The Official Blog of Benifys HR Solutions

It is said that every person is unique in their own way, but the term ‘unique’ is sometimes misleading. The truth is that everyone of us has come across unpleasant people of various types and degrees in our personal and profession lives, and I bet you won’t like to call them unique (jerks, perhaps?!).

The worst is when you happen to be unlucky enough to deal with these people in a professional setting, because unlike your personal life, you cannot hope to just ignore them and get on with it. In fact, chances are you are working with them in a team or worse still, working under them. Our attempt is to present to you five types of the most troubling, and unfortunately, also the kinds that you are very likely to encounter.

We know there are many more than just these five kinds – people who can become a reason for a severe case of headache; but we’re presenting the kinds that’ll make you exclaim – “hey, I know a guy who’s just like that”.

So write to us and let us know if you know someone like this, share names if you dare – we promise not to publish your feedback if you don’t want us to…

The Intimidator

This person does not want to listen to what you have to say, ever. All he is interested in is getting the work done, his way, and it definitely does not bother him if he has to push some people around or act in an abrasive manner in the process of doing so. Some of them do this because they (genuinely) really want to get work done as they see it as the first priority, but then there are different types here. One of them is also a person who gets his sense of identity by belittling others on a regular basis, which is an unhealthy mindset to say the least. People who come in contact with pushovers more often than not end up losing motivation and consequently their zeal for work.

If you come across people of this kind, catch them in a weak moment (yes, they have them too), or just when you’ve wowed them with a task done ahead of time (push yourself, you can finish a task ahead of time, even with their deadlines), and tell them that you’re losing it (they love it when they hear that they’ve driven someone around the bend, especially the second kinds – it makes them feel closer to being God, which is what they want to be, in their subconscious mind), and that they’re the only ones who can save you from a breakdown. They love to help. With the first kinds, talk to them about how you also value time, and will stop at nothing to get the task accomplished, and that you’re all tense yourself while the task is WIP. If they know that you share the urgency, they’ll lay off slowly. Needless to say, you need to build credibility by achieving tasks within deadlines first.

The Chit Chatter

The ‘chit chatter’ just loves to talk. The amount of damage they can inflict on your company depends entirely on the kind of ‘chit chat’ they indulge in. For some it could just be an innocent one hour discourse on ‘how bad the traffic was today’ or maybe ‘how awesome was a party they went to’, the only problem is that while they satisfy in their compulsive need to talk, they never realize their it’s on the company’s expense; add a few listeners into the picture and you imagine what it does to the business. But still these people do not cause half the damage as the type that indulge in spreading baseless disparaging rumours or malicious content about the company or about someone in particular. There you have a real problem!

While everyone must have their moments of relaxation, if you are beginning to feel that the chit-chat is coming in the way of productivity, or if it is otherwise damaging, put a stop to it immediately. The first step is to discourage being a part of their mindless chatter group – act as if you’ve suddenly remembered something that needs your urgent attention and rush off, leaving the chatterbox in the middle of the sentence. Play and beat them at their own game – act conspiratorial with your colleagues and tell them that you overheard someone in the senior management saying the productivity of this section was falling and/or not what it should be; wonder out loud if the gossiping has anything to do with it. For subordinates, tell them on their face that they need to concentrate more on work; for seniors, tell their seniors that the constant chatting is a distraction that is not allowing you to concentrate and therefore, coming in the way of productivity.

The Disinterested Lazy Bum

They do not care at all about anything that they are paid to have interest in, and their motto is ‘work in progress’. If somehow they do manage to get some work done, they will sit around growing old instead of asking for more work themselves. These people are perhaps the most difficult to manage because you can never expect any kind of feedback or level of interest from them, something very similar to asking a wall – “can this be done?” or worse instructing it to “work on an idea for the pitch”. There could be any number of reasons for such kind of behaviour like just being a plain lazy slob by nature, in which case there is not much hope. Lack of working knowledge about their role could be a factor for their behaving in this manner, this can be rectified by appropriate training. Be aware that something may be bothering them at work or at home that has made them lose interest in work altogether.

This one is a tough one to crack. The best approach is to talk to them and figure out where is the source of this laziness. If it is something that can be rectified, or will rectify itself with time, let them be – everyone has good and bad phases in life. But if you’re convinced it’s an attitude problem, call a team meeting and let them know that some people have to work extra hard so that they can make up for a team member with a lazy attitude – let them figure it out and let them find an answer. If the lazy guy is a team mate, let him know that it’s unfair for others to have to shoulder additional work, or that he’s acting more like a bottleneck than an enabler. When you’ve tried everything, and nothing works, maybe it’s time for that guy to move on.

The Timid Kitten

Instructing someone what to do is not always enough, like you would like to believe. Sometimes you have to also explain how to do it with excruciating detail, the timid kitten is a gentle unassuming person who only has one real problem, which is that he needs to be supervised on an hourly basis (minute basis in worst cases). In most cases this condition of the person stems from their apprehension of getting it wrong. Even if you know they won’t, you literally have to hold their hands and guide them through work. These are the sort of people whom you sometimes have to teach a task over and over again. Although good in their intentions, this method of working can really get on the nerves of the supervisor, and the fact that he has a busy schedule does not help.

The only way to handle this guy is to refuse to help – point blank – even if it seems rude. If someone has to be micromanaged, the overhead that he brings to the business is probably not worth anyone’s while. Train and coach people, build their confidence, never spoonfeed. Constantly required attention is not only bad for the supervisor’s calendar, it is also a roadblock on the learning curve of the timid kitten. Since these guys are well meaning from within, don’t take any drastic decisions about their tenure in the organisation, all that they need is space, confidence and the ability to accomplish a task. Coach them, and they’ll surprise you over a period of time. They are also the most loyal folks, if you help them gain confidence in themselves. No-one can forget the fact that you helped them rise in their own esteem, and they’ll go to any length to stand by you in tough times.

The Thoroughly Incompetent

You have no idea how they got here, or what they are doing, or even why they are the way they are. They have no idea why they are here or what they have to do; it’s a pretty hopeless scenario to be looking at. You know there has been wrong somewhere because they are incapable of performing the simplest of tasks related to their domain, an analogy could be a professional photographer asking where the click button is. You really can’t do much in this situation except hope for a miracle and invest in some training… but will they be receptive to that, which, given the situation seems highly unlikely. Wait, do they know what training means?

Gently, ask them to make a move – they’ll probably find their true calling, and will thank you for it later.

Recruitment is one function of HR that plays a major part in deciding the success of the organization as well as defining the organizational culture. How, then, to ensure that you, as a recruiter, recruit only the best for your company? Finding the ideal candidate for a position can be a tricky proposition as it does not require only qualification, but also behavioral skills and attitudes which make a candidate suitable for the job. Some ideas that can help recruiters find the right person for the right job:

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Craft the Job Description carefully:

A job description is the starting point of recruiting for any position. More important than the job description, is the process that is used to develop it internally. One very good way of doing this is to assemble a team of people who represent the best qualities of the people who currently hold the same or a similar position, including the hiring manager. The job description has to delineate the KRAs of the position. It should also include the major behavioral characteristics required for the position. The second step would be to cull out those parts of the job description that will be used to screen resumes and start phone screening. The phone screening gives an idea about what to expect from candidates for the position in question and thus, help in framing interview questions.

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Tapping Employee Networks:

Nominate employees to participate in various conferences, workshops, and trade shows etc. This would not just build networks, but also create visibility for the company in the industry circles thus attracting potential candidates. Develop a system for keeping in touch with the contacts thus formed either through telephone or e-mail. A company newsletter would also be a great way of staying in contact with people. These can be posted on the company website and/or sent out using mailing lists.

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Use Your Website:

Your company’s website is a potentially powerful medium of attracting employees. A well put-together website conveys the vision, mission, values and culture of the organization to the viewer in the most convincing manner. The ‘Jobs & Career’ section must sparkle with personality so that a potential candidate feels “this is the place for me”. Also essential is an easy interface for submissions of resumes and clear indications on who to contact and how to contact for any queries or questions.

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Maintain Frequent Contact:

So you have got a pool of resumes for various positions in your files. What do you do with them? Don’t just let them languish. You might not need them right now, but a requirement might arise at a later date. Keep in constant touch with them so that all your momentum is not lost. Let them subscribe to the company’s newsletter or have a mini newsletter designed especially for them. Keep them updated about the recent job openings. They can also bring in references for other positions. Nurture the association into a long term relationship.

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Use Recruiters And Headhunters:

Sometimes, it can be worth the money to use recruiters and headhunters. These professionals usually have a database that they have accumulated over a period of time and can most of the time find the right kind of candidate within a short duration. They are especially useful when hiring for senior positions or positions with specific technical expertise.

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Harness The Internet:

Use the internet for attracting a larger number of applications. Various websites provide job-listings as well as resume search services either free of cost or at a charge. These websites are also ideal for accumulating a database of resumes which are relevant to the different roles in your organization. Moreover, these make the process easier as these websites generally have an interface which makes it possible for the recruiter to key in the keywords for a position or select them from a list.

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Become An Employer Of Choice:

What opinion does a potential employee form about your company? The first thing to consider would, of course, be stability and profitability of the company. Other than that, candidates are also affected by how employee-friendly you are, how evocative your vision and mission statement is, how much sense of purpose do you convey, does your organization nurture talent and provide opportunities for growth and so on. And remember, the devil is in the details. It does matter to the candidate if you return his phone call, if the interview questions are succinct and probing, if you give him feedback even if he is not selected, if he feels appreciated and valued. All the little things do make a difference. To become an employer of choice, act like one.

Recruiting right and recruiting the best, is a skill that can be honed over time. With the assistance of the tips and tricks mentioned above, recruiters can take another positive stride in the direction of good recruiting.

The concept of outsourcing the Human Resources function, whether partially or completely, has been doing the rounds of corporate circles for long, or at least a reasonably long time now. Given the obvious advantages that it brings, what prevents it from becoming a rage? Why are organisations not pursuing this option with any kind of aggressiveness? Why would they continue to look the other way when something as clear as this stares them in the face every single day of their working lives?

The reason for HR Outsourcing not catching the fancy of organisations is one, or more, of these three:

• Mindset issues: There are perceived problems related to individual insecurity, control, data security, sensitive information that others are privy to, hesitation in adopting change, and so on and so forth,

• Ignorance: Organisations have not heard of HR Outsourcing and/or are not clear how it will work. This is an education issue, and can be handled through relentless campaigns in various media and reach-out programmes, and

• Wrong implementation: Many organisations stop short of deriving the maximum benefits out of outsourcing, for want of a true understanding of what HR Outsourcing can truly accomplish. Like the erstwhile IT Outsourcing models, organisations are confused as to what is the finish line, often considering the race to be over half way through the track. This, to our mind, is the most serious issue plaguing the world of HR Outsourcing. We’ll take a little time to dwell on this aspect.

A report called "Getting Full Business Value from HR Outsourcing With Strategies for Retained HR and Change" was published by Buck Consultants. This report was a result of a multi organisation survey and an accompanying case study and was recently featured on the HROA (HRO Association) website. The report intended to distinguish between organisations achieving "HR efficiency" as opposed to "True HR transformation." While attaining HR efficiency means the careful optimization of HR systems and processes from a perfect combination of both in-house resources and outsourced services, HR transformation is the next step wherein the HR organisation is geared up to drive business performance.

The case study demonstrated how probable it is to be working to achieve transformation but falling short on target to ’settle’ for efficiency instead. The concept of outsourcing the HR function (single or multi process) has been around for some time now and this is now resulting in a clear track record of what does and does not work. What is surprising is that some organisations have been able to achieve far better business impact as compared to others while implementing HR transformation measures.

Going through the survey findings, one thing that stands out is that high performance organisations take a distinctly different approach towards handling change in the retained HR organisation and do not shy away from investing more in change management and communication practices. Needless to say, the overall perceived effectiveness of the program was far higher in high performance organisations as compared to their counterparts. Another aspect in which the change process in the high performance organisations differs is the way they planned and executed the retained HR changes itself. While for the high performance organisations the retained HR changes were part of the overall HR strategy and drove the scope and scale of outsourcing, this wasn’t the case for other organisations. The latter saw the two steps, i.e., outsourcing and managing change, as separate activities not to be mixed with each other, and as a result outsourced first and managed change later. Even in instances where both the activities ran parallel to each other, there was little inter-relation between the two.

Another thing to consider here is how the retained generalist HR organisation is utilized post HRO implementation. Demand dictates the output here; some could be moved under the shared services umbrella while others could be used to form centers of excellence to support the core business with consulting and/or business research services. The final shape of the HR organisation will ultimately depend on the specific needs of the business with a focus on providing HR a strategic involvement rather than appointing it as a ‘maintenance’ function, which is only a short term solution at best.

In order to be successful, the HR transformation process must necessarily cover the following process steps:

1. Selecting an HRO vendor and finalizing which functions of HR to outsource
2. Identifying gaps in the projected HR organisation
3. Determining scope for new roles like business research/consulting for the retained HR organisation
4. Assigning new and modified roles to the retained HR organisation
5. Managing the retained HR organisation by means of orientation, communication and training
6. Preparing retained HR organisation for their new roles, processes, tools and relationships
7. Managing change through extensive communication exercises
8. Supporting the outsourced processes till the time that they "run on their own" so that the employees do not feel disruption in HR services
9. Preparing and following exhaustive SLAs for the outsourcing partner
10. Providing every possible data and information source to the outsourcing partner for effective and seamless transition of processes
11. Maintaining audit points for both the retained and the outsourced HR processes
12. Maintaining a close eye on the market and competitive landscape to evolve further outsourcing strategies and practices
13. Engaging the outsourcing partner in frequent dialogue to unearth further areas of possible partnership
14. Above all, trusting the HRO partner and enabling the model to success, rather than setting it up for failure

In the final analysis, every step that the organisation takes towards gaining a competitive advantage will empower the people within the organisation. The organisation gains through a variety of routes, the cost advantage being amongst one of the many benefits that accrue to the organisation. If an organisation is looking at being perceived in a better light than the others in its space, HR outsourcing is an option that must be explored.

360° – An Overview:

360 degree feedback is arguably the most comprehensive feedback process involving an all-round assessment of performance of an individual by people at all levels. It is not just an appraisal method, but also a very powerful development tool. It can be instrumental in not just measuring the current performance, but also identifying the gaps in the knowledge/skills/abilities/attitudes/behaviours required for the job and those held by the incumbent. It not only reflects the judgment/opinion of those up the line, but also the opinions/perspective of those down the line. Professionally managed, 360 degree feedback increases individual self-awareness, and as part of a strategic organisational process can promote:

• Increased understanding of the behaviours required to improve both individual and organisational effectiveness.
• More focused development activities, built around the skills and competencies required for successful organisational performance.
• Increased involvement of people at all levels of the organization.
• Increased individual ownership for self-development and learning.
• Increased familiarity with the implications of cultural or strategic change.

360° as an Appraisal Tool:

360 degree feedback is a process whereby an individual (the recipient) is rated on their performance by people who know something about their work (the raters). This can include direct reports, peers and managers and in some cases customers or clients, in fact anybody who is credible to the individual and is familiar with their work can be included in the feedback process. This is usually in addition to completing a self-assessment on performance. The resulting information is presented to the individual with the aim of helping them to gain a better understanding of their skills and development areas. Each source can provide a different perspective on the individual’s skills, attributes and other job relevant characteristics and thus help to build up a richer, more complete and accurate picture than could be obtained from any one source. 360 degree appraisals involve the appraisee receiving feedback from people (named or anonymous) whose views are considered helpful and relevant. The feedback is typically provided on a form showing job skills/abilities/attitudinal/behavioural criteria and some sort of scoring or value judgment system. The appraisee should also assess themselves using the same feedback instrument or form.

As an appraisal tool, 360 degree feedback ensures more participation and involvement on the part of employees at all levels. It also gives a more balanced view of the individual’s performance as it eliminates some defects like halo effect, fear of persecution, political manipulation etc. inherent in traditional appraisal methods.

360° as a Development Tool:

360 degree feedback is also a powerful tool for training and development. Evaluation on the 360 degree model helps identify the gaps in not just the qualifications and technical aspects of the job requirement, but also in the behavioural and attitudinal aspects. This provides a basis for planning training and orientation activity. 360 degree is also useful in succession planning, career planning and leadership development. Giving an all-round assessment of the skills, abilities and attitudes of an individual, it helps in identifying his/her strong and weak traits. This, in turn, helps chalk out a person’s career path and also find out the likeliest successors for all positions. Also, taking the same test at different stages in one’s career helps to evaluate the training and coaching initiatives.

The benefit of 360 degree employee feedback is the identification of strengths, weaknesses, mentoring insights, and areas needing professional development

360° – Process:

1. Planning

Planning involves establishing the purpose and the process for the 360 degree feedback to be put into place. This means finding out whether the organization is culturally ready for 360 degree feedback to be implemented or not, whether the objectives are clear, the management is committed to the process and those who are going to take part are involved at the planning stage. Also, there has to be a clear process to identify the raters, the questionnaire has to be reviewed to ensure it is relevant, the structure of the feedback has to be decided and, where computers are being used, system security has to be ensured.

2. Piloting

Running a pilot is of vital importance to the process as it will help iron out any difficulties related to the relevance of the questionnaire, the effectiveness of the feedback survey, the efficiency and security of the systems as well as the responsiveness of the employees to the survey.

3. Implementation

Once a pilot run is done, the implementation becomes much smoother as the snags are ironed out in the pilot stage itself. For the process to be a success, it has to be ensured that clear and positive communication is open and everyone is made aware of the role that he/she is to play. It is beneficial to have a team constituted to administer the process. Also, a contact point, or ‘helpline’, should be established to whom queries can be addressed. Deadlines should be clearly and firmly communicated and the confidentiality of the process should be stressed.

4. Feedback

Feedback can be communicated to the individual in two ways i.e. in a face-to-face interview with a facilitator or as a report without any person-to-person interaction. The best practice, however, would be to take the help of a facilitator so that the feedback can be interpreted in the correct light and in a positive manner. The facilitator in question should be someone who is conversant with the process, the criteria and the policies. The facilitator can help focus the discussion on the future development planning.

5. Review

Reviewing the success of the 360 degree feedback is of vital importance as it will help to further smoothen and refine the process.

360° – Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages

As a tool for performance management and training and development, 360 degree feed back has the following advantages:

• It enhances performance quality
• Provides specific, itemized performance feedback.
• Identifies the target development areas.
• It can be a strong motivational tool.
• Facilitates performance improvement be pinpointing the areas that need improvement.
• Is useful in measuring the effectiveness of training programs.
• It enhances self-knowledge.
• It is supportive to continuous learning.
• It improves the reliability and validity of performance information.

Disadvantages

360 degree feedback is not, however, without drawbacks; some of which may be:

• It might result in the undermining of authority of managers due to the pressure of upward appraisal.
• Low evaluation might result in loss of credibility among subordinates.
• Managers may focus on trying to please subordinates in order to get higher appraisals.
• It cannot be used as an absolute measure of job-specific skills.
• Managers may be at a loss on how to interpret ratings from subordinates relative to those from superiors and peers.

Things to Be Aware Of

Given the nature of the 360 degree feedback and the level of participation required, certain things have to be borne in mind before the system is put into implementation:

• It is imperative to gain organization-wide acceptance of the system to ensure the fair and smooth functioning of the process.
• Prior information be given to all those involved and communication channels kept open so that all queries can be cleared.
• Ensure that the instrument in use is valid, clear, relevant and reliable.
• Selection of raters should be made carefully keeping in mind that they have to be familiar with the appraisee’s work and give them the opportunity of opting out if they are not.
• Proper training and guidance be provided to the raters to help them understand their role.
• Promote participation at all levels.
• Administer the process consistently and regularly.
• Be sensitive and respectful towards the employees.
• Ensure that offensive feedback by coworkers is not communicated to the employee.