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