VOLUME-II | ISSUE 4 MARCH 2012

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The Brand Value

Building and Maintaining the Employer Brand
ust like a traditional brand, an potentially reduce the cost of Employer Brand has value and employee acquisition, improve Interactive positioning. Employment employee relations and also helps Marketing branding is therefore critical to build increase employee retention. an image in the minds of the potential The case for taking Employer employees market that the company, Branding seriously is compelling. above all others, is a great place to Currently, it would appear that work (Ewing et al. 2002). not enough criticality or The objective of Employer Branding importance is being attributed to is quite simple. It is a strategy this process. In an economic Social Customer employed by an organisation to create climate where business is tough Media Service an Employer Value Proposition (EVP) there is pressure to cut costs and Networks that would convey to desired current increase productivity. This makes and prospective employees why the the need to get the right people in organisation is unique, appealing and the right job even more crucial. a fantastic place to work in. Employees who have the right skills, experience and knowledge, Employer Branding gains tremendous in relation to the critical areas of importance in times when the talent a business to drive growth, pool is shrinking and is becoming Digital become strategically important. increasingly difficult to attract and Experiences retain talent. It then becomes critical Employer Branding then to position the organisation in the becomes the only strategy that minds of the target audience to give it will help position the every possible advantage in attracting organisation as the most Ruthlessly align all people practices to employees with superior skills and attractive one in the corporate ecosystem. support and reinforce the brand promise knowledge - a primary source of competitive An attractive employer can create for Execute and measure. advantage for any organisation. employees an illusion that their choices are limited outside of the organisation, Is Employer Branding widely prevalent in According to human resources consultants constantly maintaining an image of being the Indian Industry? What are Hewitt Associates, there are five steps to the most desirable employer, giving the organisations attitudes and preparedness developing a strong employer brand: right reasons or incentives for their top towards Employer Branding? What are the Understand your organisation performers to stay. challenges that they face in its Create a compelling brand promise for implementation? In a survey conducted by Employer Branding then, finally equates to employees that mirrors the brand promise TJinsite it is revealed that Employer a positive impact on the business and for customers Branding is not very prevalent in the Indian growth of an organisation and to giving it industry. However, they do believe that the competitive edge. Develop standards to measure the companies with strong employer brands can fulfillment of the brand promise

Inside Insite
n

Survey Highlights

Guest Column

New Feature

Expert Speak

Employer Branding is gaining tremendous importance in todays times. TJinsite conducted a study to map the organisations attitudes and preparedness towards Employer Branding and the challenges faced in its implementation. Read the key findings of the survey on Pg 3 & 4.

This month our Guest Columnist Dr Siddhartha Pandey, Head-HR, Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, tells us the roles and responsibilities of a leader and also how to create leaders within an organisation. Read more on How to Win with Leadership on pg 6.

Senior management positions are critical positions to hire for. Finding the right fit is a challenge for most HR professionals. Our expert this month, Dr PV. Bhide, PresidentCorporate HR, JK Organisation, helps to understand this double edged hiring practice. Read the excerpt of the interview on Pg 8.

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RecruiteX

First RecruiteX Quarterly Report powered by TimesJobs.com

In its Launch Edition the Quarterly RecruiteX reveals...
Pharmaceutical, Retail, Consumer Durables/FMCG and Manufacturing & Engineering. The drop in demand continued in major sectors such as IT/Telecom, ITeS/BPO, BFSI, Construction/Cement/Steel and Projects/Infrastructure. Employers have shifted focus from core functions to support functions as demand for HR professionals witnessed the maximum movement followed by Accounting & Finance professionals across major industries and locations, during the October to December 2011 quarter. The core functions, which registered considerable growth were Sales/Business development and Engineering. Demand for IT/Telecom and BFSI professionals witnessed a major turnaround during the said period.

Grab a copy of Quarterly RecruiteX to read the complete report

Recruitment Index
Vol1, Issue 1

Influx of fresh talent in all major sectors continued in a similar fashion to what was witnessed in previous quarters. Hiring of top-level executives started picking up after facing a slump in the last two quarters. During the last three quarters, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai have been the worst performers, whereas Bangalore and Ahmedabad were among the better performing top ten locations. In 2011, hiring patterns across industries and locations changed due to a cautious approach adopted by companies in wake of the slowdown in US and European markets. However, Indian employers are treading on an optimistic trail and maintaining staff levels across major industries. Employers have definitely become selective and are conscious about the need for right hiring at this juncture. Industry experts predict a slower first quarter in 2012. Hiring pace is expected to start picking up during the transition period of January to March 2012. For more information contact girish.bindal@timesgroup.com

he time period from July to September 2011 quarter to October to December 2011 quarter reflects the changed recruitment strategies of employers in high-volume sectors. The Indian job market was in a state of saturation after August 2011 and demand in the top ten industries was adversely affected. But, it revived quickly in the year-end quarter and gained strength in consumer-driven industries such as Automobile, /Healthcare/

Why RecruiteX?
The need of RecruiteX is evident now, more than ever, to be a journal where statistics and information of employers (demand for talent) and jobseekers (supply of talent) are considered to decode the present and future developments. RecruiteX projects the viewpoints of employers and job-seekers through its balanced outlook. The quarterly report of RecruiteX, the recruitment index backed by Indias leading job portal TimesJobs.com, combines industry perspective and TimesJobs.com data to give a clear viewpoint on hiring activity across industries, locations and experience range. It is the only recruitment report in the country, which has brought industry leaders from various sectors and regions on a common platform to comment, discuss and share the crucial statistics related to the Indian employment market. TimesJobs.com has been able to corroborate the data figures with current trends and future predictions by experts. The report is segregated into three sections: top ten industries, locations and top five experience range. For each sector, we have clubbed our research analysis with thoughts shared by invited market experts. Similarly, for locations and experience levels, to obtain accurate findings, we have interviewed senior executives from esteemed HR consultancy companies.

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Survey Highlights

How Prevalent is Employer Branding?

E
Most organisations claim that they have an employer branding strategy but it could be developed further Lack of vision and clarity is seen as the primary challenge in realizing Employer Branding Only half the surveyed organisations specifically plan and budget for Employer Branding

mployer Branding is not very prevalent in the industry Overall, only . 24% say that they have a clear Employer Branding strategy . More than 40% claim that, yes, they have a strategy, but it could be developed further; and another 26% who say that do not have one, but they are working on it; which could be interpreted as such a strategy is not priority, we have more pressing matters on our hands! A lack of vision and clarity is seen as the primary challenge in realizing Employer Branding. This is strongly felt in the BFSI and the BPO sectors, where 75% state this as a problem. Another 40% state the lack of senior management engagement as a challenge, which is again symptomatic of the lack of

7%

Yes but it can be further developed No but we are working on it Yes we have a clear employer branding strategy No we dont have any strategy

24%

43%

26%
vision on the organisations part. All channels from print to online job portals are mentioned by 15% each of the organisations as the branding channels delivering the best results. The BFSI and large organisations, with a strength of over 1000 employees are inclined towards job portals being the most effective (22% of each of these types, vis--vis an overall average of 16%).

Is Employer Branding Important?

mployer Branding is still not seen as being very important, except for the Banking and Financial sector where 60% felt that it was an extremely important strategy to have. Only about 40% overall felt that it was extremely important, and another 40% admitted to it being very important. The low priority given to Employer Branding is further underscored by only half the organisations specifically planning and budgeting for Employer Branding. However, almost all of those surveyed said that they expected Employer Branding to become more important in the future. Recruitment advertising and employer marketing are seen as being the most crucial in enhancing EBV This is followed . by Leadership development Programs. Career website

41% 40%

Extremely important Very important Fairly important Not very important Not at all important

14% 4% 1%
development, Induction programs, and Coaching/ mentoring are mentioned by about 10-15% each. Employer Branding is seen as the responsibility of Corporate HR with support from marketing. About half of the organisations state this and a substantial proportion further state it as the responsibility of HR or corporate communications.

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Survey Highlights

What are the Benefits of EB?

Employee related benefits are seen as the key benefits of having a strong employer branding strategy Most of the surveyed organisations do not have a clearly defined employer branding strategy Most organisations believe that providing a good work environment and growth opportunities is critical to become employer of choice

one of the organisations have stated the most crucial benefit of having an EB strategy - which is the impact that it can ultimately have on the bottom line of an organizations profitability . Hiring and retaining top performers is essential for growth and to maintain a competitive edge. Employees who have the right skills, experience and knowledge, in relation to the critical areas of a business to drive growth, are strategically important and a good, strong EB strategy can provide this. About 20-30% each has spoken about employee related benefits such as higher retention rates, productivity and higher employee engagement and satisfaction as the key benefits of having a strong EB,

4% 5% 20% 22% 22%

Increased retention rates Increased productivity Increases employee engagement/satisfaction Shortens the time to fill job openings Decreased recruitment costs Improves succession planning

27%
and a further 20% of the tactical advantage of a shorter time to fill job openings. The perceived benefits of EB therefore, seem to be relating more to the immediate ones, rather than the deeper impact that it can have. Only about 32% consider the impact on business performance as a measure of EB process effectiveness. About 25% each mention as measures, the quality of new hires and the retention of key talent.

Achieving EB Objectives - What is seen as Important?

nly about a quarter of the organisations recognize the importance of defining an Employer Value Proposition (EVP) as being crucial in achieving EB objectives. Given that this is the first and most important step in having strong Employer Branding, this proportion is extremely low. Another 34% say that what is important in achieving it is having a clearly defined strategy a statement that reveals the lack of an EB strategy in these organisations! On a positive note, organisations are clear about what would make them the employer of choice. About 40% each talk of providing a good work environment and opportunities for development and growth, both of which make

34%

Having a clearly defined strategy Senior management engagement Developing strategies for recruiting and retaining talent Defining employer value proposition

25% 24%

Collaboration between different departments

13% 4%
for attracting the right skill sets, leading to increased productivity ; giving the organisation the competitive edge. What they are not clear about is the strategy required to communicate this. Majority of the organisations (75%) do not outsource their branding services. Largely, the types of services being outsourced are PR and advertising.

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Events

Seminar on The Pluses of Benefits and Rewards; Moving Beyond Compensation

February 16, 2012, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai Organised by: NHRDN

EVENTS
AR EN D CAL

he day-long program by National HRD Networks Learning Centre and NHRDNs Mumbai Chapter together with Benefits Plus explored in depth, the understanding and emerging trends in the various sub domains of Compensation and Benefits aligning to new business paradigms and post recession employee aspirations.

Through the presentation of specific case studies, organisation survey results and best practices, the speakers deliberated on the need for a relook at compensation and benefits strategies, the role of rewards and recognition and

their impact on retention and overall employee engagement; the base logic being to secure the present and promise the future. The speakers were in agreement to the point that any rewards and recognition strategy should ultimately be linked to the business and cannot be isolated from the values and culture that the organization believes and promotes. The sessions focused on how compensation and benefits contribute to the different retention strategies, attempted to appreciate the role of rewards in the retention framework and also how benefits are designed and

function in the overall retention and engagement strategy . The program comprised of 4 main sessions and an eminent panel of speakers. Key thoughts that emerged from the discussion included, looking at the organisations capacity to pay vis--vis can the organization afford not to pay, to look at Productivity benchmarking vis--vis Compensation benchmarking, making an impact /making the employees feel valued, customizing C&B to suit each segment of employees; ringfencing the critical ones and working around the others.

Upcoming Events
7th Annual National Conference on Pension & Retirement Planning 21st March, 2012 Hotel Le-Meridien, New Delhi Organised by ASSOCHAM

IRE 2012: Ride the Growth of Online Retail in India

February 2nd & 3rd, 2012, Epicenter Convention Hall, Gurgaon Organised by: iamwire
insights on the role of recommendations and reviews in growing the retail business in India. Internet Retail Expo 2012 exposed various online retailers to latest innovations, trends and insights of the industry with magnified analysis. More than 350 people registered for the event, whereas 15 exhibitors participated. Service providers like witnessed a great platform to showcase their product & services. For the offline retailers, planning to go online, guidance with insightful knowledge provided them direction on how to go online. Summing it up, IRE 2012 event gave exclusive opportunity to develop strong relationships for bright business prospects.

he year 2012 has begun with a bang for the Indian e-com market, as the industry buzzing with growing

activity Internet Retail Expo . 2012, the 3rd edition of Indias Premier Online Retail Event adding dynamism to it scanned

the various aspects of online retail business and brought experts from retail, social media and mobile, at one stage to share

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Guest Column

D
Dr Siddhartha Pandey Head- HR Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited

r. Siddhartha Pandey, a young dynamic HR Professional having an MBA fulltime degree with Masters in Science of Psychotherapy and Counseling, has done his Post Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance along with Doctorate in HR. In a very short span of time, Dr. Pandey has handled the Human Resource part in major organizations like Adhunik Group, Simplex Infrastructure, Electro Steel etc. Currently he is heading the Human Resource department of Shristi Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited. Taking his current and past assignments in to consideration. Dr. Pandey has been awarded as one of The Youngest Successful HR Professional in Eastern India.

Winning with Leadership

ts been quite some time that I have written on this topic. Life, as of now, has been a lovely classroom. It taught me the basics as well as the ways of winning. At the same time, it has made me understand the difference between Management and Leadership. While Management concentrates on maintaining the status quo, monitoring the situation, allocating resources, communicating targets, measuring the results, getting feedback on the trends, Leaders focus on strategic thinking, looking forward and create vision, challenge, motivate, inspire. Quoting the lines of a great man A leader's job is to rally people toward a better future - Marcus Buckingham. Creating a clear picture of the future stimulates, excites and inspires, getting everyone to have faith into it ensuring that everyone understands whats expected out of them, turning it

into meaningful goals and targets, communicating progress towards it continuously, celebrating successes and working on it consistently thats the key . Creating Vision is complicated. Making everyone else believe in the Vision is much more complicated. You get to face questions like Relevance of the Vision? What specifically needs to be done? How will the job be measured? Whats in it for me? The role of a Leader is to answer these questions in a satisfactory manner and keep the Excitement and Inspiration working. Employees dont leave companies they leave their Bosses. Being a leader you have to be supportive to your subordinates. Define the fundamental character of the business, help create a sense of identity for the business, reduce game playing, politics and confusion, provide guidelines for

managers and staff, provide guidance for acceptable and unacceptable behaviours. Offers support doesnt wait to be asked, recognise the implications of their actions/inactions on others. Showing respect to the needs, feelings and views of others motivates the Employees and encourages contributions from all members. It is not just about getting the job done. It is all about making it a great experience for one who does the job. By this, you create more leaders within your own Leadership. No-one wants to be a follower; it is your job to make them feel the importance of their existence in the Organization. And thats how you win with leadership. Take the first step in faith. You do not have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.

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VOLUME-II | ISSUE 4 MARCH 2012

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Expert Speak
outside. We go to an outside industry if both above are not possible or the group is going for unrelated diversification, where we lack experience or expertise. Are there any particular situations, where appointing an outsider is more likely than would normally be the case? Yes. In business turnaround situations where very tough and logical decisions need to be taken, an outsider would be preferred. There are business turnaround specialists who can do a great job for 2 to 3 year term. In such situations, an outsider would be preferred when the company or a group is venturing into completely unrelated business where we do not have expertise. How do you fix on the compensation package for a senior management position? The compensation is one part of the package to attract the candidate. The candidate needs to be excited about the role and his future in the company JK . Group offers the candidates with possibility of moving across the group companies. In fixing compensation, cash component, benefits, performance variable pay and long term benefits are important. We take into consideration of the following: i. Candidates Past Cost to the Company (CTC), including Performance linked Variable Pay & ESOPS ii. Market Pay Benchmarking to similar jobs in the industry iii. Internal parity to similar positions in the group iv. Expectation of the candidate What is the biggest challenge while hiring or senior management? We do not higher for todays role and challenges. We always hire for Capability and Leadership Competencies to handle future challenges for the role. People are hired for expertise and fired for their Leadership Styles & Behaviours. Hence assessing the leadership style by reference checking from subordinates, in past companies is the best way to evaluate that the senior executive can lead, motivate and retain senior team members. Cultural Fit is also a challenge.

Hiring Senior Management

Dr. PV. Bhide, President Corporate HR JK Organisation

r. PV. Bhide, President Corporate HR, JK Organisation oversees all the HR related activities of this Rs. 11000 crore conglomerate employing more than 30,000 employees. Having over 41 years of experience, Dr. Bhide is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT-Mumbai and a Doctorate in HRD from XLRI & Academy of HRD. He has previously been the VP of Bombay Dyeing & Mfg. Co., Advisor to the Wadia Group Companies for 8 years and head of Manufacturing of Petrochemical Complex. Dr. Bhide is a Member of National HR Committee of Confederation of Indian Industry and a member of HRD Expert Committee of ASSOCHAM.
When you are evaluating senior management candidates for a position, what skills do you seek most? The CEO/CXOs need to have capability of formulating and implementing a sound Business Strategy for growth. We hence assess the candidates for their Leadership Competency of Strategic Business Perspective. In this uncertain and complex business environment there are rapid changes of business models, technology and competitors coming up with newer products and services. The CEO/CXO and senior leaders need to have a high level of learning agility and learning orientation to quickly learn and grasp new technologies, skills and ways of doing business. What is given greater importance educational background, industry experience or past performance while appointing for senior management position? While all three are important, past performance as an indicator of future performance and learning agility to handle future challenges is critical for us. Rather than achievements of past performance, we see whether there is capability to handle future challenges in present role and one role above. Reference check from past Superiors, Peers and Subordinates is very important. For Leadership Style and Team Leadership of the candidate is best judged from reference from past subordinates. For senior management positions, do you prefer hiring from within industry/company or look outside? It depends upon the position and the situation. First we prefer to look from inside the Group Companies/Company to find the best candidate as per our Succession Plan. Insider has the advantage of fitting into the company culture and is able to handle the political dynamics inside the company Insider . with outside perspective for bringing necessary changes as our first choice. If an insider is not available, we would prefer a similar industry candidate from