HR- a phenomenon...

Well, I have done my Masters in HR…. but why only HR? Weren’t there any other streams which were good? The answer is - Certainly there are many other streams which are as popular as this, but HR has its own functional importance in it (not like others don’t).

The question posed above is a common question asked in any interview if s/he is a fresher. This question determines the commitment levels in that particular field the candidate has. Not to mention that it is the keen interest of a person which makes him soar high in the sky (career ladder).

HR as a domain has its own important role to play in any organization of any type. For any HR person to be successful there are certain key skills which define them, this is where an HR is different from others. HR is very much function dependent i.e., it is a key attribute of any HR to work under one roof with other departments, after all HR is more to do with people management rather than managing other aspects, where people are considered as a very important asset of any organization.

As mentioned in many places that HR basically deals with development of people.HR function these days also plays a vital role in any business development and not to forget revenue generation to the company as well, this the very reason you have got RPOs and Consulting firms where there major duty is Recruitment and Training. It’s only HR who can tell what to do to retain certain employee and making them productive for the job.

HR as a support function is more like a bone marrow which needs to be taken care of, if not, then its like a person who is on the bed, who can very much hear, listen and speak but the overall performance gets decline by no moment or actions.

Not to ignore the fact that HR is still considered to be a support function but it is nevertheless the most important function that every organization has.

What makes HR different from others that make an HR a good HR;

• Communication skills: talking doesn’t mean that one should make sentences filled with jargons which the other person doesn’t understand. Even when talking sentences it should have simple English with no ambiguity else it not called Communication and there is great probability that nebulous thoughts take their place.
• Adaptable and Approachable: even if one holds a higher position in any field, for good environment and success, the senior management should be approachable and friendly so that if the employee needs to discuss an issue or any grievance should not hesitate to knock the management doors.
• Assertive but not rude: this is one quality which helps one in achieving what one wants. Being assertive does not mean that you need to be rude and arrogant (many people mistake this for being rude and sharp in their talk) in getting things done which is not at many a times appreciated. While being assertive one needs to articulate things properly so that the arrow hits the target without injuring anyone around.
• Networking and Research: this forms another important aspect of HR. As an HR, a person should have good networking skills and has its benefits to the organization in many ways. Research is the other domain which is important; as it’s when you do research you get in depth of what is happening in and around the world and have an upper edge over others in many aspects. These two are very different aspects but can be certainly aligned to each other to get the best in what needs to be done.

These are many of the few attributes an HR needs to imbibe in order to be efficient and effective.

REWARD & RECOGNITION- EVERYBODY LIKES IT!!!

It’s quite natural that everybody craves to be appreciated and praised. Remember your childhood days when you would get a candy bar or good clothes or cycle etc for work done well, the parents would turn out to be the best source of advertisement to tell how their children had made them proud and how much they are happy about it, its quite embarrassing after sometime but you like it the way it is and it makes you happy, doesn’t it???

To be praised, appreciated, and reward accordingly for the job performed well is quite human and its natural feeling for anyone wanting to be appreciated and rewarded, for putting their best efforts, for achieving the target or going beyond what is expected. These praises, appreciations, recognitions are “THE” attributes which drives one to keep moving and motivated in order to perform well and as expected.

Like Boost is the secret of Sachin’s energy, in the same way these Reward and Recognitions are “the boost” factors of every employee of any organization. This kick of boost is required quite often in any normal working environment. If these capsules are not giving on a regular note, there is a possibility that employees become weak and demotivated. These boosting factors are like vitamin capsules they need to be given on a regular note. Therefore it’s quite important to keep the employees motivated for better to best results and at this point R&R (Reward & Recognition) Program plays a vital role.

R&R, if given a little modification can be like R-R i.e., Retention to Retirement. These R&R programs are one of the effective factors which helps in retaining employees and make them productive (though there are many factors which help in employee retention but considering R-R to be on the priority list), its effect is seen as some employees stay in the organization for longer duration till the time they attain retirement (R-R).

Making R&R program effective is a challenge, as the motivating factors vary to a very large extent from employee to employee, like an employee may be motivated from a monetary reward the same may not be the factor for the other. It’s again important that there are no loop holes in the program by placing the challenges and targets fair and transparent, and making it in align with the job well performed and fair targets achieved. A lot of research goes into this, one need to be careful in designing the same.

Well, at the end it would not be wrong to say that, R&R needs to be one among many motivating factors that make an employee achieve better and better each time and helping them become an idol so that looking at them others put in their best of the efforts. Hence, this program should not be taken for granted but one considers it as “the boost” factor which strengthens the relationship between the employees and the organization to a large extent.

Grapevine- Can be minimized

Grapevine a “creepy monster”; Can call it a monster because it invades every nook and corner of any organization. It’s inevitable that this creepy creature gets all its way even with the top management, middle management and lower management and from an invisible link where unauthorized flow of information prevails. It can be truly said that its inevitable and destroying its mere roots are utterly impossible.

The above content tells all ill about Grapevine but, on a contrary it’s not that evil as well, at times Grapevines are good to be, they not only informally speak about many things but also add lot of value addition to our daily work, its also acts as KT at times.

On the other hand it’s at the discretion of the management to handle it. It is certain that it cannot be removed or destroyed completely but its effects can be minimized. The following are some measures by which this can happen:

• It is must for Top Management cadre to heed the rumors around by tracking it by being an active participant, as s/he may track down the negative stuff and add what is accurate/ definite.
• Listen without loosing temper- there may be things which are not good to hear or which might be totally false but it’s the duty of the management to pay appropriate heed to it and not to loose cool, else it may turn out to be the other way round, hence one need to be patient enough to handle such things.
• Correcting the inaccurate info- it’s necessary to interrupt and stop the flow of inappropriate and inaccurate information which otherwise will generate negative impact among the employees. When the management gets to know about these incorrect information, the management should try and communicate which is “the correct” information and try to stop spreading the inaccurate chain any longer.
• Open Door Policy: No matter how big or small the size of the organization is, the management should be such that they are easily approachable and open to the employees so that they come up to the management and openly discuss without any barriers.
• The management can also be assertive by confronting him/her directly asking him/her to stop it then and there, as an HR one needs to be smart and assertive in handling them.
• The management needs to be transparent in their approach, so that all the policies and commands are easily communicated to the employees by providing them periodical training and holding meetings at regular intervals.

The above mentioned measures are among the very few steps that the management can take which may not completely eradicate it but at least can help in minimizing its effect.

GRAPEVINE- its gossip in the Organisation...

It had happened and it will again happen, it has not spared anyone in any industry irrespective of which designation one is in or department they belong to; it has not spared us in our relations with others as well, let it be friendship or anything else, so how can our corporate work environment be untouched.

This ‘touch’ (you may call it a virus or a parasite) is called “Grapevine”. It is actively involved in corporate sector. Like the name goes, these act as creepers.
Grapevine, the very basic definition of this is “something which is learnt unofficially and informally through gossip or rumors”.

These Grapevines are actually part and parcel of any group activity inside or outside the organization.
This type of nebulous phenomenon is common no matter you are a clerk, an executive or even a senior manager. Grapevine grows stronger and stronger day by day and also depends on number of groups formed. These are normally cultivated in areas like dinning hall, pantry, parking lots and wherever people get in groups.

These are more common during the period of appraisals, mergers, collaborations, deployment etc and they move haphazardly breaking the formal line of communication. They are so vague and unclear, they actually tend to take you in a different set of organizational climate altogether.

Many face this, I faced it, and one can’t deny the fact that when you get involved into this, you also become a part of the game. These Grapevines are good for people who are working in groups and teams as this acts as a catalyst for making the team more intimate and stronger. Nevertheless, this is an easiest mode of communicating, it has the capacity of penetrating even the highest security because it crosses all the boundaries and fences and gets directly with people.

To my surprise even those who don’t want to be a part of this communication indirectly become part of it. I have noticed that this type of grapevine is beneficial for the organization in many aspects. 75% of the organization policies and procedures are shared through Grapevine communication. Best example: The first day of your college or office, people telling you this is not accepted, this is the way its appreciated, you have to have good rapport with this person you will get appraised else no, s/he likes it in this manner only!!!!. And who can forget those college and school days during exam times as in this will come and that will come, this is included and that is excluded, so on and on….

This method of communication are actually very informative many a times, its up to us for believing or ignoring it but certainly you cant shrug your shoulders off from it.

NonVerbal- One of the many ways to Communicate- BODY LANGUAGE!!

It’s said that that the way you carry yourself makes or builds confidence in you… is this right??? Yes, so factually true… its your body language which communicates non-verbally about you mental persona.

Here are some inputs on body language that would be of great help to all our members in their day-to-day life, to improve their soft skills personally and professionally.

What you say is important, but, what you do is very very important. It has been researched that your body does not lie. Most commonly used body gestures and their meaning. They would be of help to you.

Arms crossed over chest - Defensiveness or anxiety

Swinging arm - Want to walk away from a situation

Eye blinking - Fast blinking signals stress/anxious

Downward gaze - Feeling defeated

Taking notes - Shows interest or involvement

Hand over mouth - Can mean boredom

Arms behind head and leaning back - Looking for power or control

Unbuttoning coat - Openness

Buttoning coat - Feels trapped and wants to leave

Standing with hands behind back - Confidence

Clearing throat - Nervousness

Rubbing back of neck - Defensiveness

Hands flat on table - Ready to agree

Stroking chin - Evaluating or thinking

Foot tapping - Impatience

Rubbing the eye - Doubt or disbelief

Rubbing hands - Anticipation

Tilted head - Interest

Pulling / tugging ear - Indecision

So next time you are communicating be aware of yours and the others’ body language and understand what it means.

Simon Sinek: How great leaders inspire action