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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As I was looking to pick up a book on dinosaurs for my daughter, I heard the financial channel playing in the background announcing the latest quarterly results for the top Indian banks. India is a land of big numbers: 1.2-billion population with roughly 500 million unbanked and an even larger number of people under the age of 30 – known as the demographic dividend. The roughly 700 million that are banked have on average 1-2 trade lines versus an average of 4-5 in developed markets and the top 10 banks account for a majority share of total credit in the country. The case for growth in the Indian banking sector over the next decade can be a more nuanced discussion but to the laymen it is as simple as not having enough banks to cater to a very large unbanked population. Furthermore, for the banked population, the lack of relevant and differentiated products limit the amount of household income people put to work in their bank, especially when you consider the high rates of inflation the government has been tackling in recent times.Indian banks need to focus on profitably acquiring the unbanked and under-banked while enhancing the level of service to existing customers by developing relevant products to increase interest and service revenue. That seems simple enough given the large unbanked population and the number of young people joining the work force every year. So why shouldn’t we expect strong double digit growth from the same top 10 banks over the next decade?Well, have you recently called customer service at your bank to close an account or change your mailing address or order a replacement debit card? Have you recently tried to use your bank’s mobile banking or internet banking solution to pay bills or order a tax statement? I have done just that at a number of banks and the experience has left me underwhelmed. Banks in India have not fully exploited the power of these channels to differentiate and provide the level of exemplary service they simply cannot afford to do at a branch.However, the path to an evolved and all inclusive banking environment is not going to be one without challenges. Technology, as in most industries, is leveling the playing field (and fast) by allowing smaller and newer banks to stand shoulder to shoulder with their larger and more established competitors. The smaller banks have consciously focused on core banking activities to keep total cost of operations low versus debating how to better utilize large data centers. That said, these banks continue to measure their success by how well they do against their peer set in India versus a more global sample which may give them a false sense of security. Competition will intensify as the RBI issues more banking licenses. Non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are aggressively developing differentiated retail banking products which are more in tune with aspiring consumer needs (i.e. individual car leasing plans). Sebi will soon pass additional guidelines on the role of the investment advisor, this should help increase household allocations into different assets classes that provide better returns versus CASA or fixed deposits.Banks who want to stay competitive as the landscape evolves will need to look at their existing product portfolio and figure out ways to increase customer utilisation and enhance revenue. For example, given the new regulations on debit merchant rates, banks will need to reduce their reliance on debit card loyalty programmes as the primary solution to increase card utilisation at POS. Banks currently subsidising their merchant acquiring businesses with CASA accounts will realise, if they haven’t already, that those models are not sustainable. The same applies to currency management; banks need to look at solutions that will increase the efficiency of currency in circulation. There are cash and logistics solutions that can help Banks manage ATMs and Branch currency needs without having to constantly draw down and top up currency chests around the country.Finally, banks need to understand that mobile and online channels should be an opportunity to delight their customers through a differentiated offering which is hard to do when everyone is using the same basic solutions. One internet banking application I used recently allowed me to pay bills but then I had to log out and then log back in to complete an NEFT transaction. This is not delighting your customer and it causes customers to question how the bank actually thinks through other products and services. Ideally, the transaction set a customer is exposed to online should be the same across all channels (i.e mobile, IVR, etc.). When banks use disparate solutions the experience is disjointed and inconsistent often leading to customer dissatisfaction.I do believe the Indian Banking sector is headed towards new heights over the next decade but I also believe that the banks on top of the league tables today, like the dinosaurs, will find themselves lower down on the food chain if they do not adapt to the changing landscape.Sunil Sachdev, Managing Director, International Payments Group and India Business Development – India Markets, Fiserv.
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Alawyer’s nightmare is not being able to give a clear answer when a client comes calling with a query. Answers like those of Harry Truman’s economists (“All my economists say, ‘on the one hand... and on the other hand…’”) won’t do. After all, if a lawyer cannot interpret the law, who can? But lawyers can and do face such a situation; nowadays, to queries from firms on how they should go about complying with competition laws, they have no answer.
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Hewlitt-Packard launched two of its latest touch screen computing notebooks and an ultrathin all-in-one desktop, compatible with Windows 8 on 19 December' 2012. The notebooks offer a wide range of features including the HP Connected Photo powered by Snapfish and HP Connected Music powered by Meridian for convenient access to photos and music. The HP ENVY x2 is a hybrid PC that has a detachable screen that becomes a full tablet when separated from its keyboard. With up to seven hours HD video playback on the tablet and 12.25 hours on notebook, it possess a 11.6-inch HD touch display, Beats Audio, an HD webcam plus an 8-megapixel camera, and near field communication (NFC). The HP ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4 possess a 14-inch multitouch HDdisplay, with up to five hours of battery life with Beats Audio and optional AMD graphics with 2GB of graphics memory. It measures 23 mm thin and weighs 2.16 kg. They are expected to hit the stores in India from January 2013, priced at Rs 59,990. The HP ENVY 23 TouchSmart AiO PC comes with a 23-inch diagonal HD display and delivers a 10-point multitouch technology, supported by Intel Core i5 processor. It will hit the stores in India on December 20, priced at Rs 71,990. "Consumers now can choose from a broad range of HP PCs featuring multi-touch displays, versatile form factors, sleek designs or customizable solutions that address their needs," says Rajiv Srivastava, VP and GM - Printing and Personal Systems Group, HP India. HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems.
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In a human capital intensive industry like IT, wrong hiring decisions result in loss of productivity, attrition and associated ripple effects, says Sakaar Anand, Vice President, HR, CA Technologies, India. A former IT expert and people manager, Anand brings a top-level view of the functioning of every business within the organisation and the ability to add a business angle to HR. Anand believes a couple of things that the HR fraternity can look to change in the near future are providing pay for performance without a step-up in designation and (hold your breath) unlimited vacation for top-notch employees!In our series on HR practitioners, Anand is the fifth HR head to share with Businessworld.in what makes HR leaders tick. Excerpts from the conversationWhat made you choose HR as a profession?In my earlier roles, apart from dealing with infotech, I was a people manager and enjoyed a connect with the employees. It was a goldmine of an experience for me in terms of understanding others as well as myself, exercising self-control while listening objectively and guiding as a mentor, and not as a boss to motivate employees to give their best. At one point, the HR function used to report in to me. With these experiences on-hand, when the opportunity presented itself to don the HR hat, I readily accepted it. As HR head, I get a top-level view of the functioning of every business within the organisation and the ability to add the business angle to HR from my past experiences.What has been the biggest achievement of your career?The biggest achievement has been the ability to create an environment, that has enabled employees to come forward and provide honest feedback to the leadership team from time to time, that reflects the HR team’s credibility as a visible and value-added business partner. This accomplishment is a true reflection of the pride that employees have working for CA Technologies. It goes without saying that this is an ongoing process that will continue to be refined going forward. What have been the primary traits/qualities that have helped you attain your present position?My business know-how combined with technical expertise, and the ability to combine multiple functions to create a single cohesive team, are the traits that helped me attain my present position. What are the steps a company should take to develop and motivate future leaders?HR alone cannot groom leaders for tomorrow, but it has to partner with business to help identify talent and provide enrichment opportunities essential for grooming tomorrow’s leaders. While grooming is the key for future leaders, on-the-job training usually takes place. HR can put in place certain steps that not only help identify and groom but also help to retain future leadership talent. How do you retain talent in your company?Talent retention at CA Technologies is not just a reactive measure, but a proactive step to keep the current talent happy, in a manner, that employees consciously choose a long term career path with the organization. Right from freshers, to experienced professionals, CA Technologies believes in grooming talent, which automatically helps us retain talent. CA Technologies, creates forums that lets employees design their career paths within a framework called ECG - Eco system, Competency and GrowthFostering an atmosphere of innovation via various programmes – Discover@Work, TEDx, Coding Superstar, Club Avant Garde etc.For employees choosing management stream – New Manager Assimilation Programme, Management and Leadership Academy, Managerial Grand Prix, Leadership Development ProgrammeFor employees choosing technical stream – Individual Contributor Development programme to foster cross product and cross functional collaboration, build expertise, leadership and excellence.Work place flexibility and rewards – CA Technologies offers various avenues in terms of work place flexibility such as internal mobility both at local and global level, higher education and certification reimbursement, alternate work arrangement in terms of work from home option, tele-commuting and shared/remote workspaces established specifically for teleworkers.There is patent bonus and awards for employees going the extra mile to find new ways of doing things and going beynd their role as well. There is also a “author programme” that rewards employees after they publish articles, conference papers or books related to company business, outside the scope of their job responsibilities.What sets your company apart from other companies as far as work culture goes?As far as work culture is concerned, human is capital for us and not resources. We allow flexibility and also ensure that the candidate is “culturally fit” via brand interviews. We also have boot camps for campus hires with a variety of programmes and workshops to teach them soft skills plus technical sessions, assessments etc.How do you track employees' satisfaction or dissatisfaction in your company?When it comes to tracking dissatisfaction, we have multiple avenues to ensure that a single employee’s dissatisfaction does not create a ripple effect. The channels that are available at CA Technologies for employees to express their point of view are: Stay and exit interviews: One-to-one conversations with managers and/or HR Business Partners to understand employee aspirations. Going forward, we sometimes, modify policies of the company if needed. These interviews are called “moments of truth”.Change leadership core values assessment: A survey that provides employees a chance to provide feedback to the organisation about specific areas such as performance management, customer success etc. as well as rate leaders, in terms of assessing them, on their ability to live and lead by example, and determine whether the leaders serve as role models for employees to emulate.Regular round table discussions, skip-level meetings, town halls and email addressesEmployee champions: A group of employees act as liaison between, HR and employees to receive feedback about the existing and yet to be implemented policies and make corrections if warranted.WE CAre: An employee suggestion Chatter group where employees can suggest, ask and provide feedback about any aspect of the organisation. Concerned departments act on the suggestions/feedback to address employee concerns.Employee assistance programme (EAP): A completely confidential and free employee assistance programme through an external professional agency to employees and their immediate family members offering expert advice How important is HR to the bottom line of a company?The bottom line of any company is an amalgamation of multiple functions within the organisation, including HR. The duty of HR function is to prepare managers to hire the right talent. Especially, in a human capital intensive industry like IT, wrong hiring decisions invariably result in loss of productivity, attrition and associated ripple effects. The role a manager plays in identifying, recruiting and retaining the right talent significantly contributes to the bottom line.How should HR be integrated with the core line of business?The relationship between HR and Business functions is bi-directional. The function of HR is to provide intelligence and help create an organisation that can ably execute strategie. It is the duty of business to make HR an integral part of their strategic decision making process.If you could change three things about HR practices, what would they be?As a professional with 17 years of experience both on the business side and HR, here are a couple of things that the HR fraternity can look to change in the near future at an industry level:Compensation ceiling: Providing pay for performance without a step-up in designation. If an employee enjoys what he/she is doing, organisations should respect it, while ensuring that the employee is financially satisfied with the compensation. Linking compensation with designation demotivates the employee and in the process an organisation loses a subject matter expert.Unlimited vacation policy: As long as an employee delivers with top-notch quality, the employee should be entitled to unlimited vacation.(As told to Poonam Kumar)
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