Are you ready for it yet?

“Mumma, I want that stick”, Medhansh pointed towards a piece of dry stick while we were strolling in the garden. I picked it up and gave it him.

“Can I have that big one please?” He dropped the earlier one and even before I could nod a yes he had the bigger one in his hand.

As we moved couple of steps more, his desire for a next one grew and there he had another big one. This time one in each hand. So in some 20 mins he picked up 6 to 7 sticks each bigger than the other one. I kept mute and just kept watching the gleam in his eyes every time he found a new BIG stick and it hardly took him time to let go the one he just picked a minute back till such time I saw him aiming for small branch of a tree. Reading his thoughts I simply said  ,”NO, that’s too big for you”. And as expected he started his tantrums because a NO wasn’t expected. I didn’t rub it much and let him do what he wanted and within couple of minutes he realized why I was saying NO. Frustrated by his inability to handle a branch, two times his own size, he started crying. Well….

 

We all have little Medhansh in us, who keeps demanding more, whose desire is to touch and have all for himself and that too in the shortest span. Only difference is Medhansh is just three year old but the same tendency in a 30 year old…imagine how you would set it straight.

As a Human Resource manager I see people changing jobs for more salary, without even consuming the past job they move to next one. The change here is referred as better prospects by many. It’s not usual to find people with a set frequency in terms to job changes. Such people start looking out as soon as they near the threshold point in a company. But what happens in reality is that by the time you make four such changes you lose the hold on the subject because your vision was always short term, because quitting was your first option, because you thought the grass is greener on the other side .

Job change is not bad and I honestly believe that change adds value and variety but you should make sure you have gathered enough knowledge in your current profile before you move to next. Cracking interview is just step one and mostly we do lot more than our Job Description suggests. Going too quickly for a larger pie might excite you but its more about sustaining the expectations which it brings with the size. Also many times the carrot is a fancy designation with hardly any real work and you can trust me for meeting many such people who regretted such hasty decisions

Think about it when you feel edgy about changing your job. Is it a right time for you to move? Have you done enough here? Have you grown enough to aim for a jump? Would waiting for a while fetch you more strength to face the challenges of new profile.

Medhansh with time will learn  as to when is the right time to handle the big stick but until then he should value and enjoy what he has and try to focus on his current possessions so tomorrow he doesn’t regret but enjoy the BIG stick!!

Check 3, if you are a Startup Talent!!

Startup journey is full of ups and down but depends if are you the roller coaster type, you would simple enjoy the fun. Ask any entrepreneur more than he wonders about VC funding hiring the Talent can be nightmarish. As obvious as it might sound but until one has the right people at the right time any good business plan will go for a toss and probably that’s why Startups never freeze hiring like the bigger counterparts.

 

What adds to the dynamics here is the genre of Talent which are required or fit to survive in this kind of environment. Today you would find many applicants trying to seek an opportunity to work for startup and equally similar number turning down startup offers for a well established organization. So let us get into the finer aspect for knowing whom to hire.

It’s not a 9 to 5 role: If you come with a mindset to managing work life balance with ‘log in’ and ‘log out’ time then you surely would find yourself in midst of strangers. Primarily if one asks you repetitive questions around holidays/ office time etc, might be coming from similar mindset by virtue of his/her past experiences. However for any organization these are important but probably a new organization which still has long way to break-even it becomes difficult to call it a day before milestones are won over. Surprisingly the one who love working for startups enjoys more without a clock monitoring them; they feel more relaxed with deadlines than swipe cards.

Don’t ask for a JD: Now being an HR professional it’s almost like murdering my conscious before writing that. But that’s the fact, you might share a JD at the start which would keep changing as time progresses and by the time you are due for a performance review you might wonder about the relevance of that JD. Working in a startup for sure makes you ‘Jack of All’ an exposure which is nearly impossible in larger organizations simply because of the size and the structure of the latter. A leaner organization allows you to see though all level and have a wider perspective. It’s like a mentoring program and no wonder lot many entrepreneurs shoot out of such enterprises. However this might seem overwhelming for the ones who love sticking for their majors and want to go deep down in one subject. Here boardrooms are full of strategist cum executioners and you got to be Hands on!!

Risk is part and parcel: Startups are intolerant!! Yes and that’s the beauty if you are top performer they would push you to be the best or else you might just give up. When every individual plays multiple role and together the organization is in hurry to achieve the goals mediocre has definitely not place. No wonder a startup always needs to hire ‘A’ performers. Ones who are confident and don’t need much handholding instead they can kick start from day one. Self motivated, eager to learn, explore and contribute to the success of the organization are the ones who can live up to this journey.

Apart from this there are many more traits required to win over an entrepreneur’s heart but these could be the top three which if you are ready then go ahead onboard the adventurous journey where your talent gets the upper hand always!!

Evaluate your #job change in five

Are you ready for a job change?

Surprised!!  Why did I not ask the question which frequently bothers as every year passes by in your current organization?

 

Job change is a career transition and should be handled with great care. Many people ignore this very important aspect of how every job change can give a different turn to ones career road map. Mostly I get call from friends who need advise on job hunt and then I ask them my favorite question, which mostly helps them explore the unrealized.

Trust me I will be the last person against a job change, after all I owe my job to this. But what’s important are you convinced for one. Many times encountered people who start a hunt and then back out in mid way leaving many questions unanswered. Taking some decisions in haste can let go great opportunities in future.

Feeling of job being mundane is nothing unusual and they might be haunting you every now and then. However what one need to decide whether the next opportunity guarantees you a relief for next five year. Could be possible that it’s a right time to expand your arms to some new responsibilities internally.

So do you think about a job change after every appraisal as your expectations were not met monetarily?  Well a new opportunity might give you hike but who know if you are back to square one again during next appraisal cycle. Better focus on the feedback and see if you hit the best paid band without changing a job.

Make sure to clarify the real meaning behind ‘better prospects’. It’s such a vague term to use however if this means about a level escalation have you really given your best shot for an internal promotion. If not then why not? A job change might give you a designation boost up but will take you more time to settle rather it would have done internally.

You boss is not less that ‘HARI SADU’ but who knows the next one might not be a ‘Dream Manager’ too. Talk out for an internal project transfer first before your decide to move out.

Honestly many of these reasons knock the HR department only during exit interviews and some lucky ones have it during retention talks. We might blame the HR department for not being proactive but if it’s about you then should you not take that extra effort for evaluating your decision before concluding for a job hunt route.

Think before you leap the next time!!

What’s your resume’s social quotient?

 

If you are reading this post then I am sure you are not new to Social Media. Power of social media is immense and widespread. Not only it has turned an introvert to extrovert but also has redefined human connect. Today we don’t need a newspaper to share our story, we are self sufficient and are proud owner of our own brand. Yes, being social today has new way of personal image management.

When talking about our own brand, a resume is a close relative. Resume ideally helps us to establish a perspective in the interviewer’s mind even before our interaction starts. It has been a prevalent practice for ages to make an effective and impactful resume in order to qualify for that dream job. But now it’s time to accessories your two pager through social resume.

Social resume is nothing but all information related to you - widely available online. So it’s a wide terms which covers lot under one umbrella. Considering the social media usage and popularity most of the recruiters have started using the same as a talent acquisition tool. As it goes Internet has no delete button and it can help trace back all your social media activity, hence here are couple of tips which you should focus on lest you miss out on your golden goose.

1. Mostly social networking is a long term association or activity and unlike a job interview we can’t hide our true feelings here. But it’s very important not to leave any digital footprints which can be considered against you or can tarnish your social personality.
2. ‘It’s all in the Name’. Having a profile which can help recruiter relate to you instantly is a mandate or else no matter what you do socially it can’t be considered you ‘social resume’ for sure.
3. Blogging has changed the writer’s world. Gone are the days when publishing an article took months of follow up, but now spreading your thoughts is just a click away. And if you write what a recruiter considers relevant and is close to your expertise, then your dream job is just a call away.
4. ‘A Man is known by the company he keeps’. Your online network speaks a lot about you, so make sure whom you are adding to your friend list. Richer your network more valued is the profile.

Social media itself is a wide subject and has both pros and cons but using it for your own benefits it just in your hands. So for your next job hunt don’t forget SOCIAL!!

 

 

Changing Face of Recruitment...

 

Recruitment might look simple to many but in real it’s never been a cake walk and the requirement urgency with talent deficiency makes it worse. This overall make the job of recruiter tough who anyways is dependent on somebody else’s talent and mind set. Over a decade as the face of HR has changed from a support function to a more business oriented one, so has the job changed on various dimensions. Observed below are certain trends in the hiring which are worth mentioning.

Growing economy has made hiring healthier and thus increased employment avenues. The continuous external competition only made sure that no stones were left unturned while head hunting for those demanding skill sets. The Hiring managers utilize all possible tool and techniques to attract and recruit talent. Retaining although is a different challenge altogether. Policies and procedures too have been evolved and made more employee centric thus engaging the employee.

Gradually Talent Acquisition has turned into subject matter expertise with a focus on recruitment methodology , tools and techniques. Organizations have dedicated recruitment teams to handle the mass hiring process on continuous basis. In past recruitment was more of an entry point to HR function leading to generalist but with due course it has evolved both in terms of maturity and scope. Many organizations are now hiring certified recruiters for the job, skilled enough to understand the dynamics of the profile.

Difference in projected hiring numbers and actual hiring number has compelled the hiring experts to maintain a passive talent pipeline through various sources. Ongoing recruitment drives for vanilla skills and maintaining a talent pool has become part of the strategy. Organizations have started acquiring talent hence in a way treating it as an important intellectual asset which further contributes in the growth.

And the buck didn’t stop here even the employees were encouraged and incentivized through lucrative employee referral schemes. For what can be better than age old tried and tested ‘word of the mouth’ technique. This not only helped hiring teams and motivated employees but also contributed towards employer branding!!!

With time, various metrics evolved around the specialized function like cost per hire, TAT, recruitment ratios etc which further defined the analytics of the subject.

Social media too has contributed towards this new avatar. Networking platforms like facebook, LinkedIn and other such forums and blogs have provided new avenues for finding the right fit and thus decreasing the dependency on job portals. In fact they are more fondly referred as ‘talent network’ and is an ideal place to exchange views and ideas too.

Technology has increases the accessibility for both candidates and recruiters.eg: a smart phone as much allows a candidate to apply a job in a much shorter span it also helps a recruiter to connect faster. Now a prospective candidate might really be just a click away.

Recruitment is ever changing and every day brings new trends so it’s important not to miss the right bus for you never know in which one the right candidate is travelling!!