In this overly competitive world, where every day is a race against time, finding a job has become a whole lot tougher. Having the right kind of guidance and support during job search can be beneficial, and it also guides the candidate to go in the right direction. Employers use recruitment agencies to help them in hiring a potential candidate for any specific job opening. So, being in touch with recruitment agencies can help the candidate and the firm connect and understand each other’s needs and requirements and be beneficial for both of them.

What is a recruitment agency?

So, let us start with understanding what exactly a recruitment agency is? Do not confuse between a recruitment agency and an employment agency! This is a common mistake done by many potential job seekers. Though they are almost the same thing, recruitment agencies serve the employers while employment agencies help the job seekers. Firms generally hire recruitment agencies to help them identify the potential candidates for a job vacancy and thus ensure that there is a perfect fit between the candidate, the job role and the firm. They directly work in the interest of the companies to offer the best candidates for their job openings.

A recruitment agency will always be on the lookout for suitable candidates. Their main line of work after getting an intimation from the company that it is looking for a candidate includes optimizing the CVs of all the candidates enrolled with them and then shortlisting the best CVs according to the role. After shortlisting the candidates, they provide a comprehensive guide on how to prepare for the process and thus ace it. The primary role of recruitment agencies is to make the entire hiring process a streamlined one and thus providing the perfect candidate to the firm for an opening.

What are some of the different kinds of job positions that can be filled by recruitment agencies?

There are different kinds of job positions that a company might open, and so different kinds of candidates are required for those kinds of roles. So, some of the major types of jobs that a recruitment agency can help fill are:

• Temporary: Here, the project has a specific starting date, and end date and the candidate is hired only for a specific assignment and not as a permanent hire. Some job roles that fall in temporary hire are labour workers in warehouses, manufacturing plants etc.

• Temp to hire: Here, the candidates are generally hired by the firm as a temporary hire, but after the employer gauges the abilities of the employee, they can make the employee permanent. The most common type of job position filled by the recruitment agencies which includes the work of a sales representative, delivery persons, operators etc.

• Direct Hire: Here, the recruitment agencies act as the recruiter for the firm and hire permanent, full-time employees for the organization, thereby saving the firm’s cost and labour. Any job roles of the permanent kind are included in this category.

How do recruitment agencies work?

Hiring any candidate is a tiresome job that includes a huge amount of hard work and labour, and market scouting. Recruitment agencies exist to ease this load off the firms. There may exist many specialized recruitment agencies, but their core working process remains the same.

1. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
2. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
3. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
4. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
5. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
6. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.
7. The first and foremost step includes getting an intimation from various firms that they have a job opening and are looking to hire from outside to fill up that position.

Why should employers use a recruitment agency for their hiring process?

A recruitment agency provides lots of benefits to the employer as well as the employee. So, some of its benefits are:

• Top-quality candidates: Hiring candidates through recruitment agencies will always give access to high-quality candidates as they are highly scrutinized, interviewed and polished by the recruitment agencies before they are sent to the companies for hiring. The candidates are also the right fit for the role, so the process of hiring also becomes easier.

• Client-focused approach: Many recruitment agencies have a policy that if the firm hires no candidate, then they charge no money from the employer. So, they focus on doing their job to the best of their abilities to provide the firm with the kind of candidate that they are looking for.

• Universal reach: Not all job seekers are enrolled within any recruitment agencies. So, connecting with those candidates, optimizing their CVs and gauging their abilities is something that recruitment agencies are good at, and thus they have a universal reach for all the clients.

• Market knowledge: Being in this field day in and day out makes the recruitment agencies quite adept with all the current market trends and demands! So, they can provide insights and knowledge regarding the particular sector to both the employers and employees.

• Speedy hiring:  A recruitment agency with its database of potential candidates and their network speed up the recruitment process. They serve as the middleman between the company and the candidate and thus reduce the time required for the hiring process.

• Specialist recruitment knowledge: Many firms specialize in hiring candidates for a particular job role or sector. Thus, these agencies can help provide knowledge regarding the recruitment process to the company that they may lack.

• Best at their jobs: The best reason to hire a recruitment agency is that they are best at their jobs and this is what they do! They fill the gap between the people looking for a good hire and the people wanting a job. So, it is best to leave the job to someone who knows what they are doing.

Recruitment agencies have huge benefits. They close the gap between the job seekers and the companies, thereby aiding them both. Connecting with the recruitment agencies can help reduce efforts, time and can reap great outcomes. So, yes, recruitment agencies do work, and they work better than the hiring process carried out by the firms themselves. So, if you are a firm on the lookout for a new hire or a job seeker on the job hunt, connect with a recruitment agency today!

An age-long debate as to which is better? A specialist -who is the master of a particular field or a generalist who is the jack of all trades but master of none! Though each has its advantages and disadvantages and can be pitted against one another, choosing one also depends on job role and requirement. Hiring the right talent is of utmost importance for a company so that they can not only address the tasks provided to them but can also overcome challenges and perform better. So, which profile is better in today’s competitive, dynamic and interconnected world? Let us have a look.

What is a generalist?

A generalist has a broad range of skill sets and is not confined to the walls of some specific knowledge. They can analyse things from a broader perspective and can look at things from various angles that a specialist cannot do. Generalist is someone who has a little knowledge about all the domains and might help you provide a balanced opinion on the issue at hand. Generalists can multitask and also work cross-functional.

What are the pros and cons of a generalist?

A generalist also has many pros and cons attributed to it. From having little idea in all domains to having no in-depth knowledge about any particular thing, a generalist harbours all these qualities.

So, some of the strengths of a generalist are:

• Multitasker: Having a wide range of skills, a generalist can quickly put them to use and work on multiple things simultaneously. Navigating through a list of different tasks efficiently is a generalist’s forte, and this skill comes in handy in sticky situations.

• An easy set of transferable skills: Since generalists do not have subject matter expertise on any one subject, their skills can be easily transferred to different domains and can work on diverse projects very quickly. This is the reason they are very well suited for leadership roles.

• Navigate through uncertain situations: With the skill to face varied challenges at different times, a generalist remains calm in the face of uncertainty and can deliver efficient results when faced with one. Thus, they remain productive and can motivate other employees to follow suit.

• Solve a broad range of issues and offers flexibility: The ability to work with different domains as and when required makes a generalist flexible. Knowing all the domains gives them the ability to solve a vast range of issues.

• Provide alternate solutions: In a client-facing role, they can easily modify solutions based on the client’s needs and demands and provide solutions from different perspectives.

Some of the weaknesses of a generalist are:

• Which is the key skill: Since generalists have so much knowledge to dabble with, they often lack having a key area of expertise. When the company isn’t sure about a generalist’s key potential, it becomes tricky to promote them to leadership roles.

• Short-term skillset: Not having in-depth knowledge about any particular domain, no need arises for them to remain updated with the current trends. Thus, they possess a short term skill set that often becomes outdated.

• Longer training times: They are easily flexible, but if a project requires them to have detailed knowledge regarding a particular domain, they take longer training sessions to deliver the detailed kind of work required.

• Risk of losing a job: Hiring a short-term specialist rather than keeping a generalist for a more extended period seems like a viable idea from the firm’s point of view. Thus, generalists suffer from the risk of losing their jobs.

What is a specialist?

On the flip side of the coin lies the specialists. As the name suggests, they are the subject matter experts in their chosen fields. Having in-depth knowledge in a particular area is a specialist’s forte and with the trend increasing towards companies becoming more specialists, hiring a specialist seems like a better deal. In simple words, a specialist is a person who hones a particular skill and is superb at it. They focus all their energy on developing that special skill and be updated with the trends and happenings in that specific domain.

What are the pros and cons of a specialist?

Becoming the subject matter expert also comes with its own sets of advantages and disadvantages.

So, some of the pros to being a specialist are:

• Expertise in a particular domain: Specialists may not have a range of skill set, but they specialise in one set, and they are the best at it. They are much better equipped to provide a sound solution for any issue in their area of expertise and easily handle challenges thrown at them.

• Streamline work processes: Along with the knowledge, specialists also have a huge amount of experience of doing the same work again and again, and thus they tend to make lesser mistakes, work more efficiently and streamline their entire work process.

• Higher salary and more dependency: Since specialist’s roles are clearly defined, firms generally have a smaller number of specialists on board, and thus they tend to charge more for the kind of work they provide, and thus the entire firm depends on them to perform all those specialised work in their particular field.

• Solves high-level issues: Generalists can only solve small problems of every domain, but to provide a solution for some high-level issues, it’s a specialist’s job. They are much better at providing such solutions based on their expertise.

Specialists are also prone to cons. They are:

• Limited abilities: If any other work apart from their skill set is provided to them, it can be a huge challenge. They are generally hired for a particular set of tasks, and anything other than that can be a burden to them and the company.

• Not suited for multitasking: Asking a specialist to move in between projects simultaneously, which does not fall under his/her area of expertise is a big NO. Thus, they lack a very important quality of multitasking and thus cross-domain functioning.

• Not easily adaptive to changing situations: Being set in their ways of working and approaching problems, a specialist often finds it difficult to adapt to changes. So, this is a drawback of working with specialists.

• Risk of non-cordial relationships with the workforce: Specialists are generally unable to answer questions outside their purview of knowledge, which can irritate their co-workers. They may come off as having very limited knowledge and not being able to get much on the table.

So, whom to choose?

No firm can thrive only with a workforce of either generalists or specialists. The correct answer to this question is an optimum mix of both in the workforce, which will help to facilitate a diverse range of tasks. Choosing one and rejecting the other is highly dependent on the task at hand and the kind of skills required to get the work done. Seeing today’s competitive world, a hybrid model must be followed where people who are inclined to be both must be hired and given a chance as these people will have knowledge regarding many domains and can provide the expertise of a specialist too.

“Global mobility”, as the word suggests, means the movement of employees of any firm anywhere around the world, physically. Current times are the time of globalization. Whether big or small, all companies are expanding in all directions so that they can also test international waters and reap its benefits. When the world is becoming more and more connected with each passing day, global mobility is not just a strategy but also a way of survival and thriving for companies. It has its advantages, challenges and benefits, as it has now become a way of living for firms.

What is global mobility?

Global mobility is the ability of any firm’s workforce to work easily while going from one country to another and delivering and thereby succeeding in professional and personal lives. A fairly recent strategy, which all the companies have not completely adopted, but if successfully implemented, can open doors for unlimited opportunities for the firms. For companies to have a global workforce, they can have employees who live permanently in another country, frequently travel to different companies or have short-term and long-term contracts with companies. Asking an employee to move to an international location for a project also comes under global mobility. Moving an employee to a foreign location is a big challenge, but companies have to ensure that the process is smooth flow.

What are some of the factors that the company needs to consider for the preparation of its global mobility strategy?

Shifting employees to a foreign jurisdiction is never an easy task, so there are certain critical factors that the company must look into before venturing into a global mobility strategy. They are:

• Immigration details that include work permits, visas, residence permits and many more

• International HR can help the employees with processes like onboarding, grievances, appraisals, everyday issues

• Relocation matters, which include residence and schooling options for the employee’s kids

• Income tax laws and social security obligations both of the home location and host location, which is of utmost importance

• Employment laws of the host country, which includes contracts, projects, assignment letters

• Payroll matters like payment structure, the currency of payment, tax structure, location of payroll and many more

• Benefits and pension communication between the company and the employee

• Teaching about the culture of the host country so that the employee becomes familiar with the local business practices

What are the advantages of a global mobility strategy for your firm?

Since global mobility is a strategy that is widely adopted by many firms in current times, it surely has a lot of advantages. Some of them are:

• Employee development: By opening the doors of the firm for employees to foreign lands, the firm provides an opportunity to the employees to enhance their skills and experience working in foreign lands, which proves beneficial both for the company and the employee.

• Increased employee engagement and productivity: With most employees feeling that a chance to move abroad is a reward provided to them for their hard work, global mobility increases employee engagement in the company’s matter which directly increases their productivity.

• Enhanced employee retention: Global mobility is seen to directly correlate with the employee retention rates of a firm. As global mobility is an investment that a firm does on its employee, the employee feels that the management is looking into the internal talent pool to fill up the key positions. Thus they see a bright future in the firm.

• Speedy entry into new markets: In today’s competitive landscape, entering into new markets before competition makes a foothold there. The gathering of data and exploiting new opportunities as soon as they arise are critical factors for survival, and global mobility helps in just that.

• Cost-cutting: Proper planning of the global mobility strategy can help the firm save a huge amount of costs from saving on tax compliances worldwide to relocation savings.

• Global talent management: A global mobility strategy helps the firm provide proper exposure to top talents to help them develop their skills to serve the company long-term.

• Valuable data exchange: Obtaining correct data from various sources, analyzing them and then using it to the best of the company’s abilities is one of the most important benefits of a global mobility program.

What are some of the challenges that a firm faces while effectively managing a global mobility strategy?

Although a global mobility strategy is important, it comes with its own set of challenges too. Some of these are:

• Expectation mismatch: Most employees expect to move to high-end countries and expect a lavish lifestyle once they shift there, but none is willing to move to small cities. So, there is a mismatch between the company’s needs and the employee’s expectations.

• Leave management: With employees all over the world, providing leaves according to local holidays and regulations is a tiresome job. This causes mismanagement, and consistency is required to make every employee at ease.

• Flexibility vs work done: Owing to foreign regulations and conditions, mobile workers need flexibility but beware, this flexibility must not ruin their zeal to work and increase the cost of expatriation to the company.

• Diversity: Having a diverse background may not be a good sign everywhere. Not every place is tolerant of people of all kinds of ethnicity, gender, nationality and sexuality. So, this can be a challenge in having a mobile workforce.

• Bureaucracy: Dealing with all the paperwork, privacy laws, security issues, cost overruns and many more.

How can a firm effectively manage global mobility?

Global mobility can be a pain for companies, so some of the ways which can ensure an effective mobility strategy are:

• Strategic choice of employees: Selecting the employee who has assumed leadership roles in the past, the experience and professional maturity of the employee should be the criteria to choose people for mobility programs.

• Clear communication: For a mobility strategy to work, there must be clear communication between the employee and the HR handling the entire process so that they both are on the same page and thus least amount of fall out occurs.

• Flexibility: To make the most out of the international stint of the mobile employee, the company must remain flexible and adapt to certain needs of the employee.

• Streamlining the entire process: A clear plan detailing the important tasks to be done when an employee goes abroad can help save a lot of money and must be planned.

Global mobility is difficult, but it is the need of the hour if the company wants to be on top of its game. Having huge benefits, the mobile workforce is the call of the future, and thus good planning must be done to incorporate it into the firm’s strategy.

Salary, Remuneration, Compensation, etc. is the only thing that brings a huge smile on the face after a month-long of hard toil. Deciding upon an appropriate salary is an art of negotiation between the employer and the employee that has to be done tactfully from both sides. Salary negotiation is the most awaited phase of the employment process and it generally arises in 2 important stages. One during the hiring stint, which decides the first salary structure of the new joinee and the next comes at intervals many times during the employee’s appraisal stage when the salary needs to be revised and accommodations need to be done to pay the employee based on his/her hard work. There are certain tips that HR needs to keep in mind while going through a salary negotiation process.

What is salary negotiation?

A job offer comes with a predefined salary package. Not everyone might be satisfied with the kind of pay offered to them. So, talking with the recruiting partner (generally the HR), to adjust the salary offered based on their skill set, capabilities, needs and expectations are called salary negotiation. The window for salary negotiation is between the time the job is offered to the time the candidate accepts the job and after a successful salary negotiation, which is a process where none of the negotiators should feel that they are devalued, the firm feels excited to welcome the candidate to their family.

What are some of the strategies that HRs can use to successfully negotiate salary during the hiring process?

The most critical negotiation step comes during the hiring process when the candidate is a new joinee and is just about to join the firm. The HR must have a carefully worded negotiation process which must include the following strategies to have a successful negotiation:

• Have salary ranges for different job roles: A firm comprises different jobs which are of different importance and criticality. So, having salary ranges according to the job levels which is verified according to the industry standards and publishing it beforehand, will provide a lower band and a ceiling for the joinee to negotiate salary.
• Be clear with the candidate from the beginning: The best way to successfully handle a salary negotiation is by being clear from the start and do that the first question that the HR should ask is what is that the candidate desires in a compensation package and then the HR can use this to successfully culminate a negotiation.
• Additional monetary benefits: Try to create a compelling offer by adding additional components as joining bonus, performance pay, stock-based compensation. Adding these to the salary structure leaves less space for negotiation by the employee.
• Understand the person’s needs and add non-monetary benefits: Not every candidate might run after huge salary figures. Having a fair idea about the compensation structure that the candidate has in mind and thus creating a structure that includes health insurance, travel benefits and many more, is a suitable strategy to negotiate salary in terms of both monetary and non-monetary benefits.

What are some of the salary negotiation considerations that the HRs should keep in mind during hiring?

Some of the considerations that the HRs must keep in mind are:

• What is the job level that is being offered to the applicant?
• Economic conditions affecting the industry
• Economic conditions affecting the job market
• Salary levels as compared to market average
• Skillset offered by the applicant
• Importance of the role offered
• Scarcity of the skills offered by the applicant
• Appraisal and promotion practices in your company

How can HR negotiate salary during the appraisal process?

The appraisal is that time of the year where employees wait a year long to have a conversation with HR about their work and how the company plans on rewarding them in return for their hard work. It also includes feedback to the employees on how they can improve and thus provide maximum returns to the company. So, during this process, many employees expect that they might be receiving salary hikes and thus round 2 of the negotiation process begins. These are some ways how the HR can deal with this:

• Have a discussion: Discuss the situation at hand, try to reach a solution calmly rather than turning it into an argument.
• Provide an appraised structure based on research: Taking into consideration the employee’s performance and the prevalent market standards, provide an appraised salary structure.
• Pay may be slightly higher for retaining employees: A tactic to retain top performers is by paying them slightly higher than the market average which in turn will be advantageous for the firm in the long run.
• Provide additional perks rather than monetary ones: Providing certain extra benefits like increased leaves and others may help in concluding the salary negotiation process.

What are some of the salary negotiation considerations that the HRs should keep in mind during the appraisal process?

Some of the considerations to be kept in mind during the appraisal process are:

• How well is the candidate paid before the appraisal
• Considerations of other factors like cost of living of the place
• Company’s budget for a pay rise
• Prevalent rate of inflation
• Company’s previous trends of salary appraisals
• Company’s performance in the previous fiscal year
• How many extra responsibilities to be transferred to the employee
• The employee’s performance in the past year and how much of a valuable asset he/she is to the firm

What are some of the tips that HR must have in mind before going for a salary negotiation process?

Salary negotiation can be a daunting task both for the employer and the employee. Making it a fair process so that both sides feel that they reached a common conclusion is a must. So, some of the tips for HR to follow before going for salary negotiation are:

• A mutual decision has to be reached; it is not about winning.
• Have correct information regarding the previous salary structure received by the applicant in his/her previous firm.
• Have defined ranges, only between which salary negotiations can take place.
• Apart from the monetary part of the compensation structure, there are limits on the non-monetary aspects too.
• Do not go overboard, even to accommodate a skilled candidate.
• If the salary is non-negotiable, make it clear to the candidate while making the job offer.

There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of HR while undergoing the negotiation process. The entire future of the firm along with the cost structure of the firm can change if HR makes one wrong decision. So, a lot is at stake for the firm. So, a calm and sensible salary negotiation will ensure that the company does not lose a valuable, superior candidate.

Every company operates intending to grow into something huge one day. Thus, expansion of the workforce is the direct result of it. Inclusion of diversity has become the fundamental goals of almost all firms, and they tend to work towards it diligently. Global expansion is the solution but implementing it has its hurdles. Having a global workforce is beneficial in many aspects, but it requires an HR strategy that must be suited globally which includes immigration policies, why people used to migrate to different cities, global mobility rules, managing worldwide talent and how to make an inclusive strategy. In this competitive world, every company requires a talented workforce to help them achieve their long-term goal. Winning this global talent war is an additional task that the company needs to do to retain the top talent and build a strong workforce.

What is a global workforce?

Hiring a global workforce or global talent is the need of the hour. Hiring people from all around the world is called a global workforce. Hiring people internationally increases the possibility of attracting and retaining the best quality talent from around the globe and thus increases the company’s shot at maintaining diversity. Shortage of skills in specific areas can also turn you to hire globally where there are plenty of skills available.

What is the need for a global workforce?

Having a global workforce, expanding internationally comes with many benefits. Let’s take a look at them:

• The most important benefit is that it helps strengthen the diversity factor in firms and thus opens doors for alternate ways of thinking.

• New hires from different parts of the world bring in expertise and learnings of different locations and thus provide valuable insights regarding operations in different parts of the world.

• Global hires provide a new way to enter potential new markets and thus take on the first-mover advantage.

• Helps to understand the local customs and business practices that aid in capturing the market.

• Helps in diversifying the company’s markets into untapped areas, thereby securing revenue stability in case anyone particular sector experiences some downturn.

• It also helps the company increase its brand value, thereby having the prestige of calling itself an international company. Thus, it helps in improving the reputation of the company.

What is global mobility?

In earlier times, people used to migrate from rural areas to urban areas in need of work. As the rural areas lacked opportunities and exposure, people from all age groups used to move to urban areas in search of jobs so that they could help their families better. Industrialization in the early 19th century opened up gates with varied job opportunities and in need of a massive amount of workforce. Many people used to toggle between rural and urban landscapes to support their families as well as fulfil the needs of their job roles. In today’s times, people shifting from their country of residence to other countries for work requirements is called global mobility.  

In today’s scenario, companies need to send their talents to different parts of the world to look over their business. Workforces cannot just work from the confinements of their own country. They need to have global exposure to understand the different aspects of their work and thus learn and grow. This is called global mobility. Handling international expatriates is a mighty task, and clear HR strategies must be in place to help them smoothly through the process. Preparing the workforce for a mobile future is a demanding task that every company needs to fulfil by preparing policies, having a clear strategy and having immigration policies in place.

What is workplace immigration?

Hiring a global workforce implies that talents don’t have borders. To hire international talent, employers must have an electronic, national and an integrated employee eligibility verification system. People working in different countries other than their country of nationality are called immigrants, and the process of going from one country to another for work is called workplace immigration. HRs must keep a documented record for employee’s immigration, and HR acts as the facilitator too.

No individual who is not legally permitted to work in the U.S. can take any job there. Employment and immigration rules in the U.S. are too strict, and thus companies have to be vigilant in hiring U.S. candidates for work or for sending their workforce to the U.S. Immigrant workers are provided with several protections as illegal discrimination against immigrants is on a rampant rise in today’s world. So, they need to be protected under the law.  

What are certain things that employers must know about workplace immigration?

There are specific facts that employers must know to help them formulate good global workforce strategy and immigration laws. Some of these are:

• The most commonly used employee-based immigration visa is the H-1B – The H-1B visa is the work permit that allows all foreign people to go to the U.S. and thus have employment with American companies. The foreign national should work in speciality fields where a U.S. based worker is not to be found. The visa is sponsored by the employer and is valid for 3 years, which can be extended.

• Applying for visas are costly – Applying for visas are expensive and are generally borne by the company. That is the reason hiring a global worker is a matter of long-term strategy for the firm. Careful consideration and planning must be in place before hiring international people as it is a costly affair. One wrong decision and the company can lose millions.

• The government puts a cap on the number of approved H-1B visas per year- The Government approves only 65000 H-1B visas every year. Due to the ongoing war for talent acquisition, the government receives much more H-1B visas than it can approve, and thus the visas are distributed by lottery systems.  

• In times of a good economy, the U.S. has more job openings than the unemployed people there – the U.S. has a vast labour force, but it is not more than the number of openings in the U.S. So, hiring globally can help bridge this demand-supply gap.

• The workplace immigration process is time-consuming – Lengthy timings, the complexity of visa paperwork and the uncertainty of visa approval are some of the challenges in hiring a global workforce. Most of the HRs find this to be too lengthy but also worth their efforts.

The global workforce is the need of every firm to help their organization in reaching the pinnacles of success that they have aimed for. A strategic decision by choice is also a fruitful one. Hiring and retaining the correct talent is the aim of all organizations and is the need of the hour to stay ahead in the competition.

 Corporate and networking go hand in hand. One cannot go without the other. The more one networks, the bigger is that person’s corporate circle is. And you know who is called the people’s person in the corporate world? Oh, Yes! You guessed it correctly. It is the HR! The person who works acts as the bridge between you and management, the person who is always there to listen to your woes, the person who takes care of any employee-related issue, that person is at the apostle of networking and must use their skills to network with other HRs of different companies too.

What is the importance of networking for HRs?

Getting involved in networking with other HRs is a great way to keep up with recent trends, new opportunities, share and learn best practices with your fellow HR members. Networking into your HR fraternity can help tap into some specialized skill set, gather market data, plan for new strategic alliances for the organization and also help to pursue new business leads. HR networking is an important weapon under the skill set of HRs, and its importance can be measured by the following factors:

• Network with people who will help you to fulfil your purpose, whatever the purpose may be, which is a long-term strategy in the sense that they become your allies for a longer period and can help you later too

• Evolving with times is the need of the hour, so making strong connections digitally is equally important as making connections in person

• It helps in the scouting of potential clients as well as employees for the organization who can be hired as soon as an opportunity turns up

• It also helps in maximizing the firm’s potential

• A good network helps in building the firm’s reputation and also gather advocates for the organization’s credibility  

What are some of the ways HRs can use to network?

Branching out to people is always a good idea, which is the basis of networking every

HR must follow. Some of the ways HR can use to network with each other are:

• Participate in #Twitter chats

Twitter has become a top-rated tool where all HR professionals from around the world gather and share their experiences and thoughts. This widespread practice has also given rise to Twitter chats and hashtags like #HRhour. This includes some questions based on new topics each week, and people can use their platform to share insights and gain knowledge. Joining these groups and participating so that people notice you are a great way of increasing the network.

• Become a part of various LinkedIn groups

As everyone knows, LinkedIn is the largest networking website in today’s world. Millions of people use LinkedIn every day to expand their contact list and use it to get to know more people. Similarly, HRs can also become part of various HYR groups that are there on LinkedIn and can use it to interact and understand other people of their fraternity. Here, people can chat one-on-one, communicate in groups, share their ideas, have healthy debates and can keep up-to-date with new happenings in the HR world.

• Visiting various HR Conferences

What better way than meeting fellow HR professionals in a conference which is organized just for HR people? It is like an ocean that needs to be explored to satisfy the hunger of networking with fellow mates. There are many specially organized conferences, especially for this purpose. For an extroverted HR, this is the kind of place that he/she will love and will love to exercise the opportunity of meeting so many new people all under one roof! Not only for mingling, but these conferences are also generally organized to make all the top-level HRs aware of the recent developments in the HR universe and how they can be exploited to bring accolades to their firms. Some of the well-known conferences that are organized every year are HR Summit and Expo, Dubai, FAHR conference, Dubai, ATD Conference and Exhibition, Dubai and many more.

• Become part of other HR dedicated events

There are many small events organized for a smaller group of HR people where networking can be a bit easier. Events like workshops that are focused on a specific topic lasting only for a few hours may help provide a cosy environment for striking up conversations and socializing with your fellow mates. The perfect location to build up your network where some part of the day is used up for the event and the other half for forming new connections.

• Networking through professional courses

There are many courses that HR needs to equip themselves with to face the daily changes. So, while doing the study, healthy discussions, group tasks, query resolving are great ways of forming bonds and getting to know fellow HR individuals. Bonds generally formed outside the corporate structure tend to have a familial touch to it and thus tend to last longer. So, a great place to start the networking game.

Networking is the bread and butter of corporate life. Acing this skill will help you go a long way and will help in making your corporate journey a smooth ride. Everyone must hone this skill. HRs must take this very seriously as some future decisions of the firm might also rely on this networking skill. So, what other ways can you think of that HRs can use to broaden their network?

Good employees form the backbone of any firm. They form the building blocks upon which a successful organization stands. Employees can make or break any organization. So, good hires, identification of great talent, nurturing them, giving them a chance to grow and thus retaining them is crucial for any firm. In this overly competitive environment, where no one leaves any stone unturned to help their organization achieve their business goals and reach the pinnacles of success by poaching good employees, retention of top talent within any firm is of fundamental importance.

A great retention strategy is an ongoing process that starts from the moment a candidate is recruited. From hiring the right person with the right amount of skill set, aligning the company’s vision, mission and goals with the person’s ideology, guiding him/her the correct way from the beginning along with perks and benefits, providing opportunities along its way, valuing the candidate and making him/her the integral part of the firm are some things that constitute a good retention strategy.

 What are some of the ways to retain top performers?

Some of the ways that can be used for retaining top performers in a firm are:

• Recognize the employee’s worth and its value to the company: Top performers in any field want to be recognized and appreciated for their hard work and their contributions to the task-at-hand. Few words of encouragement can work miracles for them and thus give them the boost to put in their 200% in the next project. They appreciate that their hard work is valued and is not going unnoticed. Continuous praise will increase their productivity and return.

• Providing honest reviews, constructive criticism to the employee: A great talent will not just want appreciation, but will also be willing to learn whenever mistakes occur. So, providing honest reviews not only gives them a clear idea about their positioning but also provides them with the areas where they can improve to top their games. It will help them to see this feedback as a growth opportunity where they can improve.

• Providing the employee clear guidance and path for career progression: Guiding the employee from the beginning, allowing and encouraging him/her to learn new skills, to keep up-to-date with new trends, providing a clear guide as to how their career can progress in the organization in the future can help in employee retention.

• Taking care of the employee’s happiness and well-being: A happy employee will work wholeheartedly for the company and provide maximum positive returns. An employee who is satisfied with the work culture is more likely to stay in the company longer. So, providing a good work culture, taking care of your employee’s happiness is something that can provide much information regarding an employee.

• Allow the employees to participate, seek their inputs and allow them to share their ideas: An employee knows that he/she is considered important when they are allowed to share their ideas, their opinions are asked. It makes them feel included and they think that they are also an important part of the firm and will provide great, fresh ideas.

• Employee’s growth is of paramount importance and thus investing in their growth is necessary: Top-performing individuals are driven by their desire to grow be it personally or professionally and they like to flourish in an environment that helps them to do so. So, creating opportunities for their growth and allowing them to embark on such journeys helps in the retention of top performers.

• Provide them with new responsibilities and help them grow their skill set in all horizons: Giving a new set of responsibilities to any candidate is an indication that the person is ready to take on a new mantle and has the abilities to ace them. When provided with new responsibilities, the candidate also feels motivated seeing that the organization has trust in his abilities and is trusting him/her with new projects. Allow them to mentor new candidates which also serves as a test for them as to how they are as team leaders. This provides them with a feeling of accomplishment and thus motivated them for a positive career progression with the company.

• Allow for flexibility: A rigid working schedule is mandatory for a workplace, but some kind of flexibility like flexible working hours, mobility, remote working options and many more, needs to be there in case of emergencies. Anyone will appreciate an environment where needs are understood and cared for. Nowadays, most of the workplaces are adapting to flexible working hours, which the employees love and they are likely to stick around longer in firms that provide them what their heart desires.

• Give the top performers the liberty to function on their own, treat them as fellow partners: No one likes to be micromanaged. Give the employees the freedom to do things their way, have faith in their abilities, treat them as important personas and trust them. Retaining top-level candidates means the company wants them to promote to positions of power one day, give them the freedom to deliver what you expect from them.

• Provide the right kind of benefits, perks and monetary motivation, i.e.; reward them: Benefits and perks go a long way in keeping the employees happy and motivated. Attractive healthcare packages, paid leaves, flexible working hours, higher packages, vacations, attractive bonuses are some of the options to keep the employees interested in the long haul. Nowadays, providing various kinds of stock options to the employees are also favoured, which makes the employees part-owner of the company. Providing continuous appraisals, based on the work done by the employees also serves as a great motivator.

• Communication is the key to healthy and long-term relationships: Open and transparent communication is the bedrock for fostering good relationships with your employees. Encouraging an open atmosphere where all the employees can speak, share ideas, communicate freely, have a fun environment with light banter and transparent goals, makes an ideal atmosphere for retaining top talent.

Retention of top performers is important for an organization to achieve its business goals and thus it is a long-term strategy. Good workplace culture tops the strategic checkpoints for retention of employees. A good workplace breeds good employees who are more productive. So, in this competitive landscape where retaining a good workforce is a growing challenge, firms must carry out regular methods to retain them and thereby think about their long-term goals. There goes a debate which says, offering cash benefits is not a very effective way to retain top performers, what are your views on this?

A clear pay structure is one of the first important things that any company should have on its to-do list, which requires a lot of scouting and analysing. Proper market research on the different kinds of job roles, the kind of responsibilities that it entails, required skills of the employees helps in creating a pay structure template. A good remuneration plays a central role in employee satisfaction, which can be enhanced by providing them benefits of various kinds, which is a very tough goal. Post-retirement benefits in the form of EPF are included in every company’s payment structure which is mandated. ESI works to provide health insurance benefits for the employees, but it suffers from its own limitations. Let us have an elaborate look at these topics.

What are some of the steps that the company must go through to develop a pay structure?

• Establishing value for each job position: Through market research of competitive firms, what other firms are paying for similar job roles, establish a value for each job role in your company by benchmarking other similar jobs and analysing their data.

• Measuring the market position of the company: Comparing the company’s salary level with the average of the market’s pay level to understand some of the basic questions in terms of affordability, attracting and retaining of employees.

• Have a clear budget for the salary payout: A defined budget is a very critical step that every company must have from the very beginning. Internal budget constraints and external market factors will pose as opposing forces in reaching a satisfactory pay structure.

• Define compensable leverage for the employees: This is the increase in salary rate when the employees are promoted compared to the market rates of promotion in similar positions.

• Start allocating and final adjustments: A series of hit and trial methods to reach the appropriate salary ranges for different job profiles based on the market data collected and analysed to reach a final pay structure.

• Management approval and Communicate: After getting the management’s final approval for the salary ranges of different profiles, the pay structure is then communicated to all the staff.

What are the different kinds of pay structures?

• Individual pay rates/ranges: The most common form of pay structure, where the employees are told about their fixed salaries beforehand, and thus the company also has an exact estimate of their payout, their hiring potential. This is a rigid structure where the employees can have the only progression of their salaries if they are promoted. Contrary to this, the individual pay range provides a band of salary range that different employees in different job profiles can expect.

•  Broadbanding: Dividing the employees according to their pay grades. There are different pay grades for different managerial job roles and executive job roles. This system includes maximum and minimum pay, with incremental stages between them, where the employees start at the minimum and then, based on her/his performance, get the increment.

• Pay Spine: A simplified pay structure, where the spine is made up of pay points from the lowest entry-level salary to the executive level salary, and each pay point is defined with the fixed predefined salary and incremental levels in a particular position.

• Job Families: A versatile pay structure, where the transition is based on the employee’s knowledge, skill, loyalty, experience. Here, similar roles are grouped, and each role is separated based on knowledge and seniority.

Do you know the most important components of a salary structure in India are?

• CTC or the Cost to Company: It includes all the components such as HR, bonus, basic salary, PF, etc.

• Basic salary: It constitutes 35-50% of the total wage, based on the designation of the employee and the fixed amount that is paid before any deduction or increase.

• Gross salary: The salary just before any deduction like taxes.

• Net salary: The final takeaway salary after deducting the TDS, also called the in-hand salary.

• Allowances: Different remuneration that is paid to the employees over a year, where these allowances can be taxed partially, completely, or not taxed at all. Some of these are Dearness allowance, House Rent Allowance, Medical Allowance, Leave Travel Allowance, and many more.

• Gratuity: A lump sum amount paid by the company to the employee that is retiring.

• Employee provident fund: An employee-benefit scheme where both the employer and the employee puts a certain fixed amount of money, from where a fixed amount of deductions can be made after retirement mostly.

• Professional tax: The tax levied on employee’s salary by the state government, which is a maximum of Rs. 2500.

• Perquisites: Generally non-monetary, these are certain benefits that the employees enjoy over and above their salary based on their position within the company.

What is an Employee provident fund, and how is PF calculated?

This focuses on post-retirement schemes and benefits. EPF is compulsory for Indian organisations under the “The Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 1952”. A minimum of 10%-12% of the basic salary of the employee is deducted and deposited in the employee provident fund. In case the employee is a woman, she needs to pay only 8% of her salary to the provident fund for the first 3 years thereafter, which becomes 10%-12%, whereas the employer still needs to contribute 12%.

The employee can voluntarily contribute more than 12%, but the employer is under no obligation to match it. Here, the employer’s contribution is limited to a maximum of Rs. 1800, i.e., 12% of 15000, so even if the employee’s salary is more than 15000, the maximum that the employer can contribute is Rs. 1800.

The statutory compliances associated with PF contribution are that the contribution made by the employer is divided into two parts. Employee provident fund (EPF), which is 3.67% of the 12% contribution, and Employee Pension Scheme (EPS), which is 8.33% of the 12% contribution.

For example, if the employee’s salary is Rs. 10000

What is Employee State Insurance(ESI)?

A contributory fund, where both the employee and the employer contribute to form a healthcare insurance fund for the employee. Employees’ State Insurance Corporation manages them as per the rules mentioned in the Indian ESI Act of 1948. This scheme provides both cash benefits and healthcare benefits to the employees. Anywhere 10 or more people are employed eligible for ESI.

Eligibility: All the employees who have a monthly income of less than Rs. 21000 are eligible for ESIC contribution. Employees having a daily average earning of up to Rs. 176 are also exempted. ESI is calculated on gross salary.

The employee contributes 0.75% of his/her gross salary, whereas the employer contributes 3.25% of the gross salary, and the employer submits the total contribution within 15 days of the last day of the month.  

For example, let the gross pay of the employee be Rs. 10000.

Now, the contribution periods are divided into two groups of 6 months each.

• 1st April to 30th September, for which the cash benefit period is 1st January to 30th June of the following year.

• 1st October to 31st March, for which the cash benefit period is 1st July to 31st December.

Now, if the salary of any employee increases beyond the maximum limit of Rs. 21000 in between the ongoing contribution period, then the contribution for the remaining months are calculated on the new amount, till the end of the contribution period, and after that if the salary still surpasses the maximum limit, the employee is not eligible for ESI.

Pay Structure Template

The most basic salary structure of any company encompasses:

So, pay structures are of utmost importance to any organisation and serve to attract, nurture and retain good employees in the long run. It shows that the company values the employee’s hard work and rewards the employees handsomely.  

HR is an indispensable part of any organization. It is the most important wing that keeps every aspect of a firm connected and thus ensures that the business is running smoothly and efficiently. From every employee’s go-to person during the time of distress, to be the person who resolves any mishaps happening in the office, HR is the answer to all the problems. Employees are the backbone of any organization, but who keeps the employees happy and satisfied with their work? Yes, you guessed it correctly! It’s the HR! So, a happy HR equals a happy workforce equals a happy organization equals growth and success for the firm. So, HR’s contribution to any firm’s success is immense.

HR’s importance in any firm ranges from strategic planning to the bottom-line workers. Thus, HRs provide an all-around contribution to the organization. So, let us zoom in on certain areas, where HRs contribute to aid in an organization’s success.

1. HRs plays the key role in hiring and thereby securing a good workforce for the company:

HR works closely with the hiring managers and they play an important role in the company’s hiring process. They conduct the entire process and make sure that the company hires the best candidates suited to its needs and requirements. Scrutinizing the candidate to make sure he/she will be an asset to the company is just one of the many beneficial aspects of HR.

2. HR also aids recruitment and Onboarding of candidates:

From declaring the job applications open to scrutinizing the CVs, to releasing the shortlists, to interviews and finally hiring someone, an HR does it all! Even after the recruitment process winds up, HR is responsible for the smooth onboarding of new hires, making sure that they are accustomed to the company’s policies and practices.

3. HR makes sure that the new joiners receive the best development and training session:

All the new hires undergo training and development sessions to introduce them and make them proficient in the kind of work that they are supposed to perform. HRs supervise the entire training process so that employees are proficiently trained for leadership and management roles to be taken up in the future and can lead the firm in the right direction.

4. HRs help in keeping the employee satisfaction levels high in an organization:

Everyone knows that a happy workforce is a sign of a healthy firm and a healthy firm is more prone to be successful in the future. So, it is HR’s job to make sure that the employees are satisfied in the organization and thus maintaining a good employer-employee relationship. They conduct surveys, focus group discussions, and interactions to make sure that the workforce is happy. All the discussions related to the employee’s compensation are also handled by HR.

5. HRs control the budget of an organization:

The HR team of any organization helps the firm to strictly work in its allocated budget by reducing excessive and unwanted spending. They devise ways by which cost cuts can be implemented so that the company can save money which will be helpful for the company in the long run. Negotiating salaries, benefits, and packages also comes under HR’s purview and they make sure that they efficiently use their negotiating skills.

6. HRs also aid in the strategic management of the firm:

HRs help in improving the bottom line of an organization by inducing its knowledge regarding how the workforce helps in the success of an organization. Many HRs specialize in strategic management too and thus take part in the company’s corporate discussions regarding which projects to take on and how to act further based on current trends going on in the market.

7. HRs makes the firm a tech-driven one:

Every aspect of a firm is being replaced by technology. So, technology is the new bread and butter for every firm. HRs identify and therefore implement the various technological needs of the employees by making the firm more tech-savvy and thus contributing to its success. Some of the digital tools adapted by HRs are online learning platforms, online payroll software, surveys for the development process, and many more.

8. HRs play a major role in a company’s growth:

HRs play the role of strategic advisor in case of any mergers, acquisitions, expansions, and even downsizing. It also helps in succession planning so that companies can work smoothly even if some unexpected situations arise. Conducting talent reviews and thus identifying potential in-house candidates can help planning for leadership roles in advance.

9. HRs are the go-to person for resolving a conflict:

Workplace conflicts are a common affair, but this should not have an impact on a company’s performance. So, even before it becomes a huge issue, HR sweeps in and saves the day. Thus, resolving conflicts helps to motivate employees and imparts a positive zeal on the workforce to work harder and thus provide better returns to the firm.

10. HRs moderate company’s as well as the employee’s performance:

Performance management is one of the key roles of the HR team. After acquiring the right talent, it is HR’s responsibility to check on the employee and deliberately provide active feedback related to his/her performance so that they can improve it continuously. This ensures that employees are not stuck in jobs that they don’t want and thus their skills and abilities are not wasted. Thus, exploiting an employee’s abilities to their full potential so that the company can reap benefits from it is the way HRs contribute to the firm’s success.

There are reasons why HRs are called the employee’s best friend. A company is what its employees portray it to be and managing the employees efficiently is HR’s job. A good HR team is every company’s top priority as they help in making the most out of the employees by using the right resources. Thus, a successful company depends on a strong HR team and must value all the insights provided by them which will help them in growing and succeeding.

On-site daycare facilities are a growing trend in many workplaces. It is a benefit that is provided by the employer for employees who are balancing both professional and personal lives. This facility serves as a boon for new parents, who can look after their child, even while working. This facility has an age-bar to this. This facility can be provided by the employer at a nominal fee or even free. This is an initiative carried out by organizations to retain their top talent, who are also working parents, and serves as an aim to integrate both their personal and professional lives.

What is an on-site daycare facility?

In this ever-evolving world, where people are working tirelessly to provide themselves with a comfortable life, working parents often find it difficult to handle their newborn while working. So, onsite daycare facilities serve as a solution to this problem. Onsite childcare facilities provide affordable, top-quality childcare facilities for children of working parents within the workplace itself! Having onsite facilities not only reduces absenteeism amongst employees, increases their morale, but also increases their productivity. It serves as a measure that says to the employees that the organization values them and thinks about how to aid them.

Why should companies provide onsite daycare facilities for employees?

Having an onsite daycare facility within an organization makes it more appealing, increases its brand value, serves as additional perks for the employees, and also helps the firm in achieving its long-term goals. So, some of the reasons as to why should companies provide an onsite daycare facility for employees are mentioned below:

• It is something that a current lot of job seekers demand

Young millennials and gen Z are on a job hunt in today’s time. Though they may not be parents yet, they seem to have done a good amount of future planning and an organization that provides childcare facilities is on top of their lists. So, it helps the employer in attracting good talent.

• It is a great way to show that the employees are a valuable asset to the firm

Having an onsite facility sends a clear message to the employees that both their professional and personal lives are valued by the company and they are doing as much as they can to help them in acing both. This in turn motivates the employees to perform better and repay the trust that the company has shown in them.

• It boosts employee’s morale, dedication and thus increases their productivity

By reducing the separation anxiety that new parents have, automatically increases their concentration on the job at hand by helping them stay more focused without any stress of whether their young one is properly looked after or not.

• It offers flexibility to the employees

Having onsite daycare facilities also provides flexibility to the employees in their way of working, where they can check on their younger ones as and when required and work accordingly. This also instills trust, autonomy, and kindness among the employees.

• It promotes equality of gender in the workplace

Onsite daycare is not only for women employees but also for male ones. More and more fathers are enjoying becoming hands-on parents and helping their partners during the early stage by taking care of their new ones. Also, with increasing women in the workforce, taking care of their needs, also in senior roles, helps to retain them.

What are some of the advantages of providing a daycare facility?

Onsite childcare facilities have tons of advantages both for the employer and the employee. Some of the advantages for the employer are as follows:

• Enhances employee loyalty: Providing an onsite daycare facility is a great way to show the employees that the company values them and thus the employee becomes loyal to the firm. It also makes an attractive benefits package to attract more employees.

• Serves as a performance asset: Studies have revealed that having onsite facilities increases employee concentration and in turn increases returns to the firm. So, it acts as a performance booster for employees.

• Improves the brand name of the firm: Providing a daycare facility at the workplace is a thoughtful initiative and helps the firm to increase its brand value by taking such steps by creating a happy and caring work environment.

• A socially reliable firm: Taking such a step, projects the company’s image as a socially responsible firm, which gives great importance to the work-life balance of its employees.

• Increased recruitment and retention: Providing daycare facilities increases retention rates of employees by making them feel valued and since it is becoming the topmost needs of job seekers, it also enhances the talent pool from which employees can be hired.

• Tax credits: By providing onsite daycare facilities, firms can also claim tax credits.    

Advantages of onsite daycare facilities for the employees are:

• Working parents generally do not have time to look after the child all day, so it provides an easy solution at the workplace.

• Being in the workplace, parents do not face separation anxiety and can have a better balance.

• Parents can go and visit their young ones anytime they desire.

• Onsite facilities are comparatively less costly and are included in the employee’s benefits package.

• Getting a place in the firm’s onsite daycare is easier as compared to some outside daycare.

• Onsite daycare schedules are generally synced with the business schedules and thus they have fewer hassles.

What are some of the cons of having an onsite daycare facility?

An onsite daycare facility has many advantages, no doubt, but it comes with some cons as well. So, the disadvantages of having a daycare facility in the workplace are:

• Cost of building a daycare system: Building a childcare facility requires a huge amount of investment in licensing, additional space requirements, hiring of staff, daycare certifications, and toys and equipment to take care of the babies.

• Distraction to the parents: Having their child with them on the premises, the parents might continue to worry about them all the time and may lose focus and not be able to give their 100% to the projects they were working on.

• Discrimination between employees: People using the facility for their single child might feel discriminated against people who are using the facility for their 2 or 3 children as the benefits may not be evenly distributed.

Childcare facilities at the workplace are for the betterment of the employees. Having an onsite childcare facility is becoming more and more important even from a strategic point of view. Even the employees feel valued and they want to forge long-term relationships with the firms. It provides emotional stability to the working parents and thus they tend to perform better at their jobs. The cons are there too, but the pros have a major lasting impact and will provide the workplace with a better environment to work in.

Finding the right fit for your organization is a difficult yet satisfying process. Employees that will add value to the firm, enhance the returns, make the workplace productive, and improve the team dynamics are always welcome. But if the new joinee lacks these important skills, it is a very risky investment for the firm. The only way to ensure this is to have a thorough background check of the employees before joining so that few other aspects of the employee’s personality can be explored and the candidate can be groomed accordingly. The correct way to do the background check is through legally compliant third-party providers, where it can be done at two points over the employee’s stint in the organization.

Beginning of the article

Background checks not only provide information on whether the person will be a valuable asset to the company but also provides information regarding the person’s past employment details, criminal records, credit history, any information that can have a direct impact on the person’s employability with the said firm. 

Background checks are of 2 types. The first is called the “pre-employment background check”, where the background check is done on new employees, before they join the firm, to make sure that all the details furnished by the employee are correct. The second kind of background check is done during the employee’s tenure at the office. This generally happens if some kind of concerning facts regarding the employee has come into the foreground, or if it is listed in the company’s official policies.

Do employee background checks have any benefits?

Companies hire third-party service providers for doing these checks, they spend a lot on this procedure, so definitely background checks have their perks. Some of these evident benefits are:

• The optimal fit between the job position and the employee: Having a correct idea about the person’s personality gives the employer the confidence that they are hiring the correct person for the job. For example, a person with a good credit rating and financial scoring can be a better fit for the finance role as compared to a person having none of these.

• Say NO to bad hires: A bad hire costs a lot to the company, so background checks help the company in reducing that.

• Reduction in legal costs and liabilities: Companies can reduce their insurance costs and any kind of lawsuits by hiring reliable people, not having any past criminal records.

• Reduction in employee attrition: The company carefully does background research and then only hires people who are a good fit for the firm where their interests align, thus reducing employee attrition.

• Workplace safety: Checking the criminal history of the potential joinee, correct decisions can be taken whether to hire that person or not, thus reducing workplace violence or theft.

What are some of the things that are included in employee background checks?

The employer, if introducing a third-party service, for the hiring process, the employee must be informed beforehand, and written consent of the person in question must be taken, before starting the entire process. The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), sets the rules for conducting the background research and the entire findings must be documented as a report. The process of background check is comprehensive and some of the must include in a background check are:

• Education details: To verify whether the education details for school, college, master’s degree are true or not, this forms one of the most primary boxes that need to be ticked during a background check.

• Criminal records: One of the most important things to maintain the safety of the workplace, required for jobs about security. All local, national, international records are checked.

• Past employment verification: For validating the employee’s past job experiences, his/her workplace behaviour, past achievements, skill-set harboured by the candidate.

•  Credit checks: Reviewing a person’s credit history, gives an overall view regarding loans, payment history, unpaid bills, bankruptcies, and many more. This becomes extremely important for candidates who want to secure jobs in some financial segments.

• Driving records: This gives information regarding the mobility of candidates, suspensions, and driving history.

• Drug screening: Careful research on the drug history of the candidate (use of illicit drugs) will help maintain a much safer and productive environment.

•  Sex offender list: An important area to look upon to maintain a safer work environment.

•  Medical records: Having a clear understanding of the employee’s medical limitations is an essential part of offering the job to the candidate.

How to do background checks?

Some rules must be in place before the organization goes for a background check of its employees or recent hires. So, some of the mandatory steps in going forward with this procedure are:

•  Have a consistent company policy regarding the entire procedure: Having a well-documented policy regarding the procedure reduces confusion and the entire process goes on smoothly and also all the legal requirements about the entire procedure become clear.

• Getting legal advice and checking with the company’s insurance: Not all information is to be unearthed while doing a background check, so this can land the firm in some legal soups. So, to avoid this, the firm must always contact a lawyer that can guide the firm in the right direction and help avoid such sticky situations.

• Notify the applicants/employees before going on with the procedure: The employee must give written consent for some kind of background research that the company does and thus this also gives the candidates a fair warning and can also help in eliminating certain candidates who know that they will get disqualified once the background check process is in place.

• Use third-party background check services that are FCRA compliant: The FCRA provides clear, written rules of what can and cannot be included in a background check, and thus hiring third-party services that are FCRA compliant is a safer bet.

• Conduct the background check and do not form some kind of prejudice regarding the applicant beforehand.

• Be extremely cautious with the entire process and review the findings: Do not take the process to be a boring mundane routine task and do the process diligently. Even after getting the results, try to get to the bottom of it and not just make up biases in the mind.

• Give the applicant the chance to clear up the misunderstandings: Not all the information obtained in the background research is correct, give the applicant the chance to clear if any such misunderstanding occurs, and thus it can help the company to save up on a great employee.

• Save the records: It is pertinent that the company stores the background reports of all the employees for 1 year so that it can serve as tangible proof in case any applicant asks for their report.

It is correctly put that the workforce is the backbone of a good organization. Doing comprehensive background research is a must for every company to raise good and retain good talent, improve the work culture and thus get the maximum return. With informed hiring decisions, any company can reach the pinnacles of success and achieve its business goals.  

The job market is extremely competitive. Organizations are always striving for acquiring the best talent from the pool of candidates to be the best fit for their job. Getting the right fit for a job can be a complex and time-consuming task. What is needed for its success is a competent authority who knows the technical know-how not only of the hiring process but also of the various engagement and retention-centric activities related to the employees.

This brings us to the significance of HR leaders. HR leaders, in today’s times, are not only responsible for hiring the employees and retaining them but they also have an overall organizational significance. HR leaders can be anyone in the department belonging to any level of the work hierarchy. They can be entry-level recruiters, tactical level motivation managers, strategic level employee relation specialists, so on and so forth. 

Through statistics and observational study, it is found that effective HR leaders have proven to be one of the most important assets to ensure high productivity in the organization in this time of stringent competition. At a point where finding and retaining the perfect skill-set for the organization while also maintaining cost-effectiveness is one of the biggest significances of an HR leader.

As the necessary mention of suitable skill-set surfaces over and over again, the concept of hiring automatically becomes important. Whenever we mention hiring, the first word that strikes our mind is recruitment. And most obviously so. While it is needless to mention that a competent and skilled recruiter is detrimental to finding the right person for the right job, it should always be noted that a talent acquisition leader is also of specific utility to any organization.

A talent acquisition leader happens to be one of the most important HR leaders that an organization in today’s scenario requires. Hence it becomes important to have a comprehensive understanding of who a talent acquisition leader is, what are his key skills, and what is of utmost value to the organization.

A recruiter and a talent acquisition leader co-exist and work in interdependency to fulfill the HR needs of a company. Recruitment can both focus on the long-term as well as short-term goals of an organization. Talent acquisition on the other hand specifically focuses on the long-term needs and goals of an organization. Besides, the process of talent acquisition aims to target very particular skill sets that add value to the mentioned organization.

Let us have a quick look at who a talent acquisition leader is.

WHO IS A TALENT ACQUISITION LEADER?

A talent acquisition leader is someone who heads a continuous and ongoing hiring process in an organization. This hiring process goes on irrespective of the existing vacancies in the organization. A talent acquisition leader makes sure that the broader organizational perspective is taken into account. This means that the talent acquisition manager specifically works to meet the long-term goals or the long-term needs of the company. This includes looking for specific skill-sets that cater to organizational needs.

It is a fierce marketplace where the hiring scene is increasingly aggressive. In a situation like that, the work of a talent acquisition leader is not only important to an organization. It is also very competitive and intense. The talent acquisition leader always has to be on the grind for spotting and acquiring the best talents that suit the particular needs of the organization. In a position where companies struggle with talent management, the role of a talent acquisition leader is unsubstitutable. 

NEED OF A TALENT ACQUISITION LEADER

A talent acquisition leader has multifaceted advantages to a company. It spots the best talent, helps attain long-term organizational goals, and also helps a great deal in economizing on time. The needs and job descriptions of a talent acquisition leader are vast and diverse. 

1. The TA leader is responsible for planning, developing, and maintaining a productive and attainable talent acquisition strategy for the company.
2. He/she should devise a strategy so economic that it saves time and is also cost-efficient.
3. He/She should investigate the current needs of the employees.
4. The TA leader should also identify the long-term needs of the company and which skill-sets align with them.
5. He/she should devise not only a productive but also a sustainable plan.
6. He/she should be in charge of setting up branding activities by involving the current employees.
7. A talent acquisition leader should plan employee referral programs.
8. He/She should be in complete charge of sourcing the candidates from all sources available.
9. Devise end-to-end solutions for a successful selection process.
10. Create a model to track and review employee grievances in addition to addressing them.

KEY SKILLS OF A TALENT ACQUISITION LEADER

A successful talent acquisition leader should have several skills that make him good at his job. Since the TA leader works closely with the human resources of the organization, he/she should primarily be a people person. This is to say that the person has to be believable, gullible, and a good listener. If the employees do not see the TA leader as one of their own, the rate of success of talent acquisition becomes relatively low.

A talent acquisition leader has to hone his/her skills and these skills are not mandatorily inherent. Most of them are polished by experience and knowledge. However, possessing these skills is extremely important to be a successful talent acquisition manager.

Communication skills

Talent acquisition is a people-centric job and hence the ability to communicate effectively through verbal, written or non-verbal communication is of utmost importance. A TA leader is a bridge between the employees and the organization. Hence he/she should have the ability to effectively communicate, and negotiate with the employees. Communication skills include inter-organizational communication, communication through social media as well as body language, and non-verbal cues.

Active-listening

Active listening is an advanced skill that talent acquisition leaders must possess. This is highly significant for face-to-face conversations or situations where decision-making is involved. In a fast-paced world like this, employees and candidates have a fragmented presence. Active listening will allow the TA leader to join the dots and figure out information that does not meet the eye.

Broader Perspective

A talent acquisition leader should always be long-sighted. Being a manager who attempts to fulfill long-term goals, the TA leader should always take the whole picture into account before planning strategies. He/she should be far-sighted enough to look beyond the immediate vacancies and needs and create an effective talent pipeline.

Interpersonal Skills

Building a good candidate experience is of utmost importance to present-day employers. Good candidate experience does not only improve the employer branding but also largely helps in employee retention which is again, one of the biggest goals of talent acquisition. Hence, the TA leader’s interpersonal skills come in handy. This means that he/she should be able to create a good and positive rapport with the employees. Good interpersonal skills also pertain to effective communication and gullibility.

Empathy

No wonder AI is swiftly taking over the traditional workplace. No matter how technically advanced and accurate that is, it still lacks the human element. That on the lacking side worsens candidate experience. An empathetic talent acquisition leader ensures that the candidates feel that their real challenges and issues are being heard and taken into account.

Analytical Skills

In a world that has become primarily data-driven, having analytical skills is extremely important to a talent acquisition leader. Having said that, it is noteworthy to mention that analytical skills are not just the ability to read data. It is also the ability to process and analyze this data to implement it effectively.

WRAPPING UP

Standing in 2020, when companies need the best talents to keep their productivity at pace, a talent acquisition leader is one of the most important positions in an organization. Honed with social skills, emotional intelligence, and analytical knowledge, a talent acquisition leader can be detrimental to a company’s success.

By Gestalt, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Talent Acquisition Leaders look at that whole to continue their work.

To get more such information and insights about HR, click here. 

Human Resource Information System is one of the widely used software packages in the HR scenario. It has streamlined the entire HR procedure and brought varied aspects of HR under one roof. Needless to say, HRIS is the present and future of human resource management.

Here we will cover a few aspects of HRIS ranging from its meaning, its importance, its types, and its use in organizations. This will be a comprehensive guide to all the basic know-how of HRIS and how organizations can implement it for higher productivity.

What is an HRIS? – Human Resource Information System

Human Resource Information System is defined as a software package or an online solution that is used to manage employee and organizational data. It is used to store the data, track the data as well as manage the data. HRIS is used to store sets of data and retrieve them as and when necessary. 

HRIS is an HR automation software that applies to all functions of human resource management. It is a database for storing employee data. This contains information such as the contact details, the address details, the work permit, the social security numbers, etc. HRIS pertains to functions such as recruitment, applicant tracking procedure, employee management, compensation management, leave management, so on and so forth.

In short, HRIS can be considered as an intelligent database that stores all employee information makes it easily accessible, thereby automating the HR functions.

TYPES OF HRIS

As already mentioned the HRIS software does not only pertain to one kind of task. It applies to people functions, procedure functions as well as policy functions. This gives rise to four major types or varieties of HRIS with their respective subsets. Read on to find out.

Operational HRIS

Operational HRIS primarily deals with recurring and regular HR functions. At the operational level, the primary work of HRIS is to collect various employee data and store it. The systems under operational HRIS are as follows:

●      Employee Information System is a database for all employee information ranging from their age, sex, religion to background history, work experience, social security number, etc.

●      A position control system that gives detailed information about the current positions in an organization, with the employees assigned to it, the job title, and also the positions that need to be filled.

●      The applicant selection system helps the HR personnel in the evaluation, screening, and onboarding functions of candidates post recruitment.

●      Government Reporting and Compliance Information Systems keeps track of all government regulations and compliances about the organization and its employees.

Tactical HRIS

Tactical HRIS is primarily used at the managerial level and not at the operational level. It aids upper-level managers in the organization in facilitating the decision-making process. The subset functions under tactical-HRIS are as follows-

●      Job analysis and design information system– It cumulates all the internal and external organizational information to create job descriptions and job specifications. The internal information includes those from supervisors, workers, etc. The external information includes those from labor unions, competitors, market research, etc.

●      Recruitment Information System- Every recruitment procedure requires a plan. This plan includes information about the organizational needs, the positions that need to be filled as well as the skill required. Recruitment Information system aids in these functions as well as streamlines information regarding employee transfers, pensions, job preferences, etc.

●      The compensation Management system deals with the benefits and compensations meted to the employees. This function is also tactical as it can help in increasing productivity through various incentive plans.

●      The training and development system aims to streamline the training process to meet the needs of the specific job roles that are previously determined by operational HRIS.

Strategic HRIS 

The subset functions under strategic HRIS are described below :

●      Information system supporting workforce planning- This is used in long-term strategic decisions of the organization such as market expansion, construction in new locations, diversifying the product line, etc. These need comprehensive data about the workforce which is exactly what the system facilitates.

●      Information system supporting labor negotiations – The human resource team completing the negotiating needs to be able to obtain numerous ad hoc reports that analyze the organization’s and union’s positions within the framework of both the industry and the current economic situation. 

Comprehensive HRIS

The other HR functions produce several files like employee files, information files, position files, skills inventory files, etc. It gets a difficult task to skim through all of them to find out the desired results. Comprehensive HRIS, therefore, cumulates all these files to create a comprehensive database that can be accessed for retrieving information required in HR planning.

IMPORTANCE OF HRIS

HR automation is the future that we are currently looking at. The automation of HR by HRIS has proved beneficial to modern-day organizations in more ways than one. It has multi-dimensional benefits starting from cost-effectiveness to increased productivity. The implementation of HRIS has changed the scenario of HR operations and hence is of utmost importance to any organization. The reasons are as stated below :

• Clear Definition of The Goal

The analytical approach of HRIS makes the definition of organizational goals very clear. Both the long term and short term goals are not just merely planned by the strategic level, it is planned by an analytical algorithm.

• Reduction In Cost

The human resource of any organization is a huge field. Hence, data has to be stored in the account of employee data, position data, compensation data, etc. It does not only require a lot of paperwork but also incurs a huge deal of cost to the organization. HRIS streamlines this operation thereby economizing on the cost.

• Easy Retrieval of Data

When any information is required, scrolling through huge tons of information is time-consuming work. It also results in diminished accuracy and delays the retrieval of such data. HRIS being a systematic and comprehensive database makes retrieval of data easy and timely.

• Better Decision-Making

Hence HRIS induces analytics in the decision-making process, it makes the decision-making process more accurate and data-oriented. It leaves no room for bias and human error and the analytical approach also speeds up the decision-making process.

• Appropriate Training Programs

Training programs are detrimental to the long-term and short-term productivity of the organization. Operational HRIS facilitates laying down the exact needs of the organization in terms of skill-sets and workforce planning. That allows tailor-made training programs for the organizational needs and hence further paving way for better productivity.

SUMMING UP

HRIS doesn’t seem to be a luxury for organizations anymore. It seems to be a need. With the proper utilization of this software, organizations can effectively streamline all of their processes to attain greater productivity at lower costs. However, complete dependence on HRIS will take away the human element from HRIS which it so direly needs. But, with a proper balance of the human effort as well as the analytical HRIS, organizations can see heights of productivity that have been long unknown. 

In 2020, the world is not the same. To say that the world will go back to its old ways is still a long-shot. In a scenario like that the entire market has shifted from its ‘normal’ course and taken a turn towards something which is, to say the least, unfamiliar. Most jobs have gone online with every operation occurring in the digital platform. Meetings, conferences, recruitment, termination, parties, you name it and it is conducted online.

According to a recent study, more than 63 percent of employees are aiming to switch their jobs this year. This may be due to various reasons like insufficient pay, heavy work-stress, propensity to choose a new career path, etc. However, this heavy job-shifting phenomenon has put considerable pressure on the HR departments of many organizations.

A high number of employees changing jobs means a high number of employees to be recruited by other organizations. This means that the recruitment process should be top-notch to handle these new candidates. It not only has to be efficient and accurate but also cost-effective and time-economical. 

WHAT DOES STREAMLINING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS MEAN?

Since everything has gone online and there are numerous job boards and online portals where candidates can apply, the number of potential candidates has dramatically increased in the recruitment procedure. This has shown the inefficiencies in the recruitment strategy, evaluation procedure, and ultimate onboarding process.

Streamlining the recruitment process means that simplifying each level of the recruitment process to attain better productivity and efficiency while simultaneously economizing on the costs and efforts that are put in the process. This includes making changes like incorporating collaborations in the strategy, adding innovations to the strategy, automating the strategy as well as adding checklists in the process, While substituting the traditional long-haul strategies with these advanced ones, the recruitment process can be successfully streamlined.

WHAT ARE THE WAYS TO STREAMLINE THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Let us dive into a descriptive analysis of the tips and tricks to streamline the process of recruitment in an organization. 

Re-thinking access to the recruitment procedure:

Most companies, upon having a vacant position in their organization make hiring posts to attract candidates. In most cases, these posts or hiring calls are made on the same kind of platforms regardless of the type of the job, the need of the company, or the urgency of the position. 

This dilution of the job posting leads to the organization receiving thousands of applications. This slows down the recruitment process posing greater stress on the recruitment manager. This also poses a risk that the truly deserving candidates might get miss out due to the huge number of miscellaneous applications that have been received. Hence, to streamline the recruitment process, organizations should rethink the given access to their job postings.

Instead of posting the jobs in similar forums, the organizations can firstly, analyze these online job portals. Upon doing that, they can post respective jobs on respective platforms depending upon the kind of candidates that are generally found there. This will naturally filter the number of applications received. In addition to that, it will also filter the kinds of candidates that the organization is potentially looking for.

The organization may also employ a recruitment agency to cater to their needs. This means that the organization will showcase the job role as well as the kind of candidates that they are looking for. The recruitment agency then will do the outreach on the company’s behalf and therefore yield a pool of more specific and targetted candidates.

Sourcing candidates internally is also an effective way to streamline the recruitment process. Upskilling and reskilling existing employees are not only extremely cost-effective but also have proven to provide higher and better output in terms of productivity.

Incorporating innovation

In almost every field in today’s time, a degree of innovation is needed for the operations to function properly without many bottlenecks. It is the same for the HR process. The numerous software and systems that are out there in the market help streamline the recruitment process in multi-dimensional ways. Be it the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to filter the candidates or the numerous psychometric and personality tests to evaluate the candidate’s current and future potential of the organization.

Incorporating systems like ATS ensures that the applications are automatically filtered according to the company’s requirements and hence the recruiters have to only evaluate the candidates who have the required KSA. Also, traditional ways of evaluation are time-consuming and have an element of human error in them. However, various online psychometric tests are relatively highly accurate. They make sure that a candidate is the right fit for the job both in the short run and in the long run. This is significant because people with a certain set of personality traits are proven to be better at certain kinds of jobs.

Automating the recruitment process 

While attempting to employ candidates with a relatively more basic skillset, the automation process works better than any other. 

This incorporates potential candidate sourcing through automatic enrollment advertisements, prescreening with the assistance of a robotized list of reference scrubbers, screening with video-examining tools that search for body signals, and word decisions in a pre-recorded video interviews, and speaking with applicants in regards to their application. The process of automation may likewise be reached out to different parts of Human Resources, such as onboarding.

Create Check-lists through different stages of the process

To think of it generally, the recruitment process can be extremely messy given its ever-changing nature. Various functions of the process are always overlapping and the need assessments are equally dimensional. 

To smooth out these different situations, it is suggested that an organization fabricates a work process outline or a work-flow chart. This will rundown each progression in the recruitment process and how to continue with the work process contingent upon the candidate or the part being referred to. This guarantees that recruiters can execute a smoothed-out recruitment measure despite candidate contrasts.

SUMMING UP

Streamlining the recruitment process is the current need of every modern organization. Bogged down by the open access to candidates, and a high rate of new candidate-influx, streamlining the entire process is probably the closest sure-fire way to ensure productivity as well as making the process economical and time-economical.

The performing stage of the group formation starts after the group becomes stable and steady in their structural sense. At this point, the team is mature, organized, and clear on what they have to do to reach their goal. Even though conflict still arises due to the human element of the group, they have already become efficient at solving the conflicts and they can securely focus on problem-solving, meeting goals, and being productive at their peak. The digital transformation of the current world is the truth we cannot even choose to ignore. Beginning from daily grocery to shopping, to interviews and termination, the world has not only just gone online, but it has also successfully settled there. Owing to the pandemic, social distancing has become the new normal. Having said that, it is noteworthy to mention that, the entire online framework is not just safer but in most cases, very convenient.

In a scene where organizations are coping up with everything new, recruitment is also undergoing a massive change. The online recruitment process is relatively new to both the candidates and the employers. However, the most important question that employers and HR managers are asking is that, “how to make the online recruiting process successful?”. From a layman’s perspective, it might look like a cakewalk to onboard candidates by conducting an online interview. In reality, online recruitment includes aspects like choosing the right place to post the job, sourcing and managing the data of potential candidates, conducting interviews, performing evaluation and et cetera.

If you are someone struggling with your online recruitment process and looking for sure-fire ways to make your online recruitment process successful, you are in the right place. Read on to know about the best tools and strategies that you can incorporate in your online recruitment process to extract the best of the best while also economizing on your resources.

STRATEGIES FOR A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Before embarking on an online recruitment procedure, make sure that the strategies are in place and well-versed. Without a concrete strategy, the recruitment process will not only fail but also wreak havoc on the company’s resources. 

Following listed are some of the most important strategies to ace your online recruitment game :

• Building a Brand

One of the most important reasons why a candidate would be interested in a particular company is because of the brand value of that company. The employer has to make sure that it has a strong online presence that exudes the brand value of the company. Social media is a good place to start where the company can establish a fruitful presence. A good brand would ensure that a large pool of candidates are interested in the company and hence apply.

• Diverse Sources

Recruitment or not, it is always a bad idea to keep all your coins in one place. In the same way, while conducting an online recruitment process, the employer should make sure to leverage diverse channels to source potential candidates. The diverse sources may include online job boards, various job portals, social media, e-mail marketing, et cetera.

• Attending To Passive Candidates

Passive candidates are a great way to source several talents that your company can potentially use. Passive candidates are those who are not actively looking for a job and already have one. The employer should be able to reach these candidates and pitch the brand of the company so that these candidates feel attracted to this job. This can be done by creating a great social presence. Creating informational and beneficial content on platforms like LinkedIn will also make sure that the passive candidates notice and engage with the company socially thereby increasing the possibility of turning them into active leads.

• Attractive Job Postings

Instead of choosing text formats or generic posters, job postings can be made relatively attractive. This can be done by incorporating video postings or attractive graphic images as a part of the recruitment procedure. It is to be ensured that these graphics or videos tell something about the company and match with the company’s presence. 

• Utilize Employee Channels

Your company’s current employees serve as your company’s best testimonial. The word-of-mouth communication from your current employees will prove the genuinity of the company’s goodwill. Hence, it is also important to use the current employees for a successful online recruitment process. Encourage your employees to share the job postings on their social media handles for not only a better reach but also for creating a better image.

TOOLS FOR A SUCCESSFUL ONLINE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Apart from the above-mentioned strategies, several specific tools can be used for a successful online recruitment process. These tools economize on time, reduce the possibility of human error, and also make storage and retrieval of necessary data very easy.

• Video Tools

Instead of using voice interviews or using low-quality video apps, using tools like Skype will ensure a hassle-free interview experience for both the interviewer and the interviewee. This, in turn, will ensure that the interview process is transparent and well-conducted.

• Applicant Tracking System

ATS tools are a great way to speed up the online recruitment process. They make the storing and retrieval of candidate data easy. This ensures more accurate evaluation and easy retrieval of candidate information according to the needs of the process.

• Psychometric Tools

Online psychometric tools will evaluate the candidates based on the required personality traits for the job that is being offered. The use of these tools will automatically screen out the ineligible candidates and retrieve a pool of candidates most suitable for the job that is being offered.

• Candidate Surveys

Various tools of candidate survey that is available online needs to be incorporated into the online recruitment process. This would be a great way to extract the candidate experience and also give a transparent picture of the bottlenecks in the process which can be used for further improvement.

The online recruitment process requires some strategies and a certain degree of planning to make it successful. However, once these strategies are set and onboarded into the process, it would effectively streamline the entire recruitment process. In addition to that, it would also save time and human efforts that could be utilized in other avenues where it is most necessary. 

If you are still having second thoughts, maybe it’s time to take that plunge of faith and see the zeniths of success your company can reach with an online recruitment process. 

In general terms, most of us associate HR with several quintessential tasks that we think Human Resources abide by. These include hiring employees, terminating them, handling the benefits and compensation of the workforce, resolving employee conflicts at the workplace, etc. To divide the workplace into various demarcations, it can be seen how it has evolved over the years and over different times in history. 

HR is an integral part of any organization. An organization’s human resource is one of its most important assets. Likewise, the management of this resource is also one of the most vital tasks. With the evolution of this work culture, the role of HR has indeed changed over the years. During the period surrounding the industrial revolution, the role of HR was mostly inclined to the management of employees. This included recruitment, termination, compensation management, etc.

To look at it analytically, the role of HR was solely confined to the employees and what are the ways they function or cease to function. HR had nothing to do with their performance or organizational productivity. On the flip side, HR in today’s time has multi-dimensional roles and functions. While the traditional functions of HR remain constant, there has been a great diversification of the role. HR is also detrimental to the productivity of the organization. The new role of HR also includes working on employee performance by ensuring employee motivation. The use of big data technology and various automation tools is also a part of the role to streamline the process and also ensure cost-effectiveness.

WAYS IN WHICH HR HAS EVOLVED

Needless to say, the work and role of HR are not the same as it was 10 years back. It would not be wrong to say that the work has increased. But the most appropriate statement to make here would be to say that the work of HR has diversified. It has been enriched over time to being a responsibility that is more than just interviewing, hiring, and terminating candidates. 

Below described are some of the most notable and significant developments in the changing role of HR over the years and phases.

Empowering The Employees

Employee empowerment might not be the most common term for laymen. Besides, its meaning or concept is also not something that most people can relate to. Like already mentioned, today’s HR plays a detrimental role in ensuring the productivity of the organization. This means that HR makes sure that employee performance is at par with the organizational goals.

Employees’ performance depends on many factors, employee engagement is one of them. Employee engagement is undoubtedly identified as one of the changing roles of HR. This refers to the idea that an employee is engaged and focused on the work that he/she is engaged in. 

This also means that he/she likes the specific work in question.

However, merely employee engagement might not yield the most desired results. High engagement does not always yield high success. This may lead to easy burnout and high absenteeism. Hence the HR department should be responsible for empowering the employees as well. This means the role of HR here is to inculcate a sense of competency within the employees. In addition to that, HR is also responsible for giving the employees an idea of impact and accountability.

Once the HR blends engagement and empowerment of employees in its role, the direct successor of the organization can be ensured. 

Technological Familiarity

Above all, in totality, the role of HR is to ensure that the core human resource of an organization is attended to. This means storing and studying employee records, retrieving these records as and when necessary, analyzing these records, producing these records for evaluation, so on and so forth.

HR in the traditional days was responsible for these tasks but almost all of it was conducted offline. This meant a great deal of paperwork, manual labor, and a degree of human error involved with it. As a consequence, the output was shaky and delayed, there were inadequate results and increased dissatisfaction among the employees as their needs and grievances were not meant on time. This greatly affected the overall productivity of the organization as well.

The changing role of HR requires HR to be familiar with the latest technology in Human Resource Management. This will economize on both time and cost, ensuring faster and better results with improved productivity. This means that the HR personnel has to be well acquainted with the various employee management software to be able to effectively use them and yield the desired results.

Data Specialists

Traditionally HR has not been an analytical and data-driven role. It mainly records primary data from the organization and employs humane analysis and evaluation to conclude. Even though that has been occurring for years now, with the change of time and recent development of technology, this entire process can have a different approach.

HR personnel, now, employ big data technology to analyze all records to design and implement their various programs. This includes incorporating solid evidence to figure out the needs and shortcomings of the human resource of the organization and how to overcome that challenge. 

SUMMING UP

When we chalk out a timeline of the evolution of HR over the past couple of years, a significant number of path-breaking changes could be observed. This includes more employee-focused schemes, implementation of automation and technology, employing a data-driven approach to HR, etc.

What doesn’t change is the sole focus of HR. Whatever might be the change and diversification of the role, the ultimate footnote of HR responsibility is to ensure that employee satisfaction is intact, that the employee performance meets the organizational needs and the rate of retention is very high. 

To say the very least, the change in the role of HR is massive and the change is not going to be constant. However, the current seat of HR is highly evolved and futuristic in itself. The happier the employees, the happier is the organisation. A few more years and HR will probably completely revolutionize into an unprecedented process. 

INTRODUCTION
Many view Screening as the first step of the selection process, while others perceive screening of applications as an integral part of the recruiting process. Once the applications have been scrutinized and shortlisted, the selection process begins. The purpose of screening is to remove from the recruitment process at an early age, those applications who are visibly unqualified for the job. Effective screening can not only save a great deal of time but also keeps a check on the recruitment(hiring) cost. The main aim of resume screening is that it is both good practice and a legal necessity that applicants’ qualifications be judged based on their knowledge skills and abilities and interest required to do the job. Resumes are official documents where a candidate is expected to give details about his or her academic and career life and achievements. Further on being evaluated, whether the job specifications match with the candidates’ background or not, resume screening proceeds to the next stage of selection.

In general, there are two stages/types of resume screening. First, is the initial resume screening which is done by HR personnel by scrutinizing every candidates’ resumes and shortlisting the qualified ones best fit for the job. Further, the second stage of resume screening is when the filtered resumes are forwarded by the HR personnel to the hiring manager. Resume screening is the crossovers between the job position and the best suitable candidates fit for it

RESUME SCREENING FACTORS

Several vital factors weigh in whereas screening resumes. Although not all factors right away can outline the resume screening, most of them are vital.

1. Education Skills
2. Relevant expertise
3. Years of expertise
4. Current Company Other corporations worked for
5. Functional Domain worked in
6. Cities or countries worked in
7. Number of Jobs
8. Written Communication
9. Contact Details and Current Location
10. Web Presence

WHAT ARE THE REASONS FOR RESUME SCREENING

1) Time Is Important
As any prosperous leader can perceive, time may be a valuable artefact and the objective of every organization is to minimize the time required to do particular tasks without compromising the quality of work and performance. Screening candidates may be a good way to avoid both – wasting time and cash by guaranteeing that employers don’t need to sit through long interviews with candidates who are neither qualified nor are suited to the open position.

2) Cut ninetieth of Applicants
The screening method has also proven to be resource-efficient, as a result of the unimaginable variety of candidates that organizations discard when evaluated to be unsuitable for the job. Out of all the candidates who apply some may not have the required knowledge base necessary for the job position which makes the entire hiring process meaningless. Thus resume screening is done to go through the resumes of candidates and ensure that the employees who sit through the interviews fit the eligibility criteria apply for the position.

3) Lower worker Turnover
One of the key issues intimate with businesses is finding staff who should find themselves staying on board for any serious length of time. A high turnover in an exceedingly large company means they need to pay valuable time, resources, and cash running enlisting programs, coaching new staff, and guiding them through the induction part once they won’t be at their most effective. Screening provides employers the chance to look out for those recruits that appear to show qualities that may keep them at employment for a longer period.

4) Efficiency
A lot of success within the business world is placed down to creating tons out of the small businesses they got to work with. This ability to maximize potency may be a fantastic attribute, significantly within the world of achievement, and screening ought to assist the hiring method.

5) Hiring the right person for the right job
Hiring the correct personnel is a vital part of running a business and can go a long way in ensuring future success. The screening method can facilitate and contribute to the hiring method that helps employers notice an acceptable and property personnel.

WHAT IS RESUME SCREENING ELEMENTS
Although resumes aren’t the most effective indicator of a candidate’s skills, they include all the key components of hiring, and that they don’t appear to be departing any time soon. some of the information recruiters can get from a resume while screening candidates.

1. Length – an organization gets numerous applications per position, eventually recruiters cannot commit to a longer period for screening every minute detail. Ideally, the resume ought to be 1-2 pages long, with the foremost relevant info regarding the candidate.
2. Design – Even the proper resume length doesn’t cut it if the information is scattered around the resume in different sections and formats without any parity or sync and it’s tough to look at. It advised following a properly organized format in a resume for a more professional approach.
3. Language – Grammar and spelling mistakes in resumes reflect a lackadaisical attitude on the candidate’s part. And are usually a sign that a candidate is not very detail-oriented and professional. However, recruiters are not very hasty with the evaluation, particularly if the position has little or nothing to try and do with writing and language.
4. Previous Work Expertise – Ideally, the candidate ought to have relevant work expertise listed, together with months and years spent on every position which gives the candidate an advantageous edge in the competition as he/she is previously preliminarily trained for the position and would have a higher preference from the recruiter’s perspective.
5. Resume Match – One of the largest mistakes candidates build is sending out the same resume to any job applications. Each job has different necessities and requirements and therefore the resume would possibly want smaller or larger tweaks to create it relevant. And this takes time and lots of candidates don’t invest their time right – however, it could be a way to portray their dedication and desire to get the job which acts as an additional aspect to create a positive work image of the candidate.

INTRODUCTION

In this life-altering day and age of technology, we can visually gauge the dependency of the entire world on technology in every kind of way. The advancement in technology at such a pace is instigating and initiating human dependence on artificial intelligence. With the advent of machine learning and deep learning technologies, artificial intelligence is somewhat being meshed into our system. Hence, the depreciation of human labor. Every department of every MNC is dependent on some software or technology, so does the HR department. Over the last 5 to 7 years there has been a prevalence of E-HR. E-HR is also known as web-enabled HR which performs all HR-related activities and functions on an online platform via a particular software. This software is known as the HRIS which is the integration of all HR systems and processes with the use of technology to benefit the overall management of HR in the organization. HRIS is an umbrella term that also includes the usage of AI in various HR functions such as recruitment. E-recruitment or online recruitment is a concept that is familiarized to all. Electronic recruitment is a much sought-after source of recruitment made used by all organizations. Job portals like Naukri, Monster, and Shine enable recruiters to reach out to a large audience. Artificial intelligence or Chabot’s have a huge role to play on these platforms.

USAGE OF AI-CHATBOTS IN E-RECRUITMENT

With the increase in the dependency on technology and the precision and accuracy it provides, it is human tendency to shift the paradigm of human labour to the usage of chatbots. Chatbots are pre-programmed software that works on artificial intelligence. It not only cuts down human labour but also saves time and effort yet gives a more accurate result. Usage of chatbots in e-recruitment negates confusion about information because the chatbots provide very specific and required information about the job position and the roles and requirements of the candidate who is willing to apply. When a candidate is interested in a particular position of a particular company he or she applies for the post through the AI chatbot.

The chatbot provides information to the candidate about the job position, job description and requirements, and eligibility for the post. Further, once the candidate updates his or her details the chatbot filters out those who are eligible and not eligible for the position they have applied for. Since the chatbot is already a pre-programmed software it has specific automation systems that help in filtering out candidates for the screening process in a much smoother and accurate manner. The added advantage of a chatbot is that it helps in accurate standardization with protected data and information that are essential. Usage of chatbots in e-recruitment cuts down the expenses for the organization with reduced use of labour. Using AI chatbots for E-recruitment is a Win-Win situation for both organizations and the candidate because that way both parties have a clear picture (about the job position, vacancy, the information of the candidate who would be appropriately filling for the position) with an accurate standardized screening system which makes way for an easier and more effective decision making.

ADVANTAGES OF CHATBOTS IN E-RECRUITMENT

A few of the key advantages or benefits of using AI chatbots for e-recruitment are as follows :

1. Cost-saving
   Installation of AI chatbots in e-recruitment saves on employee cost since the chatbots are user-friendly interfaces, the interaction between the candidate and the organization is done via technology through a bot. the dependency on human labour for the screening of candidates’ applications has shifted to dependency on technology. Starting from posting for a job vacancy till the candidate provides his or her application details the chatbot takes care of all the information inner a systematized and standardized manner with the assurance of the safety of information.
2. Easy Approach
   The usage of chatbots makes it easier for the organization as well as the candidate for the initial phases of hiring. With the security of AI-based technology and the use of a conversation-friendly interface, it is easier for candidates to approach organizations. Also, it is easier for the organization to post job vacancies through chatbots as it reaches a much wider pool of prospective candidates who would be interested in that particular position.
3. 24×7 Assistance
   Chatbots answer queries of candidates in a much quicker and precise manner. Chatbots provide very specific information which leaves no speck of confusion. Also, since chatbots or not human-operated, thus customer service is available 24/7 for any kind of assistance that the candidate requires for the application process making the direction and the redirection of the entire hiring process smoother and much more efficient.
4. Helps in The Quick and Error-Free Interview Schedule
   Since chatbots are very specific and precise about the conversation they have with the candidates and with the support of artificial intelligence, it is easier for the chatbots to schedule an interview meeting between the candidate and the organization coordinating the date and time of both the parties. Since there is no human labour involvement it reduces the chance of unmindfulness or any error in scheduling updates for interview meetings of candidates. In a recruitment maximum of the times, we have seen that the interview is done via video calling or telephonic interview system, once the chatbot fixes the date and time for an interview it is automatically added to the calendar of the organization scheduling the particular interview with that particular day and time.
5. Transparency is Maintained
   These man-made intelligence chatbots help the selection representatives to rely upon its NLP hiring to excellently play out the underlying enlistment capacities and afterwards waitlist the correct applicants. The artificial intelligence chatbots gain information on the screening through great many use cases and increment capacities that can bring advancement results. Chatbots help in a pre-screening cycle and make the entire recruitment process transparent and intuitive.
   They filter out the non-eligible candidates instantly. This straightforwardness of utilization measure assists competitors with getting a snappy update on the status of their requests for employment and lessens a great deal of back a forward methods for the HR executives and up-and-comer.

INTRODUCTION 

HR productivity is dependent and is directly proportional to employee performance. Once a candidate is hired for a particular job, after being assessed to be the most suitable person to fill in for the job, his/her performance is evaluated to ensure whether the higher has been successfully effective or not. A successfully effective hire automatically translates to productive employee performance. Employee productivity not only ensures profitability for the organization but also is a prerequisite for the growth of the organization as a whole. The role of the HR department of the organization encompasses functions not only limited to recruiting, hiring, and onboarding but also assessing, evaluating, and measuring employee performance to ensure correct decision making. 

HR PRODUCTIVITY 

HR productivity also sometimes referred to as workforce productivity is the evaluation of an employee’s work to decide upon whether he or she is effective and efficient enough. Productivity is abstract and is subjected to individuals’ perspectives, that’s ideally it cannot be measured. But to keep a track of the output of an employee at a specific time it is important to measure, assess and evaluate the amount of work and the accuracy of the work done by an employee. HR productivity is also known as employee productivity because HR stands for human resources and the human resources of an organization are the employees who work for the organization. Employee productivity is measured by keeping a track of the output by every employee (e.g the number of projects handled by an employee in a month). The precision, accuracy, and effectiveness of an employee’s performance have a direct reflection on employee productivity. Measuring HR productivity gives the employer an idea about the efficiency of the employees for a task or project. And for measuring HR productivity the employer needs to collect data about the employee performance demarcating their KPIs. 

FUNCTIONS OF HR (FOR MEASURING HR PRODUCTIVITY)

1. Collecting data about the output generated by every employee through a tracker mode
2. Having a regular check on the employee performance
3. Motivating employees to work more efficiently
4. Implementing incentives and lucrative reward system for the employees
5. having clear communication to avoid any kind of confusion or delay in work, lack of productivity
6. Planning, organizing, controlling, and coordinating other HR functions like recruitment in such a way to ensure a smooth workflow and effective employee performance
7. Measuring employee KPIs because the performance indicator is going to give a fair idea about the HR productivity measurement.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR (KPI)

Key performance indicators help businesses to staff outline and reach their goals. KPIs are a style of performance measure and are usually used at an operational level to guide the business towards pre-determined goals and at the worker’s appraisal level to facilitate staff stretch themselves and have the end goal in sight.

THE INDICATORS 

ABSENCE RATE: The absence rate within the organization is typically calculated by dividing the range of operating days within which the worker was absent by their total number of operating days.

ABSENCE COST: The total value of absence is calculated by counting worker pay, as well as the value of managing absent, and substitution costs.

BENEFITS SATISFACTION: Satisfaction with employment advantages is typically measured through a worker engagement survey. These are often relevant to cut back the turnover rate.

EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY RATE: Although this metric is difficult to calculate, it says one thing regarding the capability of growth in terms of the production of human capital.

EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION INDEX: Employee satisfaction is measured through worker angle and engagement surveys. Discontentedness is a vital cause of the employee turnover rate.

INTERNAL PROMOTION RATE: This KPI is measured by dividing the variety of senior functions that were procured through internal promotion by the whole number of senior positions procured. Internal hires are usually to hurry up quicker, scale back the danger of a poor recruit, and keep them longer within the job.

HOW TO INCREASE HR PRODUCTIVITY

• Management (Training) By Objective 

Every organization has a certain objective which all departments of the organization comply with and work towards achieving. Hence every hire should be effective enough to produce productive output which helps the organization achieve its objectives. Thus it is very important to evaluate the employee’s performance whether the employee’s actions are aiding the organization to achieve its goals and targets. Once the employee evaluation is done apt training could be given to the employee to brush up on his or her skills for better and much productive performance.

• Motivation For Achieving Benchmarks and Targets 

Every employee of an organization is assigned to do a particular number of tasks in a job, and his or her productivity is assessed by the rate at which he or she finishes the assigned tasks. Often employees are given particular targets to reach in a stipulated time frame which gets the employees to work with full zeal to finish the target. An organization could also opt for a reward system for the employee who finishes the maximum number of targets in the least time frame. This can also work as an added motivation for the employees to work in a much efficient and productive manner with more profitable results.

• Employee Appraisal

An effective appraisal system can contribute to the competitive advantage of the organization by improving employee performance in two ways – by directing employee behaviour towards organizational goals and by monitoring that behaviour to make sure the employee performance is productive enough that the goals are met. Often, HR departments of organizations implement employee appraisal programs to boost the motivation level of the employees which leads to more productivity as the employees become more focused and committed to their work.

• Employee Engagement

When an employee is engaged in their work he or she would be willing to go above and beyond what would typically be expected in his or her role, this is employee engagement. engagement is the extent to which employees are willing to go beyond the minimum requirements of the rules to provide additional energy or to advocate for their organization as a great place to work. Employee engagement is a strong predictor of employee retention and employee performance which gives an idea about the level of effectiveness and productivity maintained in the organization and the strong willingness towards goal achievement.