Competency Interviews

Sarika Sengar, Manager & Head, Talent Acquisition Center, India, Eaton Technologies Private Limited,  hosted aTimesJobs High Tea chat session on December 16th, 2009. She spoke on the topic of Role of competency based interviewing techniques in hiring.

Some of the highlights in the chat conversation, and the noteworthy quotes were:

“Competency based interviews are as relevant for evaluating internal employees as they are for external candidates. The fundamentals are the same. You are actually evaluating a set of competencies required for a job and the fact that a current employee has demonstrated some of these in an existing role, can be a good predictor of whether or not he/she can fit another role. You judge the potential to succeed in that role and not his/ her lack of familiarity with the new job.”

“We have a fairly robust process where a candidate would typically got through 3-4 rounds of interviews. At each level, we would evaluate the candidate on different competencies required for the position. We make our final decision based on the person’s potential not only for the current role but also potential growth path in the organization.”

“Through competency based assessment, one can recognize the areas one needs to develop in. This is helpful when preparing for roles that one aspires for.”

To read the complete transcripts from the High Tea session, click here.

2010 hiring boom in India?

Mr Elston Pimenta, HR Head, Cybage Software Pvt. Ltd. hosted a Live Chat session on the possible hiring boom in India in 2010. It was organized by TimesJobs on Jan 20th, 2010.

Some  highlights/ excerpts of the chat are as follows:

“Recruiters need to be innovative all the time by looking for cost – effective ways of hiring. Some suggestions:

1.Check ROI carefully.

2. Use referral systems.

3. Network.

4. Have strong internal databases.

5. Keep in touch with all the past applicants/ employees.

6. Use sites to attract attention of prospective candidates, etc.”

Other highlights of advice that Mr. Pimenta gave to candidates include:

“Branding is vital for any firm. Work on this aspect and grow through networking.”

“Look at how “employable” you are at the moment. It has always been a challenge and it will always remain so. That is the “spice” of work-life. If you have kept abreast with technology advancements, you will not face a problem.”

“Unfortunately a boom is never forever. It will iron out in due course of time as…the “demand” and “supply” stabilize.”

“Do not compromise on quality and at all times maintain internal equity first, before being influenced by the industry.”

To read the complete chat transcripts, click here.

Technology in HR functions

On February 3rd, 2010, Mr. Mahesh Ramalingam, Regional Head of Talent Acquisition & Service Delivery – South Asia, Thomson Reuters, chatted live with candidates on TimesJobs.com. He spoke on the topic of the use of technology to perform transactional human resources functions.

The High Tea chat session was a smashing success with nearly 7,500 attendees. Some of the highlights in the chat conversation, and the noteworthy quotes were:

“HRMS technology is definitely in a very good shape is in the path of innovation. You will see more convergence & innovation happening in the coming years.”

“HR IT is a need of the hour and organization be it big or SME’s are increasingly investing in this area. I would tend to agree that it has to and can innovate further.”

“Integration of HR IT systems is an effort to be taken by individual organizations through interfaces and adding codes/ interfaces isn’t tough and can be done easily and flawlessly!”

“Whether we like it or not – we in HR deal with multiple systems in across various steps in the organization. As long as one has the willingness to learn and put that effort forward – it should be easy. What level depends on what system you want/ prefer!”

To read the complete transcripts from the High Tea session with Mr. Mahesh Ramalingam, click here.

TimesJobs launches TechGig

Imagine if you could have a site that had amazing features on one site that was created just for you. If you can, you’re pretty quick. We at TimesJobs created TechGig to suit your specific needs. Check out our brand new site. With TechGigyou can:

1. Get Premium Tech Jobs. You can get exclusive IT jobs available to only you. With jobs from top employers all in one place, the goal to find a better paying job is attainable.

2. Personalize your space. You have the liberty to customize your personal tech space as per your key skills and experience. Additionally, you can receive regular blog/ news updates with ease by adding feeds of your favorite IT blogs to your personal space.

3. Advance your career. As a job seeker, you can advance your career in unique ways. You can see which top skills are currently in demand, get to know how much your batchmates are earning and in which industry, post your resume for employers and more.

You don’t have to hop, skip and jump between sites any longer. Now you can find everything IT you need and more, all on one site.

Are you an active job-seeker?

Do you procrastinate when it comes to searching for a new job? Are you discontent with your job, and yet you’re just sitting idly watching those chances go by? If you are comfortable enough with seeing other around you jump for new opportunities, while you make no effort to grab your own, chances are, you’re a job-search procrastinator.

You may be wondering what exactly it means to be a job-search procrastinator. Dictionary.com says that the word ‘procrastinate’ means “to defer action; delay: to procrastinate until an opportunity is lost” or “to put off till another day or time; defer; delay”.

So to be a job-search procrastinator, all you have to do is to keep telling yourself that you will job hunt, but you’ll do it tomorrow. There’s an old saying which says: “Mañana (tomorrow) never comes”. Therefore, you know you are a job-search procrastinator if you deliberately dodge better possibilities, or try to make yourself believe that you’ll do it ‘tomorrow’.

A procrastinator may display characteristics such as being an introvert, shy and/ or expect nothing from their career as they are content to just stay wherever they are at. They are not risk-takers, and as such, will not move ahead like those around them.

If you find yourself in this category of people, it’s time you wake up and kick-start your move ahead in your professional life. You can be transformed into an active job seeker with just a few simple steps.

One of the best ways to reverse this vicious cycle is to make a task-list and endeavor to achieve it. It will serve as a map for where you want to go and where you are headed.

There’s no place in the halls of success for those who procrastinate. If you’ve been laid back and still expecting the miracles to happen, you’ll find that you’re wrong. Get up, get moving and grab success by the horns.

Self Managed Teams

According to Swati Jena and Nidhi Chandna,” the origin of the word ‘team’ can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon word for ‘family’ which referred to harnessed animals to pull a load thereby implying common goals and cooperation. With time, the concept of team-work gained importance with organizations taking measures to ensure that a team is equipped and empowered enough to function on its own. This situation today is perhaps best described by the term ’self-managed teams’.”

“Self managed teams are closely associated with the concept of employee empowerment which entails the employee to have the requisite authority and resources required by him to carry out his responsibilities. A self managed team differs from a normal work team or group in one essential way that the processes or the means to achieve the team goal are designed and decided by the team itself. Given the stiff competition at the global level, all organizations have been forced to focus on developing their human capital.”

They describe self managed teams as “groups of employees who have the responsibility and authority to manage the work they do. The typical responsibilities of a self managed team are planning, scheduling, assigning responsibilities among members, ensuring product quality, ordering material, taking decisions and problem solving. The teams are also responsible for handling their interpersonal issues within themselves and work without any direct supervision. Self managed teams are responsible for an end product or a specific deliverable. Knowledge sharing and extensive communication between members is central to the working of any self managed team. Also, multi-skilling is a typical characteristic of self managed teams.”

But how are self managed teams really different from that of quality circles? “Self managed teams differ from other employee participation methods like quality circles in the respect that unlike quality circles where the employees voluntary come together to suggest or develop quality improvements, in self managed teams, the entire work process is structured around team work, with the team taking critical decisions. Also a quality circle may or may not be empowered by the upper management but the empowerment is built into the very concept of self managed teams. Self managed teams unlike quality circles are not managed by an external supervisor, personnel manager, administrator or a quality manager but rather facilitated by a team leader from within the team. He is either chosen by the team members or appointed based on experience or skills.”

They also covered the topic of ‘Why self-managed teams?’ Apparently, “when employees are completely in-charge of their job it is likely to create a greater interest and attachment to job. This also means that the managers can devote their time in innovation and process improvement rather than monitoring the employees. Also, since the employees are the front-liners, their tacit knowledge of even the most miniscule aspect of the job is utilized when they are given the responsibility of the quality and end result. As self managed teams require constant exchange of information, it leads to breaking of communication barriers between groups of employees. Other reported benefits of self-managed teams include: reduced absenteeism, increased productivity and increased employee satisfaction.”

Swati Jena and Nidhi Chandna’s article appeared in an issue of Human Capital’s newsletter.

Get hired in 2010!

An article in The Mint ‘Stimulating a jobs recovery’ stated that not only 20 million people across 51 countries have lost their jobs, but that another five million are in the risk zone for losing them as well.

A survey that Manpower Inc. released, covering 71,000 interviewees across 35 nations, and 5,109 companies in India, showed that “Indian companies are the most optimistic in the world” about hiring this January to March quarter.

Another article in the newspaper said that “India’s job market is yet to recapture the highs seen in 2008, but it seems set to outdo 2009—a year when the economy slowed down—if the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey for the first quarter of 2010 is any indication.”

““Most companies are coming out of their shell,” said Cherian Kuruvila, director operations at Manpower Services India Pvt. Ltd, the Indian arm of the Milwaukee-based firm. “2009 has been a year of restructuring.” He added that 2010 will see a mix of replacement hiring, to fill up vacant positions and hiring for new positions, signifying expansion.”

So job-seekers and those laid off during the time of the recession, these findings brings you hopeful news! Expect to be counted among those getting hired in 2010, for with TimesJobs.com – you can!

Get a fresher job with a Fat List

Fresher jobs aren’t difficult to find or get. It’s all about the way in which you pitch yourself. You are the product, and unless you effectively market yourself, no one will come to know about who you are professionally, the talent that you have, and what you can do.

To begin searching for freshers jobs, start by making what is called a ‘Fat List’. A Fat List is nothing other than writing down all the professional and academic happenings in your life. If you can, outline them in a year-by-year format.

For example:

My Fat List

1991 – 2003

Kindergarten – Grade 12

Participated in School Volley ball team

Took singing classes

Learned beginner guitar

Took art classes

2003 – 2006

Did BBA

Completed a course in etiquette, manners, public appearance and public speaking

Completed a course in Debating and Public Speaking

Worked part time in event management

Started a kids e-magazine called Pop

Took a course on sales and marketing

Worked in Dad’s business as a writer and business developer

Read books on online marketing

Did charity events for underprivileged situations

Took teaching classes

Taught kids to get my 240 hours of teaching experience needed for the certificate

Learned to use a sewing machine to make my own clothes

Learned cooking and household inventory/ replenishing

Learned smart buying

2006 – 2008

Did MBA

Completed a course from NIIT in basic computer applications

Helped Dad manage the finances for the family and kept accounts

Pursued singing projects

Sang on radio

Made a record

Got a job in BPO

Got a job with a media company

2009

Joined singing school to learn to read music

Started a band

Wrote songs

Did interior design

Events to fundraise for poor kids

Once you have made your own Fat List, proceed to make it into a resume. A Resume will work slightly different than a Fat List. You will need to segregate your academic achievements and your professional ones. Everything should be listed from the most recently done achievement, following on to the one previously done, and so on, till you reach to the first achievement you had done.

For example:

2006 – 2008

MBA

2003 – 2006

BBA

1991 – 2003

Kindergarten to Grade 12

You need to outline your professional achievements in the same way. The only difference is that from your Fat List, you must convert your write-up into a more professional and official language.

Next, create a profile in an online job portal and post your completed resume there. Posting your resume online will give you the quickest route to finding jobs for freshers. As the internet has become the most common mode of hiring, recruitment and job-hunting, you will find the jobs you are looking for there.

Once you get your fresher job, don’t forget to keep adding on to your Fat List and your newly made resume. You never know who might be reading it and what kind of job offer they will have for you, or when you yourself might need it to apply for a new job. Save yourself the time and effort, and apply as you go.

The recession begins to fade

Job market doors are beginning to open once again. Thanks to the buoyancy across countries and locations, “enterprises are hiring, internal and third-party HR professionals are back in action and employees who maintained a stay-put status have started looking out.”

The IT/ ITES sector seem to be faring the best as they are said to be up for hiring “at least 150,000 people over the next year, against 100,000 this year and 350,000 to 400,000 [people later on].”

Economic Times said that “many companies have started reworking their hiring mandate. Infosys Technologies, which previously planned to hire 18,000 persons this year, has said it will hire an additional 2,000 during the third and fourth quarters of the current fiscal. A large number of product firms, R&D companies and mid-tier MNCs have also started hiring.”

“‘‘There is a sense of stability in the market. The next two quarters are expected to bring more clarity,” says T V Mohandas Pai, head of HR, Infosys. Pradeep Bahirwani, vice president for talent acquisition, Wipro Technologies, says, ‘‘There is a clear uptake in hiring, though it is too early to conclude if it is a temporary spurt or full-blown recovery.””

Third party recruiters – and otherwise – say that “hiring is currently more evident in non-IT sectors and it will take another couple of quarters before IT/BPO hiring picks up momentum.”

According to them, “recruitment is more evident in non-IT sectors. Industries like banking, retail, realty, healthcare, education and housing have been the early beneficiaries of the stimulus package. The thrust on infrastructure roads, ports, airports, highways, bridges will mean additional hiring in these spaces. Domains like telecom, oil & gas, energy, education, government (e-governance) and utility are also expected to be more active than the tech space.”

It certainly looks like those hiring “will be busy for the next two quarters with non-tech sectors, though the tech sector too has also started showing signs of recovery, says B S Murthy, chief executive officer, HumanCapital.”

Employees are beginning to step out of their recession-hit careers with hope for better salaries and regained positions. “There was virtually nothing in the market for almost a year. Many of us had no option but to stay put. Now, the situation has definitely changed, maybe it is time to start exploring again, says Kiran Kumar, an employee in a large telecom company.”

So candidates and recruiters alike, look lively! The market is slowly turning around and making changes in our favor.

Pay Hike coming up for Indians!

On the 22nd of October, Economic Times posted an article on pay hikes in the coming year. Apparently a survey showed that “companies in Asia are set to offer bigger pay rises next year as the region continues to rebound from the global recession’ and that too, ‘notably in India where base salary levels are poised to jump nearly 10%.”

According to a survey by Hewitt Associates, “salaries in Indonesia and China will also surge by 8.7% and 6.7%, respectively, whereas workers in Japan can expect a paltry 2.1% pay rise”.

This survey covered over 2,000 local as well as joint venture companies in the Asia-Pacific area. Hewitt said that “salaries — or annual guaranteed pay — this year in Asia’s fast-growing economic powerhouses, China and India, at 4.5% and 6.3%, respectively, were the lowest since 2005.”

“Salaries barely grew at all in Hong Kong and Japan, this year as companies cut staff. More than 60% of companies surveyed in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore froze wage levels, compared with only 26.1% in India and 30.8% in China.”

“Next year, only 6% of companies in India and 8.3% in China expect to freeze pay compared with 12-14% of companies in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia.”

So, it looks like it’s just about party time for us in the Indian market! The recession is on its way out and pay hikes will be all the rage in just a few short months. Hold on to your seats! Here comes your salary hike.