact, even corporations and industry bodies will have to deploy independent research to improve their credibility while lobbying for change. Though in the end, unless such inputs are also shared with the civil society, critical reform will never find public acceptance. It is time for India to set an example for developing countries by deploying independent research in a transparent manner while setting policies that affect livelihoods of hundreds of millions of its citizens. (Pranjal Sharma is a senior business writer. He can be contacted at pranjalx@gmail.com)
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