Talent management practices have evolved over the years to cater to people-specific trends much like all other aspects of work, and have changed in fast strides over the last few years. Strategic talent management is a necessity in today’s hyper-change environment. Global trends in talent and human capital management have led to a renaissance of the work-worker-workplace equation.

What is Talent Management?

Talent management is defined as the methodically organized, strategic process of getting the right talent onboard and helping them grow to their optimal capabilities keeping organizational objectives in mind. 

The process thus involves identifying talent gaps and vacant positions, sourcing for and onboarding the suitable candidates, growing them within the system and developing needed skills, training for expertise with a future-focus and effectively engaging, retaining and motivating them to achieve long-term business goals. The definition brings to light the overarching nature of talent management – how it permeates all aspects pertaining to the human resources at work while ensuring that the organization attains its objectives. It is thus the process of getting the right people onboard and enabling them to enable the business at large.

Under the umbrella of talent management, there are a string of elements and sub-processes that need to work in unison to ensure the success of the organization. For example, analyzing the right talent gaps for the present and the future, identifying the right talent pools and best-fit candidates, getting them to join and then optimizing their existing skills and strengths while helping them grow are touch-points that are all equally important. They support each other and the whole structure would crumble even if one sub-process fell out of sync.

Talent Management Process

While often cyclical rather than a generic linear progression of events, the process of talent management could be considered, to begin with acknowledging the need for talent and leads to filling that gap and ultimately growing and optimizing the skills, traits, and expertise of employees, new and old.

The following image depicts the key points of the talent management process:

Let’s get into these key steps in the process of managing talent effectively:

1. Planning: Like in any process with a set outcome, planning is the first step in the process of talent management. It involves the following identifying where the gaps lie – the human capital requirement, formulating job descriptions for the necessary key roles to help guide sourcing and selection and developing a workforce plan for recruitment initiatives.

2. Attracting: Based on the plan, the natural next step is to decide whether the talent requirements should be filled in from within the organization or from external sources. Either way, the process would involve attracting a healthy flow of applicants. The usual external sources include job portals, social network, and referrals. The talent pools that need to be tapped into must be identified in advance to keep the process as smooth and efficient as possible. This is where the kind of employer brand that the organization has built for itself, comes into play because that decides the quality of applications that come in.

3. Selecting: This involves using a string of tests and checks to find the right match for the job – the ideal person-organization fit. Written tests, interviews, group discussions and psychometric testing along with an in-depth analysis of all available information on the candidate on public access platforms help in gauging an all-rounded picture of the person. Today there are software and AI-enabled solutions that recruiters can use to skim through a vast population of CVs to focus on the most suitable options and to find the ideal match.

4. Developing: Quite a few organizations today operate on the idea of hiring for attitude and training for skills. This makes sense because while you would want a predisposition to certain skill-sets, it is the person that you are hiring and not the CV. Developing employees to help them grow with the organization and training them for the expertise needed to contribute to business success also builds loyalty and improves employee engagement. This begins with an effective onboarding program to help the employee settle into the new role, followed by providing ample opportunities for enhancing the skills, aptitude and proficiency while also enabling growth through counseling, coaching, mentoring and job-rotation schemes.

5. Retaining: For any organization to be truly successful, sustainably, talent needs to be retained effectively. Most organizations try to retain their best talent through promotions and increments, offering opportunities for growth, encouraging involvement in special projects and decision-making, training for more evolved roles and rewards and recognition programs.

5. Retaining: For any organization to be truly successful, sustainably, talent needs to be retained effectively. Most organizations try to retain their best talent through promotions and increments, offering opportunities for growth, encouraging involvement in special projects and decision-making, training for more evolved roles and rewards and recognition programs.

6. Transitioning: Effective talent management focuses on a collective transformation and evolution of the organization through the growth of individual employees. This involves making each employee feel that they are a part of a bigger whole. Providing retirement benefits, conducting exit interviews and effective succession planning might seem like unrelated career points but they are all transition tools that enable the shared journey

Talent Management Model

Over the years, there have been multiple models made for talent management that have been created b organization who have felt that they have finally cracked the code on the perfect model. The thing with talent management, however, is that it needs to morph to suit the latest talent trends, digital disruptions, and employee expectations.

The following diagram is that of the integrated talent management model which appears to be the most relevant one today.

The primary components of the model are:

• Acquire – Employer branding, recruitment, onboarding
• Assess – Talent analytics, succession planning and assessments
• Develop – Workforce planning, culture at work, engagement and retention practices
• Deploy – Goal alignment, career-path planning, learning and development, and performance management

This structure of components is cyclical and goes on in a sustained loop while taking onto consideration the internal climate within the organization and the external environment in which it operates.

How can an organization ensure that this model is put to the best use?

The point to be kept in mind here is that no model of something as dynamic as talent management is writ in stone. It needs to be able to adapt to the changing needs of the organization the evolving talent expectations and the pace set by changes within the industry.

Maruti Suzuki India Ltd (formerly Maruti Udyog Ltd) is India’s largest passenger car company with more than 50 percent of the domestic car market. The company offers a full range of vehicles from Maruti Alto entry level to hatchback Ritz A-star Swift Wagon R Estillo with sedans DZire SX4 and Sports Utility car Grand Vitara. The company is sponsored by Suzuki Motor Corporation of Japan. Japan’s largest car company owns 56.21% of cars in Maruti Suzuki as of 31 December 2017. The company has been involved in the business of buying and selling cars and other vehicles (cars).
Other company activities include simplification of pre-owned property management and vehicle financing. It has four of the three plants found in the Palm Gurgaon Road Gurgaon Haryana and the other is in the Manner Industrial Town Gurgaon Haryana. The company has nine subsidiaries of Maruti Insurance Business Agency Ltd Maruti Insurance Distribution Services Ltd Maruti Insurance Agency Solutions Ltd Maruti Insurance Agency Network Ltd Maruti Insurance Agency Services Ltd Maruti Insurance Agency Logistics Ltd True Marue Insurance Broker Ltd and JJ Impex (Delhi) Pvt Ltd. Maruti Suzuki India Ltd was registered on February 24 1981 under the name Maruti Udyog Ltd.
The company was founded as a state-owned company with Suzuki as a small partner to make a car for middle class people in India. Over the years the company list has expanded ownership has changed hands and the customer has turned around. On October 2 1982 the company signed a license and joint venture agreement with Suzuki Motor Corporation Japan. In 1983 the company launched their products and introduced the Maruti 800. In 1984 they introduced the Maruti Omni and the following year they introduced the Maruti Gypsy to the market. In 1987 the company entered the foreign market by exporting the first 500 cars to Hungary. In 1990 the company introduced the first Indian three-box Sedan car. In 1992 Suzuki Motor Corporation Japan increased their number in the company to 50%. In 1993 they introduced Maruti Zen and the following year they introduced Maruti Esteem to the market. In 1995 the company started their second crop. In 1997 they started Maruti Service Master as a model working in India to take care of sales resources. In 1999 a third plant with new paint lines and assembly stores began operating. In 2000 the company introduced Maruti Alto to the market.
In 2002 Suzuki Motor Corporation increased its shareholding in the company to 54.2%. In January 2002 the company introduced 10 financial companies (8 + 2JVs) in Mumbai. They also acquired a new part of the single Maruti True Value business of buying and selling pre-made cars in India. In 2005 the company introduced the world’s first model from Suzuki Motor Corporation ‘the SWIFT’ in India. In 2006 they launched the WaganR Duo with LPG and New Zen Estillo. In 2006-07 the company began work on a new car building and diesel engine facility in Mannesar Haryana. In November 2006 they established a new Driving Training and Research (IDTR) center that was established as a partnership project with the Delhi Government in Sarai Kale Khan in South Delhi. In 2007-08 the company signed an agreement with Adani team to ship 2,00000 themes annually to the port of Mundra in Gujarat.

By Udbhav Bhargava

The cryostat base built by Indian tech giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has been successfully lifted and put in the ITER reactor facility in France, marking a significant milestone in the field of nuclear engineering. 

ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is an international research megaproject in nuclear fusion engineering. It is an experimental “tokamak” nuclear fusion reactor being constructed in southern France, next to the Cadarache site. It would be the first industrial-scale fusion reactor and will shed light on the way hundreds of thousands of years of generating safe, inexpensive, and plentiful electricity. This will begin, by 2025, to produce a molten mass of “plasma” electrically charged gas within the reactor core.

The program comprises of seven-member countries that fund the enormous 25 billion USD project. The countries are the European Union (included as one unit), USA, China, India, Japan, Russia and South Korea.

India, formally included in the ITER project in 2005, is responsible for delivery of several key apparatuses and machinery systems such as cooling water system, cryogenic system and heating systems, power supplies and some diagnostics and the cryostat as well. The intellectual manpower of the country is also giving its contribution in the successful completion of the project; more than 100 Indian nuclear scientists are involved in the project.

The cryostat is analogous to the nuclear reactor container that is used in a fission-based nuclear power plant. The cryostat contains the vacuum-tightened container around the experimental vacuum vessel and the superconducting magnetic material and functions as a very massive refrigerator in principle. The purpose of the Cryostat is to provide fusion reactor with cooling, and to keep very extreme temperatures under control at its core. The ITER cryostat is to be the first high-vacuum pressure chamber in the world. The Cryostat frame that is referred as the Top Lid or Cap, weighing more than 600 metric tons, will be mounted along with other components of the Cryostat. Also for Cryostat, L&T already supplied the base section, the lower cylinder and the upper cylinder.

The Cryostat is a proud specimen of the technological might and the Make in India Program and its importance stems from the fact that the fusion reaction will take place inside this gigantic container under controlled conditions. It will be a fully welded stainless steel cylindrical vacuum pressure chamber that is 29 meters in height, has a diameter of 29.4 meters and weighs 3,850 metric tons. The number are a symbol of its enormity. It is the largest structure made up of steel in terms of size and a marvel of Indian engineering.

The very minute insignificant changes can be missed easily in a fine line of ends. Skepticism mostly portrays its confluences in the terms of markets and consumers. Changes in confluences can bring many other factors into consideration when talking about serious observations of markets and their seasonal behaviors. The line where confluences occur is the space where markets and consumers face third superlatives resulting in unlikely consequences out of every situation colliding with each other. The whole point of culminations according to the conclusions given by the statistical reports following changes of confluences aren’t always accurate. Precisely put in words , statistics can differ in the very drama of market’s phases and consumer’s choices / tastes / amendments in branding / survival factors.

Speaking of which , lining up all the observations marked a conclusion that confluences can be effected without our very knowledge. When two productive ends of the nation meet which are markets and consumers the changed make their own scope to show up in the national income which passively shows its drastic changes on the over all graphs. Hence , the skepticism ranges in the areas where the economy takes it’s confluences seriously.

Oxford University vaccine trial finds vaccines to be safe, tolerated, and effective. Further trials are being conducted for effectiveness in children.

Russia coronavirus tails ends today, targets next month launch

A day earlier, Russian health minister had also said they will make the coronavirus vaccine candidate available to general public before it clears the third and last phase of clinical trials

COVAXIN, developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), in collaboration with ICMR and NIV, Pune was the first vaccine to get regulatory approvals for clinical trials. 

Training is very essential for any organisation which make their employees to perform their work effectively and they become more productive. Training are designed on the basis of their job or work so that they learn how to work done in the organisation and they understand culture and structure of organisation. Employees work effectively and satisfaction to the employees.

New people, new proceedings, new clients. The reasons why organizations undertake training processes are many and very diverse.

Training is an essential activity in every organization. Training helps in imparting skills to employees that help them do their work in a more effective way. Training is one of the best ways to bridge the gap between the requirements of the job and the profile of the employee. Training can enhance the competence of the employee that can positively affect work performance. Traditionally, training has been conducted through classroom sessions where employees assemble in a hall and are trained by a trainer. The problem with this model is it restricts training to a few hours and necessitates employees to be made free during this time.

Online training:

While there are various types of training, the following six types of training are most essential for employees and would be valuable for every organization.

1. Orientation training:

The orientation training is the initial training conducted for all new employees. It involves inducing the new employee into the organization. Key topics covered would include:

• Organization vision, mission, and objectives
• Organization structure and history
• Organization culture
• Introduction to organization activities
• Important policies and procedures

All these topics can be effectively covered through online training modules.

2. Onboarding: Most people confuse orientation with onboarding. Orientation is a one-time activity done when the employee joins. Onboarding takes place over a longer duration. Apart from the initial introduction, it ensures the employee get adjusted into the department or function, where he/she is placed. It ensures that employees understand their job profile and fit into their work smoothly and effectively. This may require training that is conducted over multiple sessions. Online training would be suitable to ensure regular training until the onboarding is complete.

3. Product training: An organization sells its products or services to customers and every employee must be aware of this. Depending on the nature of their work, they need to know all about the products. The product type, the need for the product, its history, product features, unique proposition value the product offers are some of the things every employee should be aware of. Those who interact with customers need in-depth product knowledge so they would be able to handle any queries posed by customers. 

4. Soft skills training :

Apart from the core technical skills, employees need soft skills to be able to do their job in the best possible way. Some of these skills are:

• Communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Time management
• Stress management
• Problem-solving abilities
• Decision-making skills
• Work ethics
• Conflict management

These soft skills help to build the overall personality of the employee. It gives them the confidence needed to do their job well.

5. Mandatory training: This includes training on mandatory topics that may be required by law or regulations. It can be training on prevention of sexual harassment, training on work safety basic first-aid training, fire safety training, training on office rules, etc.

6. Technical training: To do his/her work, an employee needs technical skills. These are skills in the subject area related to the employee’s jobs. These skills help the employee to do their work as per requirements. If the job is a marketing job, then the employee needs to have marketing skills and skills in handling customers. If the job is related to software development, the employee requires in-depth knowledge of the development tool. Most technical skills are gained during education. In reality, there is a large gap between what a person learns at college and what is required for a job.

Traditional approach training: Traditional approaches to training still offer a number of benefits and are commonly found in many companies today. Here is a list of training methods from the traditional category that should be considered when choosing the best training techniques for employees in your company.

Classroom-based -training programs :

Usually led by a qualified facilitator, classroom learning takes place over one or more days in a physical venue on- or off-site. Groups of employees go through a series of presentation slides and activities, like case study assessments or information on company policy issues.

The advantage of classroom-based training is that a group of employees can attain large amounts of knowledge at the same time. Unfortunately, the disadvantages are many: hired venues, travel, and catering make this training method costly. Employees also find this approach to training boring.

Interactive training:

One of the most effective training methods in the workplace, interactive training actively involves learners in their own learning experience. This training can take the form of simulations, scenarios, role plays, quizzes or games.

By practicing their new skills and applying them in realistic work scenarios, learners are not only more engaged but more likely to retain what they’ve learned, too. However, it can be time-consuming when done in person, especially when learners require regular feedback from a content expert.

why is the training important in the organisation

▪︎Employee retention and enhanced performance

▪︎Increased revenue and organisational competitiveness

why do organisation invest in training :

• Change in workplace
• improvement in quality
• Introduction of new technologies and Upgradations

By Udbhav Bhargava

Assam government has decided to upgrade Dehing Patkai wildlife sanctuary to national park

The park will be the 105^th entrant in the list of the 104 existing national parks in the country covering an area of approximately 40000 square kilometers, accounting for 1.23% of the total Indian geographical area. This last entry was made in 2018 when the Kuno wildlife sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh was converted into a National Park.

The erstwhile wildlife sanctuary is situated in Dibrugarh & Tinsukia districts of Assam and covers an area of 111 square kilometers. It was declared a sanctuary on 13 June 2004. The “would-be national park” is a dense evergreen rainforest, which when observed by a satellite looks like a “big dark green patch” cut into two parts by the Dehing river. The name of the park is formed by the amalgamation of names of Dehing river and the Patkai Bum hills located in the east end of the park.

Referred to as the “Amazon of the East”, this forestland stretches for 575 square kilometers in Assam. The previous sanctuary was also an elephant reserve under the Project Elephant because of concentration of Asian elephant in the evergreen forest habitat. It is a rich and unique biodiversity hotspot that is home to several rare and endangered animal species; Hoolock gibbon, sluggish loris, pig-tailed macaque, capped langur, Bengal tiger.

It, also, is home to close to 300 different bird species including Slender-billed vulture, white-winged duck, Larger spotted eagle, larger and smaller adjutant, etc. Rock python, King cobra, Asian leaf turtle, monitor lizard are the most common reptiles found in this area. Thirty different butterfly species thrive in this gorgeous tropical vegetation.

Any area other than that comprised of any reserve forest or territorial waters may be notified to constitute a sanctuary if such area is of sufficient biological, faunal, floral, geomorphological, geological or zoological importance for the purpose of preserving, spreading or cultivating wildlife or their habitat. Within the sanctuary area are permitted certain restricted human activities details of which are provided in the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The country has a total of 551 Wildlife Sanctuaries.

What is a National Park? An area, whether within a sanctuary or not, can be notified by the state government to be constituted as a National Park, by the same reasons as mentioned above for a wildlife sanctuary. But the distinction is made between the two by the fact that no human activity is permitted inside the national park except for the ones permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the state under the conditions given in the Chapter 4 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

A political perspective can be attributed to the move as the proclamation came just months after the conditional clearance by the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) to a Coal India Limited (CIL) coal mining project in the vicinity of the sanctuary area that triggered protests movements in the state.