Project Management skills in HR …

HR in India is a very very dynamic function with the growing economy and multiple people challenges . It just means that as a HR professional you will be fraught with multiple initiatives and projects at the same time . Hence project management skills are highly essentially for HR success . The essence is in time management , focus , planning , roping in resources at the right time and constant tracking of the projects and initiatives . Not to forget that most important activity of keeping an eye on the budget and timelines . From attrition , to talent development , hiring C&B – based on the nature of your role you could be doing several things at the same time and hence the need for effective project management (PM ) skills. I would be working for instance on a range of issues at the same time each requiring a different skill set and mindset ranging from employee engagement , change management , diversity etc . In fact some reading on PM skills and actually understanding tools and techniques related to that could be useful for HR professionals .

First Time Managers ..

At MSD there is a global program for first time managers to groom them and help them as far as all the core and critical skills are concerned to be a successful manager . India is a country fraught with first time managers across all sectors let it be the more traditional ones or the sunrise ones . Reasons obviously being that the economy was on a general upswing since the past couple of years and we were in a great need of managers so people with a certain degree of technical proficiency got selected , were put on a fast track . So we have a set of highly talented people who are in need of all kinds of technical , behavioral inputs let it be in the form of Assimilation programs , On the job training , Induction programs , coaching and not to the mention the ubiquitous Leadership programs !! Thus there is a mushrooming of Leadership programs and vendors in India . Each organization based on their unique needs would design interventions which will support the target group and business . But we really need to put in focused energy and effort on First Time Managers where the interventions are probably designed in phases and spread from the initial posting and placement period to the settling down period and even after a year or so .

Attrition is well a problem…

There could be multiple reasons but the challenge continues . When you look at the attrition analysis of Asia Pacific region the graph really goes northwards when you look at India . What are the reasons – there are lot of seminal studies on this topic . But when you deal with it day in and day it you cannot help wondering the business loss and the revenue loss associated with attrition . Some times you think that in the sea of humanity many time personal considerations are not looked at . There could be too many opportunities . What is it with Gen Y and attrition ? Lots and Lots of queries and doubts . But it remains a huge challenge and as an offshoot it has lead to a high wage bill as well. Not that attrition is the only reason for high wage bills – but when you write those neat notes requesting for that higher percentage increase for the Indian market . So there is no shying away from that reason ie attrition