Author: Nevoxel

Maritime sector holds a significant position in global economy and maritime transport
accounts for around 90% of worldwide trade. Historically the economic prosperity of
nations has been linked to trade through the sea. Hence, we can say that oceans are
the “super-highway,” that links economies together and facilitating exchange of value,
be it food grains, manufactured products natural resources among other goods of
necessity. Hence maritime transport influences lot of industries, directly or indirectly
impacting development of the maritime dependent sectors, which in turn fosters
economic growth and job creation.

Seafarers “The unsung hero’s”
In the past few years, the shipping industry has experienced a massive expansion in
demand reflecting the growth in volume of seaborne trade with a CAGR of 2.5 %. This
has directly resulted in more sea men at work putting a tremendous pressure on
seafarers work life balance. Nearly all things sold world-wide are transported through
ships, which need skilled seafarers. Without “Seafarers” there can be “NO Shipping”.
Needless to say, the word would come to a halt and the people would be devoid
of their basic necessities if the ships and seafarers didn’t work. It is because of
these seafarers businesses around the world continue to thrive. The seafarers are
the unsung heroes and are probably the least understood for their tremendous
contribution they make to the industry. While people on land work in their extremely
cozy offices, seafarers work through toughest conditions to ensure that
businesses around the world do not stop.

Seafarers – “Are they really cared for”

•  Are the shipping companies equipped to adhere to the need of their seafarers?
• Is there sound HR policy in place to ensure their aspirations are met?
•  Do companies really care for their mental health?
•  Is there an effective career development plan for them when they plan to switch
  ashore?
•  Is there any policy in place which takes care of their family, if anything goes
  wrong with them during their leave period?
•  The list can go endless….

Seafarers are a unique breed of workers, often more resilient and robust than their
standard nine-to-five counterparts. They spend months at sea, separated from their
dear ones, and work selflessly. People’s lives and economies would not be the same in
the absence of the activities carried out in seas and without the seafarers. Hence, the
seafarer deserves a better work life balance.

Mentioned below are some of the pointers that the companies should consider:
Need for effective human resource planning and sound HR policy
The companies need to take utmost care for the sacrifices a seafarer makes. Their
needs to be assurance of physical, emotional, financial support and job security so
seafarers can work stress free. Mere hiring of people is not enough, companies must
train them for the purpose. There need to be a proper career development system to
achieve a balance between individual career needs and organizational workforce
requirements. To recruit and retain best talent, organizations not only need to be high
performing but also be seen to be credible with integrity and value system. Hence
organizations which adopt the human resources as ‘’partners in progress’ policy
demonstrating a distinct HR philosophy characterized by employment security,
company flexibility, sharing of financial success with the workforce will survive. This
necessitates that shipping companies have a sound human resource planning for
creating future workforce both for sea and at shore.

Need for Effective Training & Development Programs
Managing people is about working with your workforce on a partnership basis to
achieve the strategic goals of the organization. There need to be proper training and
development program for the seafarer. Training must be viewed as an important
investment for firms’ future success and not as a liability. It is important to enhance
interpersonal relationship between people on board as well on shore to ensure that all
jobs are done smoothly and safely. Teamwork is important as it enables shared
responsibilities. When you work together and succeed together, you feel good and you
foster a better working relationship with your colleagues.

Need for seafarers’ good mental health and wellbeing
Effective training in mental health awareness for seafarers and shore based maritime
professionals working with seafarers can have a very positive impact on seafarers’
mental wellbeing. There need to be a Proper Training that can equip seafarers with the
skills needed to effectively respond to a concern on board or within their company.
Training should also emphasize about the importance of looking after ones own mental
health during a voyage.

Conclusion
The employees of any organisation are the driving force behind its success and an HR
has an important role to play to manage the human capital. Today, employees are
seeking a reliable and supportive environment during uncertain times. Hence,
companies need to focus on building strong leadership and a sense of trust among the
current workforce and potential employees. A strategic HR provides a roadmap for
solving an organization's biggest challenges with people-centric solutions. This
approach requires HR input during policy creation, talent management, compensation,
succession planning, corporate culture and employee wellbeing. For a solid productivity
plan to work, companies should be focusing on accomplishing future goals with
strategies that increase employees' overall productivity. HR can make employees
happier and more productive by providing an enjoyable work environment that help
retain talent. Prosperity from sea have been an historic fact. However, to realise its
potentiality in the new age of technology, an enabling environment need to be created.
This can happen through effective HR policies and linking the aspirations of seafarers to
those policies.

At Nevoxel Consulting, we strive to engage as partners to maritime organisation and
seafarers alike through enacting the role of creating inquisitiveness and interest in the
organisation for seafarers, while identifying the best possible candidate fit for the
organisation. Our approach is consultative. We act as career – coaches to seafarers to
provide market situations including types of jobs, skills in demand, and career
progression prior to co-creating the most appropriate career roadmap for the seafarer
along with action plans. This career enabler role is aimed at developing a healthy
professional relationship with seafarers and mapping their interest and fitment to the
role entails a consultative approach to strategic workforce management to the clients.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal
Founder: Nevoxel Counsulting

When you are working, your professional network is working for you as you are constantly in touch with your assiduity connections which can open numerous unanticipated doors. If you are not working, you are out of sight and out of mind. While searching for a new job, being in a job gives you leverage to negotiate terms. You are in a greater position to demand and get what you want and without a job, this leverage goes out the window.
Looking out for a job while employed might add some trouble to your existing position if not taken due care.
To ensure a successful job search while you’re still employed, here are few do’s and don’ts:

1. Re-evaluate yourself
You should evaluate self to determine what you need in a job to be happy. It’s always good to know your worth. During the pandemic, people have had the opportunity to re-evaluate their career paths and jobs, and think through what’s next. Just don’t be stuck where you are and it’s always good to do timely check on your potential.
2. Don’t surpass the possibilities with your present employer
Before you venture out for a new job, be dare enough to discuss with your existing employer what you want. If you can see yourself growing in your current company work out a plan together that will address your need. Growth and people oriented Companies are open to having these conversations to retain their talent. It can be much easier to transfer to another division in your present company than to start from scratch somewhere else.
3. Be discreet
Avoid posting your resume on various job sites, Instead, establish one-on-one connections and share your profile to people you know. Figure out where you’d like to work, then approach people in that company privately or take assistance of professional job consultants to assist you in the job search. Don’t advertise that you’re looking around. Ask your potential employer to maintain confidentiality. Be clear and specific about your need for discretion.
4. Don’t neglect your existing job
While searching a job do not neglect your present duties as it might bring you in scanner. You may not want your negligence to your duty to give signal to your boss or co-workers that your brain has left the building even if your body is still there. Stay focused on your work and perform your duty diligently. This will preserve your reputation and you be able to leave, when the time comes, with your head held high.
5. Be in good terms with everyone at work
Never storm off in a huff no matter how frustrated you are, In the long term, it might cost bitter. At the very least, you don’t want to create a reputation as someone who leaves co-workers in a lurch. There could also be a chance that in future you might report to one at another company. Leaving with little or no notice can come back to haunt you for years to come so try leave on a good note.
6. Build your people network
Stay connected with your peers no matter where they are. The best way to find a job is through people you know who can vouch for your skills and knowledge, and work ethic. To stay connected join user groups, alumni connections, social platform and attend networking events. Ensure to stay in touch and re-establish your relationship with anyone who has added value in your career you in the past.
7. Optimise LinkedIn
LinkedIn is an excellent professional platform where you bump into people you know, or might want to know hence should use this tool effectively. Don’t just simply like and share posts on LinkedIn rather look for ways to establish a connect by doing a comment on posts from other people. Look for opportunity to meet your LinkedIn connect offline as this would further strengthen your relations with them.
8. Don’t beat the trumpet
Loose lips can jeopardize your current and prospective job so be patient. Your job search should not make noise as it might land you in trouble. Avoid to mention your job search on social media as It may find its way back to your current employer, and prospective employers may view your lack of discretion unfavourably.
To conclude, sometimes a job search reveals that grass only looks greener on the other side.  If you discover how much you enjoy your current job, there is nothing wrong with calling off the search and being where you are. However, having said that You should slow down the search, and if you realize throughout your job search that you are at a great company with a great job, go slow and put the search on the back burner till you feel the heat.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal
Founder – NEVOXEL COUNSULTANCY

Each of us as individuals is ultimately in charge of managing our own career irrespective of where we work. Managing one’s own career is an ongoing activity. Each of us has a different career aspiration. What works for one may not work for others. Your vision of success is an individual one, and only you can determine what makes your life fulfilling. By identifying specific goals and working on career development plan you can make a meaningful progress toward effectively managing your career.
So, what steps can we take to do that? Here are some ways to manage your career effectively.
1. Welcome opportunities
Taking calculated risks will keep you ahead of the league. Be vigilant and take the lead and make the best of the opportunities which is aligned to your interest. Watch those who are successful at what you aspire to be/do and make appropriate changes.
2. Focus on your strengths
Focusing on too many skills may not allow you to achieve optimal results. Rather than infusing your energy to improve on your weakness, focus on the skills that you are good at and make efforts to strengthen it so you can go from good to great.
3.Build on your personal brand
What differentiates you from the others and makes you unique is your own “personal brand” Your brand is what people say about you when you are not in the room. So, figure out your brand differentiators and invest wisely building on your skills. Be your authentic self, showing how your skills makes you stand out from the crowd.
4. Develop a long-term career aspirations plan.
You must know what you want out of your career, and you should be clear about your career goals. Explore your strengths, needs, interests and aspirations to drive your plan. Develop your
career goals while thinking about job satisfaction and what will give you a sense of accomplishment and fulfilment.
5. Break it up with short-term action items.
After you determine your long-term career goal, break it into short-term action items. As you plan these, identify potential developmental opportunities, such as: skill-building classes, professional development programs, on-the-job training, guidance from mentors or advisors.
6. Build your network.
Networking is the key to success today. It should be more about relationship building and not just transactional. Work to get to know people. Allow people to get to know you. Volunteer for
assignments to build skills and connections. The benefits will unfold with time.
7. Think about your accomplishments differently.
Quantifying your work experience is the key to landing a new job or getting a promotion. people who stand out talk about their responsibilities in terms of numbers, achievements, and results, and they have examples to back it up.
8. Evolve continuously
In order to remain competitive in a constantly changing workplace its crucial to grow and evolve. Keep yourself up to date with the latest industry trends and take the necessary training to move to the next level. The more you move in this way, the more valuable you will be to your manager, team and the company. This approach also positions you for future opportunities that may exist outside of your industry.

Ultimately, you are the CEO of your career. Manage your career like a business – where your career is a business, and you are the product. Since professional development is no longer linear, it’s more important than ever to take charge of your future.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal
Founder – NEVOXEL COUNSULTANCY

The highly unusual blend of diverse working styles, engagement types, locations, and shift patterns used by enterprises operating in the supply chain and logistics sector is what makes this sector so fascinating.
Standard company responsibilities like sales, marketing, human resources, customer service, and finance are typically included, along with several extra operational tasks related to distribution, transportation, and warehousing. Depending on what your company actually performs in this market, you may have a mix of full- and part-time employees working for you, as well as contractors, subcontractors, and even additional temporary support in the shape of agency workers during peak seasons. It is also no secret that this workplace is typically quite hurried, with a lot of pressure to complete tasks on time and accurately. Every company wants to deliver things on schedule, in full, and in acceptable condition. All of these traits make supply chain and logistics incredibly interesting, but they also provide a very special set of difficulties for workplace mental health and wellness.

Firstly, we must recognize the value and significance of strong interpersonal connections and open lines of communication inside an organisation. This fosters a culture of trust and gives each employee a sense of purpose rather than treating them like insignificant cogs in a
massive machine. It fosters an environment of openness and honesty where employees are more likely to discuss problems and come up with ideas that will help your company grow.

Below are some of the ways to promote the culture of well-being at the workplace.

Employee Assistance Program
This is a really great method to help your staff and demonstrate your genuine concern for their well-being. You can have a variety of options depending on the service you decide to choose. But the majority of these applications ought to and probably will offer the following choices:

•  Mental health support
• Financial and legal advice
•  Childcare / Eldercare
•  Work conflict

Mental Health First Aiders
A team of Mental Health First Aiders should be trained by every company in addition to the Employee Assistance Program. These workers will be capable of offering assistance and direction in times of need since they are trained to recognise the warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. A well-organized group of Mental Health First Aiders should actively promote a healthy mental health culture within the company. This serves to shield many people from needless suffering and potential emergencies. A supportive workplace culture promotes teamwork, fosters better employee connections and communication, and improves the organization ability to attract top talent.

Diversity and Inclusion

Initiatives like aid in eradicating discrimination inside the organisation and guaranteeing that each employee is accorded respect and empathy while also being treated equally. A well-thought-out plan will encourage loyalty among your current staff members while also luring top talent and sparking creative thought within your company.

Colleague Forum
Another excellent program that increases employee involvement, offers everyone a voice and promotes two-way communication. Your forum should be established so that it can host frequent meetings with colleagues from all areas of the company. This is an opportunity to gather viewpoints and recommendations, speak up and represent employee perspectives, engage with the management, and provide the leadership team with direct input.

Management training
When someone is promoted, this is something that is frequently ignored. Internal career advancement is a fantastic notion, but you must take into account that the person who is promoted will now have new duties that call for new skill sets. Your main responsibility as a team leader or line manager is to guide a group of people and ensure their welfare. Your goal is not merely to be good at what you do. Because of this, it is crucial that your line managers and team leaders receive training on how to lead and inspire a team, communicate effectively, handle day-to-day problems, and set priorities.

Conflict resolution
This is a crucial ability in the context of the employee assistance program. It is highly advantageous to incorporate this into your line managers training. Occasional confrontation is practically unavoidable in such a fast-paced setting with a variety of diverse personalities and viewpoints. You may help prevent the situation from growing and becoming a more serious disciplinary issue by providing your supervisors with training on how to handle disagreement and how to react to conflict.

Wellbeing courses
Any organisation would benefit greatly from having a team of mental health first responders, but well-being shouldn’t just be a one-time issue that is checked off the list and forgotten. If you want to build a strong and successful organisation, making mental health and wellness a priority should be a top priority. In addition to educating a group of first responders, you should consider offering classes to workers at all levels and in all locations. Provide training on emotional intelligence, resilience, stress management, and other topics after giving your employees a basic foundation of mental health and well-being through awareness classes.

Providing Honour
Many employees cited this as being significant to them, despite the fact that it is something that is frequently ignored. Giving praise is not just about being paid also about noting when someone goes above and beyond the call of duty to help out a co-worker in need.

Workplace programs like Employee of the Month or  Extra Mile and provide co-workers a chance to recognise and draw attention to other co-workers who are putting forth exceptional effort and acting in a way that is consistent with your organization values.

Knowing each other’s respective roles
Lack of mutual knowledge of duties and responsibilities leads to a lot of employee conflict and issues. It should not come as a surprise to you that your distribution and office staff are frequent if you have office and warehouse teams working together under one roof. Through programs like a mile in my shoes. Employees can get a first-Handok at what it like to work in another department, better understanding the issues that their co-workers face on a daily basis.

Team bonding
Engaging your staff in activities aside from their regular duties will help them build relationships and trust with one another. Where many firms make mistakes is when they plan team-building activities for only certain teams, denying employees the chance to interact with colleagues from other departments of the company. You should think about inviting co-workers from various departments, teams, locations, and levels when organising team-building activities. This provides an opportunity for your staff to network with and build relationships with colleagues from various company functions.

Co authors:
Neetu Jaiswal, Founder Nevoxel Consultancy
Keyuri Solanki, Management Intern (IIM Kashipur)

“Can we change the consciousness of an organization without changing the consciousness of the people working within the organization?” It needs deep thinking!

If we go into the history of management, the locomotive of economic change affecting the organization globally was either America or Japan. The organizations are managed based on the American system – the Taylorism approach or the Japanese – Kaizen system. But, in today’s era, even these systems do not seem to work in tandem with the growing economy.

American system moreover worked like military style, they said, “bring your hands to work and we will use our head”. The decision making was centralized. This system went on for about 30 years and then emerged Total Quality Management by the Japanese, they realized the creativity of every human mind and said, “why just come with your hands, bring your creative mind as well” They valued people’s creativity, ideas and suggestions and thus introduced the Kaizen system. This helped them emerge as leaders of the world. But today even this system is facing challenge.
Organisations of today are becoming more purpose driven moving away from profit driven. They not only need hand and head but also the hearts of the people. This changed landscape does need people who are aligned with the organisational purpose who are clear on & how one is adding value and contributing to the overall purpose of the organisation & while the individuals values and purposes are catered to by the organisation. The people management function which is the enabler of creating this kind of environment spend quality time and effort working towards building the overall capability of the organisation. Despite all this, why only few people get engaged and take up the responsibility? Motivation and commitment cannot be taught or brought about through trainings, The motivation must come from within and then change happens automatically. The effort should be to change the consciousness of the people, and this can only happen through proper awareness.

Now, how do we bring a change in the consciousness of the people, so they bring their heart at the workplace?
Consciousness gets a makeover with a flow of new information. To be able to take the right decision and to be successful, people need to be aware of the changing situation as the information helps to change our way of thinking. In today’s world, people must be more knowledgeable to enhance their level of discernment and their capability to take decisions and this enables taking up responsibility.
They need to be self – motivated.

So ,how do we start the wheel of self-motivation?

Self-confidence brings self-motivation and leading to job satisfaction. However, one needs to have the willpower to get the confidence to perform. Knowledge is power, which generates the inner strength and confidence. By developing knowledge, we have the confidence driving us to become persistent. With the confidence, we have the courage to take the initiative and bring about a change and when we master that change, there is job satisfaction. The most important and driving factor for motivation is satisfaction, which is the sense of achievement. It enriches us with valuable experience and enhances our learning which gives us more power, and this is how the wheel of self-motivation
starts. When people are motivated, they take ownership. When they enjoy their activity, they arm themselves with more knowledge. In the absence of lack of knowledge, there is neither an enjoyment nor satisfaction as there is no feeling of progress and self-development. The motivation is also affected, and life becomes mechanical.

Today we are flooded with information, and one needs to be selective and self – empowered to filter and absorb the correct information to enhance knowledge and understanding; else we only bring about a temporary change at the superficial level only.
There are various levels of change:
The first level of change is at the behavioural level – to bring about change in our actions and
activities.
The second level of change is at the intellectual level – start understanding things in a different way.
The third level of change is at the emotional level – bringing a change in our feelings.
The fourth level of change is at the consciousness level – To change the consciousness means to change our thinking process. When you nourish your mind with healthy positive inputs, you empower yourself. One needs to be mindful and aware to feed the memory with positive input. Spiritual dimension thus enables one to empower self to get quality information or knowledge.

Knowledge generates will power and we can thus take focus of control in our own hands. Once we are self – reliant, we see things differently and manage them in a better way. This allows one to have a balanced approach to view things without getting attached or being biased. Hence, organizations need to focus to change the consciousness of the people at the first level. For this there need to be a
robust system at the workplace where people not only bring their head and hands but also their heart.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal
Founder Nevoxel Consultancy

A career at sea is wonderful! However, after many years of sailing, there comes a time for a seafarer when the feeling seeps in, it’s enough! Now I must be on land. I often hear this from most of the seafarers who are contemplating transitioning ashore. However, this is easier said than done.
Leaving a fascinating sea career is not an easy decision, yet many seafarers who dared to come ashore early have not only conquered them but also remained undefeated in their new endeavors.
In this article, I will try to touch few important points which often a seafarer deliberates when he/she wish to make a transition ashore.

1. What is your purpose & objective behind considering a job ashore?
   The most important milestone is the DECISION to switch ashore come what may. The shore organizations are very skeptical in taking seafarers for the 1 st job ashore as they feel seafarers will not be able to adjust ashore and may go back to sailing citing various reasons. So, you need to be very clear of your objective as why do you wish to come ashore. Once you are clear of your objective only that you can convince the employer for your willingness to switch and can give them the confidence that you will not go back to sea.
2. When you think of a job ashore what do you think are your possible career options?
   Another important question a seafarer needs to check is the possible career options available ashore . A careful research, planning is required to ensure you hit the road right. There is a plethora of options available to shift ashore namely – Chartering, Operations, Commercial, Marketing, Sales each of which have people working within and being seafarer will give you an edge as compared to other candidates who are civilians. However, choosing the one thing which you are interested OR most importantly suited to, will go a long way. You could talk to various shore professionals into different roles and seek their advice, understand all the pros and cons so it does not come as a surprise to you. Take your time, you need to have a decent length of run up for mental preparation This exercise will assist in firming up your decision.
3. When you think of a job ashore what minimum salary expectation do you have? Sailing salary vis -a -vis shore salary are way apart so do not shift having a fancy notion that your sailing salary will be considered for shore job. Don’t be surprised that in spite of having a wealth of experience at sea you will be considered a fresher at shore. Having covered this, you would need to plan your finances accordingly. If not planned well, you will end up in a shock in the system and will be the waypoint for altering course back to sea.
4. When you think of a job ashore what factors appear in your favour?
   A very important deliberation for a seafarer. Don’t just switch just because you don’t wish to sail anymore and wish to start something ashore. Check whether your finances in control, whether you have a family support, if trying entrepreneurship do you possess the skill, if desire to pursue a career outside shipping do you have a desired qualification.
5. When you think of a job ashore what factors do you see as a challenge/challenges?
   Each may have a different challenge but majority I have observed is the adjustment to office culture. Age factor, financial obligation, Timeline are another factors to be taken into consideration. If you do not have the timeline factored in each of the above points, it will be very difficult to assess the time when you would be ready to quit.
6. What could be the probable solutions to overcome the above challenges?
   Clarity: which will come with deliberate contemplation and once cleared you now need to have a firm WRITTEN down action plan with associated timeline. Also, sharing the same with family will help them understanding your actions better.

The approach: Shore job brings a very different perspective on the industry which you felt “you knew it all”. Hence one should approach the shore job as a new beginning with lot of learning opportunities along the way.

Courses/training to switch ashore: Without clarity of purpose doing some course which is available, will be only waste of your time and money.80% of shore jobs available do not require any training other than the experience gained at sea.

To conclude: Switching ashore for seafarer has always been the toughest decisions of their life however, if proper due diligence is done, the decision could be very enriching and fulfilling for the seafarer and his family in the long run. If you have followed the above steps diligently, the chances of going back to sea is minimal. Last but not the least, once you have shifted ashore and started working, just have a faith and belief in yourself that your shore journey is also going to be adventurous and thrilling just the way you started your first voyage at sea.

Author: Neetu Jaiswal
Founder Nevoxel Counsultancy

Whether you are starting a new job or geared up for promotion it’s important to understand that negotiating your pay is perfecting normal part of the employment process. If you feel that your salary isn’t enough, you should feel empowered to negotiate in order to get what you deserve. Getting the salary you deserve is part of advancing in your career. While negotiating your salary you should also keep in mind that it should justify to what you are expecting from your employer. Let’s check below to dive further:

When should you consider to negotiate your salary?
If you’re satisfied with your current company and role, but not your compensation, you may decide to negotiate a pay raise rather than seeking out new employment. Depending on the current situation at your organization, this may or may not yield the results you’re hoping for, but either way, it’s best to go into these negotiations with a strategy.

• Almost all employees believe they deserve better compensation, but why they deserve this may not be fully apparent to their employers.
• If you want to get a raise in your pay you need to convince your employer that your value is higher than it was during your last pay period.
• You also need to show that you have plans that will continue to bring value to the company going forward.
• Most people cringe at the thought of asking their boss for a pay raise. If your company doesn’t do regular annual salary increases and you’re not up for a promotion, asking may be the only way to get the raise you know you deserve. You should understand that it is perfectly acceptable to ask for a raise,

Asking a raise isn’t easy yet it is one of the essential skills required in order to thrive in the corporate world. Negotiating a raise isn’t just about the money—it’s also about valuing your work. By knowing how to negotiate raises, you’ll also be able to value your performance and feel more satisfied with your job. While asking for a raise can seem intimidating, the process is manageable if you are well prepared. Let’s see some of the ways to negotiate your paycheck:

Research your position’s salary range: If you want to ask for a raise, you need to know your worth. Do some online salary research for your current role including job title, years of experience, skillset, job description, and location to see what the average salary and pay range is for someone similar to your role.

Make a list of your accomplishments: To show your manager that you’re valuable to the company, make a list of all of your accomplishments in your role. Be sure to include any additional responsibilities that you’ve taken on yourself, especially if those new responsibilities were self-led. Also consider highlighting any positive annual performance reviews your manager has conducted with you in recent years.
Decide on your target salary: Pick a pay raise number before you go into the negotiation. Make sure that you factor in your position’s current market value so that your target is within the average salary pay scale for others in your role.
Practice your argument: You’ll want to prepare everything you need ahead of time so that you don’t have to do too much quick thinking during the negotiation process. Consider practicing in the mirror or with friends or co-workers—or write everything down so you don’t forget any important details. Learn how to use your tone, inflection, and dynamic silence to support your ask.
Schedule the meeting: Schedule a short one-on-one with your manager and lay out your request. When negotiating salary raises, the most important thing to remember is to keep emotions out of it—the conversation will go more smoothly if both sides calmly and politely listen to each other’s position. Keep the negotiation up with healthy give-and-take until you both can reach a satisfying compromise.
Follow up. After the conversation, make sure to thank your manager for their time. If they gave you exactly the raise you wanted, congratulations! If not, evaluate what you got from the negotiation and whether or not you’ll be happy continuing to work for the company—if not, it’s time to start looking elsewhere for a new job.

Author: Hema Akkariki
Associate Consultant
Nevoxel Consulting

In the digital age, even the oldest of industries, Maritime can come under the wrath of cyberattack with the ever-growing use of information technology and satellite communication in the ocean going vessels.

Maritime cybersecurity does indicate the policies, processes, risk elements & architecture, tools, and applications those are used to protect the information/data from risks of any unauthorized access and control in their organization including vessels.

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), maritime cyber risk refers to a measure of the extent to which a technology asset could be threatened by a potential circumstance or event, which may result in shipping-related operational, safety, or security failures as a consequence of information or systems being corrupted, lost or compromised.

While the cybersecurity delves deep into operational technology and related areas which caters to network, satellite communication, GPS/navigation etc we will be more focused on the “information security” component and how HR will be enabling the culture of security mindset in an organisation within in the maritime industry.

HR Approach to information security

The role of HR in information security management in general will comprise of

• Understanding the overall risk framework including risk appetite of the organisation
• Providing clearly laid out HR processes to IT for risk assessment
• Understanding and working in tandem with IT to develop security measures in HR department
• Implementing security measures as part of the process
• Ensuring process compliance including audit management
• Creating awareness of security policy and process to all employees

The areas of HR focus on the information security management will be:

Developing Security measures

The objective of developing security measures will be in line with overall information security policy with a view to develop collection and access of information pertaining to employee including but not limited to internal employees but also the third parties as well as contractual employees.

The objective of such policy or clearly articulated process will be to reduce the risk of information collection which are not posing challenge to data privacy regulations or compliances, theft, fraud or inappropriate use of information systems including the data classification as well as control.  

For example, e-mail access before joining and after relieving, employee information collection format, storing as well as retrieval control, updating employee information, various external application access & control, etc are defined here.

Implementing security measures

The key to the success of security management is the effective implementation of the policy and procedural elements while also carrying out/participating in security audits periodically. This is the phase that will give enormous information pertaining to challenges in the collection and access of information at varied touch points of the employee life cycle.

Challenges and concerns with respect to the policy and procedural elements are understood to further refine the security measures will become a possibility once the implementation of security measures is completed.

Implementation mostly ascribes the policy violations and non-compliances identified during audits along with the action plans ensuring non-recurrence of such incidents. For example, employee login to access to an external application not being disabled upon change of role of the employee can become a threat to information theft which if not carried out on time will become a non-compliance issue.

Awareness and training

The most important role of HR in addition to creating and managing security measures for the employee-related information for the organization is creating awareness about information security and providing training for all employees on the security measures

The awareness training program aims to make employees aware of responsibilities as well as security procedures that need to be followed including but not limited to use of access to office premises, attendance, network, office mails and communications, external applications etc

The recent changes of employees working remotely need to be given more emphasis from an information security perspective as the chances of cyber-attack or information theft is more prone under these circumstances considering lack of awareness of employee in using systems and processes as per the security policy.

Needless to state the importance of security practices awareness and use in the organization though owned largely by the IT, cannot produce desired results lest HR department works closely with them to create awareness and continuous monitoring to take disciplinary measures. To ensure the employee information is managed and guarded effectively, HR will have to work closely with IT to develop policies and procedures while also imparting training and awareness sessions periodically.

Recession! A word which is no less than a spider, everyone is afraid to witness that. But is it a recession or the fear of recession that causes most of the problems? We tend to speculate that the economy is going into recession and we start curbing our expenses; start investing less; which in turn reduces the flow of money in the market and actually contributes to recession. We often fail to understand that the preventions we are taking out of the fear of recession are actually becoming the cause of the recession. Leadership plays a very crucial role during the recession. It is the ability of the leaders that ignites enthusiasm among the employees and helps them work with utmost efficiency and productivity. So, companies must relish those hard times and come out of them by turning this challenge into an opportunity for growth!

What is recession and how can companies win the battle against it?

Two consecutive quarters of declining GDP is a typical definition, but the economy need not be in a recession to meet this criterion. Any contraction of the economy, including declining output and consumption, rising unemployment, and (sometimes) falling prices, qualifies as a recession.

Living in a recession can be a little less difficult if you prepare for one beforehand. Companies can enter a recession as strongly as possible if the process is started when business is booming. A well-executed recession strategy positions a company to not just survive but even prosper during a downturn and be ready to expand once the economy picks up. Here are some ideas to think about:

• Mind the budget: That entails regularly re-evaluating expenses to prevent overspending, reallocate finances, and make sure a healthy amount is being saved, in addition to adhering to your budget. It could be time to cut back on spending and make necessary budget adjustments. Review your prior budgeting techniques and think about using similar ones if you’ve survived several recessions.

• Diversify offerings: A diversified company has a variety of revenue sources. A company’s broad product line indicates that one or more of its services might just be the ones that will continue to generate revenue and keep the business afloat during recessionary times when specific sorts of products and services take a blow and suffer a fall in demand.

• Protect your cash flow: A company’s cash flow is crucial to its survival and health. Being frugal with your company’s spending, creating and keeping a healthy cash reserve, ensuring that your clients’ debt obligations to your company are satisfied as frequently as feasible, and other actions can all help to keep your company’s cash flow positive. Keeping all business cash outflows to a minimum is equally vital on the other side of the coin.

• Keep debt and expenses to a minimum: Debt is a two-edged sword that, if not properly managed, may both be a source of one’s demise and be used as a tool for advancement. In good economic times, debt can help a business develop in a number of different ways. When an economy is going through a recession, the negative aspects of debt, particularly excessive levels of debt, come into play. Your company might not be making much (or any) money during these periods of decreased activity, making it possible that you won’t be able to pay your creditors back when they come knocking.

• Plan for the long term: Managing the firm on a day-to-day basis takes precedence over long-term planning during a recession, making it challenging to see the forest for the trees. This emphasizes how critical it is to create a strategy before a recession hits and anxiety takes hold. Additionally, it frees up time for businesses to develop, build the framework for new goods and services to launch once the economy improves, rework go-to-market plans in anticipation of better times ahead, and do market research. Keep up with new technology and equipment that might help the company in the future, even if money is tight and purchase options are restricted.

• Render support to the employees: During these hard times, employees need a constant source of motivation. In such a scenario, leadership plays a very crucial role. It is the responsibility of the leaders to cater to the emotional needs of the employees by constantly motivating them through a flexible working environment and creating a positive atmosphere wherein they work efficiently and it is the duty of the employers to induce enthusiasm into the workforce and drive them with zest and motivation so that their productivity does not get hampered in these difficult times.

The economic cycle will inevitably experience recessions. However, organizations that prepare in advance and implement preventive steps, such as creating an emergency fund, reducing debt, and outlining how to manage various recession situations, will find themselves in strong financial conditions when a recession hits. Some businesses may even see growth and investment during a recession, paving the way for stronger times once the good times resume.