byadminBehavioral Pattern

EX EMPLOYEES ARE OUR BIGGEST CHEERLEADERS!

Layam Group is not a company in the true sense, it’s an institution which strongly believes in intellectual growth. In fact, you can call Layam a ‘Gurukul’. We have created a strategy for Cost, Quality and productivity with an emphasis on People, Process and Performance. We have emerged as the Catalyst for Growth for many companies and our employees alike. Our pioneering concept of head count to brain count has benefited over 15,000 people who have moved ahead on their career path thanks to our upskilling process of making them ‘industry ready’.  Likewise, our employees too view Layam as the perfect training ground to hone their skills. From a trainee executive to HODs, we make sure that learning process does not cease. Most of our employees who have moved on to other companies have left on a positive note. Employees may have chosen to move on for various reasons like family or health issues or a better opportunity, but each one of them have left Layam with a positive outlook. Our ex-employees have openly expressed that they feel enriched by the knowledge and confidence they have gained by working in Layam. Needless to say, all ex Layamites continue to stay in touch with us and yearn to come back to Layam one day.

We can proudly say that HR as a partner in progress is a concept that we have successfully implemented amongst our stakeholders and our ex-employees too!  Today, our ex-employees have emerged as the true brand ambassador of Layam as they play an important role in our recruiting and branding strategy. As the importance of relationships and networking gains momentum, Layam has successfully showcased that creating and nurturing the network of ex-employees is a step in the right direction.

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byadminUncategorized

IS CORONA MENACE LEADING TO A NEW DIMENSION IN THE HIRING WORLD?

Job market and hiring have become very buoyant. In the present scenario, the Human Resource which we always have been proud of has replaced its stature from ‘Resource’ to ‘Commodity’. The Corona effect and the ensuing Work from Home concept has given rise to a new dimension in the hiring world. Today’s Human Resource is trying to make the best of this situation like the old proverb “Make Hay when the sun shines”. However, it may have a cascading effect on their career which will ultimately lead them to nowhere. Let me elucidate this with an example, If a person is drawing Rs. 10,000/- CTC  and is suddenly offered a hike of Rs.40,000/- CTC, he will obviously be very happy with the huge jump in his salary but this may lead to disastrous consequences. Not all may go through this but majority will be Sufferers than Gainers in the system such as:

1)  Entire job market compensation structure will have a tremor effect and an added escalation in cost to the Employer

2)  The Employer has to run his business so he may not mind to take such temporary shocks but when the market eventually settles down, it leads to another cycle of clipping which will have a dreadful effect on the high-cost resource

Here, the employer is not at fault because he would like to have a low cost, high yield strategy at the right time.

 Now, what happens to the Resource?

After getting this enormous hike, his personal expectations and standard of living will obviously go up. He becomes a favorite customer of the bank who allures him for long term EMIs!

The sudden change in standard of living creates a mindset change for kids and other family members. However, if something untoward happens and the Resource is not able to manage the situation, the entire family is bound to suffer mental agony and depression.

Is it necessary? -This question often comes to my mind

In a way all of us are responsible for this debacle! In some countries, they have put a ban that the increment should not be more than 40% to 50%. There is an urgent need for us to introspect and ensure that the compensation structure of the country which also impacts the economy is not bulldozed without any justification.

The mental and social health of our resources has to be protected. We should not let them fall prey to this damaged system that is prevalent today. Industrial bodies and Government alike must also make a note of this and ensure equilibrium so that a healthy and stable system can be maintained. Then, I’m sure the economy of our country will be strong and stable in the true sense.

There may be several people who may find my thought process weird. But I urge you to sit back, analyze and think about the future. We have to get sensitized with what is happening around us, be it in the pretext of corona or otherwise.

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byadminJob Market, Uncategorized

NO RISK, NO GAIN!

I am probably the best example for the adage Old wine in a new bottle. Just as the wine gets older, it becomes more expensive. Similarly, at the age of 67, I feel eager to work harder and contribute to the society. This passion towards work can be traced back to my first job with TATAs. I was interviewed by none other than the great Russi Mody, a legend who was instrumental in building TATA iron and steel company. In the interview, he asked me where do you want to work? Steel or Coal mines? I choose coal. He was completely taken aback by my answer, probably wondered how a boy from South India could sustain working in a tough terrain like coal mines. His next question was, “Where do you want to end?”. I simply replied, I want to sit in the chair where you are sitting. He just smiled and said, “What nonsense”, but I assured him about my goal and thus began my 20 years journey with TATAs. I first started with coal and then moved to steel. Later on, I set up a cement plant and after few years I was picked up by Hyundai as their Sr. Vice President HR. I worked in this Korean company for over 12 years and finally retired from my first innings.

In my second innings, I decided to achieve my passion. My inner passion has always been to give back to society. I always believed that if I am able to help others achieve their dreams, it will make me a happy and an enriched person. I started practicing this. I created an institution with an intention to help school and college dropouts. As Layam opened its doors in 2007, we soon realized that there are scores of candidates with poor academic records but exemplary skills (either technical or life skills). We stepped in as a catalyst for growth. Thus began my dream of helping others achieve their dreams.

Candidates coming to us are trained and upskilled. Later on, we place them in leading companies wherein they start their journey toward career success. Today, I am proud to say that we have trained and placed over 15,000 people in various jobs across India and there are many more who are coming into our fold. Today, my institution has a pan India presence. At times, I sit back and think, ‘Have I really earned my salary and for what am I working’, then I recall my father’s words. He said, “before you get a job, think about what is your contribution to the society?” My contribution to the society may be a drop in the ocean but when I see successful candidates fulfilling their career dreams, it fills me with immense joy and satisfaction.

I have always believed that developing empathy is an essential trait which I have tried to imbibe in every step of my life’s journey. While doing so, I have refrained from embracing a stance like, I am okay but you are not okay. This ego trip can become an ongoing phenomenon with no clear solutions in sight. Instead, try to enjoy the simple pleasures in life and do everything with your heart. God has given us head and heart. Do not dump all your negative feelings and emotions into your heart. Instead, use your head to filter it. The most important thing in life is to first understand yourself. You are the architect of your life. Believe in yourself. Success is in your hands and let’s not blame the world, destiny, God or anybody for our shortcomings. Each one of us can write a success story. Some of my suggestions may be very difficult to practice in the present environment but success like I said comes to people who are willing to take a risk! If you shy away from taking risk, then do not expect any gain!

 

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byadminTraining

POWER SKILLS YOU NEED TO SUCCEED AT WORK

If you think technical skills are more valued at workplace than people skills, you are sadly mistaken. When we speak about jobs for the future, it’s the behavioral skills that will matter the most. Technical skills can be acquired easily but imbibing soft skills or power skills as it’s aptly called takes a lot of time and effort. Philip J Hanlon, President of Dartmouth University and the man who coined the term Power skills justifies the name by saying that these are hard-won skills which are indeed powerful. I agree that the use of ‘power’ indicates something much more important, expressive and essential than “soft” does.

A Harvard, Boston University and University of Michigan study showed that training on power skills that included problem solving, self-awareness and interpersonal communication produced real results on metrics such as productivity and retention. The ROI on the skills training was 256%. Let’s look at 4 Power Skills, which, according to me is needed to succeed at work.

1.     Curiosity & Critical Thinking- Curiosity is no longer a trait which can be attributed only to children. In fact, the new age corporate set up prefer to hire people who have the power of exploration. When we are curious about things, we think deeply and perhaps logically too. Curious minds gradually mature into critical thinkers. Critical thinkers are basically problem solvers or someone who have the ability to reason, which is a trait that is unique to humans and not machines who can merely produce and interpret data. So critical thinkers definitely have a competitive advantage

 2.     Good Communication-An employee with a good communication skill can express his thoughts in a lucid way, can engage his listeners and ultimately drive business success. If your communication skills are excellent, it can foster strong relationship with clients and team members. The gift of the gab if used in a measured is an effective toll to mitigate crisis or conflicts. Good communication skills should become an inherent trait of every employee for not only increasing business productivity but as an important skill for effective human interactions.

3.     Decision making-People at the helm should undoubtedly possess this important skill however decision making is no longer a trait restricted to the top management of a company. According to the principles of management, decision making is about selecting the best of all possible alternatives. In fact, all employees have to make decisions, be it big or small. For instance, a recruiting manager must have the knowledge or ability to pick the right candidate for a particular role. This also involves a keen observation power and astuteness, which is one of the key skills a good decision maker should possess.

 4.     Emotional Intelligence– Like all other power skills, this can be learnt too. We know and recognize many great leaders around us. Their greatness lies in the fact that they have the ability to understand, use, and manage their own emotions in positive ways and those of others. They can easily can connect with people on a personal or emotional level. This consistently helps them in forging a strong bond with people. Mind you, this again is not a trait limited to leaders. In fact, there is a dire need for people at all levels to develop and work on their emotional intelligence as it helps them to stay calm and happy.

People with power skills are certainly in high demand today but unfortunately in short supply. The good news is all these skills can be learnt. People who are eager to move from their current work profile to aspirational ones can start by developing these power skills. If you are looking at unlocking your individual potential at workplace, then power skills can certainly pave way for your career success.

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byadminJob Market

Job Market and Jobs of the Future

A recent report compiled by the American management consultancy firm McKinsey & Company, suggests that around 12 percent of the population in eight countries, including India, may need to switch jobs by the end of the decade. The report cites that COVID-19 has pushed faster technology adoption and hence, ‘the scale and nature of workforce transitions required in the years ahead will be challenging.’ A pre-pandemic survey had suggested that 6 percent of the population in few countries including India would need to reskill and find other career options but the figure has shot up to 12 percent in the wake of increased reliance on technology due to the pandemic.

Pandemic has created a sense of professional uncertainty and anxiety amongst Indian professionals as the job market continues to be volatile in 2021 too. As per the Jobs on the Rise 2021 list released by LinkedIn early this year, finance roles, education roles, freelance content creators, social media and digital marketing roles, artificial intelligence roles, data science roles, healthcare roles and human resources roles are expected to gain popularity in the job market this year. We have seen a paradigm shift of sorts in the job market since the onset of COVID. It will be no exaggeration to state that 2020 was more or less a dreadful year with job losses across the world. Though work from home began to gain steam last year, few sectors barely managed to cope with this style of working because of their sheer nature of work. IT for instance accelerated the move towards digitization while retail and agriculture continued to work on ground for obvious reasons.

The digitization has certainly impacted the IT space as experts believe that we are going to witness technologies like AI, machine learning, blockchain, data analytics gaining importance. In July 2020 a global survey of over 800 senior executives was conducted by Mckinsey about the future of work. Two-thirds of the respondents said that they were stepping up investment in automation and AI either somewhat or significantly. Furthermore, this report unravelled some interesting observations. The most significant one being that jobs in work arenas with higher levels of physical proximity are likely to see greater transformation after the pandemic, triggering knock-on effects in other work arenas as business. During the pandemic, the virus most severely disturbed arenas with the highest overall physical proximity scores: medical care, personal care, on-site customer service, and leisure and travel.

As we move forward, experts believe that focus should be more on building skills for jobs that are in growing industries, such as healthcare, tech, engineering, science, and logistics. Human resources and the staffing industry per se will continue to thrive in the post covid times too. Though hiring will continue, the skills required by the company are evolving at a rapid pace. The good news is that there will also be high growth in jobs that require socio-emotional skills, such as negotiation, influencing, and decision-making and we may probably see new positions emerging because of COVID-19, such as remote-work coordinators. As mentioned, hiring will also change as companies have already started focussing on skill assessments rather than educational qualifications and designations. HR companies are choosing candidates with skills associated with the jobs instead of previous job roles or titles.

If you think technical skills are more valued at workplace than people skills, you are sadly mistaken. When we speak about jobs for the future, it’s the behavioural skills that will matter the most. Technical skills can be acquired easily but imbibing soft skills or power skills takes a lot of time and effort. Philip J Hanlon, President of Dartmouth University and the man who coined the term Power skills justifies the name by saying that these are hard-won skills which are indeed powerful.

A Harvard, Boston University and University of Michigan study showed that training on power skills that included problem solving, self-awareness and interpersonal communication produced real results on metrics such as productivity and retention. With the job scenario changing rapidly since the pre covid times, it’s become a pre requisite to develop soft skills or more aptly called power skills to succeed at work. As per our internal observation of our employees and candidates alike, we have come up with 4 power skills that companies will look at while hiring:

  1. Curiosity & Critical Thinking- Curiosity is no longer a trait which can be attributed only to children. In fact, the new age corporate set up prefer to hire people who have the power of exploration. When we are curious about things, we think deeply and perhaps logically too. Curious minds gradually mature into critical thinkers. Critical thinkers are basically problem solvers or someone who have the ability to reason, which is a trait that is unique to humans and not machines who can merely produce and interpret data. So critical thinkers definitely have a competitive advantage

 

  1. Good Communication-An employee with a good communication skill can express his thoughts in a lucid way, can engage his listeners and ultimately drive business success. If your communication skills are excellent, it can foster strong relationship with clients and team members. The gift of the gab if used in a measured is an effective toll to mitigate crisis or conflicts. Good communication skills should become an inherent trait of every employee for not only increasing business productivity but as an important skill for effective human interactions.

 

  1. Decision Making-People at the helm should undoubtedly possess this important skill however decision making is no longer a trait restricted to the top management of a company. According to the principles of management, decision making is about selecting the best of all possible alternatives. In fact, all employees have to make decisions, be it big or small. For instance, a recruiting manager must have the knowledge or ability to pick the right candidate for a particular role. This also involves a keen observation power and astuteness, which is one of the key skills a good decision maker should possess.

 

  1. Emotional Intelligence- Like all other power skills, this can be learnt too. We know and recognize many great leaders around us. Their greatness lies in the fact that they have the ability to understand, use, and manage their own emotions in positive ways and those of others. They can easily can connect with people on a personal or emotional level. This consistently helps them in forging a strong bond with people. Mind you, this again is not a trait limited to leaders. In fact, there is a dire need for people at all levels to develop and work on their emotional intelligence as it helps them to stay calm and happy.

People with power skills are certainly in high demand today but unfortunately in short supply. The good news is all these skills can be learnt. People who are eager to move from their current work profile to aspirational ones can start by developing these power skills.

Embracing change-Is the way to go!

The digital age is here and is likely to spread its tentacles far and wide. Those who are going to embrace this change are most likely to move scale up in their career graph, besides acquiring the aforementioned power skill of course! Younger population have demonstrated an adaptive response when it comes to acquiring digital skills. Youth from the lower income group are beginning to acquire skills that will help them enter aspirational service sectors like retail, BPO, F&B, sales, customer service etc. This comfort with the digital medium and the easy accessibility to cost effective smartphones with low data rates have created an opportunity for the youth to access high quality online training programs (here we can put a link to xmile) to secure employment. We will soon see an emergence of skill-based labour market in the coming years. That brings us to question of what kind of new jobs are going to come up? Covid as we know have made many jobs obsolete as quoted in the Mckinsey report. The good news is there are many new jobs that are waiting in the anvil. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, these are the areas where a plethora of work opportunities would come up in a few years.

  • 3D and 4D printing and modelling
  • Artificial intelligence (e.g., machine learning, neural networks, NLP)
  • Augmented and virtual reality
  • Big data analytics
  • Biotechnology
  • Cloud computing
  • Distributed ledger technology (e.g., blockchain)
  • E-commerce and digital trade
  • Encryption and cybersecurity
  • Internet of things and connected devices
  • New materials (e.g. nanotubes, graphene)
  • Power storage and generation
  • Quantum computing
  • Robots, humanoid
  • Robots, non-humanoid (industrial automation, drones, etc.)
  • Text, image and voice processing

 

As far as career options are concerned, here are few interesting ones to be considered:

Space tourist guides: This job is earmarked for the elite. As it’s widely reported, Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origins is already inviting bids to book a seat in its space rocket. A space tourist guide has the makings of becoming the most coveted job of the future.

Planner for leisure time activities: With automation making its presence felt, people may have more time on hand to opt for active or passive vacations. Leisure time planners are bound to be in great demand!

Climate geo-engineers: Climate change topic has gained worldwide prominence and rightly so with alarming pollution levels and greenhouse gas emissions. The urgent need to bring down the carbon foot print will soon become a prerogative of every nation. Climate geo engineers are qualified to bring down the carbon foot print may soon become the most sought-after career option and probably the most revered job by organizations and government alike.

Cyber security professionals: Securing confidential data of users and the company has become the most crucial task in this digital age. Cyber security experts play a significant role in securing enormous data and online payments in sectors like financial institutions, healthcare and even government organizations.

Freelancing options- This is certainly not limited to any one particular job. You can choose to be a freelancer in content writing, Public relations, graphic designing, photography, programmer, translator, fashion or even marketing. Freelancing options are unlimited but it requires a specific skill set which is definitely not easy to develop.

Various reports by FICCI, NASSCOM and EY suggest that by 2022, 9% of Indians would take up jobs that do not exist yet, and over 37% of the workforce would be moved to opportunities that demand radical change in skill sets. With new opportunities likely to appear, some of the old jobs may become obsolete owing to digitization. We have already noticed that job losses have been happening across industries at all levels. The IT and ITES may have experienced few job losses while there are sectors like aviation, hospitality, food, travel and tourism which have suffered huge losses both in terms of finance and people. Retail and manufacturing sectors too have not been spared. The situation is not all that grim as NASSCOM predicts that Demand for ’job-ready’ skills in India is predicted to grow up to twenty times by 2024. This opens up an immense opportunity for Young and underprivileged population of our country. In additional to their conventional degrees, their skill sets can be polished by skilling institutes or hiring organizations like us. Focusing on our philosophy of Head count to Brain Count, we have already deployed over 11000+ associates (after rigorous selection processes and skilling initiatives) in major industry sectors and business of all sizes. HR companies have the potential to emerge as partner in progress especially when it comes to improving the employability skills of the youth and youth as we know are not only the future workforce but an indomitable force who can create a positive impact on the socio economic and financial landscape of our country.

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byadminSpirituality, Training

Think About It

A journey of Intellect and Emotion- Ramesh G S, Chairman, Layam Group reveals for the very first time his life mantra in this video series with an intention to instill a sense of courage and positive thinking in all of us! A must-watch for all age group.

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byadminContract manufacturing

CONTRACT MANUFACTURING – THE NEED OF THE HOUR

The aftermath of globalisation has created a stiff competitive environment which actually has resulted into Cost, Quality and Productivity aspects as Prime Movers. In the present competitive environment, for any Industrial establishment to succeed, they must follow the unwritten rule of ‘Low Cost, High Productivity’ with a Philosophy of ‘Do More with Less’. We have to accept the fact that industries have become used to managing the competitiveness by conducting business with low cost Manpower due to which the era of migratory workforce developed.

Then, we have also experienced the impact during 2020 due to the pandemic and reverse migration aspect that is shortage of manpower. The industries are left with no choice but to revisit their style of operations to keep themselves alive in the system. This situation became critical and after revisiting and reengineering themselves, the concept of Contract Manufacturing was conceived.

Contract Manufacturing is not an easy business or a comfortable solution to be adopted immediately because the client hands over part of his operations to a third party expecting him to perform more professionally with a concept of “Do More with Less” with a focus on Quality and Productivity. So, it has to be understood that the foundation for Contract Manufacturing is Professional Trust and Quality Delivery which would result into Win-Win situation. Taking into consideration as a Holistic approach M/s Layam developed this model on the same basis and established its credibility by giving results on the desired performance. We understand the specific needs and recognize the potential hurdles with the process and accordingly devise effective solutions.

Contract Manufacturing Model is basically an agreement between Layam and the client with an intention to undertake the production activities and facilitate the delivery of products in a seamless manner.

Contract Manufacturing is growing at a rapid stage, the reason being it gives the opportunity for companies/ OEM’s to concentrate on their strategic growth areas of business while companies like M/s Layam handle the operational process. The uniqueness of Contract Manufacturing model lies in the fact that it focuses on what the deliverables should be in business terms rather than how they should be delivered. Through contract manufacturing, we focus on reducing cost, scaling productivity and achieving 100 percent quality for the clients. What sets us apart is our focus on Brain count instead of Head count. We strongly believe that brain count level is diminishing at a faster pace than ever before. An issue that cannot be overlooked or ignored. At Layam, we tackle this problem head-on. Since inception, we have supplied manpower with intellect because we know that a person who is talented and capable becomes an asset to our client. To sum it up, all activities undertaken in Contract Manufacturing is about deploying Brain Count and achieving the desired target to the satisfaction of the client by adopting our model of Hire, Train and Deploy.

Hence, it is understood that the Need of the Hour is Contract Manufacturing Model and it has established its credibility by enhancing Productivity. M/s Layam has also initiated this model along with other activities such as Job Contract, Stores & Logistics Management and presently we are extending this service for Ashok Leyland, L&T Ship Building, Tata Marcopolo, ITC etc. Hence, all the industries should relook on their manufacturing model and strategically initiate the Contract Manufacturing for better bottom line.

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byadminBehavioral Pattern, Workplace Tips

BEHAVIOR IN INCREMENT TIMES

During my professional tenure, I have always enjoyed the increment period by observing the amusing behaviour pattern of employees. Suddenly, everything changes. It’s rather nice to see that all are falling within the norms of the organization. I used to always wonder, ‘Is money such an influential factor that it controls the emotions, attitude as well as behaviour of an individual’?. I don’t know, may be yes… but why? Why can’t we be consistent, again this is a debatable point 

Increment is that time of the year when I notice a ‘change’ or a transformation in few of my colleagues. In terms of discipline, attention to detail, meeting deadlines, obeying superiors, basically, every aspect that goes into making a conducive and productive work environment is adhered to by this sect of people preceding increment time. A senior executive in my office noticed this change and asked me, “Sir, did someone wave a magic wand on them?”. “Of course not, it’s increment spell, you silly”, was my retort. This attitudinal drift that afflicts some people is a common trend that has withstood the sands of time! I remember noticing a similar behaviour pattern in my previous workplaces too way back in the 80s and 90s.  

My friends who work in various industries and corporate set up across the globe often speak about this infuriating trend. The fact of the matter is when increment time is around the corner, employee’s behaviour changes for the better…. in every aspect. They agree to take on as much work load as possible without a whimper and may also go to the extent of taking on some tasks of their immediate superiors too! Such camaraderie and team spirit can leave your HR team speechless or rather job less. How I wish such positive actions continues at all times. But here, I must admit that there are several individuals in my office who work in a steadfast manner throughout the year irrespective of the “I”(read increment) time. Such people are the ones, I believe, who work with a sense of ownership. They consider ‘Layam’ as their own company and put their heart and soul in giving their best. So, their mindset is that of an owner rather than an employee. Their motto is simple- “This is our company and we need to work hard to achieve more”– their effort and enthusiasm personifies this statement. 

Empowering people by inculcating a sense of ownership towards their career as well as the job would help them to achieve the desired results, whether increment or otherwise. Layam is fortunate to achieve this.   

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byadminA walk down the memory lane

THE AGE OF AGGRESSION AND MUCH MORE…

It was a joyous occasion indeed, after all we were celebrating the birthday of a ten year old. Balloons, streamers and pastries were in abundance. But who was the birthday boy/girl you may wonder. Well, this was a birthday of a different kind where every guest who was involved in nurturing this ten year old had a reason to smile and dance with joy. Before your mind goes on an overdrive, I am talking about Layam Group celebrating ten years of excellence in recruitment and training. It was on April 6 in the year 2007 that Layam took its baby steps in the Indian recruitment and staffing industry. 

A company that I started in a modest way a decade ago stands tall today thanks to the hard work put in by every co-worker of mine. The year on year growth has been remarkable and so is my career graph, which I can term it as 3Cs – Coal(Dhanbad), Cars(Hyundai) and Consultancy(Layam). To take you quickly through my past, present and give you a tiny little glimpse of the future, I have attempted to voice my thoughts through this blog…. read on to find out….

The Age of Aggression  –  If I walk down memory lane specifically to the dust laden coal mines of Dhanbad,  the time when I started my career, I could see myself as an aggressive young man who wanted to scale the career ladder by doing what my employer wanted me to do. I can term my past as the age of aggression. The anger or aggression in me was largely of the positive kind. There was a lot of energy and not to mention abundance of will power that held me in good stead both at workplace and home. Be it in Coal mines or dealing with a tough situation in a car manufacturing company, these pearls of wisdom always resurrected me – “The will to do springs from the knowledge that we CAN do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and he who encourages them, who does not slay them, thwarts himself at every step.” 

An Era of Compassion – My journey from aggression(past) to compassion(now) has been remarkable to say the least. If working in ‘coal’ mines taught me to emerge spotless(honest) amidst  dirt(goons) then consultancy gave wings to my passion and helped me achieve contentment. The passion and the undying urge to do something on my own was at its peak in 2007 when I moved out of Hyundai. After 10 ‘Layam’erakable years, the passion has slowly metamorphized into compassion which is slowly pushing me towards spirituality. I feel blessed to say that I am a contented man who had the opportunity to see his dreams take shape and turn into reality! Complete contentment is something which I believe negligible people achieve in today’s times and that too both in professional and personal life. This contentment is actually helping me to ‘let go’. Yes! I seem to have been bitten by a ‘let go’ syndrome which mind you I am enjoying as it can help me move from the position of power to a mentor state. So, that brings me back to the question of what does the future hold for me?

Making Dreams Come True – My main aim in future is to give back to society and I have realized that it is through the shift in priorities that will help me to make dreams of other people a reality. Here, I must confide that this journey has already begun in a subdued way at Layam office itself. In the recent past, we have successfully placed over 4000 candidates in manufacturing and automobile companies across India through  Layam Manning Operating Model Training Scheme(LMOM).  What else can a HR company do besides help candidates get a job? You may wonder. Well, the uniqueness of this training scheme lies in the fact that all the candidates who have carved a niche for themselves today were once college drop outs or diploma holders with poor academic record. Considered as ‘failures and unsuitable to work’ in an MNC, these candidates, despite having the requisite skill sets, ended up doing menial jobs in small shops and firms. Layam is probably the only company in India to have handpicked such candidates, recognized their inherent skill sets and created a successful career path for them. 
My journey of giving back to the society has thus begun but there are many roads which remain less travelled and explored and that is where I want to be…. deriving happiness by helping others achieve their dream!

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byadminTechnology, The Mobile Age

Mobile and Memory – Can it go hand-in-hand?

It’s rather hard to imagine that once upon a time life did exist without smart phones and google. Kids and young adults in my family ask me with a bewildered expression, “uncle, how did you manage in school and colleges without the help of google? I can’t imagine a single moment without my phone, it’s like my best friend’. Whether you like it or not, an inanimate object which is primarily used for making and receiving calls has become an inseparable part of our lives. At its nascent stage, mobile was essentially a device which could be carried anywhere to make and receive calls. It heralded the new age of communication which was simple, fast and easy. But it’s functionality today has evolved enormously. 

Mobile has more or less become a derogatory term as everyone prefers to use a smart phone as it’s embedded with various features that at times replicate a human brain. To start with, its memory….. Yes, smart phones  can process information much faster than a human brain much to chagrin of people like you and me (read the 60 plus generation).It’s a ubiquitous fact that bigger the memory of the mobile, the happier its owner. The apps, features and not to forget easy access to our ‘google devata’ is a given in every smart phone. ‘Without google, it’s impossible to remember so much of information’, lamented my 13 year old neighbour. “My entire project work and assignments can be completed in time thanks to google’. At the risk of sounding unfashionable, I asked, ‘Why can’t you go to a library and refer some books like the way we used to do in our times’. The teenager simply guffawed and said, ‘I have no clue Chennai had libraries and moreover who has the time or the inclination to sit and browse through books when google can provide over a lakh plus search results within seconds!”. I simply could not retort to his comment.  

I have realized over the years that mobile and memory are not something that can go hand in hand. Here, I mean memory power of the human brain which seems to be underutilized these days thanks to our excessive dependency on smart phones. For instance, in  yesteryears, our brains were the most reliable phone book that we possessed and mind you it was not prone to any wear and tear unlike the contraption we carry today. I agree that we didn’t have to memorize ten digit numbers but our storage capacity was robust enough to rattle off at least 8-10 landline numbers at one go. Coming back to academics, in the days of yore, school and public libraries were a treasure trove which we explored with great aplomb. Flaunting a library card was a moment of great pride and joy for most of the kids. It was not merely academic pursuits that drove us to a library. This quaint little temples of books were a place where we could fly without wings simply by immersing ourselves into a book of adventure or fantasy. For those who wanted to laugh away their blues, there was always a comic strip or a silly story to tickle the funny bone. Mind you I am not against technology, the use of a kindle to read a book is fine by me as it’s believed to be the ‘in’ thing today. Thanks to kindle, the reading habit in children and young adults continues to thrive. However, my biggest grouse is against the unrestrained use of smart phones to look up for information. The other day, I asked a new entrant in my office about the importance of behavioural skills. His reply was, “Give me a moment’s time and I will look up on the net and let you know”. Before I could utter another word, he had stepped out of my room and was busy peering at google! Such instances have happened several times and despite urging them to use their memory power, people have prostrated in front of google devata instead of exercising their grey cells.  

“In the fast paced world we live in, everything should happen in a jiffy, what is the point in trying to recollect certain facts when google can do it in nano seconds?”, argued my friend the other day. I agree that no human brain can surpass the memory of a mobile phone as it can store hundreds of

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