DMS, IIT Delhi holds HR conclave

The event was inaugurated by the head of department of DMS IIT Delhi, Dr. S. S. Yadav who set the tone and the pitch for the event by introducing the house to the topic and providing a context for what was to follow. He was followed by the very eloquent Mr. M Damodaran, who in his inimitable poetic fashion set forth what he perceived were the characteristic traits of the new generation as the epitome of: irreverence, intolerance and impatience. These traits, he remarked, were not negative despite their pejorative connotations; in fact they served to help them conquer their dreams. What is required, he said, was control and moderation. The new generation, he remarked, was born in an independent country having never seen colonial or any sort of suppression, breeding a high level of confidence and disregard for tradition. But in their drive for success what this generation missed out on was to enjoy life, to soak up its sights and sounds. What makes this generation different is its high level of enthusiasm and abundance of energy. But in its impatience to succeed it often gets shortchanged, Mr. Damodaran observed. Perseverance is a trait that needs to be strengthened in this generation, like Robert Bruce, they should keep trying and trying.

Next on the podium, was Prof. Dr. Vinayshil Gautam of DMS IIT Delhi (founding member of IIM-K and lead consultant of setting up of IIM Shillong), who with his inimitable felicity conceptualized and contextualized the topic starting with the poser: ‘Are we maturing as a species?”. He pointed out three human traits: ego, love and anger and exhorted the audience to consider whether we have been able to manage them. Ego and anger are as ever just their manifestations have changed: the clubs of early man have been replaced by nuclear warheads; and they remain barriers to human development. Evolution is a natural phenomenon, only the parameter matters. Dr Vinayshil Gautam points out two main parameters: exclusive / generic and ephemeral / contingent. He pointed out that generations have evolved but the parameters are still the same. Physical anthropological changes are a proof of the evolutions in the human body. It is not only the questions of the different generations but also various civilizations at work!

The next session was the technical sessions, which was chaired by Dr. Kanika T Bhal of DMS IIT Delhi, the panelists being Mr. Rajeev Dubey (VP HR, M&M;), Mr. Rohit Basin (HR, PWC), Mr. Ashok K Raut (COO, BSE) and Prof Harish Chaudhary of DMS IIT Delhi. Mr Dubey started the session providing insights about M&M; management practices to tap the potential of Gen ‘Y’. He also briefed about the concept of shadow boards wherein employees below 35 years of age are given responsibilities to steer the strategies and policies. He also mentioned about the practice of reverse mentoring. Mr. Rohit Basin, Executive Director PWC, gave insights into what makes this generation different. He was of the opinion that this generation is not averse to frequent job-hopping and has a desire for instant recognition. The major issues with this generation according to him are very little sense of belonging, Unrealistic expectations, Shortcuts to success, Easily Influenced and Lack of Business etiquette. Mr. Ashok K Raut (COO, BSE) took the stage next and gave his perspective on the traits of the new generation. He pointed out that the generation ‘y’ is a powerful programmable engines of intelligence with a fantastic focus on the ‘bigger picture’. They seem to be good at plucking ‘low hanging fruits’ and handle office politics better. To leverage this, he recommended that the generation ‘Y’ should be empowered and should be given the potential to grow, the space to explore and be adventurous.

The last session was chaired by Mr T. C. Venkatsubbraniam, the MD of EXIM bank, who spoke about how like the corporate, the youth of the nation also has some responsibility towards society. The youth being independent and challenge loving needed to stop giving into peer pressure and be influenced by such supposed arbiters of success as CTC. They should be willing to serve the rural population by working among them.

Next he turned his focus on the managing the new generation. These generations was highly knowledgeable and was therefore a challenge to manage. He also shared his ideas regarding how the workforce should be structured in an organisation drawing on an analogy with a football team; recommending a healthy mix of aggressive, innovative individuals with mediocre and medium skilled personnel.

Lastly Mr Harish Choudhary gave the vote of thanks and summarized the entire conclave by pointing the various issues raised in the day and the responses they engendered.