I still cant figure what does Human Resources department in an organisation does. They are all so sweet before you join the firm and so slimy later on. It is like saare bachat karne ka khaata company ne unko de rakha hai. Like one hotel chain I worked for gave the last year s increments six to seven months late. The funda was to do appraisals in may june after the financial year is long over and low season for hotels has started. What you did last year would be just figures and you would be questioned about what have you done to increase business in low season. After six months any small increment was welcome and that is what you had to be happy with.The best part was the chain would sit on the money of thousands of employees for six whole months.
Then the increment rules were different for the local office and the corporate office and also city wise. It was supposed to be standardised but when it came it was not so. If you threatened to quit then you were given a higher increment for sure.
These are the companies who employed Mckinsey when they first back came to India years back. Employees were asked to fill forms and forms about their work day and were judged on that. All best practises were decided by them after some major analysis.
Trainings which the company organised in were given to only favourite employees at higher levels. You had to be in boss s good books to go for a training because the training was treated like a paid holiday by the bosses. Then I worked for hotel chains which just did not believe in training for the management. No money was spent on training sales and marketing by all the hotel chains. They did have operational trainings though.
The chains which talked about human resource and branding , well they just talked about it. The people deciding had no clue about how they wanted to position the hotel ten years down the line. Recently a newspaper carried an article about how an international chain was thinking of consolidating their brand and I was laughing.
The increments were decided by the bosses and not by HR departments.
In a hotel that i worked for we had a huge meeting with the owners to plan on allowances for the team. There were the GM, director marketing finance etc. After all was mutually agreed upon we went back home happy. Only to realise that the HR dept had sent a mail at four am on the day of the meeting finalising very low allowances and that was it.
Another hotel chain reduced lunch allowance of the employees once the hotel started doing well. No circular, nothing. Just the boss strolls in one day and says this month onwards is your reduced lunch allowance.
Every time I visit a five star hotel, I am looking at the staff who is so polite and gracious about what has the HR department done to him.Actually why blame HR, it is the entire management nexus . There is abundance only if we share.
Are we being fair to people who work for us???
Talking of abundance ,yesterday I went to see a flat costing 4 cr. In the building, one could smell class and old money for miles. It was quiet , green, bright. Nothing over the top just so warm and welcoming. I bumped into a very distinguished looking tall white bearded gentleman waiting for the elevator. He talked to Pranaya who didnt think of bothering to reply. So I joined in the conversation by telling him that he can always wear ear studs even now. Vijay Mallya wears it I added, as if I moved in those circles!! He said I am victorious , he is Vijay. He said I must plant trees and gave me his card. He was Vithal Kamat, owner of Kamat hotels- Orchid, Fort Jadhav Gadh etc. The man is an actual believer of enviroment protection and a Green world. His business card had seeds enclosed in the card. Now that is what I call a man worth his mettle.We just travelled till the third floor together and he had already told me what he stood for. Me a complete stranger knew of his dream and his vision. I mentioned my fantastic stay at Fort Jadhav Gadh and the iron figure which says A child gives birth to a mother.
There are good people in this world and there are good employers after all.
Then the increment rules were different for the local office and the corporate office and also city wise. It was supposed to be standardised but when it came it was not so. If you threatened to quit then you were given a higher increment for sure.
These are the companies who employed Mckinsey when they first back came to India years back. Employees were asked to fill forms and forms about their work day and were judged on that. All best practises were decided by them after some major analysis.
Trainings which the company organised in were given to only favourite employees at higher levels. You had to be in boss s good books to go for a training because the training was treated like a paid holiday by the bosses. Then I worked for hotel chains which just did not believe in training for the management. No money was spent on training sales and marketing by all the hotel chains. They did have operational trainings though.
The chains which talked about human resource and branding , well they just talked about it. The people deciding had no clue about how they wanted to position the hotel ten years down the line. Recently a newspaper carried an article about how an international chain was thinking of consolidating their brand and I was laughing.
The increments were decided by the bosses and not by HR departments.
In a hotel that i worked for we had a huge meeting with the owners to plan on allowances for the team. There were the GM, director marketing finance etc. After all was mutually agreed upon we went back home happy. Only to realise that the HR dept had sent a mail at four am on the day of the meeting finalising very low allowances and that was it.
Another hotel chain reduced lunch allowance of the employees once the hotel started doing well. No circular, nothing. Just the boss strolls in one day and says this month onwards is your reduced lunch allowance.
Every time I visit a five star hotel, I am looking at the staff who is so polite and gracious about what has the HR department done to him.Actually why blame HR, it is the entire management nexus . There is abundance only if we share.
Are we being fair to people who work for us???
Talking of abundance ,yesterday I went to see a flat costing 4 cr. In the building, one could smell class and old money for miles. It was quiet , green, bright. Nothing over the top just so warm and welcoming. I bumped into a very distinguished looking tall white bearded gentleman waiting for the elevator. He talked to Pranaya who didnt think of bothering to reply. So I joined in the conversation by telling him that he can always wear ear studs even now. Vijay Mallya wears it I added, as if I moved in those circles!! He said I am victorious , he is Vijay. He said I must plant trees and gave me his card. He was Vithal Kamat, owner of Kamat hotels- Orchid, Fort Jadhav Gadh etc. The man is an actual believer of enviroment protection and a Green world. His business card had seeds enclosed in the card. Now that is what I call a man worth his mettle.We just travelled till the third floor together and he had already told me what he stood for. Me a complete stranger knew of his dream and his vision. I mentioned my fantastic stay at Fort Jadhav Gadh and the iron figure which says A child gives birth to a mother.
There are good people in this world and there are good employers after all.
Hi Parul,
ReplyDeleteMane yaad aavi gaya mara divaso at workplace as HR asst.
How true n well written it all is!
Yes there r good people in this world n good employers too!
Liked all 3 posts a lot. Keep it up!
Blogs r the beginning. You can do a lot more.
keep up the good work.
love
Mallika