Saturday, November 9, 2019

Daring Greatly


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”


How do you handle defeats ? How do you handle failures in Life ? Do you talk about your failures ? 
Or do you show only the shiny and rosy picture of you to the world ? 

We learn more from failures than from successes . Yet Leaders who talk about their failures in Social Spaces are rare. Does your organisation has a culture of discussing failures and learning from them ? Or Do Leaders brush failures under the carpet . 

You cant create a learning organization unless people are encouraged to ask questions and discuss such issues openly. Leader's approach to handling failures is Quiet telling about the culture of an organization . 


Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Standing Ovation at IBM

Sukumar trigged a discussion on Standing Ovationon twitter today and hence this brief post .
If I have seen this far, it is on the shoulder of Giants ( IBM) 







 



  



 


First time, I received Standing Ovation from Pavan Vaish, CEO and  SLT Senior Leadership Team at IBM Daksh in 2009 for Implementing IBM BlueIQ Program as Country Lead in India.
I was awarded Most Valuable Ambassador award for my contributions .
I got opportunity to work and collaborate with Luis Suarez who is a friend till date . Yayy to 10 years of Friendship . Luis lives in Gran Canaria Isaland , Spain and travels world over for talks and Public Speaking 

Second time, I received Standing Ovation by New Hires for conducting Training session for new IBMers at Noida location where i trained them on IBM Collboration tools and Communities which are hotbeds of Innovation at IBM  . 
I was leading Enterprise wide Social Media Adoption Program as Country Lead for IBM India at that time. This role was over and above my day job as WorkForce Partner ( HR) at IBM in voluntary capacity as Stretch Assignment :-)

Hi


Sunday, August 11, 2019

Wicked Problems for Policy Making

We learnt about Wicked Problems in Design Thinking class.

Complex problems like Education and Healthcare are good examples of Wicked problems.
Wicked problems are inherently complex , requires multi disciplinary approach and has 10 distinct characteristics 

Climate crisis will also fall under the category of wicked problem because the articulation is not straightforward and there can't be one simple or final solution.

I love this quote by Albert Einstein -

It's not that I'am so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer.  - Albert Einstein


I have been researching ,speaking, articulating, lending voice  and stayed with few problems since many years . One of them is the problem of Gender Equality. 



108 Years: Wait for Gender Equality Gets Longer as Women’s Share of Workforce, Politics Drops


Networks are suggested as a resource for tackling wicked problems in this Nonprofit Quarterly reprint. 

What are common wicked problems? How are wicked problems different from other problems?
In the Digital World that we live in, Regulatory Framework by Governments around Data privacy would also be categorised as  wicked problem







Read Bill and Melinda Gate Annual letter 2019 to understand some wicked problems 


What wicked problems you are working on ? Who are the stakeholders involved ? 
How do you go about identifying the problem ? What are the solutions proposed ? 
Who are the sponsors ? 

Would love to hear your views on Wicked Problems in India. 

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

HR Value to Organisations and India Economy





I consider myself privileged to be a key member of the SHRM Network and one of the Top 10 HR Influencer recognised by SHRM .

 My observation after attending HR Conferences - 

At the risk of sounding tad bit skeptical -  Where is the voice of  key stakeholders in HR Conferences -  #GigWorkers, #Women Leaders who face gender discrimination, #LGBT,  #Employees who are your Brand Ambassadors, GenZ, Millennials, Techies, Learners,  #People with different abilities et al ? 
For whom we in HR design policies , programs , practices ? For whom we in HR buy HR technology ?  Employee Experience, People are our Best Assets sound empty words, unless  diverse voices of key stakeholders are also included . HR Conferences serve as great Echo Chambers in a way,  providing great,  hi touch , human experience for All -  Sponsors, Vendors, Startups, Delegates, Speakers  ! 


My big idea to SHRM is to invite and focus on SMEs for SHRM Annual Conference in October 2019 . SMEs are the ones who need HR Advisory and Consulting and Insights from HR , HRTech Conferences most for Productivity gains .  In an Economic paper , interesting insight came up that One Quarter of GDP is Persuasion.  
One can establish value of SHRM Contribution and Impact on SMEs , if we ensure survey data is collected from SME sector prior to SHRM Event and Post the intervention.  
Such an intervention with SME Focus would be embraced and welcomed by Modi Government. MSME is regarded to be Growth Engine of Indian Economy. 

HR tech adoption results in time, cost, productivity gains for organisations: Report


In very simple economic terms, Capital and Technology investments Lead to Productivity gains, which lead to Jobs growth , which further enables MSMEs to export more, demand and consumption of goods and services rises enabling firms and Economy to grow for further leading to a virtuous economic cycle .   

( Source - A Guest Lecture by Subramanian Kri , Chief Economic Advisor, India ) 





Economic Survey 2019: The curious case of Indian firms starting small & staying small

The Economic Survey says even Mexico does far better on this dimension than India.


Comparing employment and productivity with firm age in three countries: U.S., Mexico and India (Hseih and Klenow, 2014)the Survey found that the average employment level for 40-year old enterprises in the U.S. was more than seven times that of the employment when the enterprise is newly set up. 


A similar tale unfolds with productivity as well when we compare these three countries for the effect of aging of firms on productivity. The average productivity level for 40-year old enterprises in the U.S. was more than four times that of the productivity of an enterprise that is newly set up. In contrast, the average productivity level for 40-year old firms in India was only 60 per cent greater than the productivity of an enterprise that is newly set up. Thus, once they survive for forty year .. 


I believe , MSME sector is where HR Startups, HRTech Startups, HR Consultants and HR Advisory can add most value and maximum Impact.









Friday, July 26, 2019

I will be there at TechHRIn on 1st Aug, attending India's Largest HRTech Event. Will you be there ?



To make business happen, you have to be at the right place, at the right time. People Matters HR Conference, TechHR gives you that opportunity and platform. It is where meaningful conversations take place among professionals and business stalwarts. It is where innovation guides the way and thought leaders and new age service providers converge to create an ecosystem of brilliance in the domain of work technology. In other words, TechHR is where business happens. Some of the key sessions I am looking forward to learn from : Register here for the conference https://india.techhrconference.com/#about See Agenda and full line up of eminent speakers https://india.techhrconference.com/agenda Say Hello , if you happen to be there at TechHR. I am @rucsb on twitter and will live tweet the event. https://twitter.com/rucsb

Thursday, June 6, 2019

Employer Branding is a strategic role in Organisations

Employer Branding is a complex and hybrid role that cuts across HR, Marketing and Recruitment. That is why there are very few Employer Branding Consultants in India. 

Planning, developing and implementing Employer Branding strategy is not an easy task. This article has  defined 5 steps to follow when implementing Employer Branding strategy. 

You want to develop a Great Employer Brand for your company ? 
It begins with Employee Experience. If you do not provide good employee experience, you will have trouble retaining the talent that your recruitment team spend great efforts to hire from the Market. As Tony Heish CEO , Zappos says - Your culture is your Brand. 

However, At operational level, from Branding and Marketing perspective, there are several key tasks that Employer Branding role consist of but not limited to - 


1. Careers Website Redesign. Make sure your career website is easy to navigate, provide crucial information on the jobs and roles that you hire for your company, outlines career development model at your company,  inspiring career success stories of few employees in key roles, benefits and rewards for employees and awards that your company has won. Candidate experience starts with your website and application process to apply for jobs should not take more than few clicks.

2. Photo shoot of  employees to highlight Engaged  Employees as Brand Ambassadors 


3.   Facebook, Twitter , Linkedin - Own the Digital Assets , Populate Tw, Li, FB pages with interesting and relevant content for Job seekers. 


4.  Collaboration with Marketing is crucial since you would work closely with Marketing team to ensure Recruitment Marketing content is in alignment with Company's Branding Guidelines.

5. Content Marketing - Curation of Branded Content and Publishing on Social Media channels.
6. Content Creation  - There could be several themes such as Employees Stories , Day in the Life stories, Leader Inerviews, Leader blogs , Career stories , Women Leader, Diversity & inclusion stories

7. Branding campaigns - LifeatX , ProudofX, WomenatatX

8. Twitterchats with Company Leaders ( CEO , CHRO, Business Leaders, Recruitment Leaders)
9. Storytelling content , event pics, newsletter pics, employee engagement pics  


10 . Creation of EVP - Employer Value Proposition starts with Researching Employee Experience. EVP consists of 5 main blocks . And EVP for each organization is unique and differentiates the employer from the competition. 







11.  You would need Hootsuite License for Social Media Management and Social Analytics reports 


12. Glassdoor campaign to highlight  reviews by engaged empployees 

13 . Get  Recruiters buy in  for Social Media hiring and assign targets 



14. Linkedin training for recruiters on Social Sourcing and LinkedIn Recruitment 


15. Collaborate with Diversity and HR team for developing Women  community to  Build Women Talent Pipeline 


16. Set up Company  Careers Blog and share inspiring stories from Employees Engaged at workplace . 


17. Develop Branding Microsite on Job Boards - Naukri, Monster, IIMJobs. 


18. Working with Procurement teams to empanel vendors for Photoshoot, Video production for Recruitment purposes. 

19. Develop Candidate Persona and incorporate in Recruitment Marketing messaging to appeal and influence your target audience. You can now map journey of candidate right from the first touch point when he views the piece of recruitment content to the point where he decides to apply for your job and ultimately to final stage of hiring i.e. Selection and Onboarding. 

20 Define the channels and candidate touch points with a focus on Candidate experience 



If you need help of a Employer Branding consultant to reduce Cost of Hiring and Attract best talent from Market, please feel free to drop an email ruchibhatia23@gmail.com or call Ruchi Bhatia 9911112396. 
Ruchi Bhatia is a SHRM recognised Top 10 HR Expert  . In her last role, she worked as Employer Branding Leader with IBM. 


Sunday, May 12, 2019

Why The Best Candidates Care About The Company's Culture


Why The Best Candidates Care About The Company's Culture




So why is the company’s culture so important while hiring employees

Because quality employment not only affects financial results (retention rates, higher productivity), it formulates the aroma of how your service or product is created and delivered.

The company’s culture expresses the organization's expectations, values and beliefs, and the way the organization interacts with both its employees and with people in the communities in which they operate.

You can get the high quality, cost-effective HR services and solutions from Sharp Group HRD Services that can enable you to be conspicuous of your Senior Leadership Team and Board of Directors as they look for bottom-line results. 

According to the research done by Personnel Psychology, the best performers are 400 percent more productive than average performers. If your company wants to recruit and hire the best Candidate, understand what they want and what they need most from their employers. Fortunately, the answer is not just a generous payment.

Understanding what kind of company culture do you prefer the best, you can find out which elements of your culture are the most important for highlighting and promoting. 


The company’s culture is very important for employees with high requirements because they know that many employers can meet their remuneration requirements, but only those with an attractive work environment and focus on employees will be at the top of the list.
Here are 5 features that the best talent in the company’s culture is looking for:
Corporate culture focuses on both HR and business leaders, especially for organizations fighting for the highest or rare talent.
Autonomy
First of all, leading talent does not want or does not need micro-management in the workplace. The researchers explain the best performers are motivated, they can make their own decisions and initiate new tasks and challenges by themselves. For this reason, they prefer an autonomous work culture in which they have the freedom and versatility to complete their work at their own choice. While average performers may exploit these privileges, the best talents use them strategically and efficiently to get a better job.
Possibilities of growth
The best performers have an innate desire to learn and develop, which means they want career opportunities. In the Hewitt Associates Talent Pulse study from 2007; one of the best-performing students explained: "I'm a success-oriented person and I have to feel like I'm getting better, moving up and developing. As a result, they choose employers offering training programs and career opportunities that help them grow professionally and personally.
Transparency
The best performers are very goal-oriented; they drive in a direction that leads them to the future they want. As a result, people with high scores want their employers to be transparent so that they can make informed decisions about their careers, according to Talent Management. 
They want to work for an employer who tells employees how the company works and where the company is going. They also expect their employer to provide information on eligibility and promotion schedule, bonuses and increases. Therefore, they are looking for honest and open employers.
A good company culture is a mechanism for the raising of people in a competitive job market
Feedback
Because they are always looking for ways to improve, the best Candidates expect information from their manager. The Harvard Business Review report shows that 50 percent of high-score people say they expect to sit with managers monthly, but only 53 percent report that their managers provide them with the opinions they need. When the best performers do not receive constructive criticism, they become less motivated and devoted to the organization. Offering accurate feedback can make the greatest talents a challenge and grow, and consequently - happy and committed.
Challenges
Nobody likes hard work more than the best performers. As the company Competitive Streak explains, leading talents are constantly looking for ways to push the limits of their experiences and skills, especially at work. And according to Talent Management, a likes-quality person likes to undertake projects at work that require critical and creative thinking. Therefore, the best talents prefer the company’s culture in which employees are expected to work hard and develop on a daily basis. They want to be in the winning team, where their team members challenge them and teach them new things. When the best professionals are in an intellectually stimulating work environment, they do the best they can and experience optimal work performance.

The most qualified and talented Candidates for work will not be satisfied with any work, because they do not have to. The best Candidates have a choice, so they will thoroughly consider their career opportunities before applying to your positions. If you want to attract the best talent, think about how your company provides an environment that supports triggers and encourages high results to reach a new level of excellence. 
Then share these facts on your career site and during interviews - especially when hiring the best employees. When you explain how your company’s culture meets their needs, the best talents will accept and accept your offer.

5 ways you can strengthen the company's culture

Good company culture can be a mechanism for attracting the right people and keeping employees even in a competitive labor market.

One of the most visible, but often overlooked ways to strengthen the company’s culture is to invite employees to talk. In this sense, efforts to strengthen culture become obvious, but they also become integrative and two-way, not just top-down, which is usually more attractive to employees and effective in the long run.
The company’s culture is focused on both HR and business leaders, especially for organizations applying for the highest or rare talent
These five ways HR can strengthen the company’s culture to attract talent:

1. STRENGTHEN your current culture: 
Find and solve corporate culture problems that are important to current employees. Motivated employees are the best brand ambassadors.
2. Be consistent: 
Develop a language that consistently represents the workplace's environment and is consistently used in recruitment initiatives and materials.
3. Be suitable: 
Find out which channels your potential employees are using to find a job and be located in these locations, providing easily accessible information and resources.
4. Be mobile: 
Here the word "mobility" is from the point of view of technology. Organizations whose communication skills have the ability to adapt to mobile devices have an advantage over those who do not.

5. Be honest: 
Candidates have access to more "internal" information than ever before and are often well prepared with questions and insight. Potential employees greatly appreciate the honesty of the "reality" of the workplace, thanks to which they can make an informed decision.

5 ways you can support a strong corporate culture

The purpose of including employees in the discussion on corporate culture is to determine what is most important for the majority of employees and specific segments of the workforce. The cultural positioning of the organization must take into account diversity in the workplace.
Here are five ways in which leaders and HR specialists can support a strong corporate culture.

  1. Provide opportunities for professional development and training.
  2. Create and cultivate an innovation-friendly culture in which employees feel that their ideas will be heard and will work.
  3. Make sure your company offers an attractive, competitive salary and other benefits.
  4. Provide a friendly work environment and tools that will help employees to do their job effectively.
  5. Offer a wide range of recognition, rewards and career opportunities.
A good culture addresses and enhances the experience of employees in the workplace in a way that creates a motivated workforce that is well prepared to achieve both strategic corporate goals and personal career goals. Good culture also informs the wider community about the way it will work together and what you can expect from the organization to provide community support.
Why you should have a Specified company culture?


“A company’s culture can embrace everything from working and working hours, work-life balance, team-oriented approach to decision-making, and what physical space is in a company,” Says Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half at Menlo Park, California. 
An attractive office environment, for example, suggests that the company cares about its employees and wants them to be comfortable and well-equipped.
"Good HR activists and business leaders should sit down and discuss the company's culture,"

If they are not yet, they should start doing this. They should make the company’s culture a priority because it makes their company a welcome place to work. It increases productivity, recruitment and maintenance efforts.
Note to the Employer:

Moreover, employing talents that are not consistent with the culture of your company causes personal conflicts within the employee that will undoubtedly affect their work and the people they work with.
It is your responsibility as an employer to ensure your employee's success and to make sure that their values and work ethic are in line with your culture before expanding the offer, is the first thing you can do for them and for the rest of the staff.
Conclusion:


The best Candidates have a choice, so they will carefully consider their career options before applying to your positions. If you want to attract the best talent, think about how your company provides an environment that supports triggers and encourages high results to reach a new level of excellence. 
Consider whether a prospective employee can visit the office or meet with current employees to find out if they fit your company's culture. These simple ideas can be key distinguishing features for a highly sought after Candidate making a career decision. In addition, says McDonald, it should be remembered that people want to be employed where they like to work and even give back to the surrounding community. Philanthropic aspirations, such as volunteering in the local soup kitchen, are part of a socially responsible company.
Moreover, Sharp HRD Service deliver high quality, cost-effective HR services, and solutions after going through your company’s business model and your department policies.








Thursday, May 2, 2019

Great spirits have always faced violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein

Great spirits have always faced violent opposition from mediocre minds. - Albert Einstein 


First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win - Mahatama Gandhi 


Technologists , listen to this IBM Podcast. Educate yourself About Ethics in AI. Pause. Understand. Reflect. Respond. Make your own decisions.



An idea that led to online harassment by Trolls in India. Becuase who (trolls) has time to read and fact check and their only job is to attack and harass .  Unknown faces hounded me and made personal attacks , labelled me as Left wing marxist while everyone knows I am a staunch BJP supporter and believe in Modiji's vision for India.








Is it too bad to be a free minded independent Thinker in India ?

"So long as I draw breath and have my faculties, I shall never stop practicing philosophy and exhorting you and elucidating the truth for everyone that I meet ... And so gentlemen ... whether you acquit me or not, you know that I am not going to alter my conduct, not even if I have to die a hundred deaths.


"

India Story in last decade

 The "India Story" of the last decade is marked by significant political, economic, and social developments that have shaped the n...