Recruitment - Cast Diffrentiation!!

Dear All,

I have a friend in HR who is facing a problem. He is located in the north Indian territory and facing an issue of caste-based recruitments. This is leading to loads of political involvement and an inflow of candidates who do not fit into the job! It's a large org. but is helpless to stop this practice!

Also, my friend is now facing political leaders' pressures to take their referral.

Please advise.

Payal.

Dear Payal,

Greetings for the day!!!

Could you please confirm the industry and state where the organization is situated? If I am not wrong, this typically occurs in project sites in tribal areas or where certain labor unions are active.

Best regards,

Payal,

This can happen anywhere in India or even in foreign countries. There can't be a clear-cut answer to this question. Ultimately, one has to manage, select the best by sam, dam, dund, and bhed. Consult the seniors also; put them in the front when one has to say NO. One has to be clever. Remember how our BABUS manage; if people are trying to manipulate, your friend has to do the same. Your friend has to remember the ABCD principle.

Col. Virendra
9766551288

Dear Payal,

The same problem we were facing for a long time. Later on, we were able to manage it. In this case, some key members of the Union/group are playing a crucial role. You have to create a win-win situation for both parties. In our situation, we counseled the key members of the union and held negotiations with them, agreeing that 20% of the total recruitment will be allocated to them. The remaining 80% will be at our discretion.

Now, the question arises: how can you divide the 20% and 80%? Start by creating a list of their members and categorize them based on their skills and competencies. First, identify the strong skills among them that can enhance your recruitment process. Keep the key members updated on the progress in a friendly manner, ensuring they feel informed and involved.

Regards,

Payal,

If your friend is facing racial abuse and has proof of it, then he can sue the company. Otherwise, there is little that can be done. Unfortunately, this issue is prevalent everywhere.

Dear All,

Thanks for the response. However, the problem has escalated to a critical stage now. When my friend opposed or tried to present the facts about the recruited candidates and their quality, his manager's behavior turned negative, and now his job is at stake. The situation has become even more complex as political leaders are actively involved, leading to a further deterioration of things. He has already begun searching for another job.

In such a situation, I believe it is better to move on rather than be ensnared in political webs! Please share your thoughts too.

Rgds,
Payal

Any organization must not discriminate against any employee (or applicant for employment) with respect to any terms or conditions of employment, hiring, promotion, demotion, transfer, recruitment, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation or selection for training, based on the following: age (within statutory limits), race, religion, color, gender, disability, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.

If this is happening, please approach the top management of the company in a discreet way or lodge a formal complaint with the Ministry of Labor Department.

Dear Payal,

Please remember, "Make it happen or let it happen." Your friend did their best, but if things are not the way they should be, then look for a change.

Thank you,
Sarfaraz

When I was in RIL, we were facing the same problem from local politicians. At that time, management had kept some stringent eligibility criteria for all candidates (those criteria were hard to crack), namely - percentage, age, English communication, critical documentation process, lengthy work timings, etc. It was communicated to everyone that these policies are from the HO, and we have to follow them. This approach proved successful in avoiding lazy or unskilled reference candidates. You can consider implementing this strategy.

I see an excellent opportunity for your friend. He should not emulate a furious "change-the-damn-system" attitude. To be a good change agent, you should also have patience until your turn. It appears that the management has little control over the influence of caste-based discrimination. Companies with such weaknesses would face critical situations due to the incompetencies that they build with such influential resources. He should demonstrate his persistence in adverse situations for two reasons:

1. Treat this as an opportunity to prove his capability to influence management to make decisions. Don't bother if they don't listen to you. They would come to you as they know the difficulties.

2. There would be a situation where your opinion and resistance to such recruitment would be realized as very valuable with one stupid deed of such a recruitee. Wait for your turn. Treat this as a case study. Remember you are an HR professional. You are not complete until you face all possible situations and attitudes.

Another job is a good suggestion, but I would go with the known devil than the unknown angel, to prove myself.

Caste basis is not new to any part of India.

Hope this helps.