HR Panorama

Digital Transformation: The Noah’s Ark for HR Professionals

We all are well acquainted with Charles Darwin, the man who pioneered ideas about evolution and society. Of the many valuable contributions made by him, one quote by him defines the way our lives should progress.

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”

Adapt! The evolution process to fit in the changing environment. Organisations also need to adapt continuously in order to survive. The core function of any organisation, HR, must be continuously evolving to survive. One such way to evolve is the digital transformation of the Human Resource Department.

What is Digital Transformation for an HR Professional?

According to Deloitte’s 2017 Human Capital Trends report: ‘It’s about HR teams taking up the dual challenge of transforming HR operations on the one hand, and transforming the workforce and the way work is done on the other.’ It is the process of using data-driven, automated practises to improve employee experience and operational performance by implementing digital human resource tools and strategies. So, it is right to say that rather than being only about HR, HR digital transformation is a metamorphosis that affects the entire enterprise. It should, at the very least, if it is to be successful.

The Reason Behind the Need

HR is essentially all about people, thus by focusing on the person, the organisation and HR professionals will be better able to demonstrate competencies such as coaching, counselling, exhibiting empathy, and monitoring employee pulses in order to influence employee motivation. In recent years, HR professionals have demonstrated how they may focus on the art of Human Resources while still being prepared with the science of systems. The pandemic in reality and the fear of such future disruptions has forced HR professionals to go with the wave of digital transformations.

Digitisation = Digitalisation = Digital Transformation?

Now imagine you can create a digital version of your shift schedule rather than printing it. This saved your time, cost of printing and helped enable your workforce digitally. This is Digitisation.

This new digitised schedule can only be used in an effective manner if your company has the right technology or platform to support it. Here comes, digitalisation. The change process.

However, for it to be effective across frontline teams, you’ll need executive management support, a change management strategy, and alignment with business objectives. This basically means digital transformation. It’s employing digital technologies to enhance employee, customer, and user operations as part of a digitalization plan.

The journey of Digital Transformation

To understand how to successfully transform digitally, it is important to understand the need to do so. Taking example of Cisco. Hackathons are held by Cisco to develop new HR solutions, such as the YouBelong@Cisco app and Ask Alex. The former is a voice command app that provides rapid answers to many HR inquiries such as holiday policy, expenditures, and so on, while the latter is a voice command app that provides quick answers to various HR questions such as holiday policy, expenses, and so on.

A six steps process can be followed to successfully transform the HR functions digitally.

Take the decision to transform the manual HR processes of an organisation by upgrading HR tools and technology fit for the digital future.
Map the plan of digital transformation and business needs of the organisation.
Formalise the entire plan by involving management and deciding the entire budget.
Take the business needs of various teams into consideration to formulate a strategic roadmap.
Assemble a team to deliver on the strategy and its goals.
Reap the benefits of this new implemented strategy which will allow exploration and experimentation.

Digital Transformation Trends

The following are some of the most frequent digital transformation solutions utilised in HR digital strategies:

Automation
People Analytics
Onboarding Software
HR Chatbots
AI-Driven Recruiting Techniques
On-Demand Training

On a Final Note

HR and employers simply cannot stay behind in a world that is rapidly digitalizing, with consumers-turned-employees who don’t know any better than for practically everything in their life to be digital. And, in light of the present labour market, firms must now adapt to the digital future of HR operations. Various companies have hopped on this train already with names as big as Google. This giant used analytics from surveys and feedbacks by employees to identify the factors which can establish a positive work environment. IBM, the mega hardware company, with its coined term of HR 3.0 once partnered with Burger King of Brazil to establish a virtual assistant helping them ease the basic HR tasks like paid off time request. This provided HR professionals to focus more on other tasks at hand.

Coming back to where we started, the organisations must be open to implement the ever-changing technology to survive. After all, the theory of survival of the fittest is true!

Written By
Vartika Dixit
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

Rethinking Performance Management System

“Your performance depends on your people. Select the best, train them and back them. When errors occur, give sharper guidance. If errors persist or if the fit feels wrong, help them move on.” — Donald Rumsfeld

The performance of an organization is solely dependent on the individual performances of the employees—not just the ones who are in executive positions but also the ones who function at lower and middle levels. The efficient the performance of each employee, the better will be the overall results of the organization. Besides, it is the employees who provide the organization with a competitive edge over other competitors. If the employees’ individual goals can be aligned with the goals of the organization, then there is a very high probability of the success of the organization. For this very reason, companies, such as Google, Facebook, Apple, and Netflix among others, have started focusing on the new trends to properly manage the individual performances of the employees.

In earlier times, companies did not always focus on the management of the performances of the employees. There were not many changes introduced in the systems to stimulate growth and satisfaction among the individuals. It is only recently that new trends in this area have been introduced to assist employees to advance in their careers while also achieving personal and organizational objectives.

What Are the New Trends Adopted By Companies?

A majority of companies are now focused on enhancing the employee experience, which is greatly important for the success of the organization. This is done by carefully mapping the different stages that an employee goes through; every person is at a different stage in the employee journey when the yearly employee engagement surveys are conducted. So, once we are aware of where the employee stands, it becomes easier to understand the personal experiences that might shape the individual’s professional experience. Apart from this, in present times, there is more emphasis on improving the internal communication at organizations. Since all employees work together to achieve a common goal, there is a need for clear articulation of information so that the individuals involved in the conversation are on the same page. This has been greatly beneficial when it comes to creating a positive employee experience and transforming the organization.

Another thing that has helped in the transformation of the organization is the reinvention of the performance management process. Now, this does not mean the discontinuation of ratings or some other processes. Instead, it has to do more with continuously coming up with new ways of setting goals, providing coaching to the employees, evaluating their performances, and most importantly, providing constructive feedback to them to support their professional development. For instance, earlier feedback was provided by only the manager but now most companies follow the continuous 360-degree feedback approach where all stakeholders—manager, fellow team members, clients—who work closely with the employee are responsible for providing the feedback. Self-evaluation is also an integral part of this approach and provides the employee’s perspective on the work he/she is responsible for.

A lot of companies have also started providing training to the managers and other employees to teach them the right ways of providing constructive feedback. Further, one-on-one meetings, frequent feedback surveys and quarterly reviews have also been introduced. All these approaches have greatly helped in improving the performances of the employees. Such changes are important, even more so in today’s times when the world is changing at such a fast pace and businesses are being forced to conform to the ‘new normal’.

With the disruptions and technological advancements happening around the world, it is crucial to maximize the performance of the employees to stay ahead of the competition and this can only be done by identifying, assessing, predicting and mitigating the threats. Given this, now the companies are heavily investing in analytics, which shows what a company’s results really are and helps in integrating data in the decision-making process.

With insights into the productivity, employee engagement level, and performance of each individual over a certain period of time, the managers can make more informed decisions regarding how they can help the employees improve their performances. The managers, with large sets of data, would be in a better position to analyze the factors affecting the performances of the employees. Once they are aware of the root causes resulting in hindrance in the journey of the employee who is trying to reach his/her goal, they can form strategies to better help the individual and support his/her professional goals. This will also contribute to the success of the organization.

Conclusion

With the changing times, the trends and developments in the performance management system have changed every now and then, and this is something that should continue in the future as well. It is necessary for organizations to change their strategies and processes with the changing needs, and this is what is required for them to reach to the top of the success ladder.

Written By
Tanvi Saini
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

The Anatomy of Flexible Workplace

We are a generation of digital natives who believe in leveraging technology to break down geographical barriers. Employers have grown people-centric and are making flexibility a viable option, just as employees are embracing the idea of remote or hybrid workplaces. The challenge, however, is determining how to create that trust bubble in which flexibility and accountability balance each other out. Otherwise, an employee and an employer will be caught in a never-ending cycle of orthogonal wish lists.

Things aren’t the same as they used to be. Various aspects of life have undergone critical changes because of the pandemic, and working culture is no exception. With people at the center of the process, the concept of ‘working flexibly’ is taking root in this changing work culture.

Flexibility and convenience are now critical in attracting and retaining tomorrow’s employees. Working from home has become the unofficial corporate zeitgeist of 2021, with an increasing number of businesses devoting time and resources to people-centric decision making. Figuring out the optimal ratio for productivity, efficiency, and the demand for remote-flexible working has now become a top priority for businesses looking to hire new talent in the midst of a recovering COVID-19 landscape.

In today’s scenario, Indian industries are increasingly attempting to implement a hybrid work model in their organizations. Several factors are influencing this transformation, the first of which is an increase in employee interest in flexible work options. However, even if this change is initiated by employees, it will benefit the entire organization, and the reasons for this are well demonstrated by successful companies that work in a hybrid mode.

Why Today's Organizations Need to Embrace Flexibility in the Workplace | CCL — Source: Center for Creative Leadership

Standard Chartered Bank discovered through their Future of Workplace Now programme that over 75 percent of employees wanted flexibility by having the option of 2-3 days at the home office and 2-3 days at the traditional office or a third space when conducting research into their employee sentiments and demand for flexibility. In an interview case study with The Executive Centre, Sheridan Perkins, Standard Chartered Bank Future of Workplace Now Property Program Director, stated, “Despite some regional nuances, this finding was reasonably consistent across all regions.”

Shaping the Workforce

There are numerous ways for businesses to attract top talent without jeopardizing their bottom line. Adoption of flexible workspaces is one such option. Because of their extensive network of locations, flexible workspaces assist companies in recruiting from a larger international talent pool for specialist expertise. Furthermore, the workforce of the future expects flexibility. Working hours or physical office locations are both options. As a result, having Flex as part of one’s CRE portfolio provides businesses with an insurmountable advantage over their competitors.

Leaders have a significant impact on the mindsets of their teams. In terms of new employees in an association, hybrid working models can be challenging while conveying an association’s working ethics and norms. In other words, effective role distribution can be a challenge that necessitates a distinct approach.

The way out – Creating opportunities for the entire team to connect and get-together once or twice a month could be an effective method of interaction where employees can have spontaneous communication with their peers and understand an organization’s expectations. Such gatherings can be critical in terms of obtaining support and direction. Informal online sessions in which employees can freely chat and share their creative mindsets can lead to the exchange of innovative ideas and improved participation.

Scattered Playing Field

The hybrid working model may face a significant challenge in terms of ‘effective work distribution.’ There are various types of hybrid models, such as complete remote working, half-staff on the field and half at home, working from the office for a couple of days a week and the rest of the time from home, and so on. As a result, unequal work distribution among employees may occur if the workload of each employee is unknown. In such cases, one more possibility that cannot be overlooked is that employees may feel excluded, which may reduce their interest in their work.

The way out – There should be a strict meeting etiquette in place, with video calls taking precedence over phone calls. Work distribution should be considered an important aspect at the management level, and there should be an authority checking on the work loads of each employee and following up on the tasks assigned.

Employee Engagement at Workplace

Employees will come to the offices for very specific reasons under the hybrid working models. As a result, the workplace experience must be updated in order to engage employees in the workplace. It cannot be ruled out that in the future, employees may prefer to work from their home offices rather than their actual ones. If the workplace is not engaging, creative, and collaborative, such conditions may result in an employee job change.

The way out- To keep an employee engaged in the office, providing them with something that their home office does not provide could be a critical step. A welcoming workplace with some activity areas for employees to have fun in their spare time can keep them interested in the workplace. Offering convenience could be the next step in giving them a homey feel.

INFOGRAPHIC: Flexible working and talent priorities in the UK - Workable — Source: Workable Resources

Conclusion

Although, it is a distant dream of having a workplace that has caught up to the demands of modern society, where employees can customize their workday, it can be safely assumed that we are on the right path towards flexibility. It will take time to ensure that a flexi-workplace runs smoothly. However, it has been seen that some organizations have been doing this for years before the need arose, and there is no reason why such a model cannot be scaled up industry wide. Workplace flexibility will become the norm as the organizations focus on unifying ideas and cultivating a culture in which mutual trust, collaboration, and accountability can thrive.

Written By
Anant Mangla
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

The Ethical Imperative: Taking Right Decisions

The moral quandary Arjuna faced during the epic battle of Mahabharata is well known to all of us. The moment he lays down his Gandiva seeing his kinsmen on the other side of the battlefield and turns to Krishna for advice has been engraved in the history of ethical dilemmas. The golden advice of Lord Krishan that Arjuna must follow his dharma and must fulfil his duties is what puts the entire world in a fix even today. Should we be pawns in a chessboard and do what is simply assigned to us or should we grasp the nettle and ask the right questions at the right time?

HR & Ethics: A Necessary Mix?

HR practitioner is at the heart of delivering professional services aimed at sustaining and growing people’s well-being inside organisations. The HR role encompasses not just obligations for employee welfare, health, and development, but the HR professional must also accept constant responsibility for business and strategic challenges. Given this role duality, HR professionals may encounter ethical or moral difficulties on a regular basis, and they may also feel pressed between what their bosses want them to do and what the law mandates.

As per a survey conducted by Global Business Ethics, in 2020, 30 percent of 3,320 U.S. employees said they felt pressured to compromise their workplace’s ethics. These findings are greatly supported by R. Scott Oswald, Managing Principal at the Employment Law Group P.C when he says, “HR professionals are often caught between the hammer and the anvil. They potentially put the careers of the people they advocate for in jeopardy—or their own career.”

https://www.bentley.edu/news/millennials-does-big-paycheck-trump-ethical-responsibility

Prevailing Predicament

Various ethical dilemmas faced by an HR professional can be divided into 7 broad categories.

Cash and Incentive Plans: To retain some personnel, HR managers must justify a greater level of basic salary or a higher percentage raise than their competitors. Excessive steps are taken in the name of executive perks, with HR managers bearing the ethical burden. The costs of these extras are sometimes out of proportion to the value added.
Employment Issues: What if the CEO of your company asks you to hire his relative to an executive position? HR managers often face situations like this where rights decisions are hard to take. At times, they stumble upon the unpleasant discovery of a skilled employee lying about his/her educational credentials. These situations, however unpleasant, are common to the life of a human resource professional.
Performance Appraisal: HR managers are occasionally faced with the difficulty of awarding higher pay to employees who do not deserve it, based on unrelated considerations such as closeness to upper management. On the other hand, some employees, despite their exceptional performance, are given bad ratings due to factors such as caste, religion, or a lack of loyalty to the appraiser. As per a survey by Leadership IQ, of 48,012 employees, only 17% answered in affirmation of appraisal system in their company being open, honest, and meaningful.
Employees Discrimination: The law mandates that no person should be discriminated on the basis of his caste, colour, religion, etc. In terms of selection, training, growth, and appraisal, no organisation can publicly implement any discriminatory policies. An ethical dilemma develops, when the HR manager is under pressure to defend the company or an individual at the expense of a member of the discriminated-against group.
Privacy: To protect their valuable data from reaching into the wrong hands, companies often keep a close eye on their employees to an extent of tapping their calls, close circuit cameras, etc. This results in an unethical breach of an employee’s privacy.

Another phenomenon with regards to the issue of privacy is Whistle Blowing. Employees are often expected to not criticise their employers since their first allegiance is to the company for which they work. However, if the situation is such that an organization’s action might do significant harm to society, blowing the whistle may become mandatory. The HR manager is at a loss as to how to resolve the conflict between opponents and supporters of whistleblowing.

Restructuring and Layoffs: Layoffs and retrenchments, if done fairly are not considered unethical but important for the organisations to move forward. However, it should be ensured that the process is conducted in a manner that is in interest of the affected employee and is not ethically wrong.
Safety and Health: Employees’ safety and health are frequently jeopardised by industrial employment. Legislation has been enacted that makes it necessary for employers and management to pay victims against workplace dangers. HR managers face ethical difficulties when the organisation fails to provide justice to the victims.

Answer to the Moral Conundrum

Dr. Bronner’s is just one example of a fantastic socially conscious company that is concerned about the wage disparity. Their executive pay cap ensures that it is never more than 5 times that of the lowest-paid employee, and all employees, even C-suite executives, receive the same perks. The OODA (Observe Orient Decide Act) Loop, a decision-making model developed by an Air Force colonel can be a means to steer HR professional through any moral dilemma.

Observing a potential misconduct and acknowledging it as your responsibility can bring in a huge difference. This must be followed by taking the right kind of decisions which includes taking help whenever and wherever necessary. Lastly, act accordingly. With a little faith and a carefully scrutinised plan of action, any unethical situation can be handled in the right manner. To achieve professional goals, the inevitable examination of how to correctly handle these situations will very certainly need a greater emphasis on moral maturity or moral consciousness, particularly in relation to the HR profession.

Written By
Vartika Dixit
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

A Clandestine Affair of Leadership and Humility

“The most powerfully transformative executives possess a paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional will. They are timid and ferocious. Shy and fearless. They are rare—and unstoppable” — Jim Collins

Over the past years, there have been many debates revolving around leadership and it is, indeed, one of the most vaguely understood topics. Besides, its meaning for people has also evolved. Earlier, the traditional top-down model of leadership was greatly acceptable. However, in today’s world, there is more focus on shared and collaborative leadership where everyone leads from time to time.

Leadership is not about putting people in positions of power with the aim of influencing others and directing them towards their goals. Instead, it is more of a process where one or more people influence others to achieve a commonly held objective. In the past, there have been many approaches put in place to define the characteristics that are associated with successful leadership. However, recently, there has been a shift where scholars are now focused on skills, competencies, and strategies required for leadership. They are more interested in what makes an effective leader in today’s world, which is marred with disruptions, such as digitalization, automation, and now the pandemic.

Level 5 Leadership

Jim Collings in his bestselling book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t, describes how businesses go from being good to being great, and how the majority of businesses fail to achieve the shift. One of the most prominent reasons behind this transition is the presence of level 5 leadership.

From an excerpt from the book, “The good-to-great executives were all cut from the same cloth. It didn’t matter whether the company was consumer or industrial, in crisis or steady state, offered services or products. It didn’t matter when the transition took place or how big the company was. All the good-to-great companies had Level 5 leadership at the time of transition.”

But, what does Collins mean by Level 5 Leadership? What exactly does it take for the companies to go from good to great?

Collins emphasizes that Level 5 leadership builds on greatness through a paradoxical blend of personal humility and professional will. While leaders need to achieve goals with clarity of vision, it is equally necessary for them to be modest. There are different leadership styles exhibited by different individuals and there is no one particular style that works for everyone. Nevertheless, an individual achieves the highest level of leadership when they exhibit humility.

Why Humble Leaders Make the Best Leaders?

It might sound counter-intuitive, but a lot of people overlook this most important trait—humility—of top performers. The idea of a self-effacing leader does not resonate much. However, this quality is greatly exhibited by Level 5 leaders and it is what truly makes them unique.

As per various researches conducted in the past, leaders who score high on humility are effective listeners, inspire outstanding teamwork, and focus everyone (including themselves) on organizational goals than the ones who have a relatively lower score in this trait. They might not be the brightest person in the room, but the good part is that they don’t need to be. Their ability to encourage people to speak, respect different perspectives, take accountability when things go wrong, and appreciate people for their efforts is all that makes the difference. Humility is, indeed, a highly positive quality that helps leaders inspire trust, cooperation and commitment among the workforce.

While various research works emphasise the importance of humility, many eminent personalities have also demonstrated this in the past. Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the man who was a leader—brilliant yet humble—has left a mark on the lives of people because of this admirable trait. He didn’t shy away from stepping in front of the cameras to take accountability for failures and was the first one to share credit for success with the entire team. This true visionary wore many hats—scientist, president, writer, poet, head of India’s missile program—but is fondly remembered as a humble personality.

Not to mention Mrs. Indra Nooyi, who changed the face of PepsiCo with her professional determination and modesty. She has been ranked among the top 10 humble US CEOs and is greatly respected across the globe. As rightly said by Mr. Govind Iyer, partner, Egon Zehnder India, “Humility is the key to being a respected leader. Because that means you are receptive towards learning and professional growth”.

Just like Dr. Kalam and Mrs. Nooyi, multiple other role models have exhibited the paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional will while inspiring a million others.

Conclusion

The approach towards leadership has changed over the years and will probably change in the future as well. However, one thing that does not go out of manner is humility, which, indeed, goes a long way. But is it just humility that makes a leader effective? Well, the obvious answer is a big NO! Just like a scrumptious cake that requires an array of ingredients to blend together to serve its purpose, a leader also requires multiple skills and competencies to be effective and change the face of an organization. While most leaders are able to develop the professional will that is required for them to be successful, there are only a few individuals who are able to blend it with personal humility.

Written By
Tanvi Saini
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

The Battle Within || Mental Health

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” — Kahlil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran would have never imagined the level on which people all around the globe will relate to this statement written by him in 1912. The havoc wreaked by the novel coronavirus pandemic turned the lives of people upside-down. This unprecedented situation had put people in such a place where they realized the importance of the most basic things available to them—a roof over head, food on their plates, clothes to wear, and most importantly oxygen to breathe. The situation, indeed, was terrifying and took a toll on the lives of people, especially their mental health.

Two Pandemics At Once

One among the many steps taken by the Government of India to curb the spread of virus was the imposition of a nationwide lockdown. Overnight, the work scenario changed forever. The thin line between their professional and personal lives was completely blurred. And for the first time in a long while, “mental health of employees” started showing up in the dictionaries of many companies.

While some people initially enjoyed the new-found freedom of working at their convenience and the opportunity of spending more time with their families, soon, they realized the impact on their work-life balance. Not only were they asked to take up extra work, they were expected to work beyond their pre-defined working hours. The online mode of work that became a norm had started to trouble the routine of people as they found it hard to juggle and differentiate between the personal and professional lives. So much so that the situation had started taking a toll on their mental health and the productivity was seen declining. According to a survey by SHRM, 22% to 35% of employees in USA are experiencing depression symptoms as a result of the pandemic and remote working.

To add to this, many employees, some of whom were sole bread-winners in their families, ended up losing their jobs because most businesses suffered at the hands of the pandemic and letting go of employees was considered a primary way of cost cutting and keeping the company afloat.

Mental Health: Does it really matter?

The virus particle, which is probably just a few nanometers long in diameter, ended up causing widespread destruction and changed the lives of people once and for all. While the outside battle is being bravely fought by the world as a team, what about the internal battle that people go through every day?

Almost 8 out of 10 people have received a good for nothing reply like “hold on” or “buckle up” whenever they have tried discussing about their mental health issues with their peers at their workplace. Such is the state of workplaces around the world. In March 2021, a new survey, conducted by Sapien Labs, focused on the mental health impact of COVID-19 in several countries and showed that 57% of respondents experienced some COVID-19-related adversity or trauma.

Endless projects, no defined working hours, and a constant struggle to save their job, all this when the world was fighting the unseen who was taking multiple lives every day. The fight with whom continues even today. All these reasons have impacted the productivity of an individual on a major scale. This only added to the stress as not being productive puts one under the list of people a company would happily let go. However, it can be observed that Covid-19 has let this topic of mental health come out in open where previously it was hushed down behind closed doors.

The Role of HR Professionals

While the employees were rekindling their love for long lost hobbies, the employers were also observing the dip in employee performance. The employers took several measures themselves to ensure that the employees were getting optimum and ample breaks from work. The login times were made flexible, work hours were shortened, the DND policy after office hours was imposed. Further, special sessions with psychiatrists and psychologists were arranged, that enabled the employees to cope with the situation better. Unilever has begun a 14-day mental wellness resiliency program for its 62,000 global employees. The training will address a variety of themes, including dealing with negative thoughts and reimagining routines during lockdown, using methods developed by the Resilience Research Center.

Faced with the pandemic, India Inc. witnessed two workplace realities rise to the fore like never before: the need for inclusion and a focus on employee mental health. It shouldn’t be considered a coincidence that both issues rose to the top of company priority lists practically simultaneously, and in the aftermath of the pandemic. Inclusive workplaces go a long way toward enabling and boosting employee emotional well-being, especially in light of the pandemic’s alienation and stress. Rising to the occasion, Goldman Sachs has extended all workers’ family leave by ten days to deal with “exceptional personal circumstances relating to Covid-19’s tremendous impact.” This includes a variety of demands, such as caring for ailing family members and homeschooling children.

The Road that SHOULD Be Taken

A company is nothing but its employees. To stay afloat and taste success in the long run, it is crucial that significant steps are taken to tackle this problem that is not talked about openly. Employers, in collaboration with their HR team should seek out ways to develop new Employees Assistance Programs to help out their workforce. Although, many companies have taken steps to help their employees’ mental health and prevent burnout, the path to a safe and secure working environment is long and embedded with challenges. Human professionals can prove to be a key in ensuring a safe voyage. Special sessions should be organized where anyone in the organization can get a safe environment to talk openly about how they have been feeling regarding anything. CEOs and other people in management can begin by discussing problems faced by them to encourage their employees to open up as well. Most importantly, the importance given to mental health should not die down with the virus.

Although the past one and a half year was not easy, the COVID-19 pandemic showed us the most vulnerable side of humans, who have certainly emerged stronger than before. With scars on their minds and bodies, they continue to fight their battles while trying to overcome their deepest fears. The best we can do is sensitize the mental health conversations to support one another. No judgements involved, whatsoever.

Written By
Anant Mangla
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

The Virtual World Menace: Sexual Harassment At Workplace

Remote Work Policy? Check! Scheduling and Timekeeping? Check! Home workplace setup? Check! Virtual Harassment Policy? ERROR!!!

The coronavirus, with its terror in 2020, disrupted the normal flow of business throughout the world. Human Resource professionals in all the organisations were on their toes to shift online and bring the new normal in picture as soon as possible to stay ahead of the competition. However, an age-old darker aspect of workplace followed all the organisations closely into the digital workplace setting. On any given day, a normal Google search of “sexual harassment at workplace” will show thousands of news articles about related recent incidents. The most important fact is that these incidents are not particular to any one country, but cross geographies and industries.

How To Define Sexual Harassment At Work?

In the words of U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, sexual harassment is “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature…”. This may include actions like passing remarks on someone’s appearance, or conducting discussions or passing jokes that are sexual in nature. However, there is no particular definition of a harasser. It may be any supervisor, an innocent looking co-worker, or even an external stakeholder such as a customer or a client.

Virtual harassment occurs when victim receives any email, text or online communication containing unwelcome content like sexually explicit words or photos from the harasser. The term Virtual Sexual Harassment also encompasses the following:

Comments or rumors about a person’s sexuality
Comments or rumors about a person’s sexual activities
Sharing sexually explicit photos without consent
Using sexual or gender-based derogatory terms to describe anyone

The #Metoo Movement At Work

Harassing behaviour in any organization is not just a corporate liability in today’s time but it has taken shape of a potential risk to the reputation of the organization and acts as a crucial factor in deciding the future success of it. It should be noted that while women experience more sexual harassment at work, anyone in the workplace can become a victim of this evil regardless of the gender. As per a survey conducted by US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1 in 5 men at work experiences sexual harassment at work; however, they are more reluctant to report such incidents.

The #MeToo Movement has had a huge influence on workplace culture. Such movements necessitate a shift in how employees are interacted with at their place of employment.

Why Does It Take Place?

A pandemic in itself, sexual harassment does not have one particular reason for occurring. In the book titled, Shame Nation: The Global Epidemic of Online Hate, it has been aptly explained that “the lack of a physical link between the attacker and the victim makes it easier to say things one wouldn’t in person.”

In a recent survey conducted by the Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network (SAFEnet) and Never Okay Project, 86 of 315 people involved claimed that they have experienced sexual harassment while working from home. 68 people informed that they did witness sexual advances being made on their colleagues by someone from the same organisation. It was also reported that 30 respondents experienced and witnessed such unwanted advances.

Preventive Measures

Many HR professionals are preoccupied with COVID-19-related issues, such as how the company will return workers to work, if the ventilation system is up to grade, and what the company’s mask policy is, which might divert their attention away from other matters. However, it is the duty of HR professionals to formulate policies to prevent the sexual harassment at workplace even if it is happening virtually. Current policies should be amended in such a way that inappropriate behaviour covered in the sexual harassment policy should cover unwelcome inappropriate virtual conduct as well. Prevention Of Sexual Harassment policies should now be updated taking into consideration the remote work set up and various advances with regards to digitization.

The job doesn’t end just by the formulation of policies. The most important task is to let the employees be aware of what actually amounts to sexual harassment and proper training with regards to such situations should be given to all the employees. Employees should regularly be made aware of the entire procedure related to reporting any inappropriate incidents.

Lastly, while it is impossible to come to a right decision right at the time of reporting, any report must be handled by HR professionals sensitively. It should be considered that it takes an insane amount of courage to report such incidents and hence should not be suppressed with a casual attitude.

Way Forward To A New Dawn

“Be the change you want to see in the world“, the simple words spoken by Mahatma Gandhi impart clear instructions to any organization shifting from work from office set up to work from home or hybrid mode of working. Many companies like PhonePe, NatWest Group India, Razorpay, and Wakefit, etc are already on this path of change by blacklisting the use of inappropriate language or gestures during virtual meetings, making sexual remarks, and requests for video calls after office hours, etc. Wakefit is not only making digital content to raise awareness on the topic but has also started training sessions to educate employees with the right procedure of reporting. Just like a deep pest control procedure is required to root out every last pest engulfing the house, a deep cleaning is required by all the organisations to root out this evil and flourish.

Written By
Vartika Dixit
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

Redesigning Hybrid Workplace in the Post-COVID Era

With the COVID-19 pandemic creating havoc around the world, there is certainly no going back to the life we once had. It goes without saying that the pandemic has led to changes that are here to stay for a long time. One of the changes that was, indeed, forced upon people was the way the organizations functioned. With the widespread disruptions, the employees have been forced to work from home—something that was not considered productive for a long time. But, to the surprise of most people, it has been relatively more productive than working from the office five days a week. Now, with the governments lifting restrictions in many countries, the organizations are slowly moving in the direction of creating a hybrid workplace.

While some companies, such as Facebook, have allowed all full-time employees to work from home if their jobs can be done remotely, there are others that are adopting a hybrid model. According to the future of Jobs Report 2020 by the World Economic Forum, 78% of the business leaders were anticipating the aftermath of the pandemic on the productivity of the employees. However, they were surprised by the resilience and success of the hybrid work model—which, indeed, is the future of work. No longer does the one-size-fits-all approach work for all organizations, encouraging them to tailor the work environments while considering the needs of the employees.

Along with this significant change, comes the responsibility onto the
shoulders of the HR professionals who are now faced with the challenges of
restructuring the organizations, upskilling the employees, and updating the HR
policies in accordance with the changing workplace. This is certainly on the
radar, as it rightly should be, of many organizations to prepare for the
post-covid era and emerge stronger than before.

How Are Organizations Supporting a Hybrid Workforce?

In the light of the ever-changing business scenarios, the organizations are coming up with a new framework that uses digital technology to enable the employees to flow seamlessly between the on-site and remote working modes. This would not only make it more efficient for the employees to carry out various functions but would also enhance their experience to a great extent, resulting in an increased retention rate. Besides, there have been major changes in the learning and development programs to transform the talent pool and prepare them for unprecedented situations they might face in the future.

A Glimpse of How Companies Are Planning for A Hybrid Work Model

In the midst of difficult circumstances brought in by the COVID-19
pandemic, Microsoft—the software giant based in Washington—was
quick to realize the need for new operating models and strategies,
such as flexible working policies and innovative technological solutions. The
organization allowed its employees to work from home 50% of the time, without
needing approval from their manager. Additionally, more secure communication
along with innovative technology extended the freedom to the employees to work from their home offices.

Quite similarly, other companies like Google and Infosys have
also shifted the gears towards a hybrid working environment, which they plan to
continue even after the threat of the COVID-19 virus subsides. A survey that was
recently conducted by Google states that more than 90% of the companies are in the favour of allowing the employees to work remotely or as a part of the flexible hybrid model in the post-covid era.
However, as stated by Mr. Salil Parekh, the CEO of Infosys, the exact hybrid
working model available to each employee will depend on the nature of their
position. Further, this would require the HR professionals to upskill the
employees so that they can keep up with changing times.

The learning and development function across most companies is finding its
way around innovative solutions to encourage digital fluency across the
workforce. Digital is the new learning language now and will continue to be so
in the coming years. With initiatives in this direction, some companies are
also exploring the long-term implications of digital learning at the workplace
and considering non-mainstream technology, such as virtual reality training
simulations, to encourage engagement of remote learners in the hybrid work
model.

Conclusion

The unprecedented pandemic situation has completely changed the structure
and functioning of the organizations. Now, as this era of hybrid work unfolds, companies are anticipating ways in which they can succeed and provide the much-needed flexibility and agility to their employees. The innovative strategies and plans of action of organizations are clearly in line with the wants and preferences of the employees. In the coming years, we expect more organizations to follow this suit and create a healthy environment for the hybrid work model to thrive.

Written By
Tanvi Saini
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

A Tale of Equality: Women in Leadership Roles

It is a truth universally acknowledged that any individual with potential should be promoted towards the top of the corporate ladder regardless of the gender. Is it the case though? Indian history and mythology have given numerous examples of women breaking the glass ceiling and rising to the position of power. These women showed courage, intelligence and resourcefulness to stand their grounds. Today, we are standing at the point where the society is in the phase of transition leaving its patriarchal roots behind and promoting individualism. This transition has opened door for women to move up in various sectors like banking, insurance and pharmaceuticals, yet various industries including energy, real estate, etc. are still dominated by men. While from a distance it may appear that women have multiple opportunities, they still remain underrepresented in positions of power. Supporting this statement are various surveys which show that of all the companies listed in Fortune 500, only 8% are run by women.

A National Problem or a Global Trend?

The 2021 Global Gender Gap report of the World Economic Forum showed that the progress that should have picked up pace to narrow the gender gap since 2017 is still appearing to be halted. As per the 2019 report of International Labor Organisation, only 5 of the total 83 reporting countries have achieved gender parity in leadership roles. The most surprising aspect of this list is that the countries which are leading the world in various factors of development sit at the bottom end while small countries with decent pace of development like Jordan and Philippines are leading the race by a lot. Fueling the fire, Covid 19 pandemic severely annihilated the financial independence of women across nations. These statistics and implications are not only concerning but demands immediate actions and discussions.

What’s Holding Women Back?

Bounded by the societal chains dipped in patriarchy, women leaders are often confined to stay within the pre-defined norms of how a women should be, resultantly, they are unable to express themselves as freely as their male counterparts. This gender disparity which begins at homes burdening the working females with household responsibilities restricts them from meeting the basic deadlines making progress at work a far-fetched idea.

The lack of flexible working arrangements is yet another reason because of which women are being held back. Women are more often than not the primary caregiver of any household which forces them at various stages of their career to take a break. Such off-ramping episodes bars them from being considered for promotional opportunities.

Wide wage gap, lack of ambition, absence of a sponsor for female employee’s skills, gender communication differences, etc. are few among the many reasons responsible for women failing to attain high-level positions.

The impenetrable structural, organizational, and cultural barriers have since decades restricted the women to reach top echelons of management.

HR’s Role In Closing The Gender Gap

While it is pertinent to note that ensuring true gender diversity within an organization is not just an ‘HR process’, the human resource department can, in many ways, help achieve it. In this digitized era, with new technologies being adopted by the organisations, HR professionals must use AI to remove bias on gender, caste, etc. to select candidates purely based on merits.

A conscious shift to gender equality should be promoted. Inclusion and diversity at almost all levels of the organisations should be made mandatory to allow women with potential to grab opportunities in male dominated roles. The age old ‘opt-in’ mechanism should be removed from the progression process and instead it should be assumed that all qualified people are interested in taking the leadership role. Various surveys have often showed that when asked to apply, many women generally become hesitant leading to less competition for their male counterparts which ultimately results in the domination of males in the leadership roles.

It is often observed that people at executive positions doubt the idea of boardroom diversity. Sadly, the situation is not much different for junior managers who take gender diversity as a part of their ‘to-do’ list rather than an initiative to bring about a necessary change. In the words of Manfred Kets de Vries, a professor at INSEAD, “I make special effort to make women on Challenge of Leadership [programme] not just to help women, but to help men become comfortable with women, comfortable with the diversity of leadership practice.”

Hence, HR along with senior management should chalk out a plan that would bring about real change within the organization and not just provide a quick fix option.

Conclusion

Narrowing the gender gap in leadership process is not a problem that can be fixed by providing a good solution once, rather it is an ongoing process and should be treated as such. To bring about a change, people should be focused upon rather than drafting new policies. One must take steps to identify the gender bias in his/her own sphere of influence and deal with the issue accordingly. Companies around the world have taken multiple steps to ensure gender diversity. Sodexo, with its female employees constituting 55% of workforce is leading by example. Another organization, Johnson & Johnson, has formulated a ‘Diversity University‘ a dynamic website helping employees to understand the pros of working in a collaborative environment. Various other organizations like Mastercard, Accenture have made it a part of their mission and vision to stop discrimination on the basis of gender in a work space. Together, everyone can break the glass ceiling to make a future where there would be just leaders and not women leaders.

Written By
Vartika Dixit
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi

Talent Scarcity: Myth or Reality?

“People are not your most important asset. The right people are”
– Jim Collins, Author of Good to Great

Over the past few years, there have been a lot of discussions regarding whether or not talent is in short supply. Every person out there has a different take on it, but it is important for us to come to a conclusion on this commentary. The biggest reason behind this is that we need to invest in the right talent to prepare for uncertainties like the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the pandemic hit India, all businesses and organizations were affected, and functions like IT and HR were at the forefront of this unprecedented situation. While some organizations were not able to cope with the quandary, the ones that did were able to do so because they had the right talent for particular roles and were, thus, able to emerge stronger than before.

In recent years, there have been various studies that have linked the optimization of internal talent and improved performances of organizations. As a result, today, more and more companies are focused on certain key areas, including talent management, employee engagement, workforce planning, and leadership development. However, they are still struggling to bridge the gap between the people they need and the people they attract.

Presently, the unemployment rate in India has been on the rise—one in every five Indians who graduates is unemployed. To add to this, the population has been growing at a tremendous rate. Now, the question of the hour is, why are employers still struggling to find the right talent when there are innumerable jobs seekers in the market? Well, it clearly hints at the lack of skilled employees for specialized job roles and thus, we can say that talent scarcity is certainly not a myth.

One of the main reasons behind this shortage of talent is the increasing demand for specialized job requirements along with the changing needs and expectations of both the employers and the workers. With digitization at its peak, there has been a dramatic change in the technologies that are used and this has resulted in the need for job seekers to be adept with highly specialized talents and skills. To add to this, the potential candidates also have certain expectations, such as better pay, more flexibility at the workplace, the option of working from home, and most importantly, work-life balance. This is also highlighted by Mr. Sandeep Gulati—Managing Director of ManpowerGroup India—who said, “Unlike their predecessors—the Gen Xers and the Baby Boomers, today’s workforce, the Millennials and Gen Zs want an engaging relationship rather than balancing two different worlds: Work and Life. They want their employers to be as flexible as fluid.”

**Source: ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q3 2021**

Another primary reason behind talent scarcity is the fact that a vast number of baby boomers are now departing the workforce and there are very few potential candidates available who can replace them. This has resulted in fierce competition to recruit and retain skilled employees and as a result, there is a constant ‘war for talent’ amongst competitors who want to hire the best talents for their organizations.

Marc Benioff, the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Salesforce, once said, “Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was—and still is—the most important thing we do”, and we cannot agree with him more on this. Hiring is, indeed, one of the most important aspects of any organization. However, we must not forget that the priority should be to recruit and source high-skilled talent—which in today’s time is a big struggle.

According to ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey 2021, there is real-time data that demonstrates how talent shortage is at its peak in most countries, including India. To further add to this, around 7 in 10 (69%) of companies have reported talent shortages and difficulty in hiring. This figure is the highest in the past 15 years and has been now running for 2 consecutive quarters.

**Source: ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey Q4 2021**

It is quite evident that the talent-shortage situation will worsen in the coming years if this issue is not resolved. Thus, there is a dire need for the organizations to come up with optimum strategies to not only attract and hire the best talent but also retain them—more so after the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused a sudden increase in demand for various skills and put the organizations in, yet another, difficult position.

Written By
Tanvi Saini
Under the tutelage of The HR Club
IMI-New Delhi