Human Resources Planning at Tata Consultancy Services Limited

About the Company: Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS). Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS): is a software services consulting company, one of the largest provider of information technology and business process outsourcing services in Asia.

Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is a flagship subsidiary of one of India’s largest and oldest conglomerate company, the Tata Group, which has interests in areas such as energy, telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, chemicals, engineering, materials, government and healthcare.

2.1 Analysis of business factors in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The major factors that are taken into account while planning the human resource planning are:

-Schedule of available resources

-Skills of available resources

Some of the minor factors:

-Personality conflicts among the employees

-Attendance History of the employees

-Team player

-willingness to work on given project

Additional major factors:

-Production forecasting

-economic conditions which may cause the company to lay-off or cut-back, or increase their workforce.

Issues in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The compensation management practices of Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) have taken as the major issues here. Their compensation management system was based on the Economic Value Added (EVA) model. By implementing this model in to the business, the salary of employees comprised of two parts of fixed and variable. The fixed salary will reach employees without any delay, but the variable part of the salary was arrived only after considering business unit EVA, Corporate EVA and also individual performance EVA. Based on this calculation, the employees can earn their salary. In the last quarter of the financial year 2007-2008, Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) has announced that it is in the critical situation, so as it has planned to slash 1.5% of the variable component of employees’ salaries since its EVA targets were not met by the third quarter of the financial year. This announcement is not only for Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) employees but also to the entire Indian IT industry.

2.2 Assessment of Human Resource Requirements in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The Company viewed their employees as their assets, so they have more concentrated on the efficient utilization of those assets. Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) had drawn criticism for its compensation structure. In view of the employees, the salaries were not on a par with industry standards. It has started to loss its employees as not in the situation to follow the Employee Stock Options (ESOP), which is being followed by its competitors. ESOP is one of the emerging tools to retain the employees with the Tata Consultancy Services Limited for a long time.

In this situation, the management was collapsed with the current policies, and it tends to modify the strategies as per their norms in order to meet employees’ requirements as well as the targets setted by the company.

To overcome the problem occurred, it is suggested by the Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) senior management to constantly keep the employees’ track of the vast intellectual assets, their skill sets, the status of projects on which they were working. Then, they have started to assess the required number of people available to be placed in the other new projects.

2.3 Developing human resource plan in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The human resource plan can include the assigned skill sets of the resources for a project and the degree in which they will be used. The plan should incorporate with the resources, the time and degree of usage, task or areas of applied resources.

The following model relies on gap analysis and which links the human resource planning to overall business planning.

Workforce Analysis in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

It is the process of analyzing and understanding the workforce and planning for projected shortages and surpluses in specific occupations and skill sets.

In Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS), workforce analysis should be made based on their projects. So that only they can realize the needs to assess the further requirements or improvements what is to be made to the current plan.

Internal Scan in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

What are the factors which affecting the Tata Consultancy Services Limited internally, that is to be identified. Then the required steps can be taken to create a solution and to enhance the HR capacity in order to meeting the Tata Consultancy Services Limitedal goals.

The internal factors may be as: work environment, quality of work life, relationship with their peers/subordinates, etc., In Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS), internal factor which affecting HR capacity might be their compensation structure. Definitely, it will lead to create a problem while attaining the goals. So that, the grievances must be monitored by the management and also they should take preventive measures.

External Scan in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

External scan means all environmental factors in which affecting the workforce capacity, HR priorities and emerging issues.

Gap Analysis in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

After scanning the external factors, gap analysis can be made. It may consider the current and future HR needs.

Priority Setting and Work Plan in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

Based on Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)’s priorities, environmental scan, and HR performance related data: major human resource priorities, strategies to achieve the desired outcome.

Monitoring, Evaluating and Reporting in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The human resource plan ends up with monitoring and evaluating the workforce capacity and then reporting the results of the performance to measure performance, set targets, and finally the results can be integrated together to make decisions and to determine the future priorities.

2.3 Evaluation of Human Resource Plan in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

The above developed human resource plan can be implemented by Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) to overcome the above said problem. There are few things that apply to most human resources planning functions, and are important in making the process effective, or even to make it part of creating a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Human resource planning needs to be linked with the larger business planning or strategic planning process. It is not an end up process.

The function is mean to support and enable the company to attain its business goals, so as such it needs to be linked to and driven by those business or strategic goals.

HR planning is lead by the HR department and it should remember the whole process is to serve stakeholders and “customers” of the HR department.

It can’t be effective without an understanding of the company or Tata Consultancy Services Limited, its managers and employees, its mission and issues, etc and the environment in which it works.

3.1 Purpose of HRM policies in Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS)

Human Resource Management policies are the tool for communicating a company’s basic management philosophies, commitment to fair employment practices and equal opportunity, and the expectations of employees.

HR Manuals are primarily used to provide HR personnel with a systematic approach for handling human resources related activities to ensure company policies are enforced. It is designed to define policies and procedures that support basic management philosophies, outline company rules and requirements, clarify the company’s expectations of its employees, and describe lines of authority and levels of responsibility.

The HR manual provides a means for formalized, systematic documentation and communication of those policies and practices established by the company.

HR policies ensure that everyone in the Company/Tata Consultancy Services Limited is treated fairly and consistently and that their contributions to the success of the Company are appropriately recognized and rewarded. All employees shall be fully aware of what the Company expects of them and what they, in return, should expect from the Company. HR Policies summarize the Company’s responsibility to individuals and their responsibility to the Company.

3.2 Impact of Regulatory Requirements on HR Policies

Every country has its own regulations, laws and regulatory bodies or agencies governing the manufacturing, sales, marketing and distribution of products within the country. Also, every employee of the Company shall, in his business conduct, comply with all applicable laws and regulations, both in letter and in spirit, in all the territories in which he operates.

The impact of regulations on policies of firms especially those who are technology-based limits the venture capital funding for these firms and affect what they can or intend to do and eventually limiting their capabilities to employ new hands thereby affecting the socio-economic fibre of the society.