HR, your Sherlock Homes In a crowded factory : A story based in reality

Note: All views expressed in this article are strictly personal and do not seek to define a stream of management or undermine any situation and its stakeholders who might have undergone a similar experience in their workplace. This is merely an exploration into a facet of Human Resources, examining traits exhibited in the pursuit of HR from a workplace perspective. The narrative is assembled from my own experiences and those of a few friends, drawing from live discussions and events.

Time: 9:30 AM

Place: Near Gurgaon

Factory Name: ABC Limited

HR manager Abinash was at his desk on the shop floor of a paper manufacturing factory when two workers, Dipam and Chandan, came running to him. They reported a snag in machine no. 123 (BT 101), which had caused a halt in continuous production, and mentioned that an employee, Ishan, the machine operator, had been injured. Without hesitation, Abinash alerted the machine support team and rushed to the scene.

Machine no. 123 was a recent addition to the factory, boasting a daily production capacity of 4 tonnes. Due to space constraints, it was installed in a more isolated area of the shop floor. Preliminary investigation suggested that the incident was caused by a misalignment and temporary malfunction of the grinder, coupled with a sudden increase in pulp flow and some misalignment in the input line. The machine support team discovered a screwdriver inside the input area, likely placed there deliberately to cause damage.

Abinash had already administered first aid to Ishan and sent him to a nearby hospital for a checkup. The news of the incident spread quickly among the shop floor workers. The machine jam resulted in a production loss of approximately 2 tonnes over a 5-hour period.

The Central HR team, having received the news from the Operations in charge, who was alerted by the shift supervisor, called Abinash to conduct an immediate investigation. With the appraisal discussions scheduled for the following week, Abinash was eager to resolve the case quickly, as he would need to report on it during his upcoming visit to the Head Office.

Abinash began his investigation by consulting the IT team for any available footage from the shift handover period or the 30 minutes preceding it. Unfortunately, since the machine was a new installation, it was not yet covered by the CCTV network. Therefore, Abinash decided to first discuss the matter with the shift in charge and then with the teams working nearby by summoning them to the HR office.

According to the shift officer, at the time of the incident, Raju the sweeper, four loaders, and three other machine operators were chatting in the area, in addition to Ishan, Dipam, and Chandan. Given the shop floor's vast size—about 10 acres with approximately 800 employees working across 200 machines per shift—the possibility of mischief from another employee could not be entirely dismissed.

While waiting for Ishan's health to improve so he could shed some light on the case, Abinash met with him. "Hi Ishan! Are you okay now?" he asked. Ishan replied that he was feeling better. The attending doctor, along with a few HR officers, confirmed that Ishan would be fit to return to work after a day's rest, as his right limb had been under pressure from the shaft that had fallen on him.

Abinash inquired whether Ishan thought the incident was accidental or if someone might have been involved. Ishan denied any knowledge of who could have placed the screwdriver in the machine.

Back in his office, Abinash felt puzzled. With 800 employees on the current shift and the possibility of including the night shift employees, the suspect list could potentially expand to 1200. He wondered if Ishan had any enemies or if someone intended to harm the company's reputation. The investigation seemed to be going nowhere.

Rajiv, the senior HR officer, shared a potential lead: Ishan had been having marital problems and had been seen arguing with Ravi from another shift about a personal matter. This gave Abinash a new direction, although he was uncertain if it was related to the crime. He asked Rajiv about the timing of the quarrels and any other potential suspects. Rajiv mentioned that despite recommendations to limit staff movements to specific areas, the IT team had not yet installed turnstile machines in most places, making it difficult to pinpoint suspects. He also noted that Ishan had a reputation for drinking and domestic violence, which could mean he had many enemies.

That evening, after completing his routine work and inspection, Abinash reviewed the production logs from SAP and found that machine no. 123 had been operating normally until 8:45 AM. The shift handover began at 9:00 AM, and Ishan likely operated the machine between 9:10 and 9:15 AM, indicating that the incident occurred within that half-hour window. Abinash then checked the HRMS incident register and found an entry from five months prior involving a machine engineer named Rajesh Rana, who had accused Ishan of misconduct. Rajesh was absent both yesterday and today, which raised suspicions.

The following day, after completing his duties, Abinash inquired about Rajesh's whereabouts and learned that he had taken a three-day leave. However, a neighbor mentioned seeing Rajesh at the factory the previous day. This revelation prompted Abinash to check the external CCTV footage, which confirmed Rajesh's presence at the factory.

When Rajesh returned to work, Abinash confronted him with the evidence and accused him of sabotaging the machine. In a moment of panic, Rajesh confessed, revealing his motive as a personal vendetta against Ishan. Abinash had solved the case. He arranged for Ishan to receive counseling and issued him a cautionary letter on moral grounds.

The resolution of the case spread throughout the plant and reached the Head Office. During his appraisal, Abinash's thorough investigation and effective resolution of the incident earned him high praise, with the Head HR dubbing him the "Sherlock Holmes of HR." His performance had always been steady, but this incident highlighted his investigative skills, earning him accolades from the operations manager and recognition throughout the company.