11/12/2009
The context
SHRM India aims to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most current and comprehensive resources, and advance the profession by promoting HR's essential, strategic role.
By commissioning this research survey through TNS, a large global research agency for this ambitious and first of its kind research exercise, we aim to secure empirical information to gain a comprehensive understanding of the HR community in India.
This will provide for a rational basis for professional development, facilitating exchange of knowledge, and enhanced opportunities for engagement within the Global and Indian HR communities.
Research objectives and scope
Three key objectives have been identified for the research:
Whom are we meeting among HR professionals
Across levels and designations within the HR function:
• CXO level top leadership
• Mid-level Management
• Early practitioners
What the study will offer
A. Accessing the demographic profile of HR professionals in the country
This module will, inter alia, detail
• The ratio of employees in HR to the total employee strength of organisations across verticals
• The proportion of HR employees working on different functional areas
• Number of years of experience of HR practitioners across management levels
• Distribution of HR employees across India
B. Articulating the roles, responsibilities and challenges that HR faces today
This module will also detail
• The ground level challenges that HR practitioners face
• The hurdles towards goal achievement and meeting expectations
• The practicing professionals’ views and suggestions to enable making a lasting positive impact in the organizational process
C. Assessing the changes and challenges that business and HR need to prepare for the future
This part of the exercise will enable SHRM India to tailor make offerings and ensure that they are relevant for professional practitioners
Some of the challenges mentioned by HR professionals in the depth interviews…
• Intense review of processes including compensation structure to take into account business slowdown
• Retaining better performers and protecting morale without pay-hikes
• Preparing to retain good employees, when recessionary trends ease
• Leveraging opportunities provided by social networking sites
• Managing workforce diversity
Findings from the study thus far…
An overview
• The expectations of businesses and CXO levels from their HR practitioners leaders have increased
• Trends indicate changing role from “HR and administration” to “HR++”
• The core HR functions have already moved to the next level, keeping pace with changes demanded by business
• In addition to conventional roles, HR is increasingly becoming a direct business function
Learnings… emerging new perspectives about HR
• A solid pillar in the business model, no longer just a cost centre
• Contributions impacting bottom line and business strategy
• Supporting direct brand-build for business success
• Direct impact on immediate CSR, PR programs
Emerging new perspectives about HR
• Next is what?
• Leveraging 3600 individual employee potential
• Tapping into diversity potential
• Change management to change-preparedness
• CSR to sustainability
*The survey is ongoing project. The full results and analysis will be published early next year.
