An Open Appeal to Schools of Social Work

K.Vittala Rao
Management Consultant & Trainer, Bangalore

I happened to see an analysis by Deloitte’s 12th Annual Tech Trends Report about the new norms towards HR –Professionals challenge in the light of HR Digitalization. The following are the new norms that the Professionals need to carry out as indicated in the Report.

HR Departments focus on optimizing employee productivity, Engagement, Teamwork and Career Growth

HR Builds Innovative, Company-specific programs, Develop Apps and leverage the platform for scale

HR Technology Team moves beyond ERP to develop digital capabilities and mobile apps with a focus on “Productivity at Work”

HR Center of Excellence leverage AI, chat, apps, and other advanced technologies to scale and empower employees

HR Programs target employee engagement segments, personae and specific groups, providing them with journey maps relevant to their jobs and careers

HR focuses on “enablement” to help people get work done in more effective and productive ways

HR Builds an integrated “employee experience platform” using digital apps, case management, AI and bots to support ongoing employee needs.

HR is undergoing rapid and profound change. Once viewed as a support function that delivered employee services, HR is now being asked to help lead the digital transformation sweeping organizations worldwide. We see this change taking place in three areas:

1. Digital workforce: How can organizations drive new management practices (which we call “digital DNA” , a culture of innovation and sharing, and a set of talent practices that facilitate a new network-based organization?
2. Digital workplace: How can organizations design a working environment that enables productivity; uses modern communication tools (such as Slack, Workplace by Facebook, Microsoft Teams, and many others); and promotes engagement, wellness, and a sense of purpose?
3. Digital HR: How can organizations change the HR function itself to operate in a digital way, use digital tools and apps to deliver solutions, and continuously experiment and innovate?

 
This shift is happening rapidly, as HR leaders are being pushed to take on a larger role in helping to drive the organization to “be digital,” not just “do digital.”
 
In the 1960s and 1970s, HR focused on personnel operations, automating transactions, and maintaining a sound employee system of record. In the 1980s, HR was redesigned as a “service organization”; centers of expertise began to manage core talent practices, service centers handled individual needs, and HR business partners began to be embedded in the business. In the 1990s and early 2000s, HR was redesigned again around integrated talent management, often accompanied by the implementation of new systems for recruiting, learning, performance management, and compensation.
Today, HR’s focus has shifted toward building the organization of the future.

All of us very much aware of the fast AI, Digitalization of functions, progress, accomplishments etc are highly catching up and moving at a great speed. HR professionals now, have to assimilate themselves, acquire appropriate knowledge, skills, dedication & hard work, of course.
 
Actually, now, it is another challenging Competency in addition to other various HR Competencies.
 
We know already about other competencies like – Talent Acquisition, Inductions & follow-up, PMS, Training & Development, Compensation & rewards, employee relations, Dispute resolutions, aligning Trade Union with Business goals, collective bargaining, Legal, organization culture, organization development, motivation & keep morale high, apart from Business awareness & an effective liaison between employees & Business etc.
 
These competencies have been demanded by the Business to ensure the objectives of a Corporate for the last 10 years and going strong day by day. Corporates do demand these competencies while positioning an HR Executive.
 
Thus, there has been considerable change in the expectations by the Corporates while engaging an HR Executive.
 
There have been a swift from routine functions, towards higher expertise. Corporates do demand that the expertise is utilized from day one by any HR Executive. There is no lead time. Because, business scenario is so dynamic, no one can relax or take time. Hence, the HR Executive needs to be very strong in the concepts, adaptation, and implementation. The position, now demands high degree of knowledge and expertise. As we generally know, if the building needs to be strong enough to encounter any environmental, geological turmoil, the most essential ingredient is the foundation of the building.
 
There have been multiple competitors for the position of HR Executive. MSWs, Post- Graduates with specialization in HR, MBAs from leading Management Schools, IIMs etc.  The final selections are really widespread. Most of the Corporates have preferred candidatures other than MSWs.  Now, the scene to be seen is that how far MSWs stand in the competition
  
The course contents of MBAs, IIMs, PG Specialization in HR, are with emphasis on Organizational Behavior, Organizational Culture, Compensation Management, Conflict resolutions, PMS, Training & Development etc, although there is no appreciable legal topics. The project assignments are based on mutual discussions between the Faculty and the Organization, on need based. With these academic backgrounds, they enter the Corporate world.

“ಗೆಲುವು” ಪುಸ್ತಕವು ಮನುಷ್ಯನ ಮನಸ್ಸು ಮತ್ತು ಆಲೋಚನೆಗಳನ್ನು ಮೌಲ್ಯಮಾಪನ ಮಾಡಲು ಉಪಯುಕ್ತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಸಾಧನೆಯನ್ನು ಮಾಡುವ ಹಂಬಲ ಇರುವವರಿಗೆ ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಉತ್ತಮ ಮಾರ್ಗಸೂಚಿಗಳು ದೊರೆಯುವುದರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸಂಶಯವಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕವು ಎಲ್ಲಾ ರೀತಿಯ ಓದುಗರಿಗೂ ಉಪಯುಕ್ತವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಪುಸ್ತಕದಲ್ಲಿ ಪ್ರಕಟವಾಗಿರುವ ಹಲವಾರು ಸಾಧಕರ ಅನುಭವಗಳನ್ನು ನಾವು ಓದುವುದರಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮ ಸಾಧನೆಗೆ ಇದು ಸ್ಫೂರ್ತಿದಾಯಕವಾಗಲಿದೆ.

Now let us have a look at MSWs by Schools of Social Work. The course content is as old as in 1960s. No changes have been brought out ever since, the students are not exposed to the academic world what the Industry wants or demands.
 
There has been a huge gap between the expectations of the HR PROFESSION TODAY and the MSWs course intake.
 
As far as employability of MSWs is concerned, it may be definitely satisfactory. 
Thus the employability index may be higher.

But, what about, the QUALITY INDEXES? 
As far as I know, no school of social work has carried out this Quality Indexes through Corporate Consultations.  This has been a one of the major set back. The pass outs gets job somehow in many business activities. The companies who hire them invariably utilizes them to take care of daily mundane jobs like, attendance, managing time office / personnel department routine activities, assisting in the matter of recruitments, placements, etc.  Although, there is security of assignments, there is no value addition to such HR Executives. Another, added factor being noticed is a  matter of concern, that HR Executives do not engage themselves in acquiring required or demanded competencies
 
All over the Globe, innumerable number of reforms in terms of technology, innovations, globalization, economic, etc  are continuously being brought in with a view to face not only business competitiveness but also rapid change in societal demands like enhancing the quality of life, better living conditions, job creations and so on. Everywhere in all spears we are witnessing changes that too fast & rapid.
 
Even the earlier concepts of Case Work, Group Work, Community Organization, Medico-social work, Psychiatric Social Work have taken a rapid change due to societal changes, younger generation with their surrounded influences, family values, ethical standards etc.

But, our schools of social work are still living in the environment of 1960s.
1.At least now,  is it not  a time for an introspection by all the Schools of Social Work?
2.Are they complacent by themselves that year on year, academic year passes on, students join and pass out?  No problem for them in terms of running the school with full capacity with no feedback on QUALITY.
3.Is such complacency is destroying the profession in terms of lack of preparedness in meeting the ever challenging HR Challenges?
4.Whether the Schools of Social Work want to accept and undertake the huge task of equipping the students conceptually making them strong enough to meet the requirement of Business?
 
Are the Schools are not competent enough to:

1.  Understand the scenario and have an introspection to enhance the student’s capacity?
2.  Study the course contents available with leading Management Schools including IIMs in India and Abroad?
3. Convince with respective Senate of the Universities with whom they have the affiliations?
4. Adopt or get the status of “Deemed Universities” so that they rank themselves in terms of Quality Education?
5. Why National Institute of Personnel Management is totally silent on the enhancement of QUALITY REATED EMPLOYABILITY OF MSWs?
6. Why should they not collaborate with Schools of Social Work to enhance the capabilities in the interest of HR PROFESSION?

This is an open appeal in the interest of the  HR Profession -  the students who pass out to be the HR leaders of tomorrow.

Suggested plans of actions:

1. Schools of Social Work have to come out of their conventional contents of the Course, revamp the contents so that the students are made to aware of the current trends, futuristic, and to conceptually make them strong.
2. There are plenty of materials available across the globe on the contents of the course. In India itself, we have IIMs, reputed Business Schools who are successfully adopting and tuning their students to the required level.
3. Organization Behavior, Organization Culture, Change Management, Soft skills, project designing & executions, Conflict Management, Legal adequacies, must be conceptually imbedded in the content.
4. Simultaneous, teaching with practical case studies/ case management, Company specific research projects will put the students very strong at the foundation. When, they take up assignments, the executions will be carried out very confidently.
5. At present, there is no connectivity between the Industry & the Schools of Social Work. Why these connectives need not be initiated?  I am sure it will be a unanimous choice being voted by all stake holders and will be highly contributing to strengthen the HR Function.
6. There has to be a triangular coordination amongst Corporates, Schools of Social Work and National Institute of Personnel Management.

 
K.Vittala Rao
Management Consultant & Trainer, Bangalore