Recession, lighter side and Punctuality

Companies today are using recession as an excuse for everything under the sun. From
getting rid of unproductive employees to abolishing the concept of office parties, from
reducing your mobile allowance to giving you more responsibilities to handle. So much
so, that if your boss hurts his toe tomorrow, he might just blame it on recession. Guys, it
is time you had some fun too. You can effectively use recession rumors to get bac at a
colleague. !ere is how"
Get taling about a certain someone from your office who s#he doesn$t now well enough
to approach and how s#he has got a %& percent pay cut. Say that the !' is maing a list of
employees whose salary can be cut. 'epeat pran ( ).
*hen s#he is out for lunch, open +auri.com on his computer. ,ae sure you plant a few
colleagues around his#her des to say -haw.$ when s#he he sees it.
Send him#her a random, encouraging mail saying that losing a job is not the end of the
world. /here still are some companies hiring even though there are thousands out there
vying for jobs.
*hen s#he is around people, call him up from an unfamiliar number and as him #her
whether s#he was fired in his#her previous job. Grill him#her on the same asing for proof,
reference numbers of former employers etc. 0rritate him #her as much as you can.
1eave aside prans and coming to serious business of wor environment in addition to
wor related performance there is also some basic discipline to follow that too strictly so
as to not to give your employer an opportunity to use the -discipline$ pretext to stagnate
your pay or as you to leave. 2ne of the foremost reasons is punctuality where flexi time
is not applicable
!ow to be punctual in spite of personal obstacles3
0t is always important to be on to wor. /oday it is even more important since your !' is
only looing for excuses to give you the pin slip. Coming early to wor or being
punctual is a sure fire way of building a good reputation. So guys, its worth taing some
effort to be punctual to wor. !ere are some tips to help you"
You can set your cloc, wristwatch and mobile fifteen minutes fast. /his will help you
speed up if you are prone to being lethargic while getting dressed for wor or having your
breafast. ,ost woring people adopt this method to get some extra time.
0ts easier to follow a routine when someone close to you also does the same. ,ae it a
point to travel with your favorite colleague or friend to wor 4if both of you live and
wor close by5. !owever, mae sure that person is an early bird too. 0n this way, you can
be punctual as well as enjoy some good company.
/ravel 'ight"
Change your bus or train timing. /ae one that comes ten minutes earlier then your
present one. 6ust do this simple thing and you will be punctual always. 7ven if you
happen to miss that train#bus you will still be on time.
0f you start early and often end up getting late because of train delays, traffic jams and
other unforeseen problems, it$s best to start from home half an hour earlier. 8y doing this,
you can always thin of some alternative route while you are traveling.
2ne of the main reasons while most of us end up getting late is lethargy. *e lac the
enthuse to swing into action. /ry playing some catchy music, doing some exercise,
waling our pet or indulging in some other favorite activity. /his will eep you upbeat
and raring to go to wor.
Get organi9ed"
,any of us spend ): minutes before our closet deciding what to wear to wor. So, it
would be of great help if you planned your wardrobe and accessories the night before.
;rranging your briefcase#folder beforehand is also a smart idea.
Planning for a better future
; si9able number of foreign students in the <S and <= are from 0ndia and the numbers
have only been growing. Students from high income as well as middle class families have
been migrating to these countries with rosy dreams of doing their post graduation and
eventually settling into high paid jobs in the international maret. !owever, the ongoing
global economic crisis has led students to thin again and mae informed choices
regarding the courses they intend to tae up. 1ay offs and concern of job security has lead
to growing doubts in the minds of the student who wish to pursue higher education
abroad during these troubled times. /hey listen to their peers 4students who are already
based abroad5 about the current scenario where pin slips are almost the order of the day
and students being forced to mae do with part>time jobs. ,oreover the credit crunch has
made it difficult to procure ban loans. /he rupee value is not at its best either. /his has
only compounded a student$s financial worries.
+r.? had planned to tae an education loan and do an ,S in the <S. !e had even
prepared to give my G'7 and /2F71, and had started applying to various universities.
8ut now he is having second thoughts. 0s it really wise on his part to tax his middle class
parents to invest money to do an expensive course lie ,8;3 *hat if he does not get a
job immediately after passing out3 0n fact, he may just have to wait and watch, tae on a
job temporarily and then, if the economic situation improves plan to do it next year.
,any students lie ,s.S have put their higher education plans on hold. 8ut some have
decided to tae the option of doing some short term certification courses online.
!e has landed a job with a reputed 0/ firm with great difficulty and he don$t want to ris
losing this job just for studying further abroad. !e plans to enroll for the C0S;
certification program of the 0S;C;, which would help him to advance in his career. /he
C0S; certification will add value to his resume during the next round of promotions.
2nline courses are generally opted for by woring professionals, who wish to study
further and ac@uire additional @ualifications. 8ut during these trying times, many young
fresh graduates are opting for online courses as they are relatively cost effective and can
be done while holding on to your job. Commerce graduates seem to have the widest
range of options for international certifications by distance education. /he CA;, CF;,
C0S;, C0,;, etc are all very popular and attract many students every year. /he best part
is that the student has the option of joining the local study circle, which allows him the
re@uired interaction with core professionals in the same field.
2nline ,8; is another program that attracts a whole lot of students, especially if
awarded by a top raned foreign university. *ith more and more campus ,8; programs
offering the degree online, the online degree has become more socially acceptable, says
an executive with a multinational company. !e has more than )& years of wor
experience and my employer is willing to support his education. So, he has decided to
enroll for the online ,8; program with a top raned <S <niversity. /his will enable him
to balance his job, which involves a lot of travel, and ambition to increase my intellectual
stoc.
/he 2nline ,8; has evolved with the times. 0t is not just video lectures and chats, but
also interaction between students and professors by using methods to bring in the real
classroom atmosphere and allowing discussions and presentations. !owever, students
have to decide for themselves whether doing the course online suits them as it re@uires a
high>level of self discipline and motivation.
Bistance learning re@uires you to read, thin and express your thoughts on your own,
apart from maing your own deadlines and meeting them. 0t also re@uires you be
computer savvy, and acceptable to learning new software tools and applications. /he
flexibility of timing, the ability to pursue your studies simultaneously with your career
and affording an integration of the two gives one a rewarding learning experience.
Right time to pursue MBA
*ith the financial crunch hitting employment opportunities hard, an increasing number
of young graduates are flocing towards 8 Schools to bide their time and get the best
opportunities once the global economy recovers. !owever, experts still maintain that an
,8; is best done after gaining a few years of wor experience.
; number of internationally well nown 8 schools are increasingly admitting students
with fewer years of wor experience and even fresh graduates to their ,8; programs.
Young students these days too, want to pursue their ,8;s earlier on, so as to accelerate
their career advancement. !owever, the ey @uestion here is" which is the right time to
enroll for an ,8; abroad3 0s it wise to invest huge sums of money in an international
education when the employment scenario is uncertain or is it wiser to gain a few years of
wor experience and then pursue an ,8;3
/he right time to pursue an ,8; may vary according to a person$s characteristics and
development. !aving said that, it$s extremely important for students to gain some years
of full time wor experience, that may be as little as a year and a half or as long as )C
years, so as to test drive their sills. 8ut the value proposition of a full time ,8; is to
capitali9e enough wor experience not only so that you now where you$re headed but
also so that you can mae maximum contribution to the classroom and select the right
courses and can effectively navigate through the flexible curriculum. ; few years of wor
experience not only maes you more focused but also helps you to mae the best of the
classroom atmosphere. Aeople pursue an ,8; to gain professional advancement mae
more money and achieve greater heights of success. ; person who waits to pursue his#
her management studies after gaining say five years of wor experience can expect to
benefit more not only in terms of being offered a higher salary pacet but also in terms of
being offered more opportunities as compared to someone who is fresh graduate. ; few
years of wor experience can prove to be advantageous in terms of sharpening one$s
focus, exposing one to his#her lies and dislies and getting a clearer picture of one$s
future goal, that can eventually help one maximi9e his#her classroom experience. Yet,
some fresh graduates do mae it to some coveted 8 Schools because their reasons for
pursuing an ,8; at that particular point in time are clear. /hey have a clear picture of
their career goals in mind and obviously gain a right to admission.
Freshers do not only to convince the admissions authority of their decision but also need
to have displayed exceptional academic as well as leadership sills during their college
days in order to mae it to a good 8 School. <nlie, a number of elite 8 Schools do
accept a certain percent of students with less wor experience to their programs now. 8ut
students are academically brilliant. ; typical applicant who is admitted after his# her
undergraduate studies will be very different from most applicants. !e#she will have been
enormously successful in his#her academic endeavors, be it in terms of GA;, G,;/ and
/27F1 scores or in terms of displaying leadership @ualities and being closely involved
with clubs or student government sororities. /hey will have had undertaen significant
internships and will demonstrate high intellectual curiosity much beyond their years.
/hey will also be direct and clear about why an ,8; now versus the future.
2ne of the most crucial pre>re@uisites of pursuing an ,8; is to have a strong awareness
of yourself, of who you really are, and what your future plans are. You also need to now
for sure as to why you wish to pursue an ,8; at a particular time and not later3
!owever, all this is hard to do at DD. /his does not mean that pursuing an ,8; early on
does not have any advantages. ;s a fresh graduate you get used to the classroom setting
more easily than those who have wored for a long period of time. ;cademically
speaing too, some of the content, especially analysis or math related may be similar to
the content you studied at your undergraduate degree. !owever as a young member of the
class there are situations for you find yourself to be a disadvantage when other student
longer years of wor experience about real life instances where concepts being discussed
applicable. Such students can relate the concepts much easily and much valuable
contributions to the class.
/hus, through the ultimate decision of whether or not to pursue an ,8; soon after
graduation is an individual one, as experts say, it is wiser to gain some years of
experience before finally taing the plunge.
The art of conducting effective meetings
/!7 ;'/ 2F C2+B<C/0+G 7FF7C/0E7 ,77/0+GS
,eetings are lie a double swordFGHit can either waste your time or you can scale up
your business. 0t all depends upon how effective you are in conducting meetings. /he
participant in the meeting should declare without loss of time what is his suggestion or
action plan in the interest of the purpose for which the meeting is convened.
,eetings, meetings and more meetingsI ;s you climb higher on the corporate ladder, and
as your business grows, meetings will become an inevitable part of your life. ,eetings
are essential part of a good team wor and effective communication and follow up on
planned actions by concerned executives. /his will help the FGJ!eadFGK or
FGJChiefFGK to get a feed bac on the results.
/he following are also some tips that can help you at meetings"
Agenda:
,ost meetings end up as a big waste of time because there is no clear agenda. /he
purpose of the meeting has to be clear. ;s given above, the best meetings are the ones
that tae into consideration the vision of the company, or what is of interest to the seniors.
Areparing an agenda gives a sense of direction for the meeting. 0f you are the one who is
the organi9er, mae it a point that the agenda is clearly communicated to others. ;lso, see
to it that participants are told in advance about the day, time and venue of the meeting to
have maximum attendance and least confusion.
8ill Gates wrote it in his boo, FGJbusiness at the speed of thoughtFGK FGL/hose
meetings that are planned well in advance are the most effective onesFG3.
Direction Oriented:
You can be open for a brainstorming session or a discussion. 8ut that should not allow
the meeting to go astray.
/he chairperson, you need to give the meeting a sense of direction.
You have to be lie a good television tal show anchor" when the answers to any @uestion
go out of the way, or if the person being ased is taling too much, you cut him off
diplomatically, and move ahead to the next @uestion.
Tal to the point:
/his is very critical. ,eetings need to be started off lie any other session. 8e casual as
about how things are, find out if all is well, offer tea, warm up the discussion etc.
!owever, as the meeting proceeds, it is very necessary to come to the point as soon as
possible. /his is where the time has to be monitored by the chairperson or person
responsible for conducting the meeting.
/herefore, the success of any meeting lies in having only a few and important points in
the agenda. ,ost importantly, as the meeting comes towards an end, mae an action plan
and who should do what and who is responsible to complete or implement the action.
/ae decisions and execute it. 2therwise, it will be lie that old office joe, FGL*hen
our boss has nothing to do he calls a meetingFG3.
12 Questions to Measure Employee Engagement
Bo your opinions seem to count3 Boes the mission#purpose of your company mae you
feel your job is important3 !ave you had opportunities at wor to learn and grow3
Comments & M 'ecommend )N&
ive years ago, /he Gallup 2rgani9ation began creating a feedbac system for employers
that would identify and measure elements of worer engagement most tied to the bottom
line>>things such as sales growth, productivity and customer loyalty.
;fter hundreds of focus groups and thousands of interviews with employees in a
variety of industries, Gallup came up with the O)D, a )D>@uestion survey that identifies
strong feelings of employee engagement. 'esults from the survey show a strong
correlation between high scores and superior job performance. !ere are those )D
@uestions"
Bo you now what is expected of you at wor3
Bo you have the materials and e@uipment you need to do your wor right3
;t wor, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day3
0n the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good
wor3
Boes your supervisor, or someone at wor, seem to care about you as a person3
0s there someone at wor who encourages your development3
;t wor, do your opinions seem to count3
Boes the mission#purpose of your company mae you feel your job is important3
;re your associates 4fellow employees5 committed to doing @uality wor3
Bo you have a best friend at wor3
0n the last six months, has someone at wor taled to you about your progress3
0n the last year, have you had opportunities at wor to learn and grow3
A positive feeling towards HR initiative taken in an organisation leads to higher
employee morale
Bo you really believe in the above hypothesis that a positive feeling of an employee
towards the initiative leads to higher morale. /here are companies who are doing a good
amount initiative to eep the employee happy and motivated but they never see the
results. /he @uestion is why, where the !' is lacing and why are they failing to eep up
the employee$s morale.
0s it because they are not doing good wor or they are not discussing with employee
about their re@uirement or is it because these initiatives are not discussed before it is
implemented.
/his is the topic for my thesis. 0 would be really glad and appreciate if you can throw
some light on this. Your comments will be valuable for proving the above mentioned
hypothesis right or wrong.
I absolutely agree that A positive feeling towards HR initiative taken
in an organisation leads to higher employee morale
First and foremost to keep employees motivated it is the responsibility of HR to
communicate clearly with the employees, listen patiently to their concern and
address tactfully .
I do agree that there are times when initiatives taken by HR are not approved by
the management due to some reason or the other. Here comes the role of true
HR professional where communication plays a vital role, HR professional should
understand why the management has disapproved and logically communicate to
the employees the reason for disapproval and convince the employees that it is
not the case that the management or HR is not thinking in align with the
employees but certain constrains brings situations to a standstill. I am sure the
employees will understand and will take it positively. here will be very less
percentage who would not be convinced !!!! here attitude comes into picture
which needs to be addressed.
"ne more point I would like to state as #uoted by Ravi that hr people are never
serious about employees well being$ then in that case they donot deserve to be
in this profession HR are even human and employees too.
will give a simple example which by which i was highly motivated due to !' initiative
taen by my companies C72.
0t was in the beginning of year D&&P, 0 wored with a manufacturing company. 2ne day 0
was woring @uite late and trying to finish salary processing for that month before
leaving for the day. /he C72, just passed by and saw me. Five minutes bac, he came
bac to my des and said ,H!i 8ipin, why are you woring so late today3H /he rest was a
normal chit chat.
/his incident left me highly motivated for many months to come. 0 was ama9ed by the
fact that my C72 new me by name, while 0 was merely a grass>root level executive,
almost a nobody in the organi9ation which was :&& big. Sometimes later 0 discussed this
incident with my manager and he revealed that on seeing me woring so late,C72 has
called him just to as my name.
So you guys can imagine if we !' ppl get motivated with small initiatives lie then why
cant our employees.......
A strategy plan for recruitment
). 7stablish a recruitment process
D. 7stablish a method of anticipating new re@uirements 4these re@uirements may come or
may not5
%. 7stablish a process how you eep in touch with potential resources including Bataban
updation for new sills and regular sills
C. 1ist your organi9ationQs <SA in attaracting talents and methods of selling your <SA
:. Bo a S*2/ of this process 4all above C points5
; strategic plan for recruitment is lie a wheel, it will be rotating for ever. 2nce practised
with discipline, this will bring down your hiring time