CATCH 22 SITUATION FOR HR MAN

Oh, not again! Why do I have to go through this dilemma every time I have to recommend a person for the overseas operation?

On my left is a list containing the names of the persons, tried and trusted sufficiently in the local market, who have been very loyal and sincere to the company for the last 3-5 years. Only, that they do not possess the desired level of inter-personal and communication skills.

On my right is the list of persons, smart alecks, who have been with the company for shorter period but have acceptable level of inter-personal and communication skills. I as a HR man have barely an hour by which the recommendations have to be submitted to the Boss. This time I felt that this feeling of mine (other in similar positions would also be confronted with similar crossroad) must be shared with the readers. For the sake of convenience, we shall call the left group as the “A” group while the right one shall be termed as “B” group.

A person from the “A” group, if sent overseas, has a better chance of getting done the job assigned as he is capable technically, is mature and has a stronger bond with the company. But that is only if that person does manage to get a task assigned on the foreign soil! On the other hand the “B” group person may find it easier to get a job as a consultant but could lack the maturity or even the technical capability to deliver without supervision and guidance.

Depriving a person an overseas opportunity in the software field amounts to possibly the worst setback for that individual. Should a person from the group “A” be penalized so severely on superficial reasons rather than the real substance? After all the company is built around them, their rate of manpower turnover (quite high in the software industry) is much lower than the group “B” personnel. They are taken for granted by the management and even their juniors (and this insubordination can only increase if the concerned person is not recommended in the ‘list’) and they may not be required to utilize their inter-personal and communication skills, as they would be generally dealing with the machine most of the time rather than the men. Don’t some parents throw very young kids in the water to make them learn swimming? Can’t we gamble for our grown-up boys/girls? Wouldn’t they find a way when they are in it?

But then, what is the cost of this gamble? For the employer as well as the employee concerned? Obviously the cost of an individual non-delivering abroad is much higher to the organization then at India, if the individual cannot get an assignment because of his poor inter-personal and communication skills. From the individual’s point of view also, he would be worse off if returned from the overseas without anything to show on the credit side as compared to the state when he hadn’t gone at all. At least in look for! Wouldn’t it have been better if he/she was given more time to improve on the underdeveloped skills and sent abroad?

Continuing from the last through, if the answer is in affirmative, how much time would this person require? Did he not get sufficient time so far and encouragement from the management to come up to the mark? If I wasn’t honest to my employer recommending this group “A” person for a foreign sojourn, would I be equally dishonest to the individual by promising him/her that he/she would be flying in the next batch? If the person hasn’t come out of his/her inhibition till date despite the suggestions and the encouragement by the management, will he/she ever come up to standards expected or required? Aren’t there players who are made to perform at the Ranji trophy levels only? Everybody doesn’t represent the country. Then why not term this group “A” person as in the Indian stream and tell the individual that we don’t see the possibility of his/her ever making it to the greener pastures on the foreign soil?

We are taught in the management institutions that the business decisions are to be based on the cold facts with a professional attitude and one should never be influenced by the emotional aspects. Very well said, but when one applies one one’s own colleagues, well, it’s really difficult. If only the “A” group persons had acquired the required skills at the required level……….

Enough of dilly-dallying! I haven’t all day to decide. As with every time earlier, the head scores over the heart; with a heavy heart, I turn right to pick up the all-important list……..

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