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Role of Human Resource as compared to Supply Chain Management

October 30, 2018 by admin

Role of Human Resource as compared to Supply Chain Management

Contrary to normal perception, human resource (HR) is not simply a people-facing function. It’s has a lot in it to be considered as a core-competency in any business. But for some reason, most businesses are yet to realize the full potential of the HR function. Very often HR fails to get the due credit or empowerment necessary for it as the business is not clear as to what should be expected of it. Because of this lack of clarity, HR is entrusted with unrealistic and unaccountable goals at times and hence, HR seems to be at the receiving end of all the blames and troubles.

Additionally, the quality of talent in HR functions is also not up-to-the-mark. This is expected as they have been brought up on seemingly unclear norms and expectations. As a result, they have not been able to clarify their position or articulate their contribution to the business.

The HR functions in a supply chain industry face a similar fate as well. Here we will discuss how crucial role the HR function can play when it comes to the supply chain processes-

Supply of raw materials – We know that it is the duty of the SCM function to take care of the sourcing of and bringing in raw materials. In a similar way, it is the duty of the HR function to bring the best available talents required to operate the business appropriately. HR will partner other departments to ensure that all the important processes are in proper order before the final assessment and selection are made by the functional department. HR does the critical task to ensure that a standard and well-developed capability is followed across the organization and talents are hired through a consistent assessment process. Also, HR needs to ensure that the actual cost of hiring is strictly within the established benchmarks.

Transition from raw materials to finished goods – SCM does the work of bringing in the goods and forwarding or making them ready for the next process. Similarly, it is the job of an effective company management to make sure that every employee receives the inputs in a proper way so that he can perform to the best of his ability. Thus, he can contribute to the organizational growth as well as grow himself, in conformity to the culture and values of the organization. This role of the management is overseen by the HR function as it performs the role of the manager to each and every employee. HR keeps an eye that a well-defined and clear process prevails in the organization and every manager is skilled and competent enough to understand this. HR does this by preparing periodic MIS on the health/performance of the talents in the organization and that of the organizational processes as well.

Conscience keeper -HR plays another vital role in keeping the conscience in an organization. It keeps a proper check on whether the operations of a business are consistently conforming to its values or not. It has to stamp its authority and raise alarms if the culture is not supporting to the strategy or there is a deviation from the mission & vision of the organization. In this role, HR needs to work in close collaboration with the top management (CEO and other leadership teams) and must tell the truth in an unflinching and ‘no-nonsense’ manner.

Quality assurance and quality check – In a supply chain business, it is in the scope of the SCM to ensure a proper quality assurance and quality check before the goods are forwarded to the next step. In a similar manner, the HR team needs to establish if the entire system of processing the input to output is conforming to the prescribed designs and expectations or not. HR needs to wear the ‘hat ‘of a quality checker at some critical points in the business processes. Also, in collaboration with the managers, it needs to play an important role in quality assurance as well, in order to raise the level of capability of each individual.

Taking care of the transactional metrics – Just like every function in an organization is responsible for some core activities assigned to them, the HR team is also accountable for some unique activities. It is their responsibility to keep the compensation benchmarks in an organization up-to-date as per industry standards and ensuring seamless implementation of transparent and consistent policies across the organization are just a few of them. Of course, their functions are multi-dimensional and are not limited by the boundaries of their core competencies.

The SCM can benefit by applying the HRM practices in it

From the above discussion, we have seen that there is a definite similarity between the SCM and HRM functionality. In fact, the SCM can apply HRM best-practices to better manage their activities.

Use of HRM practices can unify the supply chain

Various factors such as the globalization of the supply markets, product proliferation, shorter product life-cycles etc have made business environments extremely complex. HRM practices can unify supply chain partners to develop inter-farm relationships and create valuable knowledge-sharing routines. In this way, they can have a more streamlined and coordinated supply chain and gets that much-needed competitive advantage.

Better use of ‘people’

The supply chain is a complex network of service providers, raw material suppliers, distributors etc and the success of this network depends heavily on the achievements of people involved in every step herein.

The HR practitioners have put in place effective processes and practices that can improve the performances of the ‘people’ and the firm as a whole. These can be implemented in a supply chain to achieve its ultimate objective- to improve the performance in every step.

Availing benefits of HR strategies

A traditional HR strategy refers to developing flexible systems involving HR practices to promote the business strategies of the organization. Application of these strategies in a supply chain provides broader benefits such as better management of SCM partners, better prediction of labor demand/supply across the supply chain and many more.

The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace

January 15, 2018 by admin

The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace

Everything around us is changing, and it is changing rapidly! What seems unrealistic and unachievable today is likely to become a regular affair in a couple of days. People, environment, technologies, economies, markets, transportation, infrastructure, everything is developing fast. And so is our workplace, nature of work and our organisations.
If we were to compare our current working conditions with those of a decade ago, we will find a prodigious change in almost everything. Desktops have been replaced with iPads, papers have been replaced with digital information, files have been replaced with hard disks and fax has been replaced with instantaneous emails. From our office printer to the water dispenser everything has gone through a drastic change. In a sense, everything has evolved for the better!
Even if we set aside the materialistic gizmo, the credentials of our work have also evolved to a great extent. The gap between the management and the employees has narrowed down to almost a negligible level. Employees and subordinates are given importance in the decision making process for the business. The focus of the organisations has largely shifted to providing the best benefits and perks to the employees. Employee satisfaction has moved up the priority list of the industries so that the prime focus of their employees is on conferring the best services to their customers.
Employees too are nowadays required to be efficacious in their demeanor. Always being on the go is a mandate in today’s work culture. Monitoring and work assessment are almost done on a real time basis. Competitions are vigorous at all levels. Everyone is at a constant marathon with their peers and counter parts. Mistakes can be catastrophic, even if it is a silly one. There will always be someone amongst your colleagues or competitors to take benefit and skim at your blunder.
Work dynamics have changed. The complexity of work has also increased. People are expected to be subject matter experts in their respective fields. At the same time, they are also expected to be multi taskers with knowledge on various others aspects. Hierarchy has been replaced by parallel systems. Team work is more pivotal than individual achievement. Dependency on advanced technologies has become abundant. Human effort has been lessened with the use of these advanced technologies. Routine operations are automated, saving time and energy. As a result of which, job responsibilities of manpower have shifted towards strategic planning, growth, and innovation. With new trends hitting the market every day, modification in existing standards of every business house is indispensable.
Organisations in the present times have become dynamic. Globalisation has uplifted the performance benchmark. Geographical boundaries stand no restraint when it comes to providing service. Organisations welcome multicultural workforce with ease. Diverse cultural background of the workforce, age difference, linguistic unfamiliarity, gender biases, etc. do not matter anymore in this cosmopolitan urbane work culture. They never let go of opportunities to develop and lead. What matters most is the success. It is the new leader in this era of emerging markets. And success is the only constant in this ever changing milieu.

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The importance of work-life balance.

April 25, 2017 by admin

The importance of work-life balance.

Many of us find ourselves working a lot. It is partially because people tend to like their job, they fulfil themselves at work and progressing their careers makes them happy. And partially it is caused by ever-changing conditions of the market, many companies must make quick decisions and constantly observe their competitors, to be able to stay current and prosper well. Regardless of the cause of the long hours at the office, we must remember that balancing work-time and off-time is crucial to our family life and our health. Also, companies’ owners must understand that exhausted employee won’t be very effective and his productivity will be at a low level. Such person might be also prone to mistakes. Therefore, establishing right work-life balance is beneficial for both, employees and employers. Still, the question remains, what is a work-life balance and how to achieve it?

The definition of a work-life balance says that it is a concept that assures proper prioritisation of work and lifestyle. A work-life balance is nothing else than a state where the employee feels that no aspect of his life is being neglected. Such person will achieve set goals at work and at the same time, will be able to participate in his family life. Unfortunately, suchlike balance is difficult to accomplish. There is no golden rule that can be applied. That is because every person has different needs, also each job might have different requirements. However, there are few aspects that you, as a worker or employer who wants to create a supporting environment for your employees, can take under consideration.

#1 Scheduling

For both employees and employers, an efficient scheduling should be one of the priorities. Setting a good schedule will assure that all work-related tasks are accomplished in a timely manner. It will also allow employees to plan their free time accordingly.

Note for employers: The continuous setting of tight deadlines will cause your employees to burn out quick and that will cause inefficiency.

#2 Vacation

Time off allows to recharge the batteries, gain strength and get ideas for work. Allow you subordinates uninterrupted holidays, at least couple of times a year. And if you are an employee, turn off your phone, disconnect email box. Constant thinking about work will not let you rest and enjoy time with you loved ones. Give yourself a week or two of vacation and when you come back to work, you will be more efficient and full of energy.

#3 Flexible work hours

It’s a solution that suits best working parents. In such system, you don’t have to come and leave work at scheduled hour, you might decide even not to come to work on some days. As long as expected tasks are completed on time, this system should suit your superior.

Note for employees: Even if you decide not to come to the office or be late on a work day, you still must be reachable to your employer. You must remember that it is not your day off.

#4 Outside the office hours

Once working time is over, you should put down your phone, close the laptop and enjoy the rest of the day (or a weekend) with you family, friends or spend this time doing things that you love. Working outside of the scheduled time should not be a situation that happens frequently, but only in an emergency situation.

Note for the employer: You should respect your employees’ time off work. Calling and demanding that your employee should come to work on an off day is unacceptable.

These general rules should give you an idea of the direction you should take, when you consider implementing work-life balance into your life. Of course the changes you are planning to make have to take into account the nature of your buisness, your needs and your life situation. Regardless if you are an employee or an employer, it is worth applying work-life balance in your daily life as it is beneficial for both sides.

Religious Diversity in the Workplace

April 18, 2017 by admin

Religious Diversity in the Workplace

When the holidays[i]such as Christmas or Easter are approaching, often a topic of religious diversity in the workplace comes to mind. Working in such environment has great benefits but it also comes with its challenges.

Around Christmas and Easter all around us, a holiday spirit arises. The streets are beautifully decorated; in shops, we see items that are associated with usually Christian Holidays (Santa Clause for Christmas or Bunny on Easter). It surely feels like the entire world is celebrating this special time with us. However, even if it doesn’t feel like it, we must remember that only around 30% people on the planet are Christian. The other 70% of earth inhabitants are Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist or Hindu (or are part of other, less known religion). We must remember that people of other faiths might not appreciate big religious celebrations in the workplace. Managing the right balance falls on manager’s or business owner’s shoulders.

Navigating in such environment might be tricky. When trying to embrace the religious diversity in the workplace we should remember few ground rules:

#1 Freedom of religion includes freedom from religion

Regardless of the faith, your employees were brought up with, they might not like to pursue that path anymore or maybe they chose other religion in their adult life, or on the contrary decided not to follow any religion. The choice is theirs so be certain that you are not imposing on with any unwanted behaviours.

#2 Avoid forcing employees to participate in religious activities

If you decide to arrange a small celebration of any religious holiday make sure no worker will be forced to take part in it unwillingly. Also, be open with your celebration, include any employee who wishes to participate, even if he or she is of a different faith. Learning about each other’s faith can bring the employees closer together which can result in better collaboration and atmosphere at work.

#3 Religion is a deeply personal thing

So allow your employees to experience it the way they would like to. If they like to keep their religion private, allow it.

#4 Be flexible with needs of different employees

Remember that special holidays might fall under different dates depending on the religion. Make sure that any important work – related affairs are not scheduled on the same day.

Creating a successful multireligious unit

Bonding of workers of different religions might sometimes be challenging but is crucial to effective collaboration among employees. As a company’ owner or a manager, you should assure that people will get to know each other also on a personal level. Learning about each other’s live outside work will strengthen the understanding between them. This also applies to a comprehension of their religion. To achieve better understanding you should plan carefully all events around the office. You should also utilise the knowledge of your employees of different faiths. Here are few ideas that you should take into consideration:

Have workers of different cultural and religious backgrounds help organise any office parties or events
Display a Cultural Events Calendar so each employee has a chance to familiarise himself or herself with different holidays and dates
Post greetings for most popular religions
Make sure that no office events has any religious theme

[i] http://mams.rmit.edu.au/lmnlqdsrjsk5.pdf

[i] http://www.hrreporter.com/columnist/hr-policies-practices/archive/2011/05/03/religion-in-the-workplace/

How to find a right employee?

March 1, 2017 by admin

How to find a right employee?

Sometimes companies find themselves in a situation where they need to find an employee for a new position or replace an old worker. Replacing a person that already worked in a position is easier than finding a worker for the brand new vacancy. However, it still might be time-consuming. If you are in such situation and are looking for an employee you have two options:

Option no. 1

Look for an employee yourself. This might proof to be a lengthy and costly process, especially if you are looking for a highly skilled employee. Even if your company runs a big HR department responsible for hiring new workers chances are that they might not ask candidates the right questions. As a result, you will employ an unsuitable person.

Option no. 2

Hire a professional headhunting company that will find the right candidate for you.

Now, if you decided to go with option no. 2 you probably wonder how recruitment agency will look for the worker suitable for the position you are trying to fill.

Type of candidate

Headhunters usually divide the entire labour market into three categories:

#1 Active job seekers

This category contains about 20% of the entire labour market and consists of people who actively are looking for a job. They can be either currently unemployed or so unhappy with their job that they are sending CV and browsing published job offers.

#2 Inactive job seekers interested in other opportunities

These people are generally happy with their employment and are not looking for another job themselves. However, when approached with the right offer they will be interested in potentially pursuing the new opportunity. Whooping 60% of entire labour market consists of this type of employees.

#3 Inactive job seekers not interested in other opportunities

Such an employee is very happy with his current job. So much so, that he wouldn’t be interested in changing it at all. These kinds of people consider their work to be a dream job or are partial owners of the company they work for. Such employees consist of 20% of the labour market.

Who do headhunting companies approach?

Generally, most of the recruiting agencies approach the first category of the labour market which is active job seekers. Since it is such a small segment of the labour market, finding a right candidate might take some time and proof to be dificult.

When persuing active job seekers not only a large portion of time is spent on waiting to get a response from published job offers, often candidates that reply to advertisements don’t quite meet the criteria.

Who do we approach at Stratigo?

At Stratigo we approach employees from the entire labour market, therefore we increase the chances of finding the right person for the job. Our search is more effective and results are faster than other headhunting companies.

Such unique approach guarantees fast and successful recruitment of a candidate that will have required experience and education. So, if you are looking for an employee get in touch with us and see how we can assist you.

Do I need a Lean Manager at my company?

February 23, 2017 by admin

Do I need a Lean Manager at my company?

Most of the time the answer to this question is YES. Of course, whether you need a Lean Manager or not depends on the type of your company but generally, such person proves to be useful and beneficial for most businesses.

If you not sure that you want to hire such an employee please read through. For people like you, we decided to write a short job summary of a Lean Manager. If, after reading this article, you decided that you do need a person like that in your company, give us a call.

What does a Lean Manager do?

The answer is short: he saves you and your company money. A successful Lean Manager should be able to change company’s operations in order to maximise its productivity and efficiency. Such person should also know how to use your business’s assets to the best advantage. Applying changes to company’s processes ordered by Lean Manager should generate savings. As we talked previously, Lean Management can be applied in various fields of business, from administration to production. Therefore not only a factory would need to hire a Lean Manager, a company that offers service should also consider hiring such person. You must remember that the outcome of a Lean Manager’s work is not only savings but also increase customer’s satisfaction.

Give the time to change

Many companies’ owners are very eager to see the changes right away. They expect immediate results and spectacular saving. The truth is that a Lean Manager needs time to introduce practices that will bring such saving. Therefore first his task is to carefully observe a day-to-day operation of the company. Once he becomes familiar with all processes he may begin forming a plan of improvement. Again, generally, such plans require time to implement and take full effect. Often a Lean Manager restructures the entire company. Such changes cannot happen overnight.

Enjoy results

Not only successfully implemented plan of restructuring will bring savings, it should also make all operations smoother and faster. The increase of costumer’s satisfaction is also a product of a Lean Manager’s work. And higher customer’s satisfaction with lower operation costs is what every company aspires to achieve.

As professional headhunting company that specialises in the recruitment of Lean Management specialists we often see that t
he right person as a Lean Manager can generate for a company far greater saving than what is his salary.

A Lean Manager for your company

If you decided you need a Lean Manager at your company please give us a call. Looking carefully at your company we can find a right person for you.

Recruitment: How to keep your employees happy

February 7, 2017 by admin

Recruitment: How to keep your employees happy

Every great entrepreneur knows that a good employee is an asset to his company. After all, employees are a backbone of every business. This is why it so important to keep your employees happy. Especially with today’s work market, where a skilled employee is hard to find. The ageing society causes shrinkage of the workforce so we can expect that finding a right person for a vacancy will get harder and harder. Not only keeping employed workers happy will make them stay with your company longer, they will also be more loyal. Having a reputation as a good employer will also help you to get skilled employees in the future. As you can see, investing in your worker’s happiness benefits not only said worker but also the company itself. The question is: how to keep your employees happy.

Give a raise…

You can certainly give your workers a raise but remember, money is not everything. Some people value other things at workplace more than money. According to research, earnings is not what motivates worker most, especially skilled workers that hold higher positions.

As Leonard J. Glick, a professor of Northeastern University says: “The motivation comes from the things I’ve been talking about—the challenge of the work, the purpose of the work, the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to contribute.”

Of course, salary must be at a satisfactory level for the employee, to begin with. However raising it further might not bring expected results. Fortunately, there are other, non-monetary ways to keep your employees happy.

Allow the right work-life balance

As much as your employees like their work, they also need a right work-life balance. Allowing them to design their own pattern of work that suits their personal life could greatly benefit both, the company and worker. Simple solutions, such as allowing the employee to come to the office at their preferred hour or let them work from home few days a week are samples of how you can help to achieve the work-life balance in your office.

Create positive work environment

This can be achieved by building areas in the office where people can go to collaborate. A well-equipped office allows employees to focus on their work, not on other, less important things. Well-equipped and comfortable break rooms, parking spaces or public acknowledgement of accomplishment are an example of how you can achieve friendly office environment.

Include your employees

If you want your company to work like a well-oiled machine, you should seriously consider involving your employees in decision making. Workers tend to feel more involved and valued if they feel that their work has a big impact on the company. Being able to shape the future of the workplace, of course to some extent, will work very motivational on your employees, thus keep them happy.

Use ” the magic words”

For some, this might seem infantile advice but you’d be surprised, how many people don’t use such words as “please”, “thank you”, “could you”, “may I”. Such simple words can boost employees happiness on a daily basis. And a worker that feels valued in a workplace is more motivated, creative and loyal to its employer.

These are just a few examples of how you can motivate your employees and keep them happy. If you wonder what other forms of employees encouragement is used in workplace let us know.

Executive Headhunter: A happy employee is a productive employee – Christmas party

December 6, 2016 by admin

A happy employee is a productive employee – Christmas party

Christmas is upon us. You can scent the festive atmosphere in the air. As the Christmas is approaching, many business owners wonder if they should throw a Christmas Party for their employees. Unfortunately, this is not the only dilemma they are facing. What kind of party should it be: a traditional party with eggnog or something more active? Should we prepare gifts for each employee or arrange Secret Santa?

Thank you for your hard work

One of the main reasons to throw a Christmas Party is to thank our employees for their hard work and dedication to the company. It is also a chance for them to integrate with each other less formal atmosphere and get to know each other on more personal level. Greater integration will benefit during work hours. The employees will communicate better with each other and, as a result, work more efficiently. If you run a larger company, a Christmas Party might be the only opportunity for some employees to meet each other.

A happy employee is a productive employee

A good party will allow employees to recharge their batteries, boost their enthusiasm about the job. Such simple way can prevent burn out of our workers. Studies have shown that office parties increase people’s engagement which directly leads to higher job performance.

We should forget about the morale of our staff. By increasing the morale of our employees we can assure the work will be performed at higher quality, they will be happier at work and will appreciate they job more.

Alcohol at Christmas Party

Business owners quite often are torn when it comes to a matter of alcohol at office parties. In one aspect a small drink can help to relax and ease the atmosphere among colleagues, especially if the employees don’t know each other that well. On the other hand when serving alcohol we have to consider the risks. Not everyone can drink responsibly which can cause unwanted behaviour, such as sexual harassment, or other irresponsible actions which can lead to injuries.

If we don’t want to risk potential liabilities, we can opt to limit the number of drinks per employee by hiring a bartender. We can also decide not to serve any alcohol and try to break the initial ice with planned activities.

Should it be a Christmas Party?

Another quite common obstacle is religious beliefs of our employees. In multicultural companies, not every employee might celebrate Christmas. If people working for us have a different believe system we should consider having a Christmas Party. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t have a party at all. Maybe planned party should take a different shape. Don’t emphasise on Christmas Season, but Holiday Season or celebrate the end of the year. Also, such parties should be stripped off any Christmas traditions.

Have a good plan

Planning a Christmas Party for a new team might be especially challenging, as employees might feel awkward. As a result, they will tend to stick to few people they already know and don’t mingle with others. To prevent such situations, we should plan activities which force employees to talk to others and mix with each other.

Give in to the spirit

To sum up, even if you have a tight budget, it is worth to plan a party for your employees. It is a unique opportunity to bust your workers” morale and help them to get to know each other on more personal level. There are many options to choose from, however, if you feel overwhelmed you can always use a professional party planner to help you out with theme and activities.

Lean headhunter: Productivity and the office

November 21, 2016 by admin

Productivity and the office

If you are an employer, you probably often wonder how to bring your employees productivity up. Surely nobody likes to spend hours on a project with very little effect. Not only it is uneconomical, it is also frustrating and demotivating.

What you might not know, as many people are not aware of it, office design plays a huge role in productivity. It has been proven that an office layout can increase productivity up to 20%. What also is interesting is that you can make some adjustments with very little cost. To achieve a better design that will help your employees focus on their work you don’t have to move office or buy furniture for thousands of euros.

Simple solutions

You’d be surprised how little changes can affect the people in work environment. If you don’t want to implement big changes, start with few little details that should help your employees work better. First of all, you should take care of good lighting. Rooms that are dark bring depression and can cause fatigue, headaches and irritability. On the other hand, places well lighten, preferably with natural light or light in natural colour, inspire creativity and productiveness.

The power of smell

Not everyone realises how powerful different scents can be and how they affect the human body. For example, pine increases alertness, cinnamon smell improves focus and all citrus flavours lift the spirit and awakens us. It might be difficult to constantly spread scents around the office, but if you use any air fresheners at work, you should choose the flavours that increase productivity.

Comfort of nature

Despite more and more people living in cities in concrete jungles, nature still has a positive effect on all of us. Unfortunately, most offices are built in areas where is hard to find natural environment such as parks. Ideally, an employee should be able to open a window and during a hard day of work breathe a fresh air in or gaze outside to see green leafs of trees outside. If our office cannot offer such luxuries, we should try and cope differently. When we have space, we might want to put a plant here and there. As research shows, live plants make us more happy, productive and less stressed. Otherwise, you should invest in a picture of a forest.

Shush…..!

Loud noises not only are harmful to our health, they also are very distracting. You must know it from your own experience that working in a room where people talk loudly is close to impossible. Trying to focus on our work and failing to do so bring our frustration up. As a result, our productivity suffers. When running an office, we should try to create a separate area for employees to talk to each other, have lunch or talk on the phone. Such area should be closed off from the rest of the office in such way to keep the loud talking and other noises away from people sitting at their desks.

Keep in warm

Many studies that were conducted, showed that a temperature in the office has a significant importance to employees’ productivity. Shockingly only a few degrees make a huge difference. According to Cornell studies, when in the office a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius was kept the employees made 44% more mistakes than when the temperature of 25 degrees Celsius was kept. Another research conducted by American scientists show that companies can save up to 12,5% of wage cost per employee by raising the temperature just a few degrees.

Please let us know if this subject is interesting to you. In this article, we listed only a few factors that play a role in our productivity. Things listed by us can be changed in our offices with a very little cost. However, if you like to go a step further we can discuss more “drastic” ways to increase employees productivity by changing the office design.