The Hindu Business Line : Total care of human assets

Human beings have feelings and emotions, hold values and beliefs. Essentially, each of these differs from person to person, based on his or her background, upbringing and experiences. When a person joins an organisation, he has very high expectations and wants an environment where these variables are respected, evennurtured, for what is the sought-after ideal — self-actualisation.

Of course, this is easier said than done. More often than not, the organisation has a totally different set of priorities that clash directly with those of its employees. When the mismatch becomes too jarring, or seemingly unmanageable, employees quit.

This brings into focus the need for the "total care" of human assets. Managements that take an individualised view of human needs and develop a "personal touch" do far better than others who manage "any which way".

For instance, with ever-new and sophisticated information and communication technologies available, many employees are helping their employees to work from home. This becomes all the more important when infants, or elderly or ailing parents, need to be taken care of.

Many organisations sponsor their employees for part-time/correspondence courses linked to their core field of specialisation, and give them a chance to grow, to know the direction in which they would like to advance in their careers.

Similarly, to assume that only money makes all the difference is to miss the wood for the trees. The feeling of togetherness, of belonging to a large family where employees enjoy mutually beneficial and supportive relationships, has come to be accepted as a decisive factor in job satisfaction.

Managerial styles are also important. Youngsters should not be put off by the behaviour of bosses who are tough taskmasters without even a semblance of caring for their people. It is essential that such managers are exposed to experiential learning programmes on team-building, communication skills, and so on.

In short, nothing short of a comprehensive, all-encompassing total care of human assets will work in today's conditions — more so, when employees spend 80 per cent of their waking hours in offices/factories, giving their best for their organisations. Such an approach will ensure that employees stay aligned with their organisation's goals and objectives.

(The author is Deputy Manager, Brakes India Limited, Sholinghur.)

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