Catching up ...thanks to (Mis) Quotes?

The last couple of months just flew. 

I really don't have any excuses to give regarding my hibernation..other than inertia. For me, it has been a period of revisiting a lot of first principles,...to say the least. And, perhaps there wasn't much to write about too! So,I must thank my newspaper reading habit..to get me back with today's effort of posting a blog after 10 weeks! 

I have always found it difficult to explain why I follow read 3 business dailies and 2 local papers. However much I mention they all portray different perspectives, I am positive no one really believes me.

Take the coverage of Mr LN Mittal's media interaction post the Bhatinda refinery. Mind you, these are headlines.Front page.

Economic Times : India no Longer Priority for LNM. Slow decision -making & approvals put him off.

Business Line: Undeterred by delays, Mittal says India continues to be a priority

Business Standard : Whatever may happen in politics, India will grow

One first glance-one almost gets contradictory vibes, right? Of course, if one were to dive deep into the details, you get the flavour alright. But then, in a fast paced world-where one is constantly bombarded with information, it is difficult to depend on one source!!

When I was putting away the main papers, the supplement "Education Plus' (Hyderabad edition of The Hindu.).caught my attention : Social media throws up many job opportunities! Well, it so happened -that this seemed a report on a presentation made on Friday at the SHRM forum in Hyderabad -which yours truly attended -and so know exactly what was communicated ! It was amusing to see a quote of mine-and it would be a cliche if I were to say " I was misquoted " :)!!

Let me try and put on record what I tried to share -as my experience as a recruiter using social media...

-there is a need to distinguish between the 'active jobseekers' ( those who throng the job portals-are perceived to be unemployed/underemployed/ disgruntled...) and the 'passive jobseekers'-who aren't really looking for a job-and usually very happy doing what they are...and less prone to reading/reacting to job ads.

(From the job seeker perspective..in today's world one wdn't want to take a' frog in the well' stand..and so most do entertain recruiters for what they are worth!)

From the recruiter perspective, Social media is a good tool to catch such 'passive' folks..doing what they like..in other forums..either networking, or sharing gyan with professional groups, catching them offgaurd- and then 'engage' them enough to see if there are any compelling reasons to be 'hooked'!

-there is no 'one size fits all' solution even in social media..and so one needs to communicate accordingly...as people are on different platforms for different reasons. If Twitter helps share perspectives, Facebook is where one hangs out with pals, and Google plus a place one gets to share one's passion..while Linked in is where one puts a formal appearance!!

Social media, to me- is yet another source. Eventually it is about diving deep..into the human mind, and get a better hang of what makes a person tick...

What is your take? Would love your comments..

PS Nice to know I have got over the writers block for now...

Swarming, Collaboration, Social...but Recruiting!?

  Hive mind: Working around the clock in hyper-connected 'swarms' - is this the future of work?

The article by Tom Austin, VP, Gartner on the Changing Nature of Work -as part of the BBC Future of Work Series is a must read for any professional. He lists about 10 key ways on how work will change-that include de-routinisation of work, collectivity among others, as the trends to stay. But while it is easy to theoretically  relate to the likelihood of such events, practically, most often we practitioners are hesitant to over-rule precedence !!

As part of NPA, The Worldwide Recruiting Network, we enable our respective clients hire LOCAL talent GLOBALLY across 25 countries.We are an affiliation of more than 400 recruiting firms with sound, high quality business practices adhering to strict ethical standards, specialising in a large variety of industries & covering an extensive range /reach of technical and managerial disciplines. It is a no-brainer-when it comes to the power of collaboration & expertise...which we share for a split in the referral fees that accrues.

Given the globalisation, and the geographies, we see novel experiments being rolled out by companies operating across multiple regions. However, the challenges are there too ; it is increasingly difficult for most of us to admit the 'half life' of the best practices we are presently used to!

For instance-it would be interesting to study how one approaches the Professional fees for the recruitment -considering the existence of a Provenance Paradox of the fees! Traditionally the Executive Search fees for assignments in the West (US, Europe and even Asia Pac) is significantly higher than in India- not just due to currency conversion, (or the Purchasing Power Parity factor) but also the fee percentage that is the norm.

Yes, in 2012 itself, there have been some interesting discussions with clients-based in India- for hiring professionals for their international operations... and ironically, all of them -where we have had successful record of domestic placements!!

Case 1: An European MNC whom we have had been servicing for positions in India- has recently expanded -thru acquisition, in Asia Pac-and wished to hire a local native there-with the specific skills. While we at Options, were quick to dive deep into our NPA network and arrange a shortlist of the best local talent in the region, the hiccup was the 'contractual fee'!

Would the rate be the same if an European firm had hired in Thailand? What would they pay a Thailand based firm ? Both would be paid market rates, right? Since the service provided is the same, why deny an India based firm provided the same fee :)?!

Case 2: An Indian conglomerate wishes to hire an Expat with a specific skill set-as the company is embarking on a couple of projects-of the size & complexity not matched within India so far. While they are willing to to pay topnotch dollars for the right person, they were constrained to introduce a 'cap' on the fees- in line with an equivalent Indian salary- to keep costs in control. The 'benchmarked figure' shocks the NPA partners in Europe -for that's equivalent to the fees they would have received for a middle management placement!!

Case 3: An Indian MNC wants to roll out a project simultaneously in 4 different European markets-and needs professionals of local origin -in each of those markets, to be 'one point contact' for the client & the company. The Indian talent acquisition team would like to keep the 'hiring cost' in line with their domestic practice!!

It is anybody's guess-to predict the decision maker's pick. Recall the adage " “no one ever lost their job buying from IBM."?

And in a world, where we partner with clients -and are influencing (not controlling!), it is a conundrum -worth reflecting :)!!

PS: I am transported back to the 80's & reminded of my Professor during the MBA days-who drilled us the basics in management accounting.."Cost is a concept. Pricing is a Policy". How would you approach the dilemma, if you were a HR manager? Or as a recruiter? Looking forward to your insights, as usual!

Jobs are back in Asia !!

"I have been on the dashboard for over two decades now-and I cannot remember more than 4 or 5 occasions when we had more job enquiries than members seeking opportunities for their candidates! And over the last few weeks I have had at least 4 looking at positions to fill in Asia"! 

Those words were gushed by Marcia Bateman, Member Services Manager, NPA, The Worldwide Recruiting Network- (that me- and over 400 other recruitment firms -across 25 countries are associates of- )as we had our monthly conference call yesterday. The call is an excuse for some of us to share the various mandates that we Asia members to touchbase occasionally and chat up, as we share the mandates we need help on-as well as trade insights on the latest trends and best practices thereof!

And before long -some of the HOT openings we shared -were spread across different industries! 

But as one always is taught..the devil is in the detail. 

Let me explain by listing out a few of the opportunities (in the order of those who talked on the call..!)

-Marketing Director for Metals/Paint company in Malaysia -local candidate

-Sales Manager, Shanghai, for a Malaysian based Food testing company

-Expat Executive Chef for a 5star hotel group in Seoul

-Financial Controller in Jakarta ( for an Indonesian native with US CPA qualification)

-Head Infrastructure for an IT major in Manila ( local native!!)

-CFO Shanghai for a US MNC (with knowledge of English & Mandarin)

-In house legal counsel for a leading law firm in HongKong (familiar with local laws in China & the region)

Psst: let me know if you know anyone who would fit, and I shall connect you to the right person-and help folks live out their dreams!!

Believe me-each one of those pay very competitive salaries -upwards of $100K USD with benefits etc-but one cannot miss the irony- the roles are no longer for generalists- but for specialists with a niche expertise AND local experience-with an international qualification/experience!!

Of course, there are a whole bunch of positions open in the US- but most companies are reluctant to process work visas-and would ideally not pay relocation charges. ( An increasing trend to encourage better premium for local candidates!?)

Even before the end of the day, yesterday, I got a couple of more enquiries:

-A referral from a Chinese associate of mine-for his Cyprus based client- wanting to hire some sales professionals for Europe-with professionals of Indian, Korean and Vietnamese origin!!

- An erstwhile Israeli client in the telecom sector-wanting to hire technical service professionals to be based in Thailand-post an acquisition of another company in the domain-and wanting to expand their network!

Phew..all in a days work!! Mandates are definitely ON. Maybe I should be get used to looking for techniques to find needles in a haystack more :)!

Any ideas on how I should be reacting to the news..that jobs are back ?!!Is there something I am missing? Ideas most welcome...

PS. Companies are just not willing to hire ..as fast as people willing to change!!

( Am stumped by over 1300 responses to a Center Director/ 500plus for a HR manager role posted-with less than 2% of the applicants in the zone!!)

Jobs in India: Cautious Optimism!?

Over the past week or so, all the majors in the hiring sector in India- have come up with surveys -finally admitting that the hiring in the last quarter has declined-and that there is a likelyhood that things would not be too different in the coming quarter.

The Wall Street Journal blog post " Who is hiring in 2012?" probably sums up the scenario best. Others play around with data & try to look for positive indices, attributed the dip due to end of the year holiday season, while one even hints at an upbeat in India hiring as 71% companies are more active!

As a recruitment practitioner for over two decades now, I have been, in hindsight, fortunate to be part of the employment sentiments -before the liberalisation happened in early 90s in India, and have absorbed the vibrations of several different cycles of sunrise industries -going through their life cycles-helping me have a fair grip on the pulse of the job market -as one is constantly in touch with the expectations of the employer & the aspiring employees.

I feel -somewhere-as a community-we aren't ready to grow up and accept the reality. Globalisation!

At the macro level, all of our lives are being increasingly affected by the events across the globe & denting the business sentiments/confidence levels. Be it the variation in the Dollar Rupee variation, they do have an impact on the Indian economy too-and the expectations of all the stakeholders in the ecosystem- investors, businessmen, governments-and their ability to afford or even put off consumption.

Indian GDP and manufacturing growth has slowed down.

Elevated inflation levels for a prolonged duration.

High interest rates

And yes, the sudden consciousness of  the pervasion of 'corruption' has its say too. Nearer to Hyderabad, the increased attention for CBI into the nexus of politicians & businessmen ( must admit it isn't polarised to any single party-each one has its own share of skeletons in their cupboards yet to be disclosed !!) has seen drying up of any major expansion plans/new projects.

I see different reactions from different employers trying to get themselves out of this rut :

-Some have resorted to severe cost cutting

*Rightsized their employee strength over the last few quarters.

*Review the ratio of managers & those who execute.

*Stop back filling of positions that have arisen due to attrition

*Increasingly insisting on the employees to serve out the entire duration of 2/3 months -once they put in their papers-as it means better utilisation of trained talent for that stretch-as well as review the impact of the handover

*Change the hiring mix: hire a lot of entry level employees to bring down the cost

-while others have exploring avenues for growth of revenue also

*investing in alliances to leverage on collective strengths

*innovating processes and delivery

*changing customer mix

*moving into new markets

* looking for getting "More out of Less".

All this means -there is an increasing emphasis on the quality of hiring being done.

-Companies no longer resort to hiring 'tresspassers' or even the best among those immediately visible-but are willing to wait for the right person who could be a game changer!

-Cherry picking is the mantra! Companies are willing to pay extra for those 'game changers' who can 'do the extra'.

In such a scenario, it is surprising to see quite a lot of prospective hires rule themselves out-as perhaps they are outbidding themselves :

-some returning Indians expecting an expat salary while wanting a piece of the India action

-some pitching themselves at the salary that their bosses get- without having the ability to deliver as much. I think that's is a story that needs a separate blog post :)!

And all this-when as a recruiter, I am seeing more applicants than ever before..for most positions I am soliciting for.

Would you believe it..I got over a few hundred respondents to a "Centre Director' role that I advertised for...even though the spec was very clear & the client is looking for the proverbial 'needle in the haystack'!!

Cautious Optimism : is it an oxymoron ? Or mere euphemism? I shall be glad to have your views...

Right place at the right time!

Great time to review : Is our future linked to the places where the action is likely to be?

In March 2011 McKinsey Quarterly published this report on the Global Cities of the future.

Please click for the extremely educative & interesting interactive link here to be in sync of perhaps how the  World will look like -in a little over a dozen years from now!!

Middleweight companies in Emerging Markets are poised to deliver more growth than the entire developed world and the mega cities in the Emerging markets combined!! ie 400 cities like Casablanca, Chengdu, Nagpur, Sharjah, Vadodara, & Visakhapatnam, among others are likely to contribute to the 40% of the global growth in the next 15yrs.

Things worth mulling over..atleast for the future of our children?

Connecting the dots

A few hours into 2012, I reflect on the year that went past. 

In my first blog post of last year, I had wished 2011 to be a year of consolidation . It was. But not in the way I would have imagined. Then.

The changing business dynamics,globally at the pace at which it did, meant that one needed to re-invent the way one operated and learn new tricks to stay relevant.

Companies are no longer content hiring the best person in sight-and rightly so, are willing to invest in the right person who can be making that game changing difference. As professionals, we have to focus on just getting those few things right always-and stay ahead of the learning curve.

I am grateful that, personally & professionally, it was a year of greatest transformation. Challenging a lot of things that were 'accepted as norm', I am glad I am following my heart & intuition. 

1. Adding value to a few select clientele -and improve quality of hiring.

2. Aiding the recruitment fraternity -both corporate as well as third party recruiters, by sharing the best practices & knowledge management to enhance the quality of every hire

3. Attempting to being a trusted advisor to some discerning professionals who want to take charge and navigate their careers better.

We continue on the journey as  talent architects...

In 2012, I am committed to exploring opportunities for co-creation of services & orchestrate the network of relationships built so far... to improve the overall impact -to the organisations we closely have been partnering with, as well as making a difference to the individuals I can!

Are we in the right jobs?

If one were to go by the above graph, and the fact the US unemployment rate fell last month to its lowest level in more than 2 and half years, as employers stepped up hiring ...it would mean good news right?

More than ever, it is time for all of us to read in between the lines as things aren't as they appear to be -on first impressions! As a person who strongly believes that we are 'truly global professionals' being affected by events that are very much out of our immediate control, we can do a lot by keep ourselves abreast about the larger trends!!

Here is a perspective -even as Citibank announced lay of 4500 people..less than 24 hours back. While it is still less than 2% of their total employee base, it is interesting to note the company was taking about improving efficiencies!!

Lessons for us to take away?

Technology, globalisation, innovations...are all impacting the nature of jobs that are presently being offered.

Companies are increasingly cherry picking their talent.

- What is the ROI we as employees-are providing to our employers? 

- Does my job increase the revenue for the business?

- If my job is part of the 'overhead expenses' of the company, what am I doing to be 'counted'?

- Am I picking up new skills personally-at a rate faster than the rate at which 'the world is seeming to change'?

-How close am I to my level of 'incompetence'? 

- Is my contribution indispensable? 

Hard questions -but better be asked..than ignored.

Here is another graph  that would be relevant for us to remember. Yes, news jobs are being announced. Are the old jobs coming back? And more importantly, at a rate that we want?

All of the recessions are compared from their start date, with each line looking at the collapse in unemployment and subsequent recovery.

In almost all recoveries, the jobs situation has been v-shaped, with jobs coming back quickly once the recession ended.

That started to change with the 2001 recession: It took a long time for all the jobs to return.

And now we're in the worst jobs slump ever, with the recovery not looking very v-shaped at all.

Are we in the right jobs?

Job hunting & Social Media

The interesting info graphics -courtesy the Jobvite Social Recruiting Survey 2011 provides an interesting insight into the following trends

-As competition for talent intensifies, social recruiting is on the rise.

-Only 16% will spend more on job boards-and one third of the respondents plan to spend less on job portals, third party recruiters & search firms.

-One third of the companies expect the average new employee to spend less than 2yrs : and so expect to intensify recruiting efforts!

While there is a significant shift in the power of choice- that is increasingly now in the favour of the employee, is it not a wake up alarm for all?

Companies - time to look beyond just filling in the seats?

Candidates - time to take charge of their careers -a la CEO mindset?

Consultants -time to look beyond transactions, and concentrate on adding value as talent advisors, career management professionals...?

Or is it just another fancy fad..like many others we have seen in the past?

Food for thought...


Meanwhile..here are some info graphics...that triggered it all !






Created by: MBA Online

Visas : Vista for Talent Attraction & Engagement?

Would you believe it? US visas could perhaps also be used for talent attraction & talent engagement for employment in India as well:)!?

Well, most of are aware H1-B is essentially a non immigrant visa in the US used to employ temporary foreign workers in specialty occupations.

Over the years, and more so in the past couple of decades, it has been regulated as a measure of increasing /decreasing the supply of talent of foreigners in the US-and has probably contributed a lot of the fortunes of the off shoring/outsourcing industry in India.

In fact till the mid nineties one wasn't even aware that there was a cap on the number of visas granted -which then was 60,000 annually -and was periodically increased -and at one time peaking at 200,000 when the scare of Y2k was its highest-after which the old level has been restored.

In the recent past, there is a definite increasing trend for the demand of work visas in US- as we regularly see that the quota is used up in hardly a couple of months. The H1B is usually for 3yrs -and extendable for another 3yrs-as a routine. Some employers, in the better days, would even sponsor the green card application-which meant that the 'alien ' would become a citizen over a period of 6-10yrs in US!

-Considering the global slowdown, and the high unemployment rates prevalent in the US -we haven't seen many companies willing to hire non-citizens, and as a consequence, there is a large number of H1-B professionals-who stay has to come to an end-within 6yrs of their stay in the US. And this segment- is an attractive bunch of well qualified and appropriately experienced- talent that the Indian/MNCs in India-especially the R&D centres -have been eyeing. 

(Psst : Should you know of any MS with 5-6yrs exp in the US-be it Scientists, R&D engineers, or analysts, and planning to relocate back to India within the next 2-12months, please let me know. We have multiple openings with MNC clients in Pharma/ Automotive/  Healthcare/ CROs/ KPOs -who wouldd be keen to explore hiring such talent!!)

- Smaller ITES companies in India have been using it as a carrot to attract/retain potential employees in India- with a possible long term on site assignment in the US. And considering that the time taken ( the applications are accepted by the authorities in April every year-while they are processed only from October onwards!)  for  visa processing could hold back the potential employee from 6months to -say 12months-it means an opportunity to engage an exciting prospect for longer tenure & thus battling and even postponing attrition!!

Interesting? Please feel free to correct my impressions....

Job Surveys in India : Sombre in Short term

It is that part of the year-when the Indian industry-wakes up after the festival euphoria ( for most businesses, Diwali time is a pretty big season, and for the employees a great reason for bonuses/ appraisals!)-and tries to take stock of -the impending future!

The latest Business Outlook magazine predicts the returns of the pink slips in India!!

The graphic compares the figures by Ma Foi Ranstaad survey -is self explanatory. 

The article also lists out a rather uncomfortable run down of some of the big names -across different industries-that have either announced recent lay-offs globally and some in India.

Not to mention the sense of uncertainty-that fuels the rumours of a possible recruitment freeze in the coming couple of quarters!

Interestingly, the  traditional 'old economy'  manufacturing industry seems to be the only growing sector -as most others 'hitherto' fast growing employers -especially in the real estate, Energy and BFSI seem to have hit speed breakers!

Education, Training & Consultancy, as well as Health care & hospitality -being touted as the 'recession proof' domains-together contribute to a fair amount ! 

Personally I feel the overall global sentiments have percolated to most sectors within the country too. Most companies have tightened their belts-and have laid off 'non performers' over the last couple of years, and most importantly, haven't felt the need for 'back-filling' the jobs.

And focussing on keeping overall costs down, most companies have resorted to a variety of different modes :

-adopt a wait -and -watch policy and see how the economic situation plays out.

-a  'need based' and very selective senior-executive hires.

- reduce the ratio of support roles as compared to revenue-generating roles

-increasing the employability of the talent rather than hiring for doing a job!

-outsourcing the non- core roles in the support functions

-increasing the ratio of 'temporary staffing' to that on permanent roles until they are sure of the value add is imminent!

-- a change in the hiring strategy and increasing their ratio of campus hiring. Interestingly, the starting salaries of the freshers from campus-hasn't changed since the last couple of years.

-hiring 3-4 junior level independent contributors instead of hiring a manager

It is all happening right?

What worries me is that the domestic Indian growth story has been also hampered -due to the increasing interest rates. One has lost count..but I trust there have been atleast 13-14 hikes in the RBI repo rate -since March 2010. And add to the inflationary trends that the increase in petrol prices ..contributing very aggressively, it could turn into a 'catch 22' situation if the industrial/manfacturing sector would be affected!!

(Unless ofcourse the fall in the rupee motivates the industry to export more..and hope the dollar remittances would compensate??)

On the flip side- the tough times will certainly bring out the best in all...and who knows, the long term growth story may well be nearer !!

I would love to have your impressions...