- Human resources are one of the most important and prominent pillars of any organization that needs no further emphasis. The advent of modern technologies defining the organization’s march ahead in whatever sector/field chosen has not diminished the extremely crucial role of human resources. The professionals chosen to drive the organization’s fortunes are equally important than the adopted modern technology, if not more, in the company’s overall scheme of things. It is pertinent to note here that the innovations and developments on the technology front are fronted to beautifully supplement the efforts, endeavors, and indulgences of learned and erudite professionals.
PC: Eileen Green
- Mind you, available technology must be fully utilized by the professionals to achieve intended objectives. The vision, mission, and objectives of any organization get amplified whilst realizing the same solely because of the efforts demonstrated by employees. Though hierarchy is requisite to lead the team in any setup, the bulk of the execution is carried out by the working lot. If a leader at the top is expected to lead from the front through well-defined strategies, policies, motivation, and personal examples, the workers are expected to extend unflinching support by intricately grasping the goals of the company. Thus, the necessity to have in place employee-friendly HR policies assumes paramount importance aimed at changing in line with the evolving times.
- In this regard, some of the biggest corporates and conglomerates have always initiated benchmark HR policies taking a welcome lead to align with changing times. The latest to emerge from the stable of HR practices are offerings vis-à-vis medical cover to employees for egg-freezing. Accenture India and WeWork have come out with this offering which is an expensive procedure meant to widen women’s motherhood and career windows in dramatic ways. Of course, it can be construed as employers helping science help women defer childbirth to later in life, no less than a blow for individual choice and women’s participation in workplaces. No way this can be classified as altruism either. However, it is nothing but smart HR policy, indeed.
PC: Namrata Singh
- Any progressive initiatives can be very pragmatic ways of attracting as well as retaining quality talent in India Inc. or for that matter any organization. Some of the pathbreaking HR measures include IT service provider Tech Mahindra, Hotel Chain Lalit, and conglomerate Godrej group rolling out medical insurance to same-sex partners of their LGBTQ+ employees. Also, note that there are other employers offering coverage for gender-reassignment surgery for transgender employees. Many companies also provide sex and gender-neutral leaves for taking care of newborn or newly adopted children. It is worthwhile to note that these measures were adopted long before the Indian state and its judicial system got rid of the offensive Section 377 of IPC.
- The moot point to ponder over here is what is the demonstrative power of implementing such policies. Make no mistake, the demonstrative power is quite substantial, for major employers do not want to be labeled as unreformed and anachronistic types by today’s prospective employees. Oncer herd mentality kicks in as if on cue, the medium and smaller companies will follow suit helping the employees to look forward to continuing working for a longer duration. You hire people to serve the cause of the organization by making them feel wanted and well-looked after. Measures such as above perfectly serve the purpose.
