Challenges for HR Professionals in Construction Industry

Sumit Viren HR, B.L.Kashyap& Sons

Sumit is Currently heading the HR Processes at BLK for South India Operations,

Human as Resource This sounds true to all the imagination when I relate this with this industry.Construction sector is the second largest employer being next to Agriculture in India. The huge number of human beings involved in the activity makes the management of this resource extraordinarily challenging and the same gets more typical because of the working conditions. During one of my discussions with my colleague who happens to have been part of the Indian Armed Forces, he pointed the similarities between working conditions of this sector and the armed forces.A realistic situation is that on day of the start of Project if the team doesnt carry its own water & food then chances are bright that they will end the day without food and water. The same is true with a soldier on a mission. But then at the same time both are incomparable. While a soldier is selected through the rigorous selection procedure and only the right person for the right job is selected, the same luxury is not available for HR Professionals in this industry.The demand &supply gap is so huge that finding the right candidate for the job has become a nightmare for most of them. The negligible demand for Civil Engineers in late 80s & continued through 90s,resulted in only handful of meritorious students opting for Civil Engineering. The last decade witnessed a sudden spurt in the spending on civil works across the country and suddenly the demand for Civil Engineers was to touch an all-time high. This vast gap has forced the selection to be based on selecting best amongst the available, and not necessarily the right candidate. Adding to the woes are emerging trend amongst the Civil Engineering Graduates who form the core team of this industry is the change in aspirations in line with their other engineering colleagues and in particular their IT Colleagues. What they overlook is the fact that they are the strike force of the economy. For all other economic activity to start the first requirement is Buildings / Infrastructure / Power. And who builds them - the Civil Engineers. So while the others have the choices they dont have because they are the ones to give shape to all these. The other challenges arise on account of retaining your key personnel as the opportunities are growing day by day. Keeping the team motivated is a tough task due to lack of work life balance, long working hours, family pressure and growing social needs.I sincerely hope that HR Professionals associated with this industry will come up with more innovative ideas to cater to the needs of Personnel in this industry so that from being just Human Resource they become a Happy Resource.

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Poor human resource management practices in Indian public sector could lead to a serious setback

4 comments + COMMENT

MG WARRIER | 30/07/2012 12:02 PM |

The absence of talent in the government and public sector is the product of a deliberate neglect of human resources issues. Dodging real issues could take us back to pre-reform days

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) plans to rope in outside consultants to overhaul its human resource (HR) practices, a move that would affect its nearly 18,000 employees. It is reported that the central bank will form a panel of up to six independent professional firms to help the RBI in framing, implementing and delivering integrated HR solutions in the areas of HR policies, processes and systems, among others. The empanelled consultants would advise the central bank on matters like hiring, salaries, training, performance appraisal, retention and succession plans, the banking regulator said. The panel will help the RBI in areas like strategic HR planning and advisory services; evaluation and assessment system; HR and management practices audits; beside others. This is a step in the right direction. Recent years saw several flaws in HR management in the central bank. Ad hoc recruitment of executive interns without planning their future deployment or absorption, succumbing to pressure on promotion policies, not being able to convince the Government of India (GOI) on the need to implement competitive remuneration packages for recruiting and retaining efficient officers, failure to decide on upgrading of retirement benefits at least on par with GOI are just some examples. When it comes to infusing professionalism in specialized areas like supervision, forex and debt management the RBI is facing several constraints, many of them emanating from its failure to argue with North Block as the finance ministry shows an attitude akin to master-servant relationship. Now that RBI has woken up, we may expect other statutory bodies and public sector organisations followed by the GOI to follow suit and think of an overhaul in their Human Resources Management and Development (HRMD) practices. In this context, a look at the relevance of the Indian public sector and the neglect the sector is subjected to especially since the LPG (LiberalisationPrivatisation-Globalisation ) days, circa 1991 may help us stop, look and

proceed further to develop the India growth story further. Our country, since independenceor more appropriatelyright from the First Five Year Plan, has been giving due importance for a vibrant and growing public sector in the nations economic development. In fact, certain sectors like defence production, Railways, Post and Telegraph were almost monopolized by the public sector till a change in policy became necessary post-LPG. The policy shift has thrown up many challenges before the government and the organizations in the public sector. Both Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi clearly understood the role of public sector inthe Indian scenario. Establishment of core industries in the public sector and other measures up to nationalization of major banks were well thought out steps, taking into account the needs of a nation with an abundance of resources waiting to be managed and the urgency in ensuring fast economic development, distributive justice, employment generation and outreach to the rural areas. The two leaders saw in public sector organizations the capability to function efficiently in a democratic dispensation, guided by government policy, especially in regard to social responsibility and reach out to areas, organizations guided only by profit motive would normally refuse to penetrate. Actually, the private-public sector divide in regard to meeting social responsibility obligations/commitments and a discriminatory approach between the two sectors, when it comes to government policy support is a legacy of the British Raj. Once it is accepted that the resources of the country are the property of the people and irrespective of ownership (whether government or private individuals/groups/families/organisations), all are handling public funds/resources in a trusteeship sense, this divide can be bridged to a great extent. Presently, in the above background, the Indian public sector is ailing from lack of autonomy, indecent competition arising from a wrong understanding of the

unique position of our country and irrelevant comparisons. Unique position because, our per capita geographical area, availability of resources, literacy rate, development needs, system of governance and so on are not amenable to comparison with most of the developed and developing countries of the world. Day in and day out India is given a rank or rating among the assortment of nations in the world, many of them together can be accommodated in one of the states of India. We are persuaded to believe that corruption and inefficiency exist in government andpublic sector only. In fact there is nothing further than truth than this belief. The pre-IT success stories of the Indian Railways, Posts & Telegraph, oil sector, space research, defence production and several other sectors which functioned efficiently and where corrupt practices were brought to light quickly and remedial action initiated departmentally are easily and conveniently forgotten. Of course, now, one gets an impression that there is a vested interest working in the private sector to keep government corrupt and public sector inefficient. If human resources related issues in the government and public sector are given the attention they deserve, many of the present problems can be solved. A brief discussion of the HR-related problems in government and public sector follows. The absence of talent in the government and public sector is the product of a deliberate neglect of HR-related issues by the government. The ageing top level in the government and public sector is a serious issue. In the present context when performance of the government and institutions in public and private sectors is being watched by the world and judged almost online, human resources development (HRD) at the top across sectors should become a national priority. As a fire-fighting measure, there is a need for a comprehensive look at manpower planning and deployment of available expertise among institutions across private and public sectors and related HRD issues which have to be handled without further loss of time. More than a year back, the RBI governor made a plea for a level playing field

for PSU banks with enough freedom to hire executives and employees on competitive terms. This should have been seen in a wider perspective. Recently, the RBI too opted for recruiting short-term (for three years) executive interns on contract basis. The RBI has tried out most of the options like accelerated promotion, foreign postings, deputation to subsidiaries, assignment to higher quality training programme and paid holiday with family for its employees. As large disparities between the pay and perks in institutions with similar responsibilities across public/private sectors had not been appropriately addressed, the RBIs new hiring scheme also did not attract talent. The government should not further delay a revamp of the policy relating to recruitment, training, placement and compensation strategies across government, public and private sectors. A long-term solution may have to be found for HR-related problems, including inability to hire experts at market related compensation (this is applicable up to the position of secretary/CEO in government and public sector), skills becoming obsolete in short periods, employees reluctance to change and demands from trade unions emanating from job security concerns. There may not be a fit-for-all remedy, as the issues are diverse and sometimes sector/institution-specific. The government and public sector organizations may have to consider how best the Cost to Company (C to C) principles can be integrated into their existing recruitment, training, placement and career progression policies. This may involve convincing the existing employees that the changes will only improve the working results of the government departments and organizations they belong to and they will get opportunity to share the benefits and new job opportunities and so long as they are prepared to learn new things/upgrade their skills the infusion of experts will not eat into their career progression opportunities. Inter-mobility of executives at higher levels among comparable departments of government and public and private sector organizations should be possible, on transparent norms and strictly based on merits. Changes may have to come first in the recruitment and training

procedures for IAS and relates services, management trainees in public/private sector undertakings including probationary officers in public sector banks (PSBs). Recent revamping of Tata Administrative Service gives enough food for thought for thinking on these lines. Specialized services like one for banking/financial sector could be evolved for institutions including those in the private sector and all regulatory bodies in the financial sector. A transparent guidance for a remuneration package based on the paying capacity/need for skills for different sectors and ensuring social security should come from the government without always worrying about what will be the impact on cabinet secretarys salary or trade union demands. If the government secretary deserves a higher salary, the government should not raise budgetary concerns for not paying it. Instead, merger of some departments and utilizing the surplus manpower for new job opportunities should be a wiser option. Time is opportune for both private and public sector organizations to have some introspection on their HR practices right from recruitment at the lowest level to the selection of CEOs, remuneration packages, training facilities and social security measures for their employees. While organizations in the private sector may have to review the optimum pressure they can put on their executives and managers, government and public sector counterparts may dispassionately examine and modify their remuneration packages to ensure attracting and retaining competitive talent in the present market scenario. Let us not forget that the civil services, executives and staff of public/private sector undertakings have to supplement the skills of the increasing number of political masters who were not as fortunate to get trained or groomed. The nation is immensely dependent on them for carrying out the development agenda on hand. Till, perhaps ten years back, employers could depend on a growing population of educated unemployed from which they could hire and fire candidates on their terms. The position has changed with the opening up of the economy and

sooner we realize it and act, the better. Dodging real issues could take us back to pre-reform days.

Construction industry: More needs to be done

G. K. Kulkarni
Author information Copyright and License information

The construction industry is an essential contributor to the process of development. Roads, dams, irrigation works, school, house, hospitals, factories and other construction works are the physical foundation on which development efforts and improving living standards are established. The products of the construction industry are investment or capital goods. Thus construction industry has linkage with rest of the economy in terms of generation of output and employment. The two broad categories of construction projects are building and civil engineering. Building applies to projects involving houses, offices, shops, factories, schools, hospitals, power plants, railway stations and so on. Civil engineering applies to all the other built structures in our environments, including roads, tunnels, bridges, railways, dams, canals and docks. In the context of liberalization, of the Indian economy, domestic and foreign investment is likely to flow in various infrastructure projects in a big way and construction activity is likely to boom in the country in the next ten years to come. FDI is expected to touch 150 Billion US$ in next ten years. The construction industry, which is a labor intensive, generates demand for skilled and semi-skilled labor force. The employment in construction sector is expected to touch 40 Million by the year 2007. This work force shall comprise 55 % of unskilled labor, 27 % skilled labor and rest the technical and support staff. Though India has the human resource, it requires training in various skills for absorption in the construction industry. The wok force in construction sector is most vulnerable because employment is permanently temporary, the employer and employee relationship is very fragile and most of the time short-lived, the work has inherent risk to life and limb due to lack of safety, health and welfare facilities, coupled with uncertain working hours. Construction labor form 7.5% of the world labor force and contributes to 16.4% of fatal global occupational accidents. In

India it is the largest economic activity after agriculture, Health and Safety most neglected sector and accident and occupational disease statistic not accurately available. The construction industry is not only the process of building. It involves many other type of aside from the building process, such as painting, landscaping, electrical supply, telecommunications, plastering and paving. All these types of work make up one industry, but each of them involves different exposure and thus differing health hazards. Construction workers are exposed to a wide variety of health hazards at work. The exposure differs from job to job. He work-related diseases form 5% to 20% of the work force. The hazards for construction workers are typically as follows: 1. Physical hazards and mechanical injuries and outcome, like injuries, exposure to noise and vibration, extreme heat or cold, work in windy, rainy, snowy or foggy weather, nonionizing ultraviolet radiation usually from exposure to the sun and electric arc welding. 2. Chemical hazards such as dusts, fume, mists, vapors or gases. The biggest risk the construction work force is Silicosis and asbestosis. 3. Ergonomic issues and degenerative disorders 4. Biological hazards and Environmental diseases; Workers are at risk of malaria, dengue, animal attacks and histoplasmosis (a lung infection caused by a common soil fungus) and other diseases due to poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water. 5. Psycho-social hazards: Employment is permanently temporary, frequently changing employer and most projects require living in work camps away from one's home and family. There is no recreational facilities, lack of access to education for children, poor sanitary facilities and lack of safe drinking water. These features of construction work, as well as heavy workload, possibility of work place violence or community violence and limited social support are the factors associated with increase stress in the work force. The associated addictions with alcohol, tobacco and smoking contribute to illness and suffering. In India there are about four million workers in the construction industry. Of these, female workers represent a small, unknown number, but now they are increasingly working in urban projects. The problems of women worker is still not addressed adequately both by law makers and the employer. There is urgent need to bring legislative stability to employment status, risk reduction by onsite safety management and imparting training and skill development as demanded by the type of construction sector, health protection and promotion through preventive vaccination and family welfare programs. It is desirable that adequate staffing and strengthening of regulatory agency, coupled with environmental risk assessment studies and regular construction site audits shall safe guard the interests of construction worker in our country. Government must also create mechanism for feed back from NGO, National

Safety Council, IAOH, Research institutes and other global networking partners and institute mid course correction policies from time to time. Employer must also focus on providing decent housing, safe water educational and recreational facilities construction employees. In conclusion, the government and all stake holders connected with construction industry must aim at accident prevention (save life and save limb), health protection and psycho-social health, education, training and skill development, must strengthen legal machinery and increase public awareness on OHS legislation and standards and scope for applied research and development. In my humble opinion this is minimum wish list for change one expects from people connected with construction sector.

Articles from Indian

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine are provided here courtesy

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The key issues the construction industry faces in 2009

17 November, 2008

http://www.cnplus.co.uk/the-key-issues-the-construction-industry-faces-in-2009/1926038.article

Temporary workers Agency workers are soon to be given similar rights to permanent staff. It is proposed that the law will change in 2010. The new law will mean that after 12 weeks on assignment, an agency worker will be entitled to equal treatment meaning the same basic working and employment conditions as a comparable permanent employee, including equal pay, notice and holiday entitlement. For an industry that employs a large volume of temporary workers, this is going to be an administrative and financial challenge that will really make itself felt in 2009. It also creates a serious dichotomy for the Government, which will find itself struggling to reconcile its desire for fairer workers rights with its need to reduce red tape.

Alin Veronika, MT, PMP, PMI-RMP

University of Indonesia, Kampus Baru UI Depok Faculty of Engineering Civil Engineering Department Depok 16424 Indonesia

Factors in Human Resources Management that Influence Construction Companys Performance in Indonesia Currently, construction sector begins to aware how important the human resources management in increasing corporate performance. On the contrary, companies are still experiencing any difficulties in managing and developing their human resources. For instance, lower rate of workers educational background; number of temporary workers are high due to fluctuation demand in construction; subjective and objective reasons cause low of workers participation, where subjective reasons are specific procedure in process, material and technology that limited the workers to make decisions, while objective reasons are sight of management that machine and procedures are more important than workers itself; finally, subcontractor system used in projects causes no one is willing to responsible for the training and people development (Tong and Smook 1996). As one of the key factors in construction company, the failures in human resource management can cause disturbances of fulfilling the organization goal both in performance, profit and reliability of organization (Martoyo 2000). Recent condition shows that construction services in Indonesia still have weaknesses in some aspects, such as inefficient management, budget constraint, technology and limited number of skilled employees (Suraji 2003). Meanwhile, according to Dayatno (2003), weaknesses in some Indonesian national contractors recently were low equity, high interest rate, and also unskilled labor. Furthermore, human resource problems would cause negative impacts on productivity, efficiency and national construction industrys competitiveness. To reduce these problems, goals and strategies in national construction industry should include the improvement in technology ability, managerial skilled and professionalism of human resources (Mochtar 1994). In addition, productivity improvement would also raise value-added contents from products and services faster than its competitors (Jergeas et al 2000). In order to manage human resources, contractors need to make an organization structure; motivate, lead and communicate to employees; manage group of workers; and also evaluate employees performance known as managerial function (Chung 1987). Strategic management in human resources can be used as one of key success for company to win the competition by integrate

human resources and business strategies. Competency improvement, especially in human resources, is a main aspect to gain success. Moreover, human resources involvement in business strategic and implementation would raise efficiency in construction companies (Karami et al 2004). Based on these current facts, in management of construction service business, either private or state contractor shall execute the analysis of company human resource management quality to increase its performance (Kaplan & Norton 1996). Whilst performance itself is an optimal result done by somebody or group or company (Mulyadi 2007) and needs to be evaluated during period of time to know how good it works comparing to organizational standard. Current research about the influence of human resources management to Indonesian construction corporate that used the statistical analysis, found out the most influential variables towards the construction companys performance consist of: Quality and employees performance due to demotion, in which demotion implementation in company would influence to the improvement of companys standard performance and drive employees to work better for not getting demotion. According to Simamora (1997), demotion was implemented because employees cannot perform well as required by the companys standard. In addition, companys standard would improve human resources management and performances. In addition to demotion, another factor which influenced in constructions performance improvement was goal and objectives based performance appraisal with its contribution as much as 38%. According to Sunarto (2001), performance evaluations objective was to give feedback to employees comparing their past and recent performances. Performances feedback was used thus employees can evaluate and improve their contribution to the company. Third factor of human resource management was quality in operational problem solving. An employee who has skill to solve operational problem, will present value added to the company. Where in costumer perspective, the faster field troubles solved then the better corporate quality is. Moreover, in order to have the problem solving skill, the company can train their employee which can improve skill, knowledge and experience. Main programs of trainings teach how to complete responsibility and also solve problems both internal and externally (Simamora 1997). From this research, it was also concluded that construction companys performance can be improved by identifying factors of human resource management that influence performance improvement and also analyzing its influence. According to research, there were some factors of human resource management that had the biggest influence in companys performance. Quality and employees performance due to demotion toward construction company performance in

Indonesia was the biggest contribution compared to other factors of human resource management. The quality of employees and their performance had significant effect of the companys performance. The better quality and workers performance with demotion implementation could increase the employee performance which also affecting companys performance. Meanwhile other factors which gave high contribution to the performance improvement were employee performance appraisal and quality of company leader in solving operational problems. The better capability of companys management in planning, instructing, leading, communicating and managing information to determine resources requirement would improve companys performance.

The Human Resource Management Implications of Lean Construction

Start Date: May 01 End Date: Apr 03 Project Status: Complete

Introduction Team details Publications Industrial partners

Introduction:
This project is carried out in conjunction with the Business School at Imperial College London>>>

Lean thinking
The publication of Rethinking Construction has significantly shaped the agenda for change in the UK construction industry. The recommendations of Rethinking Construction (commonly known as the 'Egan Report') received an almost unanimous endorsement from the bodies that shape policy for the construction industry. The report places an especially strong emphasis on the ideas of 'lean thinking', as

originally developed in the car industry. Lean thinking comprises a complex cocktail of ideas including continuous improvement, flattened organisation structures, teamwork, the elimination of waste, efficient use of resources and co-operative supply chain management.

Human resource management

Within the UK construction industry, the language of lean thinking has since become synonymous with good practice. The danger is that lean practices are introduced in isolation from any consideration of the implications of these new ways of working for human resource management (HRM) practices. This is of particular concern in the context of declining interest in the construction industry amongst young people. Recent industry initiatives on Respect for People (M4I) and sustainable construction strongly advocate the importance of adopting a developmental approach to HRM, arguing that this is essential to the future competitiveness of the UK construction industry. Whilst a developmental approach to HRM is frequently combined with lean thinking, such a combination cannot be taken for granted in the construction sector. At present there is a notable absence of research on the way in which lean thinking is being implemented in practice. It is this gap that the research seeks to address.

Research objectives

To ascertain current levels of awareness and implementation of lean thinking within the UK construction industry.

To establish the associated model of human resource management (HRM) as advocated by the industry champions of lean techniques.

To prepare ten in-depth case studies of the claimed implementation of lean techniques, paying particular attention to the balance between HRM issues and short-term efficiency gains.

To investigate the relationship between the implementation of lean construction and the quality of working life for employees.

To sensitise UK practitioners and policy makers to the potentially adverse HRM implications of lean construction if implemented uncritically.

To make recommendations for future best practice.

Team details:
Zoe Lancaster Professor Tim Morris Ms Susan May Mr Robert N. Newcombe

Professor Colin Gray Professor of Management & Production Engineering Professor Stuart Green Director of Innovative Construction Research Centre

Critical factors in human resource practice implementation: implications of cross-cultural contextual issues by David Sikora, Gerald R. Ferris International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (IJHRDM), Vol. 11, No. 2/3/4, 2011 Abstract: In most firms, the human resources department is responsible for the development of effective human resource practices that help the organisation meet or exceed its business objectives. However, the implementation of those practices ultimately falls to the firm's line managers. This paper uses social context theory and the theory of planned behaviour to propose that line managers' implementation of effective HR practices is influenced by a variety of contextual and individual factors. Using data from line managers working in a 300 bed not-for-profit community hospital in the southeastern USA, the results of an exploratory factor analysis and a multiple regression test of the suggested model showed that contextual/organisational and individual factors had a significant impact in predicting line managers' HR practice implementation levels. Implications of these findings are discussed, as are directions for future research. is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

HR practices as predictors for knowledge sharing and innovative behaviour: a focus on age by Floor Slagter International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (IJHRDM), Vol. 9, No. 2/3, 2009 Abstract: Innovation is critical in today's highly competitive business environment for enabling sustained competitive advantage. Innovative behaviour and knowledge sharing on the employee level can contribute significantly to successful innovation. This study hypothesises that certain Human Resource (HR) practices predict innovative behaviour and knowledge sharing among employees. This study focuses on the moderating effect of age; the workforce is ageing and effective knowledge sharing is necessary to retain the organisational knowledge levels when the baby boomers retire. Based on data from a large sample of employees, the findings suggest that the several HR practices contribute significantly to knowledge sharing and/or innovative behaviour. In addition, we find that age moderates the relationship between HR practices and innovative behaviour; older employees experience a higher level of innovative behaviour when offered training, self-development and career opportunities and participation in intergenerational teams, as opposed to younger employees. The study discusses the various practical implications that result from these findings. is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

Human Resource development in Toyota culture by Jeffrey K. Liker, Michael Hoseus International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (IJHRDM), Vol. 10, No. 1, 2010 Abstract: Companies throughout the world are engaging in 'lean' programs for manufacturing, product development, office work, and even the enterprise following Toyota as a model. The goal is to eliminate waste. Generally speaking these programs have had success at driving impressive dollar savings, but we believe the results are still far below what is possible and generally not sustainable. The problem is a fundamental misunderstanding of what has made Toyota so successful. For Toyota the goal is always to be the best at cost, quality, delivery, safety, and morale

through engaging people in continuous improvement. This paper summarises how they do that through an exceptional Human Resource (HR) development system. is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

Research on HRM and lean management: a literature survey by Godefroy Beauvallet, Thomas Houy International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (IJHRDM), Vol. 10, No. 1, 2010 Abstract: The key mechanisms and the decisive variables that appear to justify the comparative advantage of lean companies deal with Human Resources (HR) issues. The purpose of this literature survey is therefore twofold. First, this paper sets out to clarify what lean management is from a Human Resources Management (HRM) viewpoint. Second, this paper identifies the main characteristics of HRM in lean companies. is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

Educating highly competent and principled HR professionals in the 21st century by Sunil J. Ramlall, Michael Sheppeck International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management (IJHRDM), Vol. 7, No. 3/4, 2007 Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of US HR Graduate Programs in preparing highly competent and principled HR professionals functioning as strategic partners and helping organisations create sustainable competitive advantages through the HR function. The paper examines the major competencies necessary for HR to serve as business partners and analyses the graduate HR programmes in developing the requisite competencies. Multiple gaps in the curriculum are identified. Strategies to enhance the quality and relevance of the graduate programmes in developing highly competent and principled HR professionals in the 21st century are discussed. is only available to individual subscribers or to users at subscribing institutions.

Construction industry facing acute labour shortage: Assocham

Sorce : The hindu
NEW DELHI, OCT 11: The construction industry is facing acute labour shortage due to social schemes like JNNURM and NREGA, leading to delay in infrastructure projects and hampering the growth of the sector, Assocham said on Wednesday. Due to government social schemes like JNNURM and NREGA, a large number of construction projects are lagging behind their completion schedule mainly because of acute labour shortage, it said.

The growth of the sector has gradually declined from about 30 per cent in 2007 to about 12 per cent currently, it said. Market size of Indias construction industry might not even reach Rs 30,000-crore mark by 2015 from the current level of about Rs 21,000 crore as the labour-intensive sector has been constantly grappling with the shortage of workforce, it said. Besides labour shortage, slowdown in capital investments, continuing economic downturn and lacklustre performance of realty sector are the other problems being faced by the construction sector, it added. Many industry players have blamed government social schemes for locally generating jobs leading to continuous depletion of migratory workforce from the construction sector, Assocham said. Paucity of man power in the sector has shot up the cost of construction labour by over 25 per cent, it said. Further, Assocham has called for introduction of technology like pre-fabricated buildings, brick less technology to aid faster construction and counter the labour crunch faced by the industry. Domestic construction companies need to invest heavily in technology to reduce construction costs, thereby providing additional benefits to the customers and spurt demand, it said.

Trends in Human Resource Management

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Trends-Human-Resource-Management-105601.html Trends in Human Resource Management Teaming across organizational boundaries appears to be a hallmark of companies in transformation. In fact, a number of companies these days have eliminated many of the traditional organizational boundaries entirely. Project teams instead of traditional managers organize work, and workers are even able to join teams based on their competencies and interest. These are just some of the changes being made as the United States quickly transforms from an industrial society to a service society. Instead of the boss being the CEO the boss is now becoming the customer. As our company structures change thus does the roles of our Humane Resource departments. In the following paragraphs we will discuss some of these changes as they pertain to globalization, technology, diversity, e-business and ethics. Globalization In today's highly aggressive global market companies are finding it necessary to expand internationally to gain competitive advantage. To meet these challenges, U.S. businesses must develop global markets, keep up with competition from overseas, hire from an international labor pool, and prepare employees for global assignments (Trends page 46). Many of the United States most successful global competitors do this by operating on the belief that people are the company's most important asset. Placing this value on employees requires the companies to emphasize human resource practices, including reward for superior performance, measures of employee satisfaction, careful selection of employees, promotion from within, and investment in employee development (Trends 46). Technology is another important factor in

globalization. The Internet and improved, more reliable telephone service is making it possible for companies to hire cheaper labor for things like telemarketing, computer help desk and even sales. For example, Dell computer hires contractors from India to take purchase calls for their phone and Internet computer...

Human resource planning in the construction industry; can it ever work?

Human resource planning in the construction industry; can it ever work? Construction Industry involves in its vicinity a diverse labor force, contributing towards the long and enduring Process of Creation. As cited by Gerald Finkel in his book, The Economics of the Construction Industry, The American construction industry employs over five million people and provides millions of additional support jobs in related fields. Yet, it is least lucrative profession for many as it involves peripatetic work schedule, along with it job insecurity associated with poor working conditions, health and safety records and employee welfare provisions within the industry. The main reason behind the Construction Industry to be poorly regarded is generally thought to stem from the nature of the work and the terms on which the labor is recruited. The construction Industry in number of countries has also been characterized by the outsourcing of labor through sub contractors and other intermediaries that prohibits them from taking the advantage of employment schemes. Over and above, it has a long been portrayed as the image of discriminatory Macho culture". Moreover in number of developing nations there are no safety measures for laborers. For e.g. as cited by International Labor Organization, In countries such as Cambodia, construction workers earn just US$1.50 a day and there are no laws to provide safety measures to workers, thus, here the role of Human Resource Management Comes in. The managers in this Industry are often heard saying our people are our most important asset. However, human resource management (HRM) in the construction industry is severely under-developed as compared to the other industrial sectors. This we may owe to the fragmented structure of the construction sector. However, Industrial leaders have started realizing the importance of the human resource in this competitive environment. As stated by Paul Teicholz (1994), there was decline in the construction industry. Over the past 40 years the Industry increased at an average compound rate of -0.59%/year. There had been a requirement of more field work hours per dollar of contract. The construction industry lagged behind other industries in development and in application of labor saving ideas and in finding several measures to substitute equipment for labor. The casual nature of the employment in the construction Industry makes planning a vague exercise. This is the Human resource information systems(HRIS) that presents number of measures to cope with these problems ensuring reliability, accuracy and accessibility of the human resource information. The construction industry is one of the largest sectors employing large number of people, providing work to significant proportion of the labor market and providing significant share of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Any construction project involves skilled manual labor which gets support from management. It is a duty of the management to coordinate many professional, construction and supplier organizations whose involvement can change through the course of the project. The dynamism that involves in the process and the need to integrate a wide range of occupational cultures, gives the construction one of the most complex project related Industry in which there is a need to apply good Human Resource Management (HRM) practices. According to Decenzo and Robbins, Human Resource Planning is the process by which an organization ensures that it has the right number and right kind of people, at the right place, at the right time, capable of effectively and efficiently completing those tasks that will help the organization achieve its overall objectives. The main aim of Human Resource Management is to ascertain the manpower needs of the organization both in right number and right kind. And it's quite true with the Construction Industry.

In the phases that Construction Industry passes through, it becomes adequately apparent to retain the professional employees in order to remain in competitive market. The employee turnover and wastage is an extremely important issue for construction companies, thus Human Resource Management (HRM) is an essence of the Construction Industry whereby it build up its image by creating an environment of trust between the employees and employers by looking into the every aspect of the employees needs. Several researches have found that money has never been considered as the major criteria to retain the labor force in the ensuing projects. It is a motivational force that accounts for high performance by executives. Recent studies conducted by Hay Consulting Group and Hornberger Management Companys Annual Construction Executive Retention Survey suggested that executives work hard and achieve more to have a feeling of fulfillment and attainment of Fruit. This sole motivation is provided by Human Resource Management Team. In the construction Industries companies relies in sub contracting in most of the construction phase. Therefore the construction industry includes large number of small and medium sized enterprises which carries on its operational activity for large main contractors. Hereby the Human Resource Management may not work as per the organizational set up. The wrong sub contractor if appointed can lead to numerous losses and his removal is the most agonizing thing to do. Athough there are advantages in adopting the subcontracting system and some strategic benefits from the use of labour subcontracting, but this system has adverse consequences for workers, companies, the industry and Human Resource functions. In case of the strategic involvement, the construction companies can take up the Strategic Human Resource Management policies to fulfill their long term perspectives. In the day to day operations, there is also a need for the organization to take great care to balance organizational and individual needs of the employees' in-order to successfully fulfill the strategic needs. But the biggest issue is the trend amongst the Industrialists to bestow the responsibilities of all the operations to line managers instead of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM). Hereby, SHRM looses all the control and rely on the policies and practices of autonomous line managers. Hereby, line managers have the role to balance their staff needs to those of the organization. The main feature of Construction Industry is its inherent ability to adhere to the outside forces that exerts a powerful force on its everyday growth. Here also Human Resource Management strategy comes into play whereby it capitalizes the opportunities and mitigates the threats through their management policies. For e.g. a company captured an opportunity in a government sponsored infrastructure project coming in next five years. And it needs more skilled labor for heavy civil engineering work but has extra labor for general building construction. By utilizing the human Management Resource it can proactively retrain its managers and operatives with the requisite skills and exploit the new market opportunities. Human Resource Management develops strategy according to the labor market situation in which it is operating. The practice of the manual labor in the construction industry performs according to the hard models of Human Resource Management whereas non-manual employment goes more according to the conditions of 'soft' HRM models. According to John Storey, Human Resource Management works according to the relations to the performance on line management responsibility, performance management, and values and beliefs of personnel managers. A dynamic manager balances two sets of forces: the firms external advantages on one hand and its internal strengths and weaknesses on the other and here the Importance of Human Resource Management cannot be ignored. Thus the human resource planning in the decision making process ensures that enough competent people with appropriate skills can be able to perform jobs where and when they will be needed. As such, "it enable us to define the organization's need and assessing the available pool of people to determine the best fit."' The most serious implication that Environmental and Market forces can inflict on the Construction Industry is an ongoing shortage of skilled workers including large number of retirements, creates necessity to provide Human Resource Management strategies .Then dependent on immigrant workers, the problems of reimbursing the wages and to benefits to attract labor force and to keep within the financial constraints of current market forces. There has been a very little and systematic research on the labor force, even fewer studies that address the problems being faced by the labor force. The behavioral science approach is adopted as measure for human resource development. Some emphasis on interpersonal behavior focusing on the individual as a socio-psychological being; others emphasize on group behavior subject to their attitudes, habits, pressures and conflicts. The role involves the formulation of concepts and explanations about individual and group behavior, the empirical testing of these concepts in many different experimental and field settings, and the establishment of actual managerial policies and decisions.

The process of manpower planning involves Determining the objectives of man power planning, preparation of current man power inventory, Demand forecasting, supply forecasting, Estimation of the man power requirements, Making an action plan for redeployment and redundancy, determining jobs requirements of the jobs to be filled, Employment plan, Training and development plan. Thus Human Resource Planning in Construction Industry will always work if implemented constructively. But there are certain disadvantages too in following Human Resource Planning like there is generally an identity crises and many managers as well as human resource specialists are not able to comprehend the rationale or purpose of human resource planning and unless the human resource planners undertakes the strong commitment and purpose they are most likely to face in the diverse structure of Construction Industry. In the long run, the human resource management should have the support of Top Management, otherwise it will be ineffective. To get the success human resource management should be slowly and expand gradually otherwise it is bound to fail in the Construction Industry. To best achieve the target it is very essential to bridge the gap between the present resources and future needs. The future action should be appropriately planned for keeping the labor force into a competitive spirit.

Published: 2006-12-24 Author: Suneet Kaur

H R P r a c t i c e s I n C o ns t r u c t i o n I nd u s t r y
[ Nabomita1979 ] Member Since: Apr 2006 (Senior Member) follow member
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Greetings, This is an attempt to understand the HR Practices in the Construction Industry, as discussed in this community. We invite the experts from the industry to correct us on what requires to be added or upgraded. Any contribution towards the points missed below would be valued:

HR Practices in Construction Industry PPT - Download This presentation discuss the following challenges
Challenge #1 Matching skilled labour supply and demand Challenge #2 Creating a responsive apprenticeship system Challenge #3 Establishing an innovative training system Challenge #4 Facilitating worker mobility

HR Strategy for a Construction Company as contributed by Saby: Post Normally in a construction co., goal is first set by the management. It depends on the type of construction the company is in viz. Power Plant Construction, Residential, Commercial, Projects from other organizations, Townships, Fuel line construction, chemical plant construction, docks construction, etc. After the goal is set, this is then informed by the management to the respective departments. Strategy is then formulated after discussions and/or debates between various department heads including the share holders of the company. After the strategy is adopted, a guideline is prepared to implement the strategy. Normally the strategy is distributed to the respective departments, viz. planning, contracts, purchase, sales, marketing, etc. It is true that without manpower, the construction of any product does not come into effect. And therefore to handle the various concerns related to the manpower (viz. recruitment, safety, health, behaviour, work, etc. ), an HR and personnel department is established. Since you are talking about goals, strategies, etc. be more sure what you wanted since these things might have been developed by the organization you are working for. To set up policies related to code of conduct of the employees, medical assistance, housing and food assistance, leave travel assistance, leave calculation, overtime calculation, minimum wage, increment, super annuation, security assistance, accident assistance, gratuity, insurance, etc. you will have to comply with the GCC employment rules and regulations. Similarly for HRD, statutory requirements for recruitment,

interview procedures, working hours, etc. you will have to gather the details from the respective departments the candidate will be selected for. Your role will be short listing the candidates for interview, co-ordinate the interview between the candidate and the head of the respective department, preparation of contract agreement (which will differ from positions to positions and nationality of the candidate), air-ticket arrangement, visa arrangement, medical check-up of the candidate for residence permit/work permit, accommodation arrangement, food arrangement, transportation from site to accommodation arrangement, and a whole load of other arrangements as and when required for the upkeep of the employee. Few areas for HR Operations and Practices as discussed by Dr. Shanmugan: Post HR in service and construction industry is really tough enough. it is only through major results HR initiatives are being recognized. If you want yourself to be recognized, slowly start with HR activities. 1. HR Manual 2. HR Policy 3. initatives like 5S, performance management system, competency assessment, team bulding, etc. HR Issues as voiced by rashmishingh: Post
This industry is still in early 20th century mentality where employers think that they are doing some favor to employees by giving them employment and employees think that they have nothing to do with overall picture of company's development. Even if you try to implement something new (new means new for this industry or company), neither management nor employees are interested. They have their general comment..if everything is going fine, whats the use of these fundas... I am equally disappointed by the management view as well as employees. This industry needs overhauling process in not only organizational structure but in mind set too.

Leave Policy as discussed by Kumaran Siva : Post For Office Staff

All Weekly Off 7 CL 1 EL/20 w.d. 10 Holidays

For Site Staff

2 Weekly off in a month 45 Days EL which include CL, balance Weekly off etc. 5 Holidays (balance 5 days will be added in leave)

All leaves are encashable. Organisation structure and designations as shared by Udhav :Post There are different positions which varies from company to company. In a sizable co. with +5000 employees hierarchy could start at lowest position of
Asst. Engineer {Traineee} and further upgraded to... Asst. Engineer (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Jr. Engineer (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Engineer (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Sr. Engineer (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Asst. Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Dy. Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Sr. Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Asst. Gen. Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Sr. AGM (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Dy. General Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Jt. General Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) General Manager (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Vice President (Projects or Planning or Contracts or Billing) Sr. Vice President (Projects, Planning or Contracts or Billing) Director (Projects/Technical)

Howver, last five positions could be for overall management and are heighest levels at many organisations where people with +20yrs experience are offered such designation

attribution http://www.citehr.com/352787-hr-practices-construction-industry.html#ixzz2LtKQg8vB

Human Resources Issues in Construction Industry

August 22, 2011 By Brian D. Lujan Leave a Comment

If unemployment to 4.5% is not much of all the days illegal alien who was standing in the corner, he complained. These workers were employed by landscaping companies, car washes and construction companies. Now, authorities rely on this street corner day labor sites to remove and place, awaiting the infiltration of the company to pick up unwary. In general, heres how it works. Hundreds of illegal or that we have focused on the politically correct term undocumented workers in a program approved by the city. Someone who needs a worker for a day, you can pick them up, and reach an agreement to work. Often homeowners who need help to pick the day and then put it back and pay cash, since the damage would be a mistake, even if they are illegal immigrants. Many people want to have any problem with it and if someone is willing to work hard should be so is not like many Americans, unfortunately, in California, many cities now have unemployment and over 10% and now the Americans, and voters and that these jobs are angry taxpayers. This led the authorities to stop this problem, in fact created. Instead you choose to deport illegal immigrants, and instead of seeing them and wait for the builders in his work truck to come. Why? Well, many believe that only the money, the authorities also to contractors and increase revenue. You can not catch everyone, but every day to catch some in the cities of California. If you are a HR manager of a construction company so, then you need to know that this is illegal and not just fines but can be an accessory and even go to jail. Please note.

HR Policies in Construction
by Tela Lewis , Demand Media

Related Articles
Importance of HR Policies How to Handle HR Complaint Questions What Is the Difference Between an HR Assistant & HR Generalist? The Employee HR Policy for Conducting Investigations in the Workplace Similar Job Positions to a HR Coordinator What Are the Requirements for the Position of HR Executive? Construction companies have a host of human resource challenges specific to the industry, not least of which is trying to kind skilled craftsmen from a lean talent pool. An understanding of recruitment, training and retention are basic requirements for an effective human resource department in the construction industry.
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Lean Talent Pool

The construction industry requires specific skills that are often difficult to locate. HR managers in the construction industry must find qualified applicants for on a project specific basis. For example, smaller construction companies often struggle to find management-level estimators, project managers, superintendents, engineers or administrative staff trained to process construction-specific documentation. Experienced craftsmen to head project field teams or divisions are also difficult to find. To facilitate the recruitment process, an HR manager for a construction company should come up with a clearly defined job description for each team member. He should work diligently to find workers with the background needed to do the project.

Industry Specific Training

Once a project team is in place, the HR department should implement policies for continued training. Many construction professionals are required to obtain and maintain certifications for specific types of construction, such as green building. The HR department needs to come up with clear policies relating to training. It also should provide information about time off and compensation for off-site training.

Professionalism and Retention

HR policies for employee retention should focus on incentive bonuses when a project milestone is reached. HR staff can also offer project-based incentives such as housing, automotive or tool allowances, and educational reimbursement for required certifications. And because much of the work is projectbased, HR should develop policies on allowing extended vacation time between projects.

Mentoring
One HR strategy that can help construction companies retain valuable workers is to implement employee mentoring programs. These programs assist staff members in high stress jobs by allowing smaller tasks to be delegated to a junior member under their supervision. From a HR perspective, this improves employee retention by keeping employees invested in the success of their coworkers.
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References (1) Resources

Gaining the Best Value of HR in Construction Companies Strategic Management of Human Resources in Construction

About the Author

Tela Lewis has written professionally since 2006. She primarily writes about travel destinations, women's issues, healthy relationships, real estate, property management and construction safety. Lewis produces articles for various local publications, including a monthly wine and travel newsletter. She has an Associate of Arts degree in English literature from Solano College.

Effectiveness of Human Resource Management in Construction project

This paper appears in: National Postgraduate Conference (NPC), 2011 Date of Conference: 19-20 Sept. 2011 Author(s): Othman, I. Dept. of Civil Eng., Univ. Teknol. Petronas, Tronoh, Malaysia Idrus, A. ; Napiah, M.

ABSTRACT
Problems that had been taken into consideration in this study is the Human Resource Management in Construction project. Construction uses more manpower in its business activities compared to the other fields, but its human resource management is still inadequate and insufficient attention. The problems concerning human resource management in construction project need to be identified and the methods to improve them need to be formulated and implemented for the success of construction project. In this study, the methodology used is by questionnaire survey and further discussed in the case study done in a construction site in Kuala Lumpur. The questionnaires were distributed to contractor's companies all over Malaysia and the feedbacks obtained will be used for the case study for further clarification. The results of the study had shown that there are awareness among the contractors in Malaysia about the importance of human resource management on the success of construction project. The problems of human resource management in construction project had been identified and the methods for the improvement of it had been discovered based on the survey and the case study done.

Importance of Human Resources in the construction industry Carry out and report on an analysis of the theoretical and practical issues of a current HR issue of your choice. Human Resources are vital to all industries, including the construction industry (Kleiner & Yankov, 2001). The sector employs almost two million people in the UK and contributes in excess of 6 percent of total GDP (Dainty et al. 2007). The Construction Industrys workforce is extremely diverse and includes different types of individuals working within construction such as; unskilled, skilled workers, craft, managerial roles and administrative workers. According to research, maintaining and attracting the right people within the construction industry is a priority due to the scarcity of both skilled people and experienced managers. In recent years, the UK has relied heavily on foreign labour as a means of addressing skills shortages in certain industries and filling positions that local people are reluctant to take. (Personnel Today, August 2009) Moreover, it is the project-based nature of construction that presents one of the most serious challenges to the management and organisation of the people employed. (Dainty et al. 2007).

The current immigrant law and amended Guidance for Employers on Preventing Illegal Working in November 2010 highlights certain issues that HR must overcome when trying to attract migrant workers for the job vacancies. Furthermore, with the job searching task becoming increasing difficult and new employment legislation acts that have been enforced by the government, there are many diverse challenges that this will create for recruitment. Moreover, construction HR also needs to establish whether or not job applicants will be able to carry out a physically demanding job, without breaching provisions in the Equality Act 2010. (XpertHR, 2010) Furthermore as an increasing raft of anti-discrimination laws continue their jack-hammer assaults on discrimination in the workplace, (Personnel Today, May 2004) the construction industry finds itself at a crossroad with long-standing traditions of sexual and racial barriers. Hence, in the coming paragraphs the above laws will be discussed in further depth to give a better understanding of the challenges of HR in the Construction Industry during recruitment. There are no ethical issues in regards to my assignment as is it entirely derived from secondary research; therefore no impairment has been caused when carrying out my research for this assignment. Construction industries need to ensure that they do their research thoroughly and efficiently. The first step is to target their advertising correctly, using the right forms of media towards the right target group for the vacancy. The selection techniques for recruiting are essential, as they need to filter the people that are not right for the job so that they can find the right person, which makes the task less complex. As mentioned above, there are diverse roles within the construction industry from experienced professionals, to unskilled workers. This means that there will be different techniques which need to be understood when searching for new applicants, for example, when searching for mangers there will be a significant difference in searching for unskilled workers in comparison to managers. Recent research suggests that the main difficulty for recruitment was the lack of necessary specialist skills (CIPD Report, 2010). This enforces the need of selecting and recruiting the most efficient people right, first time round. Essential and extensive research is key when recruiting. Therefore, in the construction industry when searching for specific people to fulfil roles, managers may read specific construction magazines or look on specific websites, and where as unskilled workers may look in any type of media such as local newspapers. From this, managers and HR need to ensure they advertise using the right method of media to fill the vacancies. There are diverse ways of professional and non-professional recruitment, both of which differ from one another and need to be used in the right way. In order to create success within these industries, there needs to be a fine balance between keeping the industries interests in mind as well as employees rights and welfare. The migrant workforce has been one of the cornerstones of the UK economy for some time now and the engagement of migrant staff has proved to be the only method by which skill shortages are in construction. (Personnel Today, December 2006) Therefore it is important that HR implement effective policies and procedures in order to successfully deal with the legal issues that are a part of recruiting migrant workers into the industry. On the 30th March, 2006, The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 officially gained Royal Assent. This introduces new civil penalties scheme which talks about the legal actions employers may face if employing illegal workers and

knowing of the legislations that have been introduced. Such actions include; fines and the possibility of prison sentences of up to two years depending on the tribunal hearing and the conditions involved. With the greater risks of employers being exposed to greater penalties for employers employing people who do not have the right to live or work in the UK, it is therefore a requirement and a must that all employers and recruitment within any specific organisation are made aware of the current legislations and the actions to be taken if not followed. The construction industry, being a project based industry employs a lot of contractors and agency staff in order to meet tight deadlines. This can create further risks for the employer is he/she does not check the documents of the employee to ensure that they are a suitable candidate for the job as well as the fact that they have the right to work in the UK. Even though the manager has a simple intention to recruit for a short period, a group of employees in order to get the job done in the time constraint. Employers will be at future risks if they do not check properly about the details of the employee being recruited. The HR challenge in the construction industry is the risks of claims from migrant workers who feel that they are being directly or indirectly discriminated against. (Personnel Today, December 2006) Under the UK employment law, migrant staffs who are employed by an organisation are able to look to the same as the other employees. In addition, Construction HR also faces tension within the existing workforce due to an incursion of migrant employees within the industry. It is becoming increasingly common for some employers to favour migrant workers (Personnel Today, December 2006) and run the risk of losing other employees. They tend to favour migrant workers due to the skills which they are able to bring into the industry which are otherwise missing. However, this change in the workforce can lead to future conflict and also lead to a greater risk of harassment, and discrimination against the migrant employees. To overcome these challenges, Construction HR must ensure they have effective disciplinary and grievance policies to deal with these issues as and when they arise. Health and safety should also be a major concern for all employers in any industry but mainly in the construction industry. New provisions in section 60 of the Equality Act 2010 (which came into force on 1 October 2010) restrict employers from asking specific health-related questions prior to making an offer of employment to a job candidate. (SPS, 2011) Employers that disregard this act and thus ask candidates questions about health, whether on the application form, or during an interview process could be liable for disability discrimination by a candidate whose job application was made unsuccessful. Therefore the challenging task for the employer will then be to prove that the reason the particular individual was not recruited was not related to their disability. Construction work is a physically demanding job, and hence adds pressure to HR when ensuring that the right people are recruited for the job especially when employers have to avoid asking health-related questions prior to making an offer of employment. One of the ways, HR can ensure efficient recruitment is to use exceptions to the general rule against asking health-related questions. One of these exceptions applies in which asking relevant health questions are necessary for the purpose of the job in order to establish whether or not an individual will be able to carry out a function that is critical to

the job role. For example, when the HR of a construction company is recruiting scaffolders, HR can ask questions to the prospective employee about their health or disability on the application form or at the interview stage if the questions relate specifically to the applicant's ability to climb ladders and scaffolding to a specific height, which in this case these specific questions relate to the main duties within the job role. The UK Construction industry has the highest female unemployment rate out of all the major European Union countries, according to the government's Women and Equality Unit. Of the two million or so workers in construction, only around 190,000 are women. (Personnel Today, 2006). With fast-changing demographics and the change in the Equality Act 2010, the requirement of meeting a diverse workforce is a must. Recruiting female employees is a challenge that construction HR currently faces. To ensure that the Industry comply with the law, Construction companies HR departments are working with the Construction Skills council. The council CITBConstruction Skills argues that encouraging women into the industry is good business sense. Construction needs 87,000 new recruits each year. (Personnel Today, October 2006) and the CITB-Construction Skills need to fill those jobs with people from all backgrounds, rather than the labour pool of white men who traditionally dominate the workforce. (Personnel Today, October 2006). Construction HR can also offer female recruits and university students with an opportunity to experience the job through a sixweek trial or placement to encourage more females to work within the industry. Moreover, HR faces the challenge of recruiting younger people in many industries including the construction industry, as research by the Chartered Institute of Building has shown construction managers aged over 60 are the fastest growing demographic age group in the sector. (Personnel Today, May 2009). The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age. This includes direct and indirect discrimination, harassment and victimisation. (Vizual HR, 2011). There are positive attributes that the younger employees can bring with them and above all, employers see that in young people employees, they can train, develop, and grow them in the ways the employer wants. HR can encourage young people to apply for vacancies and need to ensure that job advertising includes the relevant media that the younger audiences are most likely to see or use. Another possible way to ensure that young people are recruited is by focusing on young people who have recently graduated from university, offer an apprenticeship or offering part time work to those at university. The new skills and techniques that young people are learning on a day-to-day basis, by employing them not only gives them a chance to put the theory they have learned so far into practice but to also help the company to get their project complete. As a result, the main challenges facing HR is balancing the age legislation requirements with the need to recruit younger staff as well as retaining the knowledge of older workers, this is where the challenge lays. Therefore, HR needs to proactively attack biased company attitudes, and train all managers at all levels of the business to be aware of age discrimination. (Personnel Today, September 2006) Using this technique ensures that the company is kept up-to-date and aware of the legislations and that they do not have a single-minded point of view when it comes to recruiting.

Furthermore, another challenge of HR within the Construction Industry is Race discrimination which is part of the Equality Act 2010. Race is another area in which the construction industry has been slow to embrace societal change. (Personnel Today, 2004) Race discrimination is aware in many industries and has been for many years, and can affect an employees morale and overall performance at work. Race discrimination occurs when a person is treated rather unfairly compared to others because of various reasons, these can be; a persons race, skin colour, nationality or their ethnic background. HR needs to ensure that they recruit diverse people from diverse backgrounds, and ensure they tackle any situations that arise as a result of Race Discrimination within the company. In the construction industry, research has shown that there is a common strategy to recruit, using diverse methods such as recruiting in teams, by word of mouth, by family and personal contacts and also through poaching. Poaching is a common method used in the construction industry, which can help to gain competitive advantages over rivals. This involves a technique of being able to attract competitors employees to leave rivals and join their company. In many cases this has been a useful technique, which is still relatively common within the industry and helps to complete projects in a given time constraint. Often, people who are thought to work well together because they have a common background or culture may be asked to recruit family and friends as co-workers. (Personnel Today, 2004) In addition to this another technique that can be used is to ensure that managers are given the right training in order to promote fair and equal recruitment. As mentioned by Kleiner and Yankov, that there is a shortage of skilled workers. Thus, recruitment need to ensure that the workers that have the key skills remain committed to the company. However with all of the new legislations being introduced last year and during this year, not only is it a necessity for managers and HR to ensure recruitment is done properly, but to ensure that they obtain the right people using the right techniques. By ensuring laws and legislations are followed and the manager keeps up to date by regular news feeds or even training, is a key factor which makes recruitment less of a challenge. This assignment has helped to address the theoretical and practical issues that can occur within the construction industry following these legislations. In addition, it has discussed the diverse methods and implications that the new employment legislation acts can have upon the construction industry and the possible solutions that can be useful for HR in recruitment. These legislations have been created in order to help the government tackle problems and provide solutions that have derived from employment in previous years. Employers need to ensure that they follow through with these legislations in the relevant manner or face the consequences in following unlawful acts. In some industries, there are negative reactions of employment legislation which therefore leads to non-compliance. However, the legislations that are created are there to be followed and thus non-compliance of an industry will therefore have consequences leading to tribunal hearings and penalties. As a result, trying to evade following the regulations is hard to do, hence the only way forward for construction industries and HR is to follow and find new ways of tackling the tasks that lay ahead and making them easier for the industry to follow

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Problem statement Organizations have not handled the human Resource management with the seriousness it deserves . There have been very many labor related problems that have risen in organizations and this have been prompted by poor human resource management . This has led to a great adverse effect on organization profitability and competitiveness ion the market . This situation particularly have intensified in construction industry where poor human resource management have led to reduction in quality and quantity of work done as well as loss in market Construction industry is very labour intensive . This means an organization in this industry must have a good strategy on how to manage the human resource so as to attain maximum efficiency If human resource management can be handled well , it can lead to greater cost effectiveness , increase standards of work done which translates to increased profitability If organization can put greater emphasis on proper human resource management and embrace its role with the required efforts in terms of resources and consideration , great benefits can be achieved . This is because the great problem has been lack of appreciation of the role of human resource management in the organization

Companies with Most Innovative Human Resource Management Practice

Posted on: April 27, 2012 at 12:00 AM

Today's human resource management cannot set itself aside as the mere functional department for common welfare, selection, rewards, recognition, compensation, remuneration, work culture and productivity of employees. Today's human resource management cannot set itself aside as the mere functional department for common welfare, selection, rewards, recognition, compensation, remuneration, work culture and productivity of employees. As the corporate and business process is growing in services and innovations, the choice for a better job is huge for any employee in the present employment scenario. Most challenging task for the human resource manager in the present scenario is the talent hunt and hiring process and retention of talented as well as most productive employees in the company. This focus is acutely present in the HR policies of the companies with most innovative human resource management practice. Here we would introduce some of the greatest global companies with most innovative human resource management practice. Syntel This global IT Company recently awarded in several categories of human resource management in the HRD congress. The use of technology for achievement of strategic HR objectives and creative practices in HR solution made it to be one of the most valued companies with most innovative human resource management practice. Google Google is still considered to be one of the most popular and preferred destination for the career aspirants in information technology. Google is a brand name where ideas of the employees are most valued and encouraged and it has a unique culture for supporting the employee at every possible difficulty. The most innovative idea of Google is to encourage the employees to spend 20% of their productive time on their own creative ideas and value addition initiatives. Larsen and Toubro L&T engineering and construction division is recently awarded the Asia Pacific HR Conclave Award for most innovative HR practices. The main strength of the company's HR practice lies in rigorous and

continuous training in general management, technical disciplines and business policy and this made L&T as one of the top companies with most innovative human resource management practices. Infosys BPO Ltd In the recent world HRD congress held in Mumbai the company won 7 awards for its human resource management practices. The major strength of the company lies in innovative talent hunting, recruitment and retention process. Above mentioned companies with most innovative human resource management practices have a significantly higher rate of retention and gross wellbeing of the employees which made these companies a preferred place of work