Human Resource News

Friends in business?

How well do you know your colleagues? In order to make the work environment more conducive to productivity, we emphasise the need to develop and maintain good workplace relationships

   How often do you ask yourself these questions – ‘is my colleague married or single?’, ‘what are his/her academic achievements?’, ‘where does he/she reside?’, ‘why did he leave his/her job in the previous firm?’ Such questions often hover over us, especially at times when we experience a sense of complete disconnect with our colleagues. “From a social as well as an organisation’s point of view, knowing a colleague at work is advisable, as it not only makes work more enjoyable, but also fosters team spirit and a positive working environment,” explains Rahul Kulkarni - head-HR, Kale Consultants.
   Says Ramakrishna Karanam, VP global HR, Intelligroup, “Knowing a colleague makes the workplace enjoyable and thus, aids employee retention. Keeping this in mind, we promote ‘INTRO (our employee referral programme)’ and almost 40 per cent of our hiring is handled through these internal referrals.” While knowing one’s colleague helps in a way, it also has its own pros and cons. According to Kulkarni, “The human being is a social animal and since we spend most of our time at work, it helps us to know our colleagues well. It helps, as you can share your thoughts and concerns with them; you can also vent out and express your feelings to them. On the other hand, too much of familiarity breeds contempt. An individual needs to know where to start and stop while having a dialogue with a co-worker.”
   To get the best out of your people, it is always good to know what makes them respond to something positively or negatively. “Knowing a colleague well and understanding what drives his/her motivation can make the work atmosphere conducive to productivity. The disadvantage is that if one gets too close, personal relationships tend to override professional relationships. One needs to draw a clear line between the two,” notes KS Bhullar, group president, HR, Anand Automotive Group.
   In such a scenario, what role can HR play towards fostering relationships between colleagues? “I believe that HR has the most important role to play towards strengthening relationships between colleagues. As you spend most part of your day at work, teamwork is very important, as it will help you achieve your goals. It’s pertinent that the HR department initiates various programmes and activities wherein people come together and understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes and other preferences. At Kale, we have a committee, which organises sessions on team-building and team-blending. Through such sessions, we aim to sensitise each other w.r.t the strengths and capabilities of each individual,” adds Kulkarni.

 

PREETI BOHRA

PGDM 2nd SEM.