Seeking Recommendations for Top HR Consultants in Mumbai to Elevate Our Corporate Culture

Hi! We are a medium-sized enterprise (400 employees) and are looking to start a long-term project to revamp our corporate culture to international standards, which we feel we are far from.

So we are on the lookout for consultants with international exposure to help refine our complete HR processes and work with us on a long-term basis. We have lined up a presentation from Mafoi but could not really find any other appropriate firm, which is strange as there should definitely be others.

Please do suggest a few top-level firms who have a presence in Mumbai. I do not want to encourage businesses themselves to approach me on this thread; rather, I was looking for advice on who the top-rated consultants with international standards are. Thanks so much!!!

Thanks for your insightful reply, Dinesh. But I feel that hiring one-man consultant will impose a big constraint on what we can derive. I would want to implement world-class recruitment practices, research on incentive systems, and research on how to conduct 360-degree performance surveys. Do you think these individuals would be capable of handling all of this? Of course, passion is very important, but I believe I can bring enough passion myself. I'd rather have the best resources available, and I will handle the implementation myself.

Dear friend,

I stand by what I said. You have said that "I would want to implement world-class recruitment practices, research on incentive systems, research on how to do 360-degree performance surveys". None of the above is something new to Indian companies. Our Indian companies have been using assessment centres, 360-degree appraisals, etc., for a long time. If you wish to become a world-class company, first ask yourself a question - are you the best company in India? First, be the best at the national level, and then think of becoming the best at the international level.

Anyway, I have recommended the solution keeping in mind the size of your company. The services of companies like Ma Foi could be too costly at this stage. The acceptance or rejection of the solution - the call is yours.

Thanks,
Dinesh V Divekar

"Limit of your words is the limit of your world"

This seems to be a project. First, before moving on to consult and recruit a Project Manager, sit with the project sponsor (if this is not your idea) and ask him three questions as examples:

• What are the benefits if we adhere to HR international standards concerning people and the company? Try to translate the benefits into monetary terms if possible.

• Once you have identified the benefits, move on to the next step. Estimate how long it will take to achieve them and analyze the final picture in comparison to the current company situation. Set targets (convert them into monetary values as much as possible) for easy comparison.

• Analyze the internal resources to determine if anyone possesses the necessary knowledge, desire, and motivation to be the Project Manager for this project.

By conducting this exercise, you will be able to decide whether to seek consultancy services or hire a professional to assist you. While the idea is appealing, based on my experience, it can be a lengthy and resource-intensive process. Proceeding without full engagement beforehand can lead to critical issues. You might engage top consultants, but time constraints and profit margins can be limiting factors.

Therefore, consider breaking down the process into phases:

- Pre-initial phase (handled by you as the PM)
- Planning and implementation phase (with your expertise and subject matter experts)
- Once you freeze the benefits and reach a steady state, this will be your new norm, monitored by you.

Best regards,

Iman (MCMI) Oman
Strategic and PR Manager
mme.estate@gmail.com

Scaling Up and Corporatizing Your Workforce

In terms of scaling up and corporatizing your workforce, I think you need consultants like Accenture and KPMG who will be best equipped to advise you on processes, branding, finance, and succession planning. Once your processes are set up, you will then need HR consultants such as Mafoi (which, by the way, has unfortunately been acquired by Randstad and the brand name Mafoi has vanished forever!), Stanton Chase, Korn Ferry, Perfman HR, and others to recruit the most professional talent to work in the company.

Avoiding Misleading Terms

A word of advice - Avoid using terms like 'international standards' as they are meaningless in the context of Indian business. Instead, focus on developing your business organically by leveraging strong leadership, local habits and beliefs, passion, and abilities. Look within yourselves and your existing team to sow the seeds of building a world-class company.

Ultimately, remember that nobody has all the answers. Consultants may charge high fees, but if the leadership is not right, it won't significantly impact your bottom line. Good luck!