7 Hottest Trends In HR Technology

I’m heading out to Las Vegas now for #HRTechConf. It’s always a fascinating and elucidating experience, and a chance to catch up with friends, clients and colleagues and of course – the parties. Technology has been dominating the HR and Talent Management space for the past decade – with more “real serious widespread adoption” happening in the past year. Has it’s application plateaued? Is HR finally taking a more active role in driving user adoption? Are there more exciting developments on the way that help to recruit, retain and engage your talent? Where do things stand and where are they going? These are definitely exciting times.

1) There Will Be A Move MOVE +2.45% From Quantity To Quality. We’ve been deluged with technological advances, and many Leaders and HR departments have embraced some, or if very innovative, many of them. Only to later find out (after spending money and resources) that some are a terrible match for their organizations. I see much more selectivity in the year ahead. Instead of asking, “Is this amazing technology?”, the question will become, “Is this technology a good match for us?”

2) The Number Of So-Called Breakthrough HR Technologies Will Diminish. We’re now in the second decade of the computer revolution, which has indeed changed the way we live and work. But even something as epic as the computer reaches its limits. What we’re seeing now is a welcome emphasis on refinements of the core technologies. Beware of vendors who try and dazzle you with hype, or are selling wildly complicated products. Look for smart (and often simple) technologies that are user-friendly and deliver targeted results.

3) It’s All About Implementation. Smart people are shutting out all the clutter and asking themselves: “Is this technology going to be easy to implement and will be my employees actually adopt?” Ignore all the bells and whistles, the shiny toys and pretty graphics. In the end it’s about usage, smart data and building stronger teams. Will this product be worth the effort and expense? Deconstruct the technology down its core deliverables. The rest is just a waste of time.

4) Analytics Is The Special Sauce. Software analytics, single stack software and any tool that enables relevant data to be collected and shared between departments with ease and consistency is basically good. It allows everyone to be on the same page, speaking the same language. It’s a fantastic Leadership and HR tool. We can see what’s happening – the good, the weird, the amazing and the stuff that makes us ask better questions — across the organization and respond quickly. We are now seeking numbers to back up what we say. We have the tools – let’s use them.

5) Social Media And Continuous Learning Continues To Grow In Significance. Social media is one area that has lived up to its hype. It’s an amazing talent management, branding and employee engagement tool. For example – by creating a 3-dimensional profile of an applicant (Google the person’s name-Wink), talent simply leaps out. Peoples quirks, interesting detours, offbeat skills all come to life as we learn more about people’s personalities and “real lives”. As do certain negatives like rigid ideology, or a tendency to be snarky or combative. Within an organization, social media, social learning and big data are an unparalleled communication and cohesion tool if understood and utilized correctly.

6) Real Time Talent Management Matters. Tools that allow continuous monitoring of performance are better for everyone. A formal employee review every six months is fast becoming obsolete. What is far more important is software that enables us to stay on top of things in real time. Problems are nipped in the bud and the good stuff like recognition, gamification and rewards are in place to offer more productive employee relationships that can be nurtured. No more playing catch-up. Real time monitoring gives HR and Leaders more power to do more good and weed out the people who are not a good fit.

7) Mobile, Mobile, Mobile. There’s a new generation of talent coming up that views desktops as a relic from the past. The world is growing evermore global and mobile and HR has to be, too. To reach the right talent, you need to be mobile-friendly in design and ease of usage. HR should always go where the talent is – and these days it’s on mobile.

It’s going to be an exciting, if at times overwhelming, week, year. If you see me at the conference, please say hello. I’d love to know what you think of my list. You can find me at the quarter slots (kidding!). Seriously, we live in fascinating times for HR and Leadership and the conference is always interesting. Have a blast. Let’s keep learning and innovating together.

Letter to Mr. Mukesh Ambani by Arvind Kejriwal

Dear Mr Mukesh Ambani,

You have recently sent a defamation notice to a number of TV channels. Their “crime” is that they aired the press conference held on the 31^st October 2012 and 9^th November 2012, by Prashant Bhushan and me, live. In our press conference, we presented before the country how you had illegally pressurized the government into increasing gas prices. We also told the country that your associates and your companies have accounts in Swiss banks where black money had been stashed away. Many TV channels aired our expose live.  All these TV channels have now received defamation notices from you.

I find it quite perplexing. If you felt that you have been defamed by what Prashant Bhushan and I said, then we are the real culprits and, if you had to send a defamation notice, it should have been to us. The TV channels merely broadcast what we said. Despite this, instead of sending us the defamation notice, you have sent it to the TV channels. It is evident that your sole purpose of sending this notice was to steamroll the TV channels into subservience.

The people of India want to ask you some straight questions:

- Is it not true that the list of those who have accounts in Swiss Banks, as received by the Government of India, includes your name and the names of your relatives, your  friends and your companies?

- Is it not true that a balance of Rs. 100 crores is shown against your name in this list?

- Is it not true that you have paid the tax on this amount after this list was received by the  Government?

If the above is true, as we suspect it is, it proves that you have admitted your guilt. As per the law of the land, you should be tried and, if the charge of tax evasion is proved, you should be sent to jail. 

However, this would never happen. Why? Because the Government of India is intimidated by you. You have been reported as saying that the Congress Party has been bought by you – it is your dukaan, to be precise. You are right. according to some media reports, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi sometimes travels by your personal aircraft. People believe that Mr. Jaipal Reddy’s ministry was also changed because of your influence.

Why only the Congress? Even BJP and many other parties are in your pocket. Earlier, Mr. Advani used to make a lot of noise about Swiss Bank accounts, but since your accounts have been exposed, BJP has suddenly gone quiet. BJP has not mentioned a single word in the Parliament about your accounts.

It appears that almost all parties are afraid of you. Most leaders are scared of you, too. However, the citizens of this country are not scared of you. All parties could be your dukaan but India is not up for sale. India is ours, it belongs to the people of this country. You can purchase political parties and political leaders with your money but we will not let India be sold.

You say that the TV channels have tainted your reputation by airing our press conference live. That's wrong. I would urge you to answer this question honestly - Did Prashant Bhushan, myself and the TV Channels defame you or did you defame yourself through your own misdeeds?

1. In 2002, you gave 1 Crore shares with a market price of Rs. 55 per share to Mr. Pramod Mahajan at just Rs. 1 per share. This was a straight bribe to get “Full Mobility”. When you were caught, you took back the shares. Presently, the matter is In court.  Didn't you defame yourself by doing this?

2. You have made your multistoreyed residence on Wakf land. This land had been set aside for an orphanage. You have stolen the right of poor and orphaned Muslim children. Didn't you defame yourself by doing this?

3. A few gas wells belonging to the Country were allotted to you in 2000. You were supposed to extract gas and give it to the government. The gas belongs to us, the people of India. We are the owners of this gas. You were only a contractor appointed to extract the gas. However, cleverly you became the owner of the gas. You started "selling" the gas to the government.

Because the Congress is in your pocket, it always bowed before your bullying. The Congress kept increasing the price of gas under your pressure and the nation kept wailing. Because of you, the prices of electricity, fertilizer and cooking gas kept rising. When it crossed all limits, Mr. Jaipal Reddy opposed you. He was the Minister for Oil and Gas at that time. You got Mr. Jaipal Reddy transferred. Because of you many things have become increasingly expensive in India and the people are groaning under the load of these high prices. Do these shenanigans suit you? Do such acts not defame you?

The list of such illegal acts done by you is quite long.

The majority of the traders, businessmen and industrialists want to do their work honestly. But the system forces them into wrongdoings. But when a businessman like you brazenly subverts the system for his personal benefit, the entire industry and business world gets a bad name.

You are on one side with immense wealth. On the other side are the people of this country. The people have now awakened. Fire is raging in their heart. History is witness that whenever there has been a clash between money and such rage, the rage has won.

Kindly do not try to intimidate the media of this country. There may be some mediamen who may have done wrong things themselves. Such media-persons may succumb to your pressure. However, the majority of media persons keep the interest of the Country at heart even today. They are not going to capitulate so easily. History is witness that whenever the judiciary, bureaucracy and legislature crumbled, it is the honest fourth pillar, comprising such media-persons that kept democracy alive.

You have invested in some media houses directly or indirectly. It is possible that these media houses do your bidding. However, the journalists working for such media houses will not barter their integrity so easily.

What is your dream? Do you want to become the world's richest person through dishonesty? Suppose you became the owner of all the wealth in this country. Would that make you happy? Happiness does not increase by accumulating more and more wealth. Happiness comes with sacrifice. If you stopped doing business dishonestly and contributed your wealth for the development of the nation, this country will remember you with pride forever.

With regards,

Arvind Kejriwal

Website: www.aamaadmiparty.org

Do you really need to build a great career?

A career isn't what it used to be. Who has a job for life anymore? Who would want one anyway? 

Playing the new career game means learning new rules and making tough decisions. 

Should I take a job that pays less because it means more? 

Should I take a job I don't like to get skills I need? 

How do I know when it's time to go? 

I am asking 30 business leaders, all with undeniably intriguing careers, to offer hands-on advice for moving ahead.

Don't pick a job. Pick a boss. Your first boss is probably the biggest factor in your career success. A boss who doesn't trust you won't give you opportunities to grow.

A boss who's too easy on you won't drive you to improve. When you accept your first job, you're hiring a tutor to teach you about work. Be sure to hire wisely.

My first boss (when I was a 22-year-old executive assistant) taught me the basics of work: be honest. He hired new assistant at 2500 Indian rupee for a month. But he'd always calculate their first paycheck at 2500 Indian rupee. If you reported the "error," you kept the job and stayed at 2500. If you didn't, you lost the job.

Over time, the most important skill for advancing your career is learning how to work to an agenda rather than to a schedule. A successful business person always kills more than one bird with one stone.

Figure out what needs to happen, and then find ways to make it happen. A 30-second elevator exchange can be as productive as a one-hour meeting, but only if you know in advance what you need from the encounter.

If you want to play the new career game, you have to be a good negotiator. It's not a natural skill. But for talented people, in sports or business, this is a seller's market. Keep these five principles in mind before you sit across the table from your next employer.

Know what you want before you ask. Are you looking for short-term gain or long-term security? How important, really, are the people you work with? What about the company's products and their impact on the world? Make a list of what matters.

Figure out who's on the other side. Identify their priorities and goals. What are they trying to achieve? What pressures are they under? Do they have total authority? The more you know about the other side, the more power you have.

If you want to be heard, make noise. Someone who wanted to work for the firm created a mock Sports Illustrated cover featuring him as "Employee of the Year." Someone else put together a newspaper with lots of funny comments. Sure, they were gimmicks, but they distinguished these candidates from a flood of applicants. And they were also signs of initiative and cleverness, which we find extremely important.

You are somebody! The biggest obstacle to negotiating well is our  inherent modesty. People are uncomfortable asserting their best attributes. So let other people sing your praises. Assemble compelling references and make sure your potential employer speaks with these people.

Negotiations require confrontation. Any negotiation has its difficult moments. Don't let them trigger undue anger. Hold mock negotiations in which a colleague or family member plays the other side, and operate under a general paradigm of cooperation. The only thing that's certain about a negotiation is that it will lead to another negotiation, and then another.

It's simple, really. When what you do and care about is aligned with what the market wants and cares about, you've created a recipe for career success.

Follow the Leader

Bill Gove was a legend as a salesman at 3M. He used to tell this story in his motivational talks to the troops.

“I was just starting out in sales when my boss called me in and said, ‘Bill, I want you to go to New Orleans and see our fieldman, Harry. You’ve never met anyone like him. He’s about 60 pounds overweight, his clothes look like a bulletin board of whatever he ate for lunch, he garbles his words, and he writes his orders on the back of a napkin.’

“So I said, ‘Sure, I’ll go down there. What do you want me to do? Buy him a copy of Dress for Success? Put him on a diet? Fire him?’

“ ‘Hell, no. Find out what this guy is eating and make sure he gets all he wants. He’s our biggest producer. And while you’re down there, you’d better get some for yourself.’ “

That story always worked. Maybe because it was so close to the Abe Lincoln version: “But Mr. President, Grant drinks!” “Find out what his brand is and send him a case. I need him. He fights.”

Could a curmudgeon like Harry or a boozer like Grant be successful today? Of course. You see it all the time in sports. The basketball player who averages 20 points a game is on a longer leash than the backup guard. It isn’t fair, it isn’t right, but it’s the way of the world in a world where results often matter more than how you get them.

Bill Gove and I used to tell young salespeople, “If you can sell, don’t worry about the paperwork. We’ll get someone to take care of it.” All kinds of people can fill out forms… few can really sell.

These days, with everything so techie, there’s less tolerance for the klutz, even a mad demon of a salesperson klutz, because a screwup on-line can cost the company zillions. Harry’s mustard-stained napkins might not pass muster, no matter how big the order.

Earl is the opposite of Harry. The word that fits him is “bearing.” He walks around like he’s on his way to chair a board meeting. Earl’s paperwork is perfect, his desk is neat. He’s on time for every sales meeting, and without having to be begged, he automatically takes a seat in the front row. Earl would be the perfect salesperson except for one thing: He couldn’t give away envelopes to Publishers Clearing House. Customers just don’t warm up to him.

Most salespeople fit somewhere in between Harry and Earl, not daring to be as nonconformist as Harry, but able to avoid setting people’s teeth on edge, a la Earl.

Smart companies have come to realize that salespeople need to be rid of duties that have nothing to do with sales. They know that the most productive time salespeople have is the time they spend with their customers, not with their fellow employees. They—and their salespeople—are externally focused. Totally.

Dumb companies remain enmeshed in structure, processes, and politics. They tend to be internally focused on the company culture, the company rule book, the company dress code, and the company haircut. They have meetings to see if they should have meetings.

Company committees? Internal planning projects? There’s Earl in the front row again, his hand raised, volunteering for the job. Earl knows his future isn’t in sales; it’s in getting into the bureaucracy. When the Earls of the world get promoted as their reward for doing the grunt work that successful sales people hate, guess what happens? The regimen of regular sales meetings, new forms to fill out, and mandatory attendance take a big leap skyward.

Will Harry’s production go up when Earl gets through with him? Of course not, but Harry might make less noise when he eats.

Many of you reading this may work for Earls. Don’t toss in the towel. Just keep your own priorities straight. Try not to let Earl waste too much of your time, and just keep shaking and baking.

Moral : If you’re going to be different, you’d better produce. Most managers hate mavericks, 
but all managers love results.

* Excerpted from Pushing the Envelope: All The Way To The Top

Apple's Scott Forstall and John Browett to leave firm

Scott Forstall

Apple has announced a major shake-up of its management, with two senior executives to leave the company.

The announcement follows embarrassing problems with its new mapping software and disappointing quarterly results.

Scott Forstall, head of its iOS software, will leave next year. He will serve as an adviser to chief executive Tim Cook in the interim.

Head of retail John Browett, the former Dixons boss, is also leaving after just six months in the job.

Apple said the moves were a way to increase collaboration across its hardware, software and services businesses.

Mapping problems

The company faced a barrage of criticism after its new mapping software, introduced last month, showed inaccuracies and misplaced towns and cities.

The debacle led to Mr Cook issuing an apology to customers, while some critics called for Mr Forstall's head as he was the executive behind the panned app.

Mr Forstall joined Apple in 1997 when the technology giant purchased Steve Jobs' start-up Next, and he is credited as one of the original architects of Mac OS X.

Mr Browett left British electronics chain Dixons to take up his post with Apple in April this year. His efforts to cut back staffing at the firm's stores provoked a backlash and U-turn, all of which was leaked to the press.

The search for his successor is already underway, with stores reporting directly to chief executive Tim Cook in the meantime.

No specific reasons were given for either man's departure.

Apple's fourth quarter profits of $8.2bn (£5bn) reported last week, also missed Wall Street forecasts, while the 14 million iPads it sold in the quarter fell short of analysts' expectations.

'Relentless focus'

The management changes come a little over a year into Mr Cook's reign as chief executive.

"We are in one of the most prolific periods of innovation and new products in Apple's history," Mr Cook said.

"The amazing products that we've introduced in September and October... could only have been created at Apple and are the direct result of our relentless focus on tightly integrating world-class hardware, software and services."

Mr Browett was seen as one of Mr Cook's big hires. The fact he has moved him out after such a short period of time may be seen as the Apple boss demonstrating a ruthless, but perhaps efficient streak.

"These changes show that Tim Cook is stamping his authority on the business," Ben Wood, analyst with CCS Insight, said.

"Perhaps disappointed with the maps issues, Forstall became the scapegoat."

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20132843

How to Manage Change ?

Nothing permanent in this universe. Change is the way of life. 

Only thing permanent in this universe is CHANGE.

HR People make 3 mistakes regarding change:

1. Assume that past solutions are good.

2. Believe that present trend will continue.

3. Think that unknown future is dangerous.

One should not commit these 3 mistakes. For that...

1. Constantly develop yourself. Keep ready, updated yourself.

2. Continuously train your people. Knowledge cannot be given. It can only be transferred with the help of training.

3. Give scope for the intuition, then temper it with your judgment.

4. Keep friendship with younger generation. Younger generation knows something more than us.

5. Don't be satisfied with status quo.

6. Fix higher and realistic but hard to achievable targets. So, your hidden capabilities naturally come out.

7. Take calculated risk.

8. Know that you are excellent. Believe in yourself.

9. Idea, however silly, share it, expose it, express it.

10. Do thought experiments.

11. Think of extremes and be mentally ready for the worse situation.

12. Help people, when you can.

13. Do odd things. Come out of routines. Try to enjoy the change and excitement.

14. Accept change.

15. Visit other plants, offices, factories, states, countries etc.

16. Last but not least. Who has to do all these?

You and only you can do it.

મંદીમાં લાયકાત કરતાં હલકી જોબ માટે પણ પડાપડી

વિરેશ (નામ બદલ્યું છે.) અમેરિકામાં એક ફાર્મા કંપનીમાં રિસર્ચએન્ડ ડેવલપમેન્ટના વડા હતા. અમેરિકામાં મંદીઆવી ત્યારે તેમણેજોબ ગુમાવી અને સ્વદેશ આવી નવીનોકરી શોધવાનું શરૂ કર્યું હતું.

ભારતીય કોન્ટ્રાક્ટ મેન્યુફેક્ચરિંગકંપની તેમને નોકરીએ રાખે તે માટેતેમણે વિચાર્યું ના હોય તેવું પગલું ભર્યું હતું.

તેઓ ડબલ પીએચડી છે તે હકીકત તેમણે છુપાવી અને તેમના કામના વ્યાપને ઘટાડીને બતાવ્યો હતો . તેમણે તેમનાસીવીને હળવો બનાવ્યો હતો અને અપેક્ષિત પગારમાં મોટો કાપ મૂક્યો હતો . જોતેમણે તેમના સીવીમાં વાસ્તવિક ચિત્ર રજૂ કર્યું હોત તો તેમને ' ઓવર ક્વોલિફાઇડ' ગણવામાં આવ્યા હોત અને તે નોકરી ન મળી હોત.

પોતાના વિઝિટિંગ કાર્ડ પર ઘણી ક્વોલિફિકેશન્સ છપાવીને રોફ મારતા પ્રોફેશનલ્સમાટે આ એક પડતી છે . પરંતુ દેશ આર્થિક મંદીમાં ધકેલાઈ રહ્યો છે ત્યારે ભારતીયજોબ માર્કેટમાં આ એક નવી વાસ્તવિકતા છે . 

અગ્રણી એચઆર કંપની કેલિ સર્વિસિસની સી –

લેવલ સર્ચ કંપની બીટીઆઇકન્સલ્ટન્ટ્સના કન્ટ્રી હેડ જેમ્સ અગ્રવાલ આવા બે કિસ્સા વિશે વાત કરતાં જણાવે છેકે , એક સિનિયર ઇન્શ્યોરન્સ પ્રોફેશનલે તેમની બીજી એમબીએની ડિગ્રીનો ઉલ્લેખકર્યો ન હતો અને એક મેન્યુફેક્ચરિંગ પ્રોફેશનલે તેણે એક વર્ષ સુધી કરેલીકામગીરીનો ઉલ્લેખ કર્યો ન હતો . 

બંને લોકો તેમની કુશળતા અને અનુભવ કરતાં નીચલી કક્ષાની નોકરી માટે અરજીકરી રહ્યા હતા . તેઓ જણાવે છે કે , લાયકાત અને અનુભવ ઘટાડીને બતાવાનીઘટના ખરેખર છેલ્લા એક વર્ષમાં મોટા પાયે ઊભરી છે . તેમના અંદાજ મુજબ 4-5ટકા સિનિયર લેવલના પ્રોફેશનલ્સ તેમના રિઝ્યુમ હળવા બનાવી રહ્યા છે . 

એક્ઝિક્યુટિવ સર્ચ કંપની ટ્રાન્સર્ચ ઇન્ડિયાના સિનિયર પાર્ટનર નીના ચત્રાથ અંદાજમૂકે છે કે , પોતાની લાયકાત ઘટાડીને બતાવનાર અથવા છુપાવનાર લોકોનીસંખ્યામાં 50 ટકાનો વધારો થયો છે . તેઓ જણાવે છે કે , તે બજારની જરૂરિયાતબન્યું છે . હપતા ભરવા , પરિવારની સંભાળ રાખવા તમારે નોકરીએ રહેવું જરૂરી છે. 

ઉદાહરણ તરીકે , બીપીઓમાં મોટા ભાગની કંપની એમબીએની ભરતી નથી કરતીમાટે ઘણા ઉમેદવારો તેમના રિઝ્યુમમાં એમબીએનો ઉલ્લેખ કરતા નથી . ઘણાબીટેક તો ધોરણ 12 પાસ બતાવીને પણ નોકરી મેળવી રહ્યા છે . 

હેડ હન્ટર અને રિક્રૂટર્સ કહે છે કે ઉમેદવાર જ્યારે વધારે પડતા મોટા દાવા કરે ત્યારેપકડી પાડવો સહેલો છે પરંતુ જ્યારે તે તેનો અનુભવ ઘટાડીને બતાવે ત્યારે તેનેપકડવો મુશ્કેલ છે . તેનાથી કંપનીને જોખમ થઇ શકે છે . પ્રોફેશનલ્સ આવી નોકરીને ખરાબ સમયનાવિસામા તરીકે ઉપયોગ કરે છે અને જ્યારે બજાર સુધરે છે ત્યારે નોકરી છોડીનેચાલ્યા જાય છે. 

એસ્સાર ગ્રૂપના પ્રેસિડન્ટ (એચઆર) અદિલ માલિયા જણાવે છે કે, કંપનીઓ આશ્રય સ્થાન બનાવ નથી ઇચ્છતી . 

Resources: The Economic Times