HRpoised

forparadigm
shiftexperts JoeA Scaria
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

AS INNOVATIONsweepsorganisationalspace,human re-
sourcemanagementispoisedfor aparadigmshiftwith theHR
function eventakingontheundertoneof abusinessmanage-
ment filnctioq'according to expertsparticipatingin an ET-
Saintgits-NlPM(I(erala{hapter) seminar"
Toheightenthat challengefurthgr,'theysay,attrition rates
.continueto behig! at ieastin certainsectors,long-termloyal-
tiestoemployersarebeing givenamiss. andcompanies watdt
helplesslyasjob-hoppersgetbetterremunerationevenasthe
loyal,productivestafferscannotbeofferedannualraises com-
parableto thosethatjob-hoppersgetbyswitchingqompanies.
"Thetelecomsectorin the countrypresentsapicturemudt

ffi" I t.t of people board or alight as

eadrtrainarrives, goingbytheat-'
trition rates."saysJayantI(umal
AVP(corporate HR),TataTeleier-
vicesj Theindustryattrition figure
for the sectorwasashighas40%
beforethe globalrecessionbegan
and evennow remainsat 33oh,
whidr meansa thirfl of eadt com-
pany in the sectoris' replaced
every vear.He saidthe fact that
job-ioiping offeredquickfinan-
cial advantagewas in effect fu-
elling compulsoryexits,leadingto a situationwhere respon-
sibilitylevelsin companiesdroppedasmorestafferslookedfor
phortstays"Acrossth€industryspectlum,,hesays,a transition
wasbeingwitnessed, wherelIRwas alsocomingto be treat-
edasa pureresource like otherresources, andthatmanaging
staffersinthe innovationeraheldtallerdrallengesforl{Rpro-
Iessionals,FrofessorMathew J Manimala of IM-B saysthat
despiteIndia'simageof beinga leaderin innovationparticu-
Iarly in the tedrrology space,that picnrreis hardly reflected
on the ground,addingthat the sorrystateof our physicalin-
trastructure, wastedispoialmechanjsms, andcalousaEitude
to enersvsavineundeiLine thisfact. =::-
.lohn]ir.losiph, headof learningfor ANZInrila,saidthat
irrespectiveo{the agefactor,therewasaneedto breakctndi-
tioned and locked-in assumptionsand contextualisethem
wherevet required.He saidmeretinkering would not do in
irurovation.when the needof the hour was discontinuous
grornrth that wouldtakeusto a higherplane.
Panicipatingat the ET-Saintgits-NIPMsemina{,experts
pointedout that HRpracticewouldhaveto buckleup to the