For me the core HR is industrial relations and sound knowledge of labour laws. A B School in Kerala which is ranked among the top 25 B Schools of India was facing a problem that their MBA (HR) were not getting placement from the campus. When they contacted me I suggested that these students should be given an add on program in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations. Accordingly,I prepared a training content with five modules and myself offered some around 20 sessions with tow evaluations. The program contained case laws, I had given some around 60 cases which will be sufficient for them to easily take up a profession in HR. The program was not just a class room reading of bare Acts but a study of what all are relevant for a fresher in HR to grow.
I would suggest, you should also go beyond what you have studied in your B Schools and know what is HR in practice. It will be entirely different from what you have studied in your college. You may not be able to apply any behaviour theories in a company especially in a manufacturing company which has trade unions.
I remember when an intern from a College was sitting in my cabin, a lady worker came to meet me. She had come to request for a salary advance. When asked about the reason for such an advance at that point of time, she narrated he pathetic story, a real life, she stared shedding tears when she shared that her daughter who was given education till her B.Com eloped with her boy friend who is a driver in the city and now she wanted to bring both of them home and solemnize a marriage at least with a very low manner etc etc. The intern was stunned and asked me do this kind of events regularly happen and I said that this is also a core of HR function. Listen to the employees with patience and try to find a solution for their personal worries. This will enable us to make them loyal and engaged in work. It is true that there will not be any documentary evidence for these performance and at the end of the day we will not be there in the list of Good HRs!!, but their blessings will always be with us.
The focus of HR, therefore, should not be on training, performance appraisal and working out strategies. Strategies can be drawn easily because these are available in ready made form. You can have employee engagement plans. But what really makes the employees engaged are two things, monetary benefits, a feeling that the employer will take care of their needs and feeling of security, a feeling that you will continue to get the same. It is not the weekend HR funs and games and giving termination letter on Monday morning.
I would suggest, you should also go beyond what you have studied in your B Schools and know what is HR in practice. It will be entirely different from what you have studied in your college. You may not be able to apply any behaviour theories in a company especially in a manufacturing company which has trade unions.
I remember when an intern from a College was sitting in my cabin, a lady worker came to meet me. She had come to request for a salary advance. When asked about the reason for such an advance at that point of time, she narrated he pathetic story, a real life, she stared shedding tears when she shared that her daughter who was given education till her B.Com eloped with her boy friend who is a driver in the city and now she wanted to bring both of them home and solemnize a marriage at least with a very low manner etc etc. The intern was stunned and asked me do this kind of events regularly happen and I said that this is also a core of HR function. Listen to the employees with patience and try to find a solution for their personal worries. This will enable us to make them loyal and engaged in work. It is true that there will not be any documentary evidence for these performance and at the end of the day we will not be there in the list of Good HRs!!, but their blessings will always be with us.
The focus of HR, therefore, should not be on training, performance appraisal and working out strategies. Strategies can be drawn easily because these are available in ready made form. You can have employee engagement plans. But what really makes the employees engaged are two things, monetary benefits, a feeling that the employer will take care of their needs and feeling of security, a feeling that you will continue to get the same. It is not the weekend HR funs and games and giving termination letter on Monday morning.