The Critical Role of HR in the Infrastructure Sector
Perhaps the infrastructure sector of the country is critical for overall growth but faces severe people issues alongside finance, regulations, and transparency. The construction and realty industry is a labor-intensive sector where people still play a crucial role despite technological advancements. It is seen as an evolving rather than a strategic management process. The construction sector employs over 30 million people in the country, making it the second-largest employer after agriculture.
Challenges in HR Management
This sector is often seen as owner/promoter-driven, neglecting HRM and lacking a professional approach to HR management. There are specific HR challenges unique to this industry, with recruitment, training, and retention being fundamental for effective HR functions.
However, the industry is now experiencing a shortage of mature HRM practices and foresight, leading to a lack of attractiveness for professionals. The sector struggles to attract skilled individuals due to the perceived absence of career growth opportunities. To bridge this demand-supply gap, the industry must enhance its image by demonstrating the potential for a rewarding career path through professional organization management and robust HR policies. Other industry issues include expanding and strengthening apprenticeship training, adapting to new technologies, and ensuring health and safety compliance, especially for migrant labor. Viewing HR as a profit center rather than a cost center is crucial for addressing these challenges.
Strategies for Employee Engagement
To engage employees effectively, the construction sector can utilize their skills optimally, motivate them beyond formal duties, focus on quality, provide non-monetary rewards, ensure regular communication, and implement performance reviews. Ultimately, success in this sector hinges on people and processes, which empowered HR professionals can align strategically with project needs by understanding each other's limitations and opportunities.
The cover story of the December 2014 issue of Business Manager-HR magazine delves into the people challenges in this sector, exploring the hurdles before HR and potential solutions.
Regards,
Delhi, India
Perhaps the infrastructure sector of the country is critical for overall growth but faces severe people issues alongside finance, regulations, and transparency. The construction and realty industry is a labor-intensive sector where people still play a crucial role despite technological advancements. It is seen as an evolving rather than a strategic management process. The construction sector employs over 30 million people in the country, making it the second-largest employer after agriculture.
Challenges in HR Management
This sector is often seen as owner/promoter-driven, neglecting HRM and lacking a professional approach to HR management. There are specific HR challenges unique to this industry, with recruitment, training, and retention being fundamental for effective HR functions.
However, the industry is now experiencing a shortage of mature HRM practices and foresight, leading to a lack of attractiveness for professionals. The sector struggles to attract skilled individuals due to the perceived absence of career growth opportunities. To bridge this demand-supply gap, the industry must enhance its image by demonstrating the potential for a rewarding career path through professional organization management and robust HR policies. Other industry issues include expanding and strengthening apprenticeship training, adapting to new technologies, and ensuring health and safety compliance, especially for migrant labor. Viewing HR as a profit center rather than a cost center is crucial for addressing these challenges.
Strategies for Employee Engagement
To engage employees effectively, the construction sector can utilize their skills optimally, motivate them beyond formal duties, focus on quality, provide non-monetary rewards, ensure regular communication, and implement performance reviews. Ultimately, success in this sector hinges on people and processes, which empowered HR professionals can align strategically with project needs by understanding each other's limitations and opportunities.
The cover story of the December 2014 issue of Business Manager-HR magazine delves into the people challenges in this sector, exploring the hurdles before HR and potential solutions.
Regards,
Delhi, India
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