The Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD), a forum that has been actively campaigning for a review of existing processes related to the hiring and or selection of human resource professionals, especially in public sector undertakings, has once again appealed to the concerned authorities to remove anomalies in notified job specifications with regard to both qualification and experience.
In letters sent to the senior functionaries and departments involved with the selection of key personnel in central public sector undertakings, the ISTD has re-emphasized that in the 21st century business environment, the traditionally transactional role of senior corporate officials has become more strategic, multidimensional, and complex, and therefore, selection of aspiring candidates must not be treated casually.
Referring specifically to the selection of key human resource (HR) professionals, the ISTD, in its various communications, has said that care must be taken to choose a person or persons who are capable of executing transactions; can ensure legal compliance; maintain consistency in essential practices and possess expertise in labour laws and industrial relations.
The ISTD further said that an HR professional has to spend almost an entire career applying theory to practice in strategic functions like organisation design and development, resourcing and talent planning, learning and development, performance and reward, engagement with employees to ensure organisational value and excellence.
It maintained that for the past few years, scant regard has been given for such experience and qualification, and alleged that PSU managements are selecting key personnel at level of directors on the basis of them being just "graduates with a good academic record from a recognized university, and having at least two years of cumulative experience in PSUs."
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As examples of this anomaly, it cited recent appointments made in several Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSEs) such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL), Engineers India Ltd. (EIL), Securities Printing & Mining Corporation, MMTC, NHPC, Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd., etc.
The ISTD emphasized that the human resource/industrial relations require domain-specific experience and added that in today's dynamic business environment, there is an inherent need for professionalising the HR function, as challenges faced by those occupying such positions ranged from talent retention, sustaining employee engagement, developing leadership pipeline, yielding ROI on talent development initiatives and leveraging talent analytics, etc.
It said that it is lamentable that in several CPSEs, particular standards are not maintained while deciding on job specifications, which it warned and cautioned leaves wide scope for manipulation and depriving opportunity to deserving candidates with relevant qualifications and experience.
The ISTD said that the human resource/industrial relations profession requires people having essential and specialized qualifications such as a two-year Master's degree (Full Time) in personnel; or a Masters in social work with specialization in personnel/human resource management. An additional LLB qualification would also be preferred.
It said that it is very essential that aspirants for the post also have at least 15 years of core HMR experience.
The Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD), established in April 1970, is a national level professional and non-profit society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It has a large membership of individuals and institutions involved in the area of training and development of human resource from government, public and private sector organizations and enterprises; educational and training institutions and other professional bodies.
The society is affiliated to the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO), Geneva and Asian Regional Training and Development Organizations (ARTDO), Manila.
The ISTD organizes training programs, all over the country, both at the chapter and national levels. The programs cover selected areas of HRD with special emphasis on training of trainers, training goals and objectives and training tools and technologies.
A very large number of public and private sector organizations, training institutions of the central and state governments participate in these programs, some of which have been held in collaboration with the Niti Aayog, the Bureau of Public Enterprises and the training division of the Department of Personnel, Government Of India.
