The skill required of human resources (HR) professionals has changed from that of dealing with employees related issues to active involvement in the technical and organisational level, according to senior HR professionals.

Speaking at the 4th TN HR Summit here today, Ramesh Kymal, Vice-Chairman, Confederation of Indian Industry - Tamil Nadu, said in addition to dealing with employee benefits and payroll, HR now has to handle organisational development, employee engagement and corporate social responsibility.

With changing appraisal system, which emphasises productivity as a performance metric, there is a need for involvement of HR at the project development level along with the team in ensuring productivity. “This calls for highly developed financial, analytical and technical skills,” Kymal said.

Talent hiring P Padmakumar, Head – Human Resources, Saint-Gobain Glass India Limited, said the changing role of HR is reflected in the hiring of talent, as more than theoretical knowledge companies look for people with the ability to execute the task.

He said it is the role of HR to connect the candidates with the right job and help line managers in bringing out their talent.

Kumar Jayant, Tamil Nadu Labour and Employment Secretary, said the focus should be on skilling graduates to facilitate employability.

Tie-up with pvt trainers The Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation will collaborate with private training providers who can ensure 70 per cent placement. “We look for trainers who have tie-up with companies for placements across sectors,” Jayant said. The State government has allocated ₹150 crore this year towards skill development.

Deep Pal Singh, Head – Client Acquisition, Retail Clients, India, Standard Chartered Bank, said while the role of a HR professional is diversifying, the focus should be on enhancing the core competencies and outsourcing non-core work.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW