Context:

In 2005 the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer decided to set up a manufacturing facility in Chennai. Given that this was the organisation’s first manufacturing facility in India, the key need was to understand the socio-economic setting and evolve an ER and workforce management blueprint that was in line with the environment in India. totus consulting was engaged to support this entire initiative, keeping the frontline workforce in mind.

Design:

We looked at the engagement from 4 dimensions.

Building the right culture

Designing the right organisation

Managing employee well being

Reaching out to the community

We started by understanding the local environment from several perspectives. We met the government officials, local villagers and other key stakeholders to understand current concerns and issues. We also met with other organisations that had set up operations in the same area and gathered their experience in terms of what worked well and learnings they had picked up. This background work helped us to align our recommendations with the realities of the local environment. Our recommendations to the client included:

The approach to employee relations.

An appropriate staffing model for workmen.

A training system to ensure cultural integration and development of skills among workmen.

Systems for managing discipline and business conduct.

Systems to manage performance.

A staffing strategy that included detailed recommendations on the selection process.

Guidelines for employment of contract labour.

Conditions of work.

Recommendations on benefits covering specifics like uniform, transport, cafeteria, medical, housing and so on.

Proactive organisation level initiatives to involve employees.

Community building initiatives that would help the organisation build rapport with the local population.

Impact:

Our recommendation provided the Organisation with a well-researched and robust platform to base all its workforce actions.

Context:

Given our significant expertise in retail, India’s largest retail venture approached totus consulting for advice and recommendations in hiring and managing the front line employees at the store level.

Design:

Given that the purpose of the blueprint was to get the people process started in this organisation, we looked at five specific needs.

Providing a framework to design the frontline job.

Providing a position description guide to support staffing

Providing a comprehensive compensation recommendation

Providing a HR policy reference guide

Providing a recruitment guide.

The above five areas were identified as critical in establishing the talent acquisition process for this retail organisation.

The staffing strategy for the organisation was designed based on the nature of the market, the product categories in question and the nature of human interface required to manage them at every stage and also the quality and robustness of processes at the store level.

The job design for different jobs in the organisation was based on a deep study of the elements of each job.

A staffing mix and sourcing strategy based on the job design was also recommended.

Impact:

This input from totus provided the Organisation with the insights necessary to evolve its front-line staffing strategy as well as its front-line workforce management policies.

Context:

This multinational paint manufacturing Company was setting up a manufacturing unit in Chennai .Given the greenfield nature of the project the organisation engaged totus for a socio-economic survey that would pave the way for recommendations on the ER strategy.

Design:

A socio-economic survey both quantitative in terms of demographic data and qualitative in terms of sensing of the environment was undertaken. Based on this study we were able to advice the organisation on

Impact:

The recommendations provided a platform for the company to evaluate options and arrive at a considered approach in the setting up of its ER processes.

Context:

In 2002 when a large multinational retail firm wanted to start operations in India they approached totus to help them put in place a HR blue print that integrated the global corporate philosophy with the Indian context.

Design:

We helped this organisation on the following areas.

Banding: We created an appropriate banding system for the organisation that would take care of the needs of all job families.

Job design and role documents: Given that this organisation would be engaged in B2B operations rather than B2C, we aligned the job design to meet this specific need. Given also that this was a start up organisation we created role documents for all unique roles in the organisation.

Design and implementation of a staffing plan: We helped the organisation evolve a staffing plan that included a manning mix, sources for hiring and a selection process. We also supported the organisation in hiring by extending our selection expertise.

Compensation structure: Based on a survey of the external market, we recommended an appropriate compensation plan.

Design and implementation of an induction plan: We helped the organisation to create an induction plan that incorporated job skills development, information on the corporate values, beliefs and policies and also the socialisation needs of the new employees.

Work force management policies and processes: Given that this organisation was new to India it was important to have “India Friendly” work force practices, while also ensuring adherence to the corporate values and beliefs of the organisation.

Impact:

At an overall level this engagement helped the retailer put in place all HR systems that would be required at the initial stage. We completed our engagement by hiring the HR Head and the rest of the team.

Context:

The client is a pioneer in designing modular shop fit systems and custom made furniture. They have been in the business for about 20 years. Design and innovation is positioned as the USP of the organization. However, they were not geared as an organization to seize the opportunities of the booming retail industry because of the inadequacies in their structure and business processes. The dichotomy and the challenge was to remain entrepreneurial and innovative and yet have formal processes.

Design:

totus helped the client in designing their organization, developing and implementing a Performance Management System and positioning their people competitively in terms of their pay in the industry.

Impact:

The new customer driven organization design provided a unique mix of both formalization and flexibility to meet the fast changing needs of the retail industry. It also retained the entrepreneurial and innovative spirit of the company. New roles were created to take care of the growth in the business and the different customer segments. In effect, the design provided for scalability of the business enabling the organization to enter new avenues.

Given that the industry itself was at a nascent stage, totus helped in identifying the right resources for key leadership positions. Most importantly, totus functioned as a sounding board to the CEO to deal with the business challenges that he encountered from time to time.