Dave Ulrich is the Rensis Likert Professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan and a partner at the RBL Group. He has published over 200 articles and book chapters and over 25 books. He has consulted and done research with over half of the Fortune 200. He has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from HR Magazine in 2012 for being the “father of modern human resources” He talks to us about Talent Acquisition, Leadership, Diversity and India’s demographic dividend in this exclusive online interview.

Q. The ‘War for talent’ has been an ongoing struggle with huge costs to organizations. The departure of ‘tacit knowledge’ is often the most non-quantifiable but one of the biggest blows. Despite years of employee development and engagement, there is an inevitable but regrettable loss of talent. Given the collateral damage, when will the ‘War for talent’ result in a decisive organizational victory?

Dave: Individuals act as agents for themselves. In managing talent, organizations can help bring the right people into an organization, motivate them to do good work while in the organization, train and develop them for future work, and hopefully retain them for long term success. I believe most organizations in the last 15 years have done a relatively good job at crafting talent management processes to bring people into, through, and out of the organization. But, people still have agency and choice. I believe the victory of talent is not about talent, but organization. Can leaders create a culture, system, or teamwork that outlives and outlasts the organization? Individual talent matters, but organization capability matters more. I believe that there is victory through organization and this victory comes by building the right capabilities that a company requires to win. Talent is not enough. HR professionals need to establish organizations that leverage individual talent through collective actions. The whole organization should be greater than the separate parts.

Q. There is an increasing element of Narcissism in Leadership of companies, whereby organizations are being viewed as a macrocosm of the leadership rather than the Leadership being construed as a microcosm of the organization. How should this worrying trend be addressed?

Dave: Leaders matter, but leadership matters more. An individual leader (CEO or other c-suite executive) shapes a culture, but the leaders s/he brings on board do more for the culture than any single individual leader. Leadership narcissism is rampant when a leader thinks about him before others. Good leaders do not start actions by thinking about what they will do, but how their work will impact those they care about. Leaders who start by thinking about serving others will emphasize on leadership, cultures, and eventually companies that are focused on service more than self interest.

Q. The LGBT community in India has once again been criminalized after a brief reprieve. During the interim respite, HR, in many organizations, had initiated specific Diversity & Inclusion engagements with the LGBT community. However the re-criminalization of the community has led to the surreptitious jettisoning of these fledgling initiatives. Despite a need for compliance with the local law, how can HR be a driver for an attitudinal transformation to realize diversity as a business imperative, within and importantly beyond the organization?

Dave: Diversity of all types (race, religion, global background, and sexual preference) is a sign of respect. In organizations, diversity should be seen less as a social agenda and more as a business imperative. When people who have different backgrounds or behaviors learn to work together, innovation goes up, customer service can increase, and employees can be more productive. HR can help in this effort. First, model in HR function what the organization should do. Second, put in place policies and practices that reinforce diversity. Third, coach business leaders on specific behaviors they take or don’t take to encourage diversity. Fourth, hold people accountable for diversity. This means having consequences for those who act badly.

Q. Under a new dispensation, India aspires to become a manufacturing giant but is hobbled by vast pool of unskilled labour, which is hoped to be a demographic dividend in the years to follow, because of an ageing world. In this context, how can HR play a strategic partner to the edifying area of Nation-building?

Dave: Employment starts by being explicit about the types of employment that would be most useful. There are stages of country economic development which may focus the employment opportunities:

With the stage(s) of economic development identified, government policy may then encourage both education and employment in those targeted industries. Talent interventions may include:

1. Government subsidizing (through direct grants, tax abatements, or investments) targeted industries to encourage their growth.
2. Government learning about key success factors in targeted industry groups through best practice studies or industry forums.
3. Sponsored education with student scholarship, faculty research grants, and degrees focused on targeted industries. Student scholarships may include education opportunities in the world’s top academic institutions to gain insight about the targeted area.
4. Government co-sponsored education to employment transitions, e.g., government paying a portion of one to three years of salary for targeted industries for qualified employees
5. Government and industry co sponsoring training initiatives where employees may attend consortia or focused events to acquire skills to participate in targeted industry.

To read more about Dave Ulrich visit: www.daveulrich.com

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