Human Resources

Check my new website on Human Resource .You will find plethora of stuff on HR and related to HR .

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Horoscopes

Resignations -- " Now & Then "

There has been a sea change in the ways in which employeees submit their resignation to the company . Not only the mode but the emotional connect when submitting the resignation has also undergone a massive change . Neither Employees nor organistaions react when an employee moves from one place to another .In very few organistaions an attempt is made to study teh reason for any resignation and steps are taken to retain the trained staff . In Organistions which make an effort to retain a moving out talent are the organisations who value their employees and are concerned about their staff.

Unlike yesteryears , today when an employee submits a resignation there is no celebration on his last day to bid a good farewell .No momentos are given to the departing employee .In very few cases a ressurance of an open invitation to rejoin back until the position is filled is given to the employee .Also from the employee's point of view he abscond from the day s/he decide to quit .Just a Text SMS to the superior is more than enough to express disinterest to continue further .

The bond between the manager and his employee seems to be just contractual and not emotional .Subsequentally people rarely stay in touch except with personal friends the employee made during his tenure at the organisation .

Also Technology has widened the gap . Everything starting from sumbiting the resignation and accepting the resignation all happens online and thru E mail .Earlier people shared details about the new employer .Some good refernces were also provided .

Some organitions however do recognise the value of the employees ::

1) The best way to treat an exiting employee cud be a fat cheque , a big smile and a pat on his back .

2) Recognition is a gr8 motivator . Keeping in touch with the employee , touching base with him from time to time keeps an emotional bond alive and also helps to create a goodwill that will make him a brand ambassador who spreads a positive image .

What works in favour of ex employer is keeping track of special days and wishing ex employees on those occations . The firm that has a high employee connect and exit is a serious exercise is the one which an employee remembers all thru his life and spreads a good word around .

The BEST of organistions have detailed exit analysis where causative factors are analyzed and corrective measures related to structure , environment and leadership are taken from time to time .

Business Ethics

Every Business has some Ethics in its roots , on the basis of which ,its path ahead is defined . It becomes the responsibility of HR to make sure that ethics thus created are made known to its people , are followed and also are implemented .Ethics consists of moral principles governing the right and wrongs of human conduct ;its about the principles of right & wrong accepted by individuals or social group . They are the principles and standards that define acceptable conduct in business whih eventually should underpin decision making .

Normally companies get a COC (Code of Conduct )signed by their employees and donot place a seperate business policy .It becomes the duty of HR to place a seperate Business Ethics Policy in the company if it doesnot exist .It should be made ,mandatory for every employee to sign and adhere to it .It helps to create a healthy and ethical environment in the Organisations .

The following points may be kept in mind while framing the policy ::

1) The policy shoudl clearly define what employees shud do and dont .
2) There should not be any clause which provides a chance to escape .
3) Outside Business interests shud require the prior approval of the company .
4) Any kind of Bribe , gift is strictly prohibited .
5) Employees must not make any cash payments to its customers .
6) No payments shud be made to secure preferential action .
7) There should be a proper legal action laid in policy or panel decided to take action , if any breach of action occurs .

HR should take responsibility that managers ensure that employees reporting to them are fully informed of te Business Ethics Policy and the supporting Practices are adopted for their unit .

Thus , Industry needs to unite together and come towards forming strong Business Ethics Policies and take it seriously .This will enable peace and harmony @ the work place .

MBO

MBO or Management by Objectives is one of the techniques which can be used to asess an employee's potential or to set future performance goals for him .It is basically a future oriented Technique used for performace appraisal of an employee .

Peter F Drucker gave the concept of MBO .MBO can be described in 4 steps ::

Step 1) To establish the goals each subordinate is to attain .Supervisors and subordinates may work together to establish such goals .Goals wud mean a desired outcome to be achieved . Such goals are then used to evaluate the employees .

Step 2) Involves setting the performance standard for the subordinates in a previously arranged time period .As subordinates perform they know what to do , what has been done and what remains to be done .

Step 3) In this step the actual level of goal attainment is compared with the goals agreed upon . The evaluator explores the reaons for the difference . This helps determine the possible training needs .

Step 4) This step involves establishing new goals and possibly new starategies for goals agreed upon .If subordinate has succeded the goal attainment he may be involved in goal setting process .

MBO Process is more useful and successful with managerial personnel and employees who have a fairly wide range of flexibility & self control in their jobs .Jobs with little or no flexibility , such as assembly line work are not very compatible with MBO .

Empowered Teams

Empowering refers to passing on authority and responsibility .Empowerment occurs when power goes to employees who then experience a sense of ownership and control over their jobs .Empowered individuals know that their jobs belong to them . Since they have a say on how things are done employees feel more responsible . When they feel responsible they show more initiative in their work and enjoy the work more .
Empowered Teams are also known as Self directed Teams .

The following are the features of Self Directed Teams (SDT)::

1) They take the responsibility for the quality of their products and services .
2) They may hire their own replacement or assume responsibility for disciplining their own areas .
3) They are responsible for acquiring any new training they might need .
4) They order materials , keep inventories and deal with suppliers .
5) They may prepare their own budgets and cordinate their work with other departments .
6) They often create their own schedules and review their performance as a group .
7) They set their own goals and inspect their own work .
8) They plan , control and improve their own work processes .
9) They are empowered to share various management and leadership functions .

Orgnisational structure for empowered teams is flat . Management plays a role of a coach or a facilitator.Leadership is shared with the team unlike in a traditional system where its is controled .Informaton flow in such teams is open and is shared among team members .Rewards are skill based or team based .Teams collectively plan , control and improvise the job process .

Many companies are enhancing the number of self directed teams in their organisations .In some companies the divitional heads run their divisions like MD's run their companies .

Quality Circles

QC consists of 7 -10 people from the same work area who meet regularly to define , analyse and solve quality and related problems in their area .The membership is strictly voluntary and meetings are held once a week for and hour or two . During the initial meetings the members are trained in problem solving techniques borrowed from group dynamics , industrial engeenering & Quality Control .Some of the techniques include brainstorming , Pareto analysis , cause & effect analysis histograms , control charts , stratification and scatter diagrams .

QC are credited with producing quick , concrete and impressive results when correctly implemented .the following are the advantages ::

1) Employees are involved in decision making .
2) Savings to costs ratios generally are higher than those achieved with other productivity -improvements programms .
3) QC members enhance their chances of promotion to supervisory positions .

To several workers , accustomed to thinking of work as a mindless routine , what happens on the shop floor (thru QC ) is a welcome relief .QC give added power to the individual worker .They are a way of motivating the workers and retaining them .

QC begin with a great deal of training in identifying work problems , appkying statistics to track and evaluate quality .For circles to succeed in the long run , the mangement needs to show its commitment , by implementing some of the suggestions of the groups and providing feedback on the disposition of all suggestions .
Last and not the least they are an effective bridge between participative and non-participative management approaches .

Total Quality Management

TQM as it is called refers to deep commitment of an organisation to Quality .Quality of Products and services is an obsession and every process is subject to intense scrutinity to improve .Almost every issue is subject to exploration and process is a continuing one .Employees are provided by extensive training in problem solving , group decision making and statistical methods .

Why TQM is necessary in an organisation ???

1) To meet the customers requirement on time , the first time and 100 % of the time .
2) To strive to do error-free work .
3) To manage the work by prevention , and not by correction .
4) To measure the cost of Quality .

TQM comes under Participative method because every employee in the organisation is involved and is expected to take responsibility for improving quality ,everyday .It is a formal programme which involves direct participation by all the employees .Though the methods of participation may differ from company to company . TQM starts from the grassroot level and moves up since if the process is not improvised from the scratch , it will not result in enhancement of service . Thus all employees and the top management should contribute to uplift the quality of service to enhance a quality Product to customers .

Brainstorming --the right way !

Brainstorming is a v useful technique if used in the right way and doing it in a process .Brainstroming aids in motivation because it involves members of a team in bigger management issues, and it gets a team working together .For brainstorming activity to reap desired results it needs to be structured more than being random . following the Brainstoring process is crucial for it to create new ideas, solve problems, motivation and developing teams.

Using a Flip chart is v important while doing a brainstormings session This is crucial as Brainstorming needs to involve the team, which means that everyone must be able to see what's happening. Brainstorming places a significant burden on the facilitator to manage to manage the process, people's involvement and sensitivities, and then to manage the follow up actions. Effective Brainstorming session results in improving the organization's performance and developing the team.

The following 3 step process ensures an effective session ::

1) Planing and Agreeing to the Aim of Brainstorming

Ensure everyone participating in the brainstorm session understands and agrees the aim of the session (eg, to formulate a new job description for a customer services clerk; to formulate a series of new promotional activities for the next trading year; to suggest ways of improving cooperation between the sales and service departments; to identify costs saving opportunities that will not reduce performance or morale, etc). Keep the brainstorming objective simple. Allocate a time limit. This will enable you to keep the random brainstorming activity under control and on track.

2) Manging the Brainstorming Activity

Brainstorming enables people to suggest ideas at random. Your job as facilitator is to encourage everyone to participate, to dismiss nothing, and to prevent others from pouring scorn on the wilder suggestions (some of the best ideas are initially the daftest ones - added to which people won't participate if their suggestions are criticised). During the random collection of ideas the facilitator must record every suggestion on the flip-chart. Use Blu-Tack or sticky tape to hang the sheets around the walls. At the end of the time limit or when ideas have been exhausted, use different coloured pens to categorise, group, connect and link the random ideas. Refine the ideas by making new headings or lists. With the group, assess, evaluate and analyse the effects and validity of the ideas or the list. Develop and prioritise the ideas into a more finished list or set of actions or options.

3) Implementing the Actions Agreed

Agree what the next actions will be. Agree a timescale, who's responsible. After the session circulate notes, monitor and give feedback. It's crucial to develop a clear and positive outcome, so that people feel their effort and contribution was worthwhile. When people see that their efforts have resulted in action and change, they will be motivated and keen to help again.

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PEST Analysis --A Tool !!

The PEST analysis is a useful tool for understanding market growth or decline, and as such the position, potential and direction for a business. A PEST analysis is a business measurement tool. PEST is an acronym for Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors, which are used to assess the market for a business or organizational unit. The PEST analysis headings helps in reviewing a situation, and can also, like SWOT analysis be used to review a strategy or position, direction of a company, a marketing proposition, or idea.

Completing a PEST analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for workshop sessions. PEST analysis also works well in brainstorming meetings. Use PEST analysis for business and strategic planning, marketing planning, business and product development and research reports. One can also use PEST analysis exercises for team building games. PEST analysis is similar to SWOT analysis - it's simple, quick, and uses four key perspectives. As PEST factors are essentially external, completing a PEST analysis is helpful prior to completing a SWOT analysis (a SWOT analysis - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats - is based broadly on half internal and half external factors).

PEST is also extended to seven or even more factors, by adding Ecological (or Environmental), Legislative (or Legal), and Industry Analysis, which produces the PESTELI model.STEEPLED is another interpretation which includes pretty well everything except the kitchen sink(this is just to make u laugh ) : Political, Economic, Social and Technological - plus Ecological or Environmental, Ethical, Demographic and Legal .

Political

ecological/environmental issues
current legislation home market
future legislation
international legislation
regulatory bodies and processes
government policies
government term and change
trading policies
funding, grants and initiatives
home market lobbying/pressure groups
international pressure groups
wars and conflicts

Economic

home economy situation
home economy trends
overseas economies and trends
general taxation issues
taxation specific to product/services
seasonality/weather issues
market and trade cycles
specific industry factors
market routes and distribution trends
customer/end-user drivers
interest and exchange rates
international trade/monetary issues

Social

lifestyle trends
demographics
consumer attitudes and opinions
media views
law changes affecting social factors
brand, company, technology image
consumer buying patterns
fashion and role models
major events and influences
buying access and trends
ethnic/religious factors
advertising and publicity

Technological

competing technology development
research funding
associated/dependent technologies
replacement technology/solutions
maturity of technology
manufacturing maturity and capacity
information and communications
consumer buying mechanisms/technology
technology legislation
innovation potential
technology access, licencing, patents
intellectual property issues
global communications
ethical issues

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The Apprentices Act , 1961

Objective ::The Basic objective of this act is to provide for the regulation and control of training of apprentices .

Meaning :Any person who is undergoing apprenticeship training in pursuance of a contract of apprenticeship is an Appenrentice .
Two conditions must be fullfilled ::
1) He should be undergoing apprenticeship training .
2) There should be a contract of apprenticeship .

Education Criteria [sec 3]

The below education criterias must be fulfilled by any apprenticeship :

a) s/he should not be less than 14 years of age , and
b) s/he must subscribe teh prescribed standards of education and physical fitness .

Apprenticeship Training :: [sec 2]

It means a course of training in any industry or establishment undergone in pursuance of a contract of apprenticeship and under prescribed terms and conditions .Such a contract is called contract of apprenticeship .

Apprenticeship Contract [sec 4]::

Before undergoing any apprenticeship Training , there should be a contract b/w the employer and the person intending to be engaged as an apprentice.
In case of a minor , his guardian shall enter into a contract with the employer .

Registration of the Contract ::

1) The employer shall send the contract to the apprentieship adviser for registration within 3 months of the date on which it was signed .

2)The contract shall be registered by the apprenticeship adviser on being satisfied that the person described as apprentice in the said contract is qualified under this act .

Period of Apprenticeship Training[sec 6]

a) must be specified in the contract of apprenticeship .

b) in case of trade apprentices who have undergone institutional training in a school or any other instituion recognised by the national council the period must be decided by the institution or the council .

c) in case of other trade apprenticeship /technical aprenticeship /vocational apprenticeship , the period of training shall be as prescribed in the rules .

Payment to apprenticeship ::[sec 13]

1) The stipend paid by the employer to the apprentice should not be less than the prescribed minimum rate & the rate should be mentioned in the contract .

2) The stipend paid should not be on the basis of piece work nor he shall take part in any output bonus or other incentive scheme .

Obligation of Apprentices::

1) He should learn his trade conscientiously and diligently to qualify himself as a skilled person before the expiry of the peiod of training .

2) He should carry out all lawful orders of his employer & superiors in the establishments .

3) He should carry out his obligations under the contract of apprenticeship .

4) He should attend the practical and instructional classes regularly .

Novation of Contract of Apprenticehsip

If the employer for some reason is unable to fulfill his obligation then with the permission of apprenticehsip adviser the appentice or his guardian shall complete the training in another employer for the unexpired portion of the period of apprenticeship training .The agreement on registration with the AA shall be deemed to be the contract of apprenticeship b/w the other employer & the apprentice.

From the date of such registration the contract of registration from the first employer is deemed to be terminated .

Period of extention of Training ::

If the apprentice is unable to complete his training due to some strike /lockout or layoff in an establishment , the period of his apprenticeship training would be extended equal to the period of strike or lockout & s/he shall be paid a stipend during the period of such strike or lockout or layoff .

Termination of Contract

1) The contract gets terminated on the expiry of the period of apprenticeship training .

2) If its a mutual termination ,either party can make application for termination to the AA and thus also copy of the same to the other party who on being satisfied that it is in the interest of both parties shall register the contract as terminated .

3) If the contract is terminated from the employers side then he shall pay the prescribed amount of compentation to the apprentice .

4) If the contract is terminated for failure on the part of apprentice , he or his guardian shall refund the cost of training to the employer .

Terms used ::

AA =Apprenticeship Adviser
CAC = Central Apprenticeship Council
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Audit of HR Function

The folllowing cirterias would help measure effectveness of the HR Function in an organisation ::

1) The HR deptt plans the company's manpower needs proactively .

2) The HR deptt conveys organisational Goals to everyone .

3) The HR deptt links appraisal and compensation to corporate objectives .

4) The HR deptt meets the company's and individual training needs .

5) The HR deptt diseminates information down the ranks .

6) The HR deptt doesnot handle staff welfare , canteens or payroll mangement .

7) The HR deptt has knowledge of behaviourial sciences and industrial psycology .

8) The HR deptt gets feedback on its performance from its employees .

9) HR Practices are audited , ther costs computed and then effectiveness is evaluated .

10) The HR deptt is represented in strategy-building sessions of the Top Management .

11) HR issues are discussed explicitly when strategic plans are formulated .

12) The performance of the HR deptt and of the organisation are linked .

13) The HR deptt can easily compete for funds and management involvement .

14) HR managers have sufficient powers to suggest strategic initiative to the top management .

15) The structure of HR deptt is effective enough in delivering competant services .

16) Line managers are recruited along with trained specialists in the HR deptt .

17) The HR Function is given as much significance as other functions in the organisation

18) Last but not the least the Head of the HR deptt is always accessible to all its employees .

Balanced Score Card

It is a strategic planning and management system used to align business activities to the vision statement of an organization. A Balanced Scorecard approach is to take a holistic view of an organization .

A Balanced Scorecard approach generally has four perspectives:

1) Financial
2) Internal business processes
3) Learning & Growth (human focus, or learning and development)
4) Customer

Each of the four perspectives is inter-dependent - improvement in just one area is not necessarily a guarentee or recipe for success in the other areas .

Implementing the Balanced Scorecard system company-wide should be the key to the successful realisation of the strategic plan/vision.

A Balanced Scorecard should result in:

1) Improved processes
2) Motivated/educated employees
3) Enhanced information systems
4) Monitored progress
5) Greater customer satisfaction
6) Increased financial usage

Feedback is essential and should be ongoing and contributed to by everyone within the organization.

And it should be kept in mind that Balanced Scorecards do not necessarily enable better decision-making .

A ) Finance section could measure ::
1) Return On Investment
2) Cash Flow
3) Return on Capital Employed
4) Financial Results (Quarterly/Yearly)

B) Internal Business Processes ::

1) Number of activities per function
2) Duplicate activities across functions
3) Process alignment (is the right process in the right department?)
4) Process bottlenecks
5) Process automation

C) Learning & Growth ::
1) Is there the correct level of expertise for the job?
2) Employee turnover
3) Job satisfaction
4) Training/Learning opportunities

D) Customer ::

1) Delivery performance to customer
2) Quality performance for customer
3) Customer satisfaction rate
4) Customer percentage of market
5) Customer retention rate



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BELL CURVE METHOD IN AN ORGANISATION .

One of the errors in rating the employees in organisations is liniency which means we cluster a large numer of emloyees around a high point on a rating scale . Bell Curve also called Forced distribution method of performance Appraisal seeks to overcome this problem by compelling the rater to distribute the ratees on all points on the rating scale .

This method operates under an assumption that employee performance level conforms to a normal statistical distribution which is a Bell Curve .

Bell Curve assumes that in any organisation only 10% employees are excellent performers , 20% are Good , 40% are average performers , 20 % are below average and left 10 % are usatisfactory performers .

Any Organsiation which selects only good and skillfull performers and retain only them , the use of this method would be unrealistic and possibly v destructive to an employee morale .

The error of central tendency may also occur as the rater resists from placing an employee in the lowest or in highest group .

Difficulties also arise for the rater to explain to the ratee why s/he has been placed in a particulr group .One merit of this method is that it seeks to eliminate the error of liniency .

Bell Curve method is not acceptable to raters and ratees , especially in small groups or when group members are highly skilled .


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Performance Appraisal

Meaning::It is a systematic evaluation of the individual with respect to his or her performance on the job & his or her potential for development .

Need of Performance Appraisal in an Organisation::

1) To effect promotions based on competance and performance .

2) To confirm the services of probationry employees .

3) To assess training and development needs of the employees .

4) To give employees a constructive criticism and guidance for the purpose of their development .

5) To improve communciation in the organisation .PA provides a format of dialogue b/w superior and subordinate .

6) Performance Appraisal helps to measure th effectiviness of HR funstions of selection , training and transfers etc .

Application of Web 2.0 in HR management

Web 2.0 refers to second generation of web development and design ,that facilitate communication , secure information sharing , inter-operatability , and collaboration on the WWW. It facilitates communication & information sharing .The best part is that it is absolutely free of charge unlike yesteryears .

HR can also very smartly use web 2.0 becoz of the following reasons ::

1) Latest happenings in HR :: There are about 100's of website where one can learn about Hr policies and processes .One can even share their HR knowledge .

2) Helps in knowing employees :: Most generation "Y "employees create their profiles on social networking sites .By adding them to your link or network one can easily stay in touch with them , can know more about them ,their activities , their talents and can create a more strong human bond and friendship .

3) Internal communication Tool :: Companies Blogs / intranet sites are the best way to communicate HR voice to employees and vice versa .A Blog can be a v useful HR tool to allow free flow of information within the company & to keep in touch .

4) Reaching to candidates :: Presently there r many recuriting sites like recruitingblogs .com, naukri.com , timesjobs.com,shine.com,monster.com that allow to store jobs and profiles of candidates . With this and good networking we can contact the eligible candidates .

Universal Management Functions

There r mainly 4 universal management functions::

1) Planning :: Plans should define real value and must be linked to external needs .

2) Organizing :: How the managers structue the organisation and how does the successful execution of the plans happens .

3) Leading :: Leadership requires selecting & developing the right people with right skills @ right time , assuring decisions are made in just way which fosters commitment and building an environment of open communication & self motivation .

4) Controlling :: Effective measures should exist to control the fucntions .Without effective controlling the alignment is v difficult .

TIPS FOR HR PROFESSIONALS

1) Every HR must understand the Business & all its nuances from the customer/business/sales /operations point of view .If ther undertand the meaning of the business then only they can truly connect to their roles .

2) HR Professionals must develop skills sets in technology ,IT etc .This will bring efficiency in their work .

3) Relavant legal Frameworks shud be known and learnt by all HR people .Not having a legal knack can be a disaster and without which HR practices will be weak . This may require some study aswell .

4) A flair needs to be develop connect with people -build rapport with them -while maintaining strengths of conviction on difficult matters .

5) Constant and transparent communication should be practised as a regular norm in the organisation .it helps to keep employees motivated and connected with the organisation .

6) Creating a friendly and open environment that fosters a culture of caring the key assets in organisation is v important .

7) HR shuld aim hard to develop a robost Performance Management matrix .

8) A culture shud be developed wherein top management walks the talk .

9) HR professinals should also strive to bring about newness in the system by contantly changing and innovating for the better .

10) Hr shuold also create a condusive work environment .few problems @ workplace is the key to reduce stress @ work and create a happy employee which bring an overall pleasant rhythem in the organisation .

11) HR professionals should unlearn and learn all the time to develop & grow .

BACKGROUND SCREENING

With higher incidences of Resume Embellishments hassle free verification system is a must in every organisation or must say where this is a pre-norm .With limited number of jobs available and more candidates chasing the same , candidates may just do up their CV's to improve their employability .

Since the cost of making a wrong hiring could be very disasterous,thus companies do extensive background screening on potential employees, contract employees and vendors .

Lack of digitised information is a key challenge faced in india and indeed in the whole of Asia .Thus this makes conventional processes of verification more expensive , document driven and inefficient .Another reason for the same is that in india there is a dearth of database Infrastructure .Universities and colleges maintain records in files-in hard copies . It is the same with police stations , Pf registraror and even RTO's .Eg if a crime is commiteed in one part of the country ,most other police stations are not aware of that except for the police station in whose juristration the crime was commited .

What we require is an organised and centralised database that is reliable , updated and accessible to all involved .From a recruitment perspective , a collaraborative online database solution involving all parties concerned --the candidate , the recruiter , the verifier , the verifying authorities etc--will help in developing a "pre qualifies and prechecked 'ready to hire talent pool .

We need to create a web based online database.It will cover all industries and all sectors .The online service will facilitate faster verification of facts submitted by candidates seeking employment with less documentation compared to the current more conventional methods of verification .With this all information supplied by the candidate will be availoable in public domain . Such model has to be in complaiance with all relevant privacy laws in Asia PAcific .

TIPS TO DO MORE WITH LESS " T "BUDGET .

In this article I will give you some tips on how to achieve most from a Reduced Training Budget and to continue meeting our employee needs .So lets read down ...

1)What's essential to the survival of the Business :: We need to sharpen our focus .We shud determine what is critical for the business & utilise the financial resources in those areas .

2)Cut travel costs ::Airfare , lodging and meals for dozens of employees for a week can be prohibitive .Instead we can bring one trainer to the employees or better still we can conduct the training via video conferencing .Investigate measures with low cost or rather free of cost .

3)Mentoring Programs :: we can create a formal mechanism for mentoring and coaching of junior employees through a structured program . Our experienced employees can get handy during this time . What do you think??

4) Job Swapping :: Helps employees to learn skills from each other on the job . It requires just no budget .

5) Tap Free Resources :: Incentivize employees to attend free seminars and conferences that can increase networkoppurchunitiesand get exposure to up-to-date topics .

6) Develop In House Trainers :: Companies can use idle internal resources for taking training sessions across different locations . The employees who volunteer for such can be given an additional point during the performance review . This position will be favourable to both .

7) OnLine Training :: With technology advancing everyday to te next level , online training can take care of our routine trainings like INDUCTIONS. Moving courses online reduces travel , instructor and vendor costs.

8) Increase classroom Fill in Rates :: More participants attending one session mean signaficantly fewer sessions required in a year .

9) Eliminate Catering ::Either catering shud be completely avoided or participants can be given a lunch break during the session where in they can be asked to go out for lunch or can have their tiffins therein .Yes , they have to bring in tiffins like any other routine day .

10) Various Inhouse exercises :: like GD's , debates will encouage healthy team building exercises .Internal Seminars and conferences can be conducted in house .All these will only foster learning and sharing in the organisations .

INTELLIGENT OPTIMISM --A CRITICAL SKILL

Martin seligman is the psycologist who framed this word "OPTIMISM " .But ever heard of intelligent optimism ?? Did i heard No ! Not to worry .Today I will give u a bunch on that word .With so much troublesome air around us and things moving slow in life there is hope to stay with this word .Here's a lowdown ....

Intelligent optimism doesnot deny the reality of today's world but rathers seeks to learn how to fashion our lives amid such existing difficulties .By meditating the below you can actually get optimistic in life ::

1) Dont get carried away by circumstances you cannot control or change .You cannot change global Warming but you can control your energy consumption .You cant stop downsizing in the company but you can arm yourself with marketable skills.

2) Dissolve some money or time on something that truly gives you immense pleasure and ightens your spirit .

3) Reframe the event so that you are not a victim .There is always a another way to view a situation .If you can't get that project figure out what you shud not do in when vouching for another .

4) Start everyday with a Gratitude .

5) Dont see yourself as a victim . Rather if one thg slips out from your hand try to do somethg different .

6) Think enough !! When we concentrate on what we dont have we miss out on many things that we still have .Think what you can do to se a result that gives you a sense of power .

7) Refuse to watch or read anything that puts a dark pall over your day . instead of tuning into gloom , read a book that transport you to another time & a better mood .

8) Last practice saying this mantra ," This too shall Pass ".It always has and it always will .

Welfare Facilities outside the Premises

Employee welfare includes everything that contributes to the general well being of the employee .It includes all services ,facilities , amenities established to enable employees to perform in a healthy and congenial surroundings .

In addition to providing welfare facilities in the factory ,employees are also prvoded certain benefits and facilities outside the factory .

These include ::

+ organising sports and athelite meet ;
+ Education facilities ;
+ Housing facilities ;
+ Recreational facilities including sports & cultural actvities;
+ Library & reading Rooms;
+ Holiday homes & leave travel facilities ;
+ Consumer's cooeperative stores & fair price shops ;
+ vocational training and
+ Transpotation facility to & from the place of work .

JOHARI WINDOW MODEL

Johari window is also known as'information processing tool'. The Johari Window model was developed by American psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham in the 1950s .It actually represents information - feelings, experience, views, attitudes, skills, intentions, motivation, etc - within or about a person - in relation to their group.
Today the Johari Window model is especially relevant due to the influence of, 'soft' skills, behaviour, empathy, cooperation, inter-group development and interpersonal development in the organisations .The Johari Window model is a simple and useful tool for improving self-awareness, and mutual understanding between individuals within a group .

Johari window has 4 regions ::
1) Open area
2) Blind area
3) Hidden area
4) Closed area

OPEN AREA :: It is also called a public area and has attributes known to the person himself and also to the others . Anythg that is known to others and also to the person himself will fall under this arena .

BLIND AREA :: what is unknown by the person about him/herself but which others know comes in this area . It is also called blind area, blind self, .

HIDDEN AREA :: what is unknown by the OTHERS about him/herself but which s/he knows comes in this area .It is also called hidden self or Facade .

CLOSED AREA :: what is unknown by the person about him/herself and is also unknown by others comes in this region . It is also called unknown area or unknown self .

Johari window is a v important tool to do self analysis and analysis of the group which result in better understanding among group members and increase communication and helps to also improve the productivity of the group .Many organistaions use this as a tool to improve performance in the group .

One shud try to increase his OPEN AREA and minimise his CLOSE AREA for a better self analysis and when using this tool in the group the aim should always be to develop the 'open area' for every person, because when we work in this area with others we are at our most effective and productive, and the group is at its most productive level too.

The open free area, or 'the arena', can be seen as the space where good communications and cooperation occur, free from distractions, mistrust, confusion, conflict and misunderstanding and thus better productivity .

Kirkpatrick Training Evaluation Model.

Donald L Kirkpatrick Training Evaluation model also called the 4 levels of Training Evaluation Model is the most widely used method of evaluating the training Programs in the organisations .Kirkpatrik's model is now considered the industry standard across HR and Training communities .

According the Kirkpatrick any Training program should be measured under the below 4 parameters from the students ::

1) Reaction from the students
2) Learning
3) Behaviour
4) Result

REACTION :: This parameter measures how do the participants react to any training program.Their instant reaction about a training program .This cud be measured by verbal reaction or feedback forms just after the session . Such a reaction is easy & quick to obtain and also is inexpensive .

LEARNING :: This parameter measures what has been the learning after the training program .Whether the participants feel that their knowledge has increased after the session . This can be measured by filling the assessment sheets just before and after the program or by doing interviews or by simple observation or by asking question from the participant immediately after the class .

BEHAVIOUR :: Behaviour can be measured when the trainee appliees the learning back on his job .Observation & interview over time are required to assess change and relevance of change .Measurement of behaviourial change requires coperation and support of Line Managers .

RESULT :: Result evaluation is the effect on the business or the environment resulting from an improved performance by the trainee .Measures would typically be business or organisational key performance indicators, such as:Volumes, values, percentages, timescales, return on investment, and other quantifiable aspects of organisational performance, for instance; numbers of complaints, staff turnover, attrition, failures, wastage, non-compliance, quality ratings, achievement of standards and accreditations, growth, retention, etc.
It is possible that many of these measures are already in place via normal management systems and reporting.The challenge is to identify which and how relate to to the trainee's input and influence.Therefore it is important to identify and agree accountability and relevance with the trainee at the start of the training, so they understand what is to be measured .

X Manager or Y Manager -which one is yours ??

Douglas McGregor is the Man who framed thoese two theories in Management parlance .According to this MIT professor ,management or the manager works either on X theory or Y theory .

Theory X :: According to this thoery manager assumes that his employees are lazy , unmotivated , dislike their work and must be coerced to perform .This manager feels that his team is just crazy and needs to be controlled to the "T" .He dont trust his employees and will blame th team or the employee without questioning .This kind of manager is an impediment to employee morale and productivity . He believes that his team is the most irresponsible team in the world and if he wudnt have been there oh god ! what wud have happened ?. Under this manager no freedon of work is given to the employees .Becoz of this belief about his team such manager adopts a authoritarian style of leadership based on threat of punishment.One of the reason why the manager is like that cud be that he himself is insecure about his job .

Theory Y ::In this kind of leadership style a manager assumes that his employees may be ambitious , self motivated , responsible and may have self control , self direction , autonomy and empowerment. Such a manager gives immense freedom of work to his team , is empathatic , understanding and open to his team . communication is more friendly and while conversing he makes his team v comfortable with him .Employees enjoy under such a leader .Theory Y manager believes that given the right conditions most people will want to work well and that there is a pool of unused creativity in his team . He will try to take all possible steps which may be hinderence to his employees morale and creativity .He takes care of his team from all angles . Also such maanger is strong and is not insecure about his own job .He creates a v good and healthy atmosphere in teh organisation .

Studies show that imbibing theory Y leadersip style in the organisation results in happy , motivated and more satisfied employees who actually respects their leader .

GROUP DYNAMICS

Group Dynamics is a study of groups . Considering teh field of psycology , socilogy and communication studies , a group is a bunch of 2 or more individuals who are connected to each other by social relationships .Because people in the groups interact with one another they develop a number of dynamic processes that seperate them from random collection of individuals .Group Dynamics is basically concerned with small group behaviour .Thus each group has some strengths , weaknesses , culture , behaviour , communication channel and so on . It is these parameters whih make the group strong or weak depending on how functions what .

In OD Group Dynamics refers to understanding the behaviour of people in groups such as task groups that r trying to do a particular task or make a conclution . An individual with experience can assist a group in accompalishing its objective by diagonising its functionality and intervening to alter the group operating behaviour .

Because people gather in groups for reasons other than tasks accompanishments we have an arm of groups caled personal groups like prayer groups , study groups , encounter groups etc .the group leader will generally have a strong influence on teh group because s/he can shape the group outcomes . His influence will depend on his race , sex , income , appearance and personalty as well as organisation structures and various other factors .

Various theories have emerged on group dynamics . One very famous theory is by Bruce Tuckman . Tuckman model states that AN IDEAL GROUP decision making should happen in 4 stages --Forming , Storming , norming and performing .I will talk about this in detail in my coming articles.

Following are the dimentions of group Process ::
1) Patterns of influence ,
2) Patterns of communication and coordination ,
3) Level of Group Effectiveness ,
4) PAtterns of Dominance ,
5) Balance of Tasks focus vs Social Focus &
6) How conflict is handled in a group .

Group Dynamics forms the basics of Group therapy . People from all spheres may use their knowledge of group dynamics to aid their cause .

So you wanna STAY !

Well , shud you move on or stay a litle more ?? Lots of people find themselves in the situation where they’re not ready to move jobs – perhaps because they’ve only been in the role a short time, or because they want to gain more experience. So if you find yourself in the situation where you’re in a job that is okay but not brilliant, the below points will make your job more interesting ....

A low down on Some suggestions :

Work Flexibly ::
check if you have a scope to work more flexibly? Working from home one day a week, for example, could give you more variety. This is not an excuse to get up late and lie around watching daytime TV, though – you’ll need to be able to show some output for your time away from the office! This shud be done only by discussing the options with your manager.

Learn More ::
If you feel you’re not being stimulated enough mentally, consider doing some training or a course that is work-related: it will give you new insights, help to keep you fresh, and will be a useful addition to your CV when you are ready to move on.


Think Positive ::
Focus on the positives – what do you really like about your job . How could you incorporate more of that into your working day? Remind yourself of the other positive aspects of your work – your friends and colleagues,convenience level with your boss, nice office to work in , location is best for you , its near to your house , for instance.

Try to throw yourself to Challenge ::
Find new challenges. One of the reasons that we can get restless in our job is simply, boredom. Think about ways in which you could make your role more interesting. Perhaps you could volunteer to mentor new staff, or spend some time every week shadowing people in other departments to get a broader perspective on the business .


Networking is the key ::
Network more. If meeting new people is not already part of your role, find ways to incorporate it. Meeting people and getting fresh perspectives can help you to keep yourself interested and interesting. If there don’t seem to be many networking opportunities where you are, create some! Organize a team outing, or arrange for you and your colleagues to meet up with staff from another part of the company.

Balance & Prioritise Your Workload ::
Get used to prioritizing your workload – negotiate extensions to deadlines if necessary – and make yourself leave the office on time at least 3 nights a week. Most of us have periods when we’re extra-busy and end up working long hours, but if this is happening to you routinely, you need to get out of that rut.

Have Some Fun boys ::
Inject a bit of fun into your workplace. That could be as simple as "Subway Sandwich" on a Monday morning breakfast (veg or non veg , i leave it up to you ) or a team drink on Friday afternoon. Or it could be a more structured social event. Your work colleagues don’t have to be your bosom buddies, but you’ll enjoy your working day much more if there’s a bit of banter and humour around. Just because your work is a serious business doesn’t mean you can’t have fun while you do it!

Improve Your Social Life ::
Make an effort to do more interesting things outside of work. If your working week consists of getting up in the morning, going to work, coming home, having dinner, slumping in front of the TV and then going to bed, your job is going to have a disproportionate impact on your overall mood. Try to fit a couple of social engagements into your week – a dancing class or an art exhibition, perhaps, or just a catch-up with friends you haven’t seen for a while. Having something to look forward to during the week will help to make it more enthusiastic .

Swine Flu Challenges Before HR

Swine Flu is caused by what is clinically called H1N1 Virus .The Virus was first detected in United States in the month of April 2009 and reports suggests that it has spead to almost all parts of the World including small islands like Belize , nevis & Micronesia .The H1N1 Virus is contagious and is spereading from humans to humans .

The symptoms of the virus inclue Fever, coughing , sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache ,chills & Fatigue . Some people infected with virus also report diarrhea and vomitting .

Corporates like any othershould too should be very cautious and HR Deptt should take a lead steps in taking all pecautions in their organistaions to prevent it from speading into their Domains .

No VAccination is available to protect against H1n1 as of now .The following Prevention and Treatment Steps will help to protect your health . Colorful posters shud be spread in all places in the organisation to spread awareness .The information shold be available in evey cabin , @ every Desk , every enterance , every Exit and even on Emails .It is the duty of the HR Deptt to run an awareness campaign and to make people concious about Swine Flu in the organisation .

BAsic Tips :

1) Cover your nose & mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough .
2) Try to avoid close contacts wth sick People .
3) Avoid Touching your eyes, nose or mouth as bacteria spreads this way .
4) Wash your hands more often with soaps .Alcohol based HAnd cleaners are also effective .
5) If you r sick with Flu like symptoms stay home for atleast 24 hours after your fever is gone .
6) Keep away from others as much as possible to avoid affecting others .

Facilities under the Factories Act

It is the duty of the occupier to take care of the Health , Safety and welfare of workers while theyare working in the factory[sec 7A] .

Welfare :: Adequate FAcilities for washing , sitting , storing clothes when not worn during working hours [sec 42]. If a worker has to work in standing position , sitting arrangement to take short rests shud be provided [sec 44] .Adequate first Aid Boxex shall be provided and maintained in the place of work .[sec 45] .

The following facilities should be provided by large factories::
1) Ambulance rom must be available if 500 or more workers are employed.
2) CAnteen if 250 or more workers are employed . It should be sufficiently lighted and ventilated and suitable located[sec46] .
3) Rest Rooms /Shelters with drinking water when 150 or more workers are employed [sec47].
4) Creches if 30 or more women workers are employed [sec48].
5) A fulltime officer if a factory employs 500 or more workers is a must [sec 49].
6) A safety Officer is a must if 1000 or more workmen are employed in large factories .

Meaning of EMPLOYEE WELFARE :: The term "employee welfare " means facilities provided to workers in and outside the factory premises such as canteens , rest and recreation Rooms , housing and other well being of workers. welfare measures are concerned with general weel being and efficiency of workers .

Is it a Bad Boss or is just difference of opinions ????

Well to be politically correct would say that nobody is good or bad but its just differences of opinions about people around us .Be it out boss , our collegues , our co deptt frds , our Team members which may or maynot be sitting with us or just anybody with whom we interact .In a corporate environment all our interactions are with our bosses which play agreat role in our success or climbing up the ladder .what if we dont gel with him /her or can say have difference of opinions between us . Shud we quit ?? Shud we accept and surrender to him ?

We as humans would react differently to this situation . some one will thk yes i will surrender and would like to surrender to his demands and others will say its heights and i have had enough and thats it , i cant handle it .

The reaction to this would be dependent on various factors maybe our appraisal is round the corner or our bonus is due r market conditions are down so an employee will be complacent and will adjust .

what if the boss is behaving bad delebrately and he doesn't want you there in the organisation or say in his team ? how will u react ?? Well the below steps may just help ....
Step 1 :: Have a one to one discussion with the Boss and try to sought out thgs amicably and in Peace .
Step 2 : Inform the head of your deptt about the problem being faced by you and keep him in loop .
Step 3 :: Keep a log of tasks given and tasks completed which may be handy later .

If things cant improve and you feel that you have tried every spade in your bag then just look out finally .

Training

On an organizational level, the success of the program development of human resources is the individual to achieve a higher level of work preparing, organized learning over time, the ability to effect changes value . In these settings, the development of human resources within the organization, which focuses on skills in the first phase, training and staff development through training for organizations to meet long term needs of the different objectives and guidance and value to its employees current and future employers. Human Resources Development simply the development of the most important part of every human society are defined, to achieve or improve the skills and attitudes of employees at all levels to maximize the effectiveness of the enterprise. The people within an organization are the human resources. Development human resources in view of the company is not quite the individual growth and development occurs, "Development, the Organization of the value of improving not only individual improvement. Individual training and development is a tool and a means to an end, not the end goal itself. The broader concept of national policies and greater attention to the strategic development of human resources is increasingly recognized as the new independent states with a tough competition for its workforce is highly qualified, and the resulting brain drain, they occur