The Human Factor is an organi-competitive advantage? sation’s most dynamic resource. With increasing budgets for human re-In times when every company is sources and a paradigm shift from admin-blowing the “people-are-my-greatest-asset” istrative to strategic roles, human resource trumpet, it is difficult to understand how has never had it better. Leading organisa­closely the role of HR is integrated with the tions are aspiring for gaining market share core business strategy. The more important and happier employees, and the emphasis question is whether it is a strategy which is evidently on the human resource func­works for the system or for its people. In an tion. There exists, however, this cavernous age where customisation is the key, have chasm between this miniscule number of companies been able to identify a frame-organisations with HR as their focus and work on the basis of which they can evolve the bulk of others still struggling with ad­specialised practices to sustain their only ministrative issues.

Successful organisations like happy families have one aspect in common – the emphasis on the human resource function. Our hypothesis sent us hunting flourishing organisations for their unique human re­source practices and the frameworks they have evolved and refined over the years. The results were enlightening and illustrat­ed one common learning – value-creation for the employee and sustainable growth form the foundation of the framework for success, and through specialised processes human resource is gaining momentum to become a strategic partner in the organisation’s success.

Agile, competent and a high achievement orientation is what defines the globally competitive workforce of today. For an organisation to firstly survive and further develop this diverse asset, it needs to constantly reinvent it’s patterns and practices. Aligning organisational and individual goals is a challenge for human resources and formulating career planning tools for ensuring growth to employees is fast becoming a global phenomenon.

Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited, India’s largest pharmaceutical company, has made a foray in this direction. To aid career development, Ranbaxy urges it’s employees to develop a distinct career path. The path is developed through a series of discussions between the employee and his manager. A plan is developed about the employees’ career aspirations and a very precise career path is laid out. The supervisors of the employees are also asked to share their views on the employees’ performance and thus, measures are taken to help the employees to reach their desired growth levels. “This helps us increase retention as well as develop a blueprint for succession planning,” states Bhavna Kataria, human resource manager, Ranbaxy.

Ranbaxy’s focus on creating value for the employee is further illustrated with their Mentorship Programmes. Ranbaxy believes that mentoring often functions as an important component of leadership development and also goes a long way in predicting career success. It aims not only at developing and building strong leaders, but also helps develop a loyal team of employees who know how to perform their jobs and how to turn to each other for advice. Through this programme, mentors can serve as sounding boards at critical points during a professional’s career development.

The HR function at Ranbaxy, facilitates the entire process to see that the mentor helps the mentee in every possible manner to overcome his inhibitions and fears.

Ranbaxy’s initiative is a learning for all organisations and human resource must encourage mentoring as a means to further transform their organisations into environments which are conducive to nurturing
and developing employees.

The emphasis on human resource and the concept of it being embedded in the core strategy of an organisation is considered a forte of private companies. Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited’s (BHEL) efforts towards developing frameworks for excellence in human resource have been in
denial to this to this popular belief. BHEL, which was established more than 40 years’ back, is leading the way with it’s unique initiatives. “Our main aim at BHEL as construed by the minds of the visionaries was the development of the people. BHEL is the first organisation to come up with a blue print of the corporate plan in India,” proudly informs Partha Sarthy, general manager, HR, at BHEL.

To promote transparency BHEL has incorporated “MECOM” at its Bhopal unit. This plan entitles each worker to a presentation which facilitates open communication among workers and the senior management. This unique practice welcomes free criticism, appreciation, complaints and feedback from one and all.

BHEL intends to bring about a revolutionary change through the incorporation of its new concept “MECOM”. Today’s growing competition requires every organisation to update itself on a continuous basis and keeping this in mind BHEL seeks to take advantage of a more transparent system which invites a two-way communication. BHEL’s initiative is a step towards understanding the organisation at every level of management. It identifies the importance of its people and how people are its greatest assets which will finally take the organisation to greater heights. Through this initiative, it seeks to strengthen the character of disclosure and transparency so that there is an unrestricted flow of information, which will create a conducive atmosphere for employee as well as organisational growth.

New initiatives have also come forth in the field of human resource mobilisation. Dabur India Limited, the fourth largest fast moving consumer group’s unique module in this field gives a whole new dimension to evolving human resource practices. A newly incorporated module at Dabur is the e-learning programme, termed as Employee Orientation on Web for Engagement and Reference (EMPOWER).

The primary aim of this plan is to enable all employees to get oriented to the Dabur culture instantaneously with the aid of Dabur net. The plan is self-based and is available on the intranet. This practice is the foundation of transparency and open communication for growth, which forms the pillars of Dabur’s success.

Through EMPOWER Dabur is trying to build a sense of belongingness among its employees. This new web-based module is aimed at bringing about an atmosphere conducive to Dabur’s organisation culture in today’s growing and competitive age. Dabur recognises the growing importance of its human asset to sustain itself in this competitive race and, therefore, strives to revamp its human resource perspective from the organisation’s lowest level. Dabur intends to build up a cohesive work environment where people will take pride in what they do not just because it is valuable work but also because they want to work for the good of the organisation.

Today, a job is no more measured in terms of its pay scale, but there are a lot many dimensions attached to it which makes it valuable. Therefore, organisations like Dabur have resorted to building up a culture for itself which will attract its employees not only by means of good pay packages but by promising useful work and a good work environment which is sensitive to employee needs.

People power is what fuels the service economy and consulting organisations have always paid paramount importance to their real asset – people.

Tata Consultancy Services is one such company which has contributed substantially to the human resource field. It has been supporting the academic community across the globe, right from its inception – inheriting the rich tradition of the Tatas. The traditional support of Tata Consultancy Services to the academic community has been further strengthened since 2002, with a comprehensive AIP (Academic Interface Programme) process framework and infrastructure in place. AIP facilitates a robust high-quality, long-term relationship between TCS and Academia, leading to a win-win situation for both.

TCS AIP support has three focal points – students, faculty and institutes. The support includes about a dozen different areas – all of them measurable and goal-oriented. The Faculty Development Programmes for instance are a platform for the rich project experience of TCS to be shared with the academic community.

Dr Raj Reddy -Head, Organisational Effectiveness, Tata Consultancy Services, says, “The Academic Interface Programme offers a unique channel to narrow the gap between the academia and the industry by engaging with the institutes, faculty and with young talent. AIP also offers an excel­lent platform in shaping the students to­wards developing the global mindset that is fast becoming a need for the industry. This further enables TCS in spotting, engaging and attracting talent”.

As is evident from the changes that have been incorporated by organisations today, HR has repositioned itself towards a dynamic role as a integral partner to the organisations success. Pro-active organisa­tions are infusing dynamism in this field by setting benchmarks for others to follow. Greater employee satisfaction is a common thread woven through all organisations at­tempting to reinvent HR.

Innovation, dynamism, creativity are essentially the drivers in this field. The findings also lay emphasis on the fact that organisations are making investments in human resources a business imperative. Incremental and collaborative practices contribute to the changing face of HR and it’s impact on the employee growth. Excel­lence in implementation of these practices however, is the key for success.

Determining what matters most to em­ployees and aligning it to organisational goals is a strategic challenge for human resources. Human resource professionals must not only create a mix of practices that retain and motivate a very diverse workforce, but they also must continually fine-tune that mix. Organisations’ need to understand that the human resource func­tion plays a significant role in this globally competitive marketplace and thus, the need for it to evolve is greater.

Attractive benefits, competitive pay, a work environment conducive to growth and competent management seems to be on everybody’s menu. Delicacies, however, help you differentiate and gain an edge in attracting and retaining talent. The ques­tion that haunts companies is what are the ingredients that result in this preparation. The answer is the taste of value-creation. Value for the employee, the business and the organisation. Progressive organisations create value through strong, positive com­pany cultures that foster happy, engaged employees who feel empowered to make decisions and thus feel connected with the company. With only a handful of organisa­tions committing themselves to redefining HR, with a large section still struggling to keep pace with change, new age HR still has a long way to go.