Decipher the other side of the coin - IIPM Think Tank

An MBA graduate from Edinburgh Business School, UK, Ms. Shalini Kamath has nearly 24 years of experience in HR, Business Development, and Social & Community Development. She has worked with ChevronTexaco, Star India, KPMG and is an expert in start-up management. She is on the advisory board of TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India) and a co-chairperson for the HR Western Sub-Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Q. Please share your views on HR as a turnaround enabler.
A. HR has a very strong role to play in turning a business around. However, the critical part is that HR first needs to understand the business case for a turnaround. In certain cases where the clarity does not exist, HR can play a vital role in analysing the areas where a turnaround could help the business to flourish, which sometimes, the business heads may have failed to identify. In such cases, HR also has to take the responsibility to make them understand the gravity of the situation. Once the business need for a turnaround is established, HR is positioned the best to work with the business to conduct the most efficient and effective interventions to bring about the positive people-related changes and business transformation through people.

Q. Are there any HR limitations that you see in such situations?
A. I see three limitations:
• The HR department is often divorced from the business and HR people work in isolation. Therefore, often the critical role that it can play in a turnaround is undermined. HR needs to upgrade its skills to a level where it can learn what is happening in the business so that the need for a turnaround is well understood or in certain situations it could be identified by the HR before a business encounters a problem.
• At the time of a turnaround it is generally the business head that does all the thinking and the implementation is left to HR. However, if there is a collaboration between business and HR, many untapped solutions may surface which would be more appropriate for the business.
• HR needs to keep itself updated with all the latest theories, tools and HR practices available in the marketplace to be able to find effective initiatives for specific turnaround needs. Read more...

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Barbara Mitchell (Managing Partner Mitchell Group)

....They put everyone through five weeks’ orientation which includes working for two weeks at their call centre so that everyone, including HR, finance, management, gets to experience and develop strong customer service skills. HR at Zappos is tasked with supporting these principles through hiring practices and applying good practices to maintain the focus on employing people who “get” what it means to be a customer-focused organisation.

Q. How can a CEO help selecting the best talent?
A. The CEO sets the corporate culture which is key to bringing in the best talent. Southwest Airlines encourages fun at work. They talk about how they “hire for attitude and train for skill”. Everyone, even the CEO, should be trained in good interviewing practices.

Q. How can a C-suite executive understand the HR nuances?
A. If the HR has business competencies, the CEO or others should be able to relate to him/her as easily as they do to each other. It is when HR is seen as an outsider who can talk only about HR-specific topics, that they have trouble relating to it.

The HR department should be able to talk the business language, read a profit and loss statement, and understand sales and marketing terms. In general, it should be able to understand what makes the business work! Read more..

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Persistent Performance Partnership

Q. What should CEOs do to ensure HR of their support in carrying out these functions smoothly?

A. First, they should start treating HR as a partner. They should give them the platform to speak on behalf of employees at the executive level and involve them in the business strategy and other important decisions that are taken in the company.

CEOs should also invest in the HR team to build themselves. In IT companies, usually all investments are made in training the technical people and there remains a want of efforts in helping people in the HR department.

Sometimes, HR team also needs exposure; they need to attend conferences and participate in business forums. A CEO should encourage them when they approach him with such requests. It is essential to understand that HR is not a support function and they are the business partners that help in meeting business goals.

Q. Do you think that the IT industry has fully explored the HR potential?
A. People are the real assets of IT companies and the company’s competency depends on the people they have. It is essential to recognise the importance of a good team and it is only good HR that can take care of the resources. Thus, we give a lot of importance on HR operations and invest in employees.

Q. How can the CEO assist HR in building the employer brand?
A. The CEO must assist HR in terms of creating an employer brand. At Persistent Systems, the HR team has a lot of ideas on how they can help. Mostly, they need encouragement and investment.

As far as the company’s overall brand strategy is concerned, the HR plays an integral part in it. The CEO should work along with the HR and provide it with whatever it needs to help the company develop a good brand within the employee community, and even outside the company.  Click here to read full interview...

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