HR Is no More a Support Function in Indus Publishing Private Limited

Dr Rahuul Singh1

Indus Publishing Private Limited was undergoing several issues starting from high attrition rate
among editorial team, skill gap and also workplace conflict. The promoters observed that this
because of inefficient management at the level of HR. They hired a consulting to conduct a study
and present the issues with recommendations. The Consulting assigned Mr Abhay Sinha to
undertake the study and prepare a report. Mr Abhay visited the company and spoke to people
from various department, he conducted open ended interview of employees on various problem
the perceive are stumbling blocks towards success of the company.

Initially, it was not easy to develop a rapport for getting responses, employees were apprehended
that any information or grievances shared may hit them back because if their seniors would come
to know that their job may be in danger. But as time passes, icebreaking took place and
employees started believing on Mr Abhay, he spent four months in organization for this study. In
the meeting, the Vice President Finance raised a question that there should be a clarity at the
board that HR would be a support function or more than that ? Mr Abhay answered to this
dilemma with example of “TINOSYS that how Human Resources contributed in Business
Acquisitions”

“ TINOSYS is an IT company, this company had lesser new projects, then they decided to get
SAP related assignments but the company had no SAP skilled engineers, HR planned to send few
engineers for getting SAP training and get certified by Siemens.20 engineers were selected for
SAP training and certification. The training and certification were sponsored by TINOSYS. It
took three months for engineers to learn SAP and 15 out of 20 cleared the certification test.HR
further decided to use all 20 trained SAP skilled engineers to become trainer and train 200
engineers on SAP. In the process company also recruited 30 SAP skilled engineers from various
IT companies. They were those engineers who were already had experience in SAP assignments.
Finally after seven months TINOSYS had 220 SAP skilled engineers. The business team made a

1
Dr Rahuul Singh is an Assistant Professor in OB & HR, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida.He is M.Phil & PhD
in Strategic HRM from TISS Mumbai.He may be contacted on rahul.s@jaipuria.ac.in, author has developed this
case based on his ethnographic study with both participant and non participant observation for a period of 10
months.

1
bid for SAP related assignment with a team of 250 SAP skilled engineers. TINOSYS with this HR
talent management strategy acquired five new SAP assignments. Thus here HR played a role in
business acquisitions. This HR contribution is therefore strategic not administrative and support
function”

After completion of study for four months, a presentation was made to the promoters of the firm
with few problem identifications such as misbehavior of seniors, no exit interview, reception
response to phone calls was rude and unprofessional. No prior notice system was strictly
followed before leaving the company. Disparity in salary increment was there and there was no
clarity regarding task assigned to individuals. The effect of pilot project was shared with them.
Mr Abhay presented his viewpoint that the role of HR is now strategic in organizations which are
doing well and sustaining. Organizations should learn to remain in market. One of the key
learning strategies for organization is through HR interventions, the case of TINOSYS is one
such classical example here. The management was convinced with the new role of HRM in Indus
Publishing Private Limited. A new HR Head was hired.

A new PRO was hired and communication script was written and she was advised to
communicate accordingly. Get together were organized for developing a bond among
employees. It was asserted that bad behavior cannot be tolerated. KRA was defined for each
employee and improvement in appraisal system was made. More refinement in recruitment was
brought various sources of sourcing was used. Exit interview was introduced and it was ensured
that further no employee will be relieved without prior notice mentioned appointment letter.

A survey on employee satisfaction was done and significant change was noticed in the level of
employee satisfaction, in last four months only 3 employees left the company. This was a great
indicator.HR interventions played in retaining manpower which contributed towards achieving
organizational goal.

Mr Abhay with his HR Head & Team introduced Employee Development Programme under
which a top management institution was collaborated for providing sixth month EDP to Indus
employees. This programme had direct role in rise of skills of employees resulting in
Organizational learning2.

2
A learning organization is an organization which transforms itself through facilitating learning of its members.

2
The role of HR in Indus underwent a transformation from support function to strategic, now HR
interventions have direct impact on business acquisitions and organizational learning.HR indeed
in Indus is now HR Partner like TINOSYS and many other organizations.

HR department participated in recruitment fairs and also visited campuses with zero recruitment
target, this HR gimmick was introduced for employer branding.

A new PRO was recruited and she was trained to communicate to all calls and also face to face
interaction as per scripted communication.

Project UDAAN was launched in Indus Publishing, which is about space selling in newspaper, in
newspaper advertisements revenue comes true space selling, to earn extra revenue, HR Head
seated with Marketing Head and discussed the idea of Project UDAAN, which is that if any
employee of other department contributes formally or informally to get new clients and new
revenue from existing client, an incentive would be given to that employee or group of
employees. this led to achieving of 90 lacs advertisement revenue at one Centre with the help of
marketing and an employee of editorial department. The role of HR was evolving rapidly
towards development paradigm rather than support function.

In 2010, HR started seating in all strategic meetings, his inputs were being taken seriously and he
was part of all development team.HR is no more a support function henceforth rather strategic
function.