The National HRD Network (NHRDN) has identified three high-potential areas for corporates that will help in HR capability building.

Mr S.Y. Siddiqui, the National President, NHRD Network, said that the 12,000-strong network of HR professionals was working at three levels to reach out to potential young HR managers.

The first is at the B-school level, where NHRDN has designed the HR course for MDI Gurgaon. This includes course curriculum design, the industry interface and building a mentor-mentee relationship with each of the 60 students of the school. “We have complete ownership of the PG students and have made them 70 per cent industry-ready.” NHRDN is now ready to replicate this in other B-schools, he said.

The second initiative is at NHRDN's learning centre at Gurgaon which disseminates the ‘right kind of HR learning among young people'. The centre would also start skill-building programmes for entry-level employees in the manufacturing and services sectors. The Network plans to roll out a franchise model for the learning centre with well-known B schools across the country.

The third level of involvement would be through initiating a change in leadership styles to suit the temperament of Gen Y, he said. Mr Siddiqui, who's also the Managing Executive Officer (HR and Administration), Maruti Suzuki Ltd, said the auto major was following a reverse mentoring process with a group of 24-30-year-olds in the organisation. For instance, the company's latest performance management programme was designed in consultation with this group. “This has brought about a high sense of ownership and involvement,” he said.