Expert Tips to Manage a Modern-Day Workforce

As recently as 10 years ago, most Americans wanted full-time work, replete with job security, benefits, annual reviews and retirement savings. Now, more workers are shunning W-2 positions in favor of working in the gig economy as part-time employees, on-demand employees, independent contractors and other nontraditional 1099 workers. Conservative projections show that 47 percent of our workforce will generate income via nontraditional work by 2020.

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The shift to a blended workforce of traditional W-2 employees and nontraditional contract employees presents a new set of challenges for companies with management processes designed for the needs of full-timers. New strategies are required for companies now tasked with managing multiple categories of workers at once – each with different values and motivations.

These three tips can help companies not only manage, but thrive in this new landscape.

1. Use onboarding as bedrock for success.

All categories of employees deserve proper onboarding, so don't skimp on integrating project-based workers into your workforce. Onboarding helps newcomers gain the knowledge, skills and behaviors to be productive contributors to the business, and research shows a direct correlation between effective onboarding and financial results. Additionally, if the onboarding is done properly and with consistency, it will set a strong foundation of core values within your company, no matter how diversified your workforce gets.

Follow these tips for onboarding nontraditional employees:

Ask, don't just tell. Many companies fail to take the time to get to know their nontraditional employees, which sends a signal that you're not invested in them. Create a set of questions and run through them with your nontraditional employees to give you a chance to get to know them better. Ask about their personal goals, what they hope to get out of their new role and their work style.

Help them forge connections early on so they're more inclined to seek out information and feedback from others within the company. This can be as simple as walking around the office with new employees and making ample introductions, or teaming them up with a well-connected work buddy. Make sure the introductions happen within the first couple of days and among all categories of workers.

Make culture a centerpiece of your onboarding process. Nontraditional employees, in particular, can struggle to assimilate into new cultures or may bring their old culture with them. Walk them through your mission, vision and company values so they are tied to the same greater purpose that traditional workers share. Also, consider putting together a small pack of welcome items that reflect your culture to help it resonate.

2. Manage with inclusivity.

There are nuances that make it tricky to manage a total workforce when each category of worker innately has different priorities and requirements.
Nontraditional employees often enjoy more flexibility than their traditional counterparts, but they rarely receive the performance reviews or benefits that keep full-timers motivated and goal-oriented. 

Nontraditional employees will do their best work when they are engaged and included, and full-time workers accept nontraditional workers best when they are treated as insiders. That's why it is vital to foster an inclusive culture, from the top down, that supports and celebrates all categories of workers.

Here are some tips for building an inclusive culture:

Include nontraditional workers in team meetings, happy hours, volunteering events and other functions. Give them the same opportunity to participate in social and professional development teams and to be recognized for their contributions.

Consciously create cross-functional teams that include both traditional and nontraditional workers. This not only strengthens the relationship between the workers, it also results in collaborative diversity and helps spur creativity, as contractors may have new and different ideas.

Make goals or KPIs clear to all groups. In fact, go a step further and create a measurement system where they're all assessed on a few of the same components. For example, one companywide KPI could be how all workers exemplify company values in their daily work.

3. Institute a formal offboarding strategy.
 
Offboarding has moved from a nice-to-have to a must-have strategy with the shift toward a hybrid employee work environment. Offboarding nontraditional employees is as much about providing a positive experience as it is about gathering information to funnel back into your management strategies. If contract workers enjoy their experience with your company, it is likely they will come back when you need to flex your workforce again. A pipeline of previously trained and satisfied nontraditional workers is an incredible asset. In addition, ex-employees carry a large impact on your employment brand, which also impacts the future of your recruitment.

Here are some tips for positive offboarding:

When it comes time for them to exit, survey nontraditional workers about their time with the company, including how they would improve the experience for others in the same position.

Chart the trends that emerge in their responses over time, and use that data to stay a step ahead in your staffing and management processes.
Compliment them on their performance, if warranted, and invite them to come back for future nontraditional needs.

Intentionally building and managing an inclusive, multi-category culture is a must for companies that intend to thrive and scale in the new workforce landscape. There is no one right set of best practices for every company, but with some experimentation, you can find how to attain the best results for your goals and culture.

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Strategies To Drive Your Career Success In 2018

Imagine getting up every day feeling stalled in your career. You greet the world with your best smile and can do personality, and you’re even achieving the results that are expected of you, but you dread Monday mornings. To the outside world, you are winning but deep down inside you are unhappy and your energy is waning daily.

You are not alone. According to Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report, nearly 70% of U.S. employees are disengaged at work. Often when I am coaching clients who are unhappy in their careers, they tend to initially focus on external factors like their boss and the work environment. However, they quickly realize that the most important and game-changing factors for driving their careers are themselves.

1. Start with the end in mind: Visualize the outcome you want to create for your career by the end of 2018, and consider the following questions: What is my vision for my career? What type of experiences do I want to have? What type of impact do I want to have on the world?


A powerful tool that I have used to help clients articulate their career visions — and that I’ve used personally — is a vision board. A vision board is a visual representation of the big picture you want to create for your career and life. Vision boards can be extremely powerful in illustrating your career hopes, dreams and aspirations in a way that inspires you to strive for them.

2. Determine your career motivations: In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius famously says, To thine own self be true. It’s extremely important to understand your motivations and how they align to your career. Starting from a blank canvas, consider what’s important to you in your next career opportunity. What are the intrinsic and extrinsic benefits you desire?

Extrinsic benefits are typically tied to compensation, for example, paid time off, profit-sharing, salary or bonuses and stock. Conversely, intrinsic benefits are non-tangible and are often tied to emotions. Intrinsic benefits may include words of praise, meaningful work, learning and development, autonomy and work-life balance. One exercise my clients leverage to categorize and prioritize their career motivations is to write down their Must Haves, Nice to Haves and Trade-Offs. After completing the exercise, they have a deeper awareness of what’s most important to them.

3. Redefine your strengths and weaknesses: Earlier in my career, my manager at the time shared with me their perspective of my core strengths and weaknesses. Even though I didn’t particularly agree with my manager’s opinion, I moved forward on the prescribed trajectory. Once I began to feel disengaged in my career, I decided to redefine my strengths and weaknesses on my own terms.

I leveraged the brilliant work of Marcus Buckingham, a motivational speaker, business consultant, author and performance management expert, to help me redefine my strengths and weaknesses. According to Buckingham, your strengths are what light you up and energize you.

Think about the work you’ve done when you lost track of time because you were so engaged. Once you understand these strengths, it's time to get clear about your weaknesses. Typically, when people think of a weakness, they automatically think about a limitation. But Buckingham believes a weakness is any activity that weakens you or zaps your energy. You may even be good at it. Once you understand your weaknesses, you're able to determine what type of opportunities would add meaning to your career and life.

4. Leverage your network: Recently I was speaking to a client who wanted to accelerate his career in a different direction. When it came time to discuss relationships that could potentially support his career transition, he couldn’t name one person. Having the relationship capital to support you in moving your career forward internally or externally of your organization is truly invaluable.

As you evaluate your network, explore sponsors, mentors, previous managers, colleagues and other relationships that will help you in accelerating your career. If the relationships don’t exist, create them. With nearly half a billion professionals on its platform, LinkedIn is a tremendous tool for building new connections.

5. Implement an accountability system: Any viable business has an accounting function with checks and balances to ensure the achievement of financial goals. Similarly, it is critical that you have an accountability system in place to support your career goals. One aspect of the system is to have a career plan with key goals and milestones. Because 92% of people who set goals do not achieve them, consider engaging a professional coach, mentor, colleague, community of practice or friend as your accountability partner.

Steve Jobs once said, Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.

Now is the time to move forward with owning and driving your career success no matter what. As we enter the new year, get clear about the outcome you want to create for your career, determine your career motivations, redefine your strengths and weaknesses, leverage your network and implement an accountability system to accelerate your career.

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Resume and Job Search Trends in 2018

In 2013, CareerBuilder surveyed thousands of hiring managers, human resource professionals, and workers across industries. 58% of the employers pointed out typos as the most common problem they saw in resumes. 36% of them said they were seeing resumes that were too generic, and 32% of them identified copying a large amount of wording from the job posting as a problem.

 If you want to stand out, the resume has to be perfect.

We contacted John Laurens, a  human resources manager from Resumes Planet. Job applicants see typos the smallest problem. You can easily get rid of most of them if you use Grammarly or similar software. However, software won’t bring your resume to perfection. There are grammar and spelling mistakes that you can’t notice yourself, - he says.

Biggest trends among job seekers in 2018: When you’re not proficient in resume writing, you can rest assured that you’ll make a mistake. You’ll either write a generic resume or you’ll get into too many details. A professional writer is aware of the standards of different industries. Job applicants are finally realizing they can improve their chances of getting the interview call if they hire a writer to complete or improve their resume

Personality Will Play an Even Greater Role

In August 2017, the unemployment rate in the U.S. was similar to the trend we’ve been experiencing for years - 4.4%. This means that 7.1 million people are unemployed. What does this mean for a job hunter? Huge competition. What does it mean for a recruiter? Plenty of resumes to review.

The hiring manager will look for the candidates with the core skills needed for the specific job. The personality traits, however, are just as important. Employers want people who would fit into their office culture. Your resume can convey your personality up to a certain point, but you’ll have to do something more: follow up.

Laura Handrick, human resources staff writer at Fit Small Business, agrees. Job search continues to be personal. People don’t hire form paper, they hire people they trust will do a great job in the role. - she says.

So after you apply, follow up in any (and maybe every) way you can - contact the recruiter on Facebook, or look for someone you know who works there in your LinkedIn account. My last resume sent via Indeed was never found by the staffing agency. It was only when I sent an InMail to the recruitment firm owner that I was contacted, asked to resend it via email, contacted by the recruiter, scheduled for interviews, and hired. If you fail to follow up with a phone, email, postcard or other form of human contact, you may as well have placed your resume directly into the shredder.

Social Media Will Get More Important

A recent survey showed that 70% of employers are screening candidates via social media before hiring them. 54% have decided not to hire a candidate after screening their social media profiles, and 57% are less likely to consider someone for an interview if they can’t find them online.

That’s how serious social media reputation is in the hiring process. The trend is going to get even bigger during 2018. Scott Wesper, hiring manager for Arch Resources Group, agrees:

As 2018 draws closer, social media will play an even bigger role in job search trends. When you compare the number of users overall, Facebook wins in a landslide victory over LinkedIn. Facebook has 1.86 billion users, while competitor LinkedIn has only 433 million members. Most Facebook profiles are filled with important demographic information like age, past job titles, employer information, educational background, and even interests. This will be key for employers as they target their job ads in order to reach the candidates with the proper credentials.

Digital Resumes and Portfolios

In 2015, the Pew Research center conducted a survey called Searching for Work in the Digital Era. The results showed that 54% of U.S. adults were looking for job information online, and 45% had applied for a job online.

The Internet is the most important resource during the job hunting process. You don’t use it just to search for a job. It’s also a medium that presents you as an ideal candidate. That’s why you’ll have to work on your digital resume and portfolio, since more employers will be interested in that factor in 2018.

Alec Sears, human resources manager from Frontier Communications, says: In 2018 you will see a shift towards digital resumes and portfolios. The format of the resume itself won’t change much; it is simple and succinct and there’s a reason that it’s stood the test of time. But sites like Indeed and Glassdoor make it easier than ever to take that resume and send it out to dozens of potential employers at once. Wise job-seekers will utilize personal websites, online portfolios and even LinkedIn connections to stand out.

Did you hear that? Wise job seekers will have personal websites. They will also have an impressive online reputation that’s visible through social media. They will be getting professionally-written resumes and they will make an effort to show their personality after submitting them. As a wise job hunter, those are the trends you should be aware of.

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Improve Work Morality in a Team

Communication of organisational values and ethics is critical for any team. It is important to provide clarity when it comes to the values of work ethic, says James Agrawal, managing director, BTI Consultants. Team leaders ought to regularly communicate in crystal-clear terms the things their team members need to know to live out those values, he says.Aditya Narayan Mishra, CEO, CIEL HR Services, says leaders must walk the talk while conveying their beliefs and thoughts to their teams. Several organisations fail ethically when the leaders fail in either or both these areas, says Mishra. Their employees fail to get a coherent idea of the desired behaviours.Hence their customers do not receive a consistent experience.

Training Programmes on Ethics

Companies should emphasise educating employees on workplace ethics. These activities will stress on the fact that em ployees must foster and abide by the ethical code of the organisation, says Nikhil Barshikar, managing director, Imarticus Learning. Agrawal of BTI Con sultants says a few members of the top level management can lead ethics and compliance training programmes. Such initiatives should be customised to dif ferent roles and departments since a single programme cannot cater to the needs of the entire organisation, says Agrawal.

Appreciate and Reward

Creating a reward system that encourages a positive work ethic would help in establishing the equal importance of workplace ethics in comparison to achieving rewards for exemplary performances at work, says Barshikar of Imarticus Learning. Agrawal of BTI Consultants said, Awarding and recognising those who adhere to work ethics through monetary and other incentives will motivate them to continue doing so, and will also inspire others to follow suit. To achieve this, HR heads could integrate low levels of customer complaints and teamwork into annual appraisal templates. They should make the criteria transparent so that employees realise they will be rewarded for being ethical.

Be a Role Model

If the workforce observes a leader as their role model, it would be simpler for them to stick to the company's norms and ethics.Top management conducting themselves in a professionally ethical fashion will set an example for teams to follow, says Barshikar. It is also critical for corporate leaders to play the role of a coachtrainer and reiterate the work culture and ethics.

Empower People

An ethical organisation empowers its people at all levels by defining the work methods clearly, setting goals at the right time, measuring performance and publishing them regularly. Organisations sometimes fail to define work processes clearly, set clear goal, lay down methods to measure performance and publish results, says Mishra of CIEL. In such a scenario, one is not sure how well one is faring. Hence employees remain tentative about the moves they make at work; they tend to look to their reporting manager for instructions.And some unscrupulous elements take advantage of the prevalent disempowerment and follow their own ways. Hence it is critical for an organisation that wants to drive a culture of ethics to empower its people across hierarchy

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HR Management Systems

Flexible and scalable

Swarovski, for example, moved onto a new system hosted on Workday in the hopes of achieving more transparent, efficient and simplified people processes, while supporting new ways of working and catering to changing organisational objectives.

Beyond that, the organisation was looking to empower its people and line managers to make data-driven and fact-based people decisions.

Earlier this year, hotel search platform Trivago, was seeking out a cloud-based HR solution capable of providing one single source of truth for employee data, while empowering HR leaders and managers with better insights to make faster and more accurate decisions.

The company also needed a platform that its 1,300 employees globally could access at any time and from anywhere in the world.

Using Workday’s Human Capital Management, the deployment saw Trivago transform day-to-day HR processes, such as compensation, absence management, time tracking, recruiting, expenses and performance and development.

We needed an HR solution that provided the technological platform for a single, always-up-to-date database – a solution that was flexible and especially scalable as we grow, says Sian Williams, Business Operations and Strategy – Talent Solutions at Trivago.

It is fantastic and also new for us that we’ll be able to use the system no matter where our people are, or which device they are using.

Indeed, as Workday’s President David Hope notes, whether it’s collecting real-time staff feedback or managing contingent workers, companies today understand that with business needs constantly evolving, having the flexibility and freedom to design functionalities based on priorities, is the ultimate key.

Our clients are already exposed to a comprehensive suite of functionalities that encompass many of (these) trends, says Hope.

I think more important than designing any specific new feature for one particular client is the ability to continuously innovate and update our software to meet the fast-changing needs of the modern HR landscape, as well as to tailor our systems to specific client needs.

But many companies are also avoiding bespoke systems that are overly complicated and difficult to maintain.

Hope says that Workday’s technology enables customers to configure their rules and policies without requiring extensive customisation or coding, which means they are not adversely affected by upgrades.

Real-time functionalities

Times Software, the winner of two awards at HRM Asia’s Readers’ Choice Awards this year,  foresees increasing demand for fully digital solutions that provide real-time employee engagement integrated with a performance management system able to facilitate  consistent, two-way communication between management and employees.

At present, the service provider is experiencing a surge in clients requesting for more interactive performance reviews, as well as dashboards that are able to boost interaction and engagement of employees, says Managing Director Charles Liaw.

Alongside the increase of temporary workforce management inquiries, largely from the hotel industry, and the growing demand for mobile-enabled features such as geo-tracking and push notifications on apps, Times Software ensures that the latest trends can be easily integrated into its systems.

We ensure our solutions are built with constant improvements in mind. That is why our products are easily enhanced in accordance to the market needs, says Liaw. For example, the company is currently in the process of adding data analytics, and has also built a broadcast facility, in which temporary jobs are advertised via SMS and with mobile push notifications.

Liaw agrees with Hope, saying client organisations appreciate platforms that are not fixed with limited functionalities.

A one-size-fits-all approach is no longer feasible in HR as different companies have differing needs. Therefore, we provide a basic platform which is flexible for customisation.

Moving with market trends

In Singapore, where the bulk of Times Software’s clients are based, the government’s call to move towards a Smart Nation is expected to see greater development on the mobile technology front.

Liaw foresees an increase in digitisation of payment methods in particular.

The government’s push for cashless technology means that there will be more payment options available and we wouldn’t be surprised if in the near future, petty cash for claims will all be paid through QR codes instead of physical cash, he says.

The major technology companies’ development race in Artificial Intelligence (AI) will also see robotics technology mature, although Liaw says it will still be a long time before this plays out.

Still, there will be more integration of AI in almost every sector, and that includes HR solutions.

Deep learning will become part of HR solutions, where the system is able to learn about the company’s trends through repeated usage, and then make improved recommendations to users, says Liaw.

AI will enable more productivity as menial functions such as delegation of tasks will all be done by the system.

Disruption in developing countries

Similar changes have also begun happening in developing countries in Southeast Asia.

At the recent Cambodian Federation of Employers and Business Associations, law and tax advisory firm VDB Loi shared how the world of traditional HR was being rapidly disrupted with cloud computing, social media, mobile technology, and analytics changing the way businesses are run across the region.

In order for companies to keep pace with these trends, it is essential to take their HR processes into the digital era, said Dara Ouk, Business Development Manager of VDB Loi.

Ouk further stated that by 2020, digital natives will comprise more than 50% of the global workforce, which will present a new set of challenges for any HR teams still prioritising traditional strategies. Employee engagement and development; attracting top talent; retaining and rewarding this talent; and performance management are just some of the issues that business leaders and HR professionals will face.

In late-2015, VDB Loi entered a partnership with technology firm Microimage HCM Asia in Myanmar. VDB Loi employed Microimage’s digital HCM Cloud solution, which was customised for the niche market based on VDB Loi’s local data, knowledge and expertise.

The HCM solution enables companies to maximise the full potential of digital technology while receiving a consumer-grade user experience that is intuitive and interactive. The solution works across all devices including mobile.

Just last month, the legal firm also rolled out the platform across its Cambodian offices.

Taking HR into the digital era with a platform that was designed for the future generation of digital natives is the only way organisations will be able to attract, retain and motivate the right talent and remain relevant

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Change Your Career With These Strategies

Study your new industry and get clear on the job you want.

Every career comes with a series of headaches and ugly truths. What type of lifestyle do you expect to have Are you clear on the expectations of the new career path

How long is the typical workday Do people typically work on holidays What are some of the challenges and trends in the industry

Connect with at least three people who have worked in your new career for at least five years.

Use social media to follow people in your anticipated career, study their backgrounds, and build relationships with them so that you can learn the inside scoop about what it’s like to work in the field.

Sharpen your people skills.

During a career transformation, relationship building, negotiation, communication, and persuasion are key because you will have to sell yourself as well as your transferable skills to at least get an invite for an interview.

Prepare your connect the dots story – Many people think they have to hide or downplay their experiences from their past career. But with a career change—short stories help employers or even a potential investor see how you’re a great fit for a new role or position. So to connect the dots between your past experiences, prepare a 1-2 sentence story that articulates your value and showcases how your skills and experiences are relevant to the new career.

Send an email to a few friends or colleagues and explain your desire to switch careers. Ask them if they can connect you with someone who may have some insight.
Master your mindset.

Understand this, you can’t get the promotion without going through the process. What sacrifices or investments are you willing to make When switching careers, many people face a serious skills gap, which may require that you take a lateral move, apply for an internship later in life, or invest in courses. Are you willing to take a pay cut or accept a lower level position so you can increase your skill set

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Most Popular Master In Finance For Acquire A Job In Singapore Banking

The Masters in Finance (MIF) qualification is slowly gaining traction in Singapore, a city where mid-career banking professionals have traditionally preferred taking MBAs.

But where should you study if you want a MIF that will help you boost your finance career in Singapore

We searched our CV database for financial professionals in the Republic who have a Masters in Finance to their name, and we found out which business school they attended. We then ranked the 15 most popular of these universities to produce the table below.

Because the MIF has only recently emerged as a popular qualification in Singapore, the data set is not yet large enough to examine the business function of graduates or the type of firm they work for (but you can click here for our global list of top MIF schools for getting front-office jobs at leading investment banks).

However, our numbers do show that spending tens of thousands of dollars to study abroad may not be worth the effort.

Of those who attended one of the top-15 business schools, 60% studied locally – either at a domestic college (SMU or NUS, for example) or at a Singapore campus of an overseas institution such as ESSEC or INSEAD.

If you do want to leave Singapore for your Masters in Finance, one city stands out: London. The four most popular foreign-based courses – London Business School, London School of Economics,
Imperial College, and Cass – are all based in the British capital.

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Few Things Never To divulge When You're Job-Hunting

A recruiter who deserves your trust will earn your trust, slowly, through their actions more than their words. Never, ever tell a recruiter or a prospective employer these ten things:

1. Never suggest or indicate that you are desperate to find a new job.

2. Never disclose the fact that you have conflict with your boss or fear you might get fired.

3. Never tell a recruiter or prospective employer that you're not having luck with your job search or that you've pursued opportunities that didn't pan out.

4. Never tell them which other companies you're interviewing with, or where you are in the recruiting pipeline with those organizations.

5. Never tell a recruiter or employer about life circumstances that make it especially urgent for you to find a job quickly  for instance, that your spouse or partner lost their job.

6. Never tell them that you are so interested in the job, you would take a pay cut. That's the worst thing you can say, because it doesn't mark you as desirable, but rather as needy — and you almost certainly will get a pay cut in that case.

7. Never tell a recruiter or employer that you need a job fast — for instance, to have a steady income in order to qualify for a mortgage. Your urgency to get hired will translate into a less appealing job offer.

8. Never tell a recruiter or employer if you plan to sue your past employer or file a claim against them. It's none of their business, and however sympathetic they might be to your plight they will naturally wonder If we hire this person, will they sue us one day, too?

9. Never tell a prospective employer or a recruiter I'm so glad this company is interested in me, because I just had a good job offer fall through.

10. Finally, never tell a recruiter or a prospective new employer that you are tired of job-hunting and just want your job search to be over.

You have to remember that your relationships with employers and recruiters are business relationships, no matter how friendly they are. You are on one side of a negotiating table, all by yourself. The employer and the recruiter sit on the other side of the table.

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MGNREGA Rajasthan Recruitment 2017

NEW DELHI:  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Rajasthan has released a notification for the recruitment of 143 Junior Technical Assistants and Accountant Assistants on contractual basis. The contract will be in effect till February 28, 2018 and may be extended as per requirement. The application process for the same began on September 11, 2017 and the last date to apply is October 16, 2017. There are 125 vacancies for Junior Technical Assistant and 18 vacancies for Accountant Assistant. Candidates who are selected will be posted in Banswara, Rajasthan. The selection of candidates will be done on the basis of a written examination and personal interview.

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates should have passed Degree/Diploma in Civil Engineering/ Degree in Agriculture Engineering/ B.Tech./B.E./ or its equivalent from a recognised university for the post of Junior Technical Assistant.

In case of Account Assistant, candidates should have passed B.Com/C.A./Company Secretary (Inter)/ICWA (Inter) Degree from a recognised university.

The lower age limit is 21 years and upper age limit is 35 years.

Application Process

Interested and eligible candidates may apply by sending their application form along with the photocopies of relevant documents before the last date to the following address:
Office of the District Coordinator and District Collector

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Goverment jobs with captivating salaries and incentives

In the 60s and 70s, having a government job added stars to the prestige of an Indian family. It was a phenomenal aspect of one’s personal life. That one Offer Letter from a government organization made solved all the problems of the family including marriage which highly hinged upon it. Then, the entry of foreign companies into the country in the 90s due to the LPG model adopted by the Government under the finance ministry of Dr. Manmohan Singh, followed by the rise of IT sector dishing out lucrative jobs in the 2000s overshadowed the presence of government jobs.

However, sensing the impact of geo-political developments of countries at a global level on their jobs and professional undertakings such the Trump government’s impact on the Indian IT sector, the youth have realized the value of government jobs in recent times. 

The 6th and 7th Pay commission have cemented their aspirations to pursue government jobs that offer the matchless perks and prestige. The 7th Pay commission had brought about a steep revision in salary packages and other perks bringing them up to the level of most private sector jobs.

Let us leaf through the highest paying government jobs in India. These jobs offer perks that are too attractive to grab. Getting such a job will set you free from all financial constraints in your life.

Indian Administrative Service:  IAS jobs are prestigious in every respect. An IAS officer enjoys a good amount of salary, perks and very good reputation in the community.  It is an pan-India service and the candidate can take coveted positions in Central Government, State Government and even certain posts in the Public Sector Units. Minimum salary offered to the IAS Officer (Cabinet Secretary Grade) is 2, 50,000 a month. Perks & Incentives: Accommodation, Vehicle, Government Transportation, Study Abroad, Lifetime Pension after retirement and Job Security

Public Sector Unit: The best part about PSUs such as Coal Indian Limited and India Oil Corporation is that they generate steady revenues that are shared as dividends among shareholders and  as salaries among its employees.  Coal India Limited (CIL) offers its employees nearly 10 lakhs per year. Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) gives the employees 8-9 lakhs per year. Employees are given residential accommodation along with medical and other government entitled benefits.


If you land a job in one of these sectors, consider yourself luckiest as you will have job security, lots of perks, flexibility and above all prestige in your community.

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Year 2017 Top employment tendency

the job market saw major corrections. Massive layoffs hit the headlines. Let’s look at what the trends forecast for your career

Tech democracy

Welcome to the democratisation of technology! Once the realm of startups and pure technology companies, it is now an essential component of every business. If you are a techie, these are golden years as every business knows that to remain competitive, they need to invest in building strong tech teams to find newer and better ways of solving problems, reducing costs and delivering better products.

Evolving startup jobs

Look out for interesting roles in technology-led startups in education, health, finance, media, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things. Though no single startup will hire in large numbers, the overall scene for finding a new job or getting a promotion looks good if you are open to challenges.

Jobless on campus

If you are a fresher graduating from campus, you have it tougher than your seniors in getting a job through your placement office. As automation cuts jobs across industries and as startups find it difficult to get funding, the top recruiters will prefer to stay away from campuses. Big packages, mass hiring and offers will go down.

Anti-gig economy

If 2016 was the year you could freelance in and out of paying projects, businesses have now learnt that only task-based jobs are suitable for outsourcing to freelancers. The focus is on skills that you can bring as a permanent employee. The rewards will be higher for demonstrating high creativity and analytical skills.

Mixed team focus

There is increased emphasis on teamwork over individual brilliance. Invest in developing your soft skills, verbal and written communication abilities and learning how to work in a complex team environment. Companies realise that no single individual can keep herself abreast of developments at work and hence encourage people to form high performance teams.

Culture fit is in

It is no longer only about your skills. Firms realise they can’t afford to attract or retain you simply by paying a market salary. It does not work for them if you are not happy or engaged at your work. Employers are now looking for a culture fit when they hire you to be happier and more productive in your team.

Agility is the new stability

In the good old days, career stability meant finding a big brand to work for and doing a decent job there. Now, career stability no more means a single employer but a dozen or more over your working life. Thus, like a flying bird, stability lasts only as long as you are flapping your wings against the wind.

Automation is your new friend

If you haven’t been gobsmacked by automation at the workplace yet, you soon will. With evolution in computing power and speed and emergence of deep connectivity, artificial intelligence and robotics, access and implementation of technology has become cheaper for businesses pushing them to automate processes and cut costs and time.

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Character of supply chain management in retail scenario

Supply chain management plays a vital role in the entire process. We talked to the SCM heads of some of the prominent retail chains in the country to discuss how they are beefing up supply chain management efficiencies — the changes that should be implemented, and the improvisations to keep retail on an all-time high.

Importance of Time Definite SCM Service for Retailers

With an all-round boom in the retail sector, the psyche of the consumers is also rapidly evolving. Consumers today, know what they like, go for what they want, and expect impeccable services. This consumer evolution has stirred the retail sector and to keep up with the pace; retailers are coming up with ways to minimise the operational cost as much as they can, without hampering the quality of product, time management and keeping up with the demand forecasting.

Providing the right product at the right time is the need of the hour. Management of the transition of products from manufacturing to the point-of sales is key. Achieving this by itself would ensure the smooth functioning of any retail organisation. From planning of inventory, transition of products and the point of sales, SCM deals with the proper control of it all. A slight shift for the worse to any of the processes in the supply chain could cause dissatisfaction of consumers and lead to major risks in business.

Availability of stock on shelves is the single largest success factor for a retail business. Timely delivery of products and faster replenishment requires time bound logistic services. Time definite logistic service is critical for any grocery retail business, particular dairy and F&B sectors, but not so critical for apparel retail business, says Asst Vice President – Supply Chain Management, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd – Pantaloons.

He further adds, With e-commerce and Omnichannel players competing in the market place, retailers are indeed getting more and more conscious about time definite logistic service.

Head IT and Supply Chain, Bestseller Retail India Pvt Ltd, Ranjan Sharma says, We have weekly new launches and the entire supply chain is geared to meet those dates as a lot of planning is involved in it and any misses cost us heavily.

It is key for retailers to come up new strategies and re-evaluate with their supply chain and modes of distribution. With SCM in place the retailer is able to monetise on new and upcoming trends with a faster pace and avoid the other risks usually faced.

Resonating the same, General Manager & Head – Logistics, Raymond, Suresh Chugh says, Retailers are becoming more conscious nowadays because it’s directly linked with secondary sale. More efficient and timely logistics services can help retailers fetch better sell thrust especially for ‘Fresh Sale’, which is already under pressure due to extended EOSS window every season/year.

Revising the Supply Chain Practices in Omnichannel Era

The consumer today is driving the need for transformation in Omnichannel retail supply chains. The buyers have all the power in today’s market. They are demanding more options and leveraging retailers against each other to get the best value for their money. A competitive retail environment is leading retailers to opt for an Omnichannel strategy. Retailers are working towards seamlessly integrating their distribution channels to improve visibility into inventory and serve their customers in a better way.

Talking about how supply chain mechanics are changing in the digital age, with retailers going Omnichannel way, Vice President – Marketing, Safexpress Pvt Ltd, Vineet Kanaujia says, Development of a profitable Omnichannel supply chain strategy requires analysing the business from top to bottom. We need to look at the retailer’s market strategy, the Omnichannel operating model and execution enablers. Being the supply chain and logistics industry leader, Safexpress has created 30 ultra-modern Logistics Parks, pan-India network covering every square inch of India, and backed the same with world-class systems, processes, human resources, fleet and IT infrastructure.

The mechanics of logistics is constantly evolving and today as the world is more connected than ever, there is a need for real time integration across channels. Resonating the same fact, CEO and Whole Time Director, TCIExpress, P. C. Sharma says,  At TCIexpress we are constantly tracking the movement of goods on a real time basis and we also look at online response management (ORM) as a critical mechanism to address the consumer through the social network. We have uniformly deployed content across platforms such as our website, catalogues, brochures, Facebook page, Twitter and LinkedIn, to ensure common messaging. We also follow package scanning through barcode technology such as HPT (Hand Pallet Truck), Pallets and Forklifts. This provides accuracy in the operations and real-time tracking of the shipments at packet level.

The path to purchase is becoming more complex amidst the ever-burgeoning growth of online and mobile shopping. According to Zebra’s 2017 Retail Vision Study (RVS), superior Omnichannel support requires 90 per cent inventory accuracy. As a result, inventory accuracy is more critical than ever as products from both brick-and-mortar and digital channels flow through the pipeline.

Talking on the same, Regional Sales Director – India, Zebra Technologies, Deep Agarwal says, Omnichannel retailing has become a necessity more than a requirement as consumers today are digitally empowered. Consumers can virtually tap into every retailer’s stockroom from their mobile device to search for products and compare prices. To meet this demand, retailers are adopting technology solutions to heighten merchandise visibility throughout the supply chain, from the time inventory is shipped from the warehouse and received in a store’s back room to when it’s stocked and replenished on the sales floor.

Agarwal, adds, The rise of online shopping has trained consumers to demand unprecedented convenience. Retailers today, must be nimble enough to serve their multi-channel shopping journeys seamlessly. Around the globe, retailers are investing in IoT technologies to redefine their operations and the shopper experience. Merchants are reinventing their supply chains with upgrades that enable automated, real-time inventory visibility via Internet of Things (IoT), such as RFID, which can boost inventory accuracy levels to as high as 95 per cent.

Talking from an e-commerce perspective, CEO, Vinculum, Venkat Nott says, Customers today do not like to wait for the products they buy. However most of them do not like to pay more for express service. A paid service for fast shipments is likely to work well for retailers. Marketplaces have set the standard already and have invested in products not just to streamline their order management processes and to have real time inventory in stores and warehouses but also predictive analytics in terms of what products to carry in which store and keeping the right products in warehouses close to the buyer.

Further talking about Vinculum services, he says, Vinculum has cutting edge products to facilitate Omnichannel retailing and provides real time view of inventory across the supply chain using our Vin eRetail suite of products.

Retailer’s Perspective on Omnichannel

Retail is going omnichannel and meeting the supply chain needs of this new environment is a major challenge. Talking on this aspect, Chugh says, Yes, it’s true that retail is going Omnichannel and meeting the needs of this new environment is a big challenge. Since this is the need of the hour and must be implemented to get the better sales. We are also working on this but at very initial stage as of now.

 If you cannot beat them, join them! Ominchannel is the future and no retail organisation can stay away from entering into it. We have started selling online through prominent e-commerce players like Amazon, Flipkart etc, in addition to creating our own Omnichannel platform.

We are going through a lot of technology intervention which includes bringing together different portals and market places to converge to one system at store for execution with realtime integration of inventory and logistics. We have already gone live across all our stores for Tata Cliq since October 1, 2016 and will be live on our brand websites by the end of June, says, Sharma, from Bestseller.

Forecasting Techniques and Methodologies

Traditionally, retailers have not been able to predict the demand, leading to a mismatch between demand and supply, thereby affecting profitability. Even though forecasting techniques and methodology have continued to develop in sophistication, they cannot deliver the accuracy required for managing logistics in the context of the retail scenario. The answer to these problems lies not in better forecasts, but in reducing the dependency on forecast and by harnessing the potential of modern logistics services.

Talking on the same, Sharma from Bestseller, says, We are fast fashion brands and we have to spot trend way ahead of time. Then we get into sampling and manufacturing cycle which is also very long. Though modern logistic services definitely help to reduce the overall time to make the merchandise available but the same cannot replace the art of demand forecasting. But at the same time if the entire sourcing strategy and manufacturing is aligned well then smaller sample sets could be developed and on their success large scale manufacturing could be done thus reducing the risk.

Chugh of Raymond, opines, Answer to these supply chain related problem lies not in better forecasts, but in reducing the dependency on forecast and by harnessing the potential of modern logistics services. Combination of both i.e., better forecast as well as usage of modern logistics services will give much better results. None of these two components alone can generate better yield or desired results.

Best demand forecast accuracy is considered to be at 50-60 per cent. So, supply chain has to mitigate the risks associated with about half of the inaccurate demand forecast in any industry, which results in high or low safety stock, stock outs and loss of sale. Quick turnaround of unsold or obsolete stock and faster replenishment of high selling stock from manufacturing location to point of sale is the key to success of retail business which is achievable through harnessing the potential of modern logistics services, states Khetan of ABRL.

Innovations that Inextricably Links SCM and Retail

India has occupied a remarkable position in global retail rankings. The Indian retail industry is one of the fastest growing in the world. India’s retail sector is experiencing exponential growth, with retail development taking place not just in major cities and metros, but also in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

Talking about the innovations that is happening in the space of supply chain management, Kanaujia, says, Emerging trends like making the supply chains digital, increasing the role of procurement in supply chain, increasing collaboration for efficient supply chain management, etc., will be the major factors driving growth in the organised retail market in India. Being the industry leader, our role is very vital in bringing about the global standards to India. We are proactively working towards hastening this change in our industry and taking it to a different level.

Future Supply Chain Solutions Limited, has recently inaugurated a High Speed Cross Belt Sortation Technology, at its distribution centre at Mihan, Nagpur.

This new technology, being first of its kind in India, is touted to be a game changer and a stepping stone, making it India’s most automated first of- its-kind.

Talking about this new innovative SCM facility, Group CEO, Future Group, Kishore Biyani says, This distribution center will be a milestone in the Indian warehousing sector. With the brilliant technology used in the Sorting system at the DC along with the individually coordinated system solutions, we can ensure the highest level of service to the consumers of the nation.

The elevated technological quotient in the sector and India is already witnessing the importance of big data and IoT in the logistics sector. Even while technology is evolving, we do not see a divide but co-existence of manpower with technology to move ahead to the next level.

Putting things in perspective, Sharma of TCIExpress, says, Some of the trends and practices which are already in play in the global markets includes robotics, automation and unmanned aerial vehicles/drones. We use piece level scanning through RFID/ barcode technology. It is noticeable that this technology is widely used by manufacturers and retailers in modern trade segment. We being future-ready have technologically adapted to this need and are in sync with Industry demand.

Talking about some of the SCM best practices adoption, Khetan, says, There had been quite a few best SCM practices adopted by us, key ones being: use of warehouse management system (WMS) coupled with RFID technology turning our warehouses into paperless operation, Auto replenishment system (ARS), ensuring faster replenishment of stock to the stores and Vendor portal for auto approvals of shipment requests from vendor.

Divulging the details of SCM innovative practices that has helped Raymond in staying ahead in the game, Chugh, says, Layout restructuring, current season stock kept on ground floor and previous season stock moved to first and second floors based on the ageing. This helped us in increasing picking productivity; man power deployment based on season/ month wise load helped us in cost reduction of WH transactions/piece; working on Auto LSP selection program which help us in significant reduction of the
logistics cost/ piece; manual processes converted to system based programs which helped in hassle and error free work.

Customer Care Associate & Head-Supply Chain and Mission Control, Shoppers Stop Ltd, Devadas Nair says, Supply chain in Shoppers Stop coordinate and integrate all activities associated with moving products, services and information into a seamless process by embracing all partners in the chain including various departments, vendors, carriers and other service providers.

Further talking about the innovative SCM practices, which they have adopted, he says, Regionalised distribution centre operation, which helps us to manage the inventory better; distribution centre management is outsourced and independently handled by logistic partners; implemented advance warehouse management system with Omnihannel capabilities; same-day turnaround across DCs. Some of the fast moving products are delivered directly to the stores to ensure faster availability; sales and stocks information are provided to vendors on a daily basis so that they can be proactive.

Keeping Business Seamless Even During Peak Seasons

Managing fluctuations in demand during peak and seasonal requirements is a
must for every retailer. Talking about the same, Khetan, says, There is a separate forecast for peak and seasonal requirement which is aligned with capacities at each node of supply chain, right from transporters’ hubs to warehouse capacities for transaction as well as storage.

We start building up stock at the DC and retail points well in advance so as to reduce the spike in demand. We also cross train people to handle loads during peak seasons in multiple shifts, says, Sharma from Bestseller.

Lot of automation devices/ equipment are being used in International SCM industry which reduces the dependency on labour. It helps on improving the productivity as well as reduction of manual errors. Talking in the same context, Chugh, says, We plan the manpower in such a way that during non-peak months/ seasons, we reduce the unskilled labour but we don’t touch the skilled labour. We cover up the additional workloads by doing over time by extending working hours on normal days and working on Sunday, as and when required.

Role of GST in Improving Logistics/ SCM Conditions in India

The proposed model of GST brings to the Indian economy the promise of becoming more competitive in a global market, with a better tax environment to conduct business in India. The new tax regime will result in a seamless integration of goods and services transactions across the states and will have a positive impact across the retail value chain.

According to JLL India, the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) are soon going to be a reality in India. These, coupled with a growing demand for quality warehouses by the industry, are expected to lead to an increase of Grade-A and Grade-B warehousing stock across the country in the next few years.

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How HR compartment Banking on the Digitalization flap

One cannot run a successful business without a driven and highly motivated team, which makes it imperative for the organization to retain such power packed teams. It is not a fairyland out there, retaining the desired employees is a tricky job. It is a long road for the companies to ensure that the talented workforce stays put. One of the chief reasons professionals quit their jobs is that they do not get the benefits that are crucial to them. In the conventional sense, organizations focus on doling out monetary benefits, not realizing that the employees want more and it ultimately works in the favor of the former.



Gone are the days of including attractive base salaries and incentives, organizations have come to a realization that it is not enough and they need to reward their employees with non-monetary benefits as well. So now the new methods to retain employees ranges from discount plans, health schemes and other corporate benefits. In addition to monetary benefits as well as non-monetary guides, tangible and non-tangible add-ons in the mix make the organizations the hot spot for employee search and they wouldn’t want to leave too soon.

Employees want to feel engaged and connected, add on benefits help. A recent survey by Glassdoor concluded that around 79% of the employees want more benefits other than salary hike.  This urge is more in younger counterparts and the female workforce.

There are numerous non-monetary benefits that organizations indulge in to retain employees – it could be discount plans, vouchers for children, cycle availability to work, carpooling facility, car parking amenity, providing mobile phones, valuable employee assistance, health plan education, saving on household expenditure with vouchers, online shopping voucher codes, high street discounts, reloadable gift cards, SMS vouchers and cash back offers, corporate gym memberships, health club discounts,  the list just goes on.

The availability of these benefits can be a good influencing factor; however, management of such provisions could be challenging for the organizations that have a greater strength of workforce. In order to remove the obstacle, companies tend to gravitate towards technological perks like mobile and web applications. For example, analytics are driven by the employee data that provide intelligent insights on the topic of employee motivation. These specific insights can be fruitful in coming up with effective strategies to deliver employee benefits that can prove to be the best for employee retention. The art of digitization of employee management systems in order to retain them lists out a number of benefits that can be achieved by the company for desired productive results.

Management of enrollment and administration techniques can be fast -paced and error-free by automating administrative function. It boosts productive, too as employees can get tangible and intangible benefits and their work life gets hassle-free and they feel less stressed to attain their goals in office.

In 2016, YES BANK, known for its exemplary financial dealings in the banking sector made alliance with a Fintech startup NiYO to encourage the employee benefits culture in India.  The startup has come up with a fantastic solution that includes a Multi-Pocket Card, a Mobile App and a digital account that comprises of multiple wallets. The partnership has given birth to YES BANK NiYO Benefits Card. This new age initiative capitalizes on the latest in technology sector of  mobile technologies and  works on the IndiaStack initiatives that would have eKYC by UIDAI and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) launched by NPCI.

Not only this in the digitization world, replacement of old technology and practices in the HR arena will happen soon.  It is safe to say that a large number of companies would want to move from traditional licensed HR software to modern, cloud-based systems. More than 150 million employees have included cloud-based HR systems and this number will only increase in the coming future.  The apps are on mobile devices now, so as expected, mobile platforms would be the next switch.

Investment capital has proven to be a boon here as easy-to-use cloud-based networks for payroll and core HRMS, performance and talent management, online learning, employee engagement, wellness and employee communications is readily available now. It is good news for external recruitment processed and job posting providers like LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, Careerbuilder as they can pace up their recruitment strategies dramatically. The cloud based systems are the most sought after trusted networks by enterprises since many years now.

The added bonus is the wave of amazing new technology and functionality they have brought to the market.

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GST is transform face of Indian logistics industry

India’s greatest tax reform — replacing an array of provincial duties with a nationwide goods and services tax — is transforming the logistics industry in a country where moving stuff around is notoriously difficult to do, executives say. The advent of organised retail and e-commerce began modernising warehouses in India a decade ago, but most firms still rely on musty, dilapidated godowns, as storehouses are known colloquially.

The unified tax system is expected to bring change on a far grander scale, removing distortions created by differential taxes and duty structures imposed across India’s 29 states and 7 union territories.

When we moved from one state to the other, it felt like moving from one country to another, said Ramesh Agarwal, chairman of New Delhi-based Agarwal Packers and Movers.

From July 1, the new Goods and Services Tax, or GST, introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, will change all that, with the biggest tax reform seen since India won independence from British colonial rule 70 years ago.

Companies that have previously based storage models on tax efficiency can move to the much more cost efficient, demand-based hub-and-spoke model used globally.


Anticipating the change, Agarwal’s firm, for example, has carved India into five regions and is setting up one massive warehouse in each. There’s no tax arbitrage to be gained. So decisions on manufacturing, warehousing and selling will be purely driven by the real costs of manufacturing and going to market, that is the single biggest advantage of GST, said R Subramanian, Managing Director at DHL Express in Mumbai.

Subramanian still anticipates bureaucratic headaches, notably from GST’s e-way bill system, requiring vehicle details from pickup to delivery, which he reckons would generate 90 million entries daily for the express delivery sector alone.

But, the reform, along with the gradual shift in India’s service dominated economy toward more manufacturing, has paved the way for ultra-modern storage sites with automated conveyers, RFID-enabled tracking and IT-enabled warehousing management systems. The potential growth, and investment needed for modernisation has spurred a slew of deals between Indian firms and major global private equity players and pension funds.

In the last two years alone, as Modi made GST a priority, these investors have put $1.5 billion in the warehousing business.

GST is not only a tax reform, it is also a business reform as a whole, and a lot of businesses are now restructuring their supply chains, said Rohit Jain, a partner with Economic Laws Practice in Mumbai.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board last month committed to spend $500 million in a joint venture with India’s IndoSpace. Other foreign firms putting money in the sector include Carlyle Group, Warbug Pincus and Fairfax India Holdings .

JSW Steel, India’s biggest domestic steel producer, is also mulling a plan to bring down the number of its 20 plus warehouses across the country to five, and many more companies are following suit, said a company executive.

Reliance Retail, the retail unit of Reliance Industries , which has around 100 distribution centres across the country, also plans to optimize some, said a company executive.

Mahindra Logistics is exploring an initial public offering, or a sale to a foreign partner, while rival Future Supply Chain Solutions is looking to do likewise, according to media reports.

With 45% of India’s gross domestic product concentrated around seven major cities, Arif A Siddiqui at Coign Consulting, specialising in supply chain management, expected investment in warehousing to focus on Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Singapore-based logistics company Ascendas-Singbridge has just signed a $600 million deal with Firstspace Realty, based in the south Indian city of Bengaluru, to create 14 million square feet (1.3 million square meters) of industrial warehousing space across six major Indian cities.

Manufacturing, modern retail and the pharma sector were already driving change in Indian warehousing. GST has just fast-tracked the growth rate in logistics, said Aloke Bhuniya, Chief Executive of Ascendas-Firstspace.

He reckoned that GST has boosted the industry’s annual growth rate from 12-15% to 20-22%, and saw plenty of room for a lot more modernisation.

Out of the logistics industry’s 980 million square feet (91 million square meters) of captive, agri-based and cold storage warehousing, Bhuniya estimated 85 percent were old godowns and traditional structures.

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Improve Your Inventory Management

If the notion of folding flying drones into your warehouse inventory management approach sounds far-fetched, think again. In August, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed a new way to combine drones and RFID technology to improve stock-keeping processes. Dubbed RFly, the system enables small, safe, aerial drones to read RFID tags from tens of meters away while identifying the tags’ locations with an average error of about 19 centimeters.

MIT researchers envision the system being used for continuous monitoring, to prevent inventory mismatches, and to find the location of individual items in large warehouses. By incorporating drones and RFID into the stock-keeping process, shippers may be able to more effectively optimize inventory levels, reduce stock-outs, improve stock visibility, track orders, and reduce the possibility of human error.

In 2016, the U.S. National Retail Federation reported that shrinkage—or loss of items in retail stores—averaged around $45.2 billion annually, Fadel Adib, the Sony Corp. career development assistant professor of media arts and sciences, whose MIT Media Lab group developed the new system, told MIT News. By enabling drones to find and localize items and equipment, this research will provide a fundamental technological advancement for solving these problems.

Drones not your thing? Try this instead
Of course, solid inventory management doesn’t require an unmanned aerial vehicle and individual RFID tags. In fact, there are several best practices and technologies that, when used on a standalone basis or combined with other platforms, can significantly improve inventory management for today’s warehouses and DCs. Following are six of them.

1.) Before you invest, explore your current systems. Inventory management doesn’t have to be overly complicated, says Norm Saenz, managing director at the supply chain consulting firm St. Onge Co. In many cases, for example, it can be as simple as having an inventory management system that incorporates bar-coding and, in turn, enables real-time visibility of inventory.

You can get this without having to invest too much money, says Saenz. In fact, most legacy software packages and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems incorporate some level of inventory management. It’s not like you need a Tier One system to get good inventory management systems and support.

2.) Start by establishing bin-level inventory controls. It sounds simple enough in theory, but Ian Hobkirk, president at Boston-based Commonwealth Supply Chain Advisors, says that this is a step that many shippers overlook. Focus on knowing exactly what’s in every bin in the warehouse in real-time, all the time, Hobkirk says, noting that a warehouse management system (WMS) is the best tool for the job.

By using a WMS for bin-level controls, everything that come out of the bin gets tracked in real-time, adds Hobkirk. When you can achieve this, then you can start to move to cycle counting instead of having to conduct full physical inventories, the latter of which are usually huge events that hog resources and kill productivity.

3.) Fold demand management and inventory optimization into the mix. For customers to be happy, inventory has to be in the right place at the right time. Carry too much of any SKU in the wrong place and you could wind up losing money and negatively impacting customer service.

To achieve this balance, Steve Banker, vice president of supply chain management at ARC Advisory Group, says that shippers can use traditional inventory management tools plus demand management and inventory optimization solutions. Together, these three pack a powerful wallop that shippers can use to address their inventory management challenges. When you can get your demand management right, says Banker, you know to have your inventory in the right place and at the right times.

4.) Consider adding GPS technology to your inventory management lineup. Most often used for vehicle navigation, satellite-based navigation systems are also being used to manage inventory in the supply chain. Saenz says he recently worked with a battery distributor that was using the technology to track inventory in its supply chain, and that the GPS system reports on the status and actual performance of inventory for the company.

They wanted to know where their rental units were out in the market, says Saenz, and also the charging statuses and probability of failure for those units. After testing out an RFID system that didn’t meet its needs, the company started using GPS instead and is happy with the results. We’re seeing companies like Geoforce introduce solutions that can help track inventory out in the supply chain, says Saenz, where visibility isn’t always easy to achieve.

5.) Give wearable scanning devices another second look. Wearable computers are helping today’s warehouse and DC workers become more mobile, hands-free and accurate in a world where smaller, more frequent orders are making their jobs more challenging than ever. But even with the proliferation of wearable scanning devices on the market, Hobkirk says a lot of logistics professionals are overlooking the technology’s true value.

These devices help with accuracy and control, but we don’t see them being used as widely as they could be, says Hobkirk, who sees a high volume of shippers using handheld scanners for inventory management. Because operators have to physically pick these devices up—and then look at them and put them back down—companies miss out on the benefits that hands-free technology provides.

Handheld devices are clunky and often lead to errors or situations where workers simply aren’t tracking all the transactions that they could be tracking, Hobkirk says, noting that the cost of wearable scanners are now in line with those of handheld devices. There’s really no reason not to use them anymore.

6.) Start thinking about artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. ARC’s Banker says that he’s beginning to see AI (computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence) and machine learning (AI that gives systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed) applied to demand management solutions—a trend that could help improve forecasting for select time periods.

For example, if a warehouse or DC operation lacks the necessary level of SKUs for every supplier, these advanced options could help make more intelligent stock allocation decisions. He points to Terra Technologies, which was acquired by E2Open in 2016 and one of the early pioneers in such technology. In a world where a lot more companies are running segmented supply chains, says Banker, when they’re short on something, those companies want the stock to go to their best and most profitable customers.

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IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES AT INTERVIEWS

An art in which almost all the performance is unscripted and dialogue is spontaneous

STEP INTO THEIR WORLD

The focus is not about you - it's about building the scene. In improv, this rule is called step into their world. It's meant to get you to focus on other people and the setting rather than making you the centre of attention.

In an interview, you're also in a new scene that's larger than yourself. Even if it feels like you're the centre of attention, remember you're there to show how you fit into the whole picture. What role can you play How can you contribute to a part of the scene

LISTEN WELL

It may seem like a good idea to have some clever one-liners ready for your moment on stage.

But a prefabricated set of lines is the kiss of death for an improv scene. Instead, a performer must truly listen to his partners, understand what they're trying to convey, and respond appropriately.

In your interview, pay attention to the questions being asked. Do not cut the person off or answer without fully grasping his question. Listen actively with your facial expression turned on. Not only will this help you, it also shows that you're fully engaged.

SAY YES VERBALLY, PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY

Another improv rule is saying: Yes, and…. That is, give examples and keep the momentum going after answering a question. Make your yes visible in your body language, attitude and words.

All things being equal, the candidate who demonstrates that he or she is passionate about a role will usually be hired.

Set yourself apart by saying what you admire about the company and why you want to work there. But don't be phony: Ask yourself why you are applying, beyond the salary and benefits. Be sure about your reasons and your answers will reflect that conviction.

BE READY FOR THE GOTCHA QUESTION

It is Why should we hire you over others.

Avoid overselling yourself in relation to the rest. You don't know what they bring to the table and saying that you are superior only makes you come off looking arrogant.

Rather emphasise not just your skills but how you want to use them to meet the goals of the organisation.

Tell a personal story - rather than repeat bullet points from your resume, tell a story that demonstrates how your education, evolution and journey intersects with the job.

Others may have similar skills, but your story belongs only to you.

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Way to Handle Stress Throughout Job Interview

a certain amount of stress can actually help you ace the interview and that there are some effective responses you can use to keep your stress levels down.

Because a job interview isn’t something that we encounter very often, it’s important to fully prepare for it. Consider some of the standard questions your interviewer may have: What do you already know how to do? What do you consider to be your strengths? What might be a weakness that you’ve had to address?

Practise your responses: Your stress level will be manageable and can even provide the energy you need to respond to unexpected requests from your interviewer.


While you can’t ask for a do-over, corrections can be made. When you realise that you forgot to say something important, you can still correct the omission. If you’re still in the interview, it’s always possible to say: I just realised that I hadn’t mentioned

When your stress levels skyrocket during an interview and your mind goes blank, here’s what you can do:
Take a deep breath and take a moment to compose yourself. It’s okay to reply with, Ah, let me think about that for a moment or Could you rephrase the question

Regain some confidence by remembering that you are interviewing the organisation just as much as it is interviewing you. You do have some control over the conversation and can (and should) ask questions of your own.

 If you tend to sweat it out literally or figuratively, make sure you’re dressed comfortably, in clothes and shoes that allow you to breathe easily and to focus on the subject at hand.

Anxiety

If you’re freaking out before the interview, remind yourself of your value and ability to learn additional skills. If you tend to suffer from anxiety, consult a career couch or a counsellor. Remind yourself that you might not necessarily get the job, but you’ll know that you’ve done your best to ace the interview.
Finally, remind yourself that stress in an interview is not only normal, it’s necessary. Take the edge off through practice beforehand and by successfully managing your stress in real time.

Having nailed down what you want to say, you’ll be ready to take that deep breath and manage any unexpected challenges.

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WAY OF ACCOUNTING CAREER

All of these areas require a bachelor’s degree, status as a Certified Public Accountant, expert-level knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and, in most cases, a few years of experience. Other needed certifications are noted in each category.

Forensic Accounting

Those who go into forensic accounting combine accounting expertise with the investigative skills of a detective. The need for such a skill set is enormous. The average company loses 5 percent of revenue each year to fraud, according to a 2016 study from the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. The study found the total loss of revenue reached $6.3 billion worldwide.

Forensic accountants typically gain experience as a general accountant for several years before making the move into a forensics department. They are employed in a variety of organizations. Those include certified public accountant businesses, government departments, insurance companies and law enforcement agencies.

Those wishing to go into forensic accounting can also benefit from education in law enforcement. They require familiarity with a number of financial-related crimes. These include white collar crime, insurance fraud, money laundering schemes, contract violations and securities fraud. Most also earn designation as a Certified Fraud Examiner.

Business Valuation

Savvy accounting firms have increasingly moved into business valuation in recent years. As the United States population ages, more people require an accountant to properly value assets to aid with estate planning, wills and transfer of businesses to family members. All this requires an accountant familiar with evaluating businesses, assets and the pertinent tax codes.

Business valuation also plays a critical role in valuing assets for larger organizations, particularly during a merger or acquisition. Business valuation accountants must have expert-level knowledge in assigning value to sometimes hard-to-define assets. They also need expertise in interpreting financial statements, cash flow models and determining the sale value of a company.

Most accountants specializing in business valuation also have years of experience as a general accountant. Many also seek certification from agencies such as the American Society of Appraisers and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.

Managerial Accounting

Accountants who specialize in managerial accounting work with top executives and focus on extracting actionable information from an organization’s finances. They provide information on both past financial activities as well as models to project future profits and expenditures.

Much of their focus typically is on modeling financial projections based on strategies under consideration by top management at an existing company or an entrepreneur starting a new business. For example, managerial accountants provide information that helps business leaders decide what to sell, how much inventory to keep on hand and the proper price point for a product or service.

Those who enter the field typically obtain Certified Managerial Accountant designation. Equally as important is in-depth knowledge of how a business functions and the overall market conditions of an industry. They also need an understanding of the decision-making process underpinning capital investment, structure of operations and risk assessment.

Soft skills also are important in this area. Because they work with executives who are typically outside the accounting field, managerial accountants need to excel at communications and clear, concise methods of reporting findings.

Financial Accounting

This area involves work that is most often associated with the accounting profession. Unlike a managerial accountant, who works internally with executives in the decision-making process, financial accountants prepare public reports on a business’ activities.

These include the four major financial statements: cash flow, balance sheets, statements of retained earnings and income statements. For publicly held companies, these reports are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and made public.

Expertise in tax codes and government regulations is a must. Financial accountants must also have skills in the different reporting strategies (accrual method and cash method) and, if a company does global business, with International Financial Reporting Standards.

All four of these areas provide a potentially stable and lucrative career path for accountants.

No matter how much technological advances are brought into play in business, cash flow and money management remain the life blood of any organization. That simple fact means accountants will always be needed. And those who specialize in important areas may well find themselves in demand.

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Develop Your Body Language for a Successful Interview

Preparing for an interview is one of the more stressful events for any professional, regardless of experience level or job title. You've been told to research the company in advance, practice your answers and prepare good questions. Another aspect of the interview to pay attention to is your body language; it's important not to cross your arms, slouch or avoid eye contact.

While it's critical to say the right thing in an interview, it's also important to realize that your body language will communicate an enormous amount about you. It will demonstrate your level of confidence in yourself, your interest in the position, even your ability to perform in the new position. With this kind of pressure, and so many elements to consider during the course of the interview, it can feel overwhelming to have to consider your body language, as well. Here are a few tips that will help you attend to your nonverbal communication while you're selling yourself during your next interview, performance review or even client sales call.

Practice makes perfect. Start paying attention to your body language now, don't wait for the interview. If you are currently working while you job search, pay attention to your body language when you talk with co-workers, superiors and employees. Notice how you sit during meetings and what you do with your hands and arms during business occasions like dinners. Are you sitting up straight or do you tend to slouch? Do you speak in a confident tone with direct eye contact or do you tend to look down instead? If you are currently unemployed, pay attention to your body language with your family and in social situations. First, notice how you're coming across and even better, ask for feedback. Find out how friends, family and co-workers perceive you by asking those close to you that you can confide in and trust.

Then practice improving your body language, as often as possible, in every situation. For example, if you find that you don't like to make eye contact, make an effort to meet someone's eyes when talking to them. Of course you don't want to stare, but brief moments of eye contact show that you can connect with others and that you are sure of what you are saying. If you normally slouch, sit up and sit forward when making an important point to show you're confident and engaged in the conversation. And if you have a habit of crossing your arms, make an effort to unfold them and leave them at your sides. If that feels strange, try gesturing instead. If you're a woman and tend to play with your hair when you get nervous, hold a pen instead during a meeting.

Whatever habit you may have, if it belies the fact that you're nervous, you come across as less confident, and less believable, as a result. Have a close friend or family member help you with your body language when at home, as well. Practice your interview questions with several people, attending to your body language. Get their feedback. The key is to train yourself to always have body language that indicates you are open and confident.

Prepare in advance. When you have prepared well for a job interview, including your research, responses and questions, that makes it easier to make a good impression with your nonverbal communication. When you have prepared your responses well, you will feel more at ease and confident. If a question catches you off guard, you'll be more comfortable pausing for a moment if you've prepared. If you find yourself getting nervous, take a deep breath to keep your nerves at bay and ground yourself again. Taking a breath to get grounded in your body again will help you remain calmer and present. It will also give you a better demeanor overall which will improve your body language.

Be organized. It is important to prepare your answers, but it is also important to prepare and organize your materials. You should have everything organized and easily accessible, including your resume, your reference list or even your presentation, so you're not scrambling around to locate them.

Imagine that you are rummaging through your portfolio trying to find your resume in the waiting room or even worse, during the interview. What would your face and body language look like? Not positive. If the hiring manager sees this, it most likely would not be a stellar moment, and you wouldn't be making the first impression that you want to get the job. As part of preparing for the interview in advance,

collect and organize your items at home before you leave, in a way that you can easily reach for what you want at the right moment.

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