Watching from the sidelines as an HR Manager or HR Leader, all of us have cautioned our Business Leaders against short-term quarter focused thinking. Today, when I run Planet Ganges I realise how important it is to meet the quarter yet have a longer-term vision for the company. Working on both priorities concurrently is the only way forward.
However, the irony is that many HR leaders who I meet with and interact today are also guilty of short-term thinking. One example that stands out for me across the board is Campus Hiring. Despite large supply of fresh talent, everyone talks of shortage of good talent and how hard it is to find & hire from campuses, due to serious quality issues with young talent. The race for talent has heated up so much that a few companies have started making offers early during the 7th Semester. A few companies have gone overboard and made offers during the 5th Semester of Engineering. Yet, the challenge remains, as “no-shows” have increased. Students tend to take up offers and drop off at the final hour.
The problem is narrow thinking when it comes to talent acquisition (TA). A good TA strategy is when one can attract, engage, identify, select, develop and on-board (in this order) quality talent year-on-year into the Organisation. This would require a longer-term view of one’s intent and back it up with credible actions. It is imperative for Companies to attract Talent to its Brand in the 1st or 2nd Semester of Engineering; engage them remotely using digital engagement platforms; identify those who are bright and interested in its business over a 2 year period; select the most desirable during the 6–7th Semester; invest in developing these selected talent over a 1-year period while they are still in their 6–7–8th Semesters and thereafter on-board them into the company.
Such an approach requires a longer-term vision, early investments to groom young talent and not leave it to the colleges; have an integrated digital platform to “engage-select-develop” talented students. If I have to draw a parallel to the game of Cricket, a Test Match is the true test of character and not a T20 match. Similarly in the TA space, if companies keep playing T20s in TA, they are unlikely to achieve results. The best way forward is approach it like a 5-day Test match.
What do you think?
