by Nancy Lockwood

India’s leap into globalization has been a contributing factor to its fastpaced growth. The full research article explores leadership and the competencies required to continue to fuel and sustain the extreme pace of life and business in India. Leaders in India operate in the midst of a multifaceted and fast-paced environment. The threads of culture are intertwined with the economic environment and India’s drive to be a significant player in the global economy. Given the complexity of the country—such as history, culture and rapid change—and the unprecedented rate of growth that has launched India into the limelight worldwide, a discussion of leadership issues in India must be contextualized, with understanding of key changes in India. Written primarily for the Westerner learning about India, this article offers information, cultural context and research about sustainable leadership competency in India of the value to both Westerners and business executives in India.

To download a copy of the full research article, please visit: http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Documents/09-0366_India_Article_Sstnbl_Ldrshp_FNL.pdf

by Nancy Lockwood

Today, India is a force in the global economy, with a high demand for talent. A key source of talent is educated Indian women. While Indian corporations have not yet fully recognized or utilized this talent pool, the growing gender diversity in Indian managerial ranks now offers a pathway for change for Indian women. Cultural and societal change means a shift away from traditional views, stereotypes and societal attitudes, with increasing opportunities for Indian women in management. While change is slow for Indian women to gain executive positions, they have made progress in management in a relatively short time.

The full research article provides a glimpse into the status of women in management in India. Based on in-depth interviews by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) with Indian professional men and women and findings from Indian research studies, this article aims to present perspectives that offer an increased awareness of the challenges and opportunities for women in management in India. Both Indian and non-Indian audiences will find this information insightful: Indian women considering career choices and/or aspiring to managerial roles, multinational corporations doing business in India, Indian corporations seeking a pipeline of talent and those wanting to learn about women managers in the Indian context.

To read the full research article, please visit: http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Documents/09-0677_India_Women_Ldrshp_FNL.pdf

This morning SHRM is attending the National Journal breakfast discussion panel entitled “National Journal: A Look Ahead at the 2010 Political Landscape.”  

The program will air live at 8:30am ET.  Read on to learn more about this panel.

Enjoy!

 
Broadcasting Live with Ustream.TV

National Journal political analyst Charlie Cook will sit down with a panel of experts for a conversation on the issues that could shape the 2010 midterm elections. Cook, who is widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading authorities on U.S. elections and political trends, will cover the potential issues that could drive the midterm elections. The panel will dissect the electorate going into these critical midterm elections, as well as the issues and dynamics that will shape this campaign. The panel will include top political pollsters from both sides of the aisle.

 

Featuring:

Fred Yang

Senior Partner, 

Garin Hart Yang Research Group

 

Glen Bolger

Partner And Co-Founder, 

Public Opinion Strategies

 

Charlie Cook

Political Analyst, National Journal

 

Amy Walter

Editor In Chief, The Hotline

by Nancy Lockwood

India’s booming economy—with an expected average growth rate of 7% to 9% for the next five years—has fueled rapid urbanization and power-stepped the country into globalization. With nearly 50 cities at over one million in population each and a rapidly growing middle class, India has become one of the largest consumer markets worldwide. Paralleling this extraordinary growth is keen competition for talent.

To understand how Indian corporations are dealing with the war for talent, SHRM India—a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), the world’s largest human resources (HR) association—spoke with HR executives at premier Indian organizations in India’s eight key industry sectors.

In today’s hyper-competitive marketplace, how do Indian corporations find and keep talent? What are their challenges and solutions? Rajeev Dubey, President of Human Resources at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., points out that “talent/human capital is the key to being globally competitive, and currently demand far outstrips the supply of human capital in the Indian scenario.” He emphasizes that unless Indian corporations correctly understand the minds of the people they wish to attract and

retain—and tailor their talent management strategy accordingly—India will not be able to create the required human capital pipeline for its organizations.

Although India is steeped in culture and tradition, it is the country’s demographic and economic changes that will significantly impact business sustainability. The full research article presents proactive and innovative talent management strategies developed by Indian corporations. In a world that requires thoughtful, creative and dynamic people development, human resource executives from Indian corporations share their challenges and successes in the spirit of collaboration and professionalism.

To download a copy of the full article, please visit: http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Articles/Documents/09-0685_SHRM_India_Article_FNL.pdf

Indian Human Resource Management and Talent Mindset

by Nancy Lockwood

Many Indian corporations are now an integral part of the global community. As important contributors to the world economy, Indian corporations require human capital to grow and expand.

To gain a better understanding of the factors related to Indian human resource management (HRM) and talent mindset, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) interviewed Indian HR executives in key Indian business sectors. Spotlighted in the full research article are three organizations, with their respective philosophies about talentmindset, reflecting their vision and strategic business goals. Through the views of these Indian HR leaders—with their fingers on the pulse of the marketplace—trends, challenges and opportunities about talent in the Indian HR context are revealed. In addition, information about Indian cultural, national and socio-economic aspects provides insights about the dynamic environment in which Indian HR and organizational leaders attract, develop and retain talent.

As stated in The Changing Faces of People Management in India, as a result of India’s liberalized economic environment, “the new paradigm has brought a shift towards more corporate management and new opportunities for technology upgrading, human resource mobilization from previously untapped sources, expansion, diversification, business turnaround and internationalization.” Thus, in this ever-changing marketplace, the new global imperative requires the right talent.

Written at the macro level, the full research article explores the philosophical perspectives of talent mindset in the Indian human resource management context, considers factors that influence talent mindset in India, and highlights key drivers and other contributing aspects. Written primarily for a non-Indian HR and management audience, this article not only provides insights into talent mindset in corporate India but also offers valuable information for HR professionals and business leaders in India, management students learning about India, multinational corporations established in India and those seeking to expand into India.

To download a copy of Indian Human Resource Management and Talent Mindset, please visit: http://www.shrm.org/Research/Articles/Articles/Documents/09-0754%20India%20Talent%20Mindset%20Research%20Article-FNL.pdf

by Kathleen A. Coulombe

To coincide with President Obama’s “Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth,” the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) launched its “Jobs for America’s Job Seekers Challenge” website on November 30, 2009.  The on-line competition uses an Internet platform designed by IdeaScale that will allow toolmakers and developers to present free on-line job tools to workforce development experts and job-seekers.  

In addition to using these tools for job opportunities, visitors to the site will be asked to rate, discuss, and vote on the various tools available (in several categories).

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the Challenge will consist of three phases:

-          Phase One will run from November 30, 2009 to December 18, 2009, and allow toolmakers and developers to submit information on their free on-line job search and job matching tools.  Submissions will be accepted from businesses, nonprofits organizations, entrepreneurs, and state and local workforce agencies.

-          Phase Two will run from January 4 to January 15, 2010, and will consist of workforce development experts and job seekers reviewing and voting on the submitted job search and matching tools.  Reviewers will be encouraged to consider a tool’s usability based on how effective the tool is in providing accurate results, how efficient it is in completing job search and matching tasks in a reasonable amount of time, and the level of satisfaction the user felt.

-          Phase Three of the competition will begin on January 18, 2010, and the DOL and the White House will identify the top tools in each category

SHRM has been assisting the Labor Department in its preparatory efforts and is encouraging SHRM members who maintain job sites to participate.  To do so, please click HERE.  

The Job Seekers Challenge is part of an overarching effort that the Obama Administration has been undertaking – working to address the issue of joblessness in America.  In keeping with this message, President Obama hosted the “Forum on Jobs and Economic Growth” on December 3, 2009, bringing together various corporate CEOs, small business owners, economists and political supporters to spur ideas on reviving the sluggish job market.  

Small and medium-sized organizations are more likely than large ones to hold holiday parties

One in five surveyed employers will not hold a holiday/end-of-year party in 2009 due to economic cutbacks, according to a poll released today by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

The majority of organizations (61 percent) still plan to hold an office holiday party for employees, SHRM’s “Holiday Party and 2010 Holidays Organizations Plan to Observe Poll” found. Small (72 percent) and medium-sized (67 percent) organizations were more likely than large-sized organizations (48 percent) to hold 2009 end-of-year/ holiday parties.

“Employers recognize the role of holiday parties in boosting employee morale, especially during a tough economy, when it is more important than ever to acknowledge and reward employees with a holiday gesture,” said Steve Williams, SHRM’s director of research. “Holiday parties are a way companies can show employees gratitude for accepting more responsibilities, increasing productivity, and keeping businesses running during a difficult economic climate.”

The SHRM holiday poll also shows trends in workplace policies regarding alcohol consumption. Roughly 22 percent of surveyed employers have a formal policy that does not allow drinking alcohol during work-related events while nine percent have an informal policy that does not allow it. Another 11 percent of HR professionals report having a formal policy that addresses and allows drinking alcohol during work-related events while 18 percent have an informal policy.

Work-related events include holiday parties, co-worker lunches, job interviews over a meal, happy hour, client dinners, and most company-sponsored events and celebrations.

The poll also highlights holidays organizations plan to observe in 2010. Numbers remain consistent to those holidays observed in 2009.

The top five holidays employers will observe in 2010 are:

1. New Year’s Day – January 1^st  – (98 percent);
2. Thanksgiving Day – November 25^th  – (98 percent);
3. Labor Day – September 6^th  – (96 percent);
4. Memorial Day – May 31^st  – (95 percent); and
5. July 5^th (July 4^th falls on Sunday) – (82 percent).

Reporters may read the complete SHRM poll, and other surveys, at: http://www.shrm.org/Research/SurveyFindings/Pages/default.aspx.

In response to the H1N1 flu pandemic, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) partnered with the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, The Clorox Company, and the Community Health Charities to create tools HR professionals could use to combat H1N1 in the workplace.

The comprehensive H1N1 resources include three toolkits and a podcast:

1. “Doing Business During an Influenza Pandemic: Human Resource Policies, Protocols, Templates, Tools, & Tips,” created by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) and SHRM, with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Designed to help organizations of all sizes, the toolkit provides businesses a blueprint to improve their current disaster preparedness/ pandemic plans, and federal guidance H1N1.

1. “The Flu Preparedness & Prevention Educational Kit” produced by The Clorox Company’s Preventative Health Advisory Board (PHAB) of which SHRM is a member. To view the toolkit, please visit: http://www.cloroxprofessional.com/H1N1.

1. The SHRM Online portal and toolkit, SHRM H1N1 (Swine) Flu Resources, features the latest H1N1 workplace news, and resources including the “Tips for Managers Dealing with H1N1 in the Workplace,” and “SHRM’s H1N1 Pandemic Checklist.”

1. SHRM also partnered with the Community Health Charities in H1N1 prevention and response by participating in the Health Matters at Work™ video podcast series. The Health Matters at Work three-part series on H1N1 will debuts mid November. To view the video podcast offering H1N1 prevention and response tips, please visit: http://www.healthmattersatwork.org/chc.asp?bid=265.

The recently released SHRM poll, “The H1N1 Virus – How Prepared is Your Workplace?,” provides a pulse check of how organizations currently are responding to the H1N1 flu, what policies they have instituted, what they do should an employee get sick, and other important employer responses to H1N1.

HR Experts Urge Congress to Utilize SHRM Resources

How to respond to the H1N1 pandemic is a question on the minds of many Americans – including millions of employers.  To assist in helping your constituents deal with the many questions facing employers, employees and American families, SHRM has prepared a variety of valuable resources for Members of Congress and their constituents, including:

• “Doing Business During an Influenza Pandemic: A Toolkit for Organizations of All Sizes”
• SHRM’s H1N1 Checklist
• “Dealing with H1N1 Flu in the Workplace: What Managers Need to Know”

SHRM encourages Members of Congress to click HERE for a copy of these materials, as well as many others, and to direct their constituents to these resources.

Additionally, SHRM is a member of the Preventative Health Advisory Board (PHAB), an initiative of The Clorox Company comprised of thought leaders and specialists in the areas of education and child care, office and human resource management, healthcare, infectious disease, and widespread disease preparedness.  The PHAB distributed the free Flu Preparedness & Prevention Educational Kit available HERE. SHRM also partners with the Community Health Charities in H1N1 prevention and response by participating in the Health Matters at Work™ video podcast series, which can be all accessed HERE. 

Taking proactive steps to protect workers from the spread of the H1N1 virus includes educating employees on how to stay healthy and sending sick workers home.  SHRM delivered this message in Senate testimony on November 10th and urged Congress to consider new workplace flexibility policies that encourage employers to offer paid time off programs that allow workers to take time off without financial penalty.  In a September poll, 74 percent of SHRM members said they already are telling employees not to report to work if they have flu and cold-like symptoms, while 23 percent plan to do the same.  Fifty percent said they plan to send employees home who show flu and cold-like symptoms. To review SHRM’s Principles for a 21^st Century Workplace Flexibility Policy, please click HERE. 

Workplace flexibility is the key to a healthy, productive workforce.