Brief detail about HR Strategies in Place in your Company

We are in the business of exporting Apparel and Manufacturing textiles. Our HR strategies are very situational. Our vision and focus is very much business driven. HR is a facilitator and service driven and plays more of a support role. Strategic thinking in the Apparel Industry is a rare phenomenon. Nevertheless HR has come to stay in this Industry purely operationally.

Today trends seen in HR

We have gone past the stage where HR has been talked about as business partner. How far it is deep rooted really can't be assessed. Yes everyone considers HR as the back bone for an organization, in reality it is only on paper except for in the Information technology Industry, it is a process driven function and to count on your fingers there are very few companies which sincerely implement best practices. The trends are encouraging though, profession has changed as HR professionals are looking at being multitasking in the years to come. Learning never stops, developments never stop, new trends will continue and we have to keep learning. The function is here to stay.

Difficulties in Planning Human Resource in an ever changing business

In an organization such as ours, decisions keep changing every day, hence planning becomes too complicated. Again I go back to my first answer and reiterate and say we are situational leaders.

HR Relationship with the CEO

It is a mixed bag. Differs from Industry to Industry. There is no general comment as such. Some of the CEO's still view business as important, HR not so important though required to support business. HR to some CEO's is only required when there is a problem ion hands, HR is required to do fire-fighting. Somebody recruits and HR is required only to fire.

Biggest Pain Point

Service orientation of the function is the biggest pain as the value attached to HR is only on paper, reality is something else. It is a thankless profession to a great extent.

Motivating Employees with Rewards

In the Apparel Industry, rewards are a rarity. The Industry is very diverse. Nothing moves as per plans. Of course we do motivate people in a small way and recognize them for their efforts.

Different Qualities looking while hiring people

Experience hands on, competency, fitment, softer areas such as attitude etc., are very important which we view.

Some of the leadership development programs being held and results obtained

Not much as getting people together is not easy.

Identifying Leaders promoting them to the next level

We have no tried and tested systems as such. Leaders evolve through sheer performance. This is at a very nascent stage.

Engaging Gen Y - Leadership and Organization Culture

Very important.

Recruiting & retaining the diverse and ambitious Generation Y. Are they really ambitious

Not much headway has been made in this Industry.

Attrition Management: Retaining vs. fresh hiring

Extremely tough. Retaining core workers is only through better compensation. When people join they are in the peripheral group. After they stay with us for 6 months they are upgraded to the core group where they get better remuneration which is the only way in our kind of industry. Only money speaks.

Promotional techniques work best reason behind it

Money and incentives.

Workplaces are changing. Cultures are evolving. The average employee today is different from his/her counterpart from a decade ago too? What is lacking and what does he/she need to keep in mind in today's working scenario

The average employee is certainly better off today as he or she is exposed to the knowledge world, changing trends in technology, easier and faster ways of working, making fast bucks etc.

Attracting good people, retaining the better people and advancing the best people

Pay for quality, retain qualitative manpower and advance the quality guys to taking more responsibility and ownership. Buzzword is quality.

Advice/ suggestions to fellow HRs

Keep up the good work, keep learning, add value to yourself and the company you work for. Be passionate and love your profession.