Author: Jel's Journal

Interested with arts, media, marketing and writing.

How’s it like to be an HR Officer?

The Human Resource function is one the basic and necessary support departments of most companies today. This department may not bring in direct revenues, but they’re in-charge of hiring people who can. This is one of the great value-adding services that HR team contributes to the company. By taking in great people, they make great companies possible.

But what’s it really like to be an HR Officer?

To find out, I interviewed Andrea Fernandez, a good friend whose in-charge of the Manpower Section Planning of an industrial company here in the Philippines. She’s been in the industry for more than five years!

Perfect Escape

“I just wanted to avoid someone from my first course so I took up HR Development,” Andrea confessed. But that decision eventually led to a very fulfilling career when she realized that this field can bring out her full potential.

Her Beginnings

Andrea started as a Human Resource Information System (HRIS) Staff. This position allowed her to learn so much about her field and career. “It’s also when I realized that I made the right decision because this job feels like it’s what I’m really supposed to do. Dealing with different kinds of people and personalities, talking to employees, and interviewing applicants… these and more made this job really interesting and enjoying for me.”

She added that it helped her personal development as well. Being a recruitment personnel, she’s the first person to represent the company to applicants. This role is very important and doing it well boosts her self-esteem.

Not Exactly Your 8 to 5 Job

8am to 5pm is just the time you have to render every day in the company. But the impact of HR duties goes well beyond that. Andrea lists her three most important duties:

1. Recruitment

Recruitment
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This includes looking for possible employees of the company, to screening, interviewing and eventually hiring them. This involves coordinating with manpower agencies or job websites where you can place ads for job vacancies. It also means a lot of time spending with applicants, determining whether they’re the right fit for the company and the job.

2. Training and hiring the right people for the right position and developing their talent and skills to achieve the goals of the company.

Employee Orientation
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New hires need orientation and training to do well in their jobs. HR personnel design and implement programs to equip them with information and skills that will help them and the company move towards their goals.

3. Employee Relation

This involves activities designed to take care of employee’s welfare and concerns while they are with the company. This includes organizing company events, employee recognition as well as conflict resolution.

Employee Relations
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Typical HR Scenarios

Since HR functions are highly varied and numerous, she has encountered so much in terms of dealing with her internal and external customers.

  • “We’re the grievance center of the company. There was this one time when an employee approached me and complained against one of my staffs,” Andrea began. She had a tough time back then. As an HR Officer, she had to be keen and fair in all aspects. So she had to show concern for her staff but she also has to consider the complaints. “Being neutral about the issue is somehow difficult but I needed to be firm.”
  • Then her company undergone a major management change. And as with all transitioning companies, it’s been difficult to adapt at first. “But my superiors seemed confident about the transition and so it became easier for me.”
  • Also, there came a time when she was requested to hire a lot of Engineers but she was not given an account for paid job ads. “I really needed to maximize my connections back then.”

As an HR Officer, she learned how to be firm, just and resourceful to deliver good performance.

Key Performance Indicator

But no matter how firm, just and resourceful you are, if you can’t bring in quality applicants and turn them to high quality employees, your department will not survive.

“[We] can’t live without our employees because they are the reason HR is always needed in every organization.”

KPI
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The Challenge: Moving Up

HR Department is commonly static. And unlike operations where attrition is fairly high, you can find HR personnel sticking out for five to ten years or more with their companies.

With Andrea, the challenge lies in assuming a larger responsibility. But it gave her opportunities to land a leadership role. Being the Section Head of the Manpower Planning Section, she has to handle subordinates. “I think it’s always a challenge to handle people in any way. It requires much effort to move everyone towards the company’s goal.”

The Rewards

Well, now that I think about it, it’s heavy on administration, organizing and planning – duties that are not really easy to do, day in, day out. But why did she keep at it?

“I’m able to influence or affect people and bridge the gap between the company’s and the employees’ needs as well,” Andrea stated.

“For me HR job is never-ending, every task is fulfilling, one of the most fulfilling task I’ve done is doing the company policies which requires the approval of the President. It’s very fulfilling to see that the employees are abiding the policies and procedures I’ve done to maintain the system and orderliness of the processes.”

See how much HR can influence the whole system? HR rules!

The Future of HR

With the ASEAN integration around the corner, Philippine companies make sure that they’re ready for it.

“HR’s future is a clear path of orderliness and standardization based in ASEAN countries’ policies. Technology will play a key role as well,” she stated.

I want a role in the HR Department!

If you truly feel that this is what you’re supposed to do, Andrea gives this parting thought, “Pursue and be passionate at it. You will only succeed in this industry if your heart is really in it.”

If you’re an HR Officer or wanted to be one, we hope you liked this post. Please let us know your thoughts in the comments below. Or you can follow us to receive similar, informative content.

As always, thanks for dropping by!

Featured Photo Credit: International Information Program (IIP) via photopin cc

PH jumps 6 notches in Global Competitiveness

Philippines continues to gain ground in global competitiveness as
it moves up to the 59th place out of 148 economies, jumping 6
notches1  from last year’s results. We’ve been moving 26 places up the ranking since 2010.

The Global Competitiveness Report 2014-2015 is a comprehensive
assessment of national competitiveness. Competitiveness is defined as the country’s set of institutions, policies and factors that determine the level of productivity. This year’s publication covered 144 economies.

The report is based on the following 12 pillars of competitiveness: innovation, institutions, financial market development, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, infrastructure, health and primary education, technological readiness and market size.

What does this tell us?

The Global Competitiveness Report set diagnostic tools which
highlight the strengths that a country can build on, as well as the challenges that must be overcome, in order to become more globally
competitive. Also, investors pay attention to the indicators and
use the information to assess country standings across a variety
of metrics2.

The result of this year’s report is yet another indication that
Philippines is well-poised to attain it’s objective of being in
the top third by 20163.

The key drivers of our performance are the following:

  1. Institutions
  2. Business sophistication
  3. Financial market development
  4. Innovation
  5. Government efficiency

The 5 most problematic factors in doing business:

  1. Inadequate supply of infrastructure
  2. Corruption
  3. Inefficient government bureaucracy
  4. Tax regulations
  5. Restrictive labor regulations

Zooming Out

This year’s 10 most competitive economies are:

  1. Switzerland
  2. Singapore
  3. United States
  4. Finland
  5. Germany
  6. Japan
  7. Hong Kong SAR
  8. Netherlands
  9. United Kingdom
  10. Sweden

View or download the complete Global Competitiveness Report 2014 – 2015 here.

References:
1 Philippines Continues to Gain Ground in WEF Global Competitiveness Report

Philippines Jumps to 59th in Competitiveness Index

2 The Importance of Country Competitiveness

3Philippines Moves 7 Notches Global Competitiveness Index

What’s it like to be a Store Manager?

I met Kris Herbert delos Reyes during my very short stint in a BPO company. We’re both management trainees.

Kris has long been a manager of different popular food and clothing stores in the country. He’s got an aggregate seven years of experience in store operations and leadership.

I’m really inspired by the man, because he’s not only smart, he’s very humble, too. And I got him to share his experience with us so that anybody there who wants a store management position one day may get to know what it’s like.

Dream or circumstance?

When asked if he really aspired for this position, he explained, “It was never my plan to be in store operations. I was a graduate of Psychology and I expected to be a part of the Human Resource industry. But the need for male HR employees is very low, so I decided to look for other options.”

Daily Duties

So, you want to be a store manager?
Photo Credit: ffaalumni via photopin cc

As a store manager, you’ve got three major duties. According to Kris these are:

1. Overall supervision and managing of daily store operations.

This means you got to check on your goods or services, your employees, and reports. You also have to oversee customer relationship.

2. Make sure that standard procedures are being observe or implemented.

Every store communicates and reports to the company’s head office. The store receives instructions on displays, promos and updates with regards to the products, services or customer interaction. So, the manager needs to make sure that his store is compliant.

3. Make sure to hit your numbers.

In other words, if sales target for the month is a million, then your figures at the end of the month must be a million or more. If not, you got to present the reasons your store didn’t meet the target and propose actions on how to achieve it.

Upside, Downside

When asked what he liked most about the job, Kris says, “I get to influence other people and help them become more productive employees of the company.” He finds fulfillment whenever he sees his crew get promoted or deliver better results.

Happy Crew
Photo Credit: vancityhotshots via photopin cc

But as manager, you got to be accountable for everything – every little thing in the store. And this is what Kris finds to be very challenging. He adds, “Anything that affects store performance reflects how efficient and effective you are as a manager.”

No matter what happens, you got to deliver.
Photo Credit: kenteegardin via photopin cc

So no matter if it’s the hours of operations, the weather or changing customer tastes, you got to know how to make it work.

One thing a store can’t survive without is…

Teamwork
Photo Credit: rama_miguel via photopin cc

Teamwork. Everybody’s role is important. Some may argue that some people have easy or difficult task but, the thing is, each must perform at the best of his/her ability and assume responsibility. I always tell my crew, “Gawin nating madali ang trabaho ng isa’t isa.(Let’s make each other’s job easy [by doing our part].)”

“When you sell service, you sell a relationship.”

That’s what Kris’ Operations Manager (OM) used to say to them. He went on, “Competition will always be there. And you just can’t rely on brand to hit the target. It’s not really a priority to customers anymore. Customers go where they feel welcome, where there’s genuine concern for what they truly need. It may sound sappy, but customers really want service that comes from the heart.”

Customer Service
Photo Credit: NJLA: New Jersey Library Association via photopin cc

So in this consumer driven market, Kris thinks that the trend will shift from being brand-centered to service-oriented.

I want to be a store manager!

If so, Kris has this advice for you:

Strong leadership skill is indispensable. You got to be highly analytic and logical. Most of all, you got to be a risk-taker. You should have the courage to speak for your crew and your store performance. Most of all, you got to be people-oriented. Treat your crew fairly and let them know that they are important.

The writer thinks that a store manager must also be an excellent juggler. So much to do, so much to think about but you got to keep your balance. 🙂

Manager aka Juggler
Photo Credit: Spencer Mann via photopin cc

So there ends our interview with Kris. Hope this gives you a glimpse on the career of a store manager.

If it so happen that you’re a store manager or aspiring to become one, let us know what you think about this post. Thanks for reading!

Photo Credit: RomanK Photography via photopin cc

What to Do After You Made a Mistake?

From a beginner’s point of view, mistakes are necessary evil for development and growth. It is usually by mistake that you learn what really needs to be done and what’s the smartest way of doing it. Mistakes are learning opportunities in disguise and how you deal with it can either make or break you.

Here are some tips on dealing with mistakes from Schragis and Frishman’s 10 Clowns Don’t Make a Circus. I also added some of my own thoughts:
 
1. When you did a mistake, find the time to calm down, cool off and think it over. 
What exactly went wrong?
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In real life, this may not be easy to do. You got your deadline coming up and you’re left with so little time to correct your mistake or lessen it’s negative consequences. But always remember to take a breather and find time to clear your head. Go out of the office or have a water or coffee break. Use this time to think things over. Admit that you made a mistake, own up to it and then try to come up with solutions. Before you go back to your work, make sure you know exactly where the error lies. Ask yourself the following questions:
 
  •      What exactly did I do wrong?
  •      Is there anything that I could have done to prevent this mistake? If yes, then what is it?
  •      If there’s no way of seeing this mistake coming, what should I do to prevent this from happening again?
 2. Ask your boss or coworkers for feedback. As Schragis and Frishman said, “Make it clear that you’re open to constructive criticism.” 
Listen. Be open to feedback.
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It’s not only the quality of our outputs that matters, it’s also about how you work. Whether you work alone or with a team, how you interact and take criticisms say much about you as a professional. Getting feedback from your superiors can really be helpful. You can ask:
 
  •      What are the things that I need to improve on? 
  •      What do you suggest I do to avoid the same mistake?
3. Don’t be sorry. Be better.
Try one more time.
Photo Credit: Celestine Chua via photopin cc
Owning up to your mistake is one thing, but moving on from that sad place is another. It’s okay to feel a little sorry but you got to remember that this mistake is trying to teach you something so that you can be better. Whenever you’re struck down, come back stronger, smarter than before. Never apologize for something that you can’t possibly know and be thankful for the opportunity to learn.
 
What's biggest mistake ever?
Photo Credit: steffy. via photopin cc
Remember that mistakes can be a great source of experience and wisdom. But too much of the same mistake says much about your ability to learn. Learn from your old mistakes and keep them from happening again. Go out there and do your thing, but see to it that you make a different mistake next time.
 
How about you, how do you deal with your mistakes? Please tell us about it on the comments below. Thanks for reading!

Featured Photo Credit: Behrooz Nobakht via photopin cc

What’s with the 2015 ASEAN Integration?

The ASEAN Economic Community  (AEC) aims to establish ASEAN as a single market and production base where goods, services, investment capital and skilled labor flows freely between and among it’s 10-member states.

This means that effective 2015, import duties and non-tariff barriers for products and services will be eliminated, while people living within it’s member-states will have the freedom to work from anywhere within the region even without work permit. You can access the AEC blueprint here.

What do we stand to gain?

This integration is expected to boost investments, job creation, and income in the region. According to a report from ILO and ADB, the integration will make the following possible for the employment sector across the region:

    • Increase in demand for skilled workers by 41% (will create 14M jobs)
    • Increase in demand for medium skilled workers by 22% (will create 38M jobs)
    • Increase in demand for low skilled workers by 24% (will create 12M jobs)

EVERYBODY-WINS Situation?

The same report from ILO and ADB cited that unless decisively managed, this integration can increase inequality and worsen existing market deficits – such as vulnerable and informal employment and working poverty.

Then there’s the issue of Philippine’s foreign restrictions that can put us at a disadvantage.

Also, small and medium enterprises, particularly those in the agricultural and the services sector are concerned how this integration will impact their plight.

Positive Expectations

But the figures remain strong. The ASEAN region has 600 million population and an aggregate GDP of US$2.2, trading at US$2.4. We’re a very sizable market ready for disruption. These are the things that make the ASEAN integration very exciting for investors and consumers alike.

If you want to know more about the issues, challenges and how best to take advantage of the ASEAN integration, you can attend the 12th MAP International CEO Conference. Hosted by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), this is the culminating event of the first phase of their three-year program to bring awareness and prepare Philippine companies and business leaders for this major economic integration. With the theme “THE INTEGRATION MOMENTUM: Waves of Change, Oceans of Opportunities“, it’s designed to equip organizations with knowledge and networking opportunities. The conference will be held on Sept 09 at Makati Shangri-la. You can find the list of speakers and topics right here.

Featured Photo Credit: theglobalpanorama via photopin cc

Rethink Pretty: #Stop the Beauty Madness

#Stop the Beauty Madness campaign aims to create a new culture around beauty. A culture that’s based on holistic self-qualities instead of physical appearance or vital statistics. A culture that encourages women to raise their confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. A culture that wants women to acknowledge that they’re enough, and for me, perfect as who they are.

They have various ads for the campaign, which features women of all ages. They also have a website and Facebook fan page, Twitter and Instagram.

Pretty
Pretty. Ad Campaign for #StopTheBeautyMadness

But what, really, is beauty madness? Does the culture of beauty madness exist? What does it mean to be beautiful in the first place?

Let’s get real. Beauty is something that we all aspire for. We all have a yearning towards it. Beauty evokes feelings within us and moves us into action. It’s a self-satisfying experience to say the least. And that makes it very personal. The conflict comes in when we try to represent or embody our idea of beauty to others.

But as humans, we tend to overlook our own version of beauty so that we can belong to a group. We compromise our own beliefs to what the majority dictates so that we can be accepted. And only then, we’ll feel that we’re being recognized.

And there lies the problem.

The two or three similar opinions of others do not need to become your truth. And I am not saying this to promote disunity or rebellious attitude. Cases like, since you and I have different opinions on this, we can never agree, therefore, cannot be in harmony. No, what I’m saying is that, our society lacks respect for singular opinion and understanding of where that opinion is coming from.

And here’s another irony.

We put blame on the media, on the other people that we interact with everyday, their narrow views and their judgmental attitudes. But, when did we ever look within ourselves?

You got to take 100% responsibility of your life. This means, you’re in control of which opinions to believe, which influences you allow to enter your mind and affect your life.

Photo Credit: paperswords via photopin cc
Photo Credit: paperswords via photopin cc

So, if you think and feel that you got to conform to what majority thinks is beautiful, you decided on it. That was your choice. And by choice, it means that you have all the rights in the world not to take it in the first place.

So, let’s take a moment here to think back on the latest issue of the beauty magazine that you’ve seen, or that last ad for an amazing beauty product, or even that gorgeous ensemble of clothes, shoes and bag at the boutique.

It's called marketing, the activity is called promotion, specifically, using a print ad. No brute force right here, only gives you options on achieving your wants.
It’s called marketing, the activity is called promotion, specifically, using a print ad. No brute force right here, only gives you options on achieving your wants. Photo Credit: classic_film via photopin cc

The thing is, the owner of those products knows you enough to arrange certain elements that would certainly catch your attention. What you see in the media is the reflection of what you want. Why would they let you see something that you don’t like? That will definitely not pull in any revenues. That’s bad business.

I have nothing against women who wants to be like a supermodel, or who wants to get a nose-job or boob-job. It’s their preference. It can be the thing that makes them feel good about themselves. Or it can be their way of expressing self-love.

It’s all about choices. Choices that hopefully, they made in line with their values and not because other people think it’s cool or because they heard it from someone else.

I recommend moderation. Because whatever’s done in excess never ends up with something good. You want to lose weight? Please be reasonable and do it the right way. You want whiter, smoother skin? Please ask yourself if that would serve you well.

Always, always ask yourself if you’re doing these things for the right reasons.

And the idea that physically attractive people should just be on the cover of magazine and nothing else… Defies all reasons and common sense. Don’t you have any imagination? Those physically attractive people can go after any dreams that they like. They can be anything that they like to be.

Remember, you don’t have power over any other person, unless, UNLESS they let you. The reverse is also true. No one can have power over you without your permission.

So, personally, I don’t think that there’s beauty madness, that one perception of beauty is more acceptable than others, or wanting to be beautiful should be condemned.

photo credit: SweetOnVeg via photopin cc Photo Credit: SweetOnVeg via photopin cc

I’m for diversity. The more ideas of beauty we have, the more representations we can make of it, the better. That way, we’ll have more options, more perspectives, more opportunities to learn about ourselves and our values. The more we can build something that’s definitely us. A personality we created out of our own choices. Our very own version of beautiful.

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What about you? What’s your take on beauty? This campaign? Do you agree with this post? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for reading!