EXCELerator 2012

The Excelator-2012 conference was the initiative of SHARP (Sriperumbudur Human and Allied Resource Professional Forum) and CEO (Center for Excellence in Organization) Pvt Ltd. The theme for this convention was: “HR – a valued business partner”.


Esteemed members of the forum inaugurated the event. Mr. A. Rajan Babu, Head HR and Admin, Sona Koya Steering Systems Ltd, President SHARP said in the keynote addressee that role of HR revolves around work ethics, commitment and persistence and foundation of the SHARP forum. The forum started with 7 professionals in 2011, and now has expanded with 300 active members. The core value of the forum has always been – ‘Working for the benefit of society’.

Mr. E.I. Ravidranath, Group VP HR, Thirumalai Chemicals Ltd spoke about the SHARP forum and skills required by HR. He stressed that passion, ability to attract, ever learning hunger and knowledge sharing are key ingredient for HR. Soon he is going to release him book (untitled) on Industrial Relations.

Mr. S.Y.Park, GM ER/IR & Training, Hyundai Motors India Ltd spilled beans on the importance of HR/IR, need of proactive action by HR and expected HR functions.

Mr. Mike Park, MD Hanil Tube India Ltd. focused on HR skills needed, CEO’s expectation from HR and solutions that can consider.

Mr. Raja Gopalan, CEO Ashley Alteams emphasized on role, responsibility and expectation from HR.

Mr. S. Karthikeyan, Director Centre for Excellence in Organization Pvt Ltd. acknowledged the industry demand gap of skilled people in India in his presentation ‘Skilling India’.

Mr. BalaKrishnan, Unit Head, Wheels India Ltd. shared his experience of implementation of ‘Self Directed Work Team’ model in the organization and the changes experienced.

Mr. Prem Kumar, Ex-Director NIOT, Founder, Win Marine Consultancy highlighted on Hr as a business escalator and shared his leadership wisdom.

Dr. R.Karthikeyan, Director GEMBA School of Management encouraged audience to think out of box and blur the boundaries of traditional conventions. He explained the need of change in education and organization system and raise scope of democracy.

HR as a Valued Business Partner

The current business demands is on all support functions in all industries and businesses. Outsourcing and consulting contracts are eating into the traditional security that many classic support specialists have enjoyed. It is not enough to just deliver good transactional services. In today’s environment if you are not adding value it is not long before someone starts asking challenging questions about the value-added of IT, Internal Audit, Finance.

For HR the pressure is strong. Business leaders want more from their HR support professionals. They are seeking a more proactive and challenging role that forces managers to think about how they are leveraging people and the organization for business success. New business requirements need new HR skills and competences to make the transition to a big performance Business Partner.

David Ulrich introduced the HR business partner in his book ‘HR Champion’.

A HR Business Partner (HRBP) works with business to add real strategic value. A HRBP has to understand the business, have an insight into the people challenges and the ability to make effective links between the two.

Till date a HR worked in foundation HR practices as

• Talent management
• Outsourcing
• Performance management
• Diversity management
• Graying population
• Down Turn
• Cost optimization
• Leadership development
• Engagement and empowerment.

HR jobs that focus on processes and systems are already becoming redundant. Much of the transactional work of HR such as payroll, employee policies, training administration, and so on, is being automated, centralized or outsourced.

Emerging HR practices are organization design, executive leadership development, work process design, internal communication etc. Being able to create increasing returns from intangibles presents tremendous opportunities for HR professionals because the only way intangibles gain value is through people. “The benefits intangible investments yield is the only means companies can use to escape intensifying competitive pressures.” Baruch Lev, Harvard Business Review, June 2004.

This situation creates a compelling argument that to drive profitable growth from intangibles, this asset class must be systemically managed by HR. But to seize this opportunity HR departments and professionals must fundamentally transform their roles.

Changing HR mission
· The human resource function must lead change and adapt to the changing nature of work in order to remain effective
· The successful HR function provides the link between strategy, people and results
· Human resource priorities and programs must be aligned with the strategy and work culture of specific organizational units
· Human resource programs must operate as an integrated system

HR as valued business partner needs to lead a transition from existing ‘traditional’ role to a new dynamic personality. HRs need to be in proactive mode rather than the existing reactive mode, they need to move from the role of employee regulators and create self sufficient employees. As add on to the current activities of benefits, policy, wage etc; they need to in-source, out-source and re-engineer HR process to improve performance and organization. New horizons of HR should target on results and future rather than know-how or program design.

To become a change-agent and business partner HRs need to have certain competencies like

• Exhibit understanding the business
• Help leaders to think new way in business
• Develop and implement HR solutions to meet business needs
• Build credibility
• Influence change
• Impact the client’s thinking
• Participate in decision making
• Challenge constructively

Wind up:
HR business partnering is a process whereby HR professionals work closely with business leaders and/or line managers to achieve shared organizational objectives, in particular designing and implementing HR systems and processes that support strategic business aims. This process may involve the formal designation of ‘HR business partners’, that is HR professionals who are embedded within the business, sometimes as part of a wider process of restructuring of the HR function.

However, it is important to note that many varying definitions of HR business partnering exist and, where HR business partners operate, there are wide variations in their role.

• HR is shifting from a focus on compliance and control to building strategic business partnerships to support line management. 
• The value added of HR will come from leading strategic change and ensuring alignment between business strategy and talent management priorities
• Thinking strategically, building partnerships and influence will be key differentiators for successful HR business partners
• Becoming an HR business partner requires more than changing behavior, it requires a change in self-perception.

Succession Planning

Succession planning is the procedure of identifying potential leaders in an organization to fill important positions in near future. It is important for an organization to find the right people who will fill key positions. Any organization needs to select the candidates carefully, as they would in key positions and strategically significant roles with great responsibility and power. Thus organizations need to adopt a detailed and broad system of selection, inspection, grooming and orientation.

This process of succession planning enables organizations to:

•  Assess if they have the right skills mix to achieve company goals – and determine what gaps exist that must be closed. 
• Identify talented employees and provide education to develop them for future higher level and broader responsibilities 
• Identify which employees are at risk of leaving. 
• Retain superior employees 
• Build “bench strength."
• Determine where people belong on the bus. 
• Determine if they should be on your bus - or someone else’s.

Succession plan ideas can be

• Strategic succession plan - It is done when organization knows about any upcoming key vacant position. Generally at such situations, current (or outgoing) key role holder is involved in the lookup for a successor and also gives initial guidelines about the role.
• Emergency succession plan – It is done when a critical key role holder departs unexpectedly due to illness or accident.

Also, succession plan depends upon the company policy.

• Some organizations prefer to use the talents within the company to grow and lead
• Some companies adopt talents outside the organization to avoid collision amongst employees

Further, strategic succession plan can be

• Immediate (0 – 1 year)
• Mid-term   (2-5 years)
• Long term  (beyond 5 years)

Key elements of succession planning:

• Identification of key position
• Identification of key talent
• Assessment of key talent
• Grooming and development
• Support through transition

Steps to ensure Effective Succession Planning

• HR and business leaders should monitor succession plan.
• Rather than just recording performance, potential for future roles need to be assess. 
• Manage succession data on individuals and talent pools.
• Balance talent development and acquisition in achieving future objectives.
• Integrate succession planning systems with other businesses and HR systems in the organization to achieve efficiency, consistency and impact.

Barriers to succession plan

• Projected shortage of talents
• Cost and Time
• Talent retention 
• Conflict within employee and employer
• Insecurity feeling
• Lack of learning opportunity
• Expectation of organization

Green HR

Modern day organizations are becoming environment conscious and adopting thinking green initiatives; environment management is being included in business operations. Green initiatives are practices that help in natural resource conservation by reduction in usage of raw material, energy and water or elimination of pollutants. Thus reducing employee carbon footprints. Green HR involves two elements: environment friendly HR practices and the preservation of knowledge capital.

It is done as promoting and implementing – ‘Going digital’ by using teleconference or videoconference, virtual interviews, virtual training, printing less paper. Also, it includes recycling, reusing resources, car-pooling, energy efficient office, sapling plantation, etc. Green HR is about retaining, recalling, preserving, and growing talent, therefore reducing and/or eliminating workplace inefficiency. Along with creating a more efficient workplace, retaining knowledge capital forces employers to properly evaluate their staff and look for the best options available. HR efforts on the same include increasing process efficiency, revamping HR procedures and tools. A lot of HR processes need bulk paper documentation; hence it adds cost and challenges the green initiative. Organizations should adopt online applications as online attendance and leave record, employee personal data, online pay slips, online assert and manpower requisition, travel plan, team reports, PF details, Form 16 etc.

Green ideas and concepts are commencing to grow in HR domain, acting as add on to sustainability-based initiatives. Tangible benefits of Green practices are - contribution to environment, employee education and awareness, brand image of company, improve productivity and efficiency.

Mitch Albom's ''The five people you meet in heaven"- Book review

From the author of bestseller ‘Tuesday with Morrie’ Mitch Albom, ‘The five people you meet in heaven’ gives an idea that heaven is more than the story told with floating clouds and white angels, and unforeseen life connections.

Eddie, an old wounded World War II veteran living an uninspired life. He works at an amusement park as maintenance man. On his 83rd birthday he died in a horrible accident while saving a little girl. He wakes in his afterlife and find himself traveling with five people to reach his heaven. Here, heaven is not the same place for all souls; heaven is also not the destination.

Eddie meet five people at their heaven; he knew some of them, some were unknown but have connection in his life. He met them one by one from his childhood till old age; together they revisited earth and Eddie learns something new about himself, significance of their encounters and life. He is enlighten by to his own worth and value of his life.

The story gives insights about life, love, sacrifice, human connection but at times emotions are forced, as a reader might feel emotionally manipulated by different five characters. The book had aimed to reach a message of humanity with simple story in afterlife.