Hiring hurdles: Facts and fallacies

I just came back after a session on hiring. It was a leading bank and they wanted to train their functional managers who are involved in interview panellists in selecting employees. On my way, I was reflecting on hiring in the Sri Lankan context. Today’s column will discuss the details.
Strategic context
Ulrich and Brockbank (2005) propose six Bs with regard to selecting and developing employees. In fact they are strategic, as the consequences are long term, with high impact to the bottom-line.

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Pressure and pleasure of purposefulness

Most of us are struggling for time. We have more to achieve than the available time. Having a purpose is a pleasure with regard to clarity on the way forward. Yet, it creates immense pressure in getting the best out of time. Today’s column will investigate the pressure and pleasure of purposefulness.

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Perspectives on presenteeism

We talk more about absenteeism. A new research trend has emerged to look into the opposite of it. There are confusing definitions and complicated diagnostics, yet the path is worth exploring. Today’s column is all about presenteeism.

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Managing in a developing context

Management can be applicable not only for individuals and institutions but for nations as well. I had the opportunity to read a book titled ‘Managing in a Developing Context: Sri Lankan Perspectives’ written by Prof. Suddatta Ranasinghe. It was a treasure to read as well as a treatise of learning for managers. Today’s column is a sharing of thoughts inspired by the above book by one of my most respected teachers.
 

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Vistas of virtual teams

Teaming together is one sure way of achieving results. With the increased usage of computers for communication, being virtual and yet being a part of a team has become possible. It is all about virtual teams (VTs). Sri Lankan organisations have embarked on forming VTS for a variety of reasons. Today's column will view such vistas of VTs.

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Strategising HR: The Sri Lankan scenario

At a time when Sri Lanka is gearing to leap forward in its socioeconomic fronts, being strategic is of utmost importance. It essentially shows how “smart” you are in “playing the game”.
A game plan cannot be conceived or commissioned without people. In any organisation, we have physical, financial and information resources. All those three resources aren’t of any use if you do not have the most precious resource, its people.

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Mentoring mantra for managers

Managers are expected to deliver results. They need to be informed, instructed and inspired in order to ensure consistent performance. In the back drop of rapid economic growth in Sri Lanka, this has become increasingly more significant. Mentoring comes to the forefront with regard to this noble endeavour. Today’s column is a detailed look at mentoring, in identifying it as a mighty mantra for managers.

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Exceeding expectations: Embracing the eight Es

A brand new year is ahead of us. As usual, people tend to have New Year resolutions. My suggestion is to go beyond resolutions, to have specific reinforcements. Prosperity through productivity can only be possible with such individual contribution well linked to institutionalised initiatives. Today’s column will look into the intricacies and insights of such initiatives.
Expectations galore

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Reflections on renewal

We are in the midst of another festive season. A brand new year is just a few days away from us. Holidays give us time to refresh, reflect and renew.

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Serene thoughts on spiritual intelligence

The ambiance is abundant with festivities. At a time when year-end holidays are round the corner, it is quite appropriate to discuss something serene relating to humane results. That’s why the theme of spiritual intelligence fits into the current ethos.
Overview
As we discussed sometime ago, intelligence comes from the Latin verb “intellegere,” which means “to understand”. It is an umbrella term used to describe a property of the mind that encompasses many related abilities, such as the capacities to reason, to plan, to solve problems, to think abstractly, to comprehend ideas, to use language, and to learn.

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