At a time when employee loyalty is at a low and companies are faced with attrition issues, is employee engagement not asking for too much?

Without employee engagement, there is no quality, no creativity and no ownership. In fact, attrition happens partially because they (employees) are not engaged. It is a good question from the perspective that we don’t want loyalty but we want engagement. Still, from an employee perspective, one should leave if one is not able to engage. On the other hand, maybe the problem is with oneself and not with the company or with the work and that is what is preventing engagement.

How does employee loyalty compare with employee engagement? In today’s context, how is the average employee disposed towards his or her organisation?

It is difficult to compare loyalty and engagement. When I am engaged, I am engaged with work and loyalty might have played a role in initiating my engagement, but I am no longer operating from loyalty lens.

Once I am disengaged, loyalty issues might bother me more.

According to the recent Towers Perrin report, only 21 per cent of employees are fully engaged and might be very favourably disposed (to their organisations). An average employee might look at the company from the perspective of what is in it for that person — money, name, recognition, branding or security.

Today, HR has become a very important department in an organisation. What are the factors that have worked to make employees sought-after by employers?

With the focus on growth, employers began to realise that talent is critical. For organic growth, innovation is the foundation and machines don’t innovate but people do. Once there were many opportunities, people started leaving the company and if a company creates too many restrictions, people don’t join.

In past 10 years, companies have begun to realise that their success depends on people and that made them change their opinion. Even though they still go after key talent and don’t care about the rest of them.

Going forward, how do you see the employee-organisation equation developing.

It is about mutual benefit. It is going to be based on trust, benefiting each other and creating a relationship based on respect. Otherwise, there will be a quicker disengagement.

In your view, what are the main HR issues that organisations are faced with today?

Talent, acquisition, retention and motivation...

Addressing the Madras Management Association in Chennai, you had said that the business context has changed — local businesses have become regional; the economy has transitioned to a service economy from an information one — which has prompted a change in the role of the employee and there is need for self-mastery. Has this got to do with employer expectation or is it a self-imposed desire of the employee himself?

Because of the change in business context, career development has become the responsibility of the individual instead of the organisation. Considering that individuals are moving around different organisations more freely than ever, the need for self-mastery becomes valuable for the individual to take responsibility. Obviously, it suits the employer need as well.

You had also spoken about personal leadership as an opportunity. What is the opportunity that you see?

Leadership is an opportunity to step up to take responsibility in four ways — personal responsibility, responsibility to the organisation, social responsibility and ethical responsibility. When you take responsibility and make a commitment to produce results — then goals get met and leadership develops in other people as they see it as an opportunity.

You have said that more globalisation requires more localisation. Why is this so?

More globalisation requires more localisation because while a Ford car was designed in Europe as a world car, people in India found it to be more driver-oriented than passenger-oriented. For example, people in India sit at the back and Ford needed to redesign and localise their cars to make the back seat passenger comfortable.

Since a product could be sold anywhere in the world, localisation in terms of language, packaging, and so on have to be addressed. That means products from Tamil Nadu could be sold globally and the shipping label, packaging and so on have to be made more appealing and in different languages.

Management focus has evolved from managing events to processes and people and finally leading oneself. There seems to be a growing accent on individual achievement.

You are right that there is a growing accent on individual achievement. Once you are a high achiever, you can work with other high achievers in the team and without a team not much can be done these days.

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