Superb Presentation on Employer Branding - Attracting Followers with your Employment Brand

Causality: Attracting followers with your employment brand

Causality: Must watch presentation on Employer Branding. It provides detailed yet fascinating research on employee opinions and competencies and how companies need to reach out to their employees with better communication models at the workplace. How it is important to create an environment where an employee feels that what they are doing really makes a difference to the world. I am not talking about the UN here. The research here talks about Google and Unilever!!

Source: The original presentation can be downloaded at Slideshare (Probable (c) with Mark Ervin).

The Dilemnas/ Directions in Human Resources...

Human Resources...

Retrenchment - Do's & Dont's using a Sample Transcript...

Scenario 1

Narrator: Now we will see the interaction between the HR manager Mr. Ritesh Sharan and the worker Mr. Shivshankar.

HR: Shiv!

Worker: Ji…

HR: Sit… Sit

Worker: The company has actually decided ki, all this manual process has to be done away with. Aaj kal market mein, iska koi value nahin hai. So the company has said that we will do total automation.

Worker: Hamara Kaam saab??

HR: See… I tried my level best to save all your jobs. But I was able to save only 100 jobs. 50 jobs are now going to be redundant.

Worker: Aap bol rahe ho ki hamara kaam chale jayegi?

HR: Listen to me first. Unfortunately looking at your old age, you are going to be one of the persons who have to go.

Worker: Ji… Mera beti hai ji… Marriage karvana hai uska.

HR: Company policy hai bhai. Hum kuch nahin kar saktha.

Worker: Yeh umar mein mein kya karoon.

HR: Thoda paisa dhenge thumko. Thu kuch kar le na us se. Problem kya hai usme.

Worker: Log mujhe kya kahenge…

HR: Mein kya karoon. Try kiya meine… 100 naukri bacha liya meine.

Worker: Ji... Mein apka pair pakadke pooch raha hoon

HR: Mera pair pakadke kya phaidha hai. Kuch kar nahin sakthe abhi. Abhi mujhe upar se thumare pass bol ne keliye bola, meine bol dhiya katham baath.

Worker: Hum bhooka bhaitenge ji... Yeh kya kar rahe ho aap.

Narrator: This scenario shows how retrenchment should not be done.

Scenario 2

HR: Hello Mr. Shiv

Worker: Hello Sir

HR: How are you?

Worker: Haan. I am fine.

HR: Please sit down.

Worker: No, its ok sir

HR: No no. I request you.

HR: See… I have something bad to tell you. I don’t have words to say this, but…. The company has finally decided, and you must have also known about this ki…. We are finally getting automated machinery into the company. And because of that, currently only 100 people are required.

Worker: Sir…

HR: Listen, Listen… I tried to save the jobs of everybody, but I have to do something about this as the machinery is also very costly. But I will make sure that no hurt comes to you.

Worker: Sir… Meri beti hai sir, shadi karne keliye. Mein kya karoon sir. Hamare pet mein kyun lath mar rahe ho sir aap. Mera family kya karega sir. Mein bhuka bhaitoon kya?

HR: Please sit down. I am not saying that this is not going to hurt you. But, jitna thumhe bura lag raha hai utna mujhe bhi bura lag raha hai. But I will promise you this much that the organization will do everything in its power to keep you well forever. Mathlab financially hum thume secure kar dhenge. Relax… Relax.

Worker: Mera family mar jayega. Kahan Jayenge hum. Ky Karenge. Humare baare mein soj lijeye sir.

HR: I will finally tell you now... see what we have decided that we are going to do is that, we will make sure that financially aap secure ho jayenge. There is not going to be a severance of relationship between you and us. You might not come to work, but you are always going to be there. You are a part of the organization. We will make sure that you get a good severance package. Agar aap kahin aur kaam karma chaahthe the… then we can give a few references for you. You can actually go to these places and if they have a requirement they will definitely take you. Because they know that you are a capable worker. We will not shirk our responsibility. We will definitely give you a reference, agar aap kaam karma chaahthe the tho. If you want to start something new, we will give you a short term loan so that if you want to start a shop or if you want to go back to your village and do farming. You must understand that the organization is doing everything in its power to help you. You also have to show strength now and fight it out. We will be there with you side by side. Aap shop start kar sakthe hai, farming kar sakthe hai ya kisi aur company mein jaake kaam kar sakthe hai and we will make sure that financial problems will not be there with a good severance package. Aapko training bhi dhe dhethein.

Worker: I can understand that, the organization also does not need so many people now. Some people have to go. Lekin humko madhath chahiye. Hum akele isko face nahin kar paenge.

HR: Mein aapko pura madhath karoonga. Aapka bread winner ki status bhi rahega. Aap apna dhukhan shuru kijiye mein aapko help karoonga. Aap apna sar ooncha kar ke ji sakthe hai.

Worker: Theek hai sir. Theek hai.

HR: You will always be in our hearts. We know that you have worked very long and very hard in this organization. And we will make sure that you always get the benefits of the organization.

Worker: Thank you sir.

Narrator: This scenario shows how retrenchment might be done.

Organizational Culture, Sexual Harassment, Performance Appraisal & Top Management...

Organizational Culture has to be emphasized by the Top Management

Work ethics which includes sexual harassment practices encompass a set of behavioral norms expected from all employees in an organisation. It is also the embodiment of the core values on which the organisation has evolved. What is needed is to make work ethics an integral part of the culture and core values in an organisation.

It is necessary for the top level to set the precedent. If the top brass falters, it reflects on the morale of the employees. The top management largely contributes to the work ethics of an organisation. They are the trendsetters and guide the organisation in times of crisis. If the ‘saviours’ or the leaders of the organisation by any means become the destroyers of its own practices and indulges in these activities, then the situation becomes magnified. Work ethics are drawn from core values. When you say you are going to be honest, it has to extend to your employees, your vendors and your customers. Everyone in the company must know it and practice it. And an example has to be created from the top.

A single mistake by the top management can have a disastrous impact on the morale of the employees. It casts aspersions on the top management of the company. The employees feel bad when someone from the senior or top management is involved in these incidences. They start asking themselves what type of company are they working for and whether it is the right place for them to stay? This, in turn, has a considerable impact on their productivity, commitment and also the retention of employees. Also if the company is preaching something but the top management is doing just the opposite, no employee will take the rules and guidelines seriously and the work ethics of the company would be severely compromised. It is critical that the senior management set the highest standards of integrity, honesty, transparency and respect for the individual.

Appraisal Procedure has to more transparent

The appraisal system should be such that it is not unfair to the employee and should not be a weapon in the hands of the appraiser such that it is only based on his whims and fancies. A better approach would be to involve a larger number of people in the process or to take into account a larger time frame when conducting appraisals so that it becomes impartial. Some of the things that can be done here are:

1. 180, 270 or 360 degree appraisal programs so that the appraisal is not in the hands of a single person.

2. The organization looks at the performance of the employee over the last 3 yrs preceding the appraisal and if the employee has not been for so long then the total time frame is taken into account.

3. If an employee is not satisfied with the appraisal given then there should be grievance resolution mechanisms to sort out the concerns.

4. The appraiser can be asked to list out specific details of performance appraisal with examples relating to why such a rating was given.

Only when such steps are implemented to safeguard employees against the vindictive agenda of the superiors will the performance appraisal become a meaningful tool in the hands of the employer to ensure productivity and commitment from the employees.

What drives businesses to adopt Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)? Does it really matter what the secret agenda (of the firms involved in CSR) is?

Let’s first have a look at what the various definitions of CSR are in the context in which we are talking about it. These are the two definitions I would refer to in this paper.

1. Corporate social responsibility(CSR) is an expression used to describe what some see as a company’s obligation to be sensitive to the needs of all of the stakeholders in its business operations. A company’s stakeholders are all those who are influenced by, or can influence, a company’s decisions and actions. These can include employees, customers, suppliers, community organizations, subsidiaries and affiliates, joint venture partners, local neighborhoods, investors, and shareholders

2. CSR is concerned with treating the stakeholders of the firm ethically or in a responsible manner acceptable in civilized societies. Social includes economic responsibility. Stakeholders exist both within a firm and outside. The natural environment is a stakeholder. The wider aim of social responsibility is to create higher and higher standards of living, while preserving the profitability of the corporation, for peoples both within and outside the corporation.

What is the first thing that strikes us here? In both these definitions we are looking at stakeholders. Not any particular stakeholder. Both these and numerous other definitions focus on the entire gamut of stakeholders in the entire environment. Now the important question here is how a company does decide which stakeholder has to be given the maximum value. Or is it that all stakeholders will be given equal importance. And if only some are being given critical importance what happens to the CSR philosophy. Does it become defunct for the organization or it still stands on its nimble feet. We will have a look at some answers as we go along.

Now let’s look at the question of why the companies are even talking of adopting CSR if they already have not yet. Some firms believe in CSR. And they have doing so even before the terms were coined. When we look at what the Tata’s have done in the city of Jamshedpur we can very well appreciate the fact that for some firms this entire discussion about CSR is utterly useless. They just do not how firms can ignore CSR. It is in their blood and they really do not know how to work without this. Hats off to them first.

Then there are some Companies that are making profits and also contribute to some, although obviously not all, aspects of social development. They believe that surely every company should not be expected to be involved in every aspect of social development. That would be ludicrous and unnecessarily restrictive. They believe that for a firm to be involved in some aspects; will make its products and services more attractive to consumers as a whole, therefore making the company more profitable. There will be increased costs to implement CSR, but the benefits are likely to far outweigh the costs.

Then there are the third types of companies which do not care and which do not intend to care about CSR. We are not really concerned about these kinds of companies since we know from very live and vivid examples of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom about how companies just disappear from the horizons when they do not do what is required of them. Let’s wish them the best of luck and continue.

We are interested in the second category of companies and to a lesser extent the first ones because they are into CSR and we want to know what makes them do what they are doing.

Some critics of CSR, such as the economist Milton Friedman, argue that a corporation's principal purpose is to maximize returns to its shareholders, while obeying the laws of the countries within which it works. Others argue that the only reason corporations put in place social projects is utilitarian; that they see a commercial benefit in raising their reputation with the public or with government. The key challenge here is the rule of corporate law3 that says that the organization should not do anything that decreases its profits. Because of this, it has become clear that a CSR activity generally can only be effective at achieving social or environmental outcomes to the extent that it maximizes profits. This requires that the resources applied to CSR activities must have a higher return than those resources could obtain if applied anywhere else. This means that the possible scope of CSR is drastically narrowed.

This means that the stakeholders are primarily shareholders and the employees and to a certain extent the market and the rest have to deal with the remaining few scraps. But is this a problem? Definitely not. When we look at the various advantages accrued by the initiatives to the organization and to the stakeholders we see that it is definitely a win-win situation, even if the firm gains more than the others. When we take the example of ITC e-Choupal and look at the advantages it has given to the Indian farmers, we can really overlook the issue that in essence ITC is only trying to gain the suppliers market and strengthen its own distribution network for getting raw materials smoothly. Proponents of pure CSR might argue that the purpose behind the initiative should be development and not profit. But I would argue that it is better that the companies are doing something and getting returns in exchange while making a important contribution than just keeping to their own and just sticking to the laws of the land while doing business.They are the ones with the best of talent at their disposal which can be used effectively for such purposes and if they are making profits in a socially responsible manner they should be lauded and made examples of. Let’s be happy that at least there is something that is making these firms do the work they are doing here.

Tata’s are a dream but these companies are also not exactly nightmares. Let’s at least support them in their endeavors.

Us :-)

Aditi & Ritesh...

VTU Transcripts: FAQ Part - 2

There have been a lot of questions asked on my blog about the process of VTU Transcripts and how to get them through Post along with basic questions about what are transcripts and CMC's etc and University rules etc. I have tried to answer all the questions earlier and have decided to consolidate all the responses together in 2 FAQ blog posts so that people can refer to the same in case they have queries.

Related Posts:
Getting VTU Transcripts though Post
FAQ Part 1

FAQ Part 2:

9. Could you tell me what do they mention in Consolidated MC?
a. Is it your first attempt marks or second attempt marks?
b. What are the total marks mentioned?
c. And if they don't mention second attempt marks in CMC then what’s the difference between CMC and the original marks card which you got in your first attempt when you had a back?

Ans: A CMC is one single marks card containing all the marks from semester 1 to last. It will show the latest marks and not the backlogs. But there will be ** mentioned next to those marks and it will be mentioned somewhere that this is not your 1st attempt marks for the subject. Total is the addition of latest marks. But you do not get a rank which is left blank if u got a back in any subject.

10. Is VTU the new name for Bangalore University? "I completed my B.E degree in 1998 from Bangalore University. Can I use this process as well"?

Ans: VTU is not the new name of Bangalore University. VTU is a relatively new university and has superseded Bangalore University for Engineering and Technical courses. Bangalore University still exists for other courses. Having said that I am not sure where you will get your transcripts from. I remember in 2001, VTU gave an option to BU students with backlogs to finish all their exams in that year after which they would not have the option again to clear their backlogs under VTU.

I would suggest that you call the VTU number that I have mentioned in my blog entry and check with them. Else, you can contact the Bangalore University directly.

This seems to be their website: http://www.bub.ernet.in/

11. What is the difference between consolidated marks card and Transcripts. Both are a single sheet of paper showing all the semester marks right?

Ans: Let me start with a caveat here. I have seen a Transcript but have only heard about a CMC.

Technically a CMC and a transcript are the same, they both provide marks of all your subjects. But the difference is that a Transcript has generally a universally accepted format which includes among other things, your marks per semester, the degree awarded, years of study, medium of instruction, institution name, rankings, and a key sheet specifying how to interpret the marks (GPA, %age, scales etc) etc etc. It includes very important information about the university that has awarded the degree and its accreditation (public/ private, govt etc). It is also sealed in an envelope with signs on both flaps from registrar evaluation.

A CMC is like your normal marks cards that we got every semester (glazed printed paper if u are from VTU). Just that it is a slightly larger piece of paper with marks of all semesters. Generally the above mentioned items of transcripts are not mentioned.

I have not come across a college which asks for a CMC. But they ALWAYS ask for a University Transcript. However a CMC is useful if you have lost marks cards, if you have had backlogs and got secondary marks cards, if you just want one single marks card to ease your handling or if you had a reevaluation/ recount done of any subject and had a change of marks. It just makes things easier.

12. "I am 2004 passed out. I would like to get my transcript from VTU Belagum directly not by post since i need them urgently. My question is do i need to carry original marks cards to VTU Register office to get my transcripts"?

Ans: From what i have read over the Internet, some people advice you to carry and some say not required. My understanding is that its not required (I got it by post without sending any original documents!!). However, at least carry a photocopied version just in case they ask for it. And if you are not at all worried about (& Insecure) about carrying original docs, there is no harm in carrying them too. Just 5-6 pieces of paper!

13. "I completed my engg. in 2006 but unfortunately got a backlog and cleared the backlog in January 2007, finally got my degree in somewhere 2008. So i want to know if i apply for a higher degree aboard then what should i fill in the column "date received for the degree" in the forms. Whether it should be June 06 (the month and year in which I completed my education) or it should be the date thats mentioned on the degree certificate(March '08)"?

Ans: VTU (with or without backlogs) gives degrees only after a year of graduating. I got mine in 2006 march when i had finished my course in 2005 April. However, i mentioned the April date as the degree receiving date as on that date i received the Provisional degree certificate. I didn't want to raise any complications by mentioning a date one year after completion of the course.

I did not have any problems with my degrees on doing so....

VTU Transcripts: FAQ Part - 1

There have been a lot of questions asked on my blog about the process of VTU Transcripts and how to get them through Post along with basic questions about what are transcripts and CMC's etc and University rules etc. I have tried to answer all the questions earlier and have decided to consolidate all the responses together in 2 FAQ blog posts so that people can refer to the same in case they have queries.

Related Posts:
Getting VTU Transcripts though Post
FAQ Part 2

FAQ Part 1:

1. I would like to know if the transcripts include the degree certificate?

Ans: The answer is no, the transcripts only include a white sheet of paper with all the semester and subject marks with a VTU seal and some dates and curricula language. That’s all!

2. Do you need to also send across a self addressed envelope with the rest of the stuff or will mentioning your mailing address suffice?

Ans: Self addressed envelope is not required. Just mention your address clearly on the covering letter. They use their own envelopes. VTU is rich enough to afford that ;-)

3. I am not located in Bangalore. Do you think they will mail it to another city in India?

Ans: I live in Kolkata and they sent me the transcripts here.

4. What is required in the Cover Letter?

Ans: A cover letter is a normal letter addressed to The VTU asking for ‘X’ no of transcripts, your full address, your VTU details like Name, USN No (roll) and College name and the DD details.

5. Can V send the mail through ordinary post or through speed post?

Ans: It all depends on how quickly you want them!

6. Should the photo copies of marks cards be attested by principal?

Ans: No, you don’t need to get them attested by anybody

7. “I am from Delhi and passed my Degree in 2006 in first class (2002 to 2006). I had 2 backs throughout my degree, and later I passed the exams. At the end I was not able to get my consolidated marks card for the two semesters, after clearing the back. So now what will be the status of my marks in the transcripts; will the new marks be added by default or I will have to get the marks sheet consolidated first and then get transcripts which would be quite hectic”.

Ans: Actually what i know of the process is that when u ask for the transcript, they mention only the final marks in each subject but put a * mark next to the subject indicating that it was not cleared in the first attempt and below that they mention 1, 2, 3 etc for all subjects i.e first attempt, 2nd attempt, 3rd attempt etc. These things are mentioned on the 2nd page of the transcripts which details how to read the transcripts.

8. "In my transcripts it’s mentioned that the language of instruction is English. But I am sceptical if the universities would consider this to exclude us from appearing for TOEFl or IELTS". Please throw light on this issue.

Ans: As far as Toefl/ IELTS are concerned, it depends on specific universities and how they treat the issue. I contacted the admissions department of the colleges that I applied to and mentioned that the medium of instruction was English for both my graduate and postgraduate degrees and the same is mentioned on my transcripts. All of them told me that I do not need TOEFL/ IELTS scores. A couple of them asked me to highlight the medium of instruction on my transcript (photocopy version).

If you look at the university websites, they generally mention in their FAQ's section as to how they are going to treat English language testing. Many mention it explicitly that if you have a degree from an English speaking country or have done your graduation where medium of instruction was English, and then Toefl etc is not required. It’s best to be sure and contact the various admissions departments if you are in doubt after going through the admission websites.

Note: My experience is only related to MBA courses in Europe.

Ab Na Ja...An Impromptu Performance - Bodhi Tree (Saplings), XL Utsav

My first performance at XLRI was this impromptu gig that happened at XL Utsav in 2005. Our seniors were in the process of finishing college and asked us to take the stage and the mantle of 'Bodhi Saplings' leading on to Bodhi Tree after we reached the 2nd year at XLRI.

It is definitely not my best performance by any standards but very surprisingly, it is the only video of mine when i have performed on stage; hence i decided to put it up on my blog. Also because it is one of my favorite songs by a band that i grew up loving a lot. Its almost like 'Patience' by GNR in the sense that its a soft ballad rock song from a relatively heavy instrumental, fusion, rock oriented band.

Anyways, overall the song has some discrepancies between the leads, drums and vocals as i had never performed with these guys earlier and if i remember correctly, the leads and drums didn't even know how i was going to sing the song and hence the lags :)

The people on stage are Sebastian Chandy on the Lead guitar, Jishnu Dasgupta on the Base Guitar, Purnima Dore on the Drums and Me with the mike...

Again...this acts as a reminder of the slice of life i left behind at 'the best 2 years of my life'...

Warren Buffet's Comment on Ethical Values & Organizational Reputation

Copying this from a Yahoo Report on Warren Buffet (Link) as i feel this story and following comments needs to be remembered by all working men and women, particularly in light of what is happening today in the financial world with Wall Street under the scanner for starting the financial crisis in 2008:

In 1987, Berkshire bought $700 million of convertible preferred stock in Salomon Inc. Four years later, Buffett became interim chairman to restore order after a Treasury auction bidding scandal. On Sept. 4, 1991, Buffett testified before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce about Salomon. Excerpts got into a movie created by Buffett's daughter Susie and shown to Berkshire shareholders at each annual meeting.

In part, Buffett said the following:

"In the end, the spirit about compliance is as important, or more so, than words about compliance. I want the right words and I want the full range of internal controls. But I also have asked every Salomon employee to be his or her own compliance officer.

"After they first obey all rules, I then want employees to ask themselves whether they are willing to have any contemplated act appear the next day on the front page of their local paper, to be read by their spouses, children and friends, with the reporting done by an informed and critical reporter.

"If they follow this test, they need not fear my other message to them: Lose money for the firm and I will be understanding. Lose a shred of reputation for the firm and I will be ruthless."

Lets remember the great man's words for our own good...

XL Meri Jaan - Rock Version (Extremely rough cut version & possibly sounds bad!!)

Song: XL Meri Jaan (Rock Version)

Thought will put this up even though its nowhere near a finished product. Me and Saji just made in one go in 15 minutes with Saji on the Electric guitar, Beats on the Synth and Vocals by me.

Random stuff i know!!....but we had been thinking of creating this song in a studio in the manner that we created and played it in XLRI as part of Bodhi Tree. A lot of people have told us that we were stupid in not going ahead with that plan so thought at least will put this version up. I am aware that most probably we will never be able to recreate the magic of that song again but keeping it on my blog will probably keep reminding me that this is one more unfinished business...

Enjoy!

Leaf Insect?

Probably the strangest thing that i have every photographed. I found it in my XLRI hostel room some years back. Observed it very closely before it left my room. At first thought it was a leaf but when i went closer i was quite amazed to see it is an insect.

Oh...by the way, Those (leaves) are Wings!

Can you spot the eyes and the antenna?!

P.S - Did not find anything resembling the same on the net. Would appreciate it if someone has any clue on what they are called?

Time Magazine's Quote on Sachin Tendulkar

"When Sachin Tendulkar travelled to Pakistan to face one of the finest bowling attacks ever assembled in cricket, Michael Schumacher was yet to race a F1 car, Lance Armstrong had never been to the Tour de France, Diego Maradona was still the captain of a world champion Argentina team, Pete Sampras had never won a Grand Slam. When Tendulkar embarked on a glorious career taming Imran and company, Roger Federer was a name unheard of; Lionel Messi was in his nappies, Usain Bolt was an unknown kid in the Jamaican backwaters. The Berlin Wall was still intact, USSR was one big, big country, Dr Manmohan Singh was yet to "open" the Nehruvian economy. It seems while Time was having his toll on every individual on the face of this planet, he excused one man. Time stands frozen in front of Sachin Tendulkar. We have had champions, we have had legends, but we have never had another Sachin Tendulkar and we never will."

Thanks God - err - Sachin!! :)

Love, Pain, Nostalgia, Memories, Healing, Song

You came in to my life,
Like a breath of fresh air,
Changing every moment ,every day,
Into a memory,to last a lifetime.

You smiled with me, you cried with me,
Your were forever there when I needed that support,
It was a whole new world.
A world that was my favourite place.

But as time would have had it,
Destiny showed us different paths,
I chose to go on,
You stood behind at the place,
Where our paths moved away,
I never dared to look back,
Knew wasn’t strong enough,
Till the day you moved on to.

Today as we have taken our separate paths,
I look back,
With a smile on my lips and tears in my eyes,
At that very place.
I see you,I see me,
And I see memories and happy times,
That gave a lot,
However short they may be,
They will last a lifetime.

A lifetime where every prayer said,
Every smile shared,every nostalgic moment ,
Would never be complete without you...

The most important issue for Business Leaders in India today...Look at the 'Not-So-Shining' India

The core issue in any Developing or Undeveloped nation is sustainable and inclusive development. The same is the case with India today. With a population of 1.2 Billion individuals, and an economy which is growing at an annual rate of 8% and more, we have set the stage for a very prosperous India in the coming decades. However, something that has been missing has been the equality of this growth across all sections of the society. There are suddenly 2 very different Indias today; a prosperous one with 400 middle class people and a very poor one with 400 million who do not have the access to most goods and services. The latter is the India that needs to be targeted by the business leaders of the country today.

It is not as if this is something radical that is being proposed. Progressive leaders have looked at this population and made profitable models to target them. We have awe inspiring organizations like ITC which has started its ‘E-Choupal’ initiative for farmer’s supply chain management, Unilever which has a ‘Shakti Amma’ concept of selling products in rural areas and hospitals like Aravind Eye & Narayana Hrudayalaya which provide healthcare to all sections of the society at a fraction of the cost. These ventures have to be seen not as CSR projects but as viable business projects which bring value to both the organization and the people of India.

Concepts like the bottom of the pyramid have a place in economics. The target for all entities, be it the government or the industries, should be all levels of this pyramid. Obviously, there might be some inconsistency in the targeting but no one should be forgotten completely. Theories which were popular earlier like the trickledown effect which talked about the money flowing from the top to the bottom of the pyramid will have to be discarded or heavily modified. Else, the economic inequalities will keep becoming larger with rich becoming richer and poor becoming poorer.

Business leaders need to remember that we are a huge market that had largely been untapped till 1991 when the reforms process was initiated by the government under the World Bank guidance. The challenge is in getting the right product and at the right price to a person which makes a person’s life better in even a small way. Since such poor households are mostly in rural areas, it also helps in creating employment opportunities there and helps communities better their livelihoods, creating a cycle of positive change where rising incomes and livelihoods demand better products and hence better profits.

This is a huge opportunity for progressive business leaders and organizations today which if tapped into can lead to huge value creation for all stakeholders.

Filament - Initiating a new era in the field of Workplace Branding & Organizational Communications

I wanted to talk about the Organization where i currently work; a firm that was started by one of my closest friends and one that i believe has the potential to become one of the biggest names in the field of Employer Branding/ HR Communications in the near future.

Filament is a firm offering niche services in the space of Workplace Branding and Communications. It was founded by XLRI Jamshedpur alumni in 2008, catering to this drastic need of Human Resources. A great employer brand attracts great people, retains the best employees and greatly reduces employee costs. Oh and yes, it also helps the organizations that little bit in terms of employee motivation to make the company become stronger.

At Filament, we believe in the vital role of communications and workplace branding in the strategic role of HR. With our promise of continuous research, we help companies decide Why, When and How to communicate their employer brand.

We cater to a spectrum of communication needs across Employee/ Organization policy manuals, On-boarding Kits, Recruitment Brochures, Career Websites, Corporate Videos, Campus Presentations and branding/recruitment campaigns across print, radio and digital mediums etc. It is our endeavour to bring the ‘What’s New’ in the world of Employer Branding to everyone associated with this exciting change happening in Human Capital management. It has become imperative in this day and age to continuously brand and position ourselves, both the Employer and Employee.

So now if you have understood our Organization and want to know more about it or more importantly engage us in a creative project, you can reach out to us at the following co-ordinates:

Website: www.filament.co.in
Mail Us: Contactus@filament.co.in
Call Us: +91 80 41506017
Location: Based out of Bangalore but will 'Cater to the Wide World' :)