HR is not a calculated field; we may have plenty of readily available materials, books in the market to learn the basics of HR like Recruitment, Selection, Placement, Training, PMS, Compliance, etc. All these activities are one part of HRD. The major requirement is that the person should have leadership qualities to take a lead of the total team to achieve organizational goals and objectives. He should be able to read between the lines; whoever comes with problems, complaints, or work-related grievances, he should handle them diplomatically so that the person is satisfied.
Apart from regular HR work, the HR person has to concentrate on how to develop the work culture of the organization and engage employees 100% (right sizing of manpower) to achieve the organization's goals. This will not be taught or learned in our academic education. But surely, we may develop these skills through analytical observations of incidents that happen in the industrial sector. We can develop ourselves through self-coaching.
I would like to share my experience of 20+ years in the field of HR. When I joined as a junior in a big company with 3000 employees, the company was trapped in a financial crunch. In our nation, political influences play a major role in the industrial sector. Due to a change in the ruling party/Government, the company could not secure long-term loans, and gradually the company became a political platform, leading to its closure. We tried our best to save the company, but all efforts were in vain.
From this experience, I learned that during a financial crunch, HR should focus on employee relationships to maintain continuous production, hoping to overcome the financial difficulties. This experience benefited me in another company where the management faced financial problems and could not pay regular wages, resulting in delays of 3-4 months. Despite this, I managed to keep production running smoothly and maintain workers' trust, even through strikes. Eventually, the company recovered from its financial troubles, and regular wages were resumed. I have worked in three companies where the financial situation was dire, and all survived except the first one.
Another widely known lesson for all HR professionals is the critical situation faced by the HR team at Suzuki's Manesar plant in Gurgaon. The workers set fire to the company offices and violently attacked officers, resulting in casualties, including the HR Manager.
I attended a seminar organized by the Labour Commissioner titled "What went wrong at Suzuki Manesar Plant." I was impressed by this seminar; the incident was very shocking. It made me ponder whether the management failed to maintain harmonious employee relations or neglected proper care of union activities. Such incidents are common in the industrial sector, and we must analyze the causes and learn from them.
From Shaikh.I.Y. Manager HR.