HR SYMPOSIA 13

Delhi School of Economics (DSE) came to the spotlight yet again when the HR department successfully conducted its annual HR Symposia from 25th-26th November 2013. Under the aegis of Delhi School of Economics, the Department of Commerce and Business offers two professional courses MHROD (Master of Human Resource and organizational Development) and MIB (Master of International Business). The annual HR Symposia coordinated by the SDC (Student Development Cell) Committee of MHROD was based on the theme HR: Beyond Boundaries. The event which went for 3 days was meant to supplement students with a 3 course meal of practical corporate cognitive insights from top-notch Corporate Honchos from HR start-ups like Salto Dee Fe to Healthcare giants like Fortis Healthcare Ltd. All the sessions in the event were interactive where students got their queries answered from the speakers and at moments speakers gained some theoretical advancements in the dynamic field of Human Resources from the students which served as Quid Pro Quo for both the parties. Day 1:The exordium of the event was done by Mr. Rajan Kalia (Co-Founder, Salto Dee Fe) who runs a Business Enabling Firm which helps organizations to leapfrog their business to next phase of growth and generate value for all the stake-holders. He spoke on the topic-Multi-Rater Performance Appraisal also known as 360-degree feedback which is a trending performance management /evaluation tool in HR. He talked about the evolution of this system and how it can prognosticate an employees performance and help in final performance appraisal. He talked about various aspects of this tool like how it can drive a persons development efforts, careful planning and communication needed in using this tool and some significant merits and demerits in using this tool. He also gave some practical examples from corporate sector where 360-degree feedback is a part of employee performance evaluation. The second session of the day was on the topic: - Emotional Intelligence edge and your Success which was enlightened by Mr. Sanjay Mitra (Global OD head and VP-HR, GlobalLogic) who along with his team is involved in Global Talent Management ,coaching some of the senior members and instituting a system of Mentoring for Rare and High-End skills. He touched various perspectives on how the dynamics of emotional intelligence quotient (EQ) can help you grow at personal and professional level. He focussed on how organizations judge the Fitment of a potential candidate by taking a note of his/her EQ rather than focussing on his/her IQ and relevant technical skills. He bottlenecked the enigma of EQ to some significant competencies likes Self-Awareness, Empathy, Impulse Control and Optimism and gave corporate links to how business leaders with high EQ are more successful in hiring, managing, leading and mentoring others. The concluding session of the day was on Issues and challenges in managing global workforce which was incisively illuminated by Mr. Ashit Ranjan (VP-HR, Technova India Pvt. ltd.), a Human Resource Professional with 19 years of international experience of Strategic HR management, Performance Management and Training and Development in India, United States, Bhutan and Bangladesh. He shared his personal experiences on how the cultural diversity in the workplace can affect an individuals personal and professional growth and how to tackle these situations in a global environment. He quoted numerous examples of HR policies, Industrial laws, Labour Laws and interview demeanour practiced in different countries and how one has to effectively acclimatise with these changing scenarios.

Day 2:The second day of the symposia began with a much deeper HR perspective on Compensation v/s Competency which was presided over by Mr. Rajiv Kapoor (Chief People Officer, Fortis Healthcare) who has 11 year experience in JCB India Ltd in HR and Legal Domain. A much of a theoretical topic which was indeed needed to be redefined by an industry expert as Competency Management is an important Strategic area of an Organization. The speaker focussed on how the traditional compensation system often fails to differentiate between different individuals whose performance levels may vary and how sometimes it fails to recognize better performers. The alternative being Competency based Compensation system which can help the organizations to measure actual job performance. The final discussion of the day was on HR- Data and Analyst which was lectured by Mr. Tarun Dua (Associate Director, HRD and Training, Country Development & Management Services Pvt. Ltd.). The discussion was focussed on the effective use of MIS (Management Information System) in different Businesses especially in Hotel Management and the role of HR analyst. The discussion also brought to the light the versatility of HRIS (Human Resource Management System) and its relation to the MIS used in Hospitality Industry. Day 3:The final and concluding day of the HR Symposia13 began with the most awaited Panel Discussion on Role of HR- Mergers and Acquisitions. The imminent speakers for the discussion were Mr. Abhay Kapoor (AVP- Corporate HR & ER, Escorts Ltd.), Mr. Ranji Abraham (Director Human Resources, India at Delphi Auto Ltd.) and Mr. Madhur Mehta (Director HR, Make My Trip). Mergers and Acquisitions are the most critical phases of Business and it is imperative that everyone involved in the process should have a clear understanding of the process and its outcomes. The panel discussion focussed on how the HR as one of the most valued person in this process acts as a change agent and must have a firm grasp on the culture of the company for which they work for and must study the culture of the other organization so that he may be proactive in avoiding any cultural differences in the process and after the process. The coordinated efforts of Human Resource Department of both the organizations can smooth out the transition for employees. The discussion also focussed on the importance of Emotional Intelligence in this process. Summing up, the whole 3 day event was successful in its purpose of bridging the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of HR and giving a kick-start to the thought process of the students before entering the real corporate.