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by HR Bangladesh

Separation for Contractual Employee – Out of the woods?

May 3, 2011 in Career

An employer defines every role with a view to its requirement. When a role is deep-rooted to the business of the organization, it would require continuity. Thus it blooms as a full time employment. Similarly, there are roles, which arise with business cycles and may cease within a fixed duration. Even if these roles are crucial, yet the organization may not have the bandwidth, to declare these roles as full time employment. At this juncture, these roles are clubbed under the contractual employment often managed through vendors. This system is drawn to support the growth of business. Terms of service define the delivery for the vendor and the talent.  It further sets the payoff and benefits offered by the employer.

Every employer-employee relationship extends until the employment lasts. At times alumni are built to weave in a pool of talent through the ex-employees. This helps to build the organizational brand beyond the employment. In this entire yarn, what happens to those employees, who are working in the vendor payroll or contractual positions? How are they strung into the organization’s Diaspora?

They are hired for positions, which are targeted for a shorter duration. They add value with the routine and non-routine tasks that they do. Often, as the requirement comes to a close, their contract ends. What happens, if it is initiated the other way round? How does the employer or the contractor process the exit for the contractual employee? Here’s a case as shared by our member with CiteHR, on such a separation

My wife was working for a well reputed IT company as an HR. She was on contractors’ pay roll. She had signed a contract with them for three months  but had to quit just eight days before her contract was about to get over. The reason being that her family relocated out of the city. She discussed and mentioned this in a resignation mail to all the concerned authorities.  After writing the resignation mail, she served for one more day and then had to quit. But she did not get any response from their side even though  She mailed them regularly to get a confirmation on her resignation.

After 25 days, she got a response from them stating that they will revert soon. After 45 days of resignation, she received a mail that her resignation had not been accepted, and that they would not issue any relieving letter to her. My question is that she had only eight days left to complete her contract. Since the reason to resign was very personal and she even waited for two days to get a response from them.  Nevertheless, after 45 days she got the above mentioned response. Kindly guide us.

Getting the facts right

  • An employee works as an HR with an IT Firm
  • She is hired as a contractual employee by a vendor to work for the firm.
  • Her contract is termed for three months.
  • She had to leave eight days before, to join her family in a different city.
  • The vendor doesn’t reply to her resignation.
  • When pursued, the vendor denies issuing any relieving document.

The big picture

  • Vendor – contractual employee : The employment with a vendor firm works on the basis of the terms of service as stated by the employer. The vendor follows additional terms to manage the resource pool. The rules are primarily to ensure continuity in the talent supply. The payoff between the employer and the vendor affect the talent, when the benefits and compensation require delivering the role seeps through the fissure. A close monitor of the performance and judicial payout can create a win-win situation.
  • Employer and contractual employee: The employer stands clear about the duration and deliveries for the contractual position. The employee who works as assigned by the vendor to an employer, gets designated as a contractual employee. This entails that the responsibilities, the benefits and decision making capabilities would be designed differently in comparison to a full-time employee. To begin with, this talent would have a different employee identity number, email id and other types of access would be provided only on requirement. Certain contractual roles can be at a senior level, though the majority of such contractual roles lie in the routine jobs at the entry level and lower-mid level. There are career paths drawn within the company. If there are any open positions, when the contract ends, the talent is hired as a full-time employee.

Employee’s ‘status quo’?

The talent who takes up a contractual role requires examining and preparing for certain areas. It’s best for the talent, to deal on their own, as an entity to mitigate every risk. There are chances that the employer would hire this talent as a full time employee. Though, it would depend on several factors. In other words, there are no guarantees that the talent would be hired, as FTE. The experience gained is valued, hence the position is taken up. Furthermore, the duration is declared. This allows the talent to plan their career with a view to see how the contractual position would weigh on their career in the long term. It accentuates growth when focused, as a value add rather than a stop-gap arrangement.

The trouble propagates, when there are discrepancies in the system. It culminates in to defects in the process, as stated in the case shared by our member. Here are certain mitigations to be considered while taking up a contractual role:

  • Keep a clear view of the job. Understand the contract accurately. Identify every clause which may be susceptible to any breach and rewire them.
  • Maintain the sign offs of tasks and responsibilities undertaken. In case there are additional duties attached to the initial KRA, document it. If the employer or the vendor does not commence, it’s best to be initiated by the talent claiming the communication.
  • Maintain that the point of delivery, service offering and reporting are clearly noted in writing. Avoid any scope of ambiguity. Issue documents in a soft and hard copy format, i.e., in congruence with email and courier.
  • In the worst case scenario, when no document is issued at the point of relieving, consider the documents issued in the beginning and exchanged during the contract.
  • A breach of contract requires to be dealt legally. Consulting a lawyer for an advice would be the best way out.
  • Offer a settlement through the payment of dues, if any.
  • Follow a complete knowledge transfer process. Document it and ensure sign-off. Maintain a copy of the sign-off.
  • Set the communication clear, stating the reason to the sudden termination of the services offered, without any scope for ambiguity. Offer dedicated support in writing towards the hand over of duties and knowledge transfer. Mark a copy to the reporting authorities and request for a response.
  • Set reminders, if required.
  • Finally, lest an apathetic employer, ensure a closure of communication. Notify that no response from them would be considered as closure.

The uniqueness of a situation would require newer measures. The solution which might have worked for a few contractual talents may not work for others. Hence, the best strategy would be to zero down, on the terms of service and environmental attributes.

Tell us, how you would troubleshoot in a situation like this? Have you ever worked in a contractual position? Alternatively do you know someone like this, who could manage their way out of the woods? Please share those experiences with us. We are listening!

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by HR Bangladesh

Summer Training- Campus to Corporate

May 3, 2011 in Career

An internship or/and summer training results in full time employment when the student completes his/her course or in some cases well before that. Why do you think institutes like the IIMs take equal interest in placing their candidates for summer internship? The reason being, that most of them are acquired by the companies for future jobs as well. Most employers feel that there is a huge gap which students have to cover from the campus to the corporate; they are not empowered with the practical skills that are required in companies.

Then why not take summer placements seriously, when your best bet is to treat your internship as seriously as you would a job, and treat your internship provider as you would an employer. While you are there to learn as much as you can about the field of study you’re interested in, you’re also there to be helpful to your internship provider and other staff who depend on interns, which in turn can open a plethora of openings for you.

Don’t agree?? Read more to understand how a seriously done internship can benefit your career in the long run, even if you are not placed in the same company for a job, the experience gained can actually help you in designing your future course of action and change you as a person.

What an internship can do for you?

With a tsunami of such institutions in every line, and availability of project reports on sale, the seriousness of summer placements is weakening, and every day we see many queries on “Help for my project” on the forum. A seriously done internship can do wonders for you, here is how:

Deciding your career interest: Internship is a great tool to help you define your career goals and it also helps the students in getting clarity of thought by helping them identify their field of interest. By picking projects that lie in their area of interest, students can evaluate if their current interest area excites them. Being in the real work environment will allow you to determine what role suits your skill set, and thus will help you to apply for jobs later.

For example, if you’re majoring in HR, but have an eye on IT as well, you might consider an internship with some IT/ITES company in their HR department. Or another example could be, if you’re planning to major in marketing but not sure whether you want to go into advertising or digital marketing, you should consider getting knowledge in both areas to help you decide which is best for you.

Gateway to full-time jobs: By working with a firm closely during the internship period, a PG student gets an opportunity to understand the working culture of the company. The company, in turn, gets an opportunity to evaluate the student for a potential full-time job offer. This way the student gets a fantastic opportunity to convince employers to hire them, by displaying their skills.

Develop practical skills: Reading course books and term assignments only helps to understand the basics, but what goes on in real life work situations in your field is different from that. As an intern in an organization, you stand to benefit immensely by observing how veterans from various fields tackle projects and also gives you a chance to apply the theory learnt in classroom into practice. Hands-on experience is very important!

Networking: Your first step in the corporate world, an internship programme will immensely help you create a professional network and bring you in contact with people from your field. This will be valuable in the coming years and also if you land in a job with the same company. As a trainee, colleagues around you will be open to sharing their experiences which will surely help you get your final placements. So network, learn and get placed.

Value addition to your resume: There are companies willing to take in freshers and train them; an internship adds value to your CV before you go for the final placement/ or after completing your graduation. An experience of a few months – where you have learnt some basic facts of bridging the gap from campus to corporate will surely take you a long way with newly acquired skills and knowledge added to your resume.

Learn!! don’t waste your energy on getting a project report for free/ or for money, this would not benefit you in any way, place your best efforts to grab an opportunity to work during that golden period of “8 weeks” in a company which adds value to your career path and helps you design your future  (not just a compromise)

Members please pour your thoughts here and add more points which can help students to understand the value of an internship and make them work towards their project reports instead of focusing on copy-paste and/or purchasing of reports. Look forward to a tremendous response…

Here’s – for the next Generation!!

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by HR Bangladesh

What’s in a name? Myths and reality of a designation

May 3, 2011 in Career

We live for our work. We identify with what we do, to an extent, that we get tagged with the official designations. A visiting card remoulds into a flag, which gains weight with each promotion. We may not consciously ponder on these things. Professionally, our credibility gets highlighted by these definitions. Our designation and the company we work for, emerges as an integral part of our personal brand. Perfunctorily, this may not pose any dissonance. It rather helps to measure growth and development. The problem in this haven begins when the rules of the game change. It can be triggered environmentally, organizationally and at times due to a personal necessitate. This is the point where we brainstorm a solution, to seek a redemption of our professional efforts. Here we discuss a case from CiteHR. It may not be unique, rather it might be happening regularly, with many around us. This case is presented as shared by our member.

I have recently joined a software company as an HR Executive. Previously, I worked with a marketing company as Trainee HR Manager for two years. My current employer, X, is an associate to the main company.  My work requires me to interact with few employees working at the Parent firm. Incidentally they are into management roles. I bumped upon information, according to which, my designation had been kept under the wraps. Furthermore, this cryptic action was triggered by my boss at the associate firm.The dissonance deepens further, with the documents issued to me stating, my designation as an HR Executive.

Recently, during the CEO’s visit to our branch, He was introduced to every employee with their designations and roles.  When he has asked about the deliveries of each employee, my manager did not clarify or even mention anything about HR. I am really confused, with what’s going on. This should not become a trouble for me later, when I may try to switch the company. Please suggest some solution, so that this ambiguity does not hamper my career.

Let’s look into the case facts as stated:

  • An employee is hired by an associate firm.
  • Documents are issued stating a designation.
  • The role stands with KRA in an alignment with the designation.
  • The parent firm is assumed to be unaware of the role
  • The employee works in ambiguity

We look into each area in order to figure out solutions

  • Bird’s eye view: Every firm calculates the employee strength as per the budget and business requirement. The bill-ability is decided entirely on the ROI or the expected revenue generation from the talent. Organogram is designed including the roles assigned with the decision making in an alignment to the capabilities for delivery. Divisions are drawn with a top down view. Each division is then branched into roles and levels. The processes are initially drawn to meet the current needs of the business. As the business evolves, it requires to be reviewed, creating newer roles.
  • Worm’s view: The dissonance begins, when the executive level team, who designs the firm’s organogram is not in touch with the operations or the delivery team that may have a better view of the areas of delivery. This fissure would further deepen, when the organization grows, requiring newer functions, without creating those roles. For e.g.:  When a firm grows from small to large, its CEO may no longer sign a cheque for a vendor. He or she may decide on the overall budget, to be allocated for each service. Sometimes this may even be a level higher, with budget allocation to each department. The decisions may further be taken by each divisional head, who may have a precise view of the requirement of each process, coupled with information of the competitive rates from each vendor. The finance or the accounts team, who is in command of cash and payments, may have the authority to sign a cheque for the vendor. Now if the firm had a flat structure initially and continues to maintain that, it may club the deliveries under common heads, without acknowledging the roles. Subsequently, this executive who signs the cheque may get designated as Executive or Finance Executive rather than a Purchase and Vendor Management Executive.

A way out of this maze for employers

If an organization structure had been drawn with a top-down vision, it needs to be coupled with a bottom-up review.

  • Focus on the deliveries. Every job has a starting and the ending point. Identify the level required in terms of proficiency and decision making.
  • Club activities under different heads to be defined as a role at a later point of time. Let the point of reference be, the set of tasks to be delivered.
  • Identify the industry definition of these clubs made of each set. Align the new structure to the existing pattern to suit the business requirement. Identify the new found roles under the bands as defined by the organization. A role may have two designations, for the internal alignment and external reference. Suppose a role is named as Human Resource Consultant. This role would entail a set of deliveries, including all the tasks of HR Generalist. The span of this role would depend on the business unit to which it is associated. Externally, such roles may be referred to as Human Resource Manager. The size of the business unit would create levels such as Assistant HR manager, Deputy HR Manager and HR Manager. The flat organization structure may band it internally, hence continue to refer to them as HR Consultants. At the most, these may have bands and levels such as junior and senior to create compensation variants and a growth path.

Employee’s key

If an employee finds themselves in a structure, with a certain degree of ambiguity in the role, there are few pre-emptive measures, which can ensure the continuity in the talent’s growth.

  • Focus on understanding the role. Each task will be defined universally,though the clubbing may stand unique.
  • Industry fitment can be better identified with each set of deliveries that are clubbed, as per the firm’s business requirement. Career progression is better managed when the internal and external reference to the role becomes visibly tacit. For eg:  An employee in a product development firm will research on the product while working on it. This employee would be designated as a Developer. Whereas an employee in a Consulting firm delivering similar research essentially, would be designated as a Research Associate. The dimensions of the research may vary, though the critical ingredients, such as know how in integrating technologies etc would remain the same.  Let us further suppose that the developer applies for a job, in the consulting firm to work as a Research Associate. During the hiring round, parallels would be drawn, to match the proficiency and applicability of the skills towards the technology, in which the developer had been working so far. It would be a natural progression for the Developer to move from one role to another, in the ‘talent value-chain’.  At this juncture, the firm’s business requirement and reference for talent’s expertise, requires to be kept in mind. A Senior Developer may get hired as a Junior Research Associate depending on the experience required to work as a Research Associate.
  • In this case, as shared by our member, the designation has already been declared on paper. It clearly states the external reference. This would be essential when planning an inorganic growth, i.e., with other employers.
  • Internally, as referred by our member, the employer does not refer or acknowledge the existence of an HR role. Even though, the set of tasks to be delivered exists. Hence the proficiency gained from delivering these tasks is the first take away from this role.
  • Let us suppose a worst case scenario, where the senior management ignores or rejects the existence of an HR when exposed. The employee may stand to lose the ground in terms of role reference. What still remains unchanged, are the set of tasks and deliveries. An employee, who partners the business with other employee’s growth by championing areas, including strategic, statutory and operational activities such as processing the appraisal etc. automatically works as an HR.
  • There can be several over-shadowing of responsibilities. For instance, if employee engagement is strewn with the practice managers, a representation by the employee, here in question, to facilitate the process, evolves as a custodian to this strategic initiative. It will then require, our member, to strengthen the HR maturity in order to generate value and contribute beyond the practice manager’s input. The talent acumen is the corner stone to HR. Building on this astuteness with process expertise will establish our member in the long run.
  • Consequently, our member’s internal learning needs to be managed through every opportunity in the delivery.   This should progress into the next level by aiming to be trusted with more responsibility. This would build the intelligence required for the next level roles and decision making capabilities. As this framework for the proficiency increases, it would fuel the organic and inorganic growth of the employee.
  • In due course, the set of activities which are managed by our member, when drawn parallel to in the industry would suffice the external designation. Next role would depend on the experience gained as the hiring process would follow the fitment exercise, as shared in the Developer-Research Associate example.

The growth of the talent is best measured with the understanding, and maturity gained. Professional excellence is the ultimate reward. The designation or the name is the part of the whole. Please share your views and solutions to this case. We look forward to hear, how you would have resolved the case if you were in a similar situation.

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by HR Bangladesh

Promotion is not about luck

May 3, 2011 in Career

Promotion- that single word is powerful enough to motivate employees to give their best. Better job, timely promotion and better growth makes a job really interesting. It is the hope of promotion that works as a power booster for the new employee and motivates them to give their best.  So if you want to grab the next promotion opportunity start preparing for it from now and don’t let your colleague eat your piece of cake, make sure that you leave no stone unturned to explore the available opportunity.

Punctuality is the best quality in an employee. It shows your sincerity and dedication to your job. Always come on time. A good employee always comes earlier and leaves the office late to make sure that all work is done properly and if it is a project then one needs to proceed as per the schedule.

To get the best, give your best, strive for excellence. All employees perform their job fairly it is the best employee who catches the attention of the authorities and makes a mark. Plan properly and execute your plan with higher accuracy. It is not just the official task that needs to be performed with great enthusiasm but there are many other activities in your professional life that are not directly related to your job but are part of your professional life.  Your job has certain expectations from you and it is your duty to fulfill it. Each job has certain expectations from its employers, fulfill your expectations and remain in the race for promotion. Make the competition race tougher for your colleagues with your flawless performance.

Knowledge and skill play a crucial role for your position in office. Update your skills from time to time. It is not only technological skills that matter but an improvement in the soft skills also plays significant role in your career growth.

The way to success is not easy and if you are working for any organization then the way to success become more competent as you have to compete with a group of people who match up to you in terms of talent, so one person’s loss becomes another’s gain.  It is very important to assess yourself from time to time and work on your drawbacks. Learn from your mistakes and try not to make them time and again. Show a consistent improvement in your performance.

Dress for success. Hard work is not the only key to promotion, today the  corporate world considers many factor while choosing an employee for the better opportunity. Your etiquette, manners and dressing sense say a lot about you, your behavior and attitude. Dressing for success does not imply wearing branded items but it is more about formal and decent dressing.

Work pressure is common but a successful employee knows how to deal with the work pressure. Never run from extra responsibilities, take initiative for a new task, and ask for responsibility. Let your boss know that you love your job and love to take initiatives and responsibilities. It will definitely improve your image.

Be apart of the company. Know the mission and objectives of the company and play your part sincerely in achieving the objective of the company.  Playing your duty with great sincerity and responsibility will surely win rewards for you.

Avoid gossip against the boss or management and make yourself known to the human resource department by your work. It is true that work speaks louder than words but regular interaction is also required to make your presence felt. The authorities should know who you are and the department you come from.

Improve your public speaking skills; though it is not required for all kinds of job profiles but an employee who is more active in public speaking gets more advantage during the time of promotion.

Companies give special privileges to those employees who have ‘mouths to feed’. Let the authorities know that you have more responsibility and the promotion is not just for your professional satisfaction.

Though promotion is largely determined by the employee’s performance but if an employee is rude and behaves disrespectfully with other colleagues and his boss, he will surely not get the advantage of his skills. Behave cordially and respectfully with your colleagues and seniors and win their appreciation.

Promotion it is about hard work, consistent performance and a balanced behavior. There are many hurdles to cross before reaching your target. Work diligently with sincerity and pave your path to success. Getting promotion in a new job is not very easy but to mark your presence you have to show your extraordinary talent and get in to the limelight.

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by HR Bangladesh

Dilemma- Notice Period

May 3, 2011 in Career

Virat, appeared for an interview and after qualifying through all the rounds; during the negotiation stage he was asked:

Interviewer: When can you join the company?

Virat: I have to serve a two months’ notice period.

Interviewer: Mr. Virat, we cannot linger this position for two months.

Virat: After a hiatus, ok, Sir I will try to talk to the HR department for early relieving.

Interviewer: We would like you to join in 20 days.

Virat: That would be complicated but I will try to cope as I have some leave balance.

Interviewer: Alright then, here is your offer letter.

Virat: Thank you (he signs the letter).

This is what happens with many of us….isn’t it? Now let’s see another scenario where Virat resigned from this company:

Same Interviewer (HR Person): You have to serve the notice period of three months.

Virat: But Sir, I cannot do that, I have some leave balance which can be adjusted or else I will pay the amount for 2 months and serve one month notice period.

HR Person: That is not possible Virat; the position is crucial and requires a proper handover to the new person who will be taking over.

Virat: Sir, Handing over will not take much time, it will be done in one month; but I have to join the new company in a month’s time.

HR Person: No, Virat, this will not be possible or else we will have to go the legal way.

So, dear friends what do these two scenarios depict? The same person who asked Virat to join in 20 days is not ready to relieve him in one month’s time. Question here is, why do we have such double standards? As an HR professional isn’t it our responsibility to create and design policies in a manner beneficial to both the company and the employee? When you want a person in your company, you show them fear of loss of the opportunity and ask them to negotiate with the notice period, and once you are faced with  a similar situation the entire world goes upside down and you threaten them with legal proceedings.

There have been many queries recently on the forum about not serving the notice period, legal proceedings by companies and relieving letter, and the crux of all such posts happen to be the same. Here is an example:

I worked with an Indian IT major, my employment was on contract for first 9 months and later they made me permanent 3 months ago in Jan. I was not very happy with my profile and package and in between got an offer from some other company who wanted me to join in 15 days.

I put the resignation in the tool (online) stating that I have got an offer from some other company who are paying me better and also told them (verbally) that I have some financial issues in family hence need this job anyhow and will not be able to serve 2 months’ notice. I also told them in writing that I am willing to give ‘notice pay’. My manager paid no heed to it and said that he could not relieve me until I served the 2 months notice (nor could he increase my salary or change my role in the team) and I would have to give KT to the replacement. I kept requesting them for 2 weeks (post resignation) but they did not consider my request , hence I left the company (told my reporting manager over the phone) and submitted the laptop (took receipt from the IT dept) and joined the other company.

My new employer knows the entire scenario.

After one week of joining I got a call from HR (of previous co.) stating that they will send me a legal notice as I have not given proper KT and will run an absconding action against me which means that I will not get the relieving letter and experience letter and the full and final settlement will not be done either.

I want to know what can be the implications or consequences of this legal notice , can they send it to me even after I have stated that I am ready to pay the notice pay amount and have also submitted the laptop?

Sometimes I wonder, when will our HR Managers learn to be austerely professional while handling such matters and accept resignation without taking it as rejection. How do we edify the significance of the notice period to both the parties? We all have started taking it for granted. Why such a scurry to hire a person when in need and then when the same person (has become habitual) desires you to relieve him/her early, why bully them with trepidation of going legal etc. Manipulation is not HR’s job but still we all live it out in our day-to-day life.

Practice of notice period, in companies, was introduced to grant a respite to both the employee and the employer, in order to reconcile them in their respective roles, for the employer it is vital as they can hire opposite replacement and proper handling over can be completed. Employee gets the benefit of bidding good bye on a positive note which creates constructive reference for them in future.

Is there any record available somewhere which depicts how many employees leave a company without serving the notice period even after being threatened by the HR department about going the legal way? Also how many employers really go to the extent of filing a legal suit against such employees (apart from sending a legal notice)? I seriously won’t think there will be many unless something of severe nature absolutely demands such an action from the employer.

So, the practice is very normal, then why are we adamant on having a notice period for such a long duration when we cannot make our employees adhere to it, in fact we only entice them to do such things in the first place. The policies are drafted keeping in mind the suitability of both the employer and the employee, with such practices of not serving notice period, who is getting the advantage?

Settle on, consider and then transform policies for the benefit of all!

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by HR Bangladesh

Choose the right career path

May 3, 2011 in Career

Choosing the right career path is one of the most crucial decisions that we make in our life. It is a really tough task to choose the right options. Youngsters are usually lost in a crowd of options and they simply choose the career of their parent’s choice or follow the path of their friends and seniors without giving it a thought whether it is the right option for them or not, is it going to suit their mental caliber or not? Do they have the attitude and aptitude to move forward on the road to success in the years to come?

Very few people are lucky enough to choose a career of their choice most of them just follow the path of others. It is very important to test your aptitude, mental caliber, interest and attitude before choosing your career line. Instead of giving priority to short-term goals think about your whole life. One hasty decision and your life will become a puzzle. Don’t ruin your life and career; choose your profession wisely and smartly fora peaceful and a prosperous life.

The craze of MBA is ruling the heart and head of fresh graduates and young professionals. An MBA degree from a reputed college is a doorway to success. It not only gives you the guarantee of a better job with a high salary package, but a better career growth as well. Every year millions of students appear in different MBA admission entrance tests to lay the first stone of their success, but unfortunately only few of them can turn their dream into reality.

Success is largely determined by aptitude and preparation. There are millions of candidates competing for the same seat. It is your preparation that determines your chance of success in a highly competitive environment. There are thousands of coaching centers claiming to prepare you for top business school, but it becomes a really tough task for the student to choose. The entrance exams like CAT, XLRI, GMAT are not easy to crack, it requires exhaustive preparation and strategic planning to clear the exam.

Courses like MBA, MCA prepare their entrance test paper with great care so that they can evaluate the attitude and aptitude of the candidate and choose the suitable candidates out of all the students. One can clear the entrance exam of CAT and other prestigious MBA entrance tests even without enrolling for coaching. Just follow the 3Ds-Dedication, Determination and Devotion and make your way easy.

To score better in your MBA entrance test start practicing verbal ability, quantitative analysis and data interpretation, some entrance exams like SNAP have an additional category of GK as well.  There is a lot of study material available in the market and on the internet, start exploring the available resources and get ready for the big day.

Verbal ability: This section is very crucial. This section involves reading comprehension, grammar and sentence correction. Start working on your vocabulary. Read English news-papers, listen to the words carefully while watching a movie or an advertisement, make a list of difficult words, find out the meaning and try to use it in your day to day conversations. You can find useful study material in the market as well. Practice with workbooks and give tests for better preparation.

Quantitative analysis (QA) is another deciding paper in an MBA entrance exam, though the level of complexity is not very high, it is the test of speed and accuracy. If you are preparing on your own start solving Maths book of class VI to class X. This section mainly includes problems on profit & loss, time, speed & distance, questions on analytical ability. To score well in QA paper practice regularly, solve the workbook for consistent practice.

Data Interpretation: This section involves questions based on charts, tables, and problems on logical reasoning. You can easily find study material for preparing DI paper. The more you practice, the better you score in your exam.

It is important to score well in all papers, institutes conducting MBA and other competitive exams choose candidates who score well in all papers, for ex:

QA 99.2% percentile

DI99.1% percentile

VA 98.8% percentile

Solving previous years entrance papers is the best way to judge your caliber; proper time management is a must to crack the MBA entrance exam.

It is not hard to clear an MBA entrance exam but it is meant for only those who have interest in Maths, numbers and have a good command over communication skills. It is important to know your attitude, aptitude and caliber before choosing your professional line and in short both capacity and capability for completing the competitive courses and thereafter as a successful executive in the functions assigned by the employer.

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by HR Bangladesh

Job Hop – Expectations of higher Responsibilities

May 3, 2011 in Career

Most professionals who indulge in job hopping do so for no concrete reason whatsoever the situation maybe it gets worse when one decides to switch jobs without understanding one’s true potential and the demands of the new job.

What are your strengths and weaknesses? What is your personality type? Where does your aptitude lie? What are your skill sets? If you don’t have an answer to these, find it before you try to find a new job.

A lot has been said about the importance of knowing your employer professionally and understanding your job profile before you sign on the dotted line.

We take up a new job because we believe that our current job is not giving us what we want: it could be anything from monetary gains to job satisfaction or career growth. Therefore, your new job should ideally be able to revive the vigor in you, and not drain you further. And to meet this need it is important to ensure that your job is at par with your aptitude and potential for if it is not, then the purpose is lost! It’s perhaps time to rethink your decision and consider the alternatives.

Needless to say a job that doesn’t suit your personality and does not fall within your area of interest is bound to lead you to stress. Stress as it is has become an inevitable part of every professional’s life; it’s only the degree that varies. The level of stress one can sustain is very subjective. By suitability of a job, I do not mean only the job content or the profile. Stress can result from a complex set of reasons varying from pressure to perform, to work culture, to colleagues or seniors etc. For example, consider this: the job profile you are offered may be extremely interesting and attractive but what if it comes with meeting deadlines that may be beyond your abilities? Or for that matter if you are expected to interact with a client who is rude, abusive and demanding? Will you be able to cope? Well, not everyone will. All these are an important part of a professional’s life and cannot be neglected.

HR professionals take the discussion a step further when they say that if there is a mismatch it is a two way loss. It is a two way deal. As much as a candidate is looking out for a good job, employers are also seeking efficient professionals who can deliver quality as well as quantity. Thus, while it’s the job of an HR to find a suitable candidate to fill a vacancy it’s as much the responsibility of the candidate to assess if he is indeed suitable for the position. Unfortunately, not many candidates realize that if you accept an offer and are unable to deliver it is a loss for the company as well.

It is best to maintain a clear image of yourself in the market as the possibility of bumping into the same professional/s elsewhere is indeed high. If you do not believe in a particular opening or the offer does not suit your expectations it’s best to excuse yourself gracefully rather than accept the job and give up after a couple of months. Remember every job switch reflects on your CV and it is not easy to explain too many short ventures; it can raise a question on your credibility as a professional.

Fix up a meeting with your boss: Please don’t do the mistake of discussing your hike with your boss via email, at the water cooler, or over the phone, instead fix up a meeting with your boss. Tell your boss the amount of experience you have and the kind of hard work you’ve put in for the firm in the past few years. You never know your boss may be convinced and it may help you to negotiate a higher salary.

Take initiative in learning new skills and take on some responsibilities without being asked. Such steps could distinguish you and get you a higher pay even without asking.

Your timing needs to be correct. If you present your appeal directly after your boss has received some bad news, s/he will be less receptive to your request and might refuse. So, talk to your boss when s/he is in a good mood. If you are likely to complete a valuable project in the near future, wait until it is done. If the project turns out to be a huge success, ask for a raise, as your success will be fresh in your boss’s memory.

If the performance is good or very good it is just considered as ‘doing your job’. Only performances rated as ‘outstanding’ are recognized and if the company’s financial position is good the employee may be considered for a hike (of course after achieving “outstanding” and “extraordinary” performance).

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by HR Bangladesh

HR Article :- 9 Qualities that will Rock your career

April 26, 2011 in Career

Success in life is always relative. Some people are happy with small achievements while there are others who won’t be satisfied until mountains are moved.

Regardless of our ambitions, our career spans through a series of jobs and experiences that truly polish our personality and will. While we all have defining moments that will determine our core beliefs around hard work, persistence, determination, etc., these are all simply components of a greater foundation that defines ‘you’. A rocking rise through corporate ranks involves a radical understanding and possible change in your attitude and behaviors.

There are millions of brilliant people who pursue aggressive career paths and have their sights set on great achievement. While their ability is nothing short of genius, many lack the soft skills that could put them over the top. These are the traits, qualities and understandings are what make good people great. Practical and time tested, mastering and practicing the following qualities will make if difficult for success to elude you.

  1. Out of Box Thinking
    Many dislike this term but the concept is for real. All it requires is thinking of problems though a different set of eyes, or different dimension. This is why many brainstorming sessions fail; most people sit and think of work problems in the context of what it means to the company, not the user, not the environment, etc. Sit back and try to solve the problem from the eyes of a 6 year old, turn things upside down, and absolutely challenge the norm. Go outside and sit in a subway station (or somewhere you generally don’t sit to work) and think about why other solutions not worked? What has worked?

    Remember the best ideas come from people who are hands-on with their work. When everyone thinks and recommends a lackluster way, lackluster results will follow. Change your surroundings, change your views, change your thought process and come up with a killer idea!

  2. Taking Ownership
    When no one is willing to own it, be the first to grab the opportunity. A process involving various stakeholders normally loses vision and momentum. A process with a good leader, input from others, and true direction, has a much better chance of success. Be the person that jumps in and takes on a new project (just don’t over-commit). An ability to own and work towards success is a skill which gives long lasting returns.
  3. Eagerness to Learn
    After a certain period, a job becomes monotonous and people become bored and eventually even lazy. They lose all the zeal to learn new things and although they won’t admit this, their actions would make you believe they have thrown in the towel and are satisfied with a status quo life and career. If you really want to move ahead, don’t get into this rut. Don’t tune out.

    Always remain eager to learn; you never know what knowledge or capability will push you up in your career. Remember, you need an open mindset and positive attitude to approach work. If you are constantly learning, it will be tough to be or appear to be interested in mediocrity.

  4. An Eye for Detail
    If you are hands on with your work there is no reason why you won’t know the intricacies involved. Therefore, have the confidence needed to make difficult choices. When you master something and know the minute details, your logic and ideas will be highly regarded. While people love to argue, they get easily impressed by intelligent reasoning too.
  5. Willingness to Help
    Much of life is give and take. Work is no exception. If you are the person that is constantly stepping out of your comfort zone in order to help others, people (most) will return the favor when you ask. That’s the key though, you have to be willing to help someone and not too proud to ask them for help when you need it.
  6. Networking
    Your network should never be restricted to people in your domain but it should span other departments too. Again, break away from comfort and get engaged with someone from a different department. When you sell yourself in the market, you need people who can vouch for you and the broader the network, the better. A strong network always gives you an upper hand, not only to receive but also influence the information flow.
  7. Solution Seeking Mindset
    People love to mention and talk about problems. However, when you ask for their solutions to those problems, they aren’t willing to go on record with sweeping changes. The majority of employees lack an attitude to solve issues and love to keep them burning for long time, almost to encourage sympathy. It is these times that a positive mindset can send the right vibes across and can really give you a lot of attention. Don’t avoid complainers, listen to them just long enough to hear the problem, then try to come up with a solution.
  8. Humility
    Arrogance has its own advantages but it never attracts more people than the magic done by humility. When you know your work and are humble about it than there is no reason that you would not get the desired appreciation. Humility needs to be pitched with much care lest it lets people take undue advantage of you. Strike the right balance and you would see its real magic.
  9. Being Practical
    Human beings are emotional and many fall for popular decisions. A practical decision made at right time with right attitude has the ability to shower you with long lasting fame. Remember, the people who are at the top are nothing but practical.

It is a jungle out there where you not only need to survive but flourish too. Develop the killer attitude for success and no one would ever dare to stop you.

Always

  1. Work Hard, Work Smart
  2. Make sure the world knows about it
  3. Make sure to sell it in right manner to right people

Go, Get Success

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by HR Bangladesh

5 Tips for Making your Job Search Resolutions Come True

February 6, 2011 in Career

1. Establish positive thought patterns associated with your goal: i.e., "I will feel so capable, confident, and relieved to get the job offer I want." Might include making a "vision board" to visually represent what success would look and feel like.

2. Associate negative thought patterns with doing nothing: "I’ll feel blue, discouraged, hopeless and as though I am not great at what I do for a living if I don’t diligently go about job search in the most intelligent way."

3. Get an accountability partner – someone you can talk to who will hold you to your task commitments.

4. Reward yourself for successes small and large – whatever works for you: a ski trip, dinner out, new clothes, 10 iPhone music downloads etc.

5. Break down the total job search process into discreet, quantifiable tasks.***

*** For job seekers, this may mean practicing the critical habits that make success most likely, including such activities as:

* Make a certain # of networking calls daily

* Set up a target number of lunch appointments with contacts each week

* Go to ?# networking meetings per month

* Tweet 3 times daily to build your social media presence

* Blog ?# weekly to establish thought leadership

* Spend ?# minutes daily working your social networks for contacts and leads

* Execute a direct mail campaign to ?# of hiring authorities in your target companies

* Develop your personal brand and express it in all your materials (within ?# weeks)

* Work on your success stories until you have ?#

* Devote ?# minutes a week to practicing your elevator pitch

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by HR Bangladesh

A Two+ Minute Talk About Job Seekers and the Word "H O P E"

February 6, 2011 in Career

Over the holidays, I was invited to speak to a group of about 300 people about my take on the subject of hope and job seekers in today’s workplace. Here’s an edited version of the presentation:

"In my work as a career management professional, I am very fortunate to meet all types of people with all types of backgrounds…people who are educated, motivated, frustrated, aggravated, invigorated, accepted, rejected, regenerated…regular people…from diverse educational backgrounds… GED, High School, Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD’s, EdD’s, MD’s, JD’s, MBA’s…

And regardless of age, rank, money, no money, have it all, have nothing…for 25 years I have heard these themed questions from the mouth of many, from the mouth of most:

Do you think there is any hope for me?

Do you think I will ever find another job?

Am I a lost cause?

What are my chances?

Will I ever get back to work?

What about not having a degree and trying to find a job in this market?

Am I too old to start over?

Where can I find some hope?

And I have never wavered from this position in my 25 years of serving others in the career industry:  I do not have answers; I do have many, many ideas…ideas that have turned into new beginnings, and fresh starts, and clean breaks, and getting through and getting on. I don’t know about getting ‘over’ anything…I know about moving forward with everything. This is the message of hope I have for job seekers, and for you, today. For me, hope means:

~ Holding on to what works and having to allow yourself to let go of what doesn’t…

~ Helping yourself in healthy, constructive, mindful, and intentional ways…

~ Having a plan B, C, D to Z of coping strategies when things you thought would fly, fail…

~ Healing a heart that is broken and in the shambles somewhere beneath you and reaching down while you’re looking up…

~ Having one friend, one family member, one person on the planet who you can turn to…and maybe on your best (and worst) day that is the one you can’t see, you can’t touch, you can’t hear, you can’t upgrade…maybe it is and always has been the thing that never leaves you, doesn’t quit on you, won’t judge you, can’t fire you… always beside you, behind you, below you and above you no matter what…. that is hope!

And the O in the word hope represents:

~ Options and opportunities

~ Obstacles and objections

~ Open minds, open hearts, and open doors

~ Optimism over the opposite

And the P stands for:

Purpose and plans, planting seeds, possibilities, preparations and presentations, and putting the pieces of the puzzle together over and over and over again and persevering until we find our way…

And the E means:

Evergreen, everlasting, and ever-present in our life - HOPE!"

Hope Offers a Path for Everyone. Happy New Year 2011!

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