The Hindu Business Line : In top form

How does one grow in an industry that's itself growing at a frenetic pace? HR managers draw the roadmap for negotiating promotions in the ITES sector.

A job can mean so many things — an identity, a paycheque, friends, interesting colleagues and, of course, new challenges. Yet, as the days go by and acquired skills improve on the job, a growth in confidence can nudge employees to not necessarily move on, but certainly move to positions where their capabilities are better realised. A `growth' in stature and added responsibilities are among the most effective signs of a healthy career. In India, the booming ITES (information technology enabled services) sector employs a large number of people drawn from varied academic backgrounds. Predictions for growth remain an optimistic high. But negotiating promotions will pose challenges unique to the business.

Expansion options

Rajul Garg, COO, Induslogic, says that the very nature of the ITES sector is such that "people should focus more upon the role and remuneration than on the designation, as this means different things in different organisations."

The scenario for promotions seems quite bright, as Laxmi Bhan, General Manager - Operations, ICICI OneSource, explains: "At the entry level, a promotion would signify change of responsibility, especially at an agent level. There is immense scope to grow horizontally in functions such as training, HR, quality, preparation of MIS reports, or progressing vertically to become a team leader or subject matter expert (SME)."

In such a setting, how early can one ask for a promotion? Says John Winchester, Vice President - Engineering, Impetus Technologies, "There is no hard and fast rule. But it is essential to prove your capabilities to your seniors and be convinced that you deserve it,"

Bhan of ICICI OneSource says, "One has to constantly prove oneself and consistently improve performance to deserve recognition and responsibility. The earliest would be after a year."

It's important to be convinced about a deserved raise. Debasish Das, Head HR and Training, Keane Worldzen, gives the thumb rules: "If you have made a substantial difference to the topline or bottomline of the organisation, you deserve a raise. Try quantifying that; if you can conclusively prove that, then you'll get a raise." Yet, negotiation for promotion cannot happen in isolation, it depends upon the overall demand-supply situation within the company and the industry as a whole.

At different levels employees want different promotions.

So how would the techniques of a fresher differ from those used by mid-level personnel?

Winchester says that a fresher is usually promoted on the basis of initiative taken and the responsibilities he or she is willing to assume, whereas for a mid-level manager it would depend on the individual's ability to handle pressure and strategise effectively.

Says Rajul, "Rather than techniques, I would say that the skills needed at different levels are different. As a fresher, for the first 4-5 years, one has to demonstrate strong technical skills, commitment towards work, sincerity and integrity, while at mid-level, communication and leadership skills and alignment with company values become much more important."

While negotiating for promotions, there are certain `no-nos'.

Says Das, "The most common mistake is to equate performance with promotions. An agent showing good productivity or quality and volume of work might immediately take it as a sign that he should advance to become Team Leader. Now, performance is largely role specific. The skill set required for sales may not work as well for a Team Leader, a position that requires man and time management and conflict resolution. Try and understand what competencies are required for the position you aspire for, and document them in STAR (situation task analysis report) format. This will give you a much better chance."

Negotiating moves

Discussing the intrinsic qualities of the BPO space, Rajiv Parashar, Vice President -HR, eMR Technology Ventures, says, "Intense competition, abundant opportunities, high attrition levels and high cost of attrition, along with a high degree of organic growth characterise this business. All of these provide an excellent backdrop for negotiating promotions. A competent person would never hesitate to present his case, but would ensure it is a win-win for both sides."

The importance of mentoring in career advancement is a proven fact. Das says, "People generally find mentors among the seniors they deal with in the organisation. The mentor should show enough interest in you and your work at a professional level, and understand enough to give useful advice. If the mentor is to be used for career advancement, pick a person who has excellent internal equity in the organisation to push you through the various ceilings, or ride piggy-back on his success."

Says Parashar , "Repeated exposure to intense pressures at work and stiff deadlines often result in an employee losing his/her sense of perspective. A mentor who has gone through these phases and, most importantly, can provide an out-of-the-box approach is ideally suited to motivate employees to reach their level of excellence. The `age group' of the employees throws up a different set of challenges not quite unlike those faced in a college atmosphere."

On negotiating promotions internally, Winchester advises: "First one should do a self-assessment of deliverables and check whether deadlines/targets have been met. Also, a person should take on more responsibility, as this will put him/her in a better position to negotiate. One can approach the manager for a promotion if the above criteria are fulfilled. If that doesn't work, then approach the HR person. This is a positive way to negotiate your promotion internally."

While some believe in the effectiveness of `being in the right place at the right time' for a promotion, Aashu Calapa, Vice President- HR, ICICIOneSource, disagrees: "This can sometimes be beyond an individual's control. Promotions can be achieved through consistently outperforming oneself and leaving an indelible impression." While Winchester agrees, he cautions: "The organisation should also provide sufficient opportunities. It is important to have a sensitive top management, otherwise even if a person works seven days a week, it will go unrecognised."

"Networking enhances the visibility of a person's contribution inside the organisation. Hence this could result in promotions. Networking cannot however be viewed as lobbying to obtain a promotion," says Kalpana Srinivasan, HR Manager, Aspire Systems.

"In many organisations, a person who is in direct contact with the senior management gets recognised more quickly compared to a person with no direct contact," says Winchester. Yet, Bhan of ICICI OneSource feels that "networking must be backed by a strong performance."

How does one create a network where none exists? Says Calapa, "Networking may not necessarily influence promotions. But there are different ways to build networks. Large companies have cross-functional projects, which bestow an opportunity to work with different kinds of people and share their experiences. Another good way is to consciously interact with people you don't know. The best benefit of networking is that it gives a good insight into human behaviour, broadens your knowledge base and is an effective way to develop interpersonal skills."

Many advise moving to the `hot spot' in an organisation to avail raises. Bhan says, "In the BPO sector, the hot spot is in operations, which is the fastest growing function. However, though growth opportunities are immense, the job also requires a strong temperament, diverse skill sets and domain expertise."

Das feels there are several indicators for `hot spots'. "These are the functions or the units of an organisation that are central to the success of the business. If you acquire the skills needed in those functions/ units, you will get there. Such posts are also marked by high-pressure jobs. Check your survival levels before you jump into the fray."

Picture by Shaju John

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