Tuesday, January 09, 2007
In pursuit of the right talent
Business Line - 9th Jan 2007
The incumbent must experience the joining process, not as mere signing of certain documents such as the PF etc. While these are certainly essential, the incumbent should experience it in totality, right form the time he\she entered the office, greeted by the security, received by the HR and conducted into the company — the whole range of experience should have a human touch.
While in the previous decades the real crunch for industry was that of resources (read cash). now it is the problem of finding and retaining talented employees.
While the HR Department has to wade through a massive, often redundant data-base of prospective employees, the typical haystack syndrome results — inability to get talented (easily convertible to revenue) people on board.
The limited talent available is being attracted by too many employers. So much so, the alacrity with which the applicants apply is not reflected in offers being taken up by them.
Offers are made but the incumbents do not join. The reasons are not difficult to glean. One can blame it on the wide variety of choices available.
Today, there are plenty of job offers and prospective employees have the time to wait, and pick and choose the most lucrative offer.
Indecision seems to be a deliberate ploy of the job-seekers. There is no worry like "if I do not join now, I may miss the bus", as there are many other buses which he or she can board.
An employer's antenna perks up when the prospective employee suddenly becomes incommunicado. Hitherto, the communication channels used were the telephone and, at times, even personal visits. Now, an e-mail greets you on a Monday morning that he is having some health problems and may be joining after a while (date not specified).
And then, he does not turn up for induction, either at the corporate office or at the project site. He asks for more information, mostly irrelevant, such as about the city, its weather, etc.
He also sounds inquisitive or sceptical about the company's future projections.
How to tackle this situation?
Always keep the communication channels open. Clear all the stumbling blocks. Communicate with the would-be employee promptly. This sets at rest doubts that the employee may be having about your company and any second thoughts about joining.
The results of an interview process are: Selected, rejected or on hold. Do not hold on to the `hold list' for too long; communicate rejects with a polite mail immediately. Similarly, communicate quickly to those who are selected.
Now, for those who are short-listed, constant communication is a must. Invite them and take them around the company. This will make it easier for them to arrive at a decision.
Most short-listed applicants are concerned about the notice period they are supposed to serve. Depending on the company's policy, include the pay in lieu of the notice as a one-time component at the time of joining. This will make the applicant feel good.
Another feel-good factor is: Honour the commitments of joining bonus, designation, etc. Recruitment of experienced and senior-level professionals needs more delicate handling. When these experienced personnel join, ensure that a senior member of the organisation welcomes them personally This will take care of protocol issues.
When it comes to monetary compensation, make it employee-friendly. Do not camouflage the actual payment. Most employees are interested in take-home pay.
A well-drafted compensation package is a better takeaway for an employee. Make clear which allowances are taxable and tax-free and what actually goes into the account of the employee at the end of the month.
Expectation setting
Make an honest pitch about onsite posting, designation, etc. These need deft handling. For example, one may say that an onsite posting is subject to the candidature being cleared by the client.
One may have occupied a high post, say vice-president, in a small company. A similar designation may not be accorded in a large organisation, as there are more management layers.
To improve the joining ratio, corporates might announce a small one-time bonus if the incumbent joins on the date agreed to. This could be in the form of a gift coupon. The incumbent must have a wholesome joining experience — right from the way he is greeted by the security, received by the HR and conducted into the company.
On the day of joining, conduct an interactive induction into the company and let most of the complying with formalities be handled virtually. A professionally done induction ensures that the incumbent does not feel lost in the new milieu.
Joining is an assortment of experiences. At each level of interaction, always exude warmth and give the incumbent a feeling of being wanted. Share the future plans and allay his apprehensions.
When the incumbent is circumspect about the future, share with him the strides made so far by the organisation and that it is forward-looking, willing to enter new territories and niche markets.
(The author is General Manager (Operations & Strategic Planning), SEAL InfoTech Pvt Ltd)
The incumbent must experience the joining process, not as mere signing of certain documents such as the PF etc. While these are certainly essential, the incumbent should experience it in totality, right form the time he\she entered the office, greeted by the security, received by the HR and conducted into the company — the whole range of experience should have a human touch.
While in the previous decades the real crunch for industry was that of resources (read cash). now it is the problem of finding and retaining talented employees.
While the HR Department has to wade through a massive, often redundant data-base of prospective employees, the typical haystack syndrome results — inability to get talented (easily convertible to revenue) people on board.
The limited talent available is being attracted by too many employers. So much so, the alacrity with which the applicants apply is not reflected in offers being taken up by them.
Offers are made but the incumbents do not join. The reasons are not difficult to glean. One can blame it on the wide variety of choices available.
Today, there are plenty of job offers and prospective employees have the time to wait, and pick and choose the most lucrative offer.
Indecision seems to be a deliberate ploy of the job-seekers. There is no worry like "if I do not join now, I may miss the bus", as there are many other buses which he or she can board.
An employer's antenna perks up when the prospective employee suddenly becomes incommunicado. Hitherto, the communication channels used were the telephone and, at times, even personal visits. Now, an e-mail greets you on a Monday morning that he is having some health problems and may be joining after a while (date not specified).
And then, he does not turn up for induction, either at the corporate office or at the project site. He asks for more information, mostly irrelevant, such as about the city, its weather, etc.
He also sounds inquisitive or sceptical about the company's future projections.
How to tackle this situation?
Always keep the communication channels open. Clear all the stumbling blocks. Communicate with the would-be employee promptly. This sets at rest doubts that the employee may be having about your company and any second thoughts about joining.
The results of an interview process are: Selected, rejected or on hold. Do not hold on to the `hold list' for too long; communicate rejects with a polite mail immediately. Similarly, communicate quickly to those who are selected.
Now, for those who are short-listed, constant communication is a must. Invite them and take them around the company. This will make it easier for them to arrive at a decision.
Most short-listed applicants are concerned about the notice period they are supposed to serve. Depending on the company's policy, include the pay in lieu of the notice as a one-time component at the time of joining. This will make the applicant feel good.
Another feel-good factor is: Honour the commitments of joining bonus, designation, etc. Recruitment of experienced and senior-level professionals needs more delicate handling. When these experienced personnel join, ensure that a senior member of the organisation welcomes them personally This will take care of protocol issues.
When it comes to monetary compensation, make it employee-friendly. Do not camouflage the actual payment. Most employees are interested in take-home pay.
A well-drafted compensation package is a better takeaway for an employee. Make clear which allowances are taxable and tax-free and what actually goes into the account of the employee at the end of the month.
Expectation setting
Make an honest pitch about onsite posting, designation, etc. These need deft handling. For example, one may say that an onsite posting is subject to the candidature being cleared by the client.
One may have occupied a high post, say vice-president, in a small company. A similar designation may not be accorded in a large organisation, as there are more management layers.
To improve the joining ratio, corporates might announce a small one-time bonus if the incumbent joins on the date agreed to. This could be in the form of a gift coupon. The incumbent must have a wholesome joining experience — right from the way he is greeted by the security, received by the HR and conducted into the company.
On the day of joining, conduct an interactive induction into the company and let most of the complying with formalities be handled virtually. A professionally done induction ensures that the incumbent does not feel lost in the new milieu.
Joining is an assortment of experiences. At each level of interaction, always exude warmth and give the incumbent a feeling of being wanted. Share the future plans and allay his apprehensions.
When the incumbent is circumspect about the future, share with him the strides made so far by the organisation and that it is forward-looking, willing to enter new territories and niche markets.
(The author is General Manager (Operations & Strategic Planning), SEAL InfoTech Pvt Ltd)
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]