[vidyajohn]

Good afternoon friends,

I have just joined the forum and was going thro' the index.. I find this community awesome and so helpful. I am so glad to join you.

I am currently working as an Inspector with Central Excise and am also doing my MBA -HR with NMIMS.

Hope to learn a lot from all of you

Vidya

Nothing is impossible in this world......because the word impossible says itself.....i-m-possible

[Ajmal Mirza]

Hi Vidya

welcome to the board...

Nice to hear that person even from government departments are now taking part in HR functions just like any other corporates....

Hope that we all would be helpful to you and at the same time wish that you would share your knowledge with us...

[vidyajohn]

Hi Ajmal

Thanks for the welcome...You know, more than anybody else, It is Govt, who needs to view HR as a very vital core function... unfortunately it does not always happen.. It would surprise you that we don't even have a separate HR dept!!! Things have to change and I pray it would.

I will be very happy to provide any kind of info and help that I can

Take care

Vidya

Nothing is impossible in this world......because the word impossible says itself.....i-m-possible

[Ajmal Mirza]

Hi Vidya

After your posting, I had a talk with an acquantice who is working in 'Sachivalaya'.

It is a common perception that Government offices don't have HR department, but from what I gathered from him was GAD (General Adminitrative Department) now looks after lots of HR activities such as

Performance Appraisal
(though their performance review system is quite debateable),

Training
(they recently had all the staff take computer classes+they have lots of training programmes on various subjects conducted by SPIPA-Sardar Patel Institute of Public Administration which most of the Class 1 officers undertake depending on the department they are serving

Though most of the new HR phylosophies are not followed maybe people like you might be able to bring the required change within next couple of years...

[vidyajohn]

Hi Ajmal

The info that you have got is right.. we do not have a specialised HR department. What we have, is an administrative section, which is 'supposed' to take care of HR matters!!! While we can blame no one for this.. the problems starts when there is a cause for grievance and we have no forum to address... The reason for this is because the staff are transferred every 2-3 years, so there is no one to take responsibility.. the buck passes on.. No one is trained in HR. No one knows how to deal with a specific problem.. usually the officers in charge, rely on 'gut feeling' or 'grapevine feedback'.

The only remedy is to have a separate HR functioning like the corporates have and I really do not know when that is going to happen.. For eg. I joined the department as a fresh graduate, I had no specfic idea of what I was supposed to do. I was given no formal training and had no induction course to tell me the do's and don'ts.. whatever I have learnt, is thro' trial and error.. and my desire to know more... In my 19 years of service, I have worked as an 'accountant', 'auditor' ,'clerk' 'HR executive' .. you name it, we have done it.. without knowing the hows and whys...a kind of 'Jack of all trades' ... in the end, we are left with no identity. I know of so many Inspectors who are extremely professional and good at a particular kind of work, instead of benefiting from that kind of experience and putting the same to good use, the officer is transferred to some vague posting, without anyone taking a look at his/ her background, just because a transfer was due!!! We lack professionalism.. It is sad but true.

This is the very reason why I am getting into HR after putting in so many years of service... the need to know, the need to belong.. we may have power, we may have glamour, but job satisfaction... that's a big question!!!

The fire to do something is there.. but how to do it?? That's a big question!!

Rgds

Vidya