The Hindu Business Line : `HR must be part of business strategy'

`India is accelerating the need to look at talent management, leadership development, attraction and retention programmes in order to keep up with the pace of business growth'

HR practitioners must understand how their `products' support the organisational business strategy and must be able to make that link understandable to the managers and employees they support.

NINA WOODARD, Director-Business Development, SHRM India.

With over 200,000 members across the globe, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is, possibly, the world's largest professional organisation of human resources practitioners. Besides supporting US-based human resources (HR) professionals, SHRM is also looking for global partners to conduct research on areas of interest to the global business community. The organisation also works to share learning experiences and developmental tools that have been successful in the US with its members and the wider HR community.

In India, the organisation has recently established a wholly owned subsidiary, Strategic Human Resource Management India Pvt Ltd (SHRM India). And at the helm of the organisation's India operations is Nina Woodard, Director-Business Development, SHRM India. Before joining SHRM India, she has run her own India-based HR consultancy and has also worked at Standard Chartered Bank. In this e-mail interview with The New Manager, Woodard shares her thoughts on current HR trends, the evolution of the HR function and touches on SHRM India's operations. Edited excerpts:

What is SHRM's role in India?

Strategic Human Resource Management India, Pvt Ltd (SHRM India) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Sharing the same mission as the world's largest HR association, SHRM India is devoted to supporting the professional and advancing the profession of human resource management in India.

I am the Director of business development for India, looking for and making connections with those research partners and individuals interested in the value SHRM has to offer.

We are also identifying partners for broader distribution of products and services that will be of value to the Indian HR community. One of these is the Certification Programme and the Learning System and Pre-certification Test Study Programme. SHRM offers the only global `professional in HR'certification programme in the world. There are already over 600 individuals who have been certified around the world with this newly introduced certification.

Senior Professional in HR and Professional in HR certifications already have over 80,000 individuals around the world certified.

SHRM India with its international pedigree and local understanding is aiming to be the key driver of modern HR practices in India and serve as a catalyst in elevating the HR practice globally. Some of the key things we have done so far is appointment of local programme facilitators, capacity building for trainers and are in the process of bringing in new brands and new HR offerings.

The workplace, even in India, is changing rather quickly and drastically. What changes and trends do you see evolving in the Indian workplace? Are these changes in line with global trends?

Very much in line. Actually, India is accelerating the need to look at talent management, leadership development, attraction and retention programmes in order to keep up with the pace of business growth.

Issues of managing diversity, employee engagement and inclusive management techniques are coming to the forefront very quickly and do track along with the global trends. The reasons for these issues to be critical to India may be different than they are in other parts of the world, but the issues are the same.

Could you touch on some of the trends you see in human resources management today?

The foremost trend is that HR must be part of business strategy and must align their HR programmes, policies and practices to support the business objectives.

Metrics to support HR's contribution to the organisation and help measure effectiveness, focus on the aspects of inclusion, engagement and communication with an eye to retaining talent in an organisation are at the top of the HR strategic agenda.

There is a feeling that there has been a shift in the way HR executives see and define their roles, perhaps a preoccupation with HR being a `strategic partner'. Your thoughts on this.

Being a strategic partner is essential. HR practitioners must understand how their `products' support the organisational business strategy and must be able to make that link understandable to the managers and employees they support.

Otherwise, HR products are exercises in paper pushing and form filling, not contributing value to the organisational bottomline. For that to happen, HR practitioners must be astute business people too.

Some management experts feel that the HR function is losing the `people touch' and is getting more impersonal and process oriented. Do you feel that this is true?

It can be that way because of the demands of volume requirements and overload. It may be difficult to get out from behind the desk and paper work to be strategic and to look ahead far enough to provide insight to other managers about environmental impacts that may affect the business and will require preparation from today onward.

However, it is important that each HR transaction be examined in light of its contribution to the business — how does it add value and what does it add value to.

Is HR getting its due in India?

Human resource management in India is being recognised as an important element of business success.

See the number of HR heads who are now President of HR and who may also have responsibility for other lines of business.

When I first started working as a management consultant in India in the HR space, it was always assumed that I was a recruiter! Today there is significant awareness of the broader HR issues and functions and their contribution to business success.

So what are the skills that HR managers need to acquire, especially to manage in the new workplace?

Cultural sensitivity, skills required to manage diversity, business acumen and ability to be strategic in thought and to action. HR professionals must be implementation and execution experts.

What competencies should HR managers focus on?

Becoming business savvy and understanding how to execute and implement business plans.

For most HR managers today, retention is a major source of concern. What retention strategies do you suggest?

Listening to the business and the employees and building a retention strategy that fits with the organisation's business strategy. I think that it is a mistake to just take on a particular retention strategy because it is working somewhere — what is important is to know what is important to your business and your employees and figure a way to `marry' them so that employees feel an integral part of the company and understand their contribution and value.

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