HR management can shake it up for talent-starved cos

KOLKATA: With Indian companies aspiring to become global players, experts feel management of human resources will be the critical factor for success. At a time when India Inc supposedly faces a scarcity of talent, management experts feel the real source of competitive advantage for companies will be their quality of management.

“In this context, studies estimate that nearly 40% of Indian companies are likely to be under threat by 2015 for their inability to change management style. While labour skills are the same across economies like the US, China or India, the quality of managers is what makes the difference,” IIM-C professor Ranjan Das said.

“When the manager of a company becomes sick, the company itself becomes sick. Ideally, the key positions should be run by ambitious professionals. The HR function should also identify future competencies, which will be in demand by the company at least 7-8 years in advance and start their process,” said Mr Das.

Mr Das was addressing the 37th annual conference of the Calcutta Chapter of National Institute of Personnel Management here recently. NIPM is an all-India body of professional HR managers. Kolkata Port Trust chairman Anup Chanda said: “Companies need to make a lot of organisational changes to emerge as global leaders.

The management style has to be in step with the aspirations of the changing profile of white-collar employees. HR managers need to think about individual career goals of employees.”

Mr Chanda added, “Human capital needs to be recognised in boardrooms and incorporated in the books of account. HR now needs to talk the language of business.” ITC‘s GM (HR) R Sridhar said India needs to relax some of the rigid labour laws, which prevent efficient use of workforce.

“Organisations should evolve as learning laboratories and the HR system must be integrated with the core business functions to be effective,” Mr Sridhar said.