Author: UnitedHR

TALENT ACQUISITION – BEST V/S RIGHT

Well, as the HR manager what should be your aim; recruiting a person for a vacant position or acquiring the best talent or hiring the Right Talent?

Recruiting is the process of identifying people that match the basic eligibility criteria and to screen the talent or skill against the Job Requirement and Company culture. Putting the right people at the right places.

When we talk about Talent Acquisition, then it is the process of measuring a candidate on different parameters such as experience, industry knowledge, Mapping Skill to KPIs, Cultural suitability, temperament as required for the role, and knowhow of the profile. Also, the candidate is checked for how good he or she fits into the strategic framework and existing team.

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Experts emphasize the need of having a structured Talent Acquisition system that looks at the process in a wider perspective than just taking people onboard. Some tips to develop a right environment for Talent Acquisition in the company:

  • What is the Key Result Area of the prospective team member and what Key Performance Indicators will be used for measuring the success? For this, you need a detailed job description and specific and measurable results that would impress you.
  • Look at the company culture and environment before you hire a person. Keep in mind your brand and check how well the person is going to fit into the framework? How is your organization viewed in the market? Is there a mapping between the image perceived by others and the vision of your company?
  • An open position in the organization has to align with the departmental and organizational goals. It should fit in the organizational budget, and you must hire the most suitable employee.
  • Look at the source (talent pool) from where you are taking a person onboard. Are you looking at the resume randomly? Are you using technology-dependent interface? Are there any internal recommendations? You should derive the respective scrutinizing strategy for each category.
  • Make sure you create a positive and realistic image of the company, while interacting with the candidate. Treat them with respect and fair judgment. It is imperative in either of the situation, whether you take a person onboard or not.
  • Bringing people together through human touch, putting Right person for the Right Job is the key.

Is the brand helpful in acquiring talent really?

The brand is your identity in the competitive marketplace. Experts rate it high for enhancing the visibility and acceptability.  Gone are the days when branding was significant to the product marketing. Today, every function makes use of it to add to the growth of the company. Hence, even the HR team also uses company brand and brand image to carve a niche in the prospective job market.

When it is the time to find out and obtain the most deserving talent, the HR team has to showcase the benefits of joining the organization by amalgamating the brand image and HR policies. The HR aspects of the brand need to be enticed while interfacing between the talent pool and the organization. According to the recruitment geeks, a sturdy branding results in tapping an excellent talent pool.

Some people are fascinated with the brand. They should be tapped by the HR at the right time. Make the brand propagation well so that a positive publicity can be made. At the same time, make sure that the hiring process is clear, unambiguous and simple. Offer a user-friendly interface to the job aspirants so that they find it interesting. Also, the best talent that is being hired by you should see the consistency in the brand.

Why companies fail in retaining the talent?

You put great efforts in acquiring the cream of the talent, but the efforts go in vain if you can’t keep them working with the team longer. Why does it happen? Is there any fault in the acquisition process? No, it isn’t! The problem lies somewhere else. Experts blame these three aspects for not retaining the best talent in the company.

When nobody talks about career progression

Yes, talented employees are always worried about their career path because they know their ability. When your company doesn’t give a clear picture of what they will be doing after five years from now, it is certain that they will look for another opportunity.  Unfortunately, even in big companies bosses seldom talk about it.

Frequently changing strategic priorities

You hire them with the assurance of giving a challenging project, but end up with assigning mundane operational things because of a sudden change in the priority. When your organization keeps on changing strategic priorities quite often, talented employees get frustrated. ‘Jerking around’ is the last thing they would prefer. Hence, don’t experiment with the top-seeded talent you hire.

Micro Management, the most irritating aspect

Talented people don’t like their activities to be tracked out at the micro level. At the same time, they do not run away from their responsibility and accountability. They love to lead a project and ready to take the acclaim as well as the criticism for its success or failure.

When top management doesn’t allow them to work freely or look into the miner things, they get extremely irritated. Remember, they always welcome constructive criticism, suggestion or insight. However, they simply can’t tolerate preaching or poking.

Ambiguous hierarchy

Top talents get irritated when there is no clarity about the positional hierarchy. If you have a matrix structure where anybody can report to anybody, then it has to be made clear at the time of talent acquisition. If there is an ambiguity in the reporting structure, it is very likely you lose the best talent.

Conclusion

It is quite clear that hiring the best talent is the half part of the success story. The real challenge lies in retaining it for a long time. The more you keep them onboard, the higher is the benefit.  Hence, do not leave a stone unturned while retaining the top talent.

Shaping Your Career in 2017

The year 2016 was quite eventful across the globe. We saw a lot of socio-economical and political changes last year. From Brexit to the US Presidential elections and from Olympics to Paris attacks; it was a happening year.

At job front, the scenario was average because things like Brexit created a lot of turmoil and confusion which took some time to settle down. As far as the year 2017 is concerned, job market experts feel that the scenario will be mixed. Since the new government in the US will impose new policies in the US, the aftereffects will shatter the whole world.

For those who want to step into the professional world or those who want a career lift would require moving cautiously and consciously. Hasty and haphazard decisions could bring utter disappointment and dismay.

If you are a budding talent or a seasoned professional who expects a great boost in the career this year, then the below-mentioned aspects could be really helpful.

Set expectations realistically in 2017

Did you put extensive efforts in searching a lucrative job last year but couldn’t get a breakthrough last year? If yes, then perhaps you put extraordinary expectations. For your disappointment, the coming time won’t bring an exciting job market either.

Entrepreneurs worldwide are moving ahead slowly and carefully, looking at the changes happening worldwide. Even if we talk about the Indian market, then the demonetization impact hasn’t been over yet. Industries are recovering from the setback, and it will take another six months to get recovered fully, and that too if the budget is encouraging.

Hence, you should look for job opportunities that will enhance your professional skills and job knowledge. Even if the salary hike is not extraordinary, you should accept the offer without a second thought. The new position may not be as satisfactory as you thought, but it would make you prepared for further exciting opportunities tomorrow.

Writing authentic / original CV with real facts about your role and contribution – in your own words and with right keywords

Do you feel you couldn’t impress employers last year because the Resume format you have been using for quite some time has become old-fashioned? Yes, it is the right time to work on it in the year 2017.

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Remember, people do not have time to read the whole array of information. HR managers look for keywords and shortlist candidate that match the selection criteria. Hence, you will not get interview call if you do not have relevant keywords in the Resume, regardless of the fact that you are the most qualified candidate.

Assess your value in 2017

Have you been sticking to the same job for quite some time? It means you haven’t evaluated your worth. You are in a comfort zone and don’t want to take a risk. Remember, those who are afraid of facing challenges do not get rewarded.

Even if you are not in a mood of changing the job today, it is a high time to look around for opportunities. Get in touch with HR managers of other companies or simply talk to a job consultant and you may find a great opportunity waiting at your door step.

If you are completely frustrated with work, then take a break

Well, it sounds absurd. However, those who can afford to keep themselves off from work must do it. Frustration gives terrific stress, and there are long-lasting implications, believe it. Hence, you should resign and do nothing in the year 2017.

Go to your favorite beach or book the tickets for a pilgrimage tour. Visit destinations that you have always been dreaming about. Enjoy late-night parties, Casino and cruise. Get recharged and start searching for new and exciting job offers. It is guaranteed that you will deliver wonders!

Learn a new skill or ask for job rotation

Rolling stones gather no moss; the proverb has lost the meaning in the modern world of multitasking. When you are really serious about shaping your career, you need to learn something new in the year 2017. It could be a new skill (MS Project) or a new job process (material dispatch) or job rotation (ask transfer to some other function).

Certainly, the initial few months will be a nightmare, but you will get hold of the situation eventually. It will add value to your Resume and personal profile.

Hear the footsteps of emerging technology

You need to be proactive as far as the use of new technology is concerned. The world is changing pretty fast. Something you learn today becomes obsolete tomorrow. In the year 2017, you must keep in touch with what is happening around. Read about what is hotcake in the market and grasp it. You need to be proactive to beat others.

Conclusion

The New Year starts with a new hope and a new agenda. Remember, it is not just a date mentioned in the calendar but the right moment to start something path-breaking. If you haven’t been successful in the past using the age-old job search strategy, then start following some out-of-the-box procedure and get succeeded.

Let the year 2017 bring a phenomenal change in your life. Of course, it needs a lot of efforts from your side. After all, No Lunch is Free!

Should Startups Hire Recruitment Firm?

People often have strange ideas about startups. They feel that it is something out-of-the-world where there is no room for the conventional thinking process. Yes, the startups are certainly different than others, but they are also required to follow some of the conventional concepts while defining the operational framework.

Imagine a situation where you are the entrepreneur. You want to launch a startup venture which is based on some offbeat concept.  In spite of it, you must follow some of the conventional concepts such as keeping the HR function in the organization.  Team HR in your company will manage everything about the human resources. Apart from it, the team will ensure process and compliance.

What if you don’t have HR in the organization?

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When people tend to avoid HR just to do something different without any rationale, the result is not pleasing either.  Apart from the challenges of managing the workforce, there will be a plethora of problems.

  • The rapid growth of workforce becomes a challenge since there are no processes and procedures. Since the HR function is non-existent, you don’t have anybody to take ownership of it.
  • Studies say that companies that ignore the HR function (or fail to take it seriously) are very likely to falter within five years of their life. If you look at the reasons behind their failure, then ignoring HR is amongst the top three.

However, you may take the decision of not having an in-house HR function initially. It may be a stop gap arrangement till you establish in the market.  In such a situation, you should seek help from a recruitment firm.

How does a recruitment firm add value?

You are relieved from the hassles of recruitment process

If you decide to keep the HR function lean and thin, then it is a big challenge to manage the recruitment process effectively. You need to read hundreds of the application forms and arrange them in the order of experience. Whether you follow the conventional method of paper-based scrutiny or read the soft version on the computer screen, the task is equally cumbersome.

When the recruitment firm does it for you, the task becomes manageable and simple.  Since you get only selected profiles matching to the requirement specifications given by you, the time and efforts put by the HR team are saved.

The benefit of connections

Whether you are a startup company or an established business house, you need to hire people for top levels. It is impossible to hire them without a strong network of connections because profiles of senior people do not get float openly. You need to approach them through some link.

When you hire a recruitment firm, you can connect to the people who are looking for better career prospects. Because of the intricate networking, recruitment firms are in a better position than the in-house HR team to find out profiles of senior people.

Interview process becomes handy

In spite of so many advancements in the recruitment process, the importance of personal interaction is unbeaten. The success rate of the interview process is measured by the quality of candidates hired. Remember, professional recruitment firms know the tricks of identifying superior candidates.

However, it is very much important to brief the recruitment agency about the organizational fit and the organizational culture. Even a good agency delivers a mediocre job if the requirement is not explained well. You should search people who gel with the vision, mission, and ethos of your company.

You are a startup company and not a brand that will attract great talent

Every big organization has a brand value that attracts the best people in the market. When you are a startup company, you don’t have a brand identity. Imagine yourself in the shoes of the candidate, and you will realize it. When a recruitment firm talks to people on your behalf, it places the job profile in a systematic and impressive manner. Thus, you have brighter chances of hiring good quality talent.

Nowadays, everyone explores the online world for assessing the quality and reliability of the employer. When candidates approach the recruitment firm through social media or read about the company profile and job details; they get better convinced. It is impossible when you do it in-house.

Experts say that the benefits achieved by hiring expert recruitment company compensate the expenses incurred in hiring them. Hence, it is a profitable business proposition.

Tap the prospective talents only

When the top and bottom lines are stretched because of cost pressures, you should spend every penny wisely. Studies say that in the conventional method of recruitment, a large percentage of resources gets wasted in tapping the applicants (who may not be interested in joining or not suitable to your needs) and not the prospective talents.  Thus, you spend a sizeable time in scrutinizing, matching and assessing the candidates. The efforts go waste.

When you assign the task to a recruitment agency, it uses a profound process that filters out unwanted or unmatched candidates. You talk to a prospective employee who is looking for a change.  A pre-selection criterion saves great efforts.

Last, but not the least; you save cost as well!

Undoubtedly, hiring a recruitment firm is cost-effective than managing the task of recruitment in-house. Having said it, you need a profound team of HR officials to monitor it.  Also, you are supposed to allocate considerable budget initially, it pays off in the long run, though.

Since all of the tasks related to recruitment are managed by an expert, your in-house team gets a lot of productive time for other important stuff. The mundane task of hiring people can be managed by the recruitment firm effectively. It possesses a team of HR experts who can scrutinize and shortlist candidates effectively.

Conclusion

You have a plethora of critical things to do when you launch a startup organization. Don’t waste your valuable time and energy in the recruitment process. Hire a service provider who takes care of everything well.

Recruitment And Selection Strategies For The Modern Workforce

To become an industry leader, you should be the first person to use innovative strategies. When your motive is to attract the best talent available in the market, the selection and recruitment methods should also be the latest. Progressive and prospering companies always hire the brightest people.

You always wondered about the proficient and brilliant workforce getting attracted to a handful of big organizations. Do they follow some special methods? Well, the answer could be a ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Their HR team spends a great time in scrutinizing at the right resources and follows some unique methods while recruiting them.

Are you searching for the best ways to find the best people? Let us get you on the right track?

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Face the change

First of all, you need to face the reality that the selection and recruitment approach are undergoing a transformation and that to with an incredible pace. The speed is further aggravated by the fast pace of technical advancements. Also, companies are changing the strategic outlook pretty fast. No wonder, you have to be always on the toes to tune the selection and recruitment method. Everyone who is involved in the process of picking the right workforce should understand what the need of the hour is. The efforts should be unidirectional to achieve fabulous results.

Networking of talent has been a fruitful idea

In the modern era of Information Technology, you should not leave a single chance of exploring its benefit to the organization. When you strive hard to pick the efficient talent, always use the ‘talent network’ concept. If you look at the strategies being followed by the leading companies who can grab the best people, then the talent network is always there on the list. It is quite handy and useful in communicating career opportunities and promoting the brand. The contents are dynamic, and they can be tailored to the needs of each candidate. It gives immense flexibility and ease of use.

ATS is the buzzword today

As mentioned earlier, there is no escape to the use of technology in the modern times. It becomes an integral part of the selection process. Application Tracking System or ATS is the fastest emerging trend today. The software modules manage end-to-end process of recruitment, monitor the advertizing campaigns and create an ultimate candidate experience. ATS is the one-point contact for posting job openings. It also manages the task of tracking applications, ranking the resume or filling in job application forms. There are further advanced systems available nowadays that perform the tasks of pre-screening questions and responses as well. To manage vernacular candidates, some software offers multilingual capabilities as well.

Step into the world of mobile recruitment

Surveys indicate that candidates give preference to the mobile devices for accessing the Internet for job search. Since these handheld devices are convenient and available round-the-clock, the task becomes pretty easy. They give the ultimate liberty of accessing the recruitment portal from anywhere and anytime.

When the candidates go mobile, how can you be a laggard in adapting the new-age methods? Start using a recruitment software which is mobile-friendly. Believe it; the mobile version will become more popular than the conventional version. Mobile versions can be used successfully to post the new openings and share them on the social media.

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Leverage the social media

In today’s scenario, you can’t ignore the social media. Rather, look at it as the new opportunity of searching the best available resources in the competitive market. As the new-age platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn already become prominent amongst the people who are net-savvy, you don’t need to put extra efforts to leverage it for talent search. These websites are the best source of information to the prospective resources.

You get special analytic module and tools that help in the recruitment process. The tools improve the way you search good candidates. When competitors have started using it, you need to hurry up to catch them fast!

If you need the talent that is really worth, then seek the passive candidates!

Yes, recruitment masters vouch for it. You get to know about active job seekers when you search for resources. However, there is a large chunk of passive candidates who are open to new offers but not actively seeking the job. According to experts, the social media platform is the right place to do it. Today, even the leading recruitment firms are also giving emphasis to the passive candidates. It is the right time to take advantage of this channel.

Talent analytics is the new-age trend

See, people want to get rid of the conventional recruitment methods that are based on personal judgment and intuition. They want to be more systematic and methodical. No wonder, the use of talent analytics increases year after year. HR managers want to get the ability of processing data into information that brings a great intelligence of recruiting. Nowadays, recruiting leaders want to know about the new and improved ways of getting their arms around data so that they can develop the insight about resources of tomorrow. When the world is changing fast, you should maintain the pace to remain in the race.

Integrate HR Technologies

If you ask recruitment specialists about the aspect that every HR manager should be proficient into, then the unanimous answer is the integration of HR Technologies. Cross-platform expansion and consolidation of technology are the buzzwords. As clients prefer a single platform for human resource management, tracking of applications, and interviewing the candidate; a bundled solution is always preferred. Since there is a demand for integrated HR solution, vendors are working on the job of converting their existing products accordingly. Even the traditional talent management software modules are also enhancing and expanding to accommodate the demand for an integrated solution.

Conclusion

Amongst the responsibilities of the HR team, recruitment and selection are at the top. As the market becomes more dynamic and competition becomes fierce, you need the best talent to cope up with it. Leave aside the conventional methods and start using modern tools and procedures to attract the best talent. The strategies mentioned earlier in the article will make the journey smooth and fruitful.

United HR Solutions Celebrates 30th Anniversary At AMA, Ahmedabad

Completing thirty glorious years in the field of HR Consultancy and Recruitment is a prideful moment indeed. United HR Solutions Pvt Ltd had this privilege recently. The company has traveled a long journey in the past three decades. Under the competent leadership of Dr. O.P. Pahuja, founder of UHR; the company has a bright and impressive track record. Today, it serves 750+ clients spread across the world by providing the best and profound consultancy service.

30 years-uhr

UHR organized an event recently to commemorate the 30th anniversary which was held in Ahmedabad Management Association, a prominent educational institute in Ahmedabad. It was a treat for all the delegates and representatives.

COO Underlined The Differentiating Aspects of UHR


COO of United HR Solutions, Mrs. Nisha Kapoor who conceptualized and hosted the whole program, started the ball rolling by delivering the inauguration speech. She introduced the pillars of the organization to the delegates and guest speakers. Those who are responsible for the phenomenal success of UHR got the recognition.

It was very much interesting to know that the journey started with only one employee onboard. The first assignment was completed by the team beyond the expectations and the client was more than happy. Now, the tiny sapling has transformed into a huge tree. With a global footprint, it is a big company today. It is impossible to achieve such a superb success without the support of team members, clients and business associates.

Happines at work

 

COO of United HR Solutions expressed the feeling of gratitude towards everyone, clients, business partners and associates who made it possible. According to her, the success of an organization is the cumulative effect of everyone in the team; from the front desk executive to the CEO. When everyone contributes to the organization wholeheartedly, it establishes new benchmarks of productivity and progress.

After this, guest speakers were invited to share their valuable thoughts, impressive ideas, and core business knowledge. For the employees of UHR, delegates, guests, and media, it was an informative, useful and engaging experience.

The graceful presence of Mr Parag Desai (Director, Wagh Bakri Group), and Mr Mahendra Patel (Owner, 70 Deg East Restaurant) marked the occasion. The esteemed guests shared their views about entrepreneurship and importance of recruitment in the profitability of the organization.

Happiness@Work; The Central Idea


The whole program was focused on the fundamental aspect responsible for productivity and performance. Happiness at work was discussed by renowned guest speakers. Different facets were revealed during the sessions. However, all of them emphasized that only happy employees can give their head and heart to the organization. The role of HR Department was also discussed during the sessions. In the modern context, it is important that HR Department is not limited to Human Resources, but it has become pivotal in bringing happiness to the employees.

According to Dr D M Pestonjee (Retired Professor of IIM Ahmedabad, 3H are incredibly important for employee happiness, i.e. Head, Hand, and Heart. The concept was further improvised by Mrs Meena Kapoor by adding another H; Human touch. All these efforts lead to the 5th H that is called Happiness. It is needless to say that the discussions and lectures added several new dimensions to the thinking process of budding HR managers, professionals and others who attended the program.

Celebration At uhr

Impact Of ‘Happiness@Work’ Program On The Success


In an important session, Dr Yogesh Pahuja, Founder of Happiness Studio talked about the research program conducted on the subject of ‘Happiness at the Workplace’. It is one of its kinds in the niche of HR Research.

Dr Yogesh is an authority in the field of HR research. He is not only an HR Expert but a renowned author of the book “Are you happy@work?”

In the informative session, he explained the salient features of the research program. The program focuses on 164 parameters that are responsible for the core happiness of the employee. These parameters are classified into three major areas; Individual, Organizational, and family or social. Since all of these three put an equal effect on the happiness in toto, it is furthermore important that the HR managers start thinking beyond their scope.

Happiness Studio helps HR managers and senior management teams of the client in establishing a thorough understanding of all these aspects. It is committed to building happy teams that perform brilliantly and take the organization to new levels of success.

‘Happiness@work’ isn’t just a theoretical concept, but it is a practical and useful concept which has been successfully implemented in several organizations so far. One of such clients is Mr Sujay Ojha, who explained his exciting journey so far. He discussed the improvements happened in the performance by an interactive presentation. It was pretty exciting to know about the phenomenal difference in the productivity and employee happiness when Neem India implemented the concepts of ‘Happiness @ work’.