Months after leaving Sapient, Jain is happy to be back with his old company Arihant Jain Manager (Technology) Sapient	"I was made to feel like an asset and that made the return easy" Sriram Rajaram Head (shared Services Virtusa India

Rigid ties tend to snap. Elastic ties, however, tend to behave like stretched strands of mozzarella cheese-thinning out as they're pulled apart, only to swing back with full force when left to themselves. And as companies across India compete for talent, they discover the wonders of the elastic employment model.

Who better to hire than somebody who can be swung back with a tug or two? Somebody, that is, who has already worked-and worked well-with the company before? It's a thought that strays into every hr manager's mind every now and then.

Ah, but rehiring ex-employees as recruitment policy? Now that's new. Ever heard of a 'rehiring target'? Now that's newer still.

Rehiring Old Hands

Arihant Jain, 28, quit Sapient Technologies in May 2002 for the oldest reason in the world: more money. This was available at another it firm, so to another it firm he went. On its part, Sapient sighed, let go, and kept track. In about eight months, Jain was back, and is happily working now as Manager (Technology) at Sapient, which is proud of being among the few companies in India that proactively track, engage and get back past employees.

It happens at higher levels too, where 'loyalty' is assumed to be a big issue. Nachiket Sukhtankar, Associate Partner, Accenture, quit his job for a plum it offer abroad in 1999, and made the "trip right back" in 2002, whilst the consultancy made the transformation from Andersen Consulting. The work opportunity took precedence over past ponderables. Sriram Rajaram, Head (Shared Services), Virtusa India, quit in March 2004 only to rejoin in December the same year. "I was made to feel like an asset," he recalls, "and that made the return easy."

All this is enabled by a sense of enlightened self-interest. The heat of the market battle is such, you see, that petty points of personal friction cannot be allowed to act as a drag on business. Net result: the rancour, if any, of a departure dissipates quickly, making way for a rehire plan.

Strategic Exit Plans

If it's the market that's in charge of allocating resources, why think of human resources as an exception? One answer is that people are people. Unlike inanimate inputs, they have their own likes and preferences, especially so of workplaces. But still, just where a person is best placed to generate value could depend on market factors-and so a person who does well at one firm may go out, try other options, and still find the original employer to be the best bet.

Companies themselves have their own reasons to favour rehires. The biggest one: a rehire is pre-adapted to the company. "It makes business sense to rehire," says Rahul Verma, Director (hr), Accenture India, "as one can tap into the expanded knowledge base of an ex-employee, while he remains integrated with the value system." Says Soumya Banerjee, VP and

Co-MD, Sapient India: "Rehires are better culture fits, integration is smoother, and they are productive from day one. Besides, they get a new perspective, which is a value-add."

Adds Jagdish Bapat, Director (HR), Virtusa India: "Internally, rehiring sends a positive message-it works in favour of the brand image." Often, guys who rejoin value the company more than before. "Attrition amongst those who are rehired is greatly reduced," says Prem Kumar, Head (HR), Tata Interactive Systems, "because people are well versed with other places."

No wonder companies such as TechBooks and Virtusa find rehires making up 5-7 per cent of their annual intake, and they want to see that proportion enter double digits. This means using exit interviews as a strategic tool-to lend an amicable tone to the separation, obtain voluntary membership of an 'alum network', and open a communication channel that can sense satisfaction (or lack thereof) and send feelers.

The idea has proved so successful that firms that once took a no-coming-back stance to deter departures are having a good rethink.

Canon India, for example, dumped its old policy because it was not doing its job as a retention tool. "We realised that the policy was an impediment in getting back some of the good people we had lost," says Suresh Sahu, Senior Director (HR), Canon India, "and that is when it was decided to proactively track our ex-employees."

Watch Shifting Sands

Rehiring activity must be handled with care, though. "Companies need to recalibrate expectations," says Bhaskar Das, Head (hr), Cognizant Technologies, "for one may carry residues of the old set of expectations, which may make it difficult to fit into the new roles." Also, badly managed rehirings-at gigantic salary jumps-could result in those who stay put feeling awfully let down. But then, loyalty is not a thing of open-and-shut simplicity any longer. "After all," says Lopamudra Banerjee, GM (HR), TechBooks, "one ends up losing only the good people, and it makes sense to get them back."

SPOTLIGHT
Sportsperson Managers

Globosport's Blah: The perfect playmate

Ever thought of managing a sports star? As a professional manager, your role would be to provide the 'management head' that your play-focussed player needs. You map his or her strengths and weaknesses (in the context of rival players), formulate a success strategy, shape the training schedule accordingly, watch and analyse every move, and be the sounding board. Once a brand is built, you could hope to be the brand manager too. So then you get corporate sponsorships, and manage your performer's public image as well. "People who love sports come into the field," says Anirban Das Blah, VP (Sales and Marketing), Globosport India, though success takes plenty of horse sense. The money? Could go from a monthly Rs 25,000 to several lakhs as a slice of the winnings.

-Payal Sethi

COUNSELLING
Help, Tarun!

I am a 26-year-old from a small town working as a programmer at a top-level IT company. The people I work with are well groomed, sophisticated and are both culturally and academically aware. My problem is that at times I feel like a misfit amongst my peers. When conversations revolve around issues outside our academic domain, I feel like an outsider. I can't get over the fact that I come from a slightly 'backward' milieu. What can I do to overcome this?

We all need to constantly improve on various aspects. For you, it is about gaining exposure to aspects that eluded you in a small town. That's not something that can't be done; it can come through reading magazines and books, watching relevant programmes on TV, and improving your grooming. You could ask a friend or colleague who is well groomed to help you shop for your clothes. Since no one else feels that you are inferior, you have already been accepted by other members of the group. What you need to do is accept the way you are, and soak up some stuff that you feel is important and relevant.

I am a 34-year-old chemical engineer with over 10 years experience in various process industries. I also have manufacturing experience in distilleries, resins, polymers and specialty chemicals, and exposure to quality management systems. Currently I am working as a middle-level manager at a reputed MNC, but am keen to take up a job in the oil industry of the Middle East. Will my current experience and qualifications suffice for a good job, or do I need some additional degrees? Please advise.

Ten years of quality experience can get you a job anywhere, including in the Middle East, but here you need to know that as far as the Gulf is concerned, there is a lot of competition and probably not as many jobs. So, go through ads for positions that may be relevant to you; if you find yourself falling short on any aspect, you can concentrate on bettering that. Also, you haven't mentioned why you are only looking at the Middle East. The job scene in India has improved beyond recognition, even in your industry, and there's no reason why you have to look abroad for bettering your career prospects.

I am a 27-year-old with a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA (marketing) from a second-rung B-school. I work for an MNC industrial equipment manufacturer. My job involves dealing with corporate customers and achieving sales targets. Given my experience, I want to develop a career in strategy consulting at one of the top global consulting firms. I've applied to a few, but am yet to receive a positive reply. Does an MBA from a second-rung school place me in bad light? What attributes/ skills would these firms look for?

Unfortunately, there is a bit of "classism" in the major consulting companies. Most of them prefer MBAs only from the top institutes. Usually, the experience profile they look for is more in the planning area than sales. Also, it is not that they recruit by the dozen, so the openings are few and the applications may be many. In such a scenario, it may be difficult for you (but not impossible) to fulfil your ambition. Persist with your efforts for some time. If it doesn't work out, you could try and get another MBA from a top-tier B-school, or choose another career path.

I am a 38-year-old working for a company involved in developing, selling and supporting scientific computer software. When I joined work, we had a talented and motivated team. But after a new manager took over, employee morale noticeably declined. As customer services manager, I am responsible for fast, accurate delivery of software and rapid response to customer queries. However, the new manager refuses to value my work. This has taken a toll on my health, and is destroying my self-esteem. What is the recourse?

This is something that can happen to anybody, and it is certainly not a reflection on your skills. You have to learn to manage your boss; that's part of your job. You cannot let this destroy your self-confidence and health. Keep doing your work sincerely. If the situation gets unbearable, and other people in your department also feel the same way, you can always speak to someone higher up or to the hr head. However, try and have a back-up option in terms of another job lined up. This will help boost your confidence as well as act as a fall-back option in case your talks don't bear fruit. Remember, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.

Answers to your career concerns are contributed by Tarun Sheth (Senior Consultant) and Shilpa Sheth (Managing Partner, US practice) of HR firm, Shilputsi Consultants. Write to Help,Tarun! c/o Business Today, Videocon Tower, Fifth Floor, E-1, Jhandewalan Extn., New Delhi-110055..

Healthcare Management
Face it: it is now a management job.

Managing health: Hospital managers at Indraprastha Apollo

At one time, hospitals were run either by owner-doctors or bureaucrats. But as private sector healthcare marks its large-scale presence in India, running a hospital is set to become a specialisation of management more than anything else. "In the US," says Anne Marie Moncure, MD, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, a B-school graduate from North Carolina herself, "it's only graduates armed with hospital administration degrees or B-school graduates who look after the management of hospitals. The concept there is that management graduates working in tandem with medical experts proves a much stronger combination."

"The skills required to be a doctor are very different from the ones required to run a hospital cost-effectively," concurs Barun Kanjilal, Dean (Academic Affairs), Indian Institute of Health Management Research (IIHMR), Jaipur, which offers specialised courses in hospital management, as do Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Apollo Institute of Hospital Administration, Hyderabad and Devi Ahalya University in Madhya Pradesh. In the clear light of day, it's obvious-if a little late.

-Indrani Rajkhowa

Call Of The Wild
Survival ideas for career conservationists.

Tiger conservationist Valmik Thapar: Conservation in the air

A career in wildlife conservation, went the ol' advice, was good only for those keen on a survival struggle-to feed one's self. Well, with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the air, a corporate career as a conservationist is not an absurdity any more. A Masters degree in environmental science could get you a company job starting at Rs 12,000 per month. Or even research projects from wildlife organisations.

"We need to get more professionals and actively engage the bright sparks of the country in conservation," says Anisha Singh, Director, Network Services and Supporter Relations, WWF-India. Yet, "Conservation is not a remunerative field-it's more of a passion," cautions Bitapi Sinha, Reader (Conservation Education), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), who gets "at least four-to-five e-mails daily from kids wanting to be conservationists". Survival for conservationists, then, depends on their own ingenuity: using a subscription blog, for example, to deliver ground information that can only originate from a truly passionate conservationist. Such web-sensitisation could eventually kill market demand for poached products.

-Payal Sethi