[Chaosunlimited]

Ram,
we are just 2 months in the business of learning HR,so i pretty much know very little. but we can definitely have an idea of what HR does in any firm and why an applicant at this particular juncture ( say no exp/2 + / 4+ years of work ex) wants to pursue the course...

to start with HR is like a doctor of a hospital , who has to balance the management on one side and the employees on the other.. just as the doctor has to tread carefully along his diagnosis of the patient while not scaring the patient..

thoughts can follow on this

[priyamvada86]

oh..its cool that we'd be discussing HR and other issues..sounds productive.
well, i'll post as soon as i come across some good article..
sorry for not contributing much on that front..
I hv done my grad in arts wid psychology as my major.so ppl if u want to kno anything abt it i cld be of some use...

as i am getting introduced to this feild i hv started realizing that HR managers are jugglers...and communication skills are a must!!

[Chaosunlimited]

hi all
chalo lets pour our thoughts on a very common topic of the day : executive compensation : views and counterviews

why should the prime minister take the CII meeting as a platform to trumpet the last few fangs of the socialist leanings available in the government policies ??? Though the splurge in the salaries is not for everyone, the massess affected by such inequitable distribution is not known clearly (don't know the stats :() , the issue can still be studied across sectors and still leave for the board room to decide if the CEO needs a higher salary than the present figures .

As the primary motive of any enterprise is to make a profit, the garnering of the same should be allowed in India, though with caution and not at the cost of deprivation of others (non exec employees ) in the organisation.


thoughts can follow......................................

[sarsij]

hi all,

thanks for the initiative taken by starting this thread. TISS procedure is such an enigma for all the applicants that it really needs some information before actually appearing in the exam and the rest of the TISS selection procedure.

Well, I did apply for TISS for 2006-08 session, and it as that year when the written exams started. Earlier also there was a written test but it used to happen in TISS campus.
I was selected for the interiew and GD, and my whole experience after GD & PI was good.
GD was as usual a collection of 10-12 people sitting together and sharing their thoughts, and PI was as usual a panel of three profs sitting and observing a candidate.

My whole interpretation of TISS procedure was that TISS actually wants those guys who are inclined towards the HR course not for high salaries, but for the actual love of the Human Resource. You need to prove it then and there that your motive is not to earn high salaries in some IT company instead you love this course so much that you can even take up a job which is only for quenching your thirst to make human resources contribute more towards this society.

I personally noticed that TISS panel was not very much interested in getting IT guys into the college and they were even pointing it out at the salary column during the interview (you will have to fill up your salary in the interview form, in case you are a professional), and they always said that - why do you want to get into a generalist role after working in a focussed filed like technology and at the same time you will not get this kind of salary (dont know why they said that).

After a few days the results were out...and I was not selected........but then I felt as if I was not totally prepared for the TISS interview........and thats why wanted to appear for TISS only after some more experience in the corporate field. And hence I didn't appear for the TISS last year.

And now after a good break and some more experience I am thinking of applying for TISS again.

Few points I would like to bring to your notice before the TISS forms are out for the coming academic session......

1. TISS gives a hell lot of importance of things you do in terms of charity and as a part of the NGO activities. So if its possible for you get involved into such a thing, then please devote some time to such activities......it will help you a lot.

2. In case you are an IT person.....then be ready with the answers of such questons - Why do you want to leave the technology field? Why do you think HR course is best for you after working in technology? Why made you think that HR course is best for you? and finally a shocker........Do you really think that a HR person contributes into business? TISS panel doesn't believe that an HR person can actually contribute into business (during the interview they really argue hard against HR roles at work places.....they have a long list of negativities for business created by the HR people).

3. They will try to make a match between the Bio-Graphy you will write in the application form and the person sitting in front of the panel. In fact, If I remember well , there was a person who was constantly reading my bio-graphy and always listening to what all answers I was giving and was also jotting down some one-liners every now and then.

4. Know anything and everything about your workplace/company....your native city......the reasons behind things which you have done in your life till dats.....

The above points are just the pointers I can provide you from my failed experience........these points will take a lot of time to prepare, and you actually have enough time to prepare for all these points.

At last, I will suggest that getting into TISS actually needs a TISS-type personality......and getting in touch with a TISS-type-personlity (current and ex-student) will help you the most. Also, reading things related to HR will actually help you..........seniors can really be helpful in getting the names of such books......

Hope my post is helpful to everyone...........

Thanks & Regards

Sarsij

[talkysandeep]

Hi all,

Thanks a lot Sarsi for sharing your experiences. some of your interpretations of the process are really good.

However, I would like to clear certain points out here

• TISS doesn't have any special inclination towards IT or the non IT guys, just to bring to your attention we have a good mix of IT and Non IT guys (Non IT includes sectors like Manufacturing, Education, NGOs, Research and Development(Government), shipping, Media, Financial consultancies etc.) IT and non IT guys are evenly balanced when it comes to the numbers.
• TISS might give importance to things you do in terms of charity and as a part of the NGO activities when you apply to the Masters in Social Work(MSW) course. And if you have some expereince with an NGO/Charity, you may be asked why not MSW instead of HRM&LR? It doesn't mean that one should not do charity or be involved with an NGO. I mean to say its your approach in the interview which makes all the difference.
• "Why are you leaving your sector and coming to HR" :- I think this question is not confined to people in IT sector but to others as well.
• About the argument- HR people and their contribution to Business and the list of negatives about HR is just to check your composure and focuss towards HR. Infact what i have learnt till date is that even a person from the lowest rung of the organisation contributes to the business in his own ways. And HR is much bigger a function.

Some extra shots:

• Composition of the batch according to educational background is as follows:

Arts: 14%; Commerce: 16%; Engineering: 54%;
Management: 10% and Science:6%

• The division according to workexperience is as follows

Freshers: 41%; Less than or equal to 2 years: 35%;
More than 2 years: 24%
Its a healthy mix of freshers and work-ex guys


Thanks and Regards
Sandeep Karande
1st year, HRM&LR
School of Management and Labour Studies
TISS, Mumbai

Originally Posted by sarsij

hi all,

thanks for the initiative taken by starting this thread. TISS procedure is such an enigma for all the applicants that it really needs some information before actually appearing in the exam and the rest of the TISS selection procedure.

Well, I did apply for TISS for 2006-08 session, and it as that year when the written exams started. Earlier also there was a written test but it used to happen in TISS campus.
I was selected for the interiew and GD, and my whole experience after GD & PI was good.
GD was as usual a collection of 10-12 people sitting together and sharing their thoughts, and PI was as usual a panel of three profs sitting and observing a candidate.

My whole interpretation of TISS procedure was that TISS actually wants those guys who are inclined towards the HR course not for high salaries, but for the actual love of the Human Resource. You need to prove it then and there that your motive is not to earn high salaries in some IT company instead you love this course so much that you can even take up a job which is only for quenching your thirst to make human resources contribute more towards this society.

I personally noticed that TISS panel was not very much interested in getting IT guys into the college and they were even pointing it out at the salary column during the interview (you will have to fill up your salary in the interview form, in case you are a professional), and they always said that - why do you want to get into a generalist role after working in a focussed filed like technology and at the same time you will not get this kind of salary (dont know why they said that).

After a few days the results were out...and I was not selected........but then I felt as if I was not totally prepared for the TISS interview........and thats why wanted to appear for TISS only after some more experience in the corporate field. And hence I didn't appear for the TISS last year.

And now after a good break and some more experience I am thinking of applying for TISS again.

Few points I would like to bring to your notice before the TISS forms are out for the coming academic session......

1. TISS gives a hell lot of importance of things you do in terms of charity and as a part of the NGO activities. So if its possible for you get involved into such a thing, then please devote some time to such activities......it will help you a lot.

2. In case you are an IT person.....then be ready with the answers of such questons - Why do you want to leave the technology field? Why do you think HR course is best for you after working in technology? Why made you think that HR course is best for you? and finally a shocker........Do you really think that a HR person contributes into business? TISS panel doesn't believe that an HR person can actually contribute into business (during the interview they really argue hard against HR roles at work places.....they have a long list of negativities for business created by the HR people).

3. They will try to make a match between the Bio-Graphy you will write in the application form and the person sitting in front of the panel. In fact, If I remember well , there was a person who was constantly reading my bio-graphy and always listening to what all answers I was giving and was also jotting down some one-liners every now and then.

4. Know anything and everything about your workplace/company....your native city......the reasons behind things which you have done in your life till dats.....

The above points are just the pointers I can provide you from my failed experience........these points will take a lot of time to prepare, and you actually have enough time to prepare for all these points.

At last, I will suggest that getting into TISS actually needs a TISS-type personality......and getting in touch with a TISS-type-personlity (current and ex-student) will help you the most. Also, reading things related to HR will actually help you..........seniors can really be helpful in getting the names of such books......

Hope my post is helpful to everyone...........

Thanks & Regards

Sarsij

[sarsij]

hi sandeep, thanks for your informative post.
as I have alreadty written that I am willing to apply for TISS this year........so what will you suggest me at this point in time. (I would like to quote that I am highly interested in the HR course at TISS and XLRI......and these are the two colleges I am applying for with most importance and inclination).
I think I need some good preparation for TISS's GD-PI sessions. And for that I am looking for a good material......could be any kind of books or any thins specific in HR.

Please do let me know what to read right now (apart from the regular MBA written test material)...........it would be great to hear from you.

Thanks again

[Chaosunlimited]

hi
One could always read an article say in Times Ascent or Hindu's opportunities , and try thinking abt work related issues from a managerial perspective.

say for eg, there is discontent as an employee abt low grading, leading to variable pay, but if this is not introduced, how does a top performer remains motivated to bring in biggest benefits to the team ( read business). This is just an approach, to get a different dimension.

As you are from IT industry, you can read some articles, that explain the necessity of such a large hiring, the effect of a strong rupee - the steps IT cos are taking in such a situation and its effects on employee motivation, etc....
Is there a model or research that shows the sustainability of growth in IT ?? i am not sure of one, do provide your learnings ,so that you keep informed of whats happening around your workplace

[caieta]

Thanks for the initiative Sandeep, Syed and all the others too...is any preference given to people already working in the HR industry...in fact when i attempted TISS last year there were alot of questions being asked on theories by HR gurus on which I missed out....the aptitude questions are relatively easy...

In fact I have subscribed to "Human Capital" which talks alot about issues related to HR....Find it pretty informative....Any other books which could be suggested ?????

[ramakrishnas]

hi all ,

executive compensation : views and counterviews

you can find the full text of the speech by our PM here : Prime Minister's Office

you can find the editorial in hindu on the same by p.sainath here : The Hindu : Opinion / Leader Page Articles : CEOs and the wealth of notions

I will post my comments on this soon.

Ram

[sarsij]

dude, please do let me know something more about Human Capital?
I am also an aspirant for HR courses in India.....infact my focus is mainly at TISS....XLRI...and MDI(HR)...........

hope to hear from you soon.

thanks & regards