TREND. When employees call the shots

Every manager’s worst fear has come true. Driven by a shortage of talent and a significant attitudinal change on part of employees, power has shifted from employers to candidates.

Hussain Tinwala of TeamLease Services, a human resource outsourcing and staffing company, says, “Increased competition for the best talent has resulted in power shifting to the candidates.”

Talented and skilled workers are in hot demand, and most are in a strong bargaining position. While several factors add up to a candidate-driven market, it has a big impact on the way employers hire.

HR personnel insist there is a bigger fight for the right candidate, and that sourcing a suitable candidate is no longer restricted to just a big fat pay cheque.

“These days, any top-end employee wants much more than a pay cheque. Most look for an opportunity to create impact, incubate and grow new service lines or teams. Employees are scouting for wealth-creating opportunities and are ready to commit to the medium-term,” says TS Krishnakumar, COO, Ikya Human Capital Solutions.

Sanjeev Duggal, CEO, Centum Learning, which is in the global skills development and vocational training landscape, insists it is not just about the paycheques.

“It is about job satisfaction, camaraderie, feeling of belongingness, contribution to the organisation,” he says, adding that “workplaces are home away from home for most people, and accordingly need to be given priority.”

Krishnakumar says that top-end employees put up several requests, and in some cases, these could be construed as demands.

“Employees want their roles defined, and look for the potential to scale-up. They look for stock options, and a joining bonus and re-settling costs.

Top-end employees also seek clarity in the reporting line, “if drawn from the same industry,” he states.

So, does this indicate a new glamourised form of trade unionism? Not so, says Harsh Kapur Pillai, Founder-Director at Terragni Consulting, a people consulting firm.

Pillai has worked most of her life servicing the manufacturing sector, “where trade unions have existed from time immemorial, and are coming back into action at worker levels.”

However, she insists the same is not true for knowledge workers.

“The knowledge worker understands the concept of performance-linked compensation, the need to stretch to deliver to customers’ needs and not expecting overtime in the strictest sense. These workers would like to be a valuable and respected part of the business, and most would like to be an integral part of the growth or transformation of their company,” Pillai adds.

Tinwala says that though employees tend to unify to put across their demands, “the approach is more sophisticated. Some file a petition, conduct regular blogging on employee feedback sections, and form groups to put across their views and their requirements, or even send anonymous written requests to their HR peers.”

Duggal notes that though employees demand their rights, “their rights are individualistic. They like to negotiate for their personal requirements. Just like organisations, employees have also evolved with the times.”

Krishnakumar insists that top-end employees have their own set of requests; “whenever professionals want lateral or vertical growth, they want the company to give them time to understand the job role, as well as the company and its nuances, before expecting any miracles.”

They want some breathing space, and they do not want to be micromanaged. Most ask the company to be fair and transparent in evaluating their performance and rewarding them for it.. “Some work-life balance is also called for by a good performer. These demands have not changed over time.”

HR experts insist that candidates are more confident about moving now, and that people are more aware of their market value. Since candidates can now afford to be more selective, it is more important than ever for organisations to equip themselves with comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies to deliver this pipeline of top tier talent. As Pillai notes, employees have three key parameters based on which they decide to stay with their employer.

“A good boss, visibility of their career path, and learning opportunities. And an HR policy that has a linkage with the pay cheque,” she states.

Pillai cites an example of a director-level professional of a multinational company, who decided to stay back with his employer despite a great opportunity outside, which had offered him double the money. “An opportunity was made available within his existing employer, whereby he would be able to make a remarkable difference to a transformation project that the organisation was undertaking. After all, employees need to feel wanted,” she adds.

What needs to be done is generate team effectiveness in the work environment, so that employees have a feeling of enthusiasm and accomplishment at work, says TeamLease’s Tinwala.

Employing outstanding talent has become a top priority for many organisations’ wider business objectives. With an increasing number of opportunities becoming available, employees are bound to find themselves in a stronger position, and businesses would need to work even harder to stand out in a competitive job market.

COMMENT NOW