New sharing and commenting system on the blog

Well it is not just the template that has changed - if you see an individual post - like this - on the web, you can see a button saying "Tweet" on the top left hand corner of every post.

That means you can see the number of times it has been shared on twitter, and if you so desire, share it yourself.

Then at the end of a post you'll see a "share" button - which means you can bookmark and share each post by whichever method you like - from email to facebook to delicious.

Finally you'll see a commenting system by the folks at Disqus (I replaced InstenseDebate, based on feedback by some techie bloggers!) - which enables one to actually have conversations in the comments, and you can sign in using your twitter id, facebook id or OpenID. Of course you can sign in without them and leave a comment too!

A thank you to the folks there who probably monitor what people are saying about Disqus on Twitter and when I tweeted I was facing a problem they promptly tweeted to ask what it was and then tweeted me the solution to it too.

I like that!

Looking for a Job in Social Media?

Social Media maven Jeremiah Owyang posts that usage and experience does not equate to expertise:

1. Usage of social media doesn’t equate expertise. Many who want to pursue a career in the white hot social space equate the number of fans, followers, or blog readers as a badge of honor –at times, I do that too. It’s an effective indicator of someone’s ability to use the tools, however it’s not an indicator they were able to use them in a corporate setting to meet customer and business objectives.
2. Long Term Experience of Social Media doesn’t equate expertise. Many speakers and about pages on blogs like to indicate they were using social technologies for years, to demonstrate they were an early adopter. This can backfire to a hiring manager as the duration doesn’t indicate ability to use these tools in a strategic way. In fact, many of the early, early adopters really aren’t the type that may work well in a corporate environment.
3. How candidates behave online can make or break the deal. Candidates should recognize that recruiters and hiring managers are looking at how individuals behave online –it factors into the decision on why they may –or may not be contacted. So before you post that blog lambasting another blogger, or somewhat questionable photos in Facebook, or talking about recovering from your hangover on Twitter, remember that hiring managers are analyzing how a candidate will represent their brand. 

On point 2 I think Jeremiah has raised an important issue - innovative and risk taking people who are early adopters are not likely to work well in a corporate (I mean large traditional corporate) that well. In fact, they'll probably be the ones using Mac systems in a Wintel organization, and you can see which direction we are headed!

Don't take your eyes off Attrition

I cannot but agree with this article from Consulting Mag:

Consider yourself warned.
It’s easy to be lulled into thinking that just because voluntary attrition is low today, attrition strategies can become a low priority. However, the truth is that steps firm leaders take today in handling layoffs and other potentially culture-damaging decisions could affect staff retention for years to come.
According to a recent survey of more than 6,000 consultants conducted by Consulting, more than half of consultants below the manager/director level plan to leave their current firm within the next four years and more than one-third plan to leave within the next two years.
In other words, when demand finally returns, firm leaders that haven’t taken steps to keep their best consultants engaged and committed to their firm could find themselves with a severe talent shortage.

Intuitively I can say that this does not apply to only the consulting industry, but in most industries that are looking at short-sighted ways to control costs.

Why are Performance Reviews de-energizing?

Frank Roche asks:

Is there anyone out there who looks forward to their annual performance reviews? Let’s hear it.

And I am reminded of this post I wrote some years back. 

The success of forced ranking lies in good goal planning. In fact for any appraisal system the input (goals) have to be good. Otherwise what comes out (results) is useless and gives rise to heartburn ! The problem with goals is that they are ritualistically set once a year and rarely updated as reality changes. And I would add: Not many managers know how to set good realistic goals - and goals are not calibrated within the organization, though the results are!

As employees we go out and renegotiate contracts with customers and vendors, so why do we never renegotiate our goals with our bosses?

Alignment of HR with Business

Jon Ingham posts a reply to a reader who asks how they can ensure alignment of senior HR folks. Jon as usual adds very deep and insightful comments:

the first, most obvious option has to be to use your existing performance management system to ensure that your senior HR people are set performance objectives that align with and cascade from your business objectives. my experience suggests that identifying HR measures is never actually that hard.  When it is, it is because the objectives that you’re trying to measure still aren’t clear.  You need to ensure that you are – that you fully understand what you mean by alignment, and why this is important to you.

The biggest thing that HR folks need to do is to spend time with business folks, observing them as they go about their work. The HR head should do that with the CEO. The HR Business Partner with the Business Leader. And so on and so forth. Spending time with your client, and understanding what is important to him/her is the best way to contribute to the business.

As a HR person do you know the strategic and competitive advantage of your business? Is it to ensure that products turn on the shelves, or is to ensure that customer service is impeccable or it is to come out with ground breaking products?

If as a HR person you know what that is - and what your clients have to do to meet that objective, I am sure that HR objectives would be amply clear. Sure they have their own expectations of HR, but your raison d'etre should be to add value to the larger organization.

Finding your differentiator

Terrence Seamon posts an interesting insight on how to answer the question in an interview "Why should we hire you?"

The best answer is to say, "You should hire me because I can do X for you and your company."

But how do you figure out what X is?

I call it, Finding Your Differentiator.

And the way to discover it is by working, really working, on your resume.

I find that as the job hunter works on their skills, accomplishments, and Summary (or Professional Profile), especially the identification of key capabilities, they get closer to their differentiator(s).

So what's your differentiator?

To add to Terry's suggestions I would add - think of the time when you have been happiest and contributed most to the organization and think what was the difference between that role and others when you might not have felt so good.
Also try to see what was special to the context and outside your influence.

HR related News

So here are some interesting news items that caught my attention, see how much you're interested :-)

• Accenture has failed to meet its hiring target in India . The company had said it intended to increase its India headcount to 50,000 this year from 37,000 as of April 2008. However, it fell short of the target by 10,000
  
• India plans to open its higher education sector to foreign investment and some of the world's leading universities next year to help meet the growing skills requirements of -millions of its young people. I hope that will trigger a war for talent in the teaching and educational administration population, and induce many bright Indians to pursue a career in educating tomorrow's India.
• Organizational changes are afoot in the company earlier known as Satyam and now as Mahindra Satyam. The new way will include more disclosure within the company. For example, each division will know the other's pricing, profits and overhead costs, and the company has added a new position of Chief Compliance Officer. Softer parts of the corporate culture also are changing. Mahindra managers are more likely to end work on time and go out for a beer with colleagues -- the former culture was more formal, with colleagues calling each other "sir," Mahindra managers now at Satyam say. In another step to purge Mr. Raju from the culture, the name of Satyam is likely to be dropped from the company in the next year, says Mr. Gurnani, the new CEO.
• In order to protect itself from falling prey to the US protectionist policy, Bangalore-based technology outsourcing major Wipro Technologies has decided to step up local hiring in overseas markets. Chairman Azim Premji said the company is looking to increase the count of local employees on-site. He said, "At present about 30 per cent of the employees are locals, but we would like to see this number increasing."
• IT services firms, which are benching more professionals because of the slowdown, are doubling training period for freshers to better equip them when the good times return. However, this means rise in costs for the firms, which are already facing diminishing revenues.

Trying out a new Template

In case you're reading this post via a feed reader - you wouldn't have noticed that this blog has a new template.

It's a free blogger template and until now has not given me any issues. Sincere thanks are due to the folks behind the website OurBlogTemplates, and this template is their Professional Template.

Have also turned to IntenseDebate to fuel the comments on this blog, and you can post using your twitter username as well.

Hope that works fine too!

Looking back for your feedback on both these new changes.

TCS headcount reduction

Why would about 5000 employees leave a large employer in the IT industry, specially when it is passing through such an slowdown? Report in Taragana:

According to Hindustan Times, in the latest quarter TCS added a total of 2,828 employees with the total headcount of 1,43,761 at the start of the quarter. If the new hires are taken into consideration, the total employees strength should have reached 1,46,589 by the end of June. However, the firm’s headcount was at 1,41,642 as of June 30, 2009, showing a net reduction of 4,947 employees.

Isn't that strange?

I hope most of these folks are engaged in bringing new entrepreneurial ideas to life.

Surviving a Layoff

Well media company Conde Nast has roped in McKinsey & Co. to rethink the way they do business, and Gawker.com is thinking "layoffs".

Here's what some of the Gawker readers think is the way to survive an impending layoff:

• 
  

  I survived one. I refused to fill in all the boxes. Best way I can think of to survive one of these is to disable PowerPoint. Otherwise, you're screwed.

• Being well acquainted with the "Firm" here are a few pieces of advice...

1) Run

2) If you're not at least a VP (or the Conde equivalent) there's not much hope in changing your future. The consultants only works with high-level executives.

3) Familiarize yourself with the lingo - start talking about the Minto Pyramid Principle around the water cooler if there are consultants within earshot, mention key learnings, and make sure everything you say is "structured."

4) Request to set up a series of problem solving sessions with your boss and suggest that you 80/20 everything.

5) Start putting lots of chevrons, arrows and Action Titles into any presentation your working on. Source it by saying "Team Analysis"

6) Make sure everything in your cubicle can fit into one box

• I've (so far) survived a process by one of their competitors, which I suspect is same slop, different bucket. Appear to have a staff or "staff-like" function that makes outsourcing inconvenient and/or have "installed capacity" in the organization's "core competencies." Otherwise, you can use the same principles as apply to zombie attacks.

Wow, consultants whose recommendations lead to rightsizing are not really liked by employees.

Big surprise.

Business Managers should be HR business partners

I've blogged earlier (in 2003!) about Dave Ulrich's HR Champions framework.

I've been thinking about the whole argument that HR folks have to align themselves more to business to become strategic.

And yes, I've also been thinking about the whole generalist and specialist thought.

So now I've reached my conclusion. For the moment at least.

Business managers should actually move into the role of the HR business partners.

• Reason No. 1: They really know the business! Take a deep breath, and reflect truthfully. However, much a HR guy knows about the business, he or she will always be seen as a "HR person" 
• Reason No. 2: If business managers really have to start doing the actual HR work - like sticking to the timelines for performance discussions - or start doing succession planning - and HR folks should do the 'facilitation' - then you have to have a ex-business turned HR business partner.
• Reason No. 3: As businesses grow and expand - not every business manager wants to rise up the traditional way. Some managers are great at helping people grow and develop. Others are great at spotting talent before they are obvious. Such people are needed by HR. 
• Reason No. 4: If HR has to be a way of life for people, and not just another function - then this should be the way to go.

If generalization is the way to grow one's career in large organizations - then it should not be really restricted to a function.

I know people who started careers in HR but then due to opportunities in their organizations moved to operational and sales roles. Some moved back to HR. Some moved farther away. 

In fact it has been more than 3 years that one of India's largest firms known for its HR processes asked its CFO to become the HR head. 

I personally think that there should be more such examples! Any that you know?

Careers in today's world

Image via Wikipedia

On the XLRI Sapphire blog my post has stirred a hornet's nest, apparently.

Some believe that being a generalist is better for career growth, while others believe that the specialist functions are going towards the approach of becoming a centre of excellence (in large global companies)

Abhijit Bhaduri posted an interesting theory that our career decisions are shaped by one's personality type. So I guess type A goal focused ESTJs would prefer career planning and it would suit them too :-)

As Abhijit posts:

I for one, blame my set of choices entirely to being an ENFP!! Choice of whether to take an assignment or an employer would be initially be somewhat instinctive. I then gather data – usually by talking to many people, by reading and researching (esp what blogs have to say about the organization rather than the corporate PR drivel) and finally decide to cast my vote based on overall gut feel. Gut feel and heart count for 2 of the 3 stages in my case.  I have an overall view of what I want to do with my life, career choices fit into my overall plan for life.

Dr. Madhukar Shukla gives the large picture saying that in today's world "career planning" has to give way to "career building"

it is virtually impossible to “plan” one’s career, when the very meaning of “career” is undergoing a change. At one time, “career” meant how up-the-ladder one has moved in the same organisation; it changed to a concept of “career” across different organisations – sometimes even across sectors. But in recent years, with entirely new opportunities (due to changes in business environment and emerging technologies), we have jobs/careers which didn’t even exist 5-10-15 years back. I mean, till early-mid 90’s, there was no job-profiles like a Forex Manager, Web-Designer, Derivative Analyst, Onboarding HR Expert, etc. etc.!!!

My post on the XLRI Sapphire blog

Hi folks, apologies for the non-posting.

Have guest posted a blog on the XLRI Sapphire blog on the HR Generalist and Specialist careers for HR professionals

Check it out - and comments are welcome there!

Guest Post: Flexi-working: Break the 9-to-5 Career Barrier

Guest blogger Shonalie is an XLRI alumnus with an undergraduate degree in Psychology. She has worked with Asian Paints and ICICI Bank before a long, stint with Mercer HR Consulting in Gurgaon and Bangalore.


Since leaving Mercer Shonalie has worked with various clients, consulting firms on a retainership basis.


At the moment she is engaged with Sasken Communication Technologies Ltd, Bangalore. She works in the area of Assessment Centers, Competency Mapping, Position Evaluation and HR Audits.


She can be reached at shonalie@gmail.com

Motherhood & a Fulfilling Career

Money and Motherhood need to go hand-in-hand today. Most contemporary, educated women choose to continue working – even after giving birth to a child

As a working mother working flexi-time for the past few years, I find there are many valuable lessons I have picked up on the way.

My story is that I started this mode of working when I needed to balance the responsibilities of being a young parent with a pre-term baby who needed special care. I was also determined to grow professionally earning the remuneration that I felt I deserved. Happily I managed to strike the right balance between balancing family and career. So how did I do achieve it?

Here are some Dos and Don'ts I intuitively followed and I hope these are useful tips for other women readers who may be contemplating a similar path:

Do:

1. Be highly motivated, passionate and self-driven about your work. It helps – as you will not have a regular appraisal schedule, increment or bonus time-table or peers who are getting promoted to egg you on towards achieving higher milestones. Ok - its not all work! There are days when I can spend an extra hour playing with my daughter before she falls asleep for her afternoon nap, I can curl up and draw cartoons with her on a less-hectic day and often join her in the evening for a stroll when she is playing with other toddlers.

2. Position yourself: Network with people in your profession. Don’t hesitate to expand your network even to acquaintances of your friends albeit in a mutually complimentary and graceful way. The more you help and assist others with information, the larger and more receptive your network will be. Be open to the idea that some newly acquired contacts are not going to be relevant in finding new assignments but will be interesting to know to build your perspective about different industry sectors, and professions.

3. Your are your own Talent Manager: It’s important to understand that now the onus of developing and building your own skills lie with yourself. Peers working in 9-to-5 jobs will have organizations who will invest in their professional development, plus they have access to various resources at the organizational level including peer level interaction in order to enhance their skills. Unlike them, you will have to be in-charge of your own skill building. So taken on projects that will add to your professional depth – and be vigilant towards new trends in the industry for which you may need to take up formal training courses.

4. Build Your Brand: In the initial period as a freelancer/ retainer it helps to go with established brands so in turn that enhances your credibility. You can then approach small to medium segment companies/ start-ups that need the expertise from established brands but can’t afford to pay for a full-time resource. You on the other hand can earn much more than a conventional 9-to-5 resource – if you attach yourself to more than one such firm - and lend your expertise on a flexible basis to several such firms. Of course the strongest brand building tool is a good referral from your past client(s).

5. Invest in your infrastructure: Get the highest speed of broad band connectivity, uninterrupted service, a good laptop and an on-call IT resource person who can assist you in case of a technical problem. It is important that your client feels you are available at all appointed hours and do not have to excuse your unavailability due to connectivity problems.

6. Be aware that your career will be an unconventional one: Learn to deal with the uncertainty. Your reference group can no longer be the 9-to-5 conventional workers.

7. Break the mental social stigma that you won’t be perceived as a serious career person if you don’t follow the 9 to 5 routine. This stigma may be a significant reason why many men shy away from taking on such a flexi-option career.

8. Be market savvy: Get a realistic about your resume. Speak to trusted friends and mentors in the industry to gauge the marketability of your skills and then plan your move into the flexible work-world. If you are in a field of work that mostly demands conventional working hours, then it will be difficult to find such assignments. I chose to build my skills in HR consulting (rather than as a generalist). Being a specialist helped me to build skills in a niche area and build strengths in an area where not many professionals are available. This allows me to support to companies who prefer stand-alone boutique outfits/ consultants who provide better-bang-for-their-buck and personalized attention.

9. Be a good time manager: Make sure that you spend 8 hours working and 8 hours sleeping and these two time periods are not the same hours! Celebrated and practical author Ken Blanchard’s book ‘The Present’ – talks about prioritizing and focusing on the present to make the most of the given moment. This is a valuable lesson that allows me to avoid time-wasters and get concentrated work done whenever the environment is suitable.

Don’ts

1. Take on more than you can chew: Focus on the quality rather than quantity on your assignments. If required, compromise on your fee for the sake of client brand equity and nature of work assignment if you feel it will add more value. Especially in the initial period when you are learning the ropes of working on your own

2. Be shy about negotiating for your fee: You are providing quality work so you should be compensated accordingly. Avoid verbal discussion if it makes you uncomfortable. Opt for an email instead – explaining your deliverables, amount of work you will be putting in and the regular market rate for similar work. Then quote your fee. Avoid keeping a large ‘negotiation’ range for reducing your fee – try and quote as realistically as possible at the first instance. It will help your client to feel at ease if you use a direct approach. This has been my experience.

3. Downplay the seriousness of your profession: Make sure your family takes your work commitments as seriously as you do. Just because you work-from-home doesn’t mean you are doing inconsequential or non-skilled work. Be firm about your working hours and devote weekends to run errands. Take your ‘at-work’ time seriously. I always remind my family that ‘tomorrow is working day for me’ so I gotta get my rest. So that they don’t forget I am as much as a working person as anyone else even though I work flexible hours.

In Conclusion

Be proud of you’ve achieved. Too often, we women fight shy of acknowledging our own achievements and appreciating ourselves. We are our own severe critics and need to give ourselves some slack for being good mothers and dedicated professionals (two demanding jobs at the same time). Make sure you speak up at social gatherings about what you do and the recent clients you’ve worked for. Many of my contacts and networks have been strengthened by sharing such information with new acquaintances.

Jack Welch at SHRM

One of the great things about the net is the ability to follow what is happening halfway across the world.

New Orleans recently hosted the SHRM annual conference (for which apparently 7000 people turned up - half of the crowd of last years, apparently)

You can see what people are saying about it on Twitter here.

And here's a video (spotted by Anish on his blog) about Jack Welch at the SHRM conference. The video was uploaded by Michael, another HR blogger

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