Baliram Mutagekar, HR professional and trustee, HR Infotech Association Pune, is a textbook example of how hard work and perseverance will lead you to success. Hailing from a small village of Belgaum District, Karnataka, Baliram has come a long way. He always believes in simple living and high thinking! This is what beckons him to reach new milestones every time. His thoughts and actions go out of the way to assist his near and dear ones. Recently, Baliram’s inspiring session at a leading institute of management in Pune left the students spellbound. Corporate Citizen caught up with Baliram to understand the milestones of his journey, HR technicalities and much more
It’s been a fantastic journey. Although I come from small town, I have come really far. I have faced several challenges at a young age. My father passed away when I was young. Soon, the responsibility fell on me and my brother. After my engineering, there weren’t much good opportunities to start working with big companies. Therefore I started with a small firm, with a not-so-handsome salary. Nonetheless, the values and my upbringing have taught me how to hold the fort.
I was able to complete my Bachelor of Engineering (BE) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Karnataka University with first class and distinction. This gave a perfect start to my education. Quite focused on what to expect from my career, I knew, I had to earn the right degrees. Later, I finished my Master of Business Administration (MBA) in HR from Pune University.
Over the years, I have been lucky to serve in several roles in the industry. It gave me a chance to explore and understand this field much better. Coming to my career growth, it can be described as a stepping stone was when I was working with Persistent Systems as Associate Senior Manager - HR. There was I responsible for designing and implementing strategies, policies, processes, templates, forms and formats. I was also given a chance to prepare the budget and track the expenses. Connecting with employees through various communication forums opened several horizons for me. Right from working with a small company to a big organisation, I have always respected my work, which has helped me grow by leaps and bounds.
Over the 15 years of experience in HR, I have successfully handled many important functions in HR such as performance assessment, dealing with aspirations of the employees, competency mapping, training, managing campus recruitment, appraisals, employee grievances and others. These roles have given a chance to me understand my employees. With this, I effectively manage the core HR for more than 3,500 employees.
I developed strategies for employee retention. That in turn reduced the attrition rate by 5% with innovative HR initiatives. Backed with my educational background and knowledge, I was able to design and implement HR solutions to achieve business success and enhance organisational capability. As responsibilities went on increasing, my career skyrocketed. None of my hard work went unnoticed. Appreciation of my work encourages me to perform even better.
“I developed strategies for employee retention. That in turn reduced the attrition rate by 5% with innovative HR initiatives”
Thankfully, my hard work and passion towards this field made my upward journey on the career ladder quite smooth. Having kissed success at a young stage, my family’s approval means the world to me. Despite my being the youngest in family, the way they look up to me, makes me smile from ear to ear.
Challenges makes a person strong. Having seen many ups and down, different learnings have changed my perception. I have always had a solid foundation, owing to my upbringing. It has brought me closer to my roots. Taking up responsibility has taught me about the sense of ownership which is quite crucial these days. When people approach me for their problems, it makes me feel special. When it comes to dealing with people, I’m probably still the same as I was before, humble and rooted in the values imbibed.
Every person is unique. Different people have different aspirations. Especially, the current generation, they have a set of unconventional expectations. They believe in working smartly, rather than working hard. These millennials look for instant gratification. They are under the impression that all the answers are available online. I feel, they should apply their knowledge instead of finding easy solutions. As far as my role is concerned, I mapped the aspirations of employees. The company tries to work as per the mapping. If the aspirations are within the reach of the organisation, we try of fulfil it. Some employees have specific aspirations of working for a certain branch at a desired location. If it’s manageable, the employee’s needs are attended to. In other case, the employee needs to be open for a change.
Different organisations have different performance methods. Some companies are of the opinion that appraisals should be continuous, rather than waiting till the year end. Feedback on monthly basis is also followed as an appraisal technique. Often a performance appraisal is combination of both written and oral elements, whereby the management evaluates and provides feedback on the employees’ performance. The objective is to understand the employees’ growth and the way they are performing their job. This will help them in their career development. The process includes obtaining the information, analysing it, and entering it in the system.
In some organisations, the feedback given by managers is to be fed to the system. A two-way interaction, between employee and manager, is also used to evaluate the progress. I feel, this is the right technique of appraisal. The two entities should collaborate, understand the issue and find a solution.
The effects of performance appraisals are multifold. It acts as a motivation for them to improve their productivity. Secondly, it gives them clarity and leads them to take responsibility. On the other hand, one-on-one performance appraisals give a chance to the employees to communicate openly with the management, which boosts their morale.
Luckily, I got a chance to witness the growth of HR department as an important function in management. I have been with the HR department throughout my IT career. It is indeed a privilege to see it grow by leaps and bounds. Earlier, HR was just a department. Now it is an important partner of the business function. HR works hand in hand with business. After understanding the business, all the HR policies are made, keeping the interest of the organisation in mind.
These days, CSR activities have become an important aspect for all the organisations. The government has made it mandatory for organisations to allocate funds, of certain percentage, for CSR activities. Most companies are focusing on the prime areas like community development, education and health. These are the core areas where uplift of the society is necessary. It is interesting to see the employees take an active part in the CSR activities. I feel, companies should focus on creating the right framework for the CSR activities they are engaged in, and this framework should be feasible in order to plan and execute such activities effectively.
The HR department works very closely in finding successful solutions for business. As work culture differs from company to company, to the extent where there are varied cultures amongst the various departments of an organisation. For some departments, knowledge is the key. In that case, they would retain the employee at any cost. On the other hand, there exist departments that welcome freshers with different views. So, the best way to tackle any issue is to address the challenges. Finding solutions that are valuable to the company should be the priority. Departments should chalk down customised plans to retain the person. Solutions should be tailor-made for great outcomes.
Luckily, I got a chance to witness the growth of HR department as an important function in management. I have been with the HR department throughout my IT career. It is indeed a privilege to see it grow by leaps and bounds
While the quality of your work is important, your professional image is just as crucial. Formal dress code, particularly in the corporate world, makes a great impact. However, I believe that we should change as per time. Dress that makes us feel comfortable should be worn. But there’s always a thin line that shouldn’t be crossed. Outfits that would make other employees uncomfortable should be avoided. After all, we come to an office which creates a healthy environment.
At a personal level, the teachings of my lifetime mentor have helped me evolve. The virtues learnt, aid me deal with stress in a calm and composed way. I make sure to find some time to perform yoga and meditation. Agreed, the stress levels are very high in the industry. But employees need to learn to cope with it. They should express and address their issues. The work culture these days is quite open. When an employee feels stressed out, they should immediately acknowledge it and talk about it to their superiors. Asking for help shouldn’t make you feel incompetent or uncomfortable. In fact, it will cut down your stress level by making you feel light. Turns out, at times, the issues might not be that important also. Hence, speaking up will provide an employee with an immediate relief and make him or her stress-free. Today’s generation mostly lives in the virtual world. That is one of the reasons why stress levels are increasing. Self-realisation is the key to overcome stress. Understand the root cause and try to rectify it. What matters is the approach.
I enjoy reading. It keeps me updated and motivates me to innovate. I also actively participate on social forums. Being the core committee member of the HR Association, I am involved in managing various conferences and workshops.
Be true to yourself and learn to trust others. This trust will be helpful in solving many problems.
There is a difference between applied knowledge and knowledge. Application of knowledge is very crucial. There will certainly be several hurdles in your life. Learn to tackle them head-on, rather than just being a part of the problem, come up with a solution. Explore the world and keep taking up challenges. Failures are a part of our life, learn from them as these teachings are valuable.
As the students start their journey to make it big in the corporate world, Baliram Mutagekar touched base with them on the points which were quite basic yet equally important.
He stressed that application of knowledge is very important and that it should be used in the process of finding a solution. “Most of them just address the problem, but none are the part of the solution. The students should be a part of the solution instead of just addressing the problem. Come up with a solution-mindset as the solution is just around you. However, you should understand that it takes a lot of efforts to find the solution,” he said. Baliram made it quite clear that HR people are really interested in understanding the employee’s approach rather than the solution of the problem.
The advent of technology has it pros and cons. Baliram urges the students to not misuse the technology. “Use it for the right cause. Social media, TV are sometimes a distraction. I feel, TV creates a lot negativity. These could be small things, but there is always an impact. There is certainly no value addition. I urge you to use tools for a good cause,” advised Baliram.
Books are one of your best teachers, agrees Baliram. He believes that reading the right books could have a magical impact on you. “I want all the kids to take up reading. Keep the habit of reading good books. It will change your thought process. Finding time to read books is the key. Books will sharpen your thought and build your mindset,” informed Baliram. Some of the books he advised the students to read are, Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Business of 21st Century, and The Magic of Thinking BIG.
The curious minds had several questions and inhibitions which were addressed by Baliram.
Some of the students are mistaken that colleges are only to get placement. Baliram explained, “Colleges help students in varied ways. But it is up the students to take the responsibility. Colleges ensure to provide knowledge, values and experience. It is easy to get a job, but difficult to get the right job to build a long-term career. Jobs are created where machines fail to work. Jobs around emotions, values, collaboration, ethics will always need humans. College will help you find the right internship.”
He urges the student to be open for opportunities. “Travelling to different cities for internship or jobs will help you understand the culture and other aspects,” he said. With startups being the buzzword, Baliram informed the students, “Frankly, there are thousands of ideas available in the market for free. The key here is to have a workable idea. Most of the startups create a platform. We need to have our own network and understand its value. Check options which involve no capital, no workers, and no risks. Such concepts are available in the market. To take up such a thing, you need to be passionate and with the right mindset,” he informed.
By Ekta Katti
