The focus of HR should be to attract the talents who are willing to take risk and script success stories in the form of intrinsic rewards.

HR professionals must acquaint, update and equip themselves with the financial and operational aspects of the turnaround plan and a thorough understanding of market forces in operation to address the pressing realities of the function and interdepartmental needs. Turnarounds are uncertain, demanding, risky in nature and tricky in approach and, the key issues are leadership, communication, and change management. These are the issues that require a competent HR team to handle and set directions for organisations. The role of HR leader is critical and crucial as he or she not only steers his or her team to brace and facilitate change, but also guides the top management including the CEO in overcoming HR challenges in the form of layoffs, legal tangles, reorganisation and absorbing the cultural shocks. Lastly, the HR team needs to devise an exit strategy from post-turnaround phase as organisations cannot continue to work under a war-like scenario.

Turnaround phase in organisational life is not uncommon. The turnaround HR team needs to understand the realities and act upon the best ideas and innovations. The role of HR leader during a turnaround can be aptly summarised as “Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it”. Read more...

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Managing the Concern Together

Q. How can HR increase its visibility in the organisation?
A. HR can increase its visibility by having a deep understanding of the business it serves. HR cannot just focus on HR topics (compensation, benefits, staffing, employee relations, etc.) but also needs to understand how the business operates to have an impact on profit or service. This is what CEOs want from HR, in addition to managing its responsibilities and keeping the organisation on track to be competitive.

Q. What are the roadblocks that CEO-HR relationship faces while working on a common ground?
A. If HR fully understands the business it supports, the roadblocks should be few and far between. A strong relationship between the CEO and HR can be powerful, as HR supports the mission and vision – that the CEO has for the business – by bringing in and retaining the right talent. If there are conflicts around legal issues or ethical violations, HR must do what it can to protect the organisation but ultimately, it is the CEO’s responsibility to manage the operations.

Q. Are there any sector-specific expectations from HR? Please explain through an example.
A. A great example of industry specific expectations from HR comes from Zappos — a retail company that does not see itself as selling shoes. It has positioned itself as a customer service organisation and prides itself on having every employee interviewed based on cultural fit. Read more...

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NITIN KULKARNI CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, PERSISTENT SYSTEMS

With a prolific career spanning over 18 years, Mr. Nitin Kulkarni has worked with companies such as Infosys, Siemens Information Systems Ltd, and NELCO ( a TATA company). Knowledge of formulation and implementation of operational strategies in the areas of IT products and services is his forte. At Persistent Systems, he is responsible for running the entire delivery and HR operations for the company.

Q. What is the leadership’s take on HR as a partner?
A. The HR essentially needs to be involved very strongly in the business strategy. A clear understanding of the business strategy will ensure that HR gets the right talent on board. Strong focus should be on mentoring and training, having new programmes besides ensuring a healthy environment in the company to keep the employees motivated and retain them.

At Persistent Systems, the HR head is actively involved in business planning activity, budgeting activities, and is also a part of all business forums and the operation forums. Therefore, he is aware of the grass-roots level and can respond to the business requirements.

Q. Do you think HR needs to make itself more visible to the top management?
A. When I look back at the past three or four years, the role of HR has become more strategic. In most IT companies the HR Head is a part of the executive council. So, I do not think visibility is a big problem for HR. As far as being a part of strategic business is concerned, it is more about the CEO involvement. Today, HR has gained sufficient visibility to be part of the top management and is involved in business decisions as a strategic partner.

Q. Talking specifically of the IT sector, what is the CEOs’ common perception of HR?
A. We see HR as our business partner, and essentially, a very strong enabling function for all our business strategies. HR in the organisation really needs to work on talent acquisition with utmost efficiency and foster their growth and create the employer brand.

As we talk more and more about beings partners in the company’s success, CEOs also need to focus on employee engagement and work closely with the HR. They should adopt the best practices that HR suggests and help it work in an organised manner. I believe, the CEO-HR relationship should be a very strong bond. Click here to read full interview...

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