tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77670582727768871502024-02-20T09:54:10.186+05:30The HR StoreThe HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comBlogger197125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-26372556654971902702017-07-14T17:01:00.005+05:302017-07-14T17:02:31.613+05:30There is no finish line.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Earlier this year my search for a good pair of running shoes took me to a Nike store. I came across this amazing poster there, and the image has stayed with me since.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "onenikecurrency" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: 0.42px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: nowrap; word-spacing: -0.8px;"><i>Running is an adventure. And it can take you places you couldn’t even imagine.</i> (Source: <a href="http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/running/nike-run-club/start-running/no-finish-line">Nike</a>)</span><br />
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The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-28993189047845986152017-02-17T14:47:00.001+05:302017-02-17T16:32:08.993+05:30What really does hiring for attitude mean?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It simply means that you hire someone who'll get the job done - in the right way, without cutting corners, and thinks about the customer before his/her own job security. Has more empathy and passion than the person next to them.<br />
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You oft hear the phrase, 'Skills/tools/domain/industry stuff can be thought", but of what use will it be if the learner isn't ready?<br />
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The <i>readiness</i> to learn, to fail, to risk, to succeed, to roll-up-the-sleeves and get the job done, to be the hardest worker in the room, are all traits that differentiates <i>the</i> candidate from the pool.<br />
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It's not a successful recruitment formula. <br />
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It just increases your chances of finding someone who'll have a <i>whatever-it-takes</i> skill to succeed.<br />
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The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-57006007007157434152017-02-07T16:59:00.000+05:302017-02-07T19:51:17.887+05:30Candor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's an art.<br />
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It's easier said than done.<br />
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It's an uncomfortable place to be in.<br />
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It's not a people-friendly way to run the HR function.<br />
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Yet, candor delivers every single time.<br />
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We are tuned to not be brutally honest with each other. And the longer we practice it, we'll start implementing it on ourselves. And that's where the danger lies.<br />
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Most often the reason cited for not using candor is- culture. That's a fallacy because culture is itself formed by the very people who either use candor or not. We engage with people more than just once. We work with the same team for 10-12 hours a day. Think about all that you and the team can achieve if you were to use candor in your communication. You can start saying 'No' to an unreasonable request, speak up in team meetings, have open conversations about bad behavior, give and receive constructive feedback, the speed of execution improves drastically (suddenly everyone knows what to expect).<br />
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Candor is not an excuse to become a jerk. It's really just candid dialogue, to talk freely about insights, share observations, call out what's working or not (think about that 2-hr mindless PPT that you last sat through). The biggest disservice is NOT being candid with the person in front of the mirror or a friend/colleague/peer on what they <i>must</i> be told, and not what they <i>want</i> to hear.<br />
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Is candor easy? Nope. It's also a lot tougher to learn the art of using candor. It's painful (sometimes more for yourself than for the person in front of you). You'll learn the art, one conversation at a time. Push back on fear of perception, that nagging thought that you'll hurt someone's feeling, and the fear of consequences.<br />
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It's not easy. But, you'll never know unless you start. And that first conversation starts with the one you have with yourself.<br />
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The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-77859275926320993072017-01-21T16:16:00.002+05:302017-01-21T16:17:41.178+05:305 Days and 4 Nights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Disclaimer: <i>This is not an advertisement for a travel itinerary by a fly-by-night operator. Also, it's an event that happened a few years ago and this post was sitting in the 'Draft' folder for a long time.</i><br /><br />I’m referring to 5 Days and 4 Nights that were spent in the hospital, while my mother underwent neurosurgery for an extreme case of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trigeminal_neuralgia">Trigeminal Neuralgia</a>. She’s doing fine now, but the tabs were not helping her stay active. She needed to rest for at least 15 hours a day! Anyway, my stay at the hospital (as her caretaker/attendee) was filled with loads of tension, anxiety and extremely high levels of hyper-tension, while she was undergoing surgery. I read an entire book in about 4-5hours (can't even remember the name right now) and a ton of help from my wife kept me from going into a hysterical black-hole.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br />So, I did eventually manage to keep calm and in fact had a lot of lessons to learn from the hospital staff. They were <b><i>efficiency in motion! </i></b><b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><b>Lesson #1: Keep your cool!</b><br /><br />The doctors, nurses and every single paramedic in the Operation Theatre, ICU and wards displayed calmness during the entire surgery. I did get to see the video of the surgery, to re-assure and also to keep me informed about the procedure. They had to keep their cool. And hold their nerve with tons of patience. After all, the patient’s life was in their hands. Literally!<br /><br />Anxiety kills half your brain-cells, or atleast it dulls the senses enough to not think clearly. I’m sure your role as HR could involve hiring, firing, conducting appraisals, employee relations, HR ops and loads more. Phew! This makes you feel swamped with work! Just imagine, if your next move involved saving a person’s life and you froze. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">Here’s what I learnt – take on one issue at a time. Multi-tasking is great, but even that needs a priority list to be prepared before you get into the task. A cool head is what helps you get that list straight and with enough room for flexibility. For example, retention of employees should be a higher priority than planning a replacement for them. Unless they are let-go for either integrity issues or poor performance. It’s a no-brainer, right?<br /><br /><b>Lesson #2: Timely Communication is <i>MANDATORY</i>!</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><b> </b><br />At the hospital, I’d spent a considerable amount of time outside the Operation Theatre and ICU waiting for the doctor to come and update me on the medical situation. The waiting time was filled with anticipation and nervousness. Thankfully, he did come with an update on time.<br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";">I suppose it’s the same at your workplace too. Right? Honestly, there will be queries around Performance Appraisal, Employee Referral, Company Policies and Practices, Salary Structure, Employee Benefits and more (see you are swamped with work!) Hold on! Don’t panic. Either you DO know the answers to all the queries (not likely) or you DON’T know. If you do know, then you’ll answer (hopefully on time) to the query. If you know the answer and are still NOT responding to the query on time, time to re-look at your style of working.<br /><br />The trouble actually starts when you don’t know the answer. You get a query from an employee via mail/call/in-person, for which you don’t know the answer. What to do next? Unable to think through it, you sit on the query for many days without doing anything about it. Meanwhile, the employee who had to fill the appraisal waited and sent an incomplete one which is going to impact the review. It’s an extreme case, but nonetheless, it did happen. If you DON’T know the answer, let the person know. Ask for time to get back (be practical in taking time) and then come back to ask your manager or other team members, but get that query answered – <b>ON TIME</b>. More importantly, it's perfectly okay to ask for help.<br /><br /><b>Lesson #3: Think and Act</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><b> </b><br />More often than not, we do have a tendency to “jump-the-gun” while solving problems! It’s good, after all having a bias-for-action is appreciated. However, a little discretion never hurts, while deciding the course of action. <b><i>THINK & ACT!</i></b> Is it easier said than done? You bet!<br /><br />Fire-fighting is a tough skill. Combine that with some strategic thinking and you’ll get yourself a killer-combo!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms";"><br />The best lessons are learnt in the most unlikeliest of places. Mine just happened to be in a hospital…</span></div>
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The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-28468295003533732352017-01-08T10:49:00.002+05:302017-01-08T14:59:07.489+05:30Four books that one MUST read in 2017<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are book lists and then there are books that change your life.<br />
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Here are 4 books that I'm sure will have a positive impact on the reader.<br />
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<b> P.S: </b>I'll share my thoughts on each book, but if you've already read them, do share your takeaways as well. </div>
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The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-49804832266007037792017-01-03T13:58:00.003+05:302017-01-03T14:02:04.465+05:30Happy New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwFcgk7APfgJHqjHIQUp1HYmFOlWG2vJYEArt8L4nLiwgUW9-ENYBh8UOIJg9qZODfWpKSeJcxB1oZioZyc5g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The video might be a distraction, it's also a sign that most times we are focusing on the easy targets. Like sending a mass mail to candidates, WhatsApp'ing a common wish to everyone on your contact list, or even worse not doing anything at all. Everything is a choice.<br />
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May 2017 be the year where you take the <i>leap-of-faith </i>to:<br />
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- develop an attitude that will get shit done<br />
- be ever so optimistic that you'll work on an idea even if it has a 20% chance of working<br />
- bring candor to every discussion<br />
- keep the faith in people around you<br />
- make 'Trust' your defacto mode in day-to-day work<br />
- not shy away from failing <br />
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Everything is a choice. Make yours count!<br />
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Happy New Year!</div>
The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-21802987250570952222016-12-27T16:53:00.003+05:302016-12-27T16:53:30.254+05:305 years, 7 months, 15 days...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wow! It's been a long time and there's this thing called the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writer's_block">writer's block</a>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Well, the past few years have been truly amazing on the personal and professional front. It's kept me so freakin' busy that I almost forgot that I used to write here.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I truly hope that I find the inspiration in 2017 to write about all that I've learned these past few years.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Wishing you and your family Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cheers!</span></span></div>
The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-42406622012034045392011-05-12T17:52:00.000+05:302011-05-14T02:10:34.650+05:30Managers, clones and hiring<p>Have you ever experienced an interview where managers are looking at hiring candidates that are clones/replica of themselves? And then you get back from the discussion wondering if it was for a role that you didn’t fit into. Or, you got hired for a role that held much more promise than the one you eventually got.<br /><br />It’s not an uncommon scenario. The easiest way for a manager to conquer the hiring heights is to look for candidates that match the job description 100% and yet would bring in a bit more competency to the table. It’s an ideal scenario that has, less ramp-up time, good fit and most importantly easy to manage. They’re easy to manage (or at least so it seems) because they already know what needs to be done. Zero conflict situation. Perfect.<br /><br />Except that they are far too many issues that will crop up in due course of time. That’s when the ‘safe’ managers will take a hit. Imagine a situation where the product needs a new roadmap to be defined and everyone at the table thinks alike! Breaking news: The product just got killed.<br /><br /><em>What should you do if you are a manager stuck in this hiring situation?</em> First and most importantly, don’t benchmark candidates against the last person in that role. Treat each candidate’s competency differently. Assess your current team’s strength and hire to fix gaps. Be prepared to accept new perspectives. Give the candidate some room to learn things in the role. Finally, be ready to take risks (at least the calculated ones) as a manager. If you can’t, then ask yourself if you are in the right role.<br /><br /><em>What should you do if you are a candidate stuck in this situation?</em> You were promised a meatier role, but ended up in a role that’s identical to your last job. It’s time to communicate with your manager. Understand the duration of your current responsibilities in the role. If it’s for a fixed duration, then ask for a timeline to start taking on more/newer things. I’m quite sure there’s no manager (in their right senses) that would say ‘No’ to a team member asking to take on work. If the answer is no, the responsibilities will continue for an indefinite time, it’s a call you need to take. Are you willing to continue or move on?</p>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-73410426394820378442011-04-15T17:09:00.000+05:302011-04-15T17:11:50.150+05:30Can I tag along for an interview?<p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">I got this question at a discussion forum with friends.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt;">Can I tag along for an interview?</span></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i><span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 10pt;">Adding a little more context to the question; the person asking the question comes with a background of approx 5-6 years of work experience and has been on the look out for a another job for the last few months. He hasn’t yet received a call from any prospective employer. Another person in the forum got an interview call with a company for a job that matches the original poster’s profile. This wasn’t a walk-in interview. It was a scheduled one. Should he just tag along with his friend?</span></i></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The short & quick answer is – <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">No</span></b>. Please don’t tag along with your friend for an interview.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Now, here’s a bit more explanation. There are at least three different sets of people involved in this situation. In order of priority: <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Your friend</span></i>. <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Company/Firm</span></i>. <i><span style="font-style: italic;">Yourself</span></i>.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">First, let’s take your friend’s situation. He’s might have known you long enough and doesn’t want to end up saying ‘No’ (which he ideally should say). Yet, you are putting him on the spot by asking to tag along. It’s his interview call and let him go for it. The best you can get from your friend would be the mail ID of either the recruiter or hiring manager to send your resume. Tagging along would put him and yourself in an awkward situation at the interview.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Second, let’s see the company perspective. Yes, they would love to talk to another candidate, but it’ll have to be on another day too. This just happened to be a ‘scheduled’ interview. It means that time and effort of the interview panel was planned. They definitely can’t accommodate another unplanned candidate into their schedule. They’ll ask you to send your updated resume to them for consideration. Save yourself and them the trouble and wait for your friend to get back from the interview.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family: arial;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Finally, from your perspective, this is a great opportunity. Agreed. But you’ll end up messing the opportunity it if you tag along. Typically, companies would like to review a candidate’s resume before they initiate a discussion. And possibly even have a telephonic discussion before meeting you in-person. That hasn’t happened in your case, they’ll have to say ‘No’ to you.</span></span></p>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-24839616597377286692011-03-25T12:18:00.004+05:302011-03-25T12:34:54.494+05:30Candidate Tip - Part 10<span style="font-family:arial;">I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with the intent to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was also introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on </span><a href="http://twitter.com/thehrstore"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;"><strong>my twitter account</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> too, and use the hash-tag </span><a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23candidatetip"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;"><strong>#candidatetip</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to </span><a href="mailto:thehrstore@gmail.com"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;"><strong>thehrstore@gmail.com</strong></span></a><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them </span><a href="http://thehrstore.blogspot.com/search?q=candidate+tip"><span style="font-family:arial;">here</span></a><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span><a title="#candidatetip" href="http://twitter.com/#%21/search?q=%23candidatetip"></a><span style="font-family:arial;"><ol><li>Putting your spouse's contact number on your resume isn't a great idea. Recruiter's would want to talk to the candidate.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Not a good idea to place an interviewer 'on-hold' during an interview. And not return to the call even after 5 mins! Enough reason to reject.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Words like 'hyper-active' don't sound great on your cover letter. You may want to rephrase.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Using wi-fi connectivity during interviews is fine. Just don’t get hooked to it and forget the very reason for being there.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Use your name as the file/doc name for your CV. Eg: <name>.doc/.pdf. Names like 'Cool Boy', 'HR Bull', 'Chosen One' sound insane!</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>If you're referred by a friend for a job at the company he works, let him know you'll meet him after the interview. Stay focused.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Avoid using acronyms in interviews. Else, first give context and then use it. Saying BRX, MNJ, XYZ means nothing to anyone outside your current company. Explain it.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>It's ok to follow-up with the recruiter/hiring manager on the status of your interview. A couple of mails should be fine. Don’t go over-board. If they still don’t reply, you wouldn’t want to work for them</li>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>It's not a good sign when you want re-negotiate the job offer after you’ve accepted it. Think.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Take time. Read. Re-read. Ask questions. And only then say ‘Yes’.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>It's ok to ask the hiring manager a few questions on his/her style of management. You'll know if it works for you or not.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Try to not change your contact number(s) in the middle of an interview process. If you really have to change it, keep the recruiter informed.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>It's not a great idea to take another interview on phone, while you wait in the lobby for the present one to start! Not. A. Good. Idea.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Coming from a competitor definitely gives you an edge, but you still need to ace the interviews. Take nothing for granted!</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Aggressiveness is an asset. Don't demonstrate by hitting the discussion table, to make ur point! It's not the same trait.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><li>Getting a presentation to an interview is fine. Just don't force it on the interviewer; unless it was asked of you.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><li>If you're invited for an interview outside the employer's office, it's your call whether to want to take it there or not.</li></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"><li>Good hiring managers look for two must-have things in managerial candidates: (1) Emotional Quotient (2) Intelligence Quotient. Go prepared.</li></ol></span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-55126699921566983232011-03-23T20:07:00.003+05:302011-03-23T20:16:29.325+05:30Things to do in your notice period...<span style="font-family:arial;"><ul><li>Plan, document and share a list with things that you will to complete during your notice period.<br /><li>Prepare a manual that captures everything that your team or manager might require in your absence.<br /><li>Documentation would help your colleagues to deal with things in your absence or at least till they identify your successor.<br /><li>If you have some time to spare, volunteer to help out colleagues with their work.<br /><li>Help your manager with the process of identifying your successor. Even helping with interviews would suffice.<br /><li>Be ready to take calls or mails (for atleast a week) from your manager/team member asking for your help while your successor/manager works through the transition period.</li></ul></li></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Take a minute and re-read the points above. To be honest, you would want your team member or peer or even your manager to do these things during their notice period! It’s always good to leave on good terms with an employer. Getting good references are one part of the deal. The other part, and the important part, will be if you cross paths with your manager/peer in the future, they’ll be more than happy to recommend you to be hired.<br /><strong><u></u></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong> <u>OR</u></strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><ul><li>Walk in late to work everyday.<br /><li>Don’t care a damn about the remaining work in the project. Someone else will clean your mess. No?<br /><li>Delay sending your reports and don’t get on any conference call(s).<br /><li>Don’t agree to take on more work, after all you’ve resigned. How can they allot new/more work to you? Absolutely crazy, no?<br /><li>Spend a ton of time on social networking sites.<br /><li>Delete everything from your mailbox. Everything.<br /><li>Send a farewell mail ranting about everything from the a/c, cafeteria, and size of your cubicle and color of the walls!</li></ul></li></span><span style="font-family:arial;">And before you actually exit the company; you can be rest assured that you’ve burnt enough bridges to last a lifetime. Even worse, you could be at the receiving end of such treatment at a later stage in your career. Ever thought about that? Maybe, it’s time.</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-18258531534047520862011-03-04T19:29:00.003+05:302011-03-04T19:39:26.450+05:30Wow!<span style="font-family:arial;">Last weekend, my wife & I had been to Pizza Hut for dinner. Oh yes, Pizza is considered dinner when you don’t have too many options. We got to our table and were given the menu card to place an order. All along the guy serving us was doing everything that was expected of his job; attentive, polite, courte, well-mannered and multi-tasking. All along he was a good listener and kept up with the pace in the place. We got served some tasty pizza and then came the surprise of the evening! Time for the check/bill. No, I’m not going to complain about the cost or taxes or any such thing…go ahead and have a look at the bill.</span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /></span></p><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 135px; display: block; height: 357px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580224521425393618" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZr_JM8sJlCBIBFLHL3Ur2eyPmpd-txeAnuv6XI_rOrhsXUDsoauglsiwDtcG8T4UWQH5cuCbEzVo92RVFRn7E1dUDJwIkaYrQMIMz_TkjKZR4ZXXK8sXWt6pqg_7A-fF3BgTAnyIT-Mi0/s320/Pizza+Hut.JPG" border="0" />Wow! Just. Wow. This was absolutely wonderful and it’s got a personal touch. To be honest, this happened the second time around (last time was a few months back). Hence, it deserves this time and space on the blog!<br /><br /><strong><em>Are you a manager wondering how to identify top talent within your team?</em></strong><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">This display of ‘wow’ right here should act as an example. There were at least 8 other people serving tables at the place. Among them this was a stand-out performance. He didn’t need to do anything different, rather was not required of his role to do anything different. Yet, he chose to go the extra mile, take the extra step and deliver awesome customer experience.</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-25376916695016049432011-02-27T14:00:00.003+05:302011-02-28T20:34:36.694+05:30Dream Company or Dream Job?<span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Here’s the scenario:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>You’ve heard the company and researched a lot about them too. It’s the company that you’ve dreamt of from the day you got into college. You’ve been waiting for a chance to interview with them ever since. Now, they’ve called you for an interview! You’re totally thrilled and expect them to put you into a role that you had in mind. You’ve cleared the interviews and got yourself a job offer. Based on the interview evaluations, they deemed you fit for another role. Unfortunately, it’s for a role that doesn’t interest you. However, it’s your <strong>Dream Company</strong>. What do you next?<br /></em><br />Should you take the role because it’s in your dream company? And wait for them to give you the desired role at a later stage? Or should you focus on your career and the role that you want to get into? It might be with another company.<br /><br />It really isn’t a tough decision, if you know what would keep you going. Typically, the idea of a dream job evolves over a period of time, even leading to major changes in your career path. Have you watched </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MasterChef_Australia"><strong><span style="font-family:arial;">MasterChef</span></strong></a><span style="font-family:arial;">, the cookery show? Most of the contestants come from diverse career backgrounds and their passion – cooking is something they do at home. I wonder if they knew when they started their careers, whatever they studied for, would eventually lead them to becoming chefs?!?<br /><br />Sorry, I digress!<br /><br />Coming back to the dilemma (if we can call it that) at hand. The truth about careers is that once you choose a particular area of interest, you start investing your time and effort into that role. Before you know it, you start getting slotted as a specialist. So, effectively every day at work you are digging deeper into that particular role. It isn’t necessarily wrong, since you are increasing your chances of getting a better offer in your “dream role”. It’s more like spreading your net wider in the industry. It’ll open up newer avenues. There’ll be more companies interested in your profile, rather than just one specific dream company. In this mode, you’re chasing a specific goal; single-minded approach to being the best available talent in a particular area of work. It will no longer be about the company, it will be everything about you…and your job profile.<br /><br />On the other hand, what if you choose your dream company irrespective of the role? I can only speak from experience; that at some point in time the dissatisfaction of the wrong role will begin to have negative effects. Think about it, eight to ten hours in a company that gives you awesome benefits, perks, salary and a role that isn’t interesting! On the contrary, you’d be getting lucky or may even be noticed for potential role match in your dream company. I guess that’s a minority. Maybe it’s just my own perspective. You might have your own thought process.<br /><br />Bottom line, I would place my bet on people who work on increasing their chances of gaining knowledge and expertise in a particular field. Rather than opt to work for a dream company, which might require compromises in the role.<br /><br />What’s your take?</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-67234869281791713472011-02-07T22:13:00.032+05:302011-02-28T20:59:13.930+05:30Why do employees quit?<p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Author: <strong>Balaji </strong>is on 'The HR Store' with his second guest post. (<a href="http://thehrstore.blogspot.com/2010/10/guest-post-remote-management-and.html"><strong><span style="font-size:85%;color:#3333ff;">You can read his first guest post here</span></strong></a>). In this post, he brings his global/multi-geographical managerial experience to answer:</span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em><span style="font-size:130%;">Why do employees quit?</span></em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;">Read on to know the major reasons...</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJw0Vt584qiOlUMOVZK6cPUBldJ6txgYYBlKaCzgbqkefFw-I_c9trPZpY6bDDtvwR9Us9BZAWsrGe_3V_jSlyaT9vT1EvitJUrLcfO17aSxaKtxDDe4uSYVQEAfr9ASxEEFM5i9UMUtLk/s1600/I+Quit.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 114px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570990712701856562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJw0Vt584qiOlUMOVZK6cPUBldJ6txgYYBlKaCzgbqkefFw-I_c9trPZpY6bDDtvwR9Us9BZAWsrGe_3V_jSlyaT9vT1EvitJUrLcfO17aSxaKtxDDe4uSYVQEAfr9ASxEEFM5i9UMUtLk/s200/I+Quit.JPG" /></a>There are tons of articles written and tons more on what to do if you think its time to leave your job! Owing to my experience of working with people at various leadership roles and having a fairly large and diverse set of teams over the years, here are the reasons I've uncovered as to why some one would want to leave a job. And a small quirk on what to do in those situations..... not in any particular order... the order of these points seem to be different for different folks... it is the idealogy of what is more important to you at that point in time when you took the decision! </span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><strong>I'm not really excited to come to the office on a Monday morning and am desperately waiting for the weekend</strong></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrUNHOsnesZY42Hf2pYUH_aeejYtvfTafoIEh0F-EDIyDhEBnxa4cZxtj0XrEuVjDK8KPTiTkAIUobgfTw8A6oQXvf2-YR9DBC5qpkzTDUgZucjRBB-bhO0WJ2vC2-tX3_iooV7MLUBVC/s1600/mondays.gif"><strong><span style="font-family:Arial;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 192px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 106px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570991121306015042" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrUNHOsnesZY42Hf2pYUH_aeejYtvfTafoIEh0F-EDIyDhEBnxa4cZxtj0XrEuVjDK8KPTiTkAIUobgfTw8A6oQXvf2-YR9DBC5qpkzTDUgZucjRBB-bhO0WJ2vC2-tX3_iooV7MLUBVC/s200/mondays.gif" /></span></strong></a></p><p align="left">Try and spend some time to figure out what is the real reason for your lack of motivation. Did something your supervisor said tick you off? Or did the PYT opposite cube reject your advances? Really. That’s reason enough for someone to quit! It’s happened.<br />What ever be the reason, be mature about it and realize that a similar situation can arise in your new work environment as well! If you are able to tackle it now, then you will be clear in your actual intent of searching for a new job!<br /><br /><strong>The company I work for is not known in the industry!</strong><br />One of the companies I worked for in the initial segment of my career had an impressive clientele a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0qhqDubuG8hKnv1hGF_tjWaB5F-_i6Ia1HjGic7eDWCn1IVIMeUKvSPIstwGVyREPdlzw9GzD6zA0GjgWRxHxJ4IQTRKHV00ap_juUfcubb4kV8DdlertyEzDyGGxJH2OxUmx4cQS_XG/s1600/top-5-ceo-180.jpg"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 177px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 109px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570991554505844098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT0qhqDubuG8hKnv1hGF_tjWaB5F-_i6Ia1HjGic7eDWCn1IVIMeUKvSPIstwGVyREPdlzw9GzD6zA0GjgWRxHxJ4IQTRKHV00ap_juUfcubb4kV8DdlertyEzDyGGxJH2OxUmx4cQS_XG/s200/top-5-ceo-180.jpg" /></span></a>nd interesting projects to work on. The company was not well-known; it was a startup. These kinds of companies, according to me, are the best places to begin your career! The startup companies in their intent to establish themselves might not be willing to pay well enough for talent, but are more than willing to elevate/promote someone internally at a later time. Also, start-ups let you unleash your creativity in the craziest of ways and really get away with it, in the name of experimentation and learning.</p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Am I making enough money?</p></strong><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn2gAN0OT6FmXttQ1fSCzHbTBplTmxXOrKYJh8qIVE-fd6gKnDfrH26sE25YspWgXmyy1vns9CvARAx50uZEr6t4iUP_WNM0J3vj2VeVrYf__iyJUUbQUK5_JPaNz6jz_1Oc8Vv58d82z/s1600/bag_of_money.png"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 106px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 154px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570991829659570658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn2gAN0OT6FmXttQ1fSCzHbTBplTmxXOrKYJh8qIVE-fd6gKnDfrH26sE25YspWgXmyy1vns9CvARAx50uZEr6t4iUP_WNM0J3vj2VeVrYf__iyJUUbQUK5_JPaNz6jz_1Oc8Vv58d82z/s200/bag_of_money.png" /></a> This is a very situational and sometimes tricky situation to deal with. If you put your resume to pasture and got nabbed by some one paying an insanely huge amount (in comparison to your current paycheck) to have you on board... it sounds too good to be true... it most probably is true! But, if you have niche skills which actually got you a job that pays well, you should either negotiate with your existing company (providing you are not peeved with them totally) - remember the big fish small pond idiom? OR just take the new job and move on! Just don't burn any bridges! Do remember to keep your finances in check and have the ability to plan and project your expected earning requirement (for your planned expenses) - sounds tough, doesn't it?<br /></p><strong></strong><p align="left"><strong>Do my opinions count at work?</p></strong><p align="left"></p><p align="left">You w<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYfVFYi-7Vptq4yZK6_DL9kzn0YzkGfco5Yn03poZkq0BhMBg9uPBCSUlmB7s8cpKCje9-72Xix40W1bDR4Q48mIMzBXRcINMxAth_YqJ0zyC_HCGIviMfLrmVccI9r5rUiHdTwWrwCDo/s1600/opinion.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 120px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 130px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570992292652485010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYfVFYi-7Vptq4yZK6_DL9kzn0YzkGfco5Yn03poZkq0BhMBg9uPBCSUlmB7s8cpKCje9-72Xix40W1bDR4Q48mIMzBXRcINMxAth_YqJ0zyC_HCGIviMfLrmVccI9r5rUiHdTwWrwCDo/s200/opinion.jpg" /></a>ould be surprised at how many people gripe that their opinion does not count, their voice is not heard and that they are just a part of a team! In this day and age of communication and openness, voicing your opinions actually mean a lot! Try and communicate during group meetings and brainstorming sessions. </p><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><strong></strong></p><p align="left"><strong></strong></p><p align="left"><strong></strong></p><p align="left"><strong>Am I at the cutting edge?</p></strong></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><p align="left"></strong>This is a constant question which a lot of folks face, given the constant changing face and pace of the current job market! There are several scenarios here....are you in a position where your skills <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL9lm9RLbRvcnUuAn4keApL65S3gBrR0qKXHbjxrwdolJw23kfqk4anw566NsheaTCNsGCxj2sPXXU6xrIxnFsWQ3RkEi7M-AZEmPNbmM2y9F-YLmF1al8nddI8_ZOyt3L6LEbY25rKCI/s1600/the_cutting_edge_1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 165px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570992900025529378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL9lm9RLbRvcnUuAn4keApL65S3gBrR0qKXHbjxrwdolJw23kfqk4anw566NsheaTCNsGCxj2sPXXU6xrIxnFsWQ3RkEi7M-AZEmPNbmM2y9F-YLmF1al8nddI8_ZOyt3L6LEbY25rKCI/s200/the_cutting_edge_1.jpg" /></a>are not being used to the max? Are you working on something irrelevant, or having too much time on your hands? Then it is time to either have a talk with your supervisor or if you've already done that, evaluate your options and maybe its time to move on! If you are in a position where you constantly feel left out of the technical aspects of the work, you either need to upgrade yourself to the need of the project you are engaged in, or move to a different project/job where your current skills are in demand.</p><p align="left"></span><span style="font-family:arial;">There will come a point in your career where you will need to make a decision whether you want to continue down the technical path - which will be a constant technical skill upgrades <strong><em><u>OR </u></em></strong>move into a different career path - say management. Again... management positions are not everyone's cup of tea. There is a fine balance between technical knowhow (not necessarily the technical skill required to complete a project), people management, politics and diplomacy. Work with your supervisor to use external facilities for getting trained in the required skills or you could even check you’re your internal training department.</span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>Is there a Career path?</p></strong></span><p align="left"></p><p align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMnSem-R3eS9kb6aPlsFC3BXuoyPLIoxOw33DTTCAWqyEgz1dd0X5D9RlBIH0na1U1ApD5oj6M4YsPSqkt1Vraio55Z-MA1Bit04odjLc-g3QSsvuNOcvjdW-oxlL9sL9iOldiPHsEucO/s1600/path+to+success1.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 155px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 129px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570993450696623122" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMnSem-R3eS9kb6aPlsFC3BXuoyPLIoxOw33DTTCAWqyEgz1dd0X5D9RlBIH0na1U1ApD5oj6M4YsPSqkt1Vraio55Z-MA1Bit04odjLc-g3QSsvuNOcvjdW-oxlL9sL9iOldiPHsEucO/s200/path+to+success1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family:arial;">Defining a career path is as important for yourself as defining the route you will be taking while driving from point A to point B! If you do not define a career path for yourself, you are going with the flow, and not on your path! You may get lucky once in a while and land a plum position, but luck cannot keep you going forever, can it? When was the last time you've had a career path discussion with your supervisor and your HR? Part of your annual goals and objectives should be aligned towards your career path and assist you in attaining your personal career goals. If that is not happening, time to discuss with your supervisor.<br /><br />Though this is not a major reason to leave an organization, I have faced situations where there is role-stagnation and you've done everything you need do in the role. You might feel challenged. You know every curve ball that this job is going to throw at you! There is lack of interest in you to perform the role.<br /><br />We<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUH8GbBQuV2azmpL4Vc0bP5kL3Rmj1TVfKCdNosPUy3prEp_fPFCcGWQ5QD6l70W8N2Dk7Cm_qAc2M71Ra2fpgCAKYjDqoW9Y3Z_v5PSw0M_Hjv8YNjnZiqMpBcijOccBuZ8wXOQR2lwn/s1600/Attitude+Adjuster.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 223px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 127px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570996843599079986" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUH8GbBQuV2azmpL4Vc0bP5kL3Rmj1TVfKCdNosPUy3prEp_fPFCcGWQ5QD6l70W8N2Dk7Cm_qAc2M71Ra2fpgCAKYjDqoW9Y3Z_v5PSw0M_Hjv8YNjnZiqMpBcijOccBuZ8wXOQR2lwn/s200/Attitude+Adjuster.jpg" /></a> can go and find a multitude of reasons for wanting to leave a job and look for another, but the # 1 reason which a lot of HR folks state is that you don't leave an organization, but the company of people you work with! Which in a way is true.... it is the people who make up the organization. If you are unable to work with the people around you, look for the reasons, who knows, small changes may make an ocean of difference! Sometimes it may be an attitude adjustment.... <strong><u>in you</u></strong>!<br /><br />Do remember... a lot us are are working in a very competitive global environment now. No longer in a pl<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZpABsQSc3TrGd-H4Mj5lDv3Sn02RsTc1ARQY-0-exwfP6Sc_xBN5RcIau2MO6USMQsAWGPzo9A1sal0DN-3ZosYkvDHNp36xXtXTfS0RW9Xp5Cf9q_aVsL5eO8BmifMiMbrkcm1fkQ4T/s1600/success.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 147px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 95px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570993295673159666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZpABsQSc3TrGd-H4Mj5lDv3Sn02RsTc1ARQY-0-exwfP6Sc_xBN5RcIau2MO6USMQsAWGPzo9A1sal0DN-3ZosYkvDHNp36xXtXTfS0RW9Xp5Cf9q_aVsL5eO8BmifMiMbrkcm1fkQ4T/s200/success.jpg" /></a>um government job, where seniority automatically begets you a promotion - unless you are actually in a government job! If you are not smart enough, an opportunity, either internal or external, may pass by you before you know it! If you have considered all options and are all set to make the career move... make it smart, keep your options open and keep the relations with people intact!<br /><br /></p><p align="left"><strong><u>About the author</u></strong>:</p><p align="left"><a href="http://bkadambi.blogspot.com/2011/02/iquit.html"><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Balaji</span></strong></a> is a seasoned manager with global experience in the IT industry, spanning multiple service & business lines. He has worked with several multinational companies and is currently working in the PMO office of a global equipment pooling organization.</p></span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-16842326828230236882011-02-03T18:07:00.002+05:302011-02-03T18:11:27.335+05:30Interviews: Panel v/s One-to-one<span style="font-family:arial;"></span>
<br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, you’re ready for that all important interviews to begin and walk into the room…and you’ve walked into one of the two scenarios (or versions of it).</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></p></span><ul><li>You come face-to-face with an interview panel of 2-4 (or at time even more) people waiting to start the interview. </li>or,
<br /><li>You have one person waiting to start the interview.</li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;">Either way, it isn’t a choice that you were given. Instead, you’ll have to deal with it as it unfolds. Well, here’s the take on both sides of the story. Which would you prefer?
<br />
<br />Typically, panel interviews are practiced (or should be practiced) by companies with trained interviewers. It requires a set of people asking questions that aren’t redundant and focuses on evaluating different skills/topics. Since it involves more than one person asking varied questions, it’s perceived to be a lot tougher to focus. Yes, it’s difficult to gauge the pulse of everyone on the panel, but you can be assured that the final hiring call rests (or should rest) with the manager. We can argue that the panel interview saves time, cost, more focused and gives you an accurate decision/assessment. It also acts as a platform to train new interviewers. At the same time, it can be intimidating to the candidate, more stressful or might even confuse the candidate with different questions at the same time. More importantly, one can’t rule out the possibility of a dominant interviewer’s opinion affecting the hiring decision.
<br />
<br />The only way to ace a panel interview, like in other formats, is to go prepared and stay relaxed.
<br />
<br />On other hand, we have one-to-one interviews. It gives candidates enough time to answer each question systematically and in detail. It also gives the interviewer an opportunity to speak more openly and ask open-ended questions. More importantly, each discussion can be customized based on the candidate. It gives an opportunity for the hiring manager to evaluate the interviewer’s independent assessment of candidates. This takes away the bias of the ‘influencer’ in a panel interview. On the cons, it’s time consuming, costs are higher and the process is tedious.
<br />
<br />So, if you had the option to choose a type of interview, what would it be?
<br />
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<br /></noscript>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-81643772912632105442010-12-27T15:47:00.004+05:302010-12-27T22:49:07.868+05:30Things to leave off your resume!<p></p><ul><p></p><br /><p></p><li><strong>Links </strong>to your Facebook fan page, Twitter ID, blog (unless you manage a professional one for the business)</li><br /><li><strong>Quotes</strong> from references. Really! Your reference will be contacted at a later time and given sufficient time to talk about your candidature.</li><br /><li>Your <strong>photograph</strong>. Take it off, unless you’re asked explicitly to add one to your resume.</li><br /><li><strong>Confidential information </strong>from current employer, such as, links to your work that you’ve placed on a personal site (I’ve come across such a resume!)</li><br /><li><strong>Personal information</strong>: about your spouse (where he/she works, company name, etc.), kids or neighbor’s dogs.</li><br /><li>Leave the resume looking <strong>professional</strong>. Don’t jazz up the background or have a font that’s best used on a greeting card!</li><br /><li>Weird <strong>email ID’s</strong>. Here’s why: <a href="http://bit.ly/2UphZ6">http://bit.ly/2UphZ6</a></li><br /><li><strong>Redundant contact details</strong>. If you don’t want to be reached, then don’t send out the resume!</li><br /><li><strong>Abbreviations</strong>, <strong>acronyms </strong>and writing the entire resume in CAPS!</li></ul>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-32140163934206574522010-12-20T22:32:00.002+05:302010-12-20T22:35:24.418+05:30True Story: An act of generosity.<span style="font-family:arial;">This story completely moved me….<br /><br />A friend of my wife’s has come down to India to visit her ailing mother. Her mother has been diagnosed with cancer and fighting it for a while now. It’s really sad and painful to hear that her cancer is in the final stage. Our friend has been traveling to India quite frequently in the past year to be with her mother. The frequent traveling comes with its share of challenges. First, our friend has had to work across time-zones to complete her assignments on time. Second, she’s had to rely heavily on her colleagues to help her out.<br /><br />But here’s the part which really struck a cord with me. The constant travel back and forth to India resulted in her using the accumulated vacation time (or whatever was left of it). For the current travel of three weeks, she had to apply for leave with loss-of-pay (LOP). While she was contemplating the next steps, she discussed the LOP option with her manager. She also had to keep her team/colleagues informed accordingly to ensure that work doesn’t get disrupted. Understanding her dilemma, her team took a collective decision to transfer their vacation time to her account! Really. It’s a really big deal; <strong>they gave her their vacation time</strong>!<br /><br />It’s a gesture that’s very touching and she’s really grateful for being part of such a wonderful team.<br /><br />The firm, manager and team she works with need to be commended. I know of many companies that might not allow for such a thing to happen. HR policies and legal issues are often cited as reasons for denying requests. Yet, in this case the manager has taken a stand. It's a rarity.<br /><br />The bottom line, your current job may not be the best one out there. Your paycheck might not keep you happy. You may be traveling 25 miles one way to reach your office. And many more such reasons to look for the next job. But actions like this are rare and it’s one reason that’s worthy enough to stick around.<br /><br /><em>PS: Please keep her mother in your prayers today.</em></span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-3955537921920135482010-12-18T00:59:00.003+05:302010-12-18T01:02:55.233+05:30Candidate Tip - Part 9Few months back, I started the ‘Candidate Tip Series’ on this blog with an intention to answer recruitment related questions from readers. The series was introduced in an attempt to avoid redundancy in replies. I tweet these tips on <a href="http://twitter.com/thehrstore">my twitter account</a> too, and use <a href="http://twitter.com/search?q=%23candidatetip">#candidatetip</a> for the tips.<br /><br />If you are a candidate, hope this helps. If not, you can help send this post to people searching for answers. I’ll continue to take questions and should you have one, you can send it to <a href="mailto:thehrstore@gmail.com">thehrstore@gmail.com</a><br /><br />Looking for the earlier posts on candidate tips? You can read them <a href="http://thehrstore.blogspot.com/search?q=candidate+tip">here</a><br /><ol><br /><li>It's not a good idea to get your spouse to answer the phone, when an interviewer calls at a scheduled time. It's awkward!</li><br /><li>If you're sharing your LinkedIn profile as a resume, don't include your personal Twitter/Blog Link. <a href="http://bit.ly/aTLGfm">http://bit.ly/aTLGfm</a></li><br /><li>Think twice before you take a role that requires you to report to a friend.</li><br /><li>Why on earth would you want to put your sun-sign on your resume?! Beats me. Unless off course you're asked. That would be weird!</li><br /><li>There's no real benefit in adding a redundant/not-in-use LinkedIn link in your resume. Avoid it.</li><br /><li>Coming from a competitor definitely gives you an edge, but you still need to ace the interviews. Take nothing for granted!</li><br /><li>It's not a great idea to take another interview on phone, while you wait in the lobby for the present one to start!</li><br /><li>Try to not change your contact number(s) in the middle of an interview process. If you have to, keep the recruiter informed.</li><br /><li>Yes, your spouse might be a financial analyst/genius., but the job offer and its components will only be discussed with you!</li><br /><li>It's ok to ask the hiring manager a few questions on his/her style of management. You'll know if it works for you or not.</li><br /><li>Your colleague(s) might be leaving the team, but it isn't a reason for you to look for a job change! Unless the entire project/program is canned.</li><br /><li>It's not a good sign when you want re-negotiate after having already accepted the job offer. Think, ask questions and then say yes.</li></ol>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-61640969753785984062010-11-09T21:17:00.015+05:302010-11-10T12:19:58.403+05:30Spotted a tiger in the wild! Awesome.<span style="font-family:arial;">Our safari in the </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandipur_National_Park"><strong><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-family:arial;" >Bandipur</span></strong></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> forest was turning out to be a damp squib. We were almost 50-60 kms into the forest and had spotted a few bisons, elephants, deer, stags and a few other animals th</span><span style="font-family:arial;">at are rather common in this forest. It was almost 6:30pm on a cold October evening and the sun was setting real fast. The tracker and driver had given up hope of spotting a cat that late in the evening. Maybe, it was even fear that we were in <em>their territory</em>, that got us to start the return journey. The clouds were getting darker and rain looked imminent. Darn!<br /></span><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537618036522642738" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXuEUGuRdMggUD3nV7fVwWHVpUG4EwiCvIhI8cSN8QQjUR5mEoJM7To16tyTcT5vepRQO0BVDyWmP2ouyFQKMWhwHVSq0YdeolAYbwikBIJRsps6IJ6Ucna3S7G1IRA-p1uLOnfX9u5fYb/s320/DSCN4630.JPG" border="0" /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;">We had given up our search for the evening, and just then the forest went completely silent. Pin-drop silence. The birds stoppped chirping, the owl stopped hooting, the deer ran into the forest and the monkeys started making a weird noise. The tracker sat upright! And then, we all saw what we were hoping & waiting for; a bright orange colored animal saunt</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkbg86MJnE6MC9_8ChIIPFD3rs05-YBBtirpVW72Xpp2WUINAQyytkafp4ZVx81ZUeC_LmAdSSbc-9sgbmuHNzBmgnFMgstPU4o6hho0w5iBPmxBSaT6EM7DJAOAZFDDijokufo1EwyFbt/s1600/Tiger2-6068.jpg"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">er in front of us! We were within 10 meters of a <strong>TIGER</strong>! A REAL TIGER! In the wild! The look on our faces at that very moment was that of of anticipation, excitement, fear & awe. Definitely more of awe.</span></p><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 213px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537618760192738178" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvdOol-W0UbPmaIMoi-zDDxJ0oQpUh15sSAP0U05aBYMjqOnk48Fd51hTEbEv6gjczqsPZdzxhS-QloCAQ2qq2aI7bZFSI41zACu242-3cr3FWOnp_nUrkB5p0kWC2wHSX8Imqcy5g9dd/s320/Tiger2-6068.jpg" border="0" /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Surprisingly , the tiger wasn't that shy. It walked right on the trail for the next kilometer or so, until it decided that it was done posing around for us. It then headed off into the jungle and then... the rain came down.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;">The purpose of our safari was done and it was time for us to head back. And as we drove away chattering nineteen to a dozen about what we saw, what we experienced; it was about a millionth of what we could capture on the screen of our camera! To say it was awesome, would definitely be an understatement.</span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 213px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537618285408409298" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikfCOXkvdf4Fyi2pJCOYkEhBnPhyphenhyphen__8lg6Pj4EEI2BjKikzqLX9QBZ6c3yElivkNrEz5cE0rZJy6nnVMP_r91kbRbbTCH7zhwXaUsDYKOydIBa3KuvYlT37nHOhQwsxYDjgCXTb3EMXMiW/s320/Tiger1-6067.jpg" border="0" /> </span><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;">The safari was worth every minute of the 3 hrs spent traveling into the jungle and back. There was no better way to end the trip, </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinLMFMRJF9dwtyxGFdicdNdgs4T-YHHjtYeEEtaj1zzyfgPB99bfyxe-E8te-CzbHphDUx_fX6OSmRPJsZ6uvBdIKpccuIXZsQxssOJUYWWxZ5kcnDVjKzs33QrjZwCjq1Ku5hERQwZkOB/s1600/DSCN4689.JPG"></a><span style="font-family:arial;">than to spot a herd of elephants & its calves on the way back home. This will truly will be one journey that <em></em>I won't forget any time soon.</span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img style="text-align: center; margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 320px; display: block; height: 240px;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5537618769370437138" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsVviHzNPJsB_janqaY8UfzO0MmvB7o_dQ44-9OfeNzGi4BrtqwK02diKYZOS15ufmpjwsF9mL-z7i5X69NGobqGm3j-xT6ydbSeMEu3CD1DKWI6XZjNOoWdsIAj-3BU6o3WW6TOwtu0ou/s320/DSCN4689.JPG" border="0" /><br /></span><div></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><strong><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></strong></em></div><div><em><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong>PS:</strong> You<strong> </strong>might have noticed, this post has nothing related to HR. I'm not even inclined to draw an analogy from the safari. Except for the thought that there's life outside of work and it's worth exploring.</span></em></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><strong><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" ></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style=";font-family:arial;font-size:78%;" >** Please note that the images of the tiger are the sole property of Praveen Siddannavar.</span></strong></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-84844296580545179302010-10-27T00:54:00.005+05:302010-10-27T16:01:45.541+05:30High Salary + Wrong Job = Failed Offer<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:donotrelyoncss/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Truly, that’s one mathematical equation which never fails. It’s stood the test of time and has come out winning each time. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Often I get questions around whether one should take an offer which they aren’t convinced is good enough for them on the work front. But the compensation was so high that they were forced (by their own mind) to reconsider the offer. Only to realize that six months later, they’re stuck with a job which they were better off not taking up. What went wrong?</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"></span><b style=""><i style=""><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:10pt;" >Should you even worry if you got paid an exorbitant amount of salary that was way above others in the market?</span></i></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Well, anything in the extreme spectrum (too good or too bad) is often unbalanced. Maybe, just <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">maybe</span></i>, there a good chance that you were <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">the</span></i> best there is for the role. Really. It’s possible. However, an employer might tend to pay high since they couldn’t find anyone to join them for a particular role. They then met a person (you) who came closest to matching their requirements. They went all out to get you onboard. The <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">high price</span></i> definitely had its own pull.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Either that happened, or the role might not have enough meat in it to attract top-notch talent. And keep them motivated.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">This might sound fascinating or even confusing for people reading this, <i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;">how could one not be happy in a job that pays so well?</span></i> To be honest, that’s really the short-term plan kicking-in. Ever wondered what would happen if you were to look for another job? First, your current compensation will be way above what other employers can pay for a similar skill. You could really just scare them away! Second, your resume will have a quick job change listed on it, possibly weakening it a bit.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><i style=""><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:10pt;" >So, what should one do if confronted with this situation?</span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">You could ask to tweak the compensation structure, if possible/allowed. The structure could help you keep the salary just about competitive enough to beat the market. While the remaining part of the compensation can be used for other benefits, such as, bonuses, stock options, travel/book/car/fuel allowance or work from home benefits with necessary equipment for the home-office.</span></span></p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:donotrelyoncss/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:snaptogridincell/> <w:wraptextwithpunct/> <w:useasianbreakrules/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:browserlevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style=";font-family:Arial;font-size:10pt;" >Finally, if salary is the ONLY deciding factor in an offer, you may want to think again. Keep your options open and you could get a well-balanced offer in your hands. Most importantly, you’ll need an offer that wouldn't jeopardize your long-term plans.<br /><br />Good luck!</span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"></span></span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-30285093091923125962010-10-21T20:24:00.004+05:302010-10-21T20:37:10.673+05:30Guest Post: Remote management and telecommuting with a global team<span style="font-family:arial;">Author: <strong>Balaji</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Several years back when I first visited the US, I heard about the concept of remote management and telecommuting. Not to sound all cheesy, but the first picture I got, was from the movie - Johnny Mnemonic (</span><a href="http://mimg.ugo.com/201005/44867/mnemmonic.jpg"><span style="font-family:arial;color:#3333ff;">http://mimg.ugo.com/201005/44867/mnemmonic.jpg</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;">). My initial reaction was, how can you work like that? You do not have any direct interaction with your team, you do not have someone breathing down your neck (literally) and yet, you’ve got to get work done while you’re seated at a remote location!<br /><br />Well, several years forward, this is exactly what I'm doing. With several innovations in technology, that’s cheaper, faster, better internet and telecom access, with client locations all over the globe and with supervisors not interested in shelling out for "relocation"; telecommuting has become the new mantra for cost savings. Think about it, rather than having a manager for every location, have the team/s report to one manager, globally. Let the manager remote manage the teams and travel only when needed - for high level meetings, client interaction, quarterly/yearly all-hands meeting, etc. Daily discussions and updates can be done via teleconference calls and video conference calls. Give the manager an incentive to work from home (or typically known as telecommuting) and you have a winner.<br /><br /><strong>Here is what the company gets in return:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">No more wasted office property on one more person - this equates to a big number. Reason - electricity, infrastructure, cubicle (office space), parking (majority of companies share office spaces and have to pay for the parking), office space, coffee, snacks, transport.... you name it! All of which is additional expense, sometimes ranging in big bucks, is a pretty tempting lure to the office to tempt the office worker to work remotely!<br /><br />I have personally seen instances where companies have offered monetary incentives to employee(s) who were not required to be present in the office, to work from home! And believe me when I say this - the office was a ghost town the next month and the company successfully released three floors from their office building, back to the owner. Talk about savings!<br /><br /><strong>What’s in it for you?</strong><br /></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><ul><li>Work @ your own pace - as long as you deliver to the deadlines!</li><li>The only person you have breathing over your neck is you!</li><li>It increases job satisfaction and reduces stress, since you get enough time to manage work-life balance.</li><li>You pollute less. No driving/riding to the office. Contribute to a greener environment.</li><li>Reduces commuting costs to and from work.</li></ul><strong>However, there is a flip side to this.</strong><br /><ul><li>Identifying which program allows a person to telecommute is a big decision.</li><li>Setting up a home-office that’s equipped to handle your work assignments, might prove to be a challenge.</li><li>Telecommuting would mean that you work alone. So getting immediate help from team members might not be as easy as walking up to their cubicle. Dependency on call or mail could take away valuable work time.</li><li>There is a high risk of losing the edge on interpersonal communication.</li><li>Most often, telecommuters spend longer hours at work, since they are dependent mostly on calls and emails to get notifications/news from the office. It might prove to be stressful.</li><li>If you do not have the motivation to work remotely, you might end up needing a new wardrobe in the plus size!</li><li>Finally, you may never want to move back into an office!</li></ul></span><span style="font-family:arial;">Well, when it comes to telecommuting and managing teams, I’ve been there done that. I’ve been managing my team remotely for well over two years now. It’s possible, as long as we can clearly identify the circumstances which allow for telecommuting and when you really need to be at the office. Setting expectations with the manager and the management is just as critical.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For now, I’m ready to move back into an office, back into my cabin. Well, of course, like all addicts, quoting the withdrawal syndrome.<br /><strong><u></u></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><u>About the author:</u></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br /><strong><em>Balaji</em></strong> is a seasoned manager with global experience in the IT industry, spanning multiple service & business lines. He has worked with several multinational companies and is currently working in the PMO office of a global equipment pooling organization.</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-90405033637757969292010-10-13T23:26:00.002+05:302010-10-13T23:33:32.175+05:30How to resign?<span style="font-family:arial;">From a reader:<br /><br /><em>Do I have a one-on-one with the manager and then send the resignation letter or just send the resignation letter straight away? What the best way to manage the resignation process?</em><br /><br />Typically, as much as we don’t like it, this a situation that can be best managed when it’s done in-person. I would suggest that you set up a time for the discussion, before sending the resignation letter. On the other hand, if you’re working remotely, ask your manager some time for a video-conference or Skype or even a telephonic discussion, to tell him about your decision. No manager wants to be surprised by finding a mail informing him about the resignation.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">However, before you get there you need to decide if you’re a 100% sure that you want out. If you have any doubts, rethink about your decision and then start the process. Since the first question from the manager would start with a “Why?” You don’t necessarily need to give him a reason, but it would seem awkward if you aren’t sure. There’s a possibility that you’re manager might take it well or act like a jerk. If he takes it well, state the actual reason tactfully. You’ll need him as a reference for future jobs. More importantly, if he was a good manager, his guidance might be valuable throughout your career! Really. If he ends up acting like a jerk, you can stick to standard replies, “I’m moving since I’ve got an excellent opportunity.” or “I’m looking for newer challenges.” or “The next job gives me more responsibilities, coupled with a better pay package.”<br /><br />You’ll need to serve out your notice period. For sure. A good manager or not, serving out your notice period will help strengthen your relationship your team members/manager. No one wants to be left high and dry, especially if a project is at a critical stage. It’s a small world out there and you both could end up either working with each other or even hiring each other for a future employer! Don’t burn bridges.<br /><br />It’s not your obligation, but do try and help the employer find a suitable replacement for your role. If you can, be willing to help them out for a few days even after you’ve left.<br /><br />Good luck!</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-61422840798860061512010-10-08T14:31:00.004+05:302010-10-08T14:40:47.277+05:30Should I ask for a better pay package?<div class="Section1"><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 13.5pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)">From a </span></span><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51)">reader</span></span></span><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >:<br /></span></span></i></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 13.5pt" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >I recently stumbled upon your blog. You have an interesting and informative blog. Keep up the good work!<br /></span></span></i></p><p style="LINE-HEIGHT: 13.5pt" class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >I want your opinion on a situation that my friend is currently in. </span></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >My friend has about 7 years of IT experience and has worked with the same services based MNC companies for this entire period. He is hard working and very good at his work. He has always been a good performer and has always got a great rating in his appraisals. The delayed hike has finally come through this month and his salary has undergone a change too. </span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >He has recently cleared technical interviews in another services based MNC company, and during salary negotiation in the HR round, he quoted a percentage hike when asked for his comp expectations. The HR said it was too high for what he was already currently getting. They asked him what was it that would get him to join them. He quoted a percentage lesser than the initial comp expectation. They again asked him if he would not be ready to take up an offer lesser than this and he said no. They said if he was ready for an offer lesser than the already reduced expectation, they would call him on the phone and discuss the offer before issuing the offer letter. They also asked him if he had any other offers etc, and kind of kept on giving him the feeling that he was expecting too much.</span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >Now, what should he do in a position like this? We feel that his expectations were only reasonable, while taking into account his years experience, as we know that the industry standards are clearly above this.</span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >I work for a product company and clearly the salary levels in our company are way above. </span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >So what are we missing here? Why do companies, try to close the deal because they get them cheap? Why is there no policy to bring them up to the industry standard band? Or is there one?</span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic;font-family:arial;" >Please provide you inputs. Your time is much appreciated.</span></span></i><i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" >Interesting question! This question comes up ever so frequently in my interactions with friends. Here’s my take on this one.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" ><strong>First</strong>, compensation planning works almost similar to the market. Really. Hear me out on this one. In any industry/domain, there will be a significant set of players (Read: Employers) who will dictate the compensation <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">guidelines</span></i>, so as to not create an indifference in parity in the talent pool (and make it harder for themselves) nor make it an uneven playing field. That’s typically one of the reasons to conduct annual salary surveys among competitors. Now, those are <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">guidelines</span></i> and not necessary written in stone. Some companies choose to follow them and some just plain don’t. So, typically the <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">industry standard</span></i> is a variable. It’s becomes even more skewed when you have data from only a few people (or friends) with varied backgrounds. To maintain sanity, there's also the salary survey that maps competitors on an annual basis.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" ></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" ><strong>Second</strong>, it works differently at a product based company and for a services based firm. In a product based set-up, it’s a lot easier to link one’s skill-set, technology, experience, performance, etc. and their impact on a product that’s getting built and it’s earning potential in the market. This in turn helps companies to give a higher incentive to the best performing individual. Although, the top performer could have the same skill-set and years of experience, competency levels are a big differentiator.<br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" >This works almost the same in the services based firm. The only change is the fact that the services companies are dependent on the money they make from servicing their client’s needs. So, effectively they would pay for skills, based on the billable amount with the client and the availability of that skill in the talent pool. Net-net, their salary bands are effectively then dictated by the amount of money they make from their clients. So, if ‘Company A’ & ‘Company B’ are catering to the same client, it boils down to which company is ready to let go of their profit margins to hire talent. And then again, there are guidelines, so the difference in pay between them wouldn’t be drastically different. You get it?</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#333333;"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,51);font-family:arial;" ></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;">Now, let’s get to your friend’s situation.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;">Though the company is unwilling to give him a hike that he’s asking, are there other benefits that could make up for low comp? Other benefits could be either onsite/client visits opportunities, flexible salary structure, benefits & perks, work from home options, etc. Understandably compensation does play a significant role; but it shouldn’t necessarily become the single-most important factor to determine a job offer.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;">Finally, when it comes to salary/comp, there are 2 types of companies: <i><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">one that chooses to give a hike based on the current salary/compensation and the second type that chooses to give a compensation package based purely on competency and the way it fits within the existing group/organization.</span></i> It’s ok to ask them for their stand. And obviously, your best bet would be to go with the second type.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;">As for the industry standard, I’m not really sure if this helps, but you can <b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a title="http://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Country=" href="http://www.payscale.com/research/IN/Country=India/Salary">try this website</a></span></b> to get a better understanding of the industry standards in salary. Hope it’s helpful. (<b><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Note:</span></b> I’m not getting paid to promote the website. Though I wish I would get paid!)</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:arial;">Good luck to your friend!</span></p></div>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-13514501862030346232010-09-01T14:11:00.003+05:302010-09-01T14:36:18.966+05:30Prospective employer taking time to roll out job offerFrom a reader:<br /><br /><em>I was interviewed for a middle management role with an MNC. Two rounds of management interviews went relatively fast, but the HR response came a bit slow. After couple of weeks, a junior HR rep called me with some queries and later asked me to fill up my details in an Employment Form. It’s been two weeks now and I have no confirmation/rejection reply from the company. I have been following up with the company and the responses are:<br /></em><br /><em>"It’s in the process of approval and is going positively"</em><br /><em>"Our Head of Staffing will set up a call with you and then roll out the offer etc"</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>From your experience with HR, does it take so much of time (3 weeks) after I fill up the employment form before I get an offer or is something wrong here? I have couple of other offers but this is the most tempting one. So I was just wondering what to do as I am not getting any solid information from this company.<br /></em><br /><em>Thanks.<br /></em><br />Well, I would relate back to my <a href="http://thehrstore.blogspot.com/2010/08/interviewed-rejected-called-again.html">previous post</a> for a couple of things.<br /><br />First, there really isn’t a fixed time frame for a company to revert with an offer. Or even for that matter, to finish the interview process. It depends on the system that works best for them. I’ve known people who have got offers after four months of attending interviews! Really. It’s worked for them, since they weren’t really interested in a job change and had time on their hands. But, it doesn’t seem to be the same in your case, since you mention about a couple of other offers in your hands. About the time frame, yes, typically three weeks is considered a lot of time to make a decision. More so, if the role is of high criticality to their projects.<br /><br />Another possibility could be that they are meeting other candidates before taking a final decision. Maybe the hiring manager wants to meet a few more candidates, before deciding on your candidature. Most hiring managers depend on data that indicates comparative degrees of competencies among candidates, to make a final decision.<br /><br />About the responses, they could even be telling you the truth. Really. Most companies do have an approval process that involves people across various departments (business, HR, finance, etc.,) and geographies. This could be causing an unnecessary delay. But, their second response doesn’t seem right. If they indeed have the approvals and want to roll out the offer, they have a head of staffing who is really lazy and hasn’t sensed the urgency of the situation. It’s possible.<br /><br />Here are a couple of things you could try now, to get more information:<br /><br />1: You could check with the hiring manager directly. Most often, communication takes time to flow in the organization. The best way to get info is to go to the source of the information. Write him a mail asking for an update and also keep him informed about the discussion you’ve had with HR.<br /><br />2: Did you get the other offers while you were interviewing with this MNC? If yes, have you told them that you already hold an offer? Not for anything, but to tell them you are really keen to work for them. In my experience, most companies expedite the offer process the moment they figure out the selected candidate has another offer. On the contrary, they’ll at least let you know that they need time. You can then make your decision.<br /><br />Finally, I like to believe that you took up the other interviews since something about both those companies (role/compensation/benefits/perks/culture, etc.) interested you. Now, you need to answer for yourself, what is it about the MNC that makes the offer tempting? If there’s not much of a difference between them and the others, I would suggest you take up an offer in hand, rather than wait for an offer that might or might not happen.<br /><br />Good luck!The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7767058272776887150.post-25808393458356857022010-08-17T22:49:00.005+05:302010-10-27T13:31:25.185+05:30Interviewed. Rejected. Called Again.<span style="font-family:arial;">From a reader:<br /><br /><em>I had interviewed with a company a month back. According to my assessment, the interviews went fine and I was really keen to take up the role. After the interview, I was informed by the hiring manager that either he or the recruiter would schedule the final discussion. I didn't get any mail from either of them for a couple of weeks. However, at the beginning of the third week, I got a rejection mail from HR! It stated that they were keen to hire someone who fit the role better. I was really disappointed. I did not pursue the opportunity and planned to start interviewing with other companies. </em></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>It’s been a month now and I got a call from the same recruiter asking if I was still keen to take up further discussions. I asked about the rejection mail and he did not have an explanation for it. I’m still keen with the role, but a bit apprehensive. </em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><em>What should I do? Do I go ahead with the discussion?<br /><br />Thanks.<br /></em><br />Well, it’s not common. Yet, it does happen. There could be a few things that might have happened after they met you.<br /><br />First, maybe the hiring manager met a more qualified candidate after he had met with you. He then decided to go with that candidate and asked the recruiter to send a rejection mail to you. They might have extended an offer to the candidate and he took time to decide, but eventually declined. If this happened, it’s left the hiring manager in a quandary. He’ll have to start the hunt for a new candidate, all over again. You were the next best candidate that came closest to meeting their requirements. It might explain why you were called again for the same role. The recruiter might not have much to say in this situation, it’s the hiring manager’s call.<br /><br />Second, there’s a possibility that the hiring manager had a re-think on your candidature. The interview feedback might not have looked good initially, but later the manager decided to give it another shot. He might want to re-evaluate specific skill-sets, that they couldn't assess in the earlier rounds. Again, if this is the case, the recruiter is really just following instructions.<br /><br />Third, the recruiter might have screwed-up. Really. It’s possible. He could have got a negative feedback from one of the interviewers you had met and he acted real quick. Later, the hiring manager asked him to schedule you for further rounds of discussion. Now, he has to salvage the situation, by getting you back for the next round of interview.<br /><br />None of these are examples of a robust hiring process. Yet, these do happen and also brings out the flaws or gaps in communication between the hiring managers and the recruiters. Noticeably, the hiring manager has informed you that he/recruiter will schedule the <em>final discussion</em>! I really doubt if the hiring manager is the one making the final decision on hiring you. Clearly, someone higher-up in the chain is the key <em>decision-maker</em>.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">I would suggest that you take up the discussion with the hiring manager. Ask him candidly about the rejection mail. You may also want to ask them one more thing; what made them reconsider your candidature? Your only chance to find that out is to have a discussion. Get the answers and you can then decide whether you want to pursue the opportunity or not. I would also suggest that you keep your options open, getting recalled for an interview doesn’t necessarily mean they are going to offer you the role.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><br />Good luck!</span>The HR Storehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04669889377658306676noreply@blogger.com