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HR managers prefer training, retaining to layoffs
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HR managers prefer training, retaining to layoffs
22 Dec 2008 Bangalore: Handing out pink slips to staff should be the option of last resort as companies rework strategies to cope with challenging economic times, human resource managers say.
Instead, the emphasis must be on treating employees as valuable assets and retraining them to improve their skills, say officials at companies such as Toyota Kirloskar Motors.
The deputy MD (marketing) of Indian arm of the Japanese automaker Sandeep Singh says that even as the company cuts costs by clamping down on air travel by business class, stay in fivestar hotels and the use of colour printers, it is not even thinking of lay-offs.
“People are the greatest asset; treat them with respect and dignity. The key is the quality and skill level of people. We will work on our employees to improve their skills instead of laying them off,” he says.
Satyam Computer Services, India’s fourth largest software exporter, is resorting to greater use of videoconferencing to reduce travel costs and moving some of its support activities back to India. While it is scaling down its hiring projection for the year from about 15,000 to 8,000, it will not retrench any staff, says HR head S V Krishan.
Although the rate of hiring in the information technology sector is seen slowing for the next few months, infrastructure, manufacturing and some niche areas are expected to add staff in large numbers. “There is reskilling of the existing staff to add new muscle around people, more training and development programmes,” observes staffing company Team-Lease MD Ashok Reddy.
Also while companies are opting for internal training to reduce expenses, non-performing employees will be shown the door, according to Bikramjit Maitra, an independent consultant who has been head of HR at Infosys Technologies, India’s second largest software exporter.
“There will be no lay offs, but we are examining every dollar that we are spending, putting more focus on internal training and visiting places through telepresence or virtual presence,” says Executive vicepresident & chief people officer of Symphony Services C Mahalingam. The company operates in the niche product engineering and R&D space.
HR officials are also suggesting that companies to go back to their old clients to win more projects. “The customer today is really the king. This dictum has been ignored earlier,” remarks consulting firm Gallup India country head and managing partner Prashant Srivastava.
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/msid-3865592.cms
Instead, the emphasis must be on treating employees as valuable assets and retraining them to improve their skills, say officials at companies such as Toyota Kirloskar Motors.
The deputy MD (marketing) of Indian arm of the Japanese automaker Sandeep Singh says that even as the company cuts costs by clamping down on air travel by business class, stay in fivestar hotels and the use of colour printers, it is not even thinking of lay-offs.
“People are the greatest asset; treat them with respect and dignity. The key is the quality and skill level of people. We will work on our employees to improve their skills instead of laying them off,” he says.
Satyam Computer Services, India’s fourth largest software exporter, is resorting to greater use of videoconferencing to reduce travel costs and moving some of its support activities back to India. While it is scaling down its hiring projection for the year from about 15,000 to 8,000, it will not retrench any staff, says HR head S V Krishan.
Although the rate of hiring in the information technology sector is seen slowing for the next few months, infrastructure, manufacturing and some niche areas are expected to add staff in large numbers. “There is reskilling of the existing staff to add new muscle around people, more training and development programmes,” observes staffing company Team-Lease MD Ashok Reddy.
Also while companies are opting for internal training to reduce expenses, non-performing employees will be shown the door, according to Bikramjit Maitra, an independent consultant who has been head of HR at Infosys Technologies, India’s second largest software exporter.
“There will be no lay offs, but we are examining every dollar that we are spending, putting more focus on internal training and visiting places through telepresence or virtual presence,” says Executive vicepresident & chief people officer of Symphony Services C Mahalingam. The company operates in the niche product engineering and R&D space.
HR officials are also suggesting that companies to go back to their old clients to win more projects. “The customer today is really the king. This dictum has been ignored earlier,” remarks consulting firm Gallup India country head and managing partner Prashant Srivastava.
Source:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/quickiearticleshow/msid-3865592.cms
