Balancing Employee and Management Expectation

Welcome to "The Balancing Act," an in-depth exploration of the complex role HR professionals play in aligning the strategic goals of upper management with the expectations of employees. This presentation, crafted for an engaging meet-up and led by Chandni Desai, founder of EC2 Consulting Solutions, delves into the crucial aspects of HR management within small to medium-sized IT companies, particularly in Surat, Gujarat.

Key Focus Areas:

The Necessity of Balance in HR:

Explore why striking the right balance is imperative in HR roles, impacting everything from organizational culture to employee satisfaction. This section discusses the dual responsibilities HR holds in aligning strategic business goals with employee well-being.
Critical Balancing Acts Required in HR:

Detail the key areas that demand balance in the HR field, such as strategic vs. employee-centric approaches, long-term planning vs. immediate needs, and stability vs. change. Learn about the techniques that can help manage these often conflicting demands effectively.
Common Challenges in HR:

Identify the typical challenges faced by HR professionals, including managing performance expectations, communicating policy changes, and resolving conflicts stemming from top-level decisions. This part of the presentation showcases real-world scenarios and solutions.
Strategies for Overcoming HR Challenges:

Gain insights into practical strategies and actionable solutions that can help HR professionals navigate the complexities of their roles. From robust communication frameworks to fair policy implementations, discover tools that enhance your ability to manage diverse expectations.
Expert Insights:

Chandni Desai brings her extensive experience to the fore, providing nuanced perspectives tailored to the specific challenges faced in the regional context of Surat's IT sector. Her expert guidance offers a roadmap for HR professionals looking to refine their skills and strategies.

1. The balancing act : Juggling
Upper management & Employee
expectations

2. Experience

Industries
worked with

Companies
Consulted

12 Years

IT

D2C
Pharmaceuticals
Marketing

BFSI

20+ Companies
2000+ one:one session

3. Understanding the
scenario

Characteristics of small IT companies

+ Typical organizational structure

+ Decision-making processes (CEO-centric)

The unique position of HR in these companies

+ Often the sole HR professional

« Wide range of responsibilities

4. Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

What does enana

upper
management ™
want?

Employee Retention

© Productivity

O) Positive Branding

5. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

What Develop a strong company culture
management

expects from Strategic partnership in decision-making
the HR

Risk Management

© Efficient recruitment and retention strategies

O) cost-ettective HR solutions

6. Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

What does Competitive compensation
an employee
need? Recognition

Work-life balance

© Career growth

(5) Job security

7. Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting u M :c2 Placement

EC2, EC2, EC2, GE You
atk une EXECULIVE 10 VEUT PIULESSINY an JOU OI managen.

Skills:
1. Good command on basic Excel and typing speed
2. Analytical ability
3. Calculation ability

Stock and inventory flow in ERP.
Should have process flow knowledge.

No accounting knowledge needed.

ing and good inward - outward entries in software
Freshers allowed with mandatary skill set mentioned in Point 1.

Salary freshers 13k

Experience 1-2 year 15-18k arpa

‘Analytical and Calculation ability isiye specific likha hai. Dimag bandh rakhke office
aye aise candidates nahi chahiye. Figure out that when you screen them.

Take it in that sence.

8. Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting | m- à

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9. Company is earning
high profit, we are
Employee is always getting peanuts
doing chit-chat

HR always takes
CEO's side

HE's CEO's favorite
employee

Y

Today's generation is
not committed to
work

ange over-

HR always covers
employee's mistakes

Things are better at
Other companies

We are not valued at
the company

There's no flexibility
or freedom

10. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Examples

11. Why balancing is
needed?

+ Organizational health - Sustainable growth, long
term success

+ Impact on company culture

+ Reputation and talent attraction - Positive word-
of-mouth in tight-knit IT community

+ Financial performance - Reduced costs associated

with high turnover

12. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Approach

Effective communication techniques:

+ Regular town halls or all-hands meetings

+ Use technology

+ One-on-one check-ins with employees
Creating win-win solutions:

+ Performance-based incentives

+ Employee involvement in decision making
Educating both sides:

+ Empathy training for management

+ Help employees understand business constraints
Developing a strong company culture:

+ Aligning values across the organization
« Recognition Programmes beyond monetary rewards

13. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Who Vs.
What

+ Always put COMPANY in the center of everything

+ CEO and Company is a separate identity - the CEO is also an employee of
the company.

+ Who is right is never important - What is right is important.

+ Determine the company’s core values and reiterate them every time
needed - in every meeting with every person.

eg. - if Value says Autocracy and Discipline - don't do a survey and give a

platform to employees so that they can share bad/ugly things about the

company and manager.

14. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Numbers
Matters

Prepare an HR budget
Be aware of how much is being spent in which particular category.
Find out the per-head cost of each individual.
While making every small or big move, think of the long-term effect on
individual
2.Company's budget
3.Culture.
e.g. - If we are allowing Ritesh to come late, are we going to allow
everyone for it?

If there's a recurring issue - make a system or process for the same.

15. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Connection
is the key

Build a core team.

Set up a daily update practice.

+ Encourage CEO/CTO to have a skip-level meeting in which the PM or TL

is not present.
Set up weekly / bi-weekly catch-up meetings with CEO.
Don't involve the CEO in every trivial decision.
Build that trust and confidence with the decision maker so that you can
make some decisions.
Be an Active Listener: Observe minute details - how the person is saying
and why, and try to understand where they are coming from.
Closely monitor team behavior:
© Identify the bad behavior
© Call out the behavior

© Make the person understand the impact

16. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

The tough
talks

First, get yourself convinced then you'll be able to convince others.

Be authentic and honest.

Don't be afraid to draw a boundary.

Remember : You can be firm without being rude.

You can give negative feedback and still be kind.
+ Set up a chain of authority and responsibility
e.g: No manager approves his own expenses - that's the rule.
+ Have a well designed Performance Management system.
+ Have a growth mindset
It's not someone else's business and you are doing hard work - have a
growth mindset - where you are doing the hard and smart work and someone

is investing in you.

17. Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

What's the
perfect balance?

+ The Trolly Dilemma

+ Dharam Sankat

18. “If you are looking for a mantra that can help you figure out what you
should be doing in any given situation, here itis. Just two words: IT
DEPENDS

Remember that, and you won't get fixated on ideas. You won't get
stuck with thinking what if it worked in the past, it would work in the
future too.

It depends will remind you that there in no one right answer.
And learning to know which way to choose starts with knowing it
depends.
——
How come no one told me that?
- by Prakash Iyer

19. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Approach

Effective communication techniques:

+ Regular town halls or all-hands meetings

+ Use technology

+ One-on-one check-ins with employees
Creating win-win solutions:

+ Performance-based incentives

+ Employee involvement in decision making
Educating both sides:

+ Empathy training for management

+ Help employees understand business constraints
Developing a strong company culture:

+ Aligning values across the organization
« Recognition programmes beyond monetary rewards

20. A

Case Study

| at,

21. InfyMe

+ Infosys - implemented a comprehensive rewards program
+ The program includes both monetary and non-monetary rewards,

addressing the challenge of managing expectations with limited budgets.
+ It features peer-to-peer recognition, skill-based rewards, and a points

system that can be redeemed for various benefits.

Result:

Improved employee engagement and retention rates.

22. [CS

Agile 2020

+ TCS implemented an enterprise-wide agile transformation program.

+ They adopted agile methodologies not just in software development but
across all functions, including HR.

+ HR processes were redesigned to be more flexible and responsive to
changing business needs.

Result:
Improved speed of HR service delivery and better alignment with business

objectives.

23. Reverse Mentoring Program

+ Young employees were paired with senior executives to share insights on
technology trends, social media, and millennial work preferences.
+ The program helped bridge the generational gap and fostered a culture of
continuous learning.
Result:

Improved cross-generational understanding and faster adoption of new
technologies.

24. @ Mindtree

Transparent Communication During Acquisition

+ In 2019, Mindtree faced a hostile takeover bid by L&T Infotech.
+ Challenge: Balancing transparency with employees while managing a

sensitive business situation.

Solution:
+ Regular town hall meetings with employees
+ Open letters from founders addressing concerns
+ Continued focus on day-to-day operations and client deliverables

+ HR team provided constant support and clear communication

25. (Chandni Desai - EC2 Consulting

Mediation
Framework

Preparation Engagement Negotiation Implementation Follow-up

+ Identify the issue + Initiate the + Evaluate options + Communicate the + Evaluate outcomes
+ Gather information conversation + Facilitate win - win resolution + Make adjustments
+ Assess the situation + Present perspectives * Build agreement + Create an action plan + Prevent future conflicts
+ Set objectives + Identify underlying + Monitor progress
interests

+ Generate options

26. Key Principles
Throughout the
Process

+ Neutrality : Maintain an unbiased stance throughout the
mediation

+ Confidentiality : Respect the privacy of all parties involved

+ Empathy : Demonstrate understanding for all perspectives

+ Active Listening : Pay attention to both verbal and non-verbal
communication

+ Patience : Allow time for reflection and processing of information

+ Flexibility : Be willing to adapt the process as needed

+ Cultural Sensitivity : Consider cultural nuances in

communication and expectations

27. Books

amnoncorisso HERREN a

Daniel H. Pink

TOOLS FOR TALKING WHEN
STAKES ARE HIGH

28. Podcasts

1. "HBR IdeaCast" by Harvard Business Review
- https://hbr.org/podcasts/ideacast

2. "WorkLife with Adam Grant" by TED
- https://www.ted.com/podcasts/worklife

3. “Conscience of Culture” by Society for Human Resource Management
- https://people-strategy-a-podcast-from-shrms-executive-
network.simplecast.com/episodes/andrea-ferrara-on-hr-as-the-

conscience-of-culture/transcript

30. ©

Thanks!

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