People Matters

By Ester Martinez

Dec 15th 2010

All the makings of a wonderful journey2010 has been a year of opportunities. Picking up from the brutal recession of 2008, which ended in 2009, this year has seen some happy challenges appear. Here, I refer to the challenges for companies in talent acquisition, employer branding, creating competencies and using technology for organizational effectiveness – challenges that companies deal with in good times. In this year-end issue, we look back and select some of our better stories from th... Read more »

Lead Speak

Dec 15th 2010

In the year gone by, People Matters gathered views from various thought leaders on topics ranging from economic challenges, the education system, workforce effectiveness, organizational strategy and competitive advantage. Here are excerpts from some of the most provoking and informative views expressed by thought leaders On Education: Equity and not equality March Issue, 2010Curriculum and courses designed in the 1990s (and earlier) are still being taught in many colleges ... Read more »

People Dividend

Dec 15th 2010

2010 has seen the beginnings of a renewed battle for talent within India Inc. As employers learn to cope with an unprecedented talent crunch, the failings of our education policies and vocational training systems are becoming more and more glaring. The labor situation in India – one with an estimated 240 million additional skilled workforce requirement over the next 10 years and with 250 million workers currently untrained and underemployed – has all the makings of a socio-economic... Read more »

Space, Time and the Workplace

Dec 15th 2010

The internet is changing our lives at a pace unprecedented in modern history. The way we communicate, absorb news, search for information, share our lives with family and friends has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. And ever so surely, the internet’s enormous power of disruptive innovation is changing the face of our workplace and our workdays in ways we could hardly have imagined a decade earlier. A relentless blaze of virtual collaboration and networking technologies have r... Read more »

The Power of Attraction

Dec 15th 2010

The demands of growth in services and infrastructure have stretched the market for talent and skills to an extent where even the ‘staid industries’ are no longer safe from large-scale attrition. The main story from May explored the idea of how an attractive employer brand, based on a solid culture of empowerment, achievement and honest positioning can help in attracting and retaining the right talentA powerful and attractive ‘employer brand’ today has the capacity to at... Read more »

Growing Leaders

Dec 15th 2010

Lead.er.ship [lee-der-ship]: “The process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task”1Are we producing enough business leaders? As India takes its rightful place among leaders of the global economy, this is a question that needs to be asked by corporate heads, HR and educationalists alike. Leadership cannot follow growth and these are critical years when companies will need to look inward and evaluate the... Read more »

Milestones and Special Initiatives

Dec 15th 2010

A recap of special initiatives from the year 2010 in the form of industry benchmarking, surveys & research and highlights from thought-leading eventsIndia’s Best Companies to Work for In September 2010, People Matters in association with Great Place to Work® Institute launched a Special Yearly Book on India’s 50 best companies to work for based on the Great Place to Work® Institute’s study. The study saw participation from 427 companies and surveyed more than 52,... Read more »

Leadership Insights from Literature

By Rajeshwar Upadhyaya

Dec 15th 2010

History, mythology and classical literature take a peek into the human mind. They uncover the realms of the behaviour beyond the rational – courage, wisdom, fear, greed, doubt and judgment. Rajeshwar Upadhyaya, Director of Par Excellence, is a student of the human condition. In his captivating essays, he derives lessons in management and leadership using Indian history, myths and the literary works of Shakespeare. Here we bring two of his essays from among his regular contributions over ... Read more »

Waka Waka!

Dec 15th 2010

The world’s biggest sporting occasion is a celebration of teamwork and human competitive spirit. People Matters took a refreshing view at management by highlighting the top organizational and leadership takeaways from the sporting carnivalTheme#1: Investing in Talent 1998 was a washout year in German football. The team had been thrashed 3-0 by outsiders Croatia in the World Cup Quarterfinals and it was plain to see that not enough talent was coming through the ranks of Germany’s s... Read more »

Last Word: The Perils of Reactionary Policy

By Tejasvi Mohanram, Director, Tetra Media

Dec 15th 2010

Fifteen years ago, when Chinese companies needed to import telecom equipment, vendors like NSN and Ericsson were forced to manufacture locally with 95% local staff and content. Today, China is reaping the benefits of an indigenous manufacturing base in Huawei and ZTE, an estimated $40bn in revenues & $4bn in profits and 500,000 jobs from the telecom equipment space. On the eve of Wen Jiabao’s visit, it appears like India is no match for such sort of economic diplomacy. Chinese banks... Read more »