Sapphire_Synapse 2014 | Page 47

SYNAPSE - 2014 SYNAPSE - 2014 HR : A Roadmap for the Future - Stuti Pandey, HRM 2013-15, XLRI Jamshedpur In a 1996 article, Thomas Stewart called upon companies to rethink the need for a department which spent 80% of its time on routine administrative tasks while gaining a net increase of 30% on its salary. He was referring to the HR department which he suggested should be abolished, rubbed out, eliminated, tossed, obliterated, nuked and forced to walk the plank. While the statements does make the budding HR inside me rise up in protest, what we also need to consider is that nearly two decades later the question still looms large of how much of a value add is HR really for an organization. This makes it imperative for HR to keep metamorphosing so that it remains relevant for organizations. Fostering a culture of innovation Innovation is one of the most powerful strategic tools that organizations can wield in today’s unpredictable markets. However fostering innovation requires an environment that kindles and fuels its existence. While there are no set environmental parameters that guarantee innovation organizations can always work towards creating Be Strategically Proactive From the perspective of the HR department organizations can exist in four modes. These four modes are as follows: Being strategically proactive gives a definite edge in the long term. 1. Operationally Reactive 2. Operationally Proactive one by promoting innovation as high on the agenda and by removing bureaucratic layers that hinder innovation. The HR could play an important role in creating a culture that encourages and rewards innovation through 3. Strategically Reactive  Recruiting the right set of people 4. Strategically Proactive  Communication  Training and Development opportunities  Rewards and Incentives. Most firms function in the operationally reactive (performing basic administrative tasks like payroll, performance management which are hygiene factors) or proactive modes (working on bettering HR designs and offerings in terms of relevance and convenience). While each of the modes offer certain competitive advantages to the firms, being strategically proactive gives a definite edge in the long term. Three distinct ways in which HR could achieve a proactive strategic role have been chalked out below (Wayne Brockbank , 1999): 1. Facilitating mergers and acquisition activities, 3. Aligning internal capabilities with future external environmental requirements. Some 65% of all Mergers and Acquisitions fail in various phases of their existence. These failures are a result of various factors .According to data Fostering a culture of innovation 2. Facilitating mergers and acquisition activities from Deallogic, U.S. companies had spent $219 billion on mergers and acquisitions till Feb 2013.