500? Any one?

Just say India win the toss and bat on Boxing Day. If Virender Sehwag receives half the strike, if he repeats his 1.19-runs-a-ball scoring rate of two years ago, when he batted through a day in Mumbai for 284, and if he doesn't get out, he will bring up his 500th run shortly before tea on the second afternoon, at 2.32pm to be exact. If he goes a little faster, as fast as in the Indore one-dayer last fortnight, the clock will say four minutes past mid-day when he crosses for run number 500. "Run" is a misnomer, actually: there'll be not much running, mostly a whole lot of standing and swatting, if Viru becomes Test history's first 500 man.

Four hundred is the record, set by Brian Lara in St John's. Curious to think, that's not so much more than Len Hutton's 364 in 1938, a mere 36-run rise in 73 years, a case of arrested evolution, an anomaly - now, a sitting duck in Wisden's books. Already Sehwag has blitzed the one-day record 16 days ago with his 219 in Indore. And he is the one who can repeat the same feat in test too. Making the Wisden book look a bit younger.

So will it be?

Is Your Gen Y Recruiting Strategy Getting ROI?

After quite a lull companies are beginning to advertise for new positions and recruiters are becoming busy again. This is a good sign that the economy is starting to improve. However, the market is growing more competitive, and a one size fits all approach to recruiting won't cut it anymore. Recruiting today seems to be a rush job. Recruiters get a position description and scour the internet for a match. Recruiters find a CV that matches the position description and send an often canned, cold and generic email. Recruiting has become less and less personalized.

Many companies do not embrace a diverse recruiting strategy that mirrors the current diverse pool of applicants. I've seen minimal use of cross generational recruiting; meaning lack of adapting the recruiting strategy and approach based on different demographics. This approach is not always the best means to attract certain qualified talent, particularly Gen Y talent. A Baby Boomer will not respond to the same style and approach of recruiting as a Gen-Y'er.

Generations view things differently and thus expect different ways of being recruited. With an ever changing and more diverse workforce, recruiting must become more unique and customized if organizations wish to attract the best possible Gen Y talent.

Gen Y's those born from 1979 to present : are one of the largest demographics entering the workforce. It is estimated that this generation will make up approximately 46% of the workforce by 2014, so attracting and retaining them is critical to organizational success. So, what are some things to consider when recruiting Gen Y?

First Contact: Gen Y values a personalized touch. A canned and generic email will often turn them off immediately to a potential new position. If sending an email inquiry to a potential Gen Y candidate, use their name, not "dear candidate". Take the time to discuss why you think they may be a fit for the role as it relates to their own experience. This lets them know you have actually reviewed their CV and job goals and not just mass emailed based on a keyword search. Gen Y also values details, so for the quickest possible response, include the job description, and why you see them as a fit in the first correspondence.

Response: Gen Y is a tech savvy generation. If first contact regarding a possible new role peaks their interest, they waste no time in responding. They utilize the technology at their finger tips (Wifi, Blackberry email etc.) to promptly express interest. They expect the same in return. If your organization has high interest in the candidate, then don't let communication lapse. Respond proactively, promptly, and personalized with establish next steps.

Expectations: Once the time for the first conversation has been set, use that time to set clear expectations with the potential Gen Y candidate. Take the time to explain in detail what they can expect in the new role and from the organization, and what would be expected of them. Be congruent, honest, and transparent about everything from salary and work life balance, to culture and roles and responsibilities. Gen Y is very tuned into organizational culture. One of the main reasons Gen Y talent tends to leave an organization within the first year is because what they were told they can expect is not the reality. Try and prevent this from the first conversation.

Interviewing: Be prepared for Gen Y to ask detailed questions regarding not just the potential role but the organization overall. Gen Y views interviewing as a two way process. Often recruiters don't have the specific information required to answer certain questions. If this is the case, make sure the people the candidate interviews with are knowledgeable of the various parts of the organization and can answer specific questions.

Offer: If the process leads to making a job offer, then do not only do so in writing, but also make the personalized phone call. This call should come from the person who will be the candidate’s direct supervisor. Often disconnects exist between recruiting and the actual departments and managers who the employee will be working with. Gen Y values open and honest communication in all directions. Having the opportunity to speak directly with the individual they will be reporting to offers them the opportunity to begin to build a relationship immediately and get any last minute questions and concerns addressed.

After the offer is accepted, the next step is on boarding, but it doesn't end there. Recruitment is phase one, once the employee joins the organization focus must be placed on engagement and retention. I will discuss more about these topics in future posts.

Steve Jobs: 1955 -2011

Statement of SAP co-CEO Jim Hagemann Snabe on Steve Jobs (English version). Recorded on Thursday, October 6th at 12:00 p.m. at SAP headquarters in Walldorf, Germany.

Procurement & HR: realizing each other’s value.

The worlds of human resources (HR) and procurement have become increasingly entwined as the greatest cost to most organizations these days is that of human capital. To better manage this important and complex resource, HR and procurement professionals have had to collaborate and strategize more than ever before.

The evolution of the “traditional” procurement organization.

The “traditional” procurement organization has evolved to a “Sourcing and Procurement Services Organization” or “Strategic Sourcing Organization.” This elevated, more strategic function of procurement is working closely with HR now more than ever before. Sourcing professionals usually handle the high-value, high-risk, high-reward, and highly complex types of purchases (mainly focused on services or specialty items) where procurement is focused on the operations side (“procure to pay” and “invoice review and recovery”). The trend is clear and is likely here to stay — more HR services are now purchased with sourcing and procurement departments used as an intermediary. To be effective, HR and procurement teams must understand how to unlock value from one another by building a relationship that helps generate efficiencies and, ultimately, more effective acquisition of talent and other HR-related services (e.g., healthcare insurance) for their companies.

We've reached a tipping point in the HR/procurement relationship.

No longer “new” to one another, HR executives and procurement professionals are at a stage where their partnership has reached a certain level of maturity. HR executives — once used to managing their own supply base, developing relationships with vendors and negotiating their own deals — are bringing their procurement counterparts to the table. Likewise, procurement teams are striving to add value and show that they are not just a formality that needs to be managed in the purchasing process.

Creating value is not as easy as bringing HR and procurement teams together and asking them to collaborate. The teams must establish a strong working relationship that starts with a foundation of mutual understanding and respect for one another's competencies.

How can HR and procurement teams best collaborate to unlock their combined value?

The Steps:

1. Speak the same language.

Anyone who works amongst peers of the same discipline every day has a tendency to speak in their own language. To set clear objectives and manage processes effectively, HR/procurement teams must understand one another clearly. Avoid HR/procurement-speak and, in instances where it's unavoidable, explain what terms mean. If you don't understand what something means, ask. For example, if the procurement team is discussing “aggregation” (combining buying power in specific categories within the various business units within a company), it may not be a familiar term or idea for the HR executives with whom they are working. It would be important when discussing aggregation to be sure everyone in the room understands the concept so that they can provide input on where aggregation would be optimal.

2. Trust and value one another's expertise.

Procurement and HR teams must engage with one another without one side trying to dominate the other. Both parties must come to the table with the understanding that the ultimate objective is to meet the business goal (i.e., secure the right talent and HR services for the company's needs) and that, in partnership, they will deliver a more valuable solution. Without this foundation of trust and respect, working together toward that end goal becomes increasingly complex and tedious, which can create detrimental results.

3. Remember your soft skills when establishing your partnership.

HR/procurement is an area where a hard-skills approach must be balanced with a soft-skills approach. The procurement team must position itself as a strategic partner to HR, guiding the department in the direction it recommends vs. “taking over” negotiations or vendor relationships. HR must remember that procurement's agenda isn't necessarily contradictory to its own, and should be open to other ideas and recommendations. Having a candid dialogue and leveraging the expertise, experience and knowledge of both parties, will lead to a more effective solution for the company.

4. Create a consistent approach to vendor relationships.

Uniting HR and procurement has provided companies with a single view of their supply base, rather than each HR specialty knowing only about its own suppliers. This can lead to cost efficiencies due to scale/scope of services provided to the overall organization. However, most organizations that have procurement teams still have a large portfolio of HR services providers to manage. Creating a consistent approach to vendor relationships not only helps the vendors come to expect a certain working relationship with your company, but can help ensure consistency in management of that relationship between procurement and HR as well. A consistent approach to managing and negotiating with suppliers can eliminate gray areas between HR and procurement during the process, while also helping to generate efficiencies throughout the partnership.

5. Bring services purchasing expertise to the table.

HR/procurement is vastly different from materials purchasing. Buys of services are more often based on relationships and are not returnable. Bringing a pure cost savings mentality to HR/procurement can hinder an HR/procurement team's relationship from the onset — value, not cost savings, is the ultimate goal. Staff quality and agency service levels are just as important as generating cost efficiencies.

Form a partnership and a consistent method of delivering value.

At the end of the day, clearly defining roles from the onset and throughout the decision-making process is critical to a combined HR/procurement team's success. Who makes the final decision? Who has the lead on the decision timeline? Who is in charge of the process? Those organizations that get it right stand to improve in their efficiency, value, and risk management. Those organizations that allow ineffective procurement/HR relationships to continue are missing a great opportunity to unlock value in their human capital strategy.

The 10 Commandments For 21st Century Customers

1. It's all about the customer ... and they know it. Customers want a 100% satisfying experience every time they use your products or come in contact with your company. If customers don't experience it from you, they'll quickly turn elsewhere.

2. The customer always knows best. Always give them what they want ... not what you want ... or what you think research tells you they want ... or what the ad agency said worked for a former client like you. Even if customers don't know what they want, they certainly know what they don't want.

3. Know Your Customer. Understand their needs, likes, dislikes and expectations. Customers are not nameless, faceless entities. Listen to their feedback through measurable, real-time Voice of Customer programs and just by talking with them.

4. Get Customer Feedback and Act Quickly. The internet has given customers a forum where they can make you or break you. Customers want to give you their opinions and concerns. Make sure they tell you ... before they tell your competitor ... or the internet internet! Once you get their feedback, acknowledge it and act quickly.

5. Always Tell Customers The Truth. Customers can smell a lie a mile a way. If you lie, customers will sooner or later will find out the truth. If they don't, the media or somebody else will.. If you lie once, they'll never give you the chance to lie to them again.

6. Customer Service Is Only A Small Part of The Equation. Top quality service is a given. Customers expect a whole lot more ... like two way communication and feedback ... uniquely personalized experiences that provide them with 100% satisfaction 100% of the time ... easy to navigate web sites ... low prices ... free shipping ... and these are just for starters. Don't be lured into a false sense of security thinking you have great customer service and that's all you need to do.

7. Always under-promise and over-deliver. Customers have high expectations and don't like to be disappointed. One of the keys to maximizing customer experience is to continually exceed their expectations. As they say in show business, "always keep them coming back for more!"

8. Customers Always Have Choices and Options. They can always find other solutions, products and companies who are willing to give them what they need. Customers know that somewhere in the world exactly what they want exists, and all they have to do is go online to find it.

9. Always Maximize The Customer Experience. Today's customers don't settle or accept product shortcomings as easily as their parents and grandparents did. Customers expect maximum satisfaction from every product experience at every touch point they have with you.

10. Never Forget Rule Number One.