opinion | SUPPORTING GLOBAL BUSINESS PLANNING
www.thehrdirector.com
SMOOTH PASSAGE TO INDIA Global business strategy requires Human Resources to understand the nuances of working in
different work environments and cultures and to this effect, the HR function needs to be cognisant of the diversity of the geography where the business intends to expand. If not, we have the business and the workforce operating at different levels and not in unison.
ARTICLE BY SHRUTI SWAROOP, EXECUTIVE COACH & INCLUSION PROPONENT
For businesses entering India, there are plenty of differences to come to terms with, but they also need to understand there are even massive cultural differences across the various states of the country. That’s what makes India so dynamic, its diverse population of course has as an equally diverse mindset, and that requires understanding and strategic planning, in order to manage the differences and optimise the potential that such diversity and dynamism can bring. Finding the right people with the right skills is challenging anywhere in the world, but any business that is operating in India will tell you that recruitment and retention requires a different approach, particularly when recruiting locally. The people are highly educated and so keen to learn, but because there is so much change driven from technology, it can appear that candidates are dead keen, but any level of testing easily finds deficiencies. Consequently, there is a necessity to hire for attitude and a basic foundation of capability and have the processes in place to bring people up to speed quickly and thereafter maintain a flow reskilling and upskilling, as technology dictates.
It seems an obvious thing to say but cultural intelligence is so important - as it is for all parts of the world - and that means for businesses selecting colleagues to be seconded to management roles in India, they should select those with that natural ability to interpret unfamiliar cultures and protocols, and to be able to read those ambiguous gestures. Indeed, the importance of managers parachuted in to set up in India with a high level of cultural intelligence cannot be underestimated, it literally is the difference between success and failure. Make no bones about it, this role of bridging divides and filling knowledge gaps on the ground is fully absorbing and full on, building a culture of knowledge sharing and understanding of each of the different cultures between otherwise disparate groups. Building interpersonal connections and smoothing
the interpersonal processes in a multicultural workforce is a key priority. Equally, as the job roles in India grow more sophisticated, innovation and creativity is replacing low level and repetitive jobs, so the ability to integrate diverse resources is essential to helping the business make best use of the multiple perspectives that a multicultural workforce brings to the workplace.
INDIA, WITH ITS DIVERSE POPULATION AND EQUALLY DIVERSE MINDSET, REQUIRES A STRATEGIC MINDSET TO LEVERAGE ITS STRENGTHS, WHICH IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS FOR ANY ORGANISATION
WANTING TO HAVE A FOOT IN THIS COUNTRY
Indian corporates place a lot of importance on the educational background of its workforce and also on a “no gap” CV, which is different from how the UK and European markets function. Understanding the composition of the Indian workforce and being able to leverage this to its advantage is a big role for HR and practitioners on the ground to look for the values and nuances of the skills and capabilities, rather than trying replicate capabilities those back in the home office in the west. Also, when organisations came to India at the start of the millennium, the reason was cheap labour, good communication skills and ease of doing business. So it was fairly simple to comprehend what an the Indian workforce brought to the table, in terms of efficiencies, as these were mostly low level roles and call centres. Today, the offering is much more sophisticated and so strategic capability creation has jumped up the HR agenda, in terms of the potential and so train and development are critical. As more educated and tech aware, candidates have higher potential and cognitive diversity, capable of problem-solving, idea generation and knowledge sharing But today India presents a very different proposition now than it did 20 years ago, but you have to be prepared.
•
FOR FURTHER INFO
WWW.LINKEDIN.COM/IN/SHRUTISWAROOP
30 | thehrdirector | DECEMBER 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
