Human Resource Management Forum Events

Twenty two students specializing in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations, along with two faculty members, from the School of Social Work Roshni Nilaya had an opportunity to visit the city of Bangalore for a four-day Industrial Study tour which commenced on the 26th of November, 2018.

On Day one, the PM IR students visited Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which is an Indian state-owned aerospace and defence company, owned by the Indian Government and primarily manufactures advanced electronic products for the Indian Armed Forces. At this parental unit spread over a vast 75 acres land, with key focus in areas of Military Communications, Network Centric Systems, Military Radars, Naval Systems, Electronic Warfare (Air Force), Avionics, Weapon Systems, Telecom & Broadcast Systems, Components, Coastal Surveillance Systems, Electronic Voting Machines, Solar Products, and Traffic Signals, Mr. Kabilan- the Senior DGM addressed the group, providing a bird’s eye view of BEL. The HR and the Welfare measures of the organization were discussed in detail. The student group had the opportunity of observing the detailed procedures involved in Near Field Antenna Test Range, Military Radars, VVPAT’s, and Artillery. Through this visit, the students were able to learn how systems worked with speed, time management, people management, HR’s role in the organization, the role of employee engagement among the workforce, and as to how quality brings customers and awards. Mr. Jaykumar, Mr. Rohan , Mr. Sushanth and team accompanied the student group throughout the short visit.

On Day two, the student group visited three companies. The first visit was to Acer India Pvt Ltd., which is a notable vendor in key segments such as education, desktop computers and low profile notebooks for education. Mr. Bhaskar Bhandary, Head HR, and Ms. Indu Rashmi, HR Manager addressed the group during the sessions. The students learned about the dynamics of business including Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA), consisting of elements beyond the control of traditional centres of power and authority. The role of HR in the global businesses, and the good practices to adapt in oneself as a HR in sync with the principles of Strategic HR were discussed in detail. The best HR practices adopted by Acer, such as The Entrepreneurial culture, Practice of self-nominating for rewards and recognitions, and Global Performance Management System were discussed.

The second visit was to UnitedHealth Care- XL Health Corporation. UnitedHealth Group, which is ranked as the fifth among the Fortune 500 and is the largest healthcare company in the world, offers health care products and insurance services. Ms. Jovina Madtha, Director- Process Operator, Human Capital, XL Health Corporation addressed the students while speaking about UnitedHealthCare. From her experience in the field of HR, the students were able to learn about the importance of grabbing an opportunity along the way while making good use of it, and being speedy in the work which requires to be done in a systematic way.

The last visit for the second day of the study tour was to Nexteer Automotive, a leader in intuitive motion control, a multibillion-dollar global steering and driveline business delivering electric and hydraulic steering systems, steering columns and driveline systems. The plant, with 680 employees including 8 females, manufactures products that are supplied to Maruti Suzuki, Tata Nano etc. The students had a chance of visiting the production facility and closely witnessing processes like Carburizing, Induction hardening and Quenching. Ms Shilpa, IR Manager, spoke to the students about HR practices and Employee engagement practices followed at Nexteer. Thereafter, Mr Vasu, Senior IR Manager, spoke about various IR practices while also sharing his work experience.    The students, while noting down about all that was discussed in the sessions, were able to learn about successfully identifying and developing high potential employees. The importance of building relationships with the employees and its correlation with successful collective bargaining and IR problems were also understood.

On the third day of the industrial study tour, the students visited The Himalaya Drug Company, established in 1930, which produces health care products under the name Himalaya Herbal Healthcare using ayurvedic ingredients such as herbs and minerals. The students met Mr. Raghavendra, HR Executive, Talent Management, where he presented about the history of the company, giving an overview of the firm. Thereafter, Mr. Umesh, Director - HR, addressed the student group and answered several queries they’d raised. He concluded by saying that learning is the most important process for life time, and one must keep accruing from it. The students were able to gain more insight on the structural hierarchy of the company, the grading system followed; and were able to understand Himalaya’s competency framework as well. The various compliances under labour laws were discussed too.

The students then visited Recipharm Pharmaservices Pvt Ltd, a multi-purpose development and manufacturing sites with four large stand-alone facilities, offering a wide variety of manufacturing technologies for solid, semi-solid and oral liquid dosage forms. The group was welcomed by the HR Executives, Mr. Prajwal and Mr. Lourdswami, who walked the gathering through the company’s functionalities. The HR areas of development, along with various HR initiatives were discussed in brief. Mr.Manjunath, HR Manager, and Mr. Nagraj, Head HR interacted with the group and answered several questions, while simultaneously appreciating the importance of Social Work in corporate culture. The students also visited the manufacturing plant, wherein the processes of production and quality checks were closely observed. The students were able to understand more on quality control management, and about the channel of communication that ought to be practiced by HR professionals, along with the various welfare benefits undertaken as well as the disciplinary matters followed. They also learnt about the importance of social work based  HR.

The students visited Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., on the last day of the industrial study tour, which is one of the largest apparel exporters in India, committed to serving the customers through design led innovations, vertically integrated operations and positive social and environmental business practices. The student group was welcomed to the Unit No. 23, by Mr. Lakshman Ravi, G.M. HR, along with Mr. Manohar Albuquerque, A.G.M., Mr. Kishan, G.M. Operations, Mr. Nandish, Head of Operations (Laundry), Mr. Girish, Manager, Mr. Saurav (Operations), Welfare Officers- Ms. Megha, Ms. Rajitha, Ms. Ashlin, and HR Executives- Mr. Sharath and Mr. Arun. An overview of Shahi Exports, through a video and presentation was made, explaining about the various HR practices and Migrant Employee Engagement activities, which was followed by the factory visit, where the students got an opportunity to observe the production process of denim. The students then visited the corporate office of Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd. located at Belandur, where they were familiarized on the HR policies and functions of HR department of the company. The students had a good learning experience at Shahi Exports, which gave them an understanding about the functions of garment industries, as well as the problems faced with respect to migrated employees, high rate of attrition and the strategies followed to deal with these issues.

Apart from the industry visits, the students also participated in a critical evaluative sessions held among themselves and guided by the faculty members, where the learning from the visits were discussed in detail. Overall, the experience of the industrial study tour was a fruitful and an enriching experience.