Attitude / Gratitude – An HR’s Wishlist for Santa Claus by NABOMITA MAZUMDAR on DECEMBER 22, 2011

Dear Santa Claus,

Please be assured, that I have been a good HR all this year. I remain unaffected by the attrition and reviews. My chief aim was to increase the employee engagement score as declared by Hewitt. I screened every area and thought process within my reach, to click that path-breaking program, that will keep my employees happy. The distribution of benefits and career growth opportunities went to the deserving, to the best of my knowledge.

Industry in general was bright. when the year started. Hence, we were hiring in full swing. Towards the mid-year, the conservative out-look shadowed every talent management plan. Apart from certain roles, we remained disciplined towards new-hires. Considering this good behaviour, please include the following gifts for me :

• A training budget for the HR Team
• Performance reviews beyond the recency
• Greater focus on Social Learning without speculations for the ROI through a near term window, but a long term benefit.
• Life is ‘Wow’ attitude in our employees
• Business leader’s inclusions and not intrusions in HR functions.
• A think-through attitude and not a think-without, during the brainstorming sessions
• Agreed, accepted and an ‘owned’ goal path, not just a pre-destined one.
• Grant us a brain-gain , even through an attrition. When we build an alumni, we mean them.
• An honest salary-survey
• An Efficiency Dashboard that focusses on not just the task completed or even allocated, measure the incremental increase in performance and acknowledge the supporting features
• An implementation after a training program, including the behavioral ones.
• As we design the objectives for the next year, please let it be, unanimously echoed, from both the managers and reportees.
• Wishes can not be all expressed and contained in a list. So please allow us to follow up. We mean no harm, when we ask for an update or an upgrade.

Our wishes are few, so are our needs. God bless you, your elves and reindeer, for we acknowledge not just the leader but empathize the team contributing towards the success. Please let the world know, we remain your humble HRs

With best regards

Humble HR

P.S.: A request to the readers of this open letter, please add on to what has been missed. Remember, Santa is listening

more at http://www.citeman.com/19235-attitude-gratitude-an-hrs-wishlist-for-santa-claus.html#ixzz1hWu8odlp

A Report on hiring activity in India

THE MACROSCOPE

SECTORAL ANALYSIS

A deeper analysis of the index shows that Nov-11 has been good in terms of hiring. The festive season had a major impact on recruitment activity and this has recovered in November. Hiring activity in the Construction, Auto and Banking sectors was similar to Sep-11 but was 20% , 34% and 21% higher than Oct-11. ITSoftware, BPO and Telecom sectors on the other hand exhibited strong hiring trends with the job speak indices moving up by 29%, 18% and 14% in Nov-11 over Oct-11. The three month moving average index however indicates a more stable scenario.

FUNCTIONAL AREA ANALYSIS

A month on month analysis of key functional areas shows that the demand for professionals in Production and Software services moved up by 30% in Nov-11 over Oct-11. The demand for professionals in Sales, Accounts and HR moved up by 35%, 31% and 22% respectively over the same time period. The three month moving average indices however for the same sectors shows a marginal increase by 2%, 4% and 1% in Nov-11 over Oct-11.

source: Naukri

Think b4 u switch jobs/change career

Following is a checklist for you to take a good look at before making a career switch:

Assess your present situation

Ask yourself some questions and be honest with the answers. This exercise will help determine whether your motivation towards career change is practical and timely or not.

What element of your present job and job sector leaves you dissatisfied? Will a job change (and change in work environment) alleviate the situation? Or is changing career tracks the only answer?

Also, does the new career choice cover all parameters that the previous line of work could not provide (a job in the area of interest, less stress, more free time)?

Are you ready to deal with financial implications a career change is likely to entail? Are your savings decent enough to carry you through the initial low patches?

Explore all possibilities well

Go with your likes – Take a deeper look into what drives you and what profession could make work seem less like work to help you steer your decision towards your new career.

Get skilled/ trained

Along with transferrable skills, a career change in all probability also necessitates some form of training or up-gradation of skills to ensure that you are ready to put your best foot forward. Search for career training courses that can fit into your current work schedule; distance learning programmes and vocational schools are good options for this.

So if you think you will require some add-on qualification(s), check the accreditation of the school and placement services offered, if any. This will help you get a head start on your new career path.

Grass may not be green initially on other side

Venturing into a new career, you will come across many changes, and flexibility towards salary, job designation and profile will most likely be on the cards. While setting long-term positive goals, the initial stages will demand some adaptability from your end. Step ahead with optimism but be ready to face initial setback.

Changing careers is not an easy step, especially if you have spent a considerable time and effort in building your current one. However, as unsettling as it may seem initially, if your decision is backed by a well thought-out plan and readiness to face any initial hiccups , shifting from one career to another can definitely translate to success.

Moving ahead without a plan – Changing careers is a big step, and requires giving due consideration to the move. Planning for the shift must involve an honest self assessment of your likes and personal goals. Reckless enthusiasm should not land you in situations that put your professional standing in jeopardy.

Changing just because you hate your current job – If you find yourself unhappy in your job determine whether it is a job change or career change you need. A job change can fix the following:

• monotony of carrying out same job duties
• absence of challenges
• poor relations with boss/peers

A career change goes a level above and should be delved into if the discontent transcends the above and leaves you feeling listless and without motivation to seek growth in the career you are currently in. Realise that changing careers is no solution for on-job troubles.

Charting ahead without acquiring required skills – Okay, so you are confident that career change is what you need. Good! You have the major decision out of the way. The next step is to plan the ingredients for a successful switch-over, and acquire skills relevant to the new career. You can count on some transferable skills to bridge the gap between the two career sets, and even opt for additional training.

Prepared for initial struggles? Your college degree did not train you for the domain you are venturing into and a new job market and can look formidable. There could be an extended phase of joblessness, job offers that require you to take up a lower designation and work your way up to the target position, a dip in your remuneration package, etc. Have you carefully considered the implications of these on your professional chart, your financial status and your family? The road to success is never easy, but without a prepared mindset, it can become treacherous.

The ‘what if’ question – Once you have analysed your situation, it’s time to take action. Don’t let the fear of unknown hold you back from realizing your dreams, it will only increases the level of dissatisfaction in your current career. You need to evaluate the risks and take a planned step ahead towards your true calling