BPOs Increasingly Becoming Long-Time Career Option
Those who believe that working in BPOs is merely a stepping stone to another, longer-lasting career may have to think again. As the industry is moving from predominantly voice-based services to more and more non-voice services, it is increasingly emerging as a long-term career. As the required skills become higher, a more specialised workforce is looking for opportunities in this sector. More and more BPO companies are shifting focus from voice based services to back office services to knowledge process outsourcing. This shift is bound to lead to a change in the hiring process and impact the wage structure and the amount spent on training.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
HeadlinesPost-Appraisal, 500 TCS Employees Shown The Door
Failing to clear company’s bi-annual employee appraisal system, about 500 employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were asked to resign. TCS follows an institutionalised process of bi-annual employee appraisal system that ranks employees on a grade between 1 and 5. Employees, who get a grade of two or less during one appraisal cycle, are put on a performance improvement plan that includes additional training as well as assignments on new projects. However, if their performance doesn’t improve, the company disengages with them after counseling. Thus, this time, TCS has asked 500 employees to take the exit door.
Source: 06-02-08 www.thehindu.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Female Workers Are More Prone To Falling Ill
According to latest research by researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland, female workers take nearly 50 per cent more short-term sick leave than their male counterparts. The report says that women were 46 per cent more likely to be off work for between one to three days. Women workers also commonly report more physical health problems, physical work demands, and work fatigue. However, the same research says that female employees don’t take more long-term sick leave.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Wipro’s Hiring Plans For 2008
Wipro Ltd is looking at hiring more freshers in 2008 and wants to increase the percentage of freshers to 50 per cent of total recruitment in 2008-2009 as compared to 3 per cent last year. The company has already tied up with more than 14 educational institutions to give their students a taste of the company’s work culture. Wipro is also coming up with its first American software development centre in Atlanta and plans to hire 200 professionals there within a year.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Surplus Employees At HUL; 50 Managerial Jobs Cut
Hindustan Unilever Limited, the FMCG major, has cut about 50 managerial jobs, citing surplus employees as the reason. A few months ago, its parent company Unilever had announced 11 percent job cuts, amounting to 20,000 jobs, in global workforce over the next four years. HUL claims that the move will ensure that right talent was handling right jobs which will, in turn, ensure challenging and enriching jobs that allow for long-term growth opportunities to the employees. Currently, HUL has over 1,100 managers. However, the company is still recruiting talent in new emerging areas.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Boom Time For Executive Course Grads
Executives who opted for a one-year post-graduate programme in management at reputed management schools are in for big salaries and plum profiles. There are still two months to go before the completion of their programmes but the companies are already making a bee line to hire them. Over 40 companies are coming to recruit these grads at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Companies range from consulting, IT, real estate, operations, consumer goods and infrastructure space. Last year, the highest domestic salary was Rs 60 lakh, while the highest international salary was $ 250,000 per annum and early negotiations show the salaries will be higher this time.
Source: 06-02-08 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Lack Of Talent Forced Bose To Stop India R & D
Bose Corporation India’s R & D centre in Bangalore was shut down after the company faced crunch of skilled engineers. The acoustics management products maker was looking for engineers specializing in embedded software. The centre had started with five engineers who were relocated to the US after the closure. However, the company still continues to outsource its IT services to India.
Source: 05-02-08 The Statesman Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Tata Power Beefs Up Top Management
Tata Power has appointed two new directors to its board. Mr Banmali Agrawala, Managing Director of Wartsila India is joining as head of strategy and business development whereas Mr S Padmanabhan of Tata Consultancy Services will join as head of operations. Mr Agrawala had joined Wartsila from Bajaj Auto in 1987 and grew to become the managing director. Mr Padmanabhan is an old hand at TCS. Joining TCS as trainee in 1982, he rose to become the executive director and head of global human resources. Mr Ajoyendra Mukherjee will replace him as the global HR head at TCS.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Capgemini To Set Up Learning Centre At Hyderabad
In a bid to add an Indian touch to corporate training, French technology consultancy and solutions major Capgemini plans to replicate the Capgemini University- a centre of excellence for learning based at Les Fontaines near Paris- at Hyderabad. The centre will serve as a place where employees converge, share experiences, and learn in the real world to serve as a backbone for the corporate virtual learning systems. Currently, Capgemini employs over 17,000 people in India and has plans to raise the number to 40,000 by 2010.
Source: 04-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Labourers In UAE To Face Ire
The Ajman emirate in the UAE has disconnected electricity and water supply to 65 labourer accommodations in the area. The move comes after the Ajman Municipality had ordered shifting of single workers from residential areas to industrial areas. However, nearly 30 per cent of the companies failed to comply and now their workers, including Indians, will be adversely affected.
Source: 05-02-08 www.khaleejtimes.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Casual Labourers Prefer Contractors Over NREGA
A study by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) has found that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is not finding many takers among rural casual workers. Instead, they prefer private contractors who provide more than 200 days of work in urban areas as against 100 days promised by the government scheme. The study was conducted in nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Gujarat and Karnataka. The NREGA, launched in February, 2006 across 200 districts, has spent more than Rs 17,000 crore towards the plan.
Source: 04-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Rural India Beats Urban India In Employment
Interestingly, the percentage of people employed in rural India is higher than the number of people employed in urban India. The 62nd survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation reveals that employment in rural areas of most states is ahead of that in urban areas. The national figures stand at an approximate 43 per cent in rural and 35 per cent in urban areas. Goa is the only state where this finding is reversed. Another interesting revelation is that more than half of all workers in rural India are self-employed.
Source: 04-02-08 The Indian Express Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Tesco’s Save As You Earn Scheme Benefits Workers
It is gain time for thousands of staff at Tesco. They will share a £175m ($344m) payout from the company's ‘save as you earn’ scheme. Under the scheme, staff can buy Tesco shares at a discount to the market price. 51,000 staff members pay into the scheme and the 8,000 top savers can expect a payout of more than £8,500. More than 60 per cent of staff in the scheme chooses to reinvest the money.
Source: 06-02-08 news.bbc.co.uk Compiled by Amresh Anjan
BMW Unveils Cost Saving Plan
In a bid to cut costs, the German luxury car maker BMW has announced a broad plan that includes a sharp cut in personnel expenses. BMW aims to reach cost reductions of up to 500 million euros (730 million dollars) a year by eliminating several thousand posts. The group will offer schemes such as voluntary departures worked out with trade unions and will not replace workers who retire or otherwise give up their jobs.
Source: 06-02-08 news.yahoo.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
New CEO For Jagran-18
Jagran-18 Publications, the joint venture between TV18 and Jagran Prakashan, has appointed Mr Bharat Kapadia as the new CEO and Managing Director. Previously, Mr Kapadia was Executive Director at the Bhaskar Group. Recently, he spearheaded the ‘Vote for Taj’ campaign.
Source: 07-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan
WNS appoints Mr Misra As CFO
Mr Alok Misra has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer of WNS (Holdings) Ltd, the parent company of WNS Global Services. He will take charge from February 18. Most recently, Mr Misra has worked at Mphasis holding the Group CFO position. He brings to the table 18 years of public company experience.
Source: 06-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Schneider Electric India Gets New MD
Schneider Electric has named Mr Olivier Blum as Managing Director for its India operations. Mr Blum replaces Mr Roshanlal Kariholoo, who has quit the company. Mr Blum has been associated with Schneider for nearly 15 years and has held various senior positions at the company.
Source: 06-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Mr Subramaniam Appointed By Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal Securities has appointed Mr Vetri Subramaniam as CIO, portfolio management. Mr Subramaniam brings to the table fifteen years of experience in the fields of institutional and retail equities and fund management. Starting his career with Kotak Mahindra at car loans business, he moved on to manage proprietary investments.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by Amresh Anjan
HP Appoints Mr Doraisamy As Asia Pacific MD
Mr Balu Doraisamy has been named by HP as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Japan and senior vice-president for the Technology Solutions Group. Mr Balu succeeds Mr Tom Lannotti who will now assume the role of Managing Director, Americas.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Mr B Mukherjee Becomes HPCL Director
Mr B Mukherjee, the erstwhile executive director- corporate finance of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), has been appointed its director (finance). Mr Mukherjee possesses over 28 years of experience in the areas of HR and finance in HPCL.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by Amresh Anjan
New COO For Raymond
Raymond Ltd has announced the appointment of Mr Deepak Khetrapal as the Chief Operating Officer. Mr Khetrapal joined the Raymond Group in 2007 as President, corporate and strategic initiative. He possesses over 31 years of experience. Starting his career with the State Bank Of India, he has worked with the Turner Morrison Group as Director and at Steelage Ind Ltd as the CEO. Prior to joining the Raymond Group, he was the Asia-Pacific region head for Gunnebo AB.
Source: 07-02-08 www.finance.indiainfo.com
Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Sunday, February 24, 2008
HR Headlines : Feb (Part- 3)
BPOs Increasingly Becoming Long-Time Career Option
Those who believe that working in BPOs is merely a stepping stone to another, longer-lasting career may have to think again. As the industry is moving from predominantly voice-based services to more and more non-voice services, it is increasingly emerging as a long-term career. As the required skills become higher, a more specialised workforce is looking for opportunities in this sector. More and more BPO companies are shifting focus from voice based services to back office services to knowledge process outsourcing. This shift is bound to lead to a change in the hiring process and impact the wage structure and the amount spent on training.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
HeadlinesPost-Appraisal, 500 TCS Employees Shown The Door
Failing to clear company’s bi-annual employee appraisal system, about 500 employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were asked to resign. TCS follows an institutionalised process of bi-annual employee appraisal system that ranks employees on a grade between 1 and 5. Employees, who get a grade of two or less during one appraisal cycle, are put on a performance improvement plan that includes additional training as well as assignments on new projects. However, if their performance doesn’t improve, the company disengages with them after counseling. Thus, this time, TCS has asked 500 employees to take the exit door.
Source: 06-02-08 www.thehindu.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Female Workers Are More Prone To Falling Ill
According to latest research by researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland, female workers take nearly 50 per cent more short-term sick leave than their male counterparts. The report says that women were 46 per cent more likely to be off work for between one to three days. Women workers also commonly report more physical health problems, physical work demands, and work fatigue. However, the same research says that female employees don’t take more long-term sick leave.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Wipro’s Hiring Plans For 2008
Wipro Ltd is looking at hiring more freshers in 2008 and wants to increase the percentage of freshers to 50 per cent of total recruitment in 2008-2009 as compared to 3 per cent last year. The company has already tied up with more than 14 educational institutions to give their students a taste of the company’s work culture. Wipro is also coming up with its first American software development centre in Atlanta and plans to hire 200 professionals there within a year.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesSurplus Employees At HUL; 50 Managerial Jobs Cut
Hindustan Unilever Limited, the FMCG major, has cut about 50 managerial jobs, citing surplus employees as the reason. A few months ago, its parent company Unilever had announced 11 percent job cuts, amounting to 20,000 jobs, in global workforce over the next four years. HUL claims that the move will ensure that right talent was handling right jobs which will, in turn, ensure challenging and enriching jobs that allow for long-term growth opportunities to the employees. Currently, HUL has over 1,100 managers. However, the company is still recruiting talent in new emerging areas.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesBoom Time For Executive Course Grads
Executives who opted for a one-year post-graduate programme in management at reputed management schools are in for big salaries and plum profiles. There are still two months to go before the completion of their programmes but the companies are already making a bee line to hire them. Over 40 companies are coming to recruit these grads at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Companies range from consulting, IT, real estate, operations, consumer goods and infrastructure space. Last year, the highest domestic salary was Rs 60 lakh, while the highest international salary was $ 250,000 per annum and early negotiations show the salaries will be higher this time.
Source: 06-02-08 Business Standard Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesLack Of Talent Forced Bose To Stop India R & D
Bose Corporation India’s R & D centre in Bangalore was shut down after the company faced crunch of skilled engineers. The acoustics management products maker was looking for engineers specializing in embedded software. The centre had started with five engineers who were relocated to the US after the closure. However, the company still continues to outsource its IT services to India.
Source: 05-02-08 The Statesman Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesTata Power Beefs Up Top Management
Tata Power has appointed two new directors to its board. Mr Banmali Agrawala, Managing Director of Wartsila India is joining as head of strategy and business development whereas Mr S Padmanabhan of Tata Consultancy Services will join as head of operations. Mr Agrawala had joined Wartsila from Bajaj Auto in 1987 and grew to become the managing director. Mr Padmanabhan is an old hand at TCS. Joining TCS as trainee in 1982, he rose to become the executive director and head of global human resources. Mr Ajoyendra Mukherjee will replace him as the global HR head at TCS.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesCapgemini To Set Up Learning Centre At Hyderabad
In a bid to add an Indian touch to corporate training, French technology consultancy and solutions major Capgemini plans to replicate the Capgemini University- a centre of excellence for learning based at Les Fontaines near Paris- at Hyderabad. The centre will serve as a place where employees converge, share experiences, and learn in the real world to serve as a backbone for the corporate virtual learning systems. Currently, Capgemini employs over 17,000 people in India and has plans to raise the number to 40,000 by 2010.
Source: 04-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesLabourers In UAE To Face Ire
The Ajman emirate in the UAE has disconnected electricity and water supply to 65 labourer accommodations in the area. The move comes after the Ajman Municipality had ordered shifting of single workers from residential areas to industrial areas. However, nearly 30 per cent of the companies failed to comply and now their workers, including Indians, will be adversely affected.
Source: 05-02-08 www.khaleejtimes.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesCasual Labourers Prefer Contractors Over NREGA
A study by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) has found that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is not finding many takers among rural casual workers. Instead, they prefer private contractors who provide more than 200 days of work in urban areas as against 100 days promised by the government scheme. The study was conducted in nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Gujarat and Karnataka. The NREGA, launched in February, 2006 across 200 districts, has spent more than Rs 17,000 crore towards the plan.
Source: 04-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesRural India Beats Urban India In Employment
Interestingly, the percentage of people employed in rural India is higher than the number of people employed in urban India. The 62nd survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation reveals that employment in rural areas of most states is ahead of that in urban areas. The national figures stand at an approximate 43 per cent in rural and 35 per cent in urban areas. Goa is the only state where this finding is reversed. Another interesting revelation is that more than half of all workers in rural India are self-employed.
Source: 04-02-08 The Indian Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesTesco’s Save As You Earn Scheme Benefits Workers
It is gain time for thousands of staff at Tesco. They will share a £175m ($344m) payout from the company's ‘save as you earn’ scheme. Under the scheme, staff can buy Tesco shares at a discount to the market price. 51,000 staff members pay into the scheme and the 8,000 top savers can expect a payout of more than £8,500. More than 60 per cent of staff in the scheme chooses to reinvest the money.
Source: 06-02-08 news.bbc.co.uk Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesBMW Unveils Cost Saving Plan
In a bid to cut costs, the German luxury car maker BMW has announced a broad plan that includes a sharp cut in personnel expenses. BMW aims to reach cost reductions of up to 500 million euros (730 million dollars) a year by eliminating several thousand posts. The group will offer schemes such as voluntary departures worked out with trade unions and will not replace workers who retire or otherwise give up their jobs.
Source: 06-02-08 news.yahoo.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesNew CEO For Jagran-18
Jagran-18 Publications, the joint venture between TV18 and Jagran Prakashan, has appointed Mr Bharat Kapadia as the new CEO and Managing Director. Previously, Mr Kapadia was Executive Director at the Bhaskar Group. Recently, he spearheaded the ‘Vote for Taj’ campaign.
Source: 07-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesWNS appoints Mr Misra As CFO
Mr Alok Misra has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer of WNS (Holdings) Ltd, the parent company of WNS Global Services. He will take charge from February 18. Most recently, Mr Misra has worked at Mphasis holding the Group CFO position. He brings to the table 18 years of public company experience.
Source: 06-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesSchneider Electric India Gets New MD
Schneider Electric has named Mr Olivier Blum as Managing Director for its India operations. Mr Blum replaces Mr Roshanlal Kariholoo, who has quit the company. Mr Blum has been associated with Schneider for nearly 15 years and has held various senior positions at the company.
Source: 06-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesMr Subramaniam Appointed By Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal Securities has appointed Mr Vetri Subramaniam as CIO, portfolio management. Mr Subramaniam brings to the table fifteen years of experience in the fields of institutional and retail equities and fund management. Starting his career with Kotak Mahindra at car loans business, he moved on to manage proprietary investments.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesHP Appoints Mr Doraisamy As Asia Pacific MD
Mr Balu Doraisamy has been named by HP as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Japan and senior vice-president for the Technology Solutions Group. Mr Balu succeeds Mr Tom Lannotti who will now assume the role of Managing Director, Americas.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesMr B Mukherjee Becomes HPCL Director
Mr B Mukherjee, the erstwhile executive director- corporate finance of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), has been appointed its director (finance). Mr Mukherjee possesses over 28 years of experience in the areas of HR and finance in HPCL.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesNew COO For Raymond
Raymond Ltd has announced the appointment of Mr Deepak Khetrapal as the Chief Operating Officer. Mr Khetrapal joined the Raymond Group in 2007 as President, corporate and strategic initiative. He possesses over 31 years of experience. Starting his career with the State Bank Of India, he has worked with the Turner Morrison Group as Director and at Steelage Ind Ltd as the CEO. Prior to joining the Raymond Group, he was the Asia-Pacific region head for Gunnebo AB.
Source: 07-02-08 www.finance.indiainfo.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
Those who believe that working in BPOs is merely a stepping stone to another, longer-lasting career may have to think again. As the industry is moving from predominantly voice-based services to more and more non-voice services, it is increasingly emerging as a long-term career. As the required skills become higher, a more specialised workforce is looking for opportunities in this sector. More and more BPO companies are shifting focus from voice based services to back office services to knowledge process outsourcing. This shift is bound to lead to a change in the hiring process and impact the wage structure and the amount spent on training.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
HeadlinesPost-Appraisal, 500 TCS Employees Shown The Door
Failing to clear company’s bi-annual employee appraisal system, about 500 employees of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) were asked to resign. TCS follows an institutionalised process of bi-annual employee appraisal system that ranks employees on a grade between 1 and 5. Employees, who get a grade of two or less during one appraisal cycle, are put on a performance improvement plan that includes additional training as well as assignments on new projects. However, if their performance doesn’t improve, the company disengages with them after counseling. Thus, this time, TCS has asked 500 employees to take the exit door.
Source: 06-02-08 www.thehindu.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Female Workers Are More Prone To Falling Ill
According to latest research by researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland, female workers take nearly 50 per cent more short-term sick leave than their male counterparts. The report says that women were 46 per cent more likely to be off work for between one to three days. Women workers also commonly report more physical health problems, physical work demands, and work fatigue. However, the same research says that female employees don’t take more long-term sick leave.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Wipro’s Hiring Plans For 2008
Wipro Ltd is looking at hiring more freshers in 2008 and wants to increase the percentage of freshers to 50 per cent of total recruitment in 2008-2009 as compared to 3 per cent last year. The company has already tied up with more than 14 educational institutions to give their students a taste of the company’s work culture. Wipro is also coming up with its first American software development centre in Atlanta and plans to hire 200 professionals there within a year.
Source: 06-02-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesSurplus Employees At HUL; 50 Managerial Jobs Cut
Hindustan Unilever Limited, the FMCG major, has cut about 50 managerial jobs, citing surplus employees as the reason. A few months ago, its parent company Unilever had announced 11 percent job cuts, amounting to 20,000 jobs, in global workforce over the next four years. HUL claims that the move will ensure that right talent was handling right jobs which will, in turn, ensure challenging and enriching jobs that allow for long-term growth opportunities to the employees. Currently, HUL has over 1,100 managers. However, the company is still recruiting talent in new emerging areas.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesBoom Time For Executive Course Grads
Executives who opted for a one-year post-graduate programme in management at reputed management schools are in for big salaries and plum profiles. There are still two months to go before the completion of their programmes but the companies are already making a bee line to hire them. Over 40 companies are coming to recruit these grads at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIM-A). Companies range from consulting, IT, real estate, operations, consumer goods and infrastructure space. Last year, the highest domestic salary was Rs 60 lakh, while the highest international salary was $ 250,000 per annum and early negotiations show the salaries will be higher this time.
Source: 06-02-08 Business Standard Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesLack Of Talent Forced Bose To Stop India R & D
Bose Corporation India’s R & D centre in Bangalore was shut down after the company faced crunch of skilled engineers. The acoustics management products maker was looking for engineers specializing in embedded software. The centre had started with five engineers who were relocated to the US after the closure. However, the company still continues to outsource its IT services to India.
Source: 05-02-08 The Statesman Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesTata Power Beefs Up Top Management
Tata Power has appointed two new directors to its board. Mr Banmali Agrawala, Managing Director of Wartsila India is joining as head of strategy and business development whereas Mr S Padmanabhan of Tata Consultancy Services will join as head of operations. Mr Agrawala had joined Wartsila from Bajaj Auto in 1987 and grew to become the managing director. Mr Padmanabhan is an old hand at TCS. Joining TCS as trainee in 1982, he rose to become the executive director and head of global human resources. Mr Ajoyendra Mukherjee will replace him as the global HR head at TCS.
Source: 05-02-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesCapgemini To Set Up Learning Centre At Hyderabad
In a bid to add an Indian touch to corporate training, French technology consultancy and solutions major Capgemini plans to replicate the Capgemini University- a centre of excellence for learning based at Les Fontaines near Paris- at Hyderabad. The centre will serve as a place where employees converge, share experiences, and learn in the real world to serve as a backbone for the corporate virtual learning systems. Currently, Capgemini employs over 17,000 people in India and has plans to raise the number to 40,000 by 2010.
Source: 04-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesLabourers In UAE To Face Ire
The Ajman emirate in the UAE has disconnected electricity and water supply to 65 labourer accommodations in the area. The move comes after the Ajman Municipality had ordered shifting of single workers from residential areas to industrial areas. However, nearly 30 per cent of the companies failed to comply and now their workers, including Indians, will be adversely affected.
Source: 05-02-08 www.khaleejtimes.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesCasual Labourers Prefer Contractors Over NREGA
A study by the Centre for Science & Environment (CSE) has found that the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) is not finding many takers among rural casual workers. Instead, they prefer private contractors who provide more than 200 days of work in urban areas as against 100 days promised by the government scheme. The study was conducted in nine states - Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Orissa, Gujarat and Karnataka. The NREGA, launched in February, 2006 across 200 districts, has spent more than Rs 17,000 crore towards the plan.
Source: 04-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesRural India Beats Urban India In Employment
Interestingly, the percentage of people employed in rural India is higher than the number of people employed in urban India. The 62nd survey by the National Sample Survey Organisation reveals that employment in rural areas of most states is ahead of that in urban areas. The national figures stand at an approximate 43 per cent in rural and 35 per cent in urban areas. Goa is the only state where this finding is reversed. Another interesting revelation is that more than half of all workers in rural India are self-employed.
Source: 04-02-08 The Indian Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesTesco’s Save As You Earn Scheme Benefits Workers
It is gain time for thousands of staff at Tesco. They will share a £175m ($344m) payout from the company's ‘save as you earn’ scheme. Under the scheme, staff can buy Tesco shares at a discount to the market price. 51,000 staff members pay into the scheme and the 8,000 top savers can expect a payout of more than £8,500. More than 60 per cent of staff in the scheme chooses to reinvest the money.
Source: 06-02-08 news.bbc.co.uk Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesBMW Unveils Cost Saving Plan
In a bid to cut costs, the German luxury car maker BMW has announced a broad plan that includes a sharp cut in personnel expenses. BMW aims to reach cost reductions of up to 500 million euros (730 million dollars) a year by eliminating several thousand posts. The group will offer schemes such as voluntary departures worked out with trade unions and will not replace workers who retire or otherwise give up their jobs.
Source: 06-02-08 news.yahoo.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesNew CEO For Jagran-18
Jagran-18 Publications, the joint venture between TV18 and Jagran Prakashan, has appointed Mr Bharat Kapadia as the new CEO and Managing Director. Previously, Mr Kapadia was Executive Director at the Bhaskar Group. Recently, he spearheaded the ‘Vote for Taj’ campaign.
Source: 07-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesWNS appoints Mr Misra As CFO
Mr Alok Misra has been appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer of WNS (Holdings) Ltd, the parent company of WNS Global Services. He will take charge from February 18. Most recently, Mr Misra has worked at Mphasis holding the Group CFO position. He brings to the table 18 years of public company experience.
Source: 06-02-08 Hindu Business Line Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesSchneider Electric India Gets New MD
Schneider Electric has named Mr Olivier Blum as Managing Director for its India operations. Mr Blum replaces Mr Roshanlal Kariholoo, who has quit the company. Mr Blum has been associated with Schneider for nearly 15 years and has held various senior positions at the company.
Source: 06-02-08 The Financial Express Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesMr Subramaniam Appointed By Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal Securities has appointed Mr Vetri Subramaniam as CIO, portfolio management. Mr Subramaniam brings to the table fifteen years of experience in the fields of institutional and retail equities and fund management. Starting his career with Kotak Mahindra at car loans business, he moved on to manage proprietary investments.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesHP Appoints Mr Doraisamy As Asia Pacific MD
Mr Balu Doraisamy has been named by HP as Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, Japan and senior vice-president for the Technology Solutions Group. Mr Balu succeeds Mr Tom Lannotti who will now assume the role of Managing Director, Americas.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesMr B Mukherjee Becomes HPCL Director
Mr B Mukherjee, the erstwhile executive director- corporate finance of Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), has been appointed its director (finance). Mr Mukherjee possesses over 28 years of experience in the areas of HR and finance in HPCL.
Source: 06-02-08 DNA Money Compiled by www.naukri.com
HeadlinesNew COO For Raymond
Raymond Ltd has announced the appointment of Mr Deepak Khetrapal as the Chief Operating Officer. Mr Khetrapal joined the Raymond Group in 2007 as President, corporate and strategic initiative. He possesses over 31 years of experience. Starting his career with the State Bank Of India, he has worked with the Turner Morrison Group as Director and at Steelage Ind Ltd as the CEO. Prior to joining the Raymond Group, he was the Asia-Pacific region head for Gunnebo AB.
Source: 07-02-08 www.finance.indiainfo.com Compiled by www.naukri.com
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Survey Shows Younger Employees Less Satisfied With Jobs
Survey Shows Younger Employees Less Satisfied With Jobs
[Talent Management Magazine January 31, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 9]
A national survey of working adults commissioned by Workplace Options (WPO), the largest provider of work-life employee benefits in America, found that only 39 percent of employees younger than 26 years old report being "very satisfied" with their jobs.
By comparison, nearly twice as many employees 66 years old and older report being "very satisfied" with their jobs, with 91 percent having favorable views of their work situation. Though no cause and effect was determined, the survey found that job satisfaction steadily increases with age.
As a large number of retirements are expected from baby boom-generation workers, more college graduates will be entering the labor market than in the previous decade. With this generational shift in the workplace, employers will need to be aware of a new set of needs from their employees.
"It's no secret that job satisfaction is greatly tied to work-life balance," said Alan King, president of Workplace Options. "What's not so well recognized, however, is that work-life balance is not a one size fits all. Younger generations are looking for more, but different kinds, of employee benefits."
Employers are finding that traditional benefits such as child care, eldercare and retirement are appropriate for older generations but often aren't attractive for single college graduates and young professionals. College graduates entering the workforce today are looking for a new generation of benefits that include concierge services, such as planning a vacation, finding a pet sitter or discounts on goods and services. "In order to win the war on talent, employers must look at these work-life benefits as a key ingredient to attracting and retaining top talent," added King.
Once talent is hired, however, employers must keep them engaged, productive and happy. Three out of four workers report being stressed after being in their job for more than three years, while more than half report job dissatisfaction related to stress after being in their job for less than a year.
"Recent research shows that nearly six out of 10 workers today are choosing a healthy work-life balance as their most important workplace goal for 2008," said Dean Debnam, chief executive officer of Workplace Options. "When employees experience a balance between their personal and professional lives, they're more likely to have satisfaction with their jobs as it relates to stress and the employee/employer relationship. For this reason, work-life balance is more of a strategy for companies than a perk."
The national survey, conducted by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling on January 10, polled 711 working adults. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.7%.
[Talent Management Magazine January 31, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 9]
A national survey of working adults commissioned by Workplace Options (WPO), the largest provider of work-life employee benefits in America, found that only 39 percent of employees younger than 26 years old report being "very satisfied" with their jobs.
By comparison, nearly twice as many employees 66 years old and older report being "very satisfied" with their jobs, with 91 percent having favorable views of their work situation. Though no cause and effect was determined, the survey found that job satisfaction steadily increases with age.
As a large number of retirements are expected from baby boom-generation workers, more college graduates will be entering the labor market than in the previous decade. With this generational shift in the workplace, employers will need to be aware of a new set of needs from their employees.
"It's no secret that job satisfaction is greatly tied to work-life balance," said Alan King, president of Workplace Options. "What's not so well recognized, however, is that work-life balance is not a one size fits all. Younger generations are looking for more, but different kinds, of employee benefits."
Employers are finding that traditional benefits such as child care, eldercare and retirement are appropriate for older generations but often aren't attractive for single college graduates and young professionals. College graduates entering the workforce today are looking for a new generation of benefits that include concierge services, such as planning a vacation, finding a pet sitter or discounts on goods and services. "In order to win the war on talent, employers must look at these work-life benefits as a key ingredient to attracting and retaining top talent," added King.
Once talent is hired, however, employers must keep them engaged, productive and happy. Three out of four workers report being stressed after being in their job for more than three years, while more than half report job dissatisfaction related to stress after being in their job for less than a year.
"Recent research shows that nearly six out of 10 workers today are choosing a healthy work-life balance as their most important workplace goal for 2008," said Dean Debnam, chief executive officer of Workplace Options. "When employees experience a balance between their personal and professional lives, they're more likely to have satisfaction with their jobs as it relates to stress and the employee/employer relationship. For this reason, work-life balance is more of a strategy for companies than a perk."
The national survey, conducted by the North Carolina firm of Public Policy Polling on January 10, polled 711 working adults. The survey has a margin of error of ± 3.7%.
75 Things You Can Do in 2008
75 Things You Can Do in 2008
Most people aren't Warriors, and I'm fine with it. Most people do things that don't make sense, and I'm fine with it. I've learned to accept the non-sense that fills this world. (Part of being a Warrior is accepting that most other people are not Warriors, and accepting them.) Still, the point is that people do things that don't make sense. They whine, complain, and cry over problems they can easily change. They get depressed over problems they cause for themselves.
For example, lazy people often whine that they don't make more money. Selfish people complain that they don't have more friends. Many people sabotage all their romantic relationships and then complain that they don't have a lover.
Granted, sometimes when something bad happens to a person it's purely bad luck. For example, you could be sitting in your well-built home while reading the newspaper and a tornado could tear your home up.
However, usually when you don't like what's happening in your life, it's your own damn fault. It's your fault if you're fat, lazy, uneducated, lonely, etc.
In the following, I list 75 things that you can do. You choose to do them or not. If you choose not to do these things, then you have no right to complain about your problems; your problems are your fault!
1. Stop watching television.
2. Stop eating fast food.
3. Stop eating pizza and fried foods.
4. Stop driving places that you could easily walk to.
5. Read at least 1 book a month.
6. Take classes in what interests you or your vocation.
7. Work enough to support yourself, and if needed get a new job or second job to make enough to support yourself. Never stick with a job that doesn't pay enough to support yourself no matter how much you work.
8. Pay off your debts and don't go in debt. You can pay off your debts if you avoid needless expenses, such as cable, overpriced clothes, impractical decorations, unhealthy snacks, jewelry, etcetera.
9. Don't buy a car on finance, and don't buy an expensive car if a cheaper one that works is available.
10. Wake up early, and get all your work done as quickly as possible. That includes household chores, as well as your employment.
11. Drink alcohol less or quit.
12. Do drugs less or quit.
13. Don't smoke cigarettes.
14. Don't eat foods with high fructose corn syrup.
15. Don't drink soda.
16. Don't eat sugary foods at all.
17. Don't drink more than 1 glass of juice per day.
18. Stand up straight and have good posture.
19. Look people in the eyes when you talk to them.
20. Smile.
21. Be polite.
22. Keep your promises.
23. Wear a watch, if you can afford it.
24. Eat breakfast.
25. If you eat cereal at any time, choose your cereal based on healthiness not tastiness.
26. Exercise at least 3 days per week.
27. Walk often.
28. Always write with correct spelling and grammar.
29. Never speak worse about a person behind their back than you do to their face. (Feel free to say nicer things about a person behind their back than to their face.)
30. Don't gossip and don't have a big mouth.
31. Never judge other people harsher than you judge yourself.
32. Make New Years resolutions, but make one every day instead of every year.
33. Volunteer.
34. Forgive, but never forget.
35. Don't have skeletons in your closet.
36. Keep as few secrets as reasonably possible.
37. Despite the rule before this one, keep your friends' secrets.
38. Politely tell people that you will not betray your friends' trust, when you are asked about their secrets and such.
39. Volunteering (i.e. activism) is more important than voting. If you can do both, good for you. If you only have time for one, volunteer instead of voting. It makes more of a difference.
40. Privately question your own values.
41. Avoid questioning other people's values, especially in public.
42. Listen more than you talk.
43. Use a journal to count how many calories you consume per day.
44. Use a journal to count how many calories you burn per day.
45. If you want to lose weight, burn slightly more than you consume. If you want to gain weight, consume slightly more than you burn. If you are happy with your weight, try to burn the same amount as you consume.
46. Weigh yourself daily at the same time(s).
47. Write your daily weight down in a journal.
48. Never allow the police to search you, your car, or your belongings if you do not have something to hide.
49. Never tell other people that you think they or something they are doing is immoral or sinful.
50. Keep your moral values and religion to yourself. Use them to direct your own actions.
51. Ask people how they are often and listen to their answer.
52. Laugh at other people's jokes, but not your own.
53. Shower at least once per day.
54. Wash your hands, even if you aren't an employee.
55. Take care of the elderly, which includes spending time with them and talking to them.
56. Avoid going places where you need to be waited on.
57. Wait on yourself wherever possible.
58. Make your friends look good.
59. Avoid lying.
60. Don't pretend to be better than you are. Don't pretend to be more successful, popular, etcetera.
61. Treat other people as if they are better than they are. Treat them as if they are more successful, popular, etcetera.
62. Don't brag about your talents. Instead, surprise people with them when they just happen to be called upon.
63. Sit up straight.
64. Keep your house clean.
65. If you have either of them, keep your car and office clean.
66. Stretch daily. (I do Yoga most mornings.)
67. Dance.
68. Take dancing lessons if you could use improvement.
69. Ask other people (e.g. your friends, your co-workers, your boss, etc.) what their favorite book is, and read it.
70. Ask their favorite song or band, and listen to it.
71. Ask their favorite movie, and watch it.
72. Don't be camera shy.
73. When your alarm goes off in the morning (if you use one), don't press snooze.
74. Make a budget and follow it.
75. Always turning off lights when leaving a room, unless of course there are others are in the room. For that matter, conserving any unnecessary electricity usage is key to the future of humanity.
By: Amresh Anjan
Magic HR Article
Outsourcing Rates Low Among CIOs Surveyed
[Talent Management Magazine January 29, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 8]
Despite the attention focused on the outsourcing of technology jobs overseas, a recent survey by Robert Half Technology shows the majority of U.S. companies are not engaged in the practice. Ninety-four percent of chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed said their company does not outsource information technology (IT) jobs outside the United States.
Among companies that once sent IT jobs overseas but discontinued the practice, nearly six in 10 (59 percent) respondents cited management challenges as the top reason.
The study, developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology professionals on a project and full-time basis and conducted by an independent research firm, is based on telephone interviews with 1,400 CIOs across the United States.
CIOs were asked, "Does your company currently outsource technology jobs outside of the United States (i.e., do you engage in offshore outsourcing) ?"
No - 94%
Yes - 5%
Don't know - 1%
These percentages appear unlikely to change significantly in the near future, as most survey respondents expected a continuation of the status quo.
CIOs also were asked, "In the next two years, how will your company's level of offshore outsourcing change?"
Increase - 7%
Decrease - 4%
No change - 86%
Don't know - 3%
"Challenges such as language, culture and time-zone barriers can sometimes outweigh the potential benefits of outsourcing, " said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Smaller companies, in particular, may lack the resources to commit to an effective long-term offshoring strategy."
Lee further explained that many companies are keeping IT functions in-house to preserve the close collaboration that helps build nimble work teams. "IT professionals are taking on more complex roles that require frequent interaction with colleagues outside the department, including company executives. Hiring managers seek professionals with strong communication skills and business acumen, who are able to collaborate with technical and nontechnical co-workers and customers alike."
Large Companies More Likely to Outsource
The survey shows that large companies (those with 500 or more employees) are much more likely to engage in overseas technology outsourcing than small ones (those with fewer than 500 employees). In companies with more than 500 employees, 11 percent of CIOs reported that they currently engage in outsourcing, compared to 5 percent overall.
CIOs were asked, "Does your company currently outsource technology jobs outside of the United States?" (responses, by company size):
Company Size Percentage outsourcing offshore
1000+ 11%
500-999 11%
250-499 8%
100-249 3%
"Researching viable vendors and teaching them about the company and its products, management style and quality control require a substantial investment," Lee said. "Large companies may be better positioned to absorb the costs of both initial setup and ongoing oversight, and to benefit from economies of scale."
In the near future, growth in offshore outsourcing likely is to come primarily from companies already outsourcing, not from those that are new to the practice: 43 percent of respondents from companies that engage in offshore outsourcing said they plan to increase their level of offshore outsourcing in the next two years, versus 13 percent who said they expect levels to decrease.
Management Requirements and Other Hurdles
According to the survey, management challenges are a common obstacle to successful offshoring. More than half (59 percent) of CIOs whose companies had stopped offshore outsourcing cited management and oversight requirements among the reasons they had done so. Unrealized cost savings and quality control also were factors, cited by 30 percent and 23 percent of respondents, respectively.
CIOs at companies that have engaged in offshore outsourcing but currently do not were asked, "Which of the following were reasons you stopped offshore outsourcing? " (Multiple responses were allowed.)
Required too much oversight/managemen t - 59%
Cost savings were not realized - 30%
Quality of work not good enough - 23%
Lowered morale of U.S.-based workers - 11%
Security concerns - 6%
Other - 14%
Don't know - 5%
To Outsource or Not?
For firms contemplating offshore outsourcing, Lee pointed out some strategies to consider:
1. Look for stability.
Choose a vendor that has a track record of measuring staff turnover and retaining employees. Seek a company that has a succession plan in place, as well as defined career paths for their IT professionals.
2. Setup time and costs.
New jobs or even departments may need to be created to handle vendor selection, manage contracts, train workers and oversee remote work teams.
3. Management challenges.
Dispersed IT work teams may require a different level and type of oversight from management. Consider offering training for managers who will lead overseas teams and will likely be managing individuals who may be very different from them, in terms of culture, background and experience. Some companies may find they need a full-time project manager to oversee the offshore vendor.
4. Security and privacy concerns.
Intellectual property risks such as the enforcement of patents, copyrights and trade secrets may require additional oversight and resources. Benchmark best practices in the areas of security and proprietary technology, for example, from similar companies that have done it successfully.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Survey Says: Behavioral Interviewing on the Rise
by Kellye Whitney
[Talent Management Magazine January 31, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 9]
A recent Novations Group survey of more than 2,500 senior HR executives in the U.S. and Canada suggested the use of behavioral interviewing to screen job candidates will grow dramatically as hiring managers seek out ways to make the most of an increasingly diverse talent pool.
Some 55.7 percent of respondents stated they plan to use behavioral interviewing as often as in the past, and 24.7 percent plan to use behavioral interviewing more often.
Behavioral interviewing, or attempting to predict a job candidate's suitability based on past behavior, is on the rise because more HR and talent managers look on the tactic as a best practice, said Tim Vigue, executive consultant, Novations Inc.
"It's been around a long time, and it's been used successfully, " he explained. "Word on the street amongst colleagues spread that this is a good way to get good information, be accurate and get the right people in the right job. So it's beyond the fad point, and those that haven't caught on are saying, 'We've got to do more of this either in a small way to make it more consistent and use it across the board,' or maybe an organization has never used the approach but recognized it as a best practice and decided they need to do it."
Vigue said talent managers recognize the pool of qualified job candidates is becoming more and more diverse, which necessitates more objective methods to define who best fits available positions. Behavioral interviewing is one solution.
"Traditional methods of conversational interviews or hiring the people you have the best feeling about is really not a good way to do it because that potentially leads to the elimination of folks who could have done a very good job," he said. "HR executives need a way, a method, a tool for their managers to use that will prevent those kinds of mistakes."
The high costs associated with hiring mistakes virtually require that talent managers consistently use a more reliable approach. Nor can talent managers take the chance on making a wrong decision and potentially limiting their available talent pool because they haven't accurately predicted a candidate's abilities. Many realize this. Unfortunately, in an effort to avoid the aforementioned scenarios, Vigue said hiring managers often do behavioral interviewing incorrectly. Rather, they don't do it in a way that will elicit the results they need.
"Probably one of the biggest mistakes that folks make is they don't probe enough for detail," Vigue said. "They ask a question about a past event, which is what behavioral interviewing is, and the candidate gives a very surface answer or perhaps not an example of a behavior but more of a general statement. The interviewer either likes or does not like their answer and moves on to the next question. They aren't getting the kind of date and information that really makes behavioral interviewing successful, and they're not doing much more than they would in the typical, conversational, intuitive interview, where they ask people what their strengths and weaknesses are."
Further, in order to make behavioral interviewing work to best advantage, talent managers must identify required job competencies for incoming candidates.
"If the folks doing the hiring haven't identified what behaviors they need, and usually that's done through some sort of job analysis, they're probably not going to get what they want," Vigue said. "Many times, the interview team itself won't agree. They'll sit around and say, 'We want someone who's bright and capable and learns quickly and shows initiative,' but they haven't defined what those things are and what are the behaviors really going to look like. Folks have to define the skills and then write questions that will make it easier. That saves everybody a lot of time too because, when you've done it once, you don't have to do it every time a new candidate comes in."
[About the Author: Kellye Whitney is managing editor for Talent Management magazine.]
[Talent Management Magazine January 29, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 8]
Despite the attention focused on the outsourcing of technology jobs overseas, a recent survey by Robert Half Technology shows the majority of U.S. companies are not engaged in the practice. Ninety-four percent of chief information officers (CIOs) surveyed said their company does not outsource information technology (IT) jobs outside the United States.
Among companies that once sent IT jobs overseas but discontinued the practice, nearly six in 10 (59 percent) respondents cited management challenges as the top reason.
The study, developed by Robert Half Technology, a leading provider of information technology professionals on a project and full-time basis and conducted by an independent research firm, is based on telephone interviews with 1,400 CIOs across the United States.
CIOs were asked, "Does your company currently outsource technology jobs outside of the United States (i.e., do you engage in offshore outsourcing) ?"
No - 94%
Yes - 5%
Don't know - 1%
These percentages appear unlikely to change significantly in the near future, as most survey respondents expected a continuation of the status quo.
CIOs also were asked, "In the next two years, how will your company's level of offshore outsourcing change?"
Increase - 7%
Decrease - 4%
No change - 86%
Don't know - 3%
"Challenges such as language, culture and time-zone barriers can sometimes outweigh the potential benefits of outsourcing, " said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Smaller companies, in particular, may lack the resources to commit to an effective long-term offshoring strategy."
Lee further explained that many companies are keeping IT functions in-house to preserve the close collaboration that helps build nimble work teams. "IT professionals are taking on more complex roles that require frequent interaction with colleagues outside the department, including company executives. Hiring managers seek professionals with strong communication skills and business acumen, who are able to collaborate with technical and nontechnical co-workers and customers alike."
Large Companies More Likely to Outsource
The survey shows that large companies (those with 500 or more employees) are much more likely to engage in overseas technology outsourcing than small ones (those with fewer than 500 employees). In companies with more than 500 employees, 11 percent of CIOs reported that they currently engage in outsourcing, compared to 5 percent overall.
CIOs were asked, "Does your company currently outsource technology jobs outside of the United States?" (responses, by company size):
Company Size Percentage outsourcing offshore
1000+ 11%
500-999 11%
250-499 8%
100-249 3%
"Researching viable vendors and teaching them about the company and its products, management style and quality control require a substantial investment," Lee said. "Large companies may be better positioned to absorb the costs of both initial setup and ongoing oversight, and to benefit from economies of scale."
In the near future, growth in offshore outsourcing likely is to come primarily from companies already outsourcing, not from those that are new to the practice: 43 percent of respondents from companies that engage in offshore outsourcing said they plan to increase their level of offshore outsourcing in the next two years, versus 13 percent who said they expect levels to decrease.
Management Requirements and Other Hurdles
According to the survey, management challenges are a common obstacle to successful offshoring. More than half (59 percent) of CIOs whose companies had stopped offshore outsourcing cited management and oversight requirements among the reasons they had done so. Unrealized cost savings and quality control also were factors, cited by 30 percent and 23 percent of respondents, respectively.
CIOs at companies that have engaged in offshore outsourcing but currently do not were asked, "Which of the following were reasons you stopped offshore outsourcing? " (Multiple responses were allowed.)
Required too much oversight/managemen t - 59%
Cost savings were not realized - 30%
Quality of work not good enough - 23%
Lowered morale of U.S.-based workers - 11%
Security concerns - 6%
Other - 14%
Don't know - 5%
To Outsource or Not?
For firms contemplating offshore outsourcing, Lee pointed out some strategies to consider:
1. Look for stability.
Choose a vendor that has a track record of measuring staff turnover and retaining employees. Seek a company that has a succession plan in place, as well as defined career paths for their IT professionals.
2. Setup time and costs.
New jobs or even departments may need to be created to handle vendor selection, manage contracts, train workers and oversee remote work teams.
3. Management challenges.
Dispersed IT work teams may require a different level and type of oversight from management. Consider offering training for managers who will lead overseas teams and will likely be managing individuals who may be very different from them, in terms of culture, background and experience. Some companies may find they need a full-time project manager to oversee the offshore vendor.
4. Security and privacy concerns.
Intellectual property risks such as the enforcement of patents, copyrights and trade secrets may require additional oversight and resources. Benchmark best practices in the areas of security and proprietary technology, for example, from similar companies that have done it successfully.
______________________________________________________________________________________
Survey Says: Behavioral Interviewing on the Rise
by Kellye Whitney
[Talent Management Magazine January 31, 2008 | Volume 4, Issue 9]
A recent Novations Group survey of more than 2,500 senior HR executives in the U.S. and Canada suggested the use of behavioral interviewing to screen job candidates will grow dramatically as hiring managers seek out ways to make the most of an increasingly diverse talent pool.
Some 55.7 percent of respondents stated they plan to use behavioral interviewing as often as in the past, and 24.7 percent plan to use behavioral interviewing more often.
Behavioral interviewing, or attempting to predict a job candidate's suitability based on past behavior, is on the rise because more HR and talent managers look on the tactic as a best practice, said Tim Vigue, executive consultant, Novations Inc.
"It's been around a long time, and it's been used successfully, " he explained. "Word on the street amongst colleagues spread that this is a good way to get good information, be accurate and get the right people in the right job. So it's beyond the fad point, and those that haven't caught on are saying, 'We've got to do more of this either in a small way to make it more consistent and use it across the board,' or maybe an organization has never used the approach but recognized it as a best practice and decided they need to do it."
Vigue said talent managers recognize the pool of qualified job candidates is becoming more and more diverse, which necessitates more objective methods to define who best fits available positions. Behavioral interviewing is one solution.
"Traditional methods of conversational interviews or hiring the people you have the best feeling about is really not a good way to do it because that potentially leads to the elimination of folks who could have done a very good job," he said. "HR executives need a way, a method, a tool for their managers to use that will prevent those kinds of mistakes."
The high costs associated with hiring mistakes virtually require that talent managers consistently use a more reliable approach. Nor can talent managers take the chance on making a wrong decision and potentially limiting their available talent pool because they haven't accurately predicted a candidate's abilities. Many realize this. Unfortunately, in an effort to avoid the aforementioned scenarios, Vigue said hiring managers often do behavioral interviewing incorrectly. Rather, they don't do it in a way that will elicit the results they need.
"Probably one of the biggest mistakes that folks make is they don't probe enough for detail," Vigue said. "They ask a question about a past event, which is what behavioral interviewing is, and the candidate gives a very surface answer or perhaps not an example of a behavior but more of a general statement. The interviewer either likes or does not like their answer and moves on to the next question. They aren't getting the kind of date and information that really makes behavioral interviewing successful, and they're not doing much more than they would in the typical, conversational, intuitive interview, where they ask people what their strengths and weaknesses are."
Further, in order to make behavioral interviewing work to best advantage, talent managers must identify required job competencies for incoming candidates.
"If the folks doing the hiring haven't identified what behaviors they need, and usually that's done through some sort of job analysis, they're probably not going to get what they want," Vigue said. "Many times, the interview team itself won't agree. They'll sit around and say, 'We want someone who's bright and capable and learns quickly and shows initiative,' but they haven't defined what those things are and what are the behaviors really going to look like. Folks have to define the skills and then write questions that will make it easier. That saves everybody a lot of time too because, when you've done it once, you don't have to do it every time a new candidate comes in."
[About the Author: Kellye Whitney is managing editor for Talent Management magazine.]
HR Headlines, Feb.2008 (Part-3)
Hooked Romantically At The Workplace
The emerging globalized work culture of India Inc is seeing an interesting romantic development. A younger workforce and long working hours spent in office are leading to romantic liasions becoming commonplace. Not just single but married executives are reday to mingle with their colleagues. In a survey of romance in the workplace conducted by global research firm Synovate, 59 per cent of respondents said that women are equal partners in office romances and even initiate affairs in a number of instances. The survey is based on responses from 402 workers-70 per cent of them men and 30 per cent women. A third of working executives in India see no harm in romancing married colleagues. 44 per cent respondents believed that these affairs are simply a career move to get quick promotions. While some companies are devising policies to discourage such affairs, a majority of those polled (56%) feels organizations should not interfere in a romantic involvement.
Source: 29-01-08 www.livemint. com
Hyderabad Gets a Taste of Naukri.com Job Fair
Over 550 candidates got spot offers as Naukri.com's eighth job fair was organized in Hyderabd on 2nd & 3rd February. The fair witnessed over 42,000 walk-ins and over 4,500 candidates were short listed for interviews in the coming 2-3 weeks. The fair witnessed job seekers from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, as well as other parts of South India. Of the total number of registrations, 60% of the jobseekers were at the fresher level, 25% at mid management and 10% at senior level. It was a multi-industry job fair, with participating companies from IT, ITeS, Education and Manufacturing among others. Naukri.com has conducted successful fairs across Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi over the past three months and mobilized o ver 90,000 jobseekers in these cities. Over 1,500 jobseekers secured jobs through the fairs.
Source: 04-02-08 Company Bureau
Staff Security is BPOs Responsibility
The brutal rape and murder of a female employee of Hewlett Packard in Bangalore in December, 2005 had shocked the nation and thousands of youngsters working in the BPO industry. Taking cognizance of the matter, Supreme Court has allowed the prosecution of HP's Managing Director for failing to provide adequate security to its employees. Thus, the apex court has held the boss responsible for the security of the staff. The order comes as an eye-opener for hundreds of firms in India, where employees work in late-night shifts.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times
IT Companies To Cut Down Fat Salaries, Bench Strength: Sources
A rising Rupee and slowdown in the US economy is showing ripple effect in the Indian IT sector. Industry sources believe that major IT companies will squeeze salaries and reduce their bench strength to counter the crisis. Salary increases are expected to be around 7-8 per cent this year as compared to 15 per cent last year. Hiring could also be reduced by 20 per cent, as companies will look to better utilize the existing staff and cut down on the bench. In 2007, top five IT companies including TCS, Wipro and Infosys added more than 50,000 employees but this year the predictions are not so bright.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
AICTE Ignores Top B-School
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is yet to recognize the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB), ranked among the top 20 business schools in the world by the Financial Times. ISB is the only Indian business school to have figured in the prestigious list. However, this lack of recognition has had little impact on the institute' standing and reputation among students and recruiters. ISB is the first Indian B-school to have tied up with three foreign collaborators.
Source: 01-02-08 Hindustan Times
Nearly One-Third Of World's Top 100 IT Companies Based In India
A latest survey carried out with a view to help major outsourcers identifies reliable and tech savvy partners, has listed 29 India-based companies among the best 100 IT service providers in the world. The listed companies include India's Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Genpact and WNS Global Services. India is undoubtedly the hub of global delivery with 57 per cent of employees engaged in delivery centres based in India. However, now it faces competition from countries such as China, Malaysia, Russia and Brazil.
Source: 31-01-08 Pioneer
Indian BPO Industry To Employ 20 Lakh People By 2012: Nasscom
According to a new Nasscom-Everest India BPO study, the Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has the potential to grow five fold by 2012 to employ 20 lakh people in the country and become a $50 billion player by then. The study insisted that the industry would require support from government and education sector to achieve this target. Currently, the BPO industry in India is pegged at $11 billion, with 1,200 companies spread across 30 locations. Industry players have called for refurbishing of the education system and better infrastructure in Tier II and Tier III cities to beat emerging competition from countries such as Sri Lanks and the Philippines. Also, Nasscom is in negotiation with government to promote integrated townships to encourage BPO hubs within the country.
Source: 29-01-08 The Financial Express
Bans A Non Deterrent For Indians Going To Iraq
Many Indians still travel to war-torn Iraq in search of employment, undeterred by a government ban on working in Iraq. These workers use the UAE and Kuwait as a transit route. The modus operandi goes like this: they come to the UAE on visit visas and take up menial jobs for some time. Meanwhile recruiting agents based in the UAE try to get them Iraqi employment visas or entry permits. Most of these are construction workers, who are needed in Iraq as a lot of reconstruction work is going on to rebuild the country. In 2004, the Indian government imposed a ban on traveling to Iraq after the abduction of three Indian truck drivers. Reportedly, at least 50,000 Indians could be working in Iraq and most do not have any valid documents with them.
Source: 01-02-08 www.rediff.com
Rural Households Diversifying Job Profiles
The households of rural India have learnt to diversify their job files to cut economic risks. With farming as the main occupation, male members are now taking up non-farm jobs while women folk continue to focus on agriculture. Thus, the income in rural households doesn't stop with every monsoon failure. Apart from taking up non-agricultural jobs, there is also a notable rise in seasonal migration to urban areas by the male members. The trend augurs well as it ensures a minimum disposable income among rural households.
Source: 30-01-08 The Financial Express
TCS Staff To Bear The Brunt Of Company's Q3 Failure
For the first time, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) failed to achieve its internal economic value added target of Rs 376 crore by about Rs 83 crore in the quarter ended December 2007. Now, the company plans to recover the loss by deducting about 1.5 per cent of the total cost to company salary of its employees for the next two months. TCS has made it clear that the move will have no relation to future wage hikes and it does not fear accelerated attrition due to this. However, employees have condemned the situation and are treading cautiously.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindu Business Line
US Sub-Prime Loan Crisis Affects Bonuses In Indian BPOs
Employees of Indian service providers for US-based mortgage lenders are feeling the ripple effect of the sub-prime loan crisis in the United States. They are holding back bonus payments and have even announced job cuts. The US mortgage lender IndyMac is the client of EXL Service Holdings, WNS and other BPO units in India but the employees of these firms have yet not received bonus payment for the October-December quarter of 2007.
Source: 27-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
Satyam China's Head Among Top Ten IT Talents In Shanghai
Mr Raghvendra Tripathi, the head of Hyderabad-based Satyam group's China operations, has been voted by the Shanghai administration as among the top 10 IT talents in the city. Mr Tripathi is one of the two expatriates voted in the annual list compiled from the Internet and SMS voting. He moved into China from Singapore after the company set up base in China in 2002. He has also worked closely with a non-government organisation Project Hope that focuses on healthcare by contributing free data warehouse solutions. Satyam has a wide presence in China's big cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Dalian and Guangzhou.
Source: 29-01-08 www.sify.com
Women, Children Paid Poorly In Rural Areas
Women and kids fare poorly when it comes to payment of wages and salaries in both rural and urban India irrespective of the number of work hours put in and the educational qualifications. A study by the National Sample Survey Organisation titled "Employment and Unemployment situation in India' says that on an average, a rural Indian woman's daily wage is Rs 20 less than that of a man and daily salary is Rs 50 less. Rural children are paid as low as Rs 12 for a day's work. A graduate woman in rural India gets Rs 170 per day whereas the man gets Rs 239. A diploma holder woman gets Rs 212 per day and a man gets Rs 288 for the same number of work hours and same qualification. The girl child is the most exploited lot. A girl gets just Rs 10 per day in the manufacturing and service sectors in urban areas.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times
RIL Allots Over 10 Lakh Share Options To Staff
Reliance Industries is showering sops on its staff. The company has allotted 10.08 lakh share options to eligible employees of the company during the quarter ended December 31. The options would be convertible into an equal number of equity shares and would be vested based on the specified criteria. The vesting period would range between one to seven years from the date of the grant and the exercise period would extend up to five years from the date of vesting. During the quarter ended September 30, 2007, the company had granted 27,000 options exercisable into an equal number of equity shares to eligible employees.
Source: 29-01-08 www.rediff.com
Google Is Employer No 1 In The US
Fortune magazine has named Internet search engine giant Google as the best company to work for in America. Google is followed by online mortgage lender Quicken Loans and store chain Wegmans Food Markets in the second and third positions in the latest list of '100 Best American Companies to Work for'. Google has topped the list for the second time in a row. Other companies in the list include Cisco Systems, Starbucks Coffee, Adobe Systems, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Procter & Gamble, AstraZeneca and Nike.
Source: 27-01-08 www.ibnlive. com
Average UK Pay Rises Touch 15 Year High
Accelerated by the quickening inflation, average pay rises in the UK reached their highest level in 15 years in the third quarter ended December, 2007. The report by Industrial Relations Services (IRS) says that pay deals rose 3.7 per cent in the October to December period year-on-year, as against 3.4 per cent for September to November. Private sector pay increased by 3.5 per cent during the period, beating the public sector, which saw a climb of 2.5 per cent. The data is expected to make the Bank of England reluctant to reduce interest rates further.
Source: 26-01-08 news.bbc.co. uk
First Job Dip In The US Since 2003
According to the US labour department, for the first time since 2003, the US economy experienced job losses with non-farm payrolls falling by 17,000 jobs in January. The losses come against a backdrop of heightened recession threat. While the number of jobs in services and retailing rose slightly, it declined in the construction, manufacturing and government sectors. The US unemployment rate dipped from its latest reading of 5 per cent in December to 4.9 per cent in January, according to a separate survey of households.
Source: 02-02-08 www.rediff.com
Simplex Infrastructure To Recruit From Foreign Shores
Faced with an acute talent crunch, the Kolkata based infrastructure solutions provider, Simplex Infrastructure is forced to look at hiring foreign manpower. The Rs 2,000 crore firm has orders worth Rs 9,000 to be executed within the next few years. To excute the orders on time, the firm will hire talent from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines for its overseas projects. Currently, it has 145 separate teams, each with 30-40 people, under its six regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Doha and Dubai.
Source: 30-01-08 DNA Money
New Director For Oriental Insurance Company
Oriental Insurance Company has appointed Mr Dilip Kumar Vadilal Shah as a Director. Mr Shah is a practicing chartered accountant for the last 25 years. He has also been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for last 12 years and has held various positions. Currently, he is a member of the committee on ethical standards of the ICAI.
Source: 31-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
Mr Iqbal Singh Is New CEO Of GE Money India
GE Money India, the finance arm of US-based conglomerate General Electric has named Mr Iqbal Singh as its new CEO. GE Money India is looking for a new strategic partner for its personal loan and mortgage business. It has appointed Morgan Stanley as an advisor for induction of a partner. In the past, Mr Singh has played a crucial role in a number of partnerships GE Money has signed including the credit card JV with State Bank of India.
Source: 30-01-08 www.rediff.com
Mr Chaturvedi Appointed New MD At Corus
Tata Steel has appointed Mr Uday Kumar Chaturvedi as new Managing Director of Corus Strip Products UK with effect from April 01, 2008. The company has also effected a reshuffle at the top level. Mr Theo J Henrar, Managing Director of Corus Packaging Plus, will take over as Managing Director of Corus Strip Products, whereas Mr Hugo A Loudon, Managing Director of Corus Special Strip, will be the Managing Director of Corus Packaging Plus.
Source: 01-01-08 www.rediff.com
New MD, CEO For Nissan's Indian Unit
Mr Shohei Kimura has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd. He will replace the incumbent MD and CEO Mr Yoshie Motohiro, who would continue to oversee the marketing and sales function of NMIPL. Mr Kimura has extensive knowledge of Nissan's global operations and international automotive experience.
Source: 03-02-08 www.tradingmarkets. com
GoAir Appoints New CEO
Mr Edgardo Badiali has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer by GoAir. Formerly, Mr Badiali was serving as CEO of the Italian low-cost airline MyAir. He was also the co-founder and member of Executive Committee of the European Low Fares Airline Association. He has over 15 years of senior management experience in aviation. At GoAir, he would report to the company's Managing Director Mr Jeh Wadia.
Source: 01-02-08 Hindustan Times Business
HDFC Securities Gets New CEO
Mr Aseem Dhru has been named the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Securities. In his new capacity, he expects to consolidate HDFC's position as a leading full spectrum financial distributor. He aims to build the company into the top five brokerage houses in both the institutional and retail segments in two years' time.
Source: 31-01-08 DNA Money
Other Source: www.naukri.com
Complied By : Amresh Anjan
The emerging globalized work culture of India Inc is seeing an interesting romantic development. A younger workforce and long working hours spent in office are leading to romantic liasions becoming commonplace. Not just single but married executives are reday to mingle with their colleagues. In a survey of romance in the workplace conducted by global research firm Synovate, 59 per cent of respondents said that women are equal partners in office romances and even initiate affairs in a number of instances. The survey is based on responses from 402 workers-70 per cent of them men and 30 per cent women. A third of working executives in India see no harm in romancing married colleagues. 44 per cent respondents believed that these affairs are simply a career move to get quick promotions. While some companies are devising policies to discourage such affairs, a majority of those polled (56%) feels organizations should not interfere in a romantic involvement.
Source: 29-01-08 www.livemint. com
Hyderabad Gets a Taste of Naukri.com Job Fair
Over 550 candidates got spot offers as Naukri.com's eighth job fair was organized in Hyderabd on 2nd & 3rd February. The fair witnessed over 42,000 walk-ins and over 4,500 candidates were short listed for interviews in the coming 2-3 weeks. The fair witnessed job seekers from the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, as well as other parts of South India. Of the total number of registrations, 60% of the jobseekers were at the fresher level, 25% at mid management and 10% at senior level. It was a multi-industry job fair, with participating companies from IT, ITeS, Education and Manufacturing among others. Naukri.com has conducted successful fairs across Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi over the past three months and mobilized o ver 90,000 jobseekers in these cities. Over 1,500 jobseekers secured jobs through the fairs.
Source: 04-02-08 Company Bureau
Staff Security is BPOs Responsibility
The brutal rape and murder of a female employee of Hewlett Packard in Bangalore in December, 2005 had shocked the nation and thousands of youngsters working in the BPO industry. Taking cognizance of the matter, Supreme Court has allowed the prosecution of HP's Managing Director for failing to provide adequate security to its employees. Thus, the apex court has held the boss responsible for the security of the staff. The order comes as an eye-opener for hundreds of firms in India, where employees work in late-night shifts.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times
IT Companies To Cut Down Fat Salaries, Bench Strength: Sources
A rising Rupee and slowdown in the US economy is showing ripple effect in the Indian IT sector. Industry sources believe that major IT companies will squeeze salaries and reduce their bench strength to counter the crisis. Salary increases are expected to be around 7-8 per cent this year as compared to 15 per cent last year. Hiring could also be reduced by 20 per cent, as companies will look to better utilize the existing staff and cut down on the bench. In 2007, top five IT companies including TCS, Wipro and Infosys added more than 50,000 employees but this year the predictions are not so bright.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
AICTE Ignores Top B-School
The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is yet to recognize the Hyderabad-based Indian School of Business (ISB), ranked among the top 20 business schools in the world by the Financial Times. ISB is the only Indian business school to have figured in the prestigious list. However, this lack of recognition has had little impact on the institute' standing and reputation among students and recruiters. ISB is the first Indian B-school to have tied up with three foreign collaborators.
Source: 01-02-08 Hindustan Times
Nearly One-Third Of World's Top 100 IT Companies Based In India
A latest survey carried out with a view to help major outsourcers identifies reliable and tech savvy partners, has listed 29 India-based companies among the best 100 IT service providers in the world. The listed companies include India's Tata Consultancy Services, HCL Technologies, Genpact and WNS Global Services. India is undoubtedly the hub of global delivery with 57 per cent of employees engaged in delivery centres based in India. However, now it faces competition from countries such as China, Malaysia, Russia and Brazil.
Source: 31-01-08 Pioneer
Indian BPO Industry To Employ 20 Lakh People By 2012: Nasscom
According to a new Nasscom-Everest India BPO study, the Indian business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has the potential to grow five fold by 2012 to employ 20 lakh people in the country and become a $50 billion player by then. The study insisted that the industry would require support from government and education sector to achieve this target. Currently, the BPO industry in India is pegged at $11 billion, with 1,200 companies spread across 30 locations. Industry players have called for refurbishing of the education system and better infrastructure in Tier II and Tier III cities to beat emerging competition from countries such as Sri Lanks and the Philippines. Also, Nasscom is in negotiation with government to promote integrated townships to encourage BPO hubs within the country.
Source: 29-01-08 The Financial Express
Bans A Non Deterrent For Indians Going To Iraq
Many Indians still travel to war-torn Iraq in search of employment, undeterred by a government ban on working in Iraq. These workers use the UAE and Kuwait as a transit route. The modus operandi goes like this: they come to the UAE on visit visas and take up menial jobs for some time. Meanwhile recruiting agents based in the UAE try to get them Iraqi employment visas or entry permits. Most of these are construction workers, who are needed in Iraq as a lot of reconstruction work is going on to rebuild the country. In 2004, the Indian government imposed a ban on traveling to Iraq after the abduction of three Indian truck drivers. Reportedly, at least 50,000 Indians could be working in Iraq and most do not have any valid documents with them.
Source: 01-02-08 www.rediff.com
Rural Households Diversifying Job Profiles
The households of rural India have learnt to diversify their job files to cut economic risks. With farming as the main occupation, male members are now taking up non-farm jobs while women folk continue to focus on agriculture. Thus, the income in rural households doesn't stop with every monsoon failure. Apart from taking up non-agricultural jobs, there is also a notable rise in seasonal migration to urban areas by the male members. The trend augurs well as it ensures a minimum disposable income among rural households.
Source: 30-01-08 The Financial Express
TCS Staff To Bear The Brunt Of Company's Q3 Failure
For the first time, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) failed to achieve its internal economic value added target of Rs 376 crore by about Rs 83 crore in the quarter ended December 2007. Now, the company plans to recover the loss by deducting about 1.5 per cent of the total cost to company salary of its employees for the next two months. TCS has made it clear that the move will have no relation to future wage hikes and it does not fear accelerated attrition due to this. However, employees have condemned the situation and are treading cautiously.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindu Business Line
US Sub-Prime Loan Crisis Affects Bonuses In Indian BPOs
Employees of Indian service providers for US-based mortgage lenders are feeling the ripple effect of the sub-prime loan crisis in the United States. They are holding back bonus payments and have even announced job cuts. The US mortgage lender IndyMac is the client of EXL Service Holdings, WNS and other BPO units in India but the employees of these firms have yet not received bonus payment for the October-December quarter of 2007.
Source: 27-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
Satyam China's Head Among Top Ten IT Talents In Shanghai
Mr Raghvendra Tripathi, the head of Hyderabad-based Satyam group's China operations, has been voted by the Shanghai administration as among the top 10 IT talents in the city. Mr Tripathi is one of the two expatriates voted in the annual list compiled from the Internet and SMS voting. He moved into China from Singapore after the company set up base in China in 2002. He has also worked closely with a non-government organisation Project Hope that focuses on healthcare by contributing free data warehouse solutions. Satyam has a wide presence in China's big cities - Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Dalian and Guangzhou.
Source: 29-01-08 www.sify.com
Women, Children Paid Poorly In Rural Areas
Women and kids fare poorly when it comes to payment of wages and salaries in both rural and urban India irrespective of the number of work hours put in and the educational qualifications. A study by the National Sample Survey Organisation titled "Employment and Unemployment situation in India' says that on an average, a rural Indian woman's daily wage is Rs 20 less than that of a man and daily salary is Rs 50 less. Rural children are paid as low as Rs 12 for a day's work. A graduate woman in rural India gets Rs 170 per day whereas the man gets Rs 239. A diploma holder woman gets Rs 212 per day and a man gets Rs 288 for the same number of work hours and same qualification. The girl child is the most exploited lot. A girl gets just Rs 10 per day in the manufacturing and service sectors in urban areas.
Source: 30-01-08 Hindustan Times
RIL Allots Over 10 Lakh Share Options To Staff
Reliance Industries is showering sops on its staff. The company has allotted 10.08 lakh share options to eligible employees of the company during the quarter ended December 31. The options would be convertible into an equal number of equity shares and would be vested based on the specified criteria. The vesting period would range between one to seven years from the date of the grant and the exercise period would extend up to five years from the date of vesting. During the quarter ended September 30, 2007, the company had granted 27,000 options exercisable into an equal number of equity shares to eligible employees.
Source: 29-01-08 www.rediff.com
Google Is Employer No 1 In The US
Fortune magazine has named Internet search engine giant Google as the best company to work for in America. Google is followed by online mortgage lender Quicken Loans and store chain Wegmans Food Markets in the second and third positions in the latest list of '100 Best American Companies to Work for'. Google has topped the list for the second time in a row. Other companies in the list include Cisco Systems, Starbucks Coffee, Adobe Systems, Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Procter & Gamble, AstraZeneca and Nike.
Source: 27-01-08 www.ibnlive. com
Average UK Pay Rises Touch 15 Year High
Accelerated by the quickening inflation, average pay rises in the UK reached their highest level in 15 years in the third quarter ended December, 2007. The report by Industrial Relations Services (IRS) says that pay deals rose 3.7 per cent in the October to December period year-on-year, as against 3.4 per cent for September to November. Private sector pay increased by 3.5 per cent during the period, beating the public sector, which saw a climb of 2.5 per cent. The data is expected to make the Bank of England reluctant to reduce interest rates further.
Source: 26-01-08 news.bbc.co. uk
First Job Dip In The US Since 2003
According to the US labour department, for the first time since 2003, the US economy experienced job losses with non-farm payrolls falling by 17,000 jobs in January. The losses come against a backdrop of heightened recession threat. While the number of jobs in services and retailing rose slightly, it declined in the construction, manufacturing and government sectors. The US unemployment rate dipped from its latest reading of 5 per cent in December to 4.9 per cent in January, according to a separate survey of households.
Source: 02-02-08 www.rediff.com
Simplex Infrastructure To Recruit From Foreign Shores
Faced with an acute talent crunch, the Kolkata based infrastructure solutions provider, Simplex Infrastructure is forced to look at hiring foreign manpower. The Rs 2,000 crore firm has orders worth Rs 9,000 to be executed within the next few years. To excute the orders on time, the firm will hire talent from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Philippines for its overseas projects. Currently, it has 145 separate teams, each with 30-40 people, under its six regional offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Doha and Dubai.
Source: 30-01-08 DNA Money
New Director For Oriental Insurance Company
Oriental Insurance Company has appointed Mr Dilip Kumar Vadilal Shah as a Director. Mr Shah is a practicing chartered accountant for the last 25 years. He has also been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for last 12 years and has held various positions. Currently, he is a member of the committee on ethical standards of the ICAI.
Source: 31-01-08 Hindustan Times Business
Mr Iqbal Singh Is New CEO Of GE Money India
GE Money India, the finance arm of US-based conglomerate General Electric has named Mr Iqbal Singh as its new CEO. GE Money India is looking for a new strategic partner for its personal loan and mortgage business. It has appointed Morgan Stanley as an advisor for induction of a partner. In the past, Mr Singh has played a crucial role in a number of partnerships GE Money has signed including the credit card JV with State Bank of India.
Source: 30-01-08 www.rediff.com
Mr Chaturvedi Appointed New MD At Corus
Tata Steel has appointed Mr Uday Kumar Chaturvedi as new Managing Director of Corus Strip Products UK with effect from April 01, 2008. The company has also effected a reshuffle at the top level. Mr Theo J Henrar, Managing Director of Corus Packaging Plus, will take over as Managing Director of Corus Strip Products, whereas Mr Hugo A Loudon, Managing Director of Corus Special Strip, will be the Managing Director of Corus Packaging Plus.
Source: 01-01-08 www.rediff.com
New MD, CEO For Nissan's Indian Unit
Mr Shohei Kimura has been appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nissan Motor India Pvt Ltd. He will replace the incumbent MD and CEO Mr Yoshie Motohiro, who would continue to oversee the marketing and sales function of NMIPL. Mr Kimura has extensive knowledge of Nissan's global operations and international automotive experience.
Source: 03-02-08 www.tradingmarkets. com
GoAir Appoints New CEO
Mr Edgardo Badiali has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer by GoAir. Formerly, Mr Badiali was serving as CEO of the Italian low-cost airline MyAir. He was also the co-founder and member of Executive Committee of the European Low Fares Airline Association. He has over 15 years of senior management experience in aviation. At GoAir, he would report to the company's Managing Director Mr Jeh Wadia.
Source: 01-02-08 Hindustan Times Business
HDFC Securities Gets New CEO
Mr Aseem Dhru has been named the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of HDFC Securities. In his new capacity, he expects to consolidate HDFC's position as a leading full spectrum financial distributor. He aims to build the company into the top five brokerage houses in both the institutional and retail segments in two years' time.
Source: 31-01-08 DNA Money
Other Source: www.naukri.com
Complied By : Amresh Anjan
Legal Tip of the Day
Legal Tip of the Day
Termination justified for obtaining a job fraudulently
Termination of a workman, who has obtained job fraudulently pertaining to his age and qualification, has been rightly upheld by the Labour Court. There will be no violation of principles of natural justice when a show-cause notice was issued to the workman before terminating his service for playing fraud about his age and qualification.
Termination justified for obtaining a job fraudulently
Termination of a workman, who has obtained job fraudulently pertaining to his age and qualification, has been rightly upheld by the Labour Court. There will be no violation of principles of natural justice when a show-cause notice was issued to the workman before terminating his service for playing fraud about his age and qualification.
HR Headlines, Feb.2008 (Part-2)
Advisory board of smaller firms
Smaller companies with no more than 20 employees typically have up to three advisers. An odd number is preferred in case the management is looking for a swing vote on key decisions.
Six tips for finding mentors who can take to the next level.
Whether a company has 10 employees or 1,000 having reliable group of advisers who can offer objective analysis and a few timely introductions can make all the difference.
Slightly different from a board of directors, an advisory board serves more of a mentorship role. These members have no fiduciary responsibility to the company or its stakeholders.
Young, growing companies stand to benefit most from advisory boards. An advisory board is good for that independent eye. It helps ask questions beyond just what is on the first line of the profit and loss statement.
And with business regulations growing complex and transactions more international, the number of companies with advisory boards has crept up.
Here are six tips for building a firm’s own indispensable advisory board.
Where to look: Start who you know and trust. Lawyers and bankers are no-brainer additions to any advisory board. Beyond the inner circle, the firm must search through local small business development center or industry association. A riskier option: customers and vendors who might have good connections in the industry. Just be careful what a firm’s CEO tell them about the advisory role; better yet, have them sign confidentiality agreements.
Three’s Not Always A Crowd: Smaller companies with no more than 20 employees typically have up to three advisers, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (An odd number is nice in case you’re looking for a swing vote on a key decision) Just don’t load up the kitchen with cooks: More than six or seven advisers is probably too many.
Perhaps the greatest asset an adviser lends is credibility if the firm can find a big name or two with clients, employees and investors. A firm’s management wants someone who validates a solution with a name to bank on. Advisers are people who open doors.
Smart advisers are good, but companies may also want a spread of perspectives and skills that complement their own. One person might be an expert on technological trends, while another might keep the firm honest about its financial projections.
Many mentors will sit on a start-up’s advisory board for no pay. After all, they want to network with other industry players and to build their own credibility. Still, about 20% of small businesses offer some kind of compensation, if just enough to cover traveling costs to and from meetings. The price tag climbs as companies grow. According to Compensation resources, almost 91% of firms with $50 million to $100 million in revenue pay their advisers; average compensation: $4,800 per year. Equity is an option, too, but the advice better be really good.
Compiled By: Amresh Anjan
Right attitude at workplace
Managers can be referred to as key persons of an organization. The ancient scriptures give us an idea of the right attitude and mental framework with which a king’s minister should work which is very much comparable to the present day manager of a modern organization.
A manager must desist from using harsh words to another and should not lose his cool if a customer or peer addresses the manager in some sarcastic or harsh tone. In short a manager must have capacity full of forbearance like the earth.
The first step towards having the right attitude is to define success in own terms. It is like sitting at a dining table and trying to put together a jigsaw puzzle. The first thing that one does while solving a jigsaw puzzle is look at the picture on the box. The same holds true for success. Success should never be measured by what others have or have not done; rather it is something very subjective. At workplace, it helps avoid inter-office comparisons, in terms of either job responsibilities or recognition. Right attitude is seeing what one can be best at, rather than seeing what others are better at.
Developing discipline is another requisite to foster a positive attitude. Today’s preparation determines tomorrow’s achievement. However, there is a price to pay for it. One will need to find what it takes to be the best time, practice, commitment, sacrifice. In this highly competitive scenario one requires discipline and commitment to meet targets and deadlines and facilitate prioritization of tasks and duties. Ones attitude assists him in maintaining the discipline he has developed.
The following three cases, along with their solutions, are given for the article readers’ information and understanding:
Case 1: The boss fires his subordinate.
Solution: There are times when even the best of bosses fire the subordinates. The reasons may or may not be known to them. As a subordinate, one should turn away from ‘another frightful’ exchange of words.
This means that, if the boss is expressing his anger, it necessarily need not be towards the subordinate. Secondly, the assistant must not react with thoughts like “I will leave the job” or “How can my boss do this after 20 years of dedication?” etc.
He has to just keep calm and let time pass. Then, with a cool head, analyze why he or she said what was said. It was probably a continuation of some previous event that affected his behavior. Or, it could be that the subordinate did not do something expected of him.
Once the reasons are understood, it will be easy to take action. If it was a mistake, then correct it and only then go back to the boss. Just go at a alter stage (“turn away from frightful” words).
Case II: Suppose the assistant gets angry
Solutions: Now this is a situation for anger management. Never aim frustration towards others – this is very essential. It requires practice, but it’s important to recognize that when one is losing temper and control self to remain cool.
Postpone every activity and thought till one attains calmness and quite. Remember, intellect may be a wonderful instrument, but it works only without disturbance.
Case III: Someone abuses an employee (other than boss)
Solution: It may not be easy but accomplished and learned persons advise, in such a case, one should be forgiving, cool and controlled self. There are bound to be times in every manager’s life when, despite doing one’s best for juniors and subordinates, they show an attitude of thanklessness. It’s very painful. At such times, a manager can recall the example of his parents, who have forgiven him during his childhood days umpteen number of times.
Just remain calm, forgive them and let life go on. Things return back to normal as all of us realize eventually that we need each other. Having the right attitude is crucial to the kind of image created about one self and this for a fact holds more importance at one’s work place. Adopting the right attitude is a step towards personal excellence which in turn helps us to add value to everything we do. Hence, it is time tested fact that ‘Attitude’ and ‘Success’ go hand in hand.
Compiled By: Amresh Anjan
Incentives for professional employees
Professional employees are those whose work involves the application of learned knowledge to the solution of the employer’s problems. The include lawyers, doctors, economists, and engineers.
Making incentive pay decisions for professional employees can be challenging. For one thing, firms usually pay professionals well anyway. For another, they’re already driven by the desire to produce high-caliber work and receive recognition from colleagues. In some cases, offering financial rewards to people like these may actually diminish their intrinsic motivation not add to it.
However, that’s not to say that professionals don’t want financial incentives, particularly those in high-demand jobs like software and systems developers for information technology (IT) firms. A survey of 300 IT departments found that 77% were paying bonuses and incentives, including stock options and profit sharing to IT professionals. Many are also offering benefits that are highly attractive to professionals, including better vacations, more flexible work hours, equipment for home offices, and improved pension plans. Texas Instruments began offering stock option grants to about a third of its engineers when it discovered it was losing about 15% of them to the competition. Several firms, including IBM and Motorola, award bonuses to employees whose work wins patents for the firms.
Recognition-Based Awards:
Studies show that recognition has a positive impact on performance, either alone or in conjunction with financial rewards. For example, in one study, combining financial rewards with non-financial ones like recognition produced a 30% performance improvement in service firms, almost twice the effect of using each reward alone. The Minnesota Department of natural Resources conducted one study of recognition. Respondents said they “highly valued” day-to-day recognition from supervisors, peers, and team members. More than two-thirds said it was important to believe that others appreciated their work.
Employers are therefore increasingly using performance-based recognition programs today. According to one survey, 78% of CEOs and 58% of HR Vice Presidents said their firms were using performance recognition programs. Dallas-based Texas Instruments, for instance offers bonuses as well as non-financial recognition including personalized plaques, parties, movie tickets, golf lessons and team shirts and jackets. The number of individual Texas Instruments employees recognized in this way jumped by 400% in one recent year, from 21,970 to 84,260. At Metro Motors, California the name of the employee of the month goes up on the electronic billboard over the dealership. Managers at American Skandia, which provides insurance and financial planning products and services, regularly evaluate their customer service reps based in specific standards. Those who exceed those standards receive a plaque, a $500 check their photo and story on the form’s internal Web sites, and a dinner for them and their teams.
Online Award Programs:
If there’s a downside to recognition programs, it’s that they’re expensive to administer. For examples, many firms run anniversary awards programs to recognize employees on significant dates like their fifth year with the company. The HR department usually has to choose the merchandise, create the rewards catalog, print and mail the catalog, and monitor everyone’s anniversary date and make sure the employees actually gets his or her award. This can be very time-consuming.
Compiled By: Amresh Anjan
Focusing on work
A person who has work experience knows how much concentration skills matter while one is working. Here are some tips to develop better concentration while one is working or on the job:
Concentrate on one thing at a time without diverting the attention on some other tasks until the first one is completed. It’s always good to do one thing at a time rather than doing 10 different things. Multi-tasking will distract the mind. If one is doing some important work sitting in the office, he must stop thinking about what’s happening around, rather focus on the details of the job at hand. Don’t let the attention wander to other things during this time.
It doesn’t mater how menial the job is, as long as the employee is doing it well. What’s most important is that one must be serious about whatever is assigned to him by his superior. We take a lot of things for grated. To develop focus and concentration try to look at tasks that are being done everyday as if one is doing them for the first or the last time. This will encourage the individual to observe details, which he may have missed before, thus improving his observation and concentration.
If there’s something that’s bothering while one is working, the best way to get that thing out of his head is by writing it down on a piece of paper. This is one way that really works in overcoming the problem that an employee is facing of missing out smaller tasks while completing the bigger and important ones.
An individual can decide before starting the work how he would like to reward himself when he finishes the job well in time and as stipulated by the boss. The reward can be anything that makes him happy and relaxed – like having favorite food, going out for a walk, meeting his best friend etc. It doesn’t have to be something big, any activity that gives pleasure and takes mind off work for some time will do. This system of rewarding really works. This will be like a self incentive for self motivation.
Before one starts doing any work, he must be clear in his mind as to what he wants to accomplish. Think of how to plan to go about it? Allocate appropriate time to that particular task for finishing it as required. Be as specific as possible and move on to some other task only after completing the one which is already on hand.
Interruptions from emails, text messages and phone calls eat up more than a quarter of working day a research study has revealed.
Other disturbing factors are the constant stream of queries from work colleagues, friends and families which take up more than two hours. There seems little point in knuckling down to tackle projects. The working day is interrupted every three minutes, ensuring a quarter of tasks are put off until the next day.
Don’t move unnecessarily without a purpose as this can waste ones precious time and the tasks on hand will get delayed for no apparent reasons. Restless people can never sit at one place. People who have short attention spans are usually restless people. If one watches them one will notice them making a lot of unnecessary movements like shaking hands and legs while sitting talking etc. While those people who have good concentration are usually calm. They sit and stand still without any unnecessary movements. This helps to preserve ones valuable energy and improve concentration at work.
Compiled By: Amresh Anjan
Monday, February 4, 2008
HR Headlines, Feb.2008
EPF Rate To Remain Steady At 8.5%
The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Board has rejected the Central government proposal to pay 8.25 per cent interest rate on the EPF, thus retaining it at 8.5 per cent for the fiscal year 2007-08. The EPF Board’s decision would benefit over four crore EPF subscribers employed in the country’s organised sector. The Left unions had demanded an interest rate of 9.5 per cent, which was rejected by the Board.
Source: 24-01-08 www.thestatesman.net Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Naukri.com Job Fair In Hyderabad
Continuing its series of job fairs, naukri.com will hold its eighth job fair in Hyderabad on 2nd & 3rd February, 2008 at Le Palais Royal ‘Ibrahim Mahal’. The job fair promises to be an excellent platform for recruiters to hire the best talent from different industries. Over 2000 jobs will be up for grabs from multiple industries like IT, ITES/BPO, Finance, Banking/Insurance, Telecom, Engineering, Hospitality and Construction and others. Bosch is the lead sponsor for the event whereas Tanla Solutions and Kyocera Wireless are the Platinum sponsors. Satyam BPO, Godrej and JDA Software are the Gold sponsors. Other participant companies include Avid consultants, BA Continuum, Zensar, Firepro Systems, HG Technologies and others.
Source: 28-01-08 Our Bureau Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Indian Employment Scenario Positive: ILO
According to a study by the International Labour Organization, India has seen a sharp rise in employment in the industrial sector in 2007. The observation is contrary to the impression that jobs are increasing only in the service sector. After agriculture, the service sector, including the outsourcing industry, is the largest employer in India. Also, the encouraging revelation is that women’s share in employment in the industrial sector increased more than that of men. The study titled ‘Global Employment Trends’ also says that global unemployment rate will rise to 6.1% in 2008 owing to turmoil in the US housing credit market and the continuing threat of high oil prices.
Source: 25-01-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Salaries Rising In Real Estate Sector
The acute talent crunch in the real estate sector has pushed salary levels to dizzying heights at every level. The salary levels in this sector have been growing at 25-30% a year over the past two years. Real estate has transformed itself from an unorganized business to a more organized one. Last year, a number of real estate firms tapped the capital market including DLF Ltd, Omaxe Ltd and Puravankara Projects Ltd. They raised around $3.7 billion from share sales in 2007 and the initial share sale of Emaar MGF Ltd is set to open any time soon. Those people who stayed on in their jobs have seen a steady salary growth while those who switched from other sectors to real estate made much more. With real estate rates in some markets tripling or quadrupling over the past three years, the rising salaries seem mandatory.
Source: 23-01-08 www.livemint.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Ms Indra Nooyi Is New USIBC Chairperson
PepsiCo Head Ms Indra K Nooyi has become the first woman ever to be elected as the chairperson of the US-India Business Council. The premier business advocacy organization USIBC comprises of 250 of the largest US companies investing in India, joined by more than two dozen global Indian companies. Ms Nooyi replaces the departing Chairman Mr Charles 'Chip' Kaye at the helm of the organization. USIBC was formed in 1975 and works to deepen two-way trade and strengthen US-India commercial ties. It is hosted under the aegis of the US Chamber of Commerce.
Source: 23-01-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Retirement Age At RCom To Be Raised
In an unprecedented move in the private sector, Reliance Communications has decided to increase the retirement age for its employees from 58 to 65 years. The decision comes in the backdrop of reports of talent crunch in high growth industries like telecom. Raising the bar for retirement age will benefit about 1,500 employees of the 40,000 employees at Reliance Dhirubhai Ambani Group telecom company. The retirement age ranges from 58 to 60 years at most private sector companies. The company is also in the process of finalizing an ESOP scheme for employees.
Source: 21-01-08 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan
TCS Luring Trainees And Fresh Recruits With Overseas Placement
Taking an innovative human resource initiative, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is placing some of its trainees and fresh recruits at client sites overseas to help them understand the client demands and enable them to interface with clients better. These employees will return at TCS’ respective development bases to serve the same client’s global operations. For a major global telecom client, TCS will place about 5 per cent of its fresh recruits with client sites. The move is seen as an effort to make it attractive to employees and help bring down the overall attrition levels. TCS employs over 6,000 people in Hyderabad centres, and has recruited about 4,000 people, including about 2,700 freshers during 2007.
Source: 24-01-08 www.sify.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
US Sub-Prime Loan Crisis Sends Ripples To India
About 30 per cent of the back-end operations of global financial majors are outsourced to India. Nearly 5,000 Indian employees are estimated to be working for Wall Street firms. This offshoring generates lots of revenue but it is also makes jobs here vulnerable to global economic jitters. For instance, the recent sub-prime housing loan crisis in the US has forced the US-based financial services giant Lehman Brothers to shut down its mortgage division in India. However, the company insists that the 100-strong workforce will not be laid off, it will be shifted to other departments.
Source: 19-01-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Aegis BPO Innovates Curriculum To Arrest Attrition
Aegis business process outsourcing has come up with an innovative in-house curriculum Aegis Ace, based on employee feedback. The course is meant to arrest attrition. Annually, the company’s attrition on an average ranges from 38 to 58 per cent. However, in the last three months, this figure has come down by 25 per cent. The modules in the course address the employees' work-life issues. Also, there is different curriculum for each employee level. The duration of the course varies from a minimum of six to nine months. At present, 1,700 employees have enrolled for the course at its seven centres across India.
Source: 21-01-08 ww.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Back-Up Placement Option For Executive Students At IIM-A
IIM, Ahmedabad has put in place a back-up plan for entrepreneurial participants of the PG management programme, in case their ventures do not take off as planned. The students with entrepreneurial dreams, who do not sit for placements this year, can instead participate in the recruitment process next year. This year, recruiters participating in the placements include McKinsey, Microsoft, GE, Shell, RPF, Infosys and others.
Source: 21-01-08 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Chinese Manpower Working In Indian Power Sector
The Indian power sector is being powered by Chinese equipment and manpower these days. Chinese manpower from companies such as Dongfang Electric Corporation (DEC), Sichuan Machinery and Equipment Corporation (SCMEC) and Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO) is employed in large numbers in the country. The power sector requires skilled engineering experts and the Chinese companies are using their own people for deploying the power plant equipment. However, the Chinese workers are not eating into anybody’s jobs, since there is also a huge shortage.
Source: 21-01-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Govt To Fix Minimum Wage For Workers Seeking Jobs Abroad
Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Mr Vayalar Ravi has said that India is yet to fix a realistic minimum wage for its domestic workers seeking jobs abroad. The minister believes that the wage should reflect the conditions in each of the countries where the workers are employed. Most Indian missions feel that a monthly salary of minimum $300 is a decent amount. The minister has commended the UAE for taking major steps to ensure the welfare of expatriate workers by introducing salary payment through banks and strict inspections.
Source: 23-01-08 www.livemint.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Tata Teleservices MD Resigns
Mr Charles Anthony, Tata Teleservices Managing Director for Maharashtra, has quit the organization citing personal reasons. Mr Mukund Rajan, Tata Teleservices and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Director, has been appointed to replace Mr Anthony as Managing Director of the telecom company.
Source: 23-01-08 Business Standard Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Infosys CEO Fined For Disrespecting Company Rule
Infosys Technologies Ltd Chief Executive Officer Mr S Gopalakrishnan has been fined Rs 500,000 for not reporting on time a change in his share ownership. Mr Gopalakrishnan had inherited 12,800 shares from his mother on Dec. 24 but he failed to notify the same to the company within one business day. Thus, the audit committee imposed a fine on him as per its insider trading rules. Now, Infosys CEO would be required to pay the penalty to a charity.
Source: 22-01-08 www.indianexpress.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
RMG Connect India Appoints Ms Meera Sharath Chandra
Ms Meera Sharath Chandra has been appointed by RMG Connect, a JWT Group Company, as President & National Creative Director. She possesses over seventeen years of prior experience at JWT and two years as National Creative Director for non-traditional services at Mudra Marketing. Ms Meera has a successful track record with clients like HSBC, Cadbury, Citibank, Ford, Walt Disney, Pepsi, Nestle and Platinum Guild. She has been widely acclaimed with awards in a wide range of international competitions from Cannes to the Webbys.
Source: 19-01-08 in.biz.yahoo.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
MSN India Appoints Ms Maya Hari As Consumer Marketing Head
Ms Maya Hari has been appointed by MSN India as consumer marketing head. She will report to the company’s country manager, Mr Jaspreet Bindra. Prior to this, she has worked at Google India for a year. At MSN, she will be responsible for the marketing and PR activities of all consumer products, including the MSN portal, MSN mobile, Windows Live Hotmail, MSN Messenger and the blogging platform, Live Spaces. Ms Hari started her career in 2000 and has worked with big names like Schlumberger (US), a semiconductor solution provider, Cisco Systems (US), and Google. She is an engineering graduate from the Utah State University in the US and an MBA from INSEAD, France.
Source: 24-01-08 www.agencyfaqs.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
JSW Group In Expansion Mode
JSW Group intends to reach total employee strength of 50,000 within five years. The company has a huge expansion plan of Rs 40,000 crore and is looking to hire quality people across steel, cement and aluminum divisions. The company will employ 15,000 people in West Bengal where it is setting up a 10 million tonne integrated steel plant. Similarly, at its Vijayanagara steel plant, the company will take the total headcount to 14,000 employees in two years’ time. Currently, JSW has an employee strength of 7,000 people.
Source: 24-01-08 The Financial Express Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Two British Companies To Outsource Work To India
Two major British companies, Capita and Experian, have decided to cut their employee strength and move work to Mumbai and Bangalore in India. Capita has informed nearly 400 workers in their Birmingham unit that the site will be closed by the end of the year. Experian is also in the process of cutting hundreds of jobs in Britain to cut costs after a dramatic slowdown. The 15,000 employees-strong company is scaling back its IT development workforce in Britain and the US and plans to outsource many of the jobs to India, Chile and Bulgaria.
Source: 24-01-08 www.ibnlive.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Citigroup To Cut Down 400 Jobs In UK
Faced by huge subprime-related losses, Citigroup is set to lay off nearly 400 employees in its UK investment banking business. The bank plans to reduce the headcount by 4,200 globally. The remaining 3,800 job cuts are expected in its US consumer finance business and Asia. Currently, the bank has a headcount of about 11,000 people in the UK. The group reviews its staff every year with an aim to replace the weakest 5 per cent with stronger external recruits. However, this year only a minority of departures would be replaced.
Source: 24-01-08 The Financial Express Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Buyouts To All Ford Hourly Workers In The US
Ford Motor and United Auto Workers (UAW) have reached an agreement under which Ford will offer buyouts to UAW- resresented hourly workers. The move is likely to trim thousands of jobs and pave the way for lower-wage replacemnts. In 2006, in a similar scheme, hourly workers were offered eight packages ranging from $35,000 to $140,000 and approximately 33,600 hourly workers left. In order to trim the hourly work forces, GM has begun offering early retirement packages and buyouts to 5,200 UAW hourly workers.
Source: 25-01-08 Hindustan Times Business Compiled by Amresh Anjan
Top Order Rejig At eBay
Ms Meg Whitman has called it quits as the CEO of eBay Inc. Ms Whitman would step down as its president and CEO on March 31.She would be replaced by Mr John Donahoe. eBay has also brought in India-origin former finance head Mr Rajiv Dutta to the board. Mr Rajiv Dutta, currently president of its PayPal unit, has been appointed as Executive Vice President of eBay Inc and would replace Mr Donahoe as president of the auction business unit - eBay Marketplaces. Mr Dutta has previously served as the company's chief financial officer and president of Skype, eBay's communications business.
Source: 24-01-08 www.rediff.com Compiled by Amresh Anjan
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