Enhancement of Companys Human Capital

While companies have tough time formulating strategies to retain the best eggs (top employees) in their basket (organization), the other employees are to be least ignored. Managers worry about their top 15% employees by day and about their bottom 15% employees by night. Employee retention is important. Various issues like investment and training time, insecure coworkers, lost knowledge and expensive candidate search apart, failing to retain the top talents is costly. If the Company is losing on the critical employees, it is certain that other employees in their department are looking for the same. In any organization, the employees are normally classified into three categories: A-Players: These employees contribute significantly to the bottom line and top line of company over a span of time. They are the key employees which comprise of the top 15% talent the company possess. It is the role played by the employee that makes him important for the company, not designation or seniority.

Characteristics:

Positive Change driver. Delivery on Objectives without anybody holding their hand. Perform tasks with team involvement, deadlines and politics Succeed

B-Player: These employees are the companys Heart and Soul. They work without any fuss or fanfare with loyalty. Some of them are those who have chosen not to be A-players, for their lifestyle reasons. They are focused and clear about their career path, are much secure in their objectives and feedback is less essential to them. Characteristics:

They succeed frequently. Their track records are good Handholding not needed but guidance required. Possess potential to become A-Player

C-Players: These employees are incompetent by design or accident and are in constant need of reinforcement.

Characteristics: Needs handholding. Rarely does beyond and above targets Sometimes succeed.

Managing the Key Employees:

None of the companies wants losing their top employees to their competitors. Also noteworthy are the various costs associated with finding replacement for the same. Creation of Diverse Opportunity: It is well said that boredom can lead even the best talent to leave. Every employee wants growth, if somehow they realize that it is not happening, they seep out. So, it is essential for managers to provide ample businesses to them for handling and keep them interested in their tasks. Offer Opportunity for Learning: Employees want new exposure and learning opportunities in their workplace .Small as well as large companies make investments to develop them. Empowerment: Organizations cannot prosper with its employees feeling shackled. Empowering them provides them with liberty to experiment and which in turn develops innovative culture in the organization. It makes the employee take calculated risk. Companies should promote entrepreneurship in the organization. Ethics and Values: This is very essential as it not only affect organizational work environment, but also contributes to how it is being perceived in outside world. Though it might be a very successful company, but talent would not want to join if their values are questionable. Creating Second Run Leadership: Most of the issues created by leaving of a top employee can be resolved by creating lineup of second-run leadership. It requires training, mentoring and giving right opportunity and environment for junior and middle level employees for growth. Much focus should be given on hiring the best suite for the company. Then indentifying the promising ones and nurturing them for future leadership roles. Best CEOs recruit a lot of people who are better than them on next level. This leads to succession happening naturally. The moment a top employee leaves, no vacuum is created as another employee is ready to take the responsibility. Compensation and Benefits: Financial and non-financial benefits should be given to keep them motivated. Salaries and Benefits should be competitive with the market and fair creating a win-win situation

Management of B-Players:
If the B-players are being ignored for a longer duration, they start seeing themselves as a poor performer. The inclusionary dimension is very essential for this group of employees which helps

them to stay longer in the organization. Managers who are themselves A-players finds difficult to deal with this group. Thus managers can opt for the following steps:

Creating small agenda and small to-do lists. Creating some support system which might consist of employees close to them or from the same department who can guide each other while committing any mistakes and make each other acquainted their blind spots. This helps in enhancing the skills of employees. Challenge them to make a difference and develop them into A-players.

Managers, who can bring best in B-players, are exploiting the well-hidden resources.

Management of the C-Players:

Only three alternatives are there to deal with C-Players: Switch them to some other roles where they can become B players. Develop and mentor them into B-players. Manage them leave the organization if the above two measures do not work out well. Archana Mishra NMIMS Hyderabad PGDM 2012-13