WHICH ARE THE KEY AREAS WHERE YOU SEE A SKILL GAP RIGHT NOW? WHAT AREAS OF LEARNING SHOULD CANDIDATES PRIORITIZE FOR CAREER BUILDING?
Today's job seekers are well-informed and have a high level of general awareness. However, there are some notable skill gaps that are visible. The ability to communicate effectively is the most important of these. It is extremely difficult to perform well at work unless one can clearly and effectively put together and articulate his or her knowledge and thoughts. Articulation allows a person to effectively express themselves and achieve the desired results from any interaction. Another skill gap is a comprehensive understanding of business. With international borders disappearing and financial linkages creating a 'flatter world', it is important for professionals to have a decent understanding of business theories and management 'mantras'. Mere theoretical knowledge does not serve the purpose. Candidates must understand the real-world applications of these concepts in order to add real value to the business. As a result, candidates must focus on developing deep domain knowledge in their chosen field. They should go down to the sub-domain level, if possible. Assimilation, processing, and retention of domain information are critical for successful delivery. This must also include their personal interests. Finally, candidates must develop and hone their people skills, which include a variety of life skills such as effective negotiation, conflict resolution, and the ability to work well in a team. Candidates must be able to see success as the result of a "win-win" solution.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU BELIEVE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS CAN WORK TO PRODUCE MORE EMPLOYABLE CANDIDATES? HOW CAN ORGANIZATIONS ASSIST THESE INSTITUTIONS?
In general, educational institutions have mastered the art of imparting knowledge on 'hard skills'; it is in the area of'soft skills' that they could take more concrete steps. Today's students must be more well-rounded, so they must be coached and prepared in areas such as presentation skills, business skills, and sociability. Furthermore, they must be able to make more informed decisions and effectively navigate the professional landscape. In fact, this means that institutes must introduce courses that assist students in developing soft skills. These courses, which should be required, should prepare students in a variety of areas ranging from presentation skills to conflict resolution. In all streams of graduation, introductory courses in business finance and basic modules in leadership development should be an integral part of the curriculum. Institutes must develop a very forward-thinking approach to better prepare students for the workplace. They must understand the businesses that their students may join after graduation and tailor their programs to those disciplines. Institutes must be able to foster an environment in which the 'theory' they teach can be applied. This can be encouraged in the classroom through the use of simulation exercises and case study discussions. In turn, organizations must collaborate by leveraging their management, both in terms of bandwidth and expertise. These industry leaders must participate actively in institutes as visiting faculty, guest lecturers, project guides, and so on. Only this mutually beneficial collaboration can help develop more employable candidates.
HOW DO YOU SEE THE HR ROLE CHANGING IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS?
With each passing decade, the world of human resource management becomes more dynamic. In today's business environment, HR must be more integrated with the core of the organization; HR must address strategic issues that affect a company's market competitiveness. Compare this to the 'administrator' role that defined human resources in previous decades. To support this self-development, HR must leverage the wealth of analytics available today. In this dynamic 'avatar,' HR must manage change and transformation, which are essential components of modern, growing corporations. The HR department must 'internationalize' in order to create a truly global organization (in terms of policy making, system flexibilities, managing a cross cultural multinational workforce, understanding different employment rules and so on). Within this framework, the key persona that HR must create and effectively project is that of a 'employee advocate. As the commoditization of goods and services continues and companies realize that their 'human assets' deliver far more value than their 'physical assets,' HR teams must engage with employees on a more personal level. All of these changes must happen as soon as possible, with HR thought leaders leading the way.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO PROMOTE THE INTRAPRENEURSHIP SPIRIT? AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST WAYS TO ENGAGE EMPLOYEES IN NEW IDEAS AND INNOVATIONS?
A company is often defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. While this is true on many levels, it is also true that in order to gain an advantage today, some of those people must think in a different direction and, at times, with a different purpose. These individuals, known as 'Intrapreneurs' or internal entrepreneurs, use entrepreneurial approaches to drive business value - their ideas may find better ways to solve business problems, provide a better service, or even enable the company to launch a new line of business.A company is often defined as a group of people working together to achieve a common goal. While this is true on many levels, it is also true that in order to gain an advantage today, some of those people must think in a different direction and, at times, with a different purpose. These individuals, known as 'Intrapreneurs' or internal entrepreneurs, use entrepreneurial approaches to drive business value - their ideas may find better ways to solve business problems, provide a better service, or even enable the company to launch a new line of business. They help to break up the monotony of day-to-day deliverables. Like a good leader inspires others to achieve higher goals, good 'intrapreneurs' motivate people to think outside the box and go beyond the brief, and thus must be actively encouraged. To foster this spirit of "intrapreneurship," the right enabling environment must be created. This can be improved by increasing ownership and resources while decreasing bureaucracy. Once this is established, leaders must take a step back and guide without interfering. It is critical to allow for failure while also celebrating and rewarding innovation during the business cycle. Only by achieving this will the organization blossom with such talented leaders who think like businessmen.