Eight Points of A First-Person Conversation by A Young HR Professional

Family structures have changed. Methods of upbringing have changed. The education system has become more occupation-oriented. Information is available anytime, anywhere. Technology has penetrated virtually every sphere of life. Methods of doing business have mutated. Government policies are no more static and industry-unfriendly. For qualified people, job opportunities have increased. Most importantly, the meaning of life and aspirations of the people across the age groups have changed.

What do these changes connote for the young HR Pros?

These changes indicate that the youngsters entering the workforce, after attending ITI or IIM, have fundamentally a different outlook towards their profession compared to the previous generations. Not to say that this outlook is superior or inferior, but it surely has an impact on how the HR Pros need to manage such a vibrant workforce.

Based on my overall experience and particularly that of recruiting youngsters, both in the HR as well as in other functions, I have extracted eight actionable points for the young management trainees who have chosen to enter the HR profession.

As an experiment, I have written the ensuing text of the article in the first person singular language, because I feel that such a style and the topic will gel well.

Understanding & aligning with my company’s core values:

I understand that I am a torchbearer of my company’s values. I am also a steward or a trustee of these values. Therefore, it is important for me to understand their meaning and align with them. Only after this alignment, I can champion these values.

“I should demonstrate requisite compliance to the company’s values”, is an unwritten expectation of my company’s management as well as my senior colleagues. I will take my seniors’ help in understanding the genesis of these values. This will help me appreciate them better and enable me explain them effectively to the new hires, current employees, and my vendors.

Grasping the business of my company:

Unless I understand my company’s business and its history, it would be hard for me to appreciate the prevalent & emerging HR & OD needs. My professors had taught me that State Bank of India requires different HR practices than HDFC Bank and the HR practices of Google would be different from that of McDonald’s.

Therefore, I realize that there is a substantial correlation between the HR practices and the nature & age of the business, the level of competition, industry domain, government ownership, private ownership, etc.

Delving into the history of my HR Function:

Delving into the history will help me build a perspective You are missed in Spanish on how my HR Function has evolved, changed, or matured over a period. History will also provide me data on failures and successes with the evidences.

Why the recruitment process is so rigorous? Why the compensation structure is tax-friendly or tax-unfriendly? Why the hierarchy is too flat or too long? Why the HR Function reports to the Head of Operations? Why there is a matrix reporting structure? How the company adopted the diversity practices?

Only when I appreciate the history of my HR Function, I will get answers to these questions. Through history, I would also recognize the linkage between the HR practices and my company’s business, the industry patterns and the management philosophy.

Understanding my company’s culture:

Like values, I am also a custodian of my company’s culture. How the employees relate to each other, i.e. hierarchically or informally? What are the methods of greeting each other? Why senior management is so choosy about the type of food dished up in the canteen? Why my company is so obsessed with methods and processes? Why does the company tolerate non-performance? Why the Line Managers so much empowered? Why some Senior Managers get special treatment?

These are a few representative queries and their answers will unfold the interesting data on the culture. I must accept that no culture is perfect. The challenge for me is to discover enabling features of the culture and strengthen them. My boss has told me that the culture also encompasses the political dimensions.