HR Manager as Business Manager

In today’s business, people are the key differentiator and sourcing right quality human resources and retaining them have assumed greater significance in all the performing organizations. The organization with long term vision and commitment for step change growth must have capable talent pool to actualize the vision.

Belief of profitable and sustainable growth stems from the strategic intent of the organization and must form an integral part of the business strategy. In order to make indelible mark in the society, apart from earning higher profits and growth, the organization has to be well respected institution. An organization’s reputation is understood by its value propositions and employee behavior in keeping with those value propositions.

Role of HR professional is therefore central to achieving this. He must be able to understand the key business processes, challenges and opportunities and deliverables. HR has to take keen interest in understanding competition, environment in which business operates, technology need for the future, labor market, both at global and local level, innovative compensation structure and retention strategy. Should be able to forecast talent requirement based on the growth plan and devise sourcing strategy. All these would be possible if and when HR fully align itself with the business and understand the underlying processes.

Having recruited the right people and created talent pool, HR must embark on retention strategy where organization values the employees and provide them with challenging and meaningful task. A new entrant must be able to sense that the organization walking the talk in terms of its value. It treats its employees with dignity and ensures highest level of transparency.

HR must foster a culture of performance orientation where individuals and groups are rewarded and appreciated openly for their superior performance. There should be feedback mechanism where both the boss and subordinate understand each ones expectation.

In today’s highly competitive world, job satisfaction comes from the knowledge and skills offered in the workplace and opportunity to acquire superior knowledge. In a fast changing demographics of the workforce, we have more and more knowledge workers whose motivation do not really rest in year end performance appraisal but in opportunity in learning new skills and developing capability. Satisfaction of having made worthwhile contribution in the organization and celebration of success through timely and competitive rewards. Hence it is of paramount importance to have individual development plan of the employees along with performance appraisal. Career development and performance appraisal can be more meaningful for organization and employees when each one draws on the strength of the other.

In any high performing organization there is high employee engagement and the job of the manager is to identify the strengths in employees and move them in the right job.

HR has to act as catalyst in this process and inculcate this performance culture in the fabric of the business where each manager has to play his role in the development of his people.

HR, therefore, need to focus more on transformational issues and less on transactional one.

Contributed By:

Mr.P.K.Chatterjee

President-HR,
Duncans Industries Limited