Exit Interviews - An Important Aspect Of Work Environment

Exit interviews are the interviews that are conducted with the departing employees before they finally leave the organization. From the company or the organization end, it is the initiative that is taken up to understand the reasons of the departure of the employee including knowledge regarding the employee experience while that person was working with the organization. The aims and outcomes of the exit interviews are as follows.

• It is one of the most progressive and productive steps to create a peaceful relationship with the disgruntled employees before they leave. Otherwise, there are chances they leave the organization with a vengeful intention.
• It creates a positive work culture for the existing employees as well. It shows that the company is compassionate about their employee which in turn increases the loyalty among the employees.
• For the managers it becomes a source of useful information in terms of management of resources. Gaining knowledge from the feedback system helps in understanding the employee behavioral pattern which helps in modifying the recruitment process accordingly.
• It forms an important aspect of well structured HR practice.  It contributes majorly towards the effective and quality people management which is beneficial to the organizational structure.
• Exit interviews help in understanding the loopholes of the employee knowledge as well. Thus it helps in structuring of the training sessions in required segments.
• The recruitment process and the induction procedure can be improved through knowledge gained from their interviews.
• It is an effective tool that helps in formulating the employee retention strategy in an effective manner.
• While it might sound a bit off course, it might be a final step towards retention of a valuable employee. Often resignations are accepted without further discussions. But if a productive discussion taken place during the exit interview then, it might happen that the departing employee may reconsider the decision and plan on staying with the organization.
• At the organization end, in certain cases, it might appear a significant loss to let go of the employees. This often happens when such employees are denied recognition or promotions which they deserved. The company can track such feedback, necessary measures can be taken and it might lead to better retention among the organization.

With all these aims and outcomes, there are certain pointers that need to be taken care off while performing the exit interview process at the employee end as suggested by many companies and executive search firms.

• It is better to refrain from venting entirely during the process. If you had certain issues with your managers, convey that in a professional yet polite manner ahead of time rather than on exit interview.
• It is better to plan ahead what you are going to say in the interview. Be prepared for a series of predictable questions that might be asked.

Lastly, we all know that you had your differences, but presenting that with too much attitude might close the doors for future opportunities. Be graceful in your approach and handle the entire process professionally.

SMART Goals In Recruitment Aid In Achieving Business Objectives

There is a recent trend of achieving SMART goals or targets in the business environment which is influencing every business process in the positive manner. There are five parameters to this trend. They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound. Be it in case of performance analysis or achieving business objectives, the SMART concept has become very popular across every aspect. As per the definition, each parameter has its own meaning. Specific means laying out the set of objectives in a systematic manner for a particular business goal. Measurable is the number value of a desired outcome such as profit margins, production figures and such like. Achievable is the fact that all participating employees have validated the target cause. Realistic refers to the fact that the target is achievable in current market conditions. Last parameter is time bound which specifies that the target is achievable within a particular time frame. Taking the SMART goal concept, the recruitment segment is currently showing certain targets which are expected to benefit the industry and the companies as to a great extent. Some of the targets are as follows.

• The companies trying to focus on passive candidate location and relationship building. This can be considered as a SMART goal as passive candidates are usually the ones who are employed at a certain organization which is in most cases the competitor within the same industry segment. This represents that they have a particular skill set which is being effectively utilized. Gaining access to such top notch professionals influences the productivity and quality of delivery to a great extent. Hence targeting such professionals makes sense for a company as well as a recruitment consultancy.
• Social networking is a major business priority in the recruitment segment. The whole world is one the go currently. With mobile internet becoming accessible across all parts of the world even in the emerging markets and highly affordable smartphones making way to the consumers, people remain connected at all times. Apart from that it is also the source of entertainment, news, online shopping and much more. Reaching out to people through mobile applications is a profitable trend. Social media platforms are very popular now days and people remain most active on such platforms. When these two trends are combined, it creates a perfect opportunity for effectively reaching out to candidates in a systematic manner and within a limited time frame.
• The last but definitely not the least of the SMART goals in the recruitment segment is a bringing in and implementing a sales strategy in to the hiring process in order to make it more streamlined and effective at the same time. Proper identification of the targets, gathering relevant information about the candidates and finally closing the deal by making a job offer and completing the selection process helps in managing the entire system in a closed loop manner.

Thus SMART goals have impacted the recruitment front in a positive way which will enrich the entire functions of hiring process.

Addressing A Critical Recruitment Crisis In Terms Of Talent Gap

Talent gap is one of the significant crisis points that a company faces in recent times. It is defined as the visible gap between the skill set needed within the organization and available knowledge base of the current workforce. This is due to the lack of experienced professionals in the specific technology segments and work areas. It has become one of the prime challenges for the recruitment agencies as well. So we bring to you certain measures that help you identify the talent gap within your company.

• One of the primary initiatives that need to be taken for understanding the skill gap scenario is the analysis of the current talent present within the organization. The existing workforce can be subjected to a skill test which provides a good benchmark. It clears the existing stand point of the company with respect to the knowledge base.
• Another analysis can be done in terms of productivity. The delivery of the teams in terms of timing and quality, involvement in the creativity arena, proposing of new methodologies that help in improving procedures and communication are some of the basic parameters of this initiative. If there are certain shortfalls in these factors, then it is quite clear that the business is lacking the necessary skills.
• If it happens quite often that a project is taken up and it starts off on a positive note but slacks after a certain period of time to such an extent that the management needs to look for temporary solutions in terms of resources for project completion and closure then it is a clear indication of talent gap.
• Lastly, if the quality of the product thus developed is not up to the mark and the client comes back with major feedbacks then shows a prominent skill gap.

With all these pointers, we put forth certain measures that can be used for coping up with this issue. A manpower consultancy can be helpful towards implementation of such measures.

• The first and foremost step is to identify the type and extent of the skill gap through a thorough and logical assessment. For this the company needs to pen down the skills required for specific job roles and the current skill level available. Depending on the contrast the next step can be formulated.
• Training and development is one of the most adopted and secure measures of filling in the talent gap. There is not always a necessity to hire additional resources for certain skill set, an existing employee with a basic understanding of certain skills can be further trained to take up additional responsibilities.
• The planning of addressing the skill gap needs to take in to consideration the budget, type of training content and level, trainer and the time period. Then only the probable outcome can be determined.

Lastly, adding on to skills through training or recruitment of additional resources, in both cases it should be performed on the basis of future objectives in long term.

Grooming Tips For Men In The Work Environment

The work culture of the corporate world has been very dynamic in recent times. Hence the employment terms and conditions have changed drastically in recent times. Right from the time of interview, the first impression scores the points that are essential for the final selection of an individual. While there has been a lot talked out the resumes and profiles, communication, way of presentation in terms of appearance and grooming has also become an important criteria of selection. Be it a recruitment consultancy or a company, all have talked about necessity of grooming that creates an impression which is carried on to the evaluation phase. However, while women grooming has been quite in talks, not much have been spoken about the men grooming tips and techniques. Some men will say that it is not very usual affair but the times are changing pretty fast and this factor has been applicable for male candidates as well. So we list down certain essential tips for men’s grooming range.

• First and foremost, you need to take this thought process out of your mind that being a man means just wearing a shirt and trousers and going to work. Taking care of yourself has nothing to do with gender and now days that trend is pretty evident. So even before we go in to the grooming tips the basic pointers need to be addressed first hand. Keeping yourself clean is essential. Taking bath using preferred soaps and lotions is essential not only for presentation, but it keep you fresh all throughout the day.
• The second pointer that requires a serious attention is the hair and facial frizz. Choose a hairstyle that suits your facial structure and enhances your features. Same goes for the facial hair. If at all confused take professional help. It is better to keep away from over top hair styles that take the attention away from your performance. If at all you feel to have something wild, better to stick to temporary options rather than permanent dying or cuts.
• Next in line is the choice of clothes. Now days there are most companies who have reformed their policy towards business casuals’ rather strict formals. This opens up a huge option door for the choice of clothes in terms of semi casual shirts and trousers or jeans. But that does not essentially mean that you can go to your workplace wearing ripped jeans, over the top T-shirts and slippers. Keep your style toned down and choose colour options in pastel shades.
• Keep your shoes and socks in line with the trousers. You can either go for leather ones or if you feel like carrying a casual yet sophisticated look, the you can also opt for basic canvas shoes in single colour which goes well with business casuals.

Lastly, be careful with the accessories you carry. Be it a backpack, tie or pen. You need to keep in mind that just carrying an eccentric bag does not give out good impression. Be careful with the style and colour that is more formal.

Hand On Guide For An Interviewer

There has been a lot of discussions regarding interview preparations and grooming lessons for candidates. But there is another part of the story that comprises of the interviewer. Many recruitment agencies have now recognized the need to prepare the interviewers for the recruitment process as well. This is essential as it directly impacts the quality of recruitment and workforce creation and management in the longer run. While we talk about the preparation at the candidate end, a similar approach is also required at the employer end as well.

Below are certain measures to be taken for the process.

• First and foremost thumb rule for interviews is that, number of candidates should not be restricted. We all know that saying goes practice makes a man perfect. In this case, it is very true. When there is requirement for a single position, it is better to shortlist at least 10 to 12 candidates for the same and conduct the process. This increases the quality of the process and at the same time chances of finding the best of the lot. It helps in increasing the network channel and improves communication process for the interviewer as well.
• It is essential to treat the candidate like a client. The interviewer needs to sell the position at a desired package and along with other related pointers so as to make the offer lucrative. One needs to keep in mind that there is always a shortage of required skills and talent. So when a potential employee is located, the position needs to be sealed. In many cases, it has been observed that such candidates have multiple offers at hand and the interviewer needs to make his offer more attractive.
• Technical aspects and professional knowledge can be judged through evaluation tests and online tools. But in order to fit in to a company, the individual should be behaviourally compatible with the work culture. He or she should be able to contribute to the team culture and work towards learning initiative for productivity. Hence professional behavioural pattern, problem solving abilities and contribution to the team through ideas are essential. These can be evaluated by responses received from demo scenarios put forward in front of the candidate.
• The initial introduction with the candidate should include a brief description about the company, outline of the services, job role description, the service segment under which the specific job role will fall and interview process details . This helps the candidate to get a clear picture of the entire scenario and proceed accordingly which is a positive boost to the entire process.

Lastly there are certain minute details that need to be followed before, during and after the interview. Reviewing the resume before the process is essential. Sticking to the professionally related areas during discussion is crucial. Following up with the candidate using emails or phone call is important. It helps in keeping the prospect fresh in the candidate’s mind while he or she delegates on the employment opportunity.

Role Of HR Consultancy During Termination And Outplacement

Termination of services for an employee is a tricky situation in the corporate structure. It is the end of employment of an individual with a particular organization which can be of two types. One is known as voluntary termination which takes place when an employee resigns voluntarily or retires after specific employment terms. It might also occur when an individual goes for voluntary retirement. The second termination type is involuntary. This has two aspects to it. The termination may occur due to poor performance of the employee or breaking of work culture regulation as well as ethics. There is another scenario where a company terminates a certain section of employees as a part of business strategy. It might occur due to loss in revenue or change in market or industry conditions. This is where an HR consultancy steps in to the picture and is often asked for outplacement services. The work of the consultancy is mainly divided in to three major phases.

• The first or initial phase is the pre termination stage. In this the planning of the entire process is performed along with the outplacement strategy to be taken up.
• The next stage is the actual termination phase where the formal communication of the termination is given out to the employees which is followed by an initial support and guidance to the terminated employees.
•  The post termination stage is divided in to two parts. One deals with the existing employees in order to control any unwanted panic wave that might disrupt the productivity of the system. The other part consists of guiding the terminated employees through career orientation programs and stress management sessions. This is helpful in minimizing the tension and stressful environment within the organization.

The role of HR consultancy under the outplacement service is as follows.

• The initial support provided to the terminated employees is suggestions related to resume build up which helps in finding other employment opportunities with higher effectiveness and within a short span of time.
• It helps in planning the career development agenda in an organized manner.
• Elaborate career guidance is provided in terms of career objectives, opportunities available, market conditions, employment demand areas and much more.
• The HR consultancy helps the individuals with the preparation for interview process that involves grooming lessons, tips, objectives and presentations.
• Another important aspect of this service is network development. It helps in channelizing the profiles in the right direction for assured re-employment.
• Effective job search is facilitated by the consultancy so that profiles end up with the right positions and companies where it will conclude in proper recruitment.
• The consultancy helps with the assortment and management of documentation that are required for the selection process and final recruitment.
• Workshops are organized in order to assist the terminated employees to deal with the transition phase.

Lastly, legal compliance is thorough assessed and required measures are taken in order to minimize the risk.

Information Technology Becoming an Evitable Part of Business Processes

Innovation is the new face of corporate environment in current times. Technology is influencing every bit of business processes and adding to the quality and value of the same. Not only in terms of production and execution, technology has been used for finance management, workforce management, customer engagement and so on. It has proven to be effective across various business functionalities and segments across industry domains. Among all, Information technology has bagged major limelight in current years. Some of the business segments wherein IT is being used effectively are as follows.

• The first and most important segment of business that determines the path of growth and future expansion is the decision making. IT helps in making accurate decisions at a steady pace. Most organizations undergo a thorough market research process in order to take up a strategic decision. This process is characterized by online surveys, forums, blogs, group discussions and much more. Some of the popular tools which are used for this approach are Big data, Google Analytics and Microsoft CRM Dynamics. These tools are utilized for analyzing real time responses and well as increasing the accuracy of the decision by removing human errors.
• Marketing forms a significant channel of business growth. It involves many sub processes such as maintaining public relations, advertising, promotion and sales which contribute towards revenue generation and business growth. In this regard, digital marketing has gained tremendous popularity in the past couple of years inspired by IT. Concepts such as search engine optimization or SEO, Pay per click, social media marketing and much more have been introduced due to IT support. Web market is an important source of business management in recent times which has been effectively addressed through IT.
• Customer support and satisfaction plays a key role in the business development and revenue generation in the long run. An effective customer support process can be handled effectively though IT technologies in a steady and organized manner. Analyzing the consumer behaviour towards a certain product or service, satisfaction levels, needs and such like can be performed through effective IT tools. These tool both online and offline have helped businesses to get in touch with the customers directly and know their point of view. It also creates a brand image that lasts for a longer duration which is helpful in retaining a loyal consumer base.
• Resource management is one of important aspects of any business. Manual maintenance of resources for large organization becomes a tedious task and it also creates chances for human error. Cloud based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions have been popularly adopted by all large scale organizations in this front. It facilitates virtual monitoring of resources in an effective manner promoting a flexible work culture which is fast and effective at the same time.

Therefore, it is quite evident that IT is the frontier of business development in recent years. This has also increased the importance of IT staffing solutions provided by many recruitment firms.

Role of Human Resource in Business and Strategic Planning

Traditionally human resource segment was associated with the recruitment process and on boarding of candidates in to a company. The segment functionalities initiated with searching appropriate talents and conducting the selection process in an organized manner. But the corporate environment has undergone many changes in recent years and this has influenced the functioning model of HR segment in a major way. Now the role of HR has expanded even to business and strategic planning in order to secure growth in coming years along with effective crisis management. Previously companies were sceptical about investment in this segment as it was not a direct profit yielding business wing. But that thinking has faded away with recent corporate trends. The following pointers show the parallel connection of HR with business processes and planning.

• Executive support is the most basic requirement of a company when it plans to implement a certain strategy within the work environment or plans an organizational change. In order to understand the requirement type of executive support, HR needs to be addressed in the business planning phase. The segment can contribute by addressing the current scenario of talent availability in relation to business development which can be used for strategic and business planning.
• Building up a leadership line is crucial and difficult at the same time. This is especially true in current corporate situation where the baby boomers or generation x are nearing their retirement age. Building up the future leadership team requires insight and understanding of the current business statistics and market conditions along with future objectives. HR plays a significant role in building up the business strategies by hiring future leaders in accordance with the business objectives.
• Sometimes, the businesses go through a transition phase due to industry trends or market conditions. This transition is majorly undertaken and conducted by the resources within the organization. But the planning, development and execution of this transition is designed and formulated by the HR in order to overcome any unwanted conflicts and issues with the system or during the development processes.
• Companies that function at multiple locations have to undergo global placements in order to support the hiring requirements. Global placement process requires an in-depth research regarding the talent availability in relation to market conditions, various legislative frameworks across markets, labour laws and much more. This function and its related activities are handled by the HR segment that is influential in strategic planning.
• Training and development is one of crucial factors that contribute towards organizational development. It helps in increasing the knowledge base of the employees which results in higher productivity giving the brand a competitive edge. The identification of knowledge gap, present knowledge base and training programs is necessary for business planning that is performed by HR.

Therefore, the correlation of business and strategic planning with the human resource management is quite evident in recent times. It needs to be addressed with similar importance for long term growth and expansion.

Searching Talent At The Time of Crisis

Staffing solutions have become critical in recent times. The economic rundowns, new criteria for employment, changing technologies, finding right talent and such like have affected the recruitment process and talent pool of companies to a great extent. While finding the right set of candidates has become challenging, there are certain measures which can be useful towards hiring at the time of crisis.

• Often it has been observed that organizations hire or rather look for talent only when they have an opening. This means the company is already in crisis when it starts looking for recruits. This approach affects the company objectives in the long run. So, it is better to start off early. Regular analysis needs to be performed regarding the future talent needs of the company. The talent pool should be evaluated at regular intervals and forecasting regarding future talent needs is crucial.
• It is essential to specify the demands of the job role along with the skill set requirement. The hiring manager should identify the team in which the recruit will work and consider the company culture impact on the job role in order to find the best match.
• Talent pool development is one of the fundamental measures to handle recruitment crisis. The sourcing of the talent pool should be channelized among employees, social media platforms, network channels and such like for a compressive database of candidates. Even the candidate peers can be asked for nominations.
• For a successful recruitment process, an organization requires a set of well trained and high caliber interviewers who can successfully analyze candidate’s knowledge base along with professional behavioral pattern, problem solving abilities and soft skills. Reference checks can be effective towards past experience verification and it is better to involve the top stakeholders in the assessment process.
• Recruitment process goes both ways towards impression creation from the employers as well as candidate end. So it is better to keep the door open for questions in order to perk up the candidate interest. It is also essential to involve technicians and hiring managers along with HR professional to close the deal. In case of higher positions, C level employees should be involved in the process.
• Integration of the fresh recruit within the system should be performed with systematic on boarding of the candidate and proper support towards working systems to be provided by the team members and managers.

While these measures can assist towards effective recruitment even before the crisis rises, there are certain things which should be off limits.

• Going for the recruitment at the nick of time. When a company is desperate to hire, that’s when the worst decisions are taken. No one wants to end up with a bad recruit. So, refraining from hurried recruitment is a best approach,
• Generic competency models should be avoided at the time of recruitment.
• Ad hoc approach towards talent search results in a disorganized process.

Lastly, delaying selection for too much perfect match or settling for a candidate at first instance, both may result in crisis in after years.

Millennial - The Driving Force Towards Altering Workforce Demographics

The millennial generation is the new face of workforce demographics in current corporate structure. The people belonging to this generation have a different outlook towards employment than generation x or the baby boomers. While baby boomers were more in to organizational structure and used to put in long hours of work, millennial generation are skilled and technologically inclined. They are confident in performance and have the ability to multi task with efficiency. They prefer working in teams and seek challenging tasks in their employment. They have a tendency to achieve something much higher in career path yet give importance to work life balance. They are set to take over the reins from baby boomers who will be retiring in the coming years. The four most important characteristics that this generation looks forward in organizational structure are as follows.

• Digitization is one of the primary factors which drive the interest towards an employment opportunity for millennial. The technological innovations for carrying out several organizational processes are very common now days. This helps in effective and error free management of such processes which attracts this generation. Also it influences the working style by removing the restriction to work at office desk always.
• Transparent flow of communication and information from time to time along with open forums for discussion and feedback is greatly sought after by millennial. They think that organizations with clear and constant flow of information tend to make smarter strategic decisions and achieve growth in coming years.
• Flexibility is a key element of employment for this generation. As stated earlier, work life balance is important for them. Flexibility includes variable work timings and ability to work at different locations are to name a few. It also depicts the working environment demographics of the company. The fluid organizations better server customers and are advanced in strategic planning and execution.
• Time efficiency matters the most for millennial. Since they have access to huge information and resources within a quick span of time, they need similar processes within the organization. The streamlined processes for back end jobs with technology touch are sought after by them.

So, it is essential for the companies and recruitment agencies to follow certain processes to manage millennial.

• It is essential to have a structure in place for team and leadership management. Daily tasks require end of day updates. Similarly weekly and monthly sessions regarding assignment development and knowledge transfer sessions are important to encourage millennial.
• Providing required leadership and guidance at regular intervals during the course of employment is crucial to keep this generation stay motivated towards work.
• Since, this generation believes in team work, so it is better to encourage interaction of this generation within teams to channelize the team work spirit for better productivity.

There should be a well structured system for sharing thoughts and feedback regarding the work and its related affairs. Since millennial generation seek recognition for their work, appreciations and reward systems are essential in this regard.

The Aging Workforce and Role Reversal Trend Influencing Workforce Management

Diversity in workforce is a key trend in recent times. This diversity is being implemented not only in terms of race, ethnicity and gender, but it also includes people from different age groups. The companies are making an effort to hire experienced professionals as well as young and fresh talents. Businesses are also approaching placement consultants for the purpose. While this is one aspect of recruiting people in higher age bracket, there has been a rising trend of aging workforce for other perspectives as well. The uncertainty related to the retirement income, recession and financial hit in retirement investments are also influencing the higher age group to be employed for longer duration. The percentage of working people above the age group of 65 years has risen by 40% in the past decade. This shows that the older age group is trying remain employed for a longer period of time. This has influenced the recruitment scenario as a whole. There are many job roles wherein people from younger as well as older age group are applying which posses to be a difficult scenario for the placement consultants.

The challenges faced under such conditions are as follows:

• The first and foremost situation rises with the older people being managed by younger managers. This gives rise to a significant role reversal in comparison to the traditional structure which might result in conflicts.
• In terms of recruitment, in majority cases, the younger fresh talents are preferred more than the older people. Despite the fact that these people are many times more experienced and appropriately fit the profile, they are not considered.
• When younger managers have some older people under their management, they face issues regarding communication and feedback due to lack of knowledge.

With these evident challenges, there are certain measures that can be taken to address the issue.

• First of all, it is very important to change the perspective of hiring. A candidate should be evaluated and selected based on knowledge and other required parameters rather than age.
• The workforce management should not be restricted to the younger or the older age group. The management should consist of people from both the categories in order to discuss and take strategic decisions for the betterment of the business.
• There should be a clear communication channel between the employees and management. The scope of feedback and suggestion should be maintained in order to facilitate the flow of ideas and creativity. In this manner, every employee gets the chance to speak their mind despite the age group they belong to.
• The performance standards for specific roles and responsibilities should be decided before commencing the recruitment process.
• Lastly, the room for rewards and recognition should be kept open in order to boost the employee engagement, morale and brand loyalty.

The placement consultants can be very beneficial in taking up such measures for companies in order to manage the aging workforce scenario and its challenges.

Competitive Analysis Vs Competitive Intelligence – The Distinguishing Factors

Competitive Analysis refers to the process of identifying the competitors within a segment and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses in reference to the company’s product or service line. It forms a fundamental factor towards development of the brand’s marketing agenda. It will aid the identification of unique characteristics of the company offerings and finding the weak spots which can be strengthened using proper measures.

Competitive intelligence refers to the activity of gathering and analyzing information related to customers within a market, products and services as well as competitors which is directed towards aiding management to perform strategic planning and decision making.

In many cases both these elements have been considered similar. But competitive intelligence covers more area than competitive analysis. While the former is associated with research across various components of a business like customers, products, behavioral pattern and such like, competitive analysis is restricted to analyzing major players within the same segment. Hence it is important to discuss the process of performing both which is beneficial for every business.

Competitive analysis initiates with professional market research which includes focus groups and questionnaires. This approach gives valuable information regarding their product profile and marketing techniques. Information can be gathered through advertisements, brochures, annual reports and such like. The next important step is analyzing the gathered information. It is directed towards gaining insight through product evaluation, understanding the market share of the competitors, their business objectives and goals and identifying their strengths and weaknesses. The last and most significant step is determining the own business position in comparison to the competitors. This should be directed towards understanding the product and services line and its attractive features along with the negative pointers.

Competitive Intelligence is a different prospect from the former process. It looks in to the information of the competitors, customers, market trends and such like in a logical manner to predict the future initiatives. It has a different style of approach and analysis. It starts with a research regarding the objectives of conducting the process. After determining the objectives it is essential to look in to the existing data collection strategies related to competitive intelligence. After that the new strategies are developed related to the process. Then the access and integration systems are set up to gain benefit from the practice in future as well. The analysis and the reporting processes are initiated and dissemination is planned. The entire information collected and analyzed is presented systematically.

Therefore, it is quite evident that competitive analysis is similar to a part of competitive intelligence. The latter covers more strategic areas. With this it is also essential to note that both these processes require a high level of expertise and management for conducting. Currently the HR consultancy has broadened its service basket and ventured in to such specialties. Partnering with such firms not only make these processes effective but also streamlines the outcome. The level of assistance in conducting both the processes can also be regulated as per the contract.

Hiring Millennial – The Benefits and Challenges

The Millennial generation, sometimes referred to as the Generation Y, are those who have reached their adulthood during 2000. They come after the “post peak boomers” or generation X. There has been a lot of discussion regarding the hiring of young talent coming from millennial segment. While some are inclined towards bringing in fresh outlook in to the workforce there are some who feel skeptical about this approach. Hence, we bring forth, the benefits and challenges associated with hiring and retaining millennial in the workforce.

The benefits are as follows.

• The majority of millennial generation are tech savvy in nature. They are the ones who are regarded as the early adopters of computer technology. In most cases it has been observed that, they remain up to date with the advanced technologies which are helpful towards content management and exposure on social media.
• They are regarded as the most cost effective generation in terms of recruitment. Majority of the employers have reported that millennial seek work life balance and flexibility in work environment the most. Compensation is regarded secondary in many cases.
• This generation has the most sense towards community and peer to peer relation build up. Hence they are the best team players. This is beneficial towards grouped mentality and collaboration among team members.
• They are self expressive in nature. This helps in bringing out the creative ideas and positive suggestion which becomes valuable for the business.
• They are aware of the high level competition in the corporate world. This drives them to perform to their highest abilities to ensure that they retain their position in the workforce. Their optimum productivity is useful for business processes.

While there are lot advantages of hiring millennial, staffing solutions may come in handy towards recruiting them. It is also essential to look in to the challenges of hiring and retaining them.

• Since compensation is not the primary deciding factor the millennial it acts as a down side as well. Their demands from the work environment like work life balance and flexibility becomes difficult to provide at certain instances.
• While working with the higher age groups, they tend to develop conflicts in terms of implementing new ideas and policies. Their advanced technology related inputs tend to become difficult for intake by baby boomers and generation x employees.
• They seek for rewards and recognition for their work. It becomes necessary to appreciate their efforts at regular intervals. If not, it grows in a sense of discomfort and aloofness.

Hence there are lot benefits as well as challenges associated with hiring millennial. The staffing solutions provided by recruitment firms look in to these aspects and short list the candidates accordingly. They can carry out the pre screening processes as per requirement and select candidates who can get along with the work environment of the company. Therefore it is essential to seek advice of such firms in this regard.

Women Participation in Technical Profiles - The Figures Does Not Look Promising

According to published sources, the percentage of technical positions held by women in many multinational firms does not look impressive. In case of Microsoft, women constitute around 30% of the entire workforce of the company. But women holding the technical positions are merely 17% and in leadership roles the percentage rises to 23%. In case of Twitter, women in technical roles constitute a mere 10% and in leadership positions it is 21%. In Google, women holding technical positions are 17% with 21% in managerial roles. The figures remain more or less similar for Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Intel and many others. These figures directly point towards the fact that women are least involved in the product development and business strategy formulation processes. Also, the 30% of women employment has a back story as well. Previously, the management and technical aspects were totally handled by men. After the rising concern for the need of workforce diversity, though women were lead in to such positions, the percentage has been stuck at low levels. Specifically it is commonly seen that there is on an average only one women in such teams and people are not paying attention to the issue.

There are certain major adjustments required in terms of perspectives and attitude in this regard. Firstly, women who have MBA degrees do not go for highly technical positions. There is a mindset that the technical positions will be filled in by geeks who are believed to be working round the clock. This creates a lot of pressure on women which puts down the interest and they do not prefer this extra push. Secondly, the most talked about reasoning is the pay gap. In most cases it has been seen that female employees are paid way less than their male peers. The reasoning behind this discrimination cannot be strategically explained till date.

With all these hindrances it is high time that the issue be dealt with proper initiation.

• First and foremost, an in depth analysis is required in terms of women employee density within the workforce. Then a research concerning women in technical roles has to be done to look in to the current stand point. If the situation is on the lower end then, a job consultancy may be helpful in recruiting women candidates.
• It has to be kept in mind that just filling out positions with women candidates would not be helpful. Hence the job consultancy can be useful in short listing worthy candidates with appropriate skill set and professional experience.
• In certain cases an overhaul in the company policies may be required in order to make the work environment favourable for the women employees. This also increases the retention rate.
• Equal opportunity environment should be practiced within the organization wherein every employee irrespective of the gender, gets a chance to showcase his or her skills, creativity and share suggestions from time to time.

Creating a gender balanced work environment does not essentially refer to hiring women employees randomly. It requires high level of analysis and planning for the business benefit in the long run.

Executive Training - A Tool of Learning

Executive training also referred to as executive coaching aims at improvement of skill set or managing changes in business growth. It is considered as one of the most critical aspects of a company. Many companies are now days implementing executive coaching in their business process in order to upgrade the knowledge base of the workforce. It helps in understanding the upbeat market trends and crisis management at a significant level. There are certain prime benefits of executive coaching which are as follows.

• Increasing the knowledge base of the workforce in turn increases the productivity of the employees. This results in business and revenue growth in long term.
• It opens up the insight regarding the areas of improvement in terms of knowledge. It also helps in bringing out the skill set of certain employees to a great extent. 
•  Imparting knowledge through executive coaching helps in faster advancement of business process which gives better outcome in the long term. 
• The executive training can be used for the development of the management skill. It helps in developing decision making abilities and crisis management. The executives can then be considered for the managerial roles and strategic planning.
• It helps in professional growth which is facilitated with the help of feedback system. 
• The company can be benefited with increased brand loyalty and higher retention rate. Employees feel confident about their company and this builds up a dependable professional relationship.
• A well informed and knowledgeable workforce helps in attracting new clientele for the business.
• The executive training programs induces a positive attitude towards daily tasks and work environment.

With all these benefits there are certain factors which have to be kept in mind while implementing executive training within an organization.

• A thorough research has to be done at first in order to understand the current standing of the workforce in terms of skill set and at the same time latest market innovations. Based on these two factors the training program should be designed and developed.
• A consistent standard should be maintained in terms of coaching material, trainer and the entire system so that the process is beneficial both at the employee and the employer end.
• An assessment system should be in place in order to analyze the level of understanding and implementation of the executives. It also helps in recognizing any short falls of the program. 
• The feedback system should be in place in order to understand the executive opinion about the program and any other requirement for additions.
• The program should be intended towards individual knowledge gain rather than the overall impact. This helps in building of skill set at a micro level.
• The final evaluation of the training program should be done to understand the end to end impact on the workforce. 
• Since the executive training program design and implementation requires analysis and planning to a certain level, so an executive search firm can be appointed for the purpose.

Market Intelligence Influencing The Recruitment Process

The market intelligence refers to the information related to the business markets which are scrutinized and analyzed for the purpose of strategic planning and decision making. The area of research includes opportunities, penetration rate and development scope. In recent years, the concept of market intelligence has been combined with the HR segment in order to understand the trends and innovation to take up HR based decisions in a more accurate manner. Hence it is essential to put forth the advantages of combining market intelligence with recruitment process.

•  The primary benefit of the market intelligence in recruitment is to make better planning in a more informative manner. It gives organized data on the job posting portals and their market reach. This aids in better choice of the platform. If a company plans to outsource the recruitment process to an external agency, then it helps in analyzing the reach and performance of the agency. A research on their client profile and industries served gives a fair idea about the performance matrix.
•  It helps in locating the target area for candidate search. Often, companies look for location based profiles for a particular position due to financial terms or communication ease. Market intelligence can be helpful in this kind of search. It essentially does not mean rejecting the rest. In certain cases, it helps in determining the recruitment approach. Out station candidates can be identified who cannot appear for a face to face interview can be opted for video interviews. This approach helps in streamlining the entire process bringing down the costs.
• It may not directly contribute towards candidate selection but it helps in understanding the client requirements and linking it to the workforce requirement as well. Sometimes, a certain project requires additional workforce or a professional with a different skill set than the existing employee base. The primary skill set of the existing workforce of the company can be identified. It can also be used to take the decision of hiring a full time resource or contractual hiring or going for the outsourcing.
• The market information also includes the workforce information as well. It can help in understanding the density of professionals for a particular skill set within a market. It gives the information related to the freshers and experienced professionals, job iteration rates and the possible reasons behind the same in order to handle crisis management better.
• The market intelligence in the HR segment helps in reaching out to other HR executives and consultants who have valuable suggestions regarding the recruitment process which helps in finding the right candidate for the job within a specific budget.

Market Intelligence Influencing The Recruitment Process

The market intelligence refers to the information related to the business markets which are scrutinized and analyzed for the purpose of strategic planning and decision making. The area of research includes opportunities, penetration rate and development scope. In recent years, the concept of market intelligence has been combined with the HR segment in order to understand the trends and innovation to take up HR based decisions in a more accurate manner. Hence it is essential to put forth the advantages of combining market intelligence with recruitment process.

•  The primary benefit of the market intelligence in recruitment is to make better planning in a more informative manner. It gives organized data on the job posting portals and their market reach. This aids in better choice of the platform. If a company plans to outsource the recruitment process to an external agency, then it helps in analyzing the reach and performance of the agency. A research on their client profile and industries served gives a fair idea about the performance matrix.
•  It helps in locating the target area for candidate search. Often, companies look for location based profiles for a particular position due to financial terms or communication ease. Market intelligence can be helpful in this kind of search. It essentially does not mean rejecting the rest. In certain cases, it helps in determining the recruitment approach. Out station candidates can be identified who cannot appear for a face to face interview can be opted for video interviews. This approach helps in streamlining the entire process bringing down the costs.
• It may not directly contribute towards candidate selection but it helps in understanding the client requirements and linking it to the workforce requirement as well. Sometimes, a certain project requires additional workforce or a professional with a different skill set than the existing employee base. The primary skill set of the existing workforce of the company can be identified. It can also be used to take the decision of hiring a full time resource or contractual hiring or going for the outsourcing.
• The market information also includes the workforce information as well. It can help in understanding the density of professionals for a particular skill set within a market. It gives the information related to the freshers and experienced professionals, job iteration rates and the possible reasons behind the same in order to handle crisis management better.
• The market intelligence in the HR segment helps in reaching out to other HR executives and consultants who have valuable suggestions regarding the recruitment process which helps in finding the right candidate for the job within a specific budget.