TalentTrends_MalikaAhuja

Talent Trends - 2016
Prepared By
Malika Ahuja
MBA 4th Semester
Roll no. 1405006940
April, 2016
Malika Ahuja
HR Project

Acknowledgements
 Mr. Ranjit Dhiman, Guide
 Mr. Ajay P. Shrivastava, Additional Director & Center Head STPI - Mohali
 Mr. OP Vermani, Former Chairman, Chemistry Department, NIT Kurukshetra
 Mr. Ankush Minocha, Campus Marketing Head, Wipro Technologies
 Mr. P J Philip, Professor & Head, Business Management Dpt, NIT Kurukshetra
 Mr. Manu Sood, Hub CEO - Upper North, Bharti Airtel Limited, Chandigarh
 Mr. Sukhjit Dhiman, CEO Ranbir Singh Dhiman & Sons, Chandigarh
 Mr. Vivek Atreya, Director Industries, Commerce & Renewable Energy,
Government of Haryana
 Mr. Sumeer Walia, Executive Director SACC India, Chandigarh Area
 Mr. Rachit Ahuja, Director Business Development , DC Web Services, New
Delhi
 Mr. Sameer Jain, CEO Net Solutions, Chandigarh Area
 Mr. Arun Khosla, Dean, Research & Consultantancy, NIT Jalandhar
 Mr. Salil Mathur, Consultant, NIELIT, Chandigarh
 Family
Malika Ahuja

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Introduction
 Problem Statement
 Objective
 Methodology
 Parameters/Trends of Talent
 Context
 Survey Results
 Expert Views
 Recommendations
Malika Ahuja

Introduction
 Macroeconomic issues rippling across
global markets are having a significant
impact on business growth.
 Skilled talent is increasingly scarce
and unevenly distributed around the
world.
 Organizations are aggressively
competing for talented people in the
market.
 Organizations more than ever need HR
to step into a strategic driving role.
 This research is to get a
comprehensive view of talent trends
across industries & their implications
for HR & talent management.
Malika Ahuja

Problem statement (challenges)
New Wars for talent
Employee churn
Overwhelmed employee
Multi-generational & diverse workforce
management
Performance management to address new
workforce dynamics
Malika Ahuja

Objective
Empowering HR & business leaders with the
power of insight
To deliver essential knowledge & services to
keep the organization ahead of competitors
To enable organizations manage multi-
generational & diverse workforce.
To enable organizations change PMS to address
new workforce dynamics.
Malika Ahuja

Methodology
First level
knowledge about
what is happening
in the market, has
been gained by
discussions with
various employees
and leaders across
industries
Out of many
parameters or
trends which shape
the work
environment,
eleven have been
chosen for the
study
A Survey has been
done of HR leaders,
business leaders
and employees
across industries
Feedback has been
collected on
Google forms on a
set of questions
about the issues
they most care
about
Expert views of
leaders have been
taken to gain
knowledge about
the issues,
challenges and how
do they cope with
these
Secondary data has
been added with
appropriate
reference at few
places
The findings are
recorded and the
content has been
analysed
Interpretation has
been done to
identify the most
dynamic and
pressing issues
facing employers
right now and the
concerns they have
for the future
Recommendations have been given for each and every
trend which would help in Empowering HR & business
leaders with the power of insight and benchmarking
with others.
Malika Ahuja

Parameters/Trends of Talent
The top 11 trends shaping the work
environment:
 Trend one: The Gen Y Talent
 Trend two: The Aging Workforce
 Trend three: The Multigenerational
Workforce
 Trend four: The Diverse Workforce
 Trend five: The Contingent Workforce
 Trend six : New War for Talent
 Trend seven : Make in India
 Trend eight : Start-up
 Trend nine : The Human Cloud
 Trend ten : Importance of Social media
in HR functions
 Trend eleven: Improving HR service
through Technology
Malika Ahuja

Gen Y Talent - Context
 With 65 percent of its population under the age of 35, India today boasts one of the
largest available workforces in the world. And a large segment of this demographic
belongs to the Generation Y.
 Gen Y is the most recent group of employees who are just beginning to launch their
careers.
 Growing up with the Internet and various technological gadgets, this generation is also
the most tech-savvy.
 Gen Y has a strong work ethic but wants work to be fun and flexible. This generation is
not afraid to challenge the status-quo. Strong friendships with co-workers and bosses are
extremely important to them.
 Gen Y is the foundation of employment and leadership for the next two to three decades.
 A paradigm shift in strategies, policies and procedures is required: using social-
networking sites for recruitment, better training, offering a corporate career site like
Deloitte that is interactive and engaging, and others.
 This pool of young, customer-facing/sales-generating employees is going to drive and
impact organizations’ strategy in years to come.
Malika Ahuja

Gen Y Talent – Survey Results
My survey shows that about 28% of the workforce is less than 25 yrs old.
54% of the respondents believe that Greater Youth employment is a Top
Priority for maintaining a competitive workforce.
Malika Ahuja

Gen Y Talent – Expert Views
STPI is set up with an objective of encouraging, promoting and boosting of
software exports from India. STPI has been spearheading the growth of IT and
Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES) industry in the country. Mr.
Ajay believes that although Gen Y is responsible for a number of
transformations in the world we live in, it could do a lot better by
learning from the sustained research on effectiveness principles carried
out by the previous generation. Gen Y flourishes in economies where it
is met with an honest and development oriented regime.
Exclusive expert views: -----
Ajay P. Shrivastava
Additional Director &
Center Head STPI -
Mohali ,
Ministry of
Communication &
Information
Technology, Govt. of
India
Q.1. What challenges are being faced by organizations related to Gen Y?
Gen Y is enthusiastic but lacks experience
Gen Y has more opportunities so tend to move to metros
Gen Y is unable to work effectively as a team due to ego problems
Gen Y becomes dissatisfied if their ideas are not heard
Gen Y is unable to strategize effectively
Gen Y has high expectations in terms of facilities
Q.2. What strategies are being followed by organizations to attract and retain Gen Y population?
Invariably most organizations are at their wits end in attracting and retaining Gen Y population. They are doing their
best by adopting some of the strategies listed below:
Resorting to the realistic salary bench marking
Putting in place a 360 degree appraisal process
Investing on training the Gen Y employees to help them grow
Permitting a more informal atmosphere in offices
Allowing Gen Y work from home whenever possible
Malika Ahuja

Gen Y Talent – Recommendations
• Today’s young leaders lack experience. Provide an environment
where young talent is identified through early-identification
assessment tools, which match opportunities with their
strengths and provide them with high-impact projects that
allow them to showcase their abilities.
• Corporate event organization lets employees to have fun and
this also improves relationships between them.
It motivates, encourages employees of the company and it
strengthens their feeling of belonging.
Malika Ahuja

Aging/Older Workforce
Malika Ahuja

Aging Workforce - Context
 Skill shortages may occur in certain occupations & positions due to an insufficient
number of workers with required skill sets to replace those who will be retiring.
 As an effect, there can be lower efficiency and productivity levels, higher training costs
and higher compensation.
 Also, a large number of older workers have the desire to work after the traditional
retirement age, and their reasons are not just financial.
 Retaining retiring talent is to the mutual benefit of both the employer and the employee.
 Additional benefits to the employer are that the loyal older employees not only enhance
the company’s reputation, but also yield higher quality work and attention to detail.
 As the workforce ages and absences rise, the costs increase.
 To reduce absences, some organizations are using methods such as provide wooden
flooring, easier-to-read computer screens, set up a wellness or health program at the
work place to encourage the workers to lead healthier lifestyles.
 Growing ranks of older employees have helped in creating a friendlier, more
conscientious work environment.
Malika Ahuja

Aging Workforce – Survey Results
The survey shows that less than 10% of the workforce is more than 65 yrs old.
A large number of retirees leaving the workforce, is not yet a big challenge
in India to fill critical roles.
54% of the respondents believe that retaining key tenured workers by
offering special benefits is a tool for maintaining a competitive workforce.
Malika Ahuja

Aging Workforce – Expert Views
Dr. O.P. Vermani is Former Chairman, Chemistry Department at National
Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. After teaching Applied Chemistry for 39
years to engineering students, he retired at the age of 62. He has been a visiting
fellow to various institutes in Haryana. He has to his credit a number of research
papers in Journals of National and International repute. He is best known for his
books Applied Chemistry, Theory & Practice and Industrial Chemistry,
recommended at various Engineering & Technical Institutions. Dr. Vermani
believes that retirees should get Respectable Pay Package, preferably with
Health Cover, linked to talent and work-load of the employees.
Q.1. Are you retired and still working?
At present I am not working. After working for 39 years, I retired in December 2005, at the age of 62. However after a gap
of about one year, I took up job elsewhere and worked for nearly seven more years. Finally, in January 2014, at the age of
70, I permanently retired.
Q.2. Why are more and more retirees returning to work?
Most people who work after retirement say that they have to work because of financial issues. Some of the financial
issues are:
Longer life spans
Limited or no savings
Decreasing pensions
Rising cost of living
Healthcare costs rising very fast
Decreasing value of investments
OP Vermani
Former Chairman,
Chemistry
Department
NIT Kurukshetra
Malika Ahuja

Aging Workforce – Recommendations
• Install a phased-retirement program.
• Offer flexible work and retirement options, putting more emphasis on employees’
loyalty, track records, competence and common sense.
• Retrain employees for jobs that better suit their aging skill sets, say, to help oversee
projects, foster community relations, and facilitate intergenerational mentoring.
• Consider recently retired executives for temporary consultancy roles.
• Reward managers for retaining older workers who can contribute to achieving
organizational goals.
Malika Ahuja

Multi-Generational Workforce
Malika Ahuja

Multi Generational Workforce - Context
 Generation gaps at workplace have taken on a whole new meaning.
 There are the Veterans—the older generation of senior executives who are 30 to 40 years
into their careers, Baby boomers & Generation X which hold most of the management
roles, and Generation Y—the fresh-faced younger generation of newcomers.
 Differences in skill sets, work values, attitudes and overall approach to life exist across
generations and one size does not fit all.
 As new generations join the workforce, there is a period of adaptation that's required on
both ends.
 New talent needs to respect and assimilate, while established talent needs to adjust and
remain flexible.
 With post- millennials, known to some as Generation Z, quickly approaching college age,
the next generation will be joining the ranks of working professionals within the next few
years.
Malika Ahuja

Multi-Generational – Expert Views
Mr. Ankush Minocha is an IT industry leader & his core experience is
into Business engagement & IT services delivery for more than 20 years. He is a
pioneer of various models of Leadership & a distinguished speaker in
Leadership & Entrepreneurship both in Industry & Academics. Mr. Minocha
believes that while most of the Learning workshops have elements of
Unlearning; however there is a need to design Unlearning workshops for
Managers/Leaders & Employees. Free mind growth thinking must be
designed in Organization trainings for employees to Enjoy Learning and
prosper.
Q.1. What challenges are being faced by organizations related to multigenerational workforce?
Leadership Styles & Leading Diverse workforce- We need to revisit our own Leadership styles, make it more grounded
according to Multi generational People. We lead and win them beautifully though Collaborative grounded Behaviors.
Inclusive Growth & Employee Retention- Organizations need to ensure Employee Growth is happening well on deserved
time for the multinational workforce.
Learning & Unlearning Curve
Q.2. How organizations can increase collaboration between older and young generation?
On Ground Leadership connect
Town halls and Leadership surveys
Ankush Minocha
Campus Marketing
Head
Wipro Technologies
Malika Ahuja

Multi Generational – Recommendations
• Include all generations on committees and task groups
whose opinions and recommendations are solicited by
management.
• Design incentive schemes for retention of retirees
carefully and implement consistently to avoid resentment on
the part of younger employees who may feel they are being
disadvantaged.
Malika Ahuja

Diverse Workforce
Malika Ahuja

Diverse Workforce - Context
 To manage the diverse workforce successfully, major challenges faced by the
organizations are communication, resistance to change and implementation of
diversity in the workplace policies.
 A company with a diverse workforce outperforms those that are less diverse.
 A diverse workforce enhances a company’s competence, working climate, production and
efficiency, thereby inculcating a culture of innovation and creativity.
 It enables better problem solving, ultimately leading to superior performance.
 Also, a diverse workforce allows the company to serve an increasingly diverse
customer base.
 According to a recent Gallup research, a gender diverse workforce impacts a
company’s bottom line.
 Business units that are gender diverse have better financial outcomes than those
dominated by one gender.
Malika Ahuja

Diverse Workforce – Survey Results
86% of the respondents think that higher representation of
women in leadership positions improves organizational &
financial performance
More than 50% respondents say that % of women at the
Executive level is less than 5%.
Only 34% say that % of women at Leader level is 6-10%
55% say that they do not have Executive Board Diversity
55% believe that nurturing an Inclusive Diverse workforce is
Just Good Business
72% say that their Workforce Diversity reflects their
Customer base
Malika Ahuja

Diverse Workforce – Expert Views
Dr. P J Philip is Professor& Head, Department of Business Management at
National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. Other positions of
administrative responsibility held by him in the institute are—Dean,
Students’ Welfare; Head of the Department of Humanities & Social Sciences &
Professor In charge, Public Relations. He believes that the top management
of an organization should convey, in very clear terms that they value
cultural diversity and it should be demonstrated in all their policies and
practices. He also believes that women are better endowed with various
finer qualities that make them more suited to higher positions.
Q.1. Do organizations need to have separate strategies to hire diverse workforce?
Diversity is a vital strength of the country and needs to be promoted in all spheres of activity. Organizations, therefore,
should deliberately and consciously develop appropriate strategies to have a diverse workforce. Such a workforce
would be instrumental in incorporating diverse values and diverse views into the cultural fabric of the organization,
which would, in turn, contribute to balanced decision making and harmonious coexistence.
Q.2. While organizations do have a higher percentage of women employees at lower levels, the number reduces at
higher levels. How can organizations bridge this gap?
The Indian society is in transition. From a male dominated society, we are in the process of bringing about gender
equality. Empowering the girl child by educating her and equipping her with employable skills is a step in the right
direction and is increasingly gathering momentum. Already, many Indian women occupy the highest positions in many
premier organizations. Therefore, the eligibility and competence of women to be in high positions is no more in
question. In fact, there are many research studies that have shown that women are better endowed with various finer
qualities that, in many ways, make them more suited to higher positions. Therefore, if organizations keep an open
mind and male employees are sufficiently gender-sensitized, having women in high positions should not anymore be
an issue at all.
P J Philip
Professor & Head,
Department Of
Business Management
NIT Kurukshetra
Malika Ahuja

Diverse Workforce – Recommendations
• Cultural fit: Organizations should clearly define their corporate culture. Hiring
managers should place greater emphasis on finding talent whose aptitude, work
habits, and values closely align with those of their employer.
• To achieve the real benefits that diversity can bring, managers must look carefully
at the gender balance in specific business units when designing and
implementing a strategy to increase diversity.
• Create an engaged culture that enables men and women to form trusting
relationships and motivates them to perform at a high level.
• Develop a hiring strategy that increases diversity in these units without reducing
or ignoring merit.
• Create opportunities to celebrate events and opportunities that are specific
to various cultures.
Malika Ahuja

Growing Contingent Workforce
Malika Ahuja

Growing Contingent Workforce - Context
 A contingent workforce is a provisional group of workers who are not on the company
payroll but who work for an organization on a non-permanent basis, such as freelancers,
independent experts and professionals, temporary contract workers, multiple job
holders, part-time workers, and independent contractors, employees of contract
companies and workers who are on call.
 The continuing talent gap, labor and skills shortages are definitely causing difficulties
among companies today and reinforcing the already established trend of using more
contingent workforce.
 Availability of more and more independent workers, through online freelancer market
places, like freelancer.com, crowd sourcing platforms and other kinds of work
intermediation platforms (WIPs).
 Direct sourcing made possible by technology solutions like freelance management
systems (FMS).
 Offers company the ability to tap into extensive networks of individuals with hard-to-
find skills.
 As the baby boomer generation is starting to retire, companies are bridging the critical
skills gap with more contingent workforce.

Malika Ahuja

Contingent Workforce – Context ..contd..
 Increases the flexibility to scale up or scale down with business demand and economic
changes and alleviating the impact of workforce restructuring.
 Savings in long-term compensation costs.
 Opportunity to save costs, in benefits and tax.
 Legal and regulatory challenges when governments pursue companies that improperly
categorize workers from a tax perspective. This can lead to significant penalties, fines,
and legal costs.
 Lack of loyalty to employer or company.
 Possible loss of trade secrets, intellectual property, and organizational knowledge.
 May disturb an organization's core morale and culture
 Additional training costs
 Worker carries the full risk with limited benefits.
 Many recent surveys have shown that, in future, the need for contingent workforce will
keep on growing.
Malika Ahuja

Contingent Workforce – Survey Results
14 % of the respondents say that they will recruit Contingent workers in case
Permanent employees leave
7% say that above 60% of their workforce is temporary
10% say that 40-60% of their workforce is temporary
30% say that 21-40% of their workforce is temporary
41% say that during Workforce planning, they consider the Total Workforce
38% say that during Workforce planning, they consider Permanent &
Temporary Workforce
Malika Ahuja

Contingent Workforce–Recommendations
• Standardize the management of contingent workers when possible, making it
similar or identical to that of full-time employees.
• Give them a strong sense of belonging by sharing with them exciting company
news.
• Train them so they continue to develop their knowledge of your organization and
their own expertise.
• Have an effective strategy in place to keep the contingent workers engaged.
• Connect your contingent workers to each other providing an additional layer of
support.
• These efforts will ensure that they know your organization and will represent
you well when they are out in the world.
Malika Ahuja

New War for Talent
Malika Ahuja

New War for Talent - Context
 Organizations are aggressively competing for talented people in the market due to deep
belief held by leaders that competitive advantage could be achieved from employing the
best talent.
 The globalization and advancement in information technology (IT), in which developing
countries play a major role, has caused a new war for talent.
 Organizations can no more pick & choose between several great candidates for one
position.
 Employers need people who can contribute immediately and add value today and who
are flexible to continue to add value in the future.
 They need to get the right people on the bus & in the right seats to succeed.
 Many organizations are facing talent shortage as a major restriction to pursue growth
opportunities. Skill shortage and talent war is further worsening the situation.
 If care is not taken by buttressing the organizational culture & climate that gives
emphasis to talent acquisition, then in coming years, the requirement for talented people
will surpass the availability of skilled workers at different levels in all industries.
Malika Ahuja

New War for Talent – Survey Results
31% of the respondents use one-size-fits all approach,
while the rest provide a balance of different incentives
for engagement & retention of employees
62% of the respondents understand the expectations of
the employees through both Internal stay feedbacks &
Exit interviews
93% see value in Brand building & 52% consider
Employer brand of higher value
80% say that spending on Brand building is expected to
rise in the next 5 years in their organization
Only 10% find their organizations' ability to attract
talent Excellent, while 62% find it Good
82% consider Competitive salary & benefits as the prime
factor in attracting Top talent, followed by Employer brand
(72%) & Reputation of the Organization (72%)
Malika Ahuja

New War for Talent – Expert Views
Mr. Manu Sood is Hub Chief Executive Officer, Upper North, Bharti Airtel
Limited. He is currently handling a business of the 4 circles of Upper North –
Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and J&K, which includes a full Airtel service
mix of Telecom, DTH and Telemedia. He was instrumental in defining the
distribution strategy, creating a new team & successfully driving a change agenda
in Airtel. Mr. Manu believes that keeping employees happy is the key to success.
Q.1. Do you see value in brand building? LinkedIn studies have shown that a company's Employer brand is twice
stronger indicator to attract skilled talent than its Company brand. Please share your views
Yes, I think it’s critical.
People do read the surveys and informally know about good Co’s. E.g. some trends people know of “HUL is a great Co”,
“Sapient was on top of surveys”, “In telecom Co’s, Voda was a top Co and only last month for the first time Airtel beat
them in one survey”.
Younger generation has options unlike us. So it’s no longer a few Co’s who have their way. Co’s need to make sure they
are on top of Employer Brand surveys to attract the best talent. And talent today seeks a good environment more than
the past.
There are books on Customer First and also on Employee First – by ex HCL CEO. Clearly many believe that keeping
employees happy is the key to success.
Gallup says people don’t leave Companies but leave bosses. Only Co’s who have a great environment are able to ensure
that bosses are not the reason of leaving very often. And this leads to a better Employer brand too as lesser attrition
means happier people.
Manu Sood
Hub CEO - Upper
North
Bharti Airtel Limited
Malika Ahuja

New War for Talent – Recommendations
• In the face of critical talent shortage, recruit more like a talent agency, i.e. settle for a
near fit (one who has some of the skills you would like) on your terms and conditions, and
train him as per your requirements.
• Re-employ retiree talent by offering them flexible work options.
• To engage and retain talent, use company’s Internal Job Market or Career Fairs, where
advice can be Croudsourced to help shape employee careers; or set up a virtual platform,
like ‘Career Connect’ launched by HCL Technologies, where employees aspiring for
particular positions can connect to best advisers (people who have charted out new paths and
careers for themselves) within the company.
• Through a structured job rotation scheme, ensure that no employee sits on a single project
for long and top talent can gain work experience with different teams and technologies. This
will provide employees with opportunities for career growth within the organization.
Malika Ahuja

Make in India and Skill India
Malika Ahuja

Make in India and Skill India - Context
 Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 September 2014, to encourage multi-
national, as well as national companies to manufacture their products in India. The
major objective behind the initiative is to focus on job creation and skill enhancement in
25 sectors of the economy.
 100% FDI is permitted in the 25 selected sectors, except for space (74%), defence (49%)
and news media (26%).
 With the demand for electronic hardware expected to rise rapidly, India has the potential
to become an electronic manufacturing hub.
 In the year 2015 itself, many global companies started setting up new research and
development (R&D) centres and manufacturing plants. Some of these have already
started production.
 Japan is setting up a special fund, called the "Japan-India Make-in-India Special Finance
Facility" for funding Make in India related projects.
 Deals have been signed with OIS Advanced Technologies (France) for manufacturing
drones, and with Russia to build the Kamov Ka-226 multi-role helicopter, in India.
Malika Ahuja

Make in India & Skill India–Context..contd.
 Airbus is bidding to make the C295 military transport aircraft with the Tata group.
Boeing and Lockheed Martin have offered to manufacture F 16 ‘Super Viper’ and F/A 18
‘Super Hornet’ in India, for Indian Air Force.
 Make in India aims to transform India, from an agro based nation to a manufacturing
hub, whose share in GDP would rise to 25 per cent by 2022.
 Twenty four manufacturing cities or hubs will be created and interconnected by building
the Delhi- Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).
 A pentagon of road corridors consisting of DMIC, BMEC (between Bengaluru-
Mumbai), AKIC (Amritsar- Kolkata) CBIC (Chennai- Bangaluru), and ECEC (east coast
economic corridor), is to be created.
 Make in India project has been featured In KPMG’s hundred most innovative global
projects.
 Another milestone achieved is that India is now ranked the world's most attractive
investment destination by Carlyle, a leading private equity fund.
 In July 2015, Prime Minister Modi launched the ‘Skill India’ initiative, with an aim to
train over 40 crore people in different skills, by 2022.
Malika Ahuja

Make in India & Skill India–Expert Views
Mr Sukhjit Dhiman is the CEO of Ranbir Singh Dhiman & Sons, a firm that has
been into designing & manufacturing of solid wood furniture for over four
decades. Apart from catering to the domestic market, they are exporting to
Australia, Canada, U.S. & U.K. Mr. Dhiman is a governing body member of
Furniture & Fittings Skill Council, promoted by Confederation of Indian
Industry (CII) & financed by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
with an objective to enhance the employability of the Indian workforce globally.
He is a member of Indo German Chamber of Commerce and a member of FICCI.
Sukhjit Dhiman
CEO
Ranbir Singh Dhiman &
Sons
Chandigarh
Q.1. Have you diversified production under the Make in India scheme of the country? If yes, what are the products/
components that you are making?
We have not diversified yet under the "Make in India" scheme as the market is going through a deep recession and also
if experts are to be believed it is going to get worse than the Depression of 1930s.Every manufacturer must tread very
cautiously at the moment. We are currently continuing with the manufacturing of solid wooden furniture which in my
opinion does not need diversification at the moment.
Q.2. Is sufficient skilled man-power available for this?
Our industry, like others, is facing an acute shortage of skilled man-power.
Q.3. Have you started any new technical courses under the Skill India program?
I am a Governing Council Member of the Furniture & Fittings Skill Council in which we are working very hard in
bridging Skill Gaps and promoting Entrepreneurship, the two pillars of the Skill Development Scheme.
In fact, I am closely working with the British Furniture Sector Skill Council to jointly set up a Furniture Skilling Centre
in my factory to initiate state of the art training in our country. It will be a Pilot Project which would be replicated later
in different parts of the country.
Malika Ahuja

Make in India & Skill India–Recommendations
• Coach and mentor junior employees and guide them to improve their skill
sets.
• Start vocational training and skill improvement academies in partnership
with NSDC.
• Collaborate with foreign investors to setup plants for manufacturing products
that India is importing.
Malika Ahuja

Start-ups - Context
 While delivering his Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort last
year, Prime Minister Modi had announced 'Start-up India, Stand-up India' initiative to
encourage innovation and entrepreneurship among young people.
 In line with this initiative, a five-fold hike has been made by the government in its budget
for funding start-ups in this fiscal.
 The tax benefits announced by the government for budding entrepreneurs, with an
annual turnover of less than INR 25 Cr., will be available from April 1.
 To help these entrepreneurs, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has
released FAQs to provide better information of the whole process.
 Sixty per cent of the funding would go to companies that are into hardware and
manufacturing business.
 Two major problems faced by startups are: 1. Employee engagement, and 2.
Funding.
 2015 was characterized by free and easy funding for start-ups through Venture Capital.
 The business model was called a unicorn, characterized by superfast growth, fuelled by
VC money, but no profits in the beginning.
Malika Ahuja

Start-ups – Context..contd….
 The idea is that the business will reach “scale” first, before concentrating on making
money once it has won plenty of market shares. Uber is a prime example.
 Problems in the business models of many unicorns, like Twitter and Birch box, were
revealed once the VC money started drying up by the beginning of 2016.
 The start-up investment is now defined by a very different creature---the cockroach, a
business that grows slowly and steadily from the word goes, keeping a close eye on
revenues and profits.
 DST to provide seed capital to 50-80 new ventures, related to science and technology,
with funding ranging from 50 lakh to 1 crore per company.
 With the seed money, startups can approach Venture Capitalists or other funding
agencies.
 The Government will also open 25 technology-business incubators to provide relevant
training.
 The cost of doing business in India is reasonable and it is a hot market with a lot
of startups. The government is supportive which makes it easier and more reliable to do
business here, than in China. India has the third highest density of startups.
Malika Ahuja

Start-ups – Expert Views
Mr. Vivek Atray is an IAS officer, an Inspirational Speaker and a Novelist/Author.
He has excelled in Investment Promotion, IT & e-Governance,
P.R./Communication, Skill Development, Tourism, Sports Administration. He is
an inspirational speaker and an acclaimed orator at events organized by
NASSCOM, CII, TIE, MAIT, IIFT, Vibrant Networking Forum and others. Mr.
Atray won much acclaim for his role in developing the IT Park in Chandigarh,
when he was the Director of IT. He believes that there will be more hands on
experience for talented youth to upgrade their skill sets in smaller start
ups vis a vis bigger companies.
Q.1. Are Start-ups helping us to create larger Talent pool?
They are indeed. More entrepreneurial ventures are likely to create more jobs and attract diverse types of talent. There
will be more hands on experience for talented youth to upgrade their skill sets in smaller start ups vis a vis bigger
companies.
Q.2. What supporting environment is needed for Start-ups?
The need for the Government is to largely keep out of their way and not create impediments to their growth. An eco
system that encourages innovation and does not frown upon failure, for there is bound to be some. A tax structure that
is conducive. Ease of doing business in States.
Q.3. Do Start-ups need innovative & unique strategies to attract and retain talents?
They certainly do. Talented youth are attracted to newness and not sameness. Fresh ideas will attract the best talent.
Q.4. How Start-ups use technology to get return with limited investment?
Start ups can bank on the power of the internet. They can use freeware. They can use hand held or inexpensive devices
to create new software. The key is fresh thinking and innovation.
Vivek Atreya
Director
Industries,
Commerce &
Renewable Energy
Government of
Haryana
Malika Ahuja

Start-ups – Expert Views
Mr. Sumeer Walia is a Business Networker and a thought leader. He is a Business Community
Curator, a Startup Enthusiast. He has mentored over 200 Startup enthusiasts in Punjab,
Haryana and Chandigarh region. Through his successful tenure as Executive Director with TIE
(The Indus Entrepreneurs) and SACC (Startup Accelerator Chamber of Commerce), he has
sensitized over 15000 students/professionals by conducting over 250 events related to Business
Networking, Startup Mentoring and Development/Knowledge sharing and promotion of Co
working Culture. He has successfully headed two intensive Startup Projects a) Startup
Weekend Punjab at Progressive Punjab Investor Summit 2015 held at ISB, Mohali. b) Startup
Weekend for Women and Startup Weekend Haryana held during Happening Haryana Investor
Summit 2016 at Hotel Leela Ambience Gurgaon in March 2016. He believes that Startups do
well when the first team is like a passionate family contributing to address a cause and
a mission. Exclusive expert views:-----
Q.1. Are Start-ups helping us to create larger Talent pool?
Not exactly- talent organization is missing, can be worked out so that it is aggregated under one roof. In India most of
the startups are service based, innovation and RD based startups are less.
Q.2. What supporting environment is needed for Start-ups?
Structured Mentoring, Idea validation, MVP (early stage physical space/incubation), tech support for product
development and early stage funding.
Q.3. Do Start-ups need innovative & unique strategies to attract and retain talents?
Startups do well when the first team is like a passionate family contributing to address a cause and a mission, so
anything that keeps tech environment apt is welcome.
Q.4. How Start-ups use technology to get return with limited investment?
Startups sometimes avail offers of web development/tool product development from freebies like Amazon etc...They
also look for freebies on net, FB, etc which require lesser cost. Most of the time they develop stuff in house. But there
comes a stage, in my experience in dealing with Start-ups, when they get stuck at a certain point of product
development. What make them waver or frustrate is funds. They need funds either to build phase two of their product
or they need money now to market it. Normally out of 10 Start-ups queries, 7 would need up to 40-50 thousand USD as
seed money.
Sumeer Walia
Executive
Director SACC
India
Chandigarh
Area
Malika Ahuja

Start-ups – Recommendations
• Design business models that align financial and social goals as closely as possible.
• For a social impact start-up, find an investor who is philosophically aligned with the
idea and the entrepreneur, and is willing to give it the patient capital that social
enterprisers require.
• To transform the idea into reality, it is advisable to set up a pilot. It helps in
understanding the model better and also shows the investor that effort has gone into
testing the feasibility of the idea.
• Secure as much funding as possible from friends and family before approaching
professional investors.
• Put in place a suitable mechanism to keep the employees engaged.
Malika Ahuja

The Human Cloud - Context
 Cloud computing is the use of a software as a service (SaaS) rather than a product, which
happens through a set of shared resources where the information is transmitted between
the resources over a network.
 Collaborating in the cloud is a great way to share work with colleagues anywhere around
the world.
 Investing in the right suite of cloud technologies may help co-creation in a dynamic
online environment — positively impacting interaction, collaboration and engagement,
while saving time and travel costs.
 Small and medium sized businesses comprise early adopters. They have moved to the
cloud to be able to take advantage of the software innovations more quickly.
 The larger an organization, the more complex change-management becomes in order to
ensure user adoption. Skills are also key considerations. Moving to the cloud requires a
willingness to change business processes and adopt software as delivered.
 Many of the larger organizations have already shifted from on-premise Human Capital
Management (HCM) to cloud based HCM applications. Yet for other processes, they are
following a wait and watch approach, while looking for greater innovation.
Malika Ahuja

The Human Cloud – Expert Views
Mr. Rachit Ahuja is Founder & Director Business Development at DC Web Services
Pvt. Ltd. He has developed a cloud based software solution, known as Quick Dry
Cleaning Software, specifically for dry cleaning and laundry industry. With users
in 24 countries spread across 5 continents, it is one of the most comprehensive
products available in the market today. Mr. Rachit believes that Cloud based
computing is the upcoming phenomenon which is sure to transform the
way any business is being run today. Its flexible approach offers a low -
maintenance model whereby the user need not worry about the computer
related problems and headache of taking regular backups of data , and
instead invest all their energy to promote and manage their business.
Exclusive expert views:----
Q.1. What are your views on moving HR to Cloud?
Yes off course it makes sense to move HR over Cloud for the below-mentioned reasons:
Though Cloud-based collaboration and technology have the potential to improve any business process, it has been
mainly applied to HR processes of recruitment and employee management. The Cloud technology enables HR to
access the best profiles of a large number of prospective employees to choose from. This saves money and time
spent in recruitment of best talent.
The Cloud enhances the way data is stored and accessed by organizations anytime, anywhere. This enables the
employers to better align their workforce, enhance collaboration between the workers, keep the talent engaged and
thus increase productivity. In fact, cloud deployment continues to be the most popular approach for these two
processes.
Q.2. How to make best use of cloud based tools?
You can make best use of tools if the tools are easy to use and user-friendly. For instance, a mobile app is the best way
to make it easily accessible for the user, also coming up with browser add- on is also a good option.
Rachit Ahuja
Founder and Director
Business
Development
Deecoup
DC Web Services Pvt.
Ltd.
New Delhi
Malika Ahuja

The Human Cloud – Expert Views
Mr. Sameer is an entrepreneur with over 20 years of professional experience in the
technology sector, with a focus on consumer internet and mobility. He has
featured in global publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur and
Inc magazines. He believes that data security is very important for using
cloud.
Exclusive expert views:----
Q.1. What are your views on moving HR to Cloud?
We are currently using our own HR management systems and not using any cloud software. Two issues that we are
seeing at the moment:
Security of our data
Licensing costs
That said there are many SaaS solutions that are very niche and innovative that we want to use, so it is only a matter of
time that we will too.
Sameer jain
CEO Net Solutions,
Chandigarh Area
Malika Ahuja

The Human Cloud –Recommendations
• Ensure your organization is technically equipped to support
collaboration and new and emerging flexible modes of work.
• It’s better to put the right measures in place to manage data security and
educate your teams on company policies and practices.
Malika Ahuja

Importance of Social Media in HR functions
Malika Ahuja

Social Media in HR - Context
 Most organizations today are discovering that maintaining a social media presence is no
longer a choice, but a necessity.
 Even if your company is not using social media, you still need a policy because your
employees are anyway using social media in their private lives.
 Sites like Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and Google+, and use of What’s App are becoming
increasingly important in job searching and employee recruitment.
 The ability to access information and applications from a laptop, BlackBerry®, Android™-
based phone, or iPhone® from around the world can be a double-edged sword.
 Talent acquisition is one of the first areas within many companies to embrace the social
media opportunity.
 Employee performance: Social media tools make true 360-degree feedback a reality.
Immediate insight into team’s performance can be gained.
 Innovation: Through effective employee collaboration by connecting people and ideas
in ways that have previously not been explored.
 Driving business success: Through accelerated communication between suppliers and
customers.
Malika Ahuja

Social Media in HR – Context..contd…
 Talent management: through robust and real-time training, development, and support.
 Administration: through employee-centric HR operations, regardless of where the
employees are in the world or organization hierarchy.
 Employee engagement
 Brand building: Key social media leaders can become evangelists for the firm on social
media.
 It has shown to increase employee engagement and productivity.
 Inadvertent or deliberate leak of company’s privileged information is a risk.
 Introduction of sensitive personal information into the workplace (politics, religion,
sexual orientation, lifestyle issues) is a risk.
 Ownership issues regarding public forums/networks where employees might engage
with customers to discuss business issues.
 Negative reviews, comments, and mentions on the social media, if not handled
properly, will adversely affect a company’s brand value and future talent
acquisition.
Malika Ahuja

Social Media in HR – Expert Views
Dr. Arun Khosla is presently Dean, Research & Consultancy, Dr B R Ambedkar
National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar and Associate Professor in the
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering. He is a reviewer
for various IEEE and other National and International conferences and journals.
He also serves on the editorial board of International Journal of Swarm
Intelligence Research. He has conducted a number of tutorials in the domain of
soft computing at various national & international conferences. Dr. Khosla
believes that social media is a great tool that can be used for brand
building.
Q.1. Please share your views on ‘Importance of Social Media in HR functions’.
Social media has become an integral part of modern society and it usage is growing with every passing day. It has found
applications in all spheres and HR is not an exception.
One of the most obvious areas of opportunity within many companies who embrace social media is the talent
acquisition. For HR managers, using social media makes the recruiting process easier. Putting job openings on the
social media makes it convenient for the companies to reach out to the public and also for candidates to apply for those
jobs. Companies are also seeing more success using social media to recruit new employees as they can browse the social
media pages of potential candidates to determine their suitability. In addition to this, social media helps in the brand
building and also in maintaining communication with its employees, customers etc.
Arun Khosla
Dean, Research &
Consultantancy
NIT Jalandhar
Malika Ahuja

Social Media in HR – Recommendations
• To frame a good Social Media Policy, if one is already not in place, form a governance body of
key stakeholders that should have representation of IT, Legal, HR, Compliance,
Marketing, and Risk Management, that reviews current and planned use of social media
against current communications-related policies. Policy-making executive should themselves
learn the use of social media tools and know how both the organization and its employees are
using them. A professional certificate in social media in HR (from Cornell University’s ILR
School) prepares you to get the most from today’s online technology.
• Prepare a policy to leverage social media as a tool that aligns with the overall vision,
mission, and strategy of the organization.
• Make sure the emerging policies strike an appropriate balance between workplace and
personal use while maintaining some level of corporate oversight.
• Ensure that the policies are enforceable while being absolutely clear on what is
mandatory and what the consequences are for non compliance.
• Must consider workers’ rights in each unique geography.
• Monitor the policy continually and provide new guidelines that conform to the changing
legal frameworks.
Malika Ahuja

Improving HR Service Through Technology
Malika Ahuja

Technology in HR - Context
 In today’s world, many organizations are using innovative technologies in alignment with
skills to manage the talent efficiently.
 Some of the latest emerging topics in HR, for which adoption varies, include cloud
computing, analytics including predictive analytics, managing big data, machine
learning, employee sentiment analysis and social tools.
 Talent analytics help in making the workforce planning process more efficient.
 Workforce data and analytics help in improving alignment of employees and company
strategy.
 Unfortunately, most HR professionals lack the skills to make use of these tools.
 HR departments are chock full of great HR transaction folks, recruiters, compliance
people and more in these groups.
 New skills, capabilities and insights are needed to make HR more relevant and able to
exploit today’s new HR technologies.
 As big data becomes the prevalent resource and tool, HR professionals need to develop
skills and comfort with data and statistics.
Malika Ahuja

Technology in HR – Expert Views
Mr. Salil Mathur is a Start-up enthusiast, an accomplished executive and a
decisive leader. He extends the much needed holistic package to transform the
ideas of start-ups in to successful business ventures. He held positions of Head
DC, Data Infosys Pvt Ltd. & CEO, Techtier IT Solutions. He has to his credit a
number of publications. He believes that technology will enable managing
of skill gaps, trends and risks and offer an improved skill distribution.
Any amount of automation will not supersede the human role which will
always be the last mile of the connection.
Q.1. How to use technology to shape up HR services & be competitive in current environment?
Technology can unlock data on employees gathered and gained insights through various HR programs and
interactions. It will also enable managing of skill gaps, trends and risks and offer an improved skill distribution. HR
practices are no longer judged by hiring alone the matrix is changing to quality talent management. HR has to engage
increasingly in guiding the management by closing information gaps and talent mobilization. Finding ways to engage
with employees also helps in reducing human biases for appraisals and compensations. Technology in HR will enhance
employee experience and needs to move beyond just payroll software.
Q.2. The primary responsibility of HR is towards the employees and not the organization. Please share your views.
This is a difficult and touchy question to answer without forsaking the ethics side. Yes HR’s primary accountability is to
the management and that goes for all employees. However HR might have to do a tricky arbitration at times and save an
employee from harsher view that a management might take of him. HR must guide the management and keep them
informed about employee sentiment in general.
Salil Mathur
Consultant
National Institute of
Electronics &
Information
Technology (NIELIT)
Chandigarh
Malika Ahuja

Technology in HR – Recommendations
• Organizations should change their view of HR, from a support function to a
co-equal role in business strategy.
• They should reach outside of the traditional candidate pool to find new
talent with the quantitative skills needed to effectively use emerging HR
technologies.
• HR technology should have a prominent position in any organization’s IT
strategy.
• New technologies should be inducted at a pace at which no section of employees
feels aggrieved, as otherwise it may result in workplaces where the generational
divide may become increasingly difficult to handle.
Malika Ahuja

TalentTrends_MalikaAhuja

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