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Job skills that make the difference
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"... companies will prefer women for a lot of jobs"
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Ganesh Chella
A human resource consultant who is on the education sub-committee of the Confederation of Indian Industry, he has worked with a number of companies that wanted to turn their workplaces into happy and productive places where all employees were valued and respected. During the course of his career spanning two decades, he has studied the factors that motivate people working in various sectors including information technology, fast-moving consumer goods, export manufacturing, retail trade, financial services, media and entertainment.
In an informal chat during a visit to Coimbatore, Ganesh Chella tells A. A. Michael Raj about the changes likely to occur in the modern workplace, owing to employees constantly job-hopping in search of greener pastures.
IMAGINE A corporate office in which everyone is highly skilled, confident and ready to change jobs every two years. All of them are valued employees who invest a lot in their own career development, but they are people who do not care for concepts such as long-term employment and loyalty to one particular employer.
"We have just completed a survey to identify trends over the next seven years, and one of the first things we found was that the labour market was set to change. Jobs will be temporary. Job skills will give security, not an appointment letter or the fact that a person belongs to a particular company," he says.
At the same time, there would be a lot of changes in the way companies relate to their employees and expect high levels of performance. Education and industry would come closer, with people going back to college or university to gain additional qualifications that would guarantee them a better career. Education would attract professionals.
"Another trend is that companies will prefer women for a lot of jobs. Their percentage in the workplace will increase dramatically," he says. Long hours and late hours could upset the "work-life balance", especially when there are inadequate support systems. Heavy demands on time would adversely affect the family, interfere with the upbringing of children and give rise to health-related issues. Organisations would come under pressure to face these problems and resolve them.
Organisations employing several hundred people would have to consider whether they have the skills to manage a large and talented workforce that is keen on switching jobs to improve career prospects.
"They have to think about how much they have prepared themselves, what resources they have, how they are going to create people-management skills, and how they are going to foster productive relationships between managers and supervisors," he adds.
As the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Totus Consulting, Ganesh Chella has worked with entrepreneurs, owners of family-run businesses, and technocrats who manage small and medium concerns.
"Contrary to popular belief, many of them are open to external help, instead of remaining closed to advice from outside. I have worked with over 40 organisations and found that they have a high level of genuine interest in seeking help. They are open to new ways of managing, as compared to the traditional methods," he says.
In the days to come, corporate organisations would have to "nurture good campus relationships", by going in for tie-ups with local engineering colleges that would provide them a constant supply of talent and skill. They might want to sponsor research or set up laboratories on the campus.
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
|
