Zigsaw Blog

Category: employer

  • Recruitment Life Cycle – Different Stages of Recruitment

    The recruitment life cycle refers to the complete process of recruitment from start to end. Hence it is also known as a 360-degree recruitment process or end-to-end recruitment process. From scratch till the end, that is the final recruitment, the process of requirement employs several stages. This entire cycle is known as a recruitment life-cycle.

    Recruitment is an integral part of Human Resource Management. Recruitment is a hiring process where firstly the staffing and organizational needs of the company are identified. After that, a potential pool of candidates for the required staffing is attracted. The pool of candidates is generated by firstly identifying these candidates. These can be done by both internal and external sources. Next, the recruiter should attract these candidates to apply for the job. This can be done by extensive advertising in job sites, campus drives, reaching out to potential candidates from the company database, etc.

    Recruitment is such an important process because it serves as a pre-math for selection. Recruitment is a deciding factor on the correct candidates being chosen in the selection process. Hence, attracting a better pool of candidates in the recruitment process proves to be extremely beneficial.

    The process of recruitment largely varies due to the size of the organization. A small or medium-sized firm may have only one person as a recruiter or a hiring manager. However, a larger company is most likely to have a whole dedicated team of recruiters to carry on the process effectively. A well-framed recruitment process helps both the company and the applicants. The company gets to generate a potential pool of candidates, whereas the candidates get potential employment opportunities.

    However, in every organizational setting and every differential organizational need, the recruitment life-cycle large remains the same. There are namely 6 major steps in the recruitment life cycle:

    1. Preparing
    2. Sourcing
    3. Screening
    4. Selecting
    5. Hiring
    6. Onboarding

    Recruitment Life Cycle Stages

    Recruitment Life Cycle - Different Stages of Recruitment

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    1. Preparing

    Preparation is an essential component for the success of any process. The recruitment process also has a comprehensive preparation process which serves as a foundation for the proper functioning of the later stages in the life-cycle. 

    The first step to preparation is creating a candidate persona. This means that the recruiter has to define the traits or skills or experience that a candidate has to have to be eligible for the recruitment process. Drafting an appropriate candidate persona increases the possibility of an appropriate hire.

    The second step to preparation is drafting a job description. The job description is responsible for attracting potential candidates in the recruitment process. Hence, an unattractive job description will be a thumbs-down to the process. However, an employer cannot publish wrong or misleading information. The job description has to be accurate and state the responsibilities that it entails. It should most importantly include the salary, perks, and other benefits provided by the company.

    2. Sourcing

    The second stage is establishing the sourcing for the candidates. This means creating awareness about the job in various sources and hence generating potential candidates from those sources. Professional recruiters choose to do the recruitment on multiple sources to achieve maximum results. The different sources of recruitment are listed below:

    Internal Source: Internal sources of recruitment can be not only effective but also economical. It is cost-effective for the company, and an ad also economizes on a lot of time. Internal sources of recruitment mainly include promotions and transfers of employees intra-organization. In addition to that, intra-organization employee referrals also largely contribute to the internal sources of recruitment. Utilizing the company’s database to recruit former employees and candidates can also be a good choice.

    External Source: A company can recruit through external sources via employment agencies. This is the common and surest source of recruiting eligible pool of candidates. The company can also conduct campus drives in various schools, colleges, and universities, thereby facilitating recruitment. Apart from that, the recruitment procedure can be advertised in multiple media sources to have a greater reach and therefore attract a greater pool. Utilizing various labor unions in the recruitment process is also something that the company can do.

    E-sources: The e-sources of recruitment are gaining quick popularity in today’s times. Recruitment ads can be posted on agency websites. Also, online job boards can be used for the recruitment process. However, the chance of attracting a large number of unqualified candidates works as the biggest disadvantage in this case. Its easy availability and much higher reach still make it a popular option. 

    3. Screening

    The third step is screening all the applications that have been generated from all the sources. Sourcing attracts a large number of candidates, and not all of them have the required skills and traits needed for the vacant job. Hence screening is important to list out the ineligible candidates based on their resumes, portfolios, etc., and take the eligible candidates to the next round of screening which is generally a telephonic interview process. Candidates who pass the telephonic interview round are chosen for the face-to-face interview.

    4. Selection

    This is the most critical stage of recruitment life-cycle. This is because, in this stage, the final selection of the candidates is made for the said job. The resumes and cover letters, in most cases, seem a lot more eligible than the candidate himself/herself. Hence face to face interviews or tests should be well-drafted to test the candidate on all aspects and then make an informed and educated decision.

    Even though in most cases, the stage of selection is defined by an interview process, in some instances, different forms of test can also be employed. These can be personality assessments and written ability tests, to name a few. These can also go hand-in-hand with the interview process to finally select the candidate or candidates for the job.

    Interviews can also be of various types depending upon the discretion of the employer/recruiter. These can be unstructured interviews where different candidates are asked different questions and judged. These can also be structured interviews where a standardized set of questions is asked to every candidate, and then they are judged. Interviews can also be behavioral interviews or stress interviews to test how a candidate reacts or behaves under stress.

    Under any circumstance, before the final selection is made, a background or reference check must be done on the candidate.

    5. Hiring

    After the selection is made, it is time to hire the candidate, that notifies him/her about his/her selection. The hiring stage of the recruitment life-cycle generally consists of two parts.

    The first part is notifying the candidate about the job that is making the final job offer. An offer letter must be sent to the candidate. An offer letter must be accurate and consist of all the necessary information regarding the job. It should contain the working hours, the benefits, the compensation as well as the starting date of the job. If the job is contractual, the details of the contract must be mentioned. 

    The second part of the hiring process is negotiation. After a candidate receives an offer letter, he/she has to accept it. However, not all selected candidates will select the offer letter right away. They might want to negotiate with the HR on various terms. The most common terms of negotiation are the working hours and salary. Negotiation is important so that a mutually acceptable employment contract can be reached between the candidate and the employer.

    6. Onboarding

    The recruitment process does not end with hiring the candidate. Onboarding is an important part of the recruitment life-cycle because it plays a great role to determine if the candidate can fit in the company culture and hence work productively. A proper onboarding procedure includes steps like introduction, orientation, and training of the employee. Henceforth the recruitment life-cycle ends, and the employment starts.

    From layman’s eyes, recruitment might seem like a very simple process of just hiring candidates. But in reality, it is complex and comprehensive and is very much responsible for the productivity and success of the company. Hence trained professionals carry out the process with a minute focus on each stage so that the most eligible candidates are finally onboarded for the job.

  • How to Make Interview Evaluation Form with Sample Templates

    Interviews are one of the most challenging tasks that many people face in their lives. That stressful time, with the interview panel sitting in front, sweaty palms, nervous thoughts, and the added pressure of delivering an excellent performance. An experience that everyone must go through to make it to their dream companies. An interview is just the place for you to showcase your skills and talents and project yourself as the ideal candidate for the company. The better you pitch, the more likely it is for you to get your dream. So, leave the nervousness aside and bring out her A-game!

    Though the candidates have their struggles, on the flip side, so does the interviewer. Any recruitment process is a cumbersome process with various rounds attached to it. The steps involved in the process may vary from company to company, but roughly they are:

    • A screening process where candidates are generally shortlisted based on their resume.
    • A selection task can include a group discussion procedure, some submission, depending upon the profile offered.
    • A telephonic interview, which is just a mini-interview conducted, for the selection of candidates for the final round.
    • The final interview, which is the final step, where the conversation that you have in the interview hall, decides your fate!

    The entire recruitment process is tiring for the interviewer as well. The responsibility of selecting the perfect candidate for the job that serves as the right fit for the company, the person that can add value to the company in the long run, the requirements are enormous. So, there are specific tips for the interviews for the interviewers on how to gauge a candidate. Some of these are:

    • Do a background check of the candidate before taking the interview.
    • Read the resume before diving into the question-answer mode.
    • List down the questions that you want to ask the candidate.
    • Make a structured plan for the interview process.
    • Ask situation-based, out-of-the-box questions, and gauge the answers accordingly.
    • Give the candidate the chance to speak more.
    • Along with verbal communication, observe clues from non-verbal communication as well.

    Interview Evaluation Form – What Is It And Why Is It Used?

    An interview evaluation form will aid immensely in carrying out a fruitful interview. An interview evaluation form is a document where the interviewer can evaluate the candidate’s performance in various areas and even comparing it with other candidate’s performance. So, this document comes handy when hiring someone for the job. An interview evaluation form is useful for the following reasons:

    • This form also helps in interviewing in a structured manner as it allows the interviewer to have an organized interview framework ready before-hand. 
    • As all the candidates are interviewed according to a pre-defined format, it also promotes fairness in the evaluation pattern. 
    • It also offers more precise and more in-depth insights regarding the candidate. 
    • Having data on the candidate, it also helps in the future training of the candidate.
    • Evaluation biases are reduced because every candidate goes through the same evaluation process. So, having an exact interview evaluation form makes the interview process a little smoother. 

    How to Make Interview Evaluation Form?

    An interview evaluation form is one of the essential HR tools used during the recruitment process. Different job profiles would evoke various evaluation forms depending upon the type of characteristics required by the company. But any evaluation form will roughly contain the following fields:

    Basic Candidate Details: Some basic but mandatory details that include: 

    • Name of the candidate 
    • Position applied for
    • Name of the interviewer 
    • The date of the interview was conducted.
    • Contact details (may or may not be included) to have a clear record of the candidates interviewed.

    Past relevant details: This includes the education details of the candidate, which can be relevant to the job profile applied for. It may consist of college degrees and any certification if done that enhances the chances of obtaining the job. This tab also includes the previous job experiences that may aid in the current job profile.

    Candidate Evaluation Criteria: Now, this is the section that will be included in the form, but the parameters may vary depending upon the company, it’s requirements, the job profile, and many more. The main section of the form is used for evaluating the candidate’s performance based on interview performance, overall experience, and knowledge. 

    This part generally has a pre-defined grading system, where the candidates are given grades in various fields. The most commonly used grading pattern is a range of 1-5, where 1 generally indicates the “non-possession of the skill” and 5 indicates “extremely proficient in the skill.” Some of the evaluation criteria can include: 

    • General personality skills like working in teams, the ability to adapt to various situations, verbal ability skills.
    • It is differentiating skills that answer the classic question of “what makes you different?”. Skills like leadership, time management, creative thinker, and many more. The skills that can put you one step ahead of your peers in the interview round.
    • Skills that the job profile demands, like for a marketing job profile, communication skills, customer management skills, technical skills, etc., are mandatory. So different job profiles command different kinds of skills.
    • Whether the employee is a fit to the organisation’s culture, the most important criteria as an organization fit are something that matters the most. 

    Overall review and comments:  After evaluating the candidate on various skills, the decision of the interviewer is supreme. Here the interviewer writes about the impression formed of the candidate. Comments relating to whether the company should hire the candidate, reject or put the candidate on hold, comprise this section. 

    Sample Interview Evaluation Forms

    These are some of the basic criteria each evaluation form should have. Some of the sample interview evaluation forms are provided below:

    Sample 1:

    Basic details:

    Name of the candidate: Mr ABC
    Profile applied for: ABCDE
    Date of the interview: DD/MM/YYYY
    Interviewer name: Mr XYZ

    Evaluation criteria (Tick as per requirements):

    Criteria Excellent Strong Average Weak
    Relevant education background *
    Relevant work experience *
    Communication skills *
    Leadership skills *
    Job-specific skills *
    Match to company’s values *

    Review and comments:

    (Give the comments according to the interview process and evaluating criteria).

    Sample 2:

    Basic details:

    Name of the candidate: Mr ABC
    Profile applied for: ABCDE
    Date of the interview: DD/MM/YYYY
    Interviewer name: Mr XYZ

    Evaluation criteria (Scoring as per interview):

    Here a rating scale of 1-5 is used for the evaluation of criteria.

    Where, 1= Poor, 2=Below Average, 3=Average, 4=Good, 5=Excellent.

    Skills Rating Comments
    Is the candidate’s educational qualification suitable for the job? 12345 ……..
    Can the candidate highlight their strengths? 12345 ……..
    Prior work experience 12345 ……..
    Situational questions 12345 ……..
    Aspirations of the candidate 12345 ……..
    The motivation for the job? 12345 ……..
    Prioritization 12345 ……..
    Interest in the company 12345 ……..

    Sample 3:

    Basic details:

    Name of the candidate: Mr ABC
    Profile applied for: ABCDE
    Date of the interview: DD/MM/YYYY
    Interviewer name: Mr XYZ

    Evaluation criteria (Scoring as per interview):

    Here a rating scale of 1-5 is used for the evaluation of criteria.

    Where, 1= Poor, 2=Below Average, 3=Average, 4=Good, 5=Excellent.

    Educational background: Does the candidate have the relevant educational knowledge required for this post?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Prior Work experience: Is the prior work experience of the candidate suitable for the current position?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Technical Qualifications: Does the candidate have the necessary technical skills required for the job?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Leadership ability: Does the candidate have the necessary leadership skills required for the job?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Communication skills: Does the candidate have good communication skills?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Candidate enthusiasm level: Interest level of the candidate for the job?

    Rating:

    Comments:

    Overall comments and feedback:

    ……………………………………………………………………………………………….

    These are some of the samples of the interview evaluation form. An interview evaluation form is a great tool to conduct the interview process seamlessly. Making the process less tiresome and easy. Interviews were and always will be an indispensable part of the entire hiring process, but tools like these help to lessen the burden. Make your customized evaluation process and ace this process!

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  • How Can organizational Culture Attract and Retain Talented Employees?

    The constant focus for corporate companies lately has been paying attention to creating, fostering, and sustaining organisational culture, also called corporate culture. It is not P&G alone – all successful companies like IBM, HP, Apple, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, L&T, Tata’s, Wipro, Cognizant, or Infosys – have one underlying factor behind the success, and that is maintaining a workplace culture. Culture is like the DNA of the organisation, unique to itself. Culture has a direct proportional impact on employee attention, retention, performance and satisfaction. The value system of the workplace culture manifests itself through the language they speak, murals on the wall, their building aesthetics and a host of other artefacts. Companies with a strong workplace culture rightly consider it to be very precious. Sometimes more important than a trade secret and in some sense, unique. Organisational members begin to feel a strong bond with the company they are working for. The strong bond transcends material returns given by the organisation, and the employees begin to identify with it. The entire organisation turns into some clan. 

    MEANING OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

    `From a wider perspective, the word ‘culture’ linguistically translates to the universal set which includes knowledge, principles, beliefs, morals, law, custom and other capabilities and habits acquired by particular individuals in a society. Two important aspects of culture are cultural history and mutual phenomenon. Cultural History is the cultural mores of a society that are transgenerational. The second term points towards the cultural ethos and the principles that are shared among the members of society. In other words, unlike one-person specific, culture is a group-specific concept. Organisational culture or company culture is a reflection of the ideologies, values, assumptions, beliefs, expectations, attitudes and norms that weave an organisation together and are shared by its employees. Organisational members tend to internalise cultural policies and practices and like to indoctrinate newcomers into such moves. Some of these practices are thoroughly internalised that no one can question them – they are taken for granted; in other words, they get institutionalised.

    UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE:

    Corporate culture mainly consists of three distinct levels, namely, common assumptions, shared values and observable values.

    1. OBSERVABLE CULTURE:

      At the surface is the observable culture, it could be considered as the first layer which manifests through symbols such as physical design, dress code, logos, gadget, and murals. It broadly includes unique office stories, traditions and rituals that add up to the history of the success of the organisation.

    2. SHARED VALUES:

      The second level includes shared values. Shared values apply to all organisational members, and no deviation is tolerated. Common uniformity and shared beliefs or mutual values represent a shared culture. Corporate Vision and Mission must be shared by all and must be binding all.

    3. COMMON ASSUMPTIONS:

      The third level is of Common assumptions, the deeper or hidden aspect of organisational culture. These are the taken for granted truths that every organisational member shares as a result of their collective experience. As difficult as it may be to isolate these patterns but doing so helps give a valid explanation of culture invading every aspect of organisational life. The common assumption may surface in an organisational crisis, like for example, the way a senior executive guilty of sexual harassment, is handled or an employee caught indulging in an ethical act is dealt with. How employees stand united to thwart hostile takeover bid and the way employees volunteer for pay cuts to steer the organisation from the financial crisis are also instances of the common assumptions.

    ATTRACTION, SUSTENENCE AND RETENTION OF TALENT:

    Few strategies that support the cause :

    • SELECTING AND SOCIALISING EMPLOYEES:

    The main purpose of the hiring process to hire the right people for the right job. When for a given job, two or more candidates with identical skills and abilities are available final selection is influenced by how well a candidate fits into the organisation. By identifying candidates who can help with the organisational culture selection help sustain culture considerably. Job applicants to look at an organisation from its cultural perspective before seeking entry into it. More than pay and perquisites in an organisation offers, it is the cultural artefacts that often attract or detract job seekers. Along with selecting people with compatible values, companies maintain strong cultural aspects through the effective socialisation of new employees. 

    The socialisation of employees is the learning process of every individual to acquire values, expected behaviour, and social knowledge necessary to assume their roles in the organisation.

    Pre-arrival, encounter and metamorphosis are the three central stages of employee Socialisation. Pre-arrival is the initial stage that encircles the learning aspect that occurs before a new member joins the organisation. Encounter, the next stage, where the new employee sees what the organisation is and confronts where his/her expectations diverge reality. The last stage is related to lasting changes that take place. The new employee masters and adjusts the skills required for his or her new roles in accordance with his or her work group’s values and norms.

    • PERFORMANCE AND SATISFACTION:

    Company culture has a significant impact on performance. Culture has an innate quality of performance enhancement for at least four reasons.

      1. Culture makes strategy implementation
      2.  Organisational wide common goals as employees share common goals
      3. a strong culture creates a high level of motivation because of the mutual values shared by the members
      4. strong culture provides a control mechanism without the prospect of bureaucracy

    There is a correlation between organisational culture and employee satisfaction. But individual needs of employees main monetary the relationship between culture and satisfaction. In general, satisfaction will be the highest when there is congruence between individual needs and organisational culture. For instance, an organisation whose culture would be characterised is low in structure, having loose supervision and rewarding employees for higher achievement is more likely to have more satisfied employees if those employees have a higher achievement need and prefer autonomy. Thus, job satisfaction often varies according to employees’ perception of the culture.

    • STRONG COMMITMENT FROM EMPLOYEES:

    Culture not only increases their commitment to the organisation but also creates a sense of identity in them. When employees in the values of the company define their work intrinsically rewarding and identified with their fellow workers, motivation is enhanced, and their morale has an automatic boost. The commitment of employees could be picturised as a three phases plan :

      1. Compliance – people confirm to obtain some material benefit.
      2. Identification – the demands of culture are accepted to maintain good relationships with colleagues.
      3. Internalisation – People find that the adoption of cultural values of the organisation produces intrinsic satisfaction because these values are in line with their personal values. In many ways, This is an ideal status as far as the acceptance of organisational values are concerned and if widespread, is indicative of a strong culture.

    • MAINTAINING A STABLE WORKFORCE:

    An organisation’s culture is embedded and projected through the minds of its employees. Organisational stories are rarely written down; rituals and celebration do not usually exist in manual, and organisation metaphors are not found in corporate directories. Thus, a stable workforce that communicates and reinforces the dominant beliefs and values is what an organisation seeks. High turnover and downsizing can demolish the organisational culture because the ‘corporate memory’ leaves along with those employees. Organisational culture also weakens during periods of rapid expansion or mergers because it takes time for incoming employees to learn about and accept the dominant corporate values and beliefs. For this reason, some organisations keep their culture intact by keeping a mindful check on their employee growth and turnover ratios.

    • CULTURALLY CONSISTENT REWARDS:

    Reward systems strengthen corporate culture when they are consistent and with cultural values. Aggressive cultures might offer more performance-based individual incentives, whereas Paternalistic cultures would more likely offer employee assistance programs, medical insurance, and other fringe benefits that support employees’ well being.

    How important is organization culture for any organisation? Is it more important than the monetary aspects? Let is know in the comments below

  • Employee Training – Meaning, Benefits, Types, Process, Facilitation & Measurement

    MEANING OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING

    Employee training refers to the process of imparting specific skills to the employees via classroom OR practical training programs. The training programs make the workforce more efficient and has numerous other benefits. Let us look at some of these benefits below

    BENEFITS OF EMPLOYEE TRAINING

    Employee training ensures employee retention and prevents burnouts by removing performance deficiencies, drive employee engagement making employees stay long, minimizing accidents, scraps, damage and meeting future employee needs. Strong training programs ensure greater stability, flexibility and capacity for growth in an organization. Training contributes to employees in many ways, efficiency heading the chart. Efficient employees contribute to the growth of the firm. Growth renders stability to the workforce for the trained employees who tend to stay with the company. They seldom leave the company. Training makes the employee versatile in all operations giving increased flexibility to the organisation. Leading to growth and prosperity which is reflected in increased profits from year to year.

    Employee training is not only advantageous for individual employees but also gives an added advantage to the firm/company. If we look into these two broad categories closely we would see how individual employee training has an overall impact on the entire organization.

    1. Profitability:

      Beginning with how training benefits the organization,  leading with improved profitability for the company because of efficient employees, building a positive attitude towards profit orientation.

    2. Job knowledge:

      Employee training enhances job knowledge and skill at all levels of the organization which helps to create a better corporate image. Proficient job knowledge through training boosts employee confidence leading to improved morale of the workplace.

    3. Avoids confusion:

      Elaborate employee training ensures clarity of mind among the employees which helps to foster authenticity, openness and trust. Not just clarity of mind, it also helps an individual in making better decisions and effective problem-solving skills. Employee training also provides information for improving leadership knowledge, communication skill and attitude of the employee. Confusion among employees reduces, therefore a healthy relationship is maintained between the employer and employee.

    4. Boosts Confidence:

      Once an employee is confident about the job that they are doing and is well acquainted with the job knowledge he or she can handle stress, tension, frustration and conflict in a smoother manner. employee training also provides information for improving leadership knowledge, communication skill and attitude of the employee.

    5. Motivation:

      It motivates an employee towards his or her personal goals while improving interactive skills. Training not only aids in development for promotion from within but also helps in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty and other aspects that successful workers and managers usually display. Increased motivation leads to an increase in productivity and quality of work which insures growth in the organization leading to more profits. When an employee is well aware of the job and has enough knowledge about the job that they are performing it negates the element of fear in attempting new tasks. Here are Top 50 Motivational quotes for Employees & Workplace to further aid an HR

    Employee Training - Meaning, Benefits, Types, Process, Facilitation & Measurement

    TYPES OF EMPLOYEE TRAININGS

    Throughout the years we have seen a lot of employee training methods and types such as instructor-led training, eLearning, simulation employee training,  hands-on training, coaching or mentoring,  lectures, group discussion and activities, role-playing, management-specific activities, case studies or other required reading. Training for every sector is different as per their  requirements and is supported with a specified description about the training. Trainings are broadly categorised in 2 heads

    1. Functional Trainings:

      Functional Trainings are usually given to increase the functional competency of the Employee. These trainings are usually given by domain experts aimed to make people better at their Jobs.

    2. Behavioural Trainings:

      These training programs are usually focussed around interpersonal skills of employees. Behavioural training improves communication between individuals, also among employees at every level of the organization, maintaining a healthy communicative relationship between individuals and groups. Not just communicative clarity, it also ensures cohesiveness in groups which makes the organization a better place to work in. From a wider perspective employee training also provides information on equal opportunities in affirmative action.

      Now that we have a basic idea about how employee training programs are beneficial to individual employees belonging to every level of the organisation impact on the overall growth of the organisation, let’s put some light on the benefits of employee training in personnel and human relations, intragroup and intergroup relations and policy implementation.

    EMPLOYEE TRAINING PROCESS

    A training program is tailored through a well-defined process. Starting with need assessment and various issues in need assessment the plan leads to deriving instructional objectives which gives a blueprint about the training and development design and the various types of training. On having a satisfactory training design, the appropriate one is selected with instructional programs which is further implemented as the final employment training program.

    Trainings are necessary, not just for new joinees but also for professionals & the leadership team 

    • Training Programs for Freshers: New joinees have a prior formal education and it is recommended to give them specific training programs to make them industry ready. Classroom training and On-Job training are complementary in nature and are a part of the entire training program for Freshers. These trainings are mostly functional in nature
    • Training for Professionals: Professionals are required to regularly undergo training programs to keep their knowledge updated & stay abreast of the best industry practices. Trainings at this end are a mix of functional & behavioural trainings.  
    • Training for Organizational Leaders: Mostly behavioural in nature, these trainings are usually around team building, decision making, motivating team members and improving cross functional communication. Since the stakes are highest at Leadership positions, it is all the more necessary for organisations to invest more time & resources in employee training. 

    TRAINING NEED ASSESSMENT

    The most crucial element in a training plan is the need assessment. The need assessment is the diagnosis that presents all the problems and the future challenges to be met through training. The issues to be addressed in need assessment generally comprises organizational support, organization analysis, task and KSA analysis, and lastly person analysis. After need assessment, comes deriving instructional objectives which is the next phase in the training process which is to be identified. The instructional objectives help in preparing a blueprint that describes the objectives to be achieved by the trainee upon completion of the training program. Next, comes the designing phase which mainly includes

    • Who are the trainers?
    • Who are the trainees?
    • What methods and techniques are being used for the training?
    • What are the principles of training?
    • Where is the program being conducted?
    • What should be the level of training?

    EMPLOYEE TRAINING TEMPLATE

    A well proof training plan ensures optimum utilization of every human resource that is available at hand and ensures that no talent is being wasted . Hence comes the main role of an employee training plan template, which schedules the training program for every employee in a customized manner so that the employee and employer get most out of it. Similar to an itinerary, a training plan template includes the name of the employee the group that the employee belongs to, the number of hours that the employee is training for and the tasks involved in the training plan. Employee training plan template is used extensively in the Army or Airforce services where every cadet is assigned a task and a log/record is kept which acts as their personal training plan template. A general plan template looks like the following:

    COMPANY NAME:

    PROJECT OVERVIEW:

    NAME OF CANDIDATE :

    POSITION OF CANDIDATE :

    DATE

    TIME

    TASK

    PURPOSE

    NUMBER OF HOURS

    Feedback from the reporting manager of the employee is also recorded while developing an employees’s training plan. The final employee training plan is approved by the HR manager of the company. The HR manager is required to look after the needs of the employees and how the betterment of the employees is going to have a positive impact on the organisation as a whole and accordingly make changes to the training plan as & when required. A general training plan mainly includes the following :

    Example,

    For any company a general employee training plan looks something like the chart/table given below.

    Employee Training Template Example

    DATE

    TEAM

    AREA

    DESCRIPTION

    TRAINER

    STATUS

    01/09/2020

    SALES AND MARKETING

    TARGETS AND GOALS

    Training on how to reach the goal and acquire the required sales target.

    MR. XYZ

    COMPLETED

    02/09/2020

    SALES AND MARKETING

    COMMUNICATION SKILLS

    Soft-skills, interpersonal skills, negotiation skills.

    MR. ABC

    IN-PROGRESS

    03/09/2020

    HUMAN RESOURCE

    PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT REVIEW

    Advanced training on how to review employee performance and manage employee performance on certain scales.

    MR. MNO

    COMPLETED

    04/09/2020

    HUMAN RESOURCE

    PAYROLL AND INCENTIVES

    Effective use of software for payroll management.

    MR. RST

    COMPLETED

    05/09/2020

    INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

    SOFTWARE

    Introduction to new software and enhanced new technology.

    MISS. J

    IN-PROGRESS

    06/09/2020

    INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

    SOFT SKILLS

    Training on communication skills.

    MRS. T

    IN-PROGRESS

    07/09/2020

    ACCOUNTING

    SOFTWARE

    Introduction to new accounting software and it’s working.

    MISS. FGH

    IN-PROGRESS

    Be it and an on-the job training and off-the job training, the HR manager needs to look out for the fulfillment of the needs assessed in the first stages of the training process. Scheduling an employee training plan is not  just enough,  an HR manager needs to keep a track of the training program and how effectively it is working.

    MEASURING TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS

    Finally once the training process is reeling we cannot put a full stop to it without a measurement of how effectively the training process has been going. There are a lot of ways to check the level of usefulness of the training process by measuring the efficiency and effectiveness of employees individually and whether it’s having a greater impact on the organisation as a whole or not. One may resort to checking the level of productivity of the employees which could be a yardstick of measurement of the training procedure or a log record could be kept where the employees have to register about their work change and the level of their individual output after the training. As much as feedback from the HR manager is required for approval of an employee training plan,  feedback from the employees also prove to be essential.

    Conclusively, an employee training plan has to strike a balance between the management, administration and the employees of the organisation and how the needs of individual employees and of the organisation could be put down on paper as a directive plan for training the employees of the organisation, for them to prove to be a strong asset. To sum up, we can say

    TRAINING NEED =  STANDARD PERFORMANCE-ACTUAL PERFORMANCE

    and to fulfill the deducted performance amount,here comes in the need for training  which can lead to further development of the organisation providing them with a competitive advantage.

  • Recruitment – Meaning, Process, Best Practices, Types, Trends & Future

    Recruitment is an ever-necessary and extremely important process in an organisation. It serves as a pre-math for selection. Recruitment is a deciding factor on the correct candidates being actually chosen in the selection process. Hence, attracting a better pool of candidates in the recruitment process proves to be extremely beneficial.

    The process of recruitment largely varies due to the size of the organisation. A small or medium-sized firm may have only one person as a recruiter or a hiring manager. However, a larger company is most likely to have a whole dedicated team of recruiters to carry on the process effectively. A well-framed recruitment process helps both the company and the applicants. The company gets to generate a potential pool of candidates whereas the candidates get potential employment opportunities.

    MEANING OF RECRUITMENT

    Recruitment is an integral part of Human Resource Management. Recruitment is a hiring process where firstly the staffing and organizational needs of the company are identified. After that, a potential pool of candidates for the required staffing is attracted. The pool of candidates is generated by firstly identifying these candidates. These can be done by both internal and external sources. Next, the recruiter should attract these candidates to apply for the job. This can be done by extensive advertising in job sites, campus drives, reaching out to potential candidates from company database etc.

    Know more about Sources, Purpose & Importance of Recruitment here.

    TYPES OF INTERVIEWS

    The recruitment process is followed by the selection process which is then followed by an employment interview. An interview is a formal meeting with potential candidates which involves an in-depth conversation conducted to evaluate acceptability. Its popularity stems from its flexibility. Discussions are adapted to consider unskilled, skilled managerial, and operational employees.

    Based on interaction with candidates interviews may be classified into three categories :

    1. One-to-one interview :

    In this type of Interview, there are only two participants- the interviewer and interviewee.

    2. Sequential interview :

    This type of interview is a higher version of the one to one interview process and involves a series of interviews, usually utilizing the strength and knowledge base of each interviewer and they can ask questions in relation to his or her subject area to each candidate, or he/ she moves from room to room.

    3. Panel interview :

    This type of interview consists of two or more interviewers and the number may go up to as many as 15. Panel interviews are not very personal similar to one to one interviews, but if handled and organized well, it can provide a wealth of information. If not handled carefully, the panel interview can make the candidate feel ill at ease and confused about whose question to answer and who to address. Interviewers themselves are likely to experience nightmares, not knowing who will ask which question and in what order.

    4. Phone interview :

    Many organizations use this type of interview and it is considered more useful than one-to-one or panel interviews to ascertain the candidate’s sustainability. For these types of interviews unintentionally the main focus of the interviewer gets derailed from one’s appearance or handshake, the interviewer and interviewee focus on asking and answering questions. Phone interviews save time and are economical. It is widely used in IT companies while hiring technical employees.

    5. Online interview :

    Most of the organizations are dependent on computers and the internet to conduct interviews. A typical computer interview requires the candidate to answer a series of multiple-choice questions custom made for the job. These answers are compared with a benchmark score to determine the sustainability and suitability of a candidate. The computer interview can also be used to filter undesirable applicants who have applied online.

    HOW TO SET UP AN INTERVIEW :

    The selection process follows recruitment which starts with an interview. All kinds of interviews, whether structured, unstructured, mixed, behavioral, or stressful, every interview type goes through a process before implementation. From a general perspective, after the recruitment process, once a compact pool of candidates is selected, they have to go through the interview process to choose the candidate. 

    Best practices to be taken care of before setting up an interview are:-

    1. An Official Communication:

    After the recruitment process, an official formal mail is sent to the candidate for the next round for which he or she is selected.

    The mail should contain details like the candidate’s essential requirements such as their identity proof and resume. 

    The mail should clearly state the location of the interview process with an attached Google Map

           2. E-Recruitment:

    In this day and age where the pandemic has taken over the world and physical workspace has its own constraints, organizations mainly bank on the Internet and online work mode. Though e-recruitment has been a concept for years now, selecting the electronic interview is relatively a newer concept. For an electronic interview process, after the recruitment process, the organization is to send the candidate a mail about the electronic interview to be held and the email must contain the following specification:-

    a. The online platform at which the interview is to be held be it Google meets or zoom

    b. The duration of the online interview

    c. Specifying to have a steady internet connection so that there is no lag in connectivity

    d. The link for the meeting

           3. An Acknowledgment Mail:

    Be it an online interview or a physical interview, after screening candidates via interview, the organization must send a thank you letter thank you mail to the candidate for attending the interview and acknowledging it. If the candidate has been able to impress the panel members or the interviewer, they would be informed about whether they need to appear for the background check and the other selection processes.

    Recruitment - Meaning, Process, Best Practices, Types, Trends & Future

    BEST PRACTICES IN RECRUITMENT

    Needless to say, the job market is competitive. This does not only mean that the candidates find it difficult to look for their dream job. This also means that the organizations also have to put their best foot forward in order to attract and finally recruit the best possible candidate. An ill-framed recruitment policy will mean that the organizations miss out on the best fit for their current job role.

    The followings are the best practices in the recruitment procedure to ensure its success.

    1. Customized process:

      The recruitment process should be customized according to the size, structure and need of the organization. The process should be well-defined and executable. A planned process without the potential for execution will act as a barrier to the success of recruitment.

    2. Right recruiter:

      Recruitment is not just screening a resume and taking an interview. The recruitment process is detrimental to the success of the organization. Hence, having the right and a well-trained recruiter is important for the success of the process.

    3. Sales function:

      On an overall basis, the process of recruitment should be treated as a process of sales. This means that the goal of the recruitment process would be to sell the idea of the job and the current position to prospective candidates. The successful selling of the idea of the job to the right candidate will result in successful recruitment.

    4. Relationship between hiring managers and recruiters:

      The goal of the hiring managers is to fill a vacant job position with a candidate. On that account, they are likely to set very unrealistic time-frames for recruiters. This severely hampers the quality of the process. A good professional relational between the managers and the recruiters will ensure transparency. This will build a level of trust and reliance between them thereby leading to high-quality recruitment.

    5. Use social-media:

      The huge network of social media is one of the biggest opportunities that present-day recruiters should leverage. Creating a candidate pool by a social-media search, not only provides a wide array of options but also cost-effective. The online job portals and platforms like LinkedIn are filled with prospective professionals and can hugely facilitate the recruitment process. Know more about Social Media Recruiting here

    6. Candidate experience:

      Recruitment is a step-by-step process and each step is vital to the process. The candidate experience throughout each step is highly important in the recruitment process. If the candidates have a negative experience, it very likely that they will probably leave the process mid-way or spread negative word-of-mouth about the organization. Hence a positive candidate experience will make sure the organization does not let go of potential candidates, and thereby pave a way for employee referrals.

    7. Applicant tracking system (ATS):

      Finding the right candidate for the right job is the sole purpose of recruitment. Maintaining a large pool of candidates that the organization has acquired over the years is a complex and difficult task to manage. Hence employing an ATS in the recruitment process will ensure that it will match the job with the candidates registered in that system. Also, the large pool acquired over the years ensures that there is already a huge pool of potential candidates to choose from.

    TRENDS IN RECRUITMENT

    Needless to say, technology has changed the way the world is perceived. In fact, it has created an entirely new world of its own. It has made its way into various types, sizes and levels of an organisation. The recruitment industry has also seen a sweeping change due to the implementation of technology. A lot of old-school methods have been substituted and newer recruitment trends have made their way in the industry.

    The most important recruitment trends in the present are described below:

    1. Recruitment Marketing:

      This means undertaking marketing strategies but in the field of recruitment. This is done to attract the best candidates for the existing job positions as well as to build the brand image of the company.

    2. Mobile technology:

      According to a recent study, more than 60% of the candidate hunt for jobs through their phones. More than 20 percent of candidates submit their applications from their home. Hence to amplify the recruitment process, the recruiters should adapt to this change and switch to mobile communication with the candidates.

    3. Inbound recruiting:

      Inbound recruiting means the implementation of various digital marketing strategies to build strong relationships with potential candidates over time. This means attracting various active and passive candidates and thereby completing the recruitment process.

    4. E-resumes:

      Gradually as more candidates are choosing the online medium for their job applications, the recruiters should also evaluate the e-resumes. Paper resumes are an old-school method and they are now substituted by digital resumes. These include video resumes, social media profiles, digital portfolios, etc. These give a more comprehensive idea to the recruiters about the traits they are searching for and the right fit.

    5. Artificial Intelligence:

      Artificial Intelligence is responsible for automating a huge number of jobs. Even though it is not the perfect substitute for HR, but its implementation is inevitable. There are AI softwares that are used in interviews. These judge traits like nervousness and truthfulness of the employees. Know more about the AI in Recruitment here

    6. Gamification:

      Gamification is a brand new and emerging trend in the recruitment process. Here an interactive game is introduced to the candidates. These games are then plugged in with various corporate and business situations. This shows how a candidate will react under a specific situation and hence it increases the efficiency of the hiring process to a great degree.

    FUTURE OF RECRUITMENT

    The future of recruitment is now and it is here to stay. The current trends in the recruitment industry will get amplified and turn into a foundation upon which the future of recruitment rests. With the pandemic, each company is trying to manage costs as well as keep their operation intact. In a scenario like that the recruitment process has also undergone sweeping changes.

    The use of Virtual reality, video interviews, artificial intelligence are not mere try-outs. They are the necessity of every organization. These will revolutionize the recruitment industry in the next couple of years and these will become the new normal.

    Hence the current recruitment trends are extremely vital to the sustenance and success of this industry. In a situation far worse, we will find ourselves falling back on these trends and abiding by them.

    Recruitment is up for a complete revolution.

  • Digital Transformation in HR & Recruitment

    We live in the 21st century which is fondly dubbed as the era of technology and digitization. In the corporate world, companies are equipping themselves with the latest analysis models and the systems that make the workflow easier. But it is coming as a major revelation to many organizations that any corporation thrives only with a capable and quality assured workforce!

    So how to coalesce a potent workforce with digitization?

    Take for instance, the COVID-19 pandemic that the globe has been suffering through. This global chokehold has brought down business and economy for many companies across the world. They have faced recession and lack of functioning in all these months of lockdown.

    Digital Transformation in HR

    During such uncertain times, organizations have to be agile. Now more than ever, business owners need to think on their feet and change their priorities fast should the need arise. When the lockdown started, many companies had to switch to remote work overnight. And a lot of them were unprepared.

    This has accelerated the need for digital transformation.

    1. Remote Working:

      Cloud computing aggressively pushes software ‘off-premises’, and digital age also causes employees to work remotely. Mobility and partial remote work are becoming the norm for many companies around the world given the current circumstances. Employees can use various digital tools for operating and reporting. Managers no longer focus on finding an employee near the office but instead choose an employee with the necessary skills for the role.

      Internal communication has never been so fluid. Employees have many options for communication – social networks, intranets, emails, instant messaging applications, forums, VoIP and much more. Communication becomes fluid and gaps between business and clients are shortening.

    2. Performance Tracking and Analysis:

      While employees have more freedom than ever, some criticize the need for an administrator when it comes to reporting.

      For example, most HR managers will experience a digital transformation of HR and be equipped with digital tools and dashboards that measure and predict personnel activities that were previously difficult to capture. Analysis and reporting on the performance of individual employees at any level of the corporate hierarchy and their impact on the company are now undeniable. As a result, it improves interaction and relationships with human resources and management.

      There’s no doubt that digital tools have a positive impact on the optimisation of work and communication. The results include operational objectives achieved faster.

    Digital Transformation in Recruitment

    With unexpectedly shifting recruitment efforts, the talent acquisition department also increasingly feel the need for effective digital solutions to navigate their hiring in this ever-changing labor market. Organizations with advanced digital recruitment strategies have a significant advantage right now. And those without have to act fast.

    Digital transformation simplifies or eliminates administration tasks while increasing operational efficiency through the application of tech and data solutions across company departments, including hiring teams.

    Essentially, digital transformation in recruitment comprises using dedicated technology to solve diverse recruitment challenges, including fluctuating and changing hiring needs, increased volumes of candidates, inability to conduct in-person meetings and interviews, and budget cutbacks.

    Here’s how digital transformation can have a positive impact in the field of recruitment

    1. Reshuffling Workforce:

      By using digital technology, you can redeploy employees within and across your organization. The workforce could be a healthy mix of permanent & temporary staff working from across the globe. The needs of your business may have spiraled as a result of an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, you may need more staff working in your customer service team and fewer inside your physical stores. Having the right tech enables you to boost your internal mobility capabilities and move your workforce to where it’s needed most. Also, digital recruitment tools allow organizations to hire displaced employees. For example, a company needs to hire 50,000 extra workers amid the pandemic. On the other hand, hospitality businesses had to lay off some of their employees. So, the above company decided to build dedicated landing pages for former employees of large hospitality businesses them get a job at their organization faster.

      This kind of program usually gets candidates to join an online portal where they’ll undergo questionnaires and tests that measure their skills and competencies. This is then assessed, and applicants receive a breakdown of their skills, including any gaps in their knowledge and expertise that need working on. They’re then matched to any opportunities you have open that are likely to be a good fit. And the best part is, all of the test are automatically analysed to maximum precision digitally.

    2. Multiperson Collaboration:

      Hiring teams need to be able to collaborate remotely. This means having tools that enable you to assign projects and tasks to people and provide real-time updates on recruitment activities. This is where a cloud-based recruitment solution accessible to everyone on the hiring team is worth its weight in gold! Remember to consider who in your team will be using this technology. Ensure it meets everyone’s needs for a truly collaborative experience. Choose software with a straightforward layout, that’s well-reviewed, and easy for new users to pick up and run with.

    3. Using digital tools for recruitment:

      Recruiters can take full advantage of their existing recruitment tech stack.

      By exploring the functionalities of your recruitment software and putting them to good use, you’ll become a more effective and efficient recruiter. This may also give you the tools you need to cut back on agency spending and more extensive job advertising.

    4. Improving the recruiting experience for potential candidates:

      Despite having to do the majority of the recruitment process remotely, ensure that it’s still a pleasant experience. Candidates need to feel safe and have all the information available, so think of ways to improve your candidate communication plan.

      A great example of providing a decent candidate experience is if you’re conducting interviews remotely, be efficient. Keep the length of your ‘meetings’ shorter and update your interview guidelines. You can also set text reminders to send candidates the day before their interview. You could even upload company videos and virtual office tours because candidates can’t visit your site. This works wonders for helping candidates get a taste of your company culture without stepping through the office doors!

    Digital transformation does have a downside like weak networking, time zone problems for multinational companies and team collaboration and the risk of cybersecurity.

    But even these problems hold digital solutions! Nothing that can’t be sorted out by well-deployed cost-effective software.

    So what are you waiting for! Let the digital transformation revolutionize the recruitment industry!

  • Constructive Feedback – Meaning and Guide to offer

    Constructive feedback is one of the most important aspects of success in an organisation. No employee in an organisation is perfect and hence is subject to criticism. The nature of criticism is the deciding factor for improvement and continued success. Destructive feedback will most likely be unproductive as it does not focus on room for improvement as much as it focuses on complaining about the present mishap. Constructive feedback, on the other hand, acknowledges the problem, analyzes it, points the positives and figures out the room for improvement.

    Every manager in an organization should practise providing constructive criticism to its employees. It is as much a sign of good managerial qualities as it is of emotional intelligence. Feedback, dealt with inert and overt emotional intelligence will ensure that there is a continued success. This will also ensure that the morale of the employees is not crushed and they find a healthier and productive approach of correcting their errors and improving themselves.

     

    MEANING OF CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK

    However, it is clearly not as easy as it sounds. Constructive feedback literally means providing both positive and negative feedback for improvement. Feedback should always be constructive as it clubs both the positive and the negative aspects and channelises them into progress.

    As mentioned earlier, it might be a slightly complex job for managers as there is always an element of human emotions that creates a barrier. Having said that, consistent practise, experience and innate skills enable a manager to grasp the concept of constructive feedback at best and therefore execute it in the workplace.

     

    Benefits of Constructive Feedback in the workplace

    If it already isn’t obvious, constructive feedback is not only a healthy workplace practice but also extremely advantageous for productivity and overall growth. Below discussed are the most notable advantages of providing constructive feedback to the employees :

    In a study by Harvard Business School, 57 percent of employees prefer constructive feedback overpraise or criticism. This means that most employees prefer to know both their strong points as well as the points of improvement.

    1. Improves employee performance:

      As already mentioned and known, no employee is perfect. Hence they are prone to making mistakes. Constructive feedback will allow them to know their mistakes and will also provide enough motivation to act on them. Hence, this will significantly impact their performance and also help in their professional growth.

    2. Two-way benefits:

      Constructive feedback does not only help employees’ growth and performance. It, in turn, improves the productivity and work culture of the organisation. Upon helping to attain the growth to the employees, constructive criticism attains the consequent result that the organisation as a whole performs well.

    3. Ensures transparency:

      Constructive feedback ensures transparency amongst all employees as well as between all hierarchies. Feedback includes prior analysis of performance. This ensures that the top-management knows the shortcomings of its employees, the places for improvement, and also the current areas of high productivity. On the other hand, the employees also know what the management expects of them and the places where they are expected to bring change.

    4. Better team and intra-organisational performance:

      Transparency and clearly addressing the issues maintain a strong organisational fabric. This ensures that healthy interpersonal relationships exist within the organisation and its various hierarchies.

       

    How to offer Constructive Feedback?

    Constructive feedback, from its idea conception, execution and deliverance should follow a path that ensures its success. It should not only be well designed but also well-researched since it has its specific impacts that follow. Ill-designed feedback can have the possibility of demoralising the employees which may result in worsening of team relations within the organisation.

    Below discussed are some of the quintessential steps to be followed in the process:

    Preparation for giving Constructive feedback

    A manager cannot possibly show up one fine morning and decide to give constructive feedback to its employees. There has to be a preparation that leads to actual feedback.

      • Identify specific goals and objectives that the manager decides to talk about.
      • Notify the employees about a meeting on the same. This ensures less anxiety on the part of the employees. Try to have a one-on-one feedback meeting with the employees. Otherwise, some employees might feel embarrassed when their shortcomings are discussed in front of others. This will lead to a diverted focus on the embarrassment instead of the potential to improve.
      • A surprise meeting of feedback may lead to a negative element of surprise and result in a communication that is ineffective. 

    Communication guidelines

    When the preparation is done and it is time for the feedback, the managers must keep the communication sincere, clear and transparent to ensure successful constructive feedback. The following are some of the guidelines of communication that should be followed during the feedback meeting.

    • Try to have a one-on-one feedback meeting with the employees. Otherwise, some employees might feel embarrassed when their shortcomings are discussed in front of others. This will lead to a diverted focus on the embarrassment instead of the potential to improve.
    • Be direct in the conversation to make sure that the message is clear and straightforward.
    • Do not employ anger as one of the expressions while providing constructive feedback. The communication should, at all times, be calm, composed and professional.
    • Listen. Constructive feedback should also employ active listening on the part of the manager.
    • Be appreciative. Providing constructive feedback is all about pointing out the shortcomings and motivating the employee that he/she can do better and improve his/her performance. Hence, the communication should be appreciative.

     

    Feedback content

    The communication guidelines are the driving force of the actual feedback content that will be put forward in front of the employee. Having said that, it is also important to note that the content should also follow a structure as discussed below.

    1. Observations: The person giving feedback should ALWAYS communicate his observations. This can include facts, statistics, performance reviews, client reviews. But at no point should the feedback include judgemental expressions. This vilifies the entire concept of “constructive feedback”. The observations should include both positive and negative feedback. The positive ones should be about appreciation and the negative ones should be about improvement. Blatant criticism should be avoided during the feedback deliverance process.
    2. Balance: There should be a balance between both negative and positive feedback to concentrate the effects of both empty praises and severe criticisms. That is the most important element of constructive feedback.
    3. Provide examples: An important element of providing constructive criticism is to effectively communicate to the employee to facilitate positive change. For that to happen, generalisations should be avoided. The manager should provide context and examples to the employees.

    Listen

    Once you are done providing the feedback, it is extremely important to listen. Feedback without active listening is not constructive in any way. Listen and understand your employees’ take on the problem. Take notes as this will give them a feeling that their words are given importance too. Ask constructive questions like what does the employee think about the current situation, or how does he plan to change it. In short, invite discussion and make sure the employee feels a part of the discussion as much as the manager.

    Provide suggestions

    After the manager is effectively done listening to the employee, it’s time to put forward his/her suggestions. However, this is a tricky part. The suggestion that the manager makes should be devoid of any bias. Also, it should be in good accordance with what the employee has said in the last step. If the employee has mentioned any struggles, the suggestion should be in alignment with that. Otherwise, the employee is most likely to feel invalidated. Besides the suggestion should be strictly in terms of the problem that is being currently addressed. Any past issues or personal traits of the employee should not be a part of the discussion.

    Follow-up

    The last part of the constructive feedback process is taking a comprehensive follow-up after a period of time. If you see significant changes in employee behaviour and performance, it is very important to show him/her gratitude and congratulate him for the positive change. This will help boost employee morale. In case, the situation is still at a point of stagnancy, schedule another feedback session to communicate the same, with the provided guidelines.

     

    CONCLUSION

    Providing constructive feedback is one of those essential skills that every HR personnel should be welladept with. A wrong feedback model will not only affect short-term targets but also delay long-term organisation goals. In addition to that, constructive feedback followed in an organisation increases the employer brand and hence and has various positive impacts in terms of talent acquisition.

  • Leave Policy – Guide for Creation and Implementation

    Employees are the most important asset of any organization To make sure that the employees are productive and do not show high levels of absenteeism, the HR personnel has to undertake several policies. These policies are to ensure that the interests of the employees or the human capital are protected. Leave policy is 1 such important policy that has a high bearing on employee engagement and attracting talent

    The leave policy of an organization is laying down a proper guideline as to how many leaves the employees can take in a year and on what grounds. The absence of a proper leave policy only means incompetent management. This can potentially lead to the sudden absence of employees, lower productivity, and less productive hours. This can impact the overall productivity of the organization and lead to missing targets and deadlines.

    LEAVE POLICY MEANING

    Leave policy in an organization is the total number of leaves that an employee can take in a year. This also includes the types of leaves, their nature, whether they are paid or unpaid, what is the maximum duration for those leaves, etc. A leave policy includes the paid leaves, the unpaid leaves as well as the national holidays that an employee is granted. They should also include the process to be followed for taking a leave.

    The leave policy is an annual policy statement that is provided to every employee of the organization mentioning all the above-mentioned details.

    Types of leaves

    • Casual leave OR Sick Leave

      Maximum 12 casual leaves can be availed by an employee in a given year. Casual leaves are paid in nature. They cannot be clubbed with any other leave and cannot be carried forwarded to the next year. Casual leave for 1 day should be applied for a day in advance. For more than 2 days, it should be applied a week prior.

    • Earned leave OR Privelege Leave

      The application for earned leaves should be put 15 days prior. Earned leaves can be carried forwarded to the next year. However, for employees who have been in service for more than 5 years, only 45 earned leaves can be carried forwarded. To maintain the LTA, compulsory 6 earned leaves have to be taken by the employees.

    • Maternity leave

      A woman employee can take maternity leave for a paid period of 26 months. Leave during the first 7 months of pregnancy will be considered as normal leave. The employee can take maternity leave 8 weeks before the due date of delivery.

    • Paternity leave

      Every regular male employee is applicable for availing a paternity leave. The paternity leave must be taken within 15 days of childbirth. The leave has to be availed on a stretch. The leave must be applied for 15 days before the due date of delivery.

    • Unpaid leave

      Once an employee has used up his current allotted leaves, he/she can apply for leave without pay. If an unpaid leave is availed without proper permission, it will be subject to disciplinary action by the management. Three months of unpaid leave can be availed at the most.

    • Compensatory leave

      When an employee has finished a specific task of importance or has worked on a national holiday or any declared holiday, he/she will be eligible for compensatory leave. However, this leave must be availed within a month otherwise it would not be applicable anymore.

    CREATING A LEAVE POLICY

    Creating a leave policy is not only an extremely vital task in terms of the organization as well as the employees it is also complicated. An organization cannot frame an ill-designed leave policy and impose that on the employees. The policy needs to comply with all legal requirements, employee acts, and also follow best practices for employee welfare. The leave policy should be created keeping in mind diverse aspects concerning both the organization as well as its employees.

    Purpose

    While creating a leave policy, the purpose and the conditions under which leave can be taken by an employee must be mentioned. It is to be noted that an employee cannot take leave daily and whenever he/she wishes. Hence the purposes like casual leave, maternity leave, military leave, et cetera should be mentioned in the leave policy.

    Compliance

    The compliance of taking the leaves should also be mentioned. This means the duration for which a particular leave can be taken, who is the reporting authority, the process of applying for the leave, whether it is paid or unpaid should be stated in the leave policy.

    Legal guidelines

    The legal guidelines and acts should be double-checked and it should be made sure that the policy is strictly following all the legal guidelines concerning the case. It is highly suggested to employ an attorney for framing an organization’s leave policy.

    Insurance

    The employee insurance factor should also be considered to ensure that the company does not run into any trouble during the employee leaves.

    Final framing

    After all of these factors are considered and double-checked the leave policy should be finally made in writing and produced as an official statement for the employees to go over.

    As already mentioned, leave policy is an extremely vital part of any organization and hence before it is officially framed the above-mentioned factors should be

    NEED FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF A LEAVE POLICY

    The fact that a company will spend so many resources on creating and implementing a leave policy poses a very important question – WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?

    From a layman’s perspective, a leave policy is just a rule book of when and how can a person skip work. However, from an organizational and HR perspective, it has a great significance. The policy protects an organization legally. Besides, it also makes sure that an organization is never under-staffed and is ready for contingencies.

    A leave policy and its compliance makes sure that an organization at all times has a transparent of its needs and its present resources.

    1. Without a structured policy, an employee will most likely take an uninformed leave. This will impact the entire organization as there is no clear guideline about how to substitute the absent employee’s work.
    2. Leave policy improves the communication between the employer and the employee regarding the functioning of the organization and individual responsibilities.
    3. Needless to say, it fulfills the legal obligation of any organization.
    4. A proper policy prepares the organization for any kind of contingency. Also, it avoids ambiguity regarding the operations inside an organization in case any employee is absent.
    5. It provides higher flexibility in terms of the employee in case of time-off.

    COMMON GUIDELINES REGARDING A LEAVE POLICY

    Some common guidelines apply to every leave policy irrespective of the type, size, and nature of the organization. It is as described below:

    1. The annual calendar of leave starts from January and ends in December.
    2. An employee would not be applicable for an earned leave unless he/she has finished the probationary period.
    3. An employee must utilize 18 leaves in a year to maintain a work-life balance.
    4. Not more than 9 earned leaves can be carried forwarded to the next year.
    5. A leave without proper approval will be counted as unpaid leave.

    CONCLUSION

    Leave policies are not an organizational luxury, it is a necessity. For every budding as well as established HR personnel knowing the nitty-gritty of a leave-policy is a must.

    It has multi-dimensional benefits and its significance is huge.

  • Employee Induction – An HR’s Guide to Successful Employee Onboarding

    Do you remember the day, when you toddled to the doorstep of the kindergarten and was endorsed in complete vacuousness?  You feel how awkward, insecure, and bland one can experience. The same sort of feeling is felt at every new stage, new place, or with a new relationship of life. That is why a friendly and relaxing introduction or say a quick warm-up is essential. In this article, we would be discussing Employee Induction or Employee Orientation.

    Employee Induction is the initial step of anyone’s corporate life which involves a warm welcome, introduction of employees among themselves, organizing savoring food, and preparing them for their respective roles. The company’s culture, important personalities like the HR team, VPs, Directing Head, etc are introduced, along with the pathways and of the company building.

    A prosperous Employee Induction process provides a chance for the organizations to easily sell themselves to the new employees or can say a quick show-off( sometimes), and if went smooth, then can significantly increase the retention of staff, become the WOW brand, and reduces the time for a new employee to settle and feel cozy into the new working environment.

    Employee Induction is similar to an event, so simply figure out all the requirements and necessities of it, in an Employee Induction checklist

    As it would be someone’s most awaited day with spice and salt of excitement and clumsiness both, so through every way it has to be made perfect and a memorable one. So here is a list of certain points to retain while organizing one good induction program

    What to include in an Employee Induction

    1. The company ethics, culture, history, products and services, and the working culture’s essence should be themed on the first day.
    2. The significance of the job role along with the candidate’s potential should be well explained.
    3. The infrastructure of the company, a guiding map, its departments, and the other utility corners should be guided.
    4. The Employee’s future department along with his or her desk must be introduced with a broad welcoming smile.
    5. The rules and regulations, objectives, practices along with the Personnel policy should be mentioned.
    6. Working hours, vacation policies, overtime, safety measures, leisure hours, reporting format, etc should be well- explained.
    7. Social benefits, other brand associations, recreation services, and the quality and quantity of clients the company hold.
    8. Opportunities, salary hikes, promotions, transfers, suggestion schemes, and job satisfaction should be channeled there itself, with the introduction of all the major senior bosses of the company.

    Who hosts Employee Induction?

    Generally, it is done by the senior post holders of a firm, especially the HRM department, if someday they feel that it has to be done by some other team then the best responsibility taken will be the new employees superior. For example, the technical department may inform them about their desks and cabins, the operational team of the employment contracts, etc. This way can relax the new employee because they will be making a new friend, getting indulged ion the company along with participating in social connections. The hosting of the induction should not be restricted by certain parameters or a department, whomsoever wants to participate should be involved and make it a better one. They will then perhaps make it their responsibility for ensuring that the new employee integrates into the company with the best balance of everything+.

    Objectives of an Employee Induction

    See if something has to be done, then let us do it in a better way, do get associated with some of the objectives, to maintain the consistency of efforts. Some of the possible objectives might be –

      • Creating a positive atmosphere and spreading good vibes to give a comfortable environment to the newbies.
      • Addressing the entire team and giving them space to interact with their fellow mates too.
      • Increasing comfort and the feeling of belongingness, by sharing their experience of their first day.
      • Imparting vital information with them to befriend them with the corporate culture, firm’s policies and procedures, and the infrastructure.
      • Sharing the ethics and values of the organization with furthermore job-specific information.

    I do not see any harm in creating a congenial and happy environment for the future team. The freshers are onboarded and from tomorrow would be called today’s fellow team. For that, they need to undergo all the internal details of the company, its procedure, the training, seniors with a relaxed mindset. Any negligence with the thought of a denial of induction or orientation might land the company with high labor turnover, misconceptions & confusion, and costing their pockets and clock both.

    Employee Onboarding Best practices

    The below examples are some of the tried and passed tips for you to implement in your cases.

    1. Welcome them with some gifts, followed with a social gathering, and then closed with a brisk high tea or something.
    2. After the entire content delivery is over, give them a space to raise their questions and hence a chance to come in the notice.
    3. Indulge them in certain activities, so that there are certain chances for interaction among them.
    4. Being more precise about corporate planning, one might even plan a schedule for the upcoming week or the first 15 days or so.
    5. Never ever try to exaggerate anything. It will create a bad impression.

    To conclude I would like to say that, celebrating certain days is considered to be good, and starting an important phase of life with positivity will yield higher benefits. On keeping the employees happy, it will create homely behavior welcoming threaded benefits.

  • Skip-level Meetings and Why They are Important

    An organisation runs on its human resource. With high upgrades in the technological constraint and the progress of Artificial Intelligence, a large number of jobs are automated and rightly so. As per future trends, AI is likely to take over 37 per cent of the total jobs in an organisation in the next six years. In Spite of that, it’s debatable as to how effective that is and if it can completely surpass the need of the human capital. 

    Employees keep the social and the operational structure of an organisation impact and each employee has a specific role to play. Irrespective of the fact that which level of the organisational hierarchy an employee belongs to, the work and presence of every employee is detrimental to the success of the organisation.

    Now, keeping a large group of employees can never achieve organisational goals. The employees have to be met with consistent appraisals, feedback, raises, etc. This is to say that the employee has to be provided with positive reinforcements in order to boost his/her morale which in turn would lead to increased productivity and long-term retention.

    There are a number of ways by which employee morale can be boosted and not all of them are monetary measures. This is where skip-level meetings find their significance. In these kinds of meetings, employees from even the lower levels of the organisation are duly given the significance and hence inculcates a sense of importance in them. This boosts employee morale and also has a different edged advantage. Skip-level meetings also allow the upper-level management to gain information from the grass-root level of employees without any filtration from their immediate subordinates.

    Read on to find out the know-hows of Skip-level meetings.

    What does a skip-level meeting mean? 

    Skip-level meetings are meetings where the flow of information in an organisation is bypassed along the traditional hierarchy that an organisation follows. This means the top-level management, say the Vice President does not conduct a meeting with his/her immediate subordinate. Instead, the VP skips two or more levels of the hierarchy and holds a meeting with a relatively lower-level of an employee. 

    This means that upper-level management has a better and clearer insight into employee perceptions as well as the employee attitudes at the grass-root level. On an overall dimension, it increases the transparency of the entire organisation. On addition to that, it also improves effective communication between all levels which is one of the most detrimental factors to the success and productivity of an organisation.

    Why conduct skip-level meetings?

    Skip-level meetings have multi-dimensional uses and all of them advantage both the employees as well as the organisation as a whole. It is a sure-shot way to gather authentic information, boost employee morale, improve the organisational fabric as well as ensuring transparency at all levels. There are a number of reasons why HR personnel should include skip-level meetings as an important aspect of the functioning of the organisation. It is a great way to bring individual goals and organisational goals under the same roof to make sure they coexist and evoke mutual success.

    Advantages of skip-level meetings

    • Skip-level meetings ensure a high degree of transparency of information in the organisation.
    • It creates a healthier and more open environment at the workplace where even lower-level employees feel included in the operations.
    • Increased employee engagement ensures that they feel important thereby leading to a boosted morale and better productivity.
    • A universal understanding of the company’s vision, mission and priorities, both short-term and long-term.
    • Getting a clear and detailed picture of the organisation from the ground up.

    Things to keep in mind while conducting a skip-level meeting

    The primary objective of a skip-level meeting is to improve communication within the organisation, improve employee engagement as well as boost employee morale. Whereas in some cases skip-level meetings are used for different purposes like collecting information about subordinate managers, gathering their work review etc. Also, the success of a skip-level meeting is a planned procedure that should take place months before the skip-level meeting is to be held.

    Skip-level meetings are not a procedure to fish and snitch about your direct reporters. Hence the purpose, procedure and agenda of the meeting should not only be fixed but also extremely professional.


    How to conduct a skip-level meeting

    1. Proper communication should be made to the manager whose level is being skipped. The reason for the skip-level meeting, the objective, the goals and the procedure should be duly communicated. Otherwise, it might cause misperception and the subordinate manager may feel that the meeting is being held as a fishing expedition to collect his/her work review from the lower-level employees.
    2. The purpose of the skip-level meeting should be clear and distinct. The purpose should not be diluted and in no case should it be used to extract information about subordinate managers or other employees to give them reviews.
    3. Due to the gap in the hierarchy, it is highly likely that the lower-level employees would not immediately open up to the managers. Hence the extensive planning is important. 
    4. Months before the skip-level planning is going to be conducted the managers should try to gel their bonds with these employees. This can be done by striking up casual conversations in coffee breaks or talking about something trending. The primary purpose is to get the employee comfortable to speak to you and give the employee a feeling of inclusivity.
    5. It is highly recommended to inform the employees before-hand about the meeting by letting them know the details. This will give the employees some time to prepare and would also eliminate the nervousness that might otherwise have been caused by an immediate summon. 

    What you can ask in a skip-level meeting?

    To ensure the success of a skip-level meeting, the right kind of questions should be asked in order to have effective communication. The wrong questions with the wrong-follow ups may lead to a wrong impression on the employee and act as a barrier to communication. 

    Questions that can be asked during a skip-level meeting.

    1. What would help you to work better?
    2. What do you think are the current drawbacks?
    3. Who do you admire the most and love to learn from?
    4. What are your insights about the new initiative?
    5. What would you like to change about the company?
    6. Which aspects do you think are being neglected by the management?

    Try to ask questions like “why” and “how” after their answers to get a deeper and better understanding of what the employees mean. Also, make it a point to take notes while the employees are answering. This will give the employee a feeling that their words are being considered and given importance to.

    Summing it up

    Do skip-level meetings take a lot of time?
    Yes.
    Does it require extensive planning?

    Yes.
    Does it help the organisation in all dimensions?

    Also yes.

    It may seem like a time-consuming affair to conduct skip-level meetings but in reality, it does the organisation more good than harm. The results it yields come in handy for any modern organisation to properly function.

    Hence, skip-level meetings should be conducted on a consistent basis to harness its full potential for organisational growth. 

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