HR in a new avatar..

Constant networking between employees from geographically dispersed offices is what, business operations of global organisations survive on. We will talk about what role HR has to play in the scenario of Mergers and acquisitions and also while a person is being relocated.

As MNCs with offices dispersed across the globe assume global characteristics, one crucial factor that assists their business operations is constant co-ordination and networking between employees of these geographically dispersed offices. Coordinating between globally scattered offices may not necessarily be an easy task. But with HR taking charge of the situation, things tend to fall in place in a smooth and effective way.

SMOOTH TRANSITIONING

The main challenge in co-ordinating within a global organisation, is to be able to blend the ethos and the culture between the geographically dispersed business units. HR managers play a significant role in co-ordinating the above. The challenge in blending is, when the client is transitioning its business to India, how do you ensure a feeling of seamlessness between the two geographically detached organisations.

This global seamlessness can come only with a clear understanding of macro level economic, sociopolitical and legal issues. Within a global network construct, the human resource managers not only maintain the tangible network design elements, but also the social infrastructure and human activities and envision relations. There is a need to keep a constant track of industry trends, growth and outsourcing; so as to be able to anticipate manpower demands.

MAKING BUSINESS SENSE

HR’s integration skills are considerably valued in the service business because they are the first point of contact for the client. The fundamental platform on which outsourcing business is done is on the demonstration of potential to its client. HR plays a key role here in getting an in-depth understanding of the client’s work culture and to identify that synergy where both units can work together.

Once the business comes to the company, proper care is taken in two aspects. One, take a close look at the client’s HR department and check if the manpower planning process blends with theirs’ and then understand what kind of skill set they need, the pattern they follow and then adapt the same in the Indian context. Any loophole in the performance of the above role might lead to drastic business consequences. For one, starting on a bad note with the client might lead to gaps in terms of delivery, client dissatisfaction and even disengagement. Leveraging value proposition in attracting talent is very important, else it might result in recruitment of less competent mid-level and senior managers.

THE EVOLVING ROLE

Concepts like employee empowerment, which were unheard of in India, are actually being initiated and implemented. Companies are providing lot of autonomy to individual teams while choosing their managers, peers etc. Another interesting development is the dwindling ‘entitlement mentality’ of Indian workers. In the West, when a worker is paid, he is expected to bear all his expenses within the given salary. Conversely, in India, the workforce feels that they should be separately entitled to all costs that they administer, while on the job. This creates a lot of problems when an Indian employee is hired on a US compensation package. To solve this, HR managers before transferring an employee to the US, clearly state that ‘perks’ would no longer be there as compared to what they get in India. This helps in reducing ambiguity.

GLOBAL CONNECT

The only mantra to creating a global connect is ensuring that they are able to share a common mindset. The first step towards this is closely coordinating with the global HR counterparts. For instance, if someone is being sent to UK, it is not only imperative to clearly communicate the exact purpose of the trip but also the exact role that the person is required to play.

TRAINING FOR GLOBAL BUSINESS

Firms competing in a global market place, and organizations are to survive and prosper in the modern world of rapid change, they need to be more flexible, faster-moving and faster-learning than before. For that firms are implementing special global training programs, the reason for doing to avoid lost business due to cultural insensitivity, improving job satisfaction and retention of overseas staff and enabling a newly assigned employee to communicate with colleagues abroad. Providing training for employees not only helps them develop their skills and knowledge, but it is also motivational and a building block to organisational success. Global training programs opt for prepackaged programs. (Gary Dessler).

• Executive Etiquette for Global Transactions: This training prepares managers for conducting business globally by training them in business etiquette in other cultures.

• Cross Cultural Technology Transfer: It is very important to show how cultural values affect perceptions of technology and technical learning.

• International Protocol and Presentation: The correct way to handle people with tact and diplomacy in countries around the world.

• Language Training: Language training delivered by certified instructors, usually determined by the learner’s needs.

more at http://www.citeman.com/12665-hr-in-a-new-avatar/#ixzz17awppx9n

Changes in Employees roles and their values..

Traditionally, it was believed that management has got the brains and hence will decide what is good or bad for the employees. The employees are expected to follow the commands of the boss without posing any questions. However, this paternalistic atmosphere has changed with the advent of unions; Employers have also gained consciousness regarding their rights in the workplace.

Further, the changing structure of the workforce has led to the introduction of new values in organizations:

Among these are moves towards (1) emphasis on quality of life rather than quantity ; (2) equity and justice for the employees over economic efficiency; (3) pluralism and diversity over uniformly and centralism (4) participation over authority (5) personal convictions over dogma and (6) the individual over the organization . Alienation from the job, increasing counter productive behavior rising expectations and changing ideals of employees are some of the other factors responsible for the changing values and roles of human force. Consequently it as become imperative for the management to include various fringe benefits to improve morale, introduce a machinery to redress grievances ,encourage employees participation in decision making and the like to pave the way for industrial betterment and to meet the ever increasing demands of workforce.

Another change in the values of employees is the declining work ethic. In days gone by, employees regarded their jobs as their central life interest pursuing work assignments with single minded devotion In recent years however the work ethic has declined in favor of a more existential view of life. Work is regarded as only one alternative among many as a means for becoming a whole person in order to do one’s own thing. Family activities leisure avocations and assignments in government and schools are all equally viable means through which a person can find meaning and become self actualized.

What is Americans Like?

1) Americans are very formal
2) They are direct. They don’t talk around things.
3) They are competitive, assertive and even overbearing.
4) They are achievers. They value achievements and like to keep score.
5) They are independent. They have freedom and uniqueness. They believe that individuals can shape and control their own destines.
6) The have an inquisitive mind. They ask a lot of questions sometimes pointless ones also. The purpose of education, according to them is to think to analyze and to learn
7) They dislike silence and like to draws others into conversation
8) They value punctuality. They are sticklers for schedules and promptness
9) They value cleanliness (observed with bathing eliminating body odors wearing clean dress etc)
10) They hold ethnocentric values (they believe that their cultural values and customs are superior to all others).
11) Americans suffer from parochialism (i.e. view the world through their own eyes and perspective). They do not recognize that other people have different ways of living and working.

What are Indians like?

Further, employees are seeking a greater balance between their work lives and their personal lives, more leisure time and greater flexibility in scheduling time away from work especially since the 80s. Feeling severely constrained by the Monday through Friday, nine to five grueling routine, they find it difficult to schedule doctors’ appointments, accommodate children’s school schedules and satisfying other personal needs away from work. Employees are demanding that management look more closely at work schedules which accommodate their needs in addition to the needs of the company.

Level of Education:

Workers with higher levels off formal education have been entering organizations in recent years. Increased formal education led to changes in attitudes of employees. Well educated employees always challenge and question management decisions and wants a voice in those of the company’s affairs that affect their interests. As the base of education broadens, management must plan to deal with employees on a higher plane of logical interactions. One implication of an increase in educated and knowledge workers – accountants, engineers, social workers, nurses, computer experts, teachers. Researchers, managers – is that HRM will be called upon to find innovative ways of keeping these people challenged and satisfied. Knowledge workers often demand more responsibility and autonomy than their employers are wiling or able to afford.
sourceL HRM VSP

more at http://www.citeman.com/12556-changes-in-employee-roles-and-their-values/#ixzz17PLFAcB8

A Day in HR life

Life as an HR generalist is different every moment. Even though the pattern may seem repetitive the uniqueness lies in every situation. A day begins with the communication through emails and meetings on HR processes. Ideally it would take an account of few escalations which have been received as of date and needs to be resolved on a priority basis. The trouble shooting begins with detecting the bottleneck and strike a solution to it. The risk mitigation is done for the future processes and avoid every collateral damages that might have happened in the meantime. For e.g.: During the performance appraisal an employee was explained the future goals but did not understand it, hence asked no questions. After the letters are distributed the employee expects a greater hike and a promotion. The employee is willing to resign if these requests are not considered. Hence, the discussion in the meeting held earlier, needs to be referred to make sure that the employee was made aware of the role which would be offered in the letter. Hence the training program was discussed along with the goal and career path in the horizontal shift was shared. Tradeoff needs to be shaped to ensure the engagement level through the performance measures. The employee needs to agree to the conditions mentioned and find the benefits in them, accordingly. Such escalations once managed needs to be followed up with counselling to ensure no damages have happened to the engagement level of both the manager and the reportee. This communication would be recorded in the employee file.

The day would further unfurl into managing other escalation due any disciplinary breach or any non-adherence. Once the escalation has been managed for the day, certain HR initiatives and organizational developmental program would be focussed. Incase any program needs to be initiated, prepare towards it and implement as planned. For e.g.: If a new banding and grading structure is supposed to be implemented within next quarter, tasks including collecting data and preparing for the broad banding exercise. Discussions with the business leaders and coordinating focus group meetings with the employees would be scheduled. The expectation of the employees and requirement from the management team would be drafted accurately. This would further require several communications to be shared across every level in the continuum. The mapping of the new grades and the salary structure needs to be explained to every employee through town halls and mass mailer. This would build confidence among the employees and ensure seamless implementation. Every day, the HR would require finishing the task scheduled on a daily basis, for this project.

This would then be followed by employee one-on-one. The employees would need to speak to the HR. They may have email id and telephone- helpdesk, yet the human interface would be required at certain cases. The employee interaction would further roll to solution oriented tasks. It may get closed the same day or roll into the next working days. For e.g.: If an employee has a difference in understanding of any organization policy such as benefits or success program. They may raise a request to meet their respective HR and discuss it. Escalation such as open door to HR necessitates to be attended on a priority basis. Any email communication would follow the same grid.

Apart from these inter-vertical interactions, any training or coaching requirement within the HR team would be dealt with. If the team members require any information and understanding on any area of HR, including the strategic, operational and technical user interface, they would be endowed with class-room based and on-the–job training sessions. The team may further have queries on HR functions to be delivered, hence they would need leadership to guide them to the right source of knowledge.

Finally conduct meetings with the business leaders to plan any future programs for their specific teams. Troubleshoot any escalation due to a glitch in an existing program which is being managed by the members under the leader’s guidance. Cul-de-sacs would be redirected to ensure continuity in the processes. There would be certain days were organizational development activities would dominate other areas. These may include orientation programs, town halls, employee engagement based events such as Idea Platform, process improvement, audits and etc. The day would end meaningfully with the fact that the best effort was put to find the right solution and add more value than what was a created yesterday. In the words of Steve Maraboli, “Today, many will break through the barriers of the past by looking at the blessings of the present. Why not you?”

5 Proven Steps To Easily Master The Art Of The Interview And Get The Bartending Job Of Your Dreams!

Your mouth is dry, your palms are sweaty, your heart is beating so fast it feels like it is going to pop out of your chest!

Sound familiar?

For most people, interviews are uncomfortable. The mere thought of them causes anxiety and nervousness... and this is the last impression you want to give a bar manager during an interview!

The competition is fierce in this industry, so why do you always “bomb” during your interviews?

You probably walk out of them and after the fact think of all the things you could of said, how you could of answered certain questions, but this does not matter, its how you perform during the interview that gets you the job.

Theres already enough things out of your control you are competing with, so why work against yourself?

Let me show you how to be in your full power during the interview, so that scoring your dream job and leaving the competition in the dust comes easily and effortlessly to you!

1) Dress The Part

Dress as thought you already work there, give the interviewer a rock solid visual of what youd look like behind the bar... this makes it more probable hed consider you for the job.

Remember also that this is the service industry! Unless you are applying to a five star hotel, theres no reason to show up in a suit and tie for the interview. This is trying too hard. Wear the same type of attire the employees wear.

2) Eye Contact

If you cant bring yourself to make eye contact with the interviewer, you can forget about getting the job.

When asked a question, if your look to the floor or to the side when answering it gives the impression you are not telling the truth for starters, but it also represents a lack of confidence, which is not something you find among good bartenders.

Look the person in the eye when speaking and more importantly, listening. This is easier said then done if you are in a habit of not doing it. But just becoming aware of it is it all takes.

3) Act As If

There is no better remedy out there than “acting as if....” Act is if you are the best bartender this person has ever seen. Walk into the interview with that attitude and youll be surprised at the energy you feel. You will tap into raw genius that you never thought you had! You will answer questions elegantly give the interviewer exactly what they want to hear.

4) Be Direct

Rambling and excessive talking is a sign of nervousness so avoid this at all costs. Be as direct and to-the-point as possible. Not in a rude way, just answer the questions without going overboard. The interviewer will appreciate this.

5) You Ask The Questions

This may sound like a shock to you, but it is not the interviewer that should be asking all the questions during an interview. The way you want to approach an interview from this point on is... you are interviewing them! You may find that they are not the best place to work for after all.

Have your own list of questions to ask the interviewer!!! The one who asks the questions is in control, this is not to say to not let them ask you any questions, but have some of your own to balance things out. This shows professionalism, dedication and preparation.

source: Jeremy Sherk, a professional bartender

DTC bill scarps LTA from tax exemption list

NEW DELHI: Salaried taxpayers may have less kitty for holidays from April 2012, with the government proposing to scrap tax incentives on leave travel allowance in the new direct tax regime DTC.

The Direct Taxes Code (DTC) bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha yesterday, seeks to do away with leave travel concession (LTC) from its list of exemption.

"LTC was one of the popular elements given to employees by the government. Taxpayers will not be too happy, as already there aren't many benefits for them in DTC. It may also be a dampener for the travel industry, which may see less people willing to travel and holiday," Ernst & Young Tax Partner Vishal Malhotra said.

DTC aims to replace the archaic Income Tax Act and other direct taxes legislation like Wealth Tax Act, from April 1, 2012. It proposes, among other things, to remove a plethora of exemptions and effect changes in income tax slabs.

While DTC proposes to retain exemptions such as house rent allowance and leave encashment, it seeks to remove LTC from the list. The exemption limit for medical reimbursements, however, is sought to be increased.

The Government has also proposed only a marginal raise in income tax exemption for investment in approved funds, insurance schemes and tuition fee to Rs 1.5 lakh in a year, from Rs 1.2 lakh currently.

It seeks to provide income tax exemption on investment of up to Rs 1 lakh in approved funds. Besides, it proposes to provide exemption of up to Rs 50,000 on investments made in insurance, including health cover, and tuition fee.

Currently, investment up to Rs 1 lakh in approved funds and insurance schemes is exempt from income tax. For this fiscal, investment up to Rs 20,000 in infrastructure bonds have also been given this benefit.

The exemptions proposed in the DTC bill are much lower than Rs 3 lakh suggested in the first draft.

This is so because the bill proposes to retain Income Tax exemption on interest up to Rs 1.5 lakh a year paid on housing loan, tax experts said.

The first draft was silent on exemption for interest paid on housing loans. However, after adverse feedback from various quarter, the second draft proposed to retain this exemption, which is also incorporated in the bill.

courtesy: Economic Times

Turn the job u have into the job u want

A 30-year-old midlevel manager—let’s call her Fatima—is struggling at work, but you wouldn’t know it from outward appearances. A star member of her team in the marketing division of a large multinational foods company, Fatima consistently hits her benchmarks and goals. She invests long hours and has built relationships with colleagues that she deeply values. And her senior managers think of her as one of the company’s high potentials.

But outside the office, Fatima (who asked not to be identified by her real name) would admit that she feels stagnant in her job, trapped by the tension between day-to-day demands and what she really wants to be doing: exploring how the company can use social media in its marketing efforts. Twitter, her cause-marketing blog, and mobile gadgets are her main passions. She’d like to look for another job, but given the slow recovery from the recession, sticking it out seems like her best (and perhaps only) option. “I’m still working hard,” she tells a friend. “But I’m stuck. Every week, I feel less and less motivated. I’m beginning to wonder why I wanted this position in the first place.”

Sound familiar? Over the past several years, we’ve spoken with hundreds of people, in a variety of industries and occupations, who, like Fatima, are feeling stuck—that dreaded word again. According to a recent survey of 5,000 U.S. households by The Conference Board, only 45% of those polled say they are satisfied with their jobs—down from about 60% in 1987, the first year the survey was conducted.

If you’re in this situation, and changing roles or companies is unrealistic given the tough economy, what can you do? A growing body of research suggests that an exercise we call “job crafting” can be a powerful tool for reenergizing and reimagining your work life. It involves redefining your job to incorporate your motives, strengths, and passions. The exercise prompts you to visualize the job, map its elements, and reorganize them to better suit you. In this way, you can put personal touches on how you see and do your job, and you’ll gain a greater sense of control at work—which is especially critical at a time when you’re probably working longer and harder and expecting to retire later. Perhaps job crafting’s best feature is that it’s driven by you, not your supervisor.

This exercise involves assessing and then altering one or more of the following core aspects of work.

Tasks.

You can change the boundaries of your job by taking on more or fewer tasks, expanding or diminishing their scope, or changing how they are performed. A sales manager, for instance, might take on additional event planning because he likes the challenge of organizing people and logistics.

Relationships.

You can change the nature or extent of your interactions with other people. A managing director, for example, might create mentoring relationships with young associates as a way to connect with and teach those who represent the future of the firm.

Perceptions.

You can change how you think about the purpose of certain aspects of your job; or you can reframe the job as a whole. The director of a nonprofit institution, for instance, might choose to think of his job as two separate parts, one not particularly enjoyable (the pursuit of contributions and grants) and one very meaningful (creating opportunities for emerging artists). Or the leader of an R&D unit might come to see her work as a way of advancing the science in her field rather than simply managing projects.

by Amy Wrzesniewski, Justin M. Berg, and Jane E. Dutton

Today's focus of HR Managers

a) Policies- HR policies based on trust, openness, equity and consensus.

b) Motivation- Create conditions in which people are willing to work with zeal, initiative and enthusiasm; make people feel like winners.

c) Relations- Fair treatment of people and prompt redress of grievances would pave the way for healthy work-place relations.

d) Change agent- Prepare workers to accept technological changes by clarifying doubts.

e) Quality Consciousness- Commitment to quality in all aspects of personnel administration will ensure success.

Due to the new trends in HR, in a nutshell the HR manager should treat people as resources, reward them equitably, and integrate their aspirations with corporate goals through suitable HR policies.

refer to : http://www.chillibreeze.com/articles_various/human-resources.asp

plz wait 4 updates

am in summer internship in Taj Hotels. getting practical exposure in HR.

I ll updated with some useful stuffs after a month

sorry for the delay

Is ur resumes missing these "5 must haves"?

Your resume could be missing out big time

Making sure your resume is a powerful marketing document is a wise investment in your career. It can set you apart from your competition, maximize the amount of interviews you land and ultimately play into how much a company offers you.

After all, you are negotiating with potential employers from the moment you connect with them to the time the offer is made. So everything that happens in that window of time plays into your offer…including how well targeted, well designed and compelling your resume is.

Here are five elements you will want to make sure your resume has:

Number one: Targeted Format
Your resume must be compelling for the type of position you are focusing on. If you are a sales executive of course you are going to want to quantify your sales skills in terms of territory development, revenue generation, and types of skills associated with sales and secondary support skills such as client management customer service, public relations and marketing.

Number two: Value Proposition Statement
Under the heading of your resume you should have a value proposition statement. An example of a value proposition statement is a 3 to 4 sentence overview of your focus and your strengths. Here’s an example of a VP Statement for a technology executive's resume:

Innovative and highly competent business and technology leader with 15+ years experience developing creative technology solutions that enhance performance, effect change, drive profits and growth. Proven reputation to:

Note: A value proposition statement is different from a personal objective statement. A personal objective statement is not the best to start out with on a resume simply because it’s a statement about what YOU want. Rather, share with your potential employer what skills and strengths you have to offer THEM.

Number three: Quantifiable Achievements
This is one of the most important components to your resume. You need to communicate in your resume not just what you do, but what HAPPENDS when you do what you do! This technique also helps employers envision you working with them, helping them with similar challenges and issues.

Number four: Key-Word Rich Content
Key words organized in a group called something like “core competencies” for instance, will do two things for you. It serves to potentially qualify you for more interviews, assuming those companies you are submitting your resume to use key word scanners. Second, key words. i.e., your strengths that stand alone allow the reader to view your competencies independent of any past company associated with it. This has a positive psychological affect as again, it enhances the reader’s ability to picture YOU in the position they are working to fill.

Number five: Two Resume Versions
You are going to want two versions of your resume. One in ASCII text format and one clean word version. Your ASCII text version is one you will use for all your electronic submissions. This plain text format will hold it formatting and thus look much cleaner on the receiving end. Once you save a copy of your resume in this format, you will want to go in and clean up all the symbols and spacing so it’s readable. Your word version is your clean word copy you can both print out as a hard copy or attach as a word document in an e mail.

http://newgradlife.blogspot.com/2009/10/resumes-writers-resume-review-resume.html

The Power Of Words

The Power Of Words Over Water

Can water be affected by our words?



Dr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese scientist, believes so. And he has proof.

Dr. Emoto took water droplets, exposed them to various words, music, and environments, and froze them for three hours. He then examined the crystal formations under a dark field microscope. And he took photographs. The results were totally mind-blowing. Here’s a photo of ordinary water without any prayer spoken over it. The molecular structure is in disarray.


The photo below is water after the prayer was said. It’s simply breathtaking. (I now have a great respect for praying before meals! More on this later.)


Dr. Emoto also exposed water to Heavy Metal music. Here’s how it looks like. Looks sad if you ask me.

Here’s water exposed to classical music and folk dance music.. Looks much better, right?

Next, Dr. Emoto stuck a piece of paper with these words: “You make me sick. I will kill you.” Here’s how the frozen water droplets looks like under the microscope…


Below is how water looked like with the words “Love” over it. The difference is amazing.

This is Polluted water…
This is water from Lourdes, France. Utterly beautiful, right?

Wait A Minute— Aren’t You Made Up Of Water?

Yes! 72% of your body is made up of water. Imagine how your words affect your own body.

When you say, “I’m a failure,” or “I’m hopeless,” or “I won’t get well,” imagine how these words weaken your health. Make a choice to say the best words out there.

Say often, “I’m wonderful,” “I’m beautiful,” “I’m God’s child,” and “God has a great plan for my life!” It’s not only water.

Dr. Emoto also experimented with cooked rice.He placed one cup of cooked rice in two airtight jars. On one jar, he wrote, “I love you,” and on the other, “You fool.” Everyday for 30 days, Dr. Emoto would say these words to each jar of rice. After 30 days, the “I love you” rice was still white. But the “You fool” rice was so rotten, it was black. How can you explain this?

Just as a side note:

When I was a child, my mother taught me to pray before meals. Now I realize it wasn’t just a nice thing to do. When I pray over my meal, I know a material transformation takes place in the molecular level of the food that I pray for. I say, “Be blessed,” to the water and food on the table—and I expect it to be blessed. I encourage you to speak words of truth. Dethrone the lies in your mind. Say, “I’m beautiful.” Say, “I’m a wonderful person.” Say, “I have a great future.” Say, “I’m anointed. I’m strong. I’m blessed.” Use your words to create your desired reality. May your dreams come true!

The Interview

BEFORE THE INTERVIEW,

make sure that you do the following:

1. Research the company that you are interviewing with.
2. Be prepared to address any gaps in your resume
3. Ask yourself, “why should they hire me?” and have an answer
4. Practice your delivery. Anticipate possible questions.
5. Dress professionally and conservatively.
6. Brush your teeth or rinse with mouthwash if you are a smoker
7. Avoid heavy perfumes or body lotions
8. Have at least two copies of your resume
9. Leave your home in plenty of time so that you won’t be late
10. Be confident


DURING THE INTERVIEW

1. Be confident – project confidence
2. Make eye contact
3. When you shake hands, shake firmly
4. Smile, smile until your lips hurt!
5. Be honest – do not be deceptive in your answers
6. Be brief – no one wants to listen to long-winded answers.
7. Be positive – do not bash any former employers.
8. Take notes – it shows that you are organized and came prepared
9. Do not discuss salary unless asked. If asked, indicate some flexibility. Be open-minded.
10. Send a thank you note after the interview


AFTER THE INTERVIEW

1. Send a “thank you” note
2. Follow up with a call within a week.

EIGHT WAYS TO MANAGE YOURSELF -Kerry Gleeson

1. Screen non-essential information.:
Learn to identify information that you don’t need and eliminate it at the source. Remove yourself from all distribution lists that stuff your paper & electronic mailbox with useless catalogs, newsletters, and data that have no value to you. Allow only those items which you need to do your job or address issues of high importance to you to get through your filters. Many of today’s e-mail programs (e.g. Microsoft Outlook, IBM’s Lotus Notes, etc.) provide filtering options to send e-mail directly to folders or Deleted items bypassing the inbox. What you do not see you do not need to process. Make it a point to open your mail, both “e” and “snail,” only when you are ready to deal with it and make your “delete” key and trash bin your best friends. If you learn to ruthlessly screen/filter low-value information, you will find that the volume of data you work with will decrease dramatically.

2. Don’t procrastinate.:
When you put off tasks, you only build stress and make your workload seem heavier than it really is. If you tackle your worst jobs first and work on them a little at a time, you’ll find that they’re not as unmanageable as you imagined. Deal with incoming paper and electronic information as soon as you come across them. Don’t set them down or close them without adding value to them, or the result will be a waste of precious time. If you are not going to process your e-mail, don’t look at it! If you look at it, do it then and there! Apply the 4D’s – Do it immediately; Delegate it to the right person, now; Designate the e-mail to a Task, now; or Dump it (file or discard). Finally, you’ll find that doing it now will keep both of your “in” boxes emptier and keep you from losing important documents.

3. Reduce interruptions.:
One work study determined we get interrupted on average every three minutes. Another study found it takes an average of 8 minutes to get focused back on what we were in the middle of doing before being interrupted! In other words wasted time! Try batching communications with those people you work with most frequently to remove annoying and distracting interruptions. Keep a file, paper and/or electronic, for each person containing documents and e-mail you need to discuss, or your notes on subjects you need to ask about. Meet with these people frequently, on a scheduled basis, if necessary, and answer all your questions at once instead of dealing with five or ten interruptions. If you establish this practice with all your co-workers, you could perhaps eliminate 50 interruptions a day. You’ll find that practicing this batching technique that you will improve your concentration and increase your knowledge and work output—to say nothing about improving relations with your colleagues.

4. Get your papers organized:.
It’s important to be able to find everything you need to do your work all the time. Stop wasting time looking for lost documents on your desk or office floor. Most of us keep far too much “stuff” that has lost it’s value. Get rid of what you do not use, do not need or can get elsewhere. Have a defined place for everything that comes into your office by grouping related papers, labeling them, and containing them. Organize materials on an as-used basis.

• Place frequently used files and materials where they can be reached without getting up from your chair

.• Place files that are used occasionally (that is, once or twice a month) in a nearby filing cabinet.

• Archive files that are used no more than once a year.

• Keep your papers organized; work with only one file or project at a time. This will make it easier for you to concentrate and also keep papers from becoming misplaced or misfiled.

5. Establish good e-mail and electronic document storage habits and organizational systems.:
Handle your electronic information as ruthlessly and efficiently as you handle your paper documents. Act on and delete as many messages as possible as soon as you read them. When e-mail messages must be saved, use the hierarchal subject file procedure which migrates from macro to micro subject naming conventions. Organize you’re My Documents electronic documents (any word, excel or other documents) using the same category names you created for your paper files and e-mail folder tree. Under no circumstances should you file documents by “type’ such as Word, Power Point, and Excel. Once purged and the system set up, it is easy to maintain.

6. Use your calendar proactively.:
There is an old time management rule that has stood the test of time! If you want to get something done, schedule it! This may be perhaps one of the most important steps toward gaining control of your workload. You schedule meetings with others all the time, but you probably don’t do the same for your own work. Schedule appointments with yourself, on your electronic calendar, with reminders set, to most effectively concentrate on your priority projects. Peter Drucker, in his landmark book The Effective Executive, says it is best to work in blocks of time, no longer than ninety minutes. Routinely schedule ‘work’ time in your calendar and keep to the routine. Doing so will allow you to focus on your goals and improve your concentration.

7. Develop an effective Task/To Do follow-up system for yourself.:
Too often managers tell us they take a great deal of pride in their memory. We tell them a good memory is not necessarily the skill they need. They need to be able to forget everything they need to do and track. You do not need to “remember” that at 3:00 pm “I have to call Stan.” Instead, set up a system to remind you of a task only when you are to act on it. Keeping a follow-up system for yourself electronically is the best way to remind yourself of important deadlines, actions and tasks to help you keep your goals in sight and make big projects more manageable. Make sure that you use the power of electronics and that your reminders come to you automatically when you want them.

8. Don’t allow meetings to take over your life!:
One client, trying to gain control over his work, analyzed his time and realized he had 50 hours of scheduled meetings per week. As bad as that may be, what made matters worse is seldom did these meetings produce more than discussions. The meetings consumed all the time to actually do anything! Of course, one can tighten up the meeting processes, have an agenda, start and end on time and make meetings more efficient. But many meetings should not be held in the first place. Meetings are not a substitute for management. Avoid ‘problem solving meetings’ – instead go to the place where the problem exists, observe, look, listen and gather the facts to solve the problem. Block out time in your calendar for work. Protect your time. No one else will.

5 Things Not to Say During an Interview

Most people know the basics of a good job interview -- dress professionally, sit up straight, give the interviewer a firm handshake, be confident, outgoing and friendly, highlight your expertise and ask a lot of questions about the position. But what about what not to say? You can say a thousand right things but one misstep, one wrong move, and the interview is blown. Here are five things you definitely should not mention during an interview.
1.) Answer, "I don't have any" or "I'm a perfectionist" when asked to name one of your flaws. Despite being an extremely common response, perfectionism is not a flaw and everyone will know you're lying if you try to pretend like it is. Being a perfectionist is a more of a positive than a negative and mentioning it should not be used as a substitute because you're afraid to divulge a real flaw. That said, supply a negative that can also be viewed as a positive. For example, that you've been working on your delegating skills or your ability to trust others with major tasks rather than doing everything yourself.
2.) Bad mouth your previous boss/co-workers/place of employment
. If you talk smack about your former employer, what's to keep your potential employer from thinking you'll do the same to them? Companies expect loyalty and discretion from their employees, even after your business relationship ends. Even if you left due to some real or perceived wrong and have every right in the world to bash the company, vent your rage to sympathetic friends -- not your new manager.
3.) Use slang or profanity. Nothing is worse than a string of filth streaming from the mouth of an otherwise attractive individual. Even if the interviewer is "just" an HR person, he or she is still a representative of the company and should be treated with respect the same way you would talk to the owner or CEO. Your speech should be polished and responsible, and there is absolutely no reason to use profanity during an interview; doing so shows that you aren't intelligent enough to find other words to express strong feelings.
4.) Answer "No, not really" when the interviewer asks if you have any questions. This is a really bad move that says to the interviewer, "No, I don't really care enough to inquire more about the position." Even if the interview was thorough and all the questions you had were already answered during the course of the meeting, make up new ones. Ask about the history of the company, when and were it was founded, what type of health insurance they offer, etc. It also reveals whether or not you have done any background research on the place. A great response to this open-ended question is, "Well, I know Ashley Furniture sells a good deal of easy to clean microfiber sofas, but do they offer additional Guardsman protection plans on top of that?"
5.) Bring up personal problems. Maybe you're going through a divorce or your son keeps getting arrested or your ex-girlfriend won't stop stalking you. That all sucks, but is something that should be dealt with on your own time, not company time. It is highly inappropriate to mention personal issues during an interview. If the interviewer aks you a question and you stumble while answering, don't excuse yourself by saying, "I'm sorry, I'm just a little distracted today. My son got arrested last night for posession of marijuana, and I have to go bail him out of jail when I leave here." Keep the focus on the job -- and ONLY on the job.

http://www.linkive.com/home/browser/Nzg2NTE=/Technology/5%20Things%20Not%20to%20Say%20During%20an%20Interview

Finding the Best Professionals is Sometimes Best Done by Professionals...

When it comes to hiring talent for your business, you need to make sure that you are able to go out and find the best resources available. If you aren't prepared to do this, it is often a good idea to let the professionals help you find the best professionals for your company. Talent hiring services will help to determine which people are most qualified, what skills they possess, and get a serious implication of what they have to offer without affecting your company or making you feel like you're obligated to hire them because they are good at what they do. In order for your company to succeed, you have to have the best of the best on staff. If you can't find them on your own, let talent recruiters do it for you.
The goal, of course, is not to hire some drone that can show off the perfect resume and do nothing but focus on work and accomplishing goals all day. A person who is too uptight and professional might actually be a bad thing. Therefore, when you are hiring talent, you should consider looking at their aptitude for the job as well as their attitude about the position that you have to offer. If people are very tense, stale, and don't give off a balanced personality, you might want to keep looking. You already have a team in place within your business. No matter how professional it is, there is a sense of togetherness there.
When you hire an outsider to come into the company, it is always helpful if they are able to get along with the existing team, which is why attitude even matters when it comes to hiring talent. They need to fit the mold that you have created and be able to mesh with the team that is in place so that they don't create a lot of controversy or uncomfortable situations in the workplace. Figure out things like how people work with teams, what motivates their work habits and other personality-related issues to get a sense of which applicants will fit well.
Hiring talent is a stressful enough process as it is. By taking the time to learn about how to find the best in people's qualifications as well as their attitudes, you will have a much better chance of finding the best employees for your business. If you're not able to step back and find this perfect employee, consider working with outside performance management services that can help you recruit the right person.
source : http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kim_A._Page

Passionate HR...

This s Sakthi Rubini.S, passionate worker, and rite now HR becomes my passion. so taking huge risk to initiate my career in HR wit nil experience.
let me start this blog with my own experience and my view on HR.
Recession on 2008 s the cause for a change in my life. this recession taught me how to see an opportunity in midst of failures. rite 4m my child hood i had hidden passion on psychology based activities. my parents dreamt me to become a doctor. but unfortunately couldnt make it coz of my lathargic, playful, joy seeking behaviors, so and so.... did my graduation in BE and about to lead a very fair, vague, dry life wit machines. thank god recession helped me to come out of tat bitterly life and inspired and inspiring me to start my career wit humans.
soooooooooooooooo........... life keeps going and engaged in HR blogs and articles.
let me start 4m scrap.. :)
1st conference on HR : MANAGING HR DURING RECENT DOWNTURN

Recession s the mother of invention in HR dept

Mr.Krishna Kumar - CEO, Mind Tree:

• humans r not liabilities, rather an asset

Mr.Ram Kumar - Executive director, ICICI

• do things differently
• ppl wit good characters than talented

Ms.Padmaja - leader of human capital, Mercer Consulting India

• comittment to your interest irrespective of fashion come and go
• dedicate to org.
• passion-commitment

Mr.Amrolia - Exe.Director, Ashok Leyland

• HR-balance employee's aspiration and org in future goals
• avoid true jerk reaction
• dont stick to long term ven short term s counter
• be fair and trasparent

Mr.Ramesh Shankar - Sr.VP-ABB Ltd

• crisis an opportunity
• enjoy the storm

Mr.Anirudh Singh - Sr.VP, Corparate HR, JSW Steel Ltd

• no firing, no external hiring

others stated as follows :

• to do more with less
• HR acts as CEO during recession
• WILL DO attitude

Mr.Prashant Kullar - GM-HR, The Indian Hotel Industry

• provide bonus instead of increments
• no layoff but 2000 ver reduced
• hire uneducated wit full aspiration