In Response to "Why are there so many women in HR? - Marianne Huggett"

Why are there so many women in HR? - Marianne Huggett, "http://www.humanresourcesmagazine.com.au/articles/6E/0C03F46E.asp?Type=60&Category=1166"

Dear Marianne,

I want to clarify it on the first instance that, I am writing this with no disrespect to any person or the HR profession, but what I experienced in India during my tenure as working professional, as business school graduate and after that as Job placement consultant. I can be reached on Linked at http://www.linkedin.com/in/sandipdeintraprenuer

During my business school graduation, I felt 90% of the candidate applied for Human Resources management are women, but when I talked to them I found most of them took HR as a course as they think it is hard to deal with Finance, Marketing and Systems and pursue as a career. I then collected data from other business school and even from the IIM Calcutta. But still find just a little deviation from the fact HR was taken as they think it is easy for them and not because they like it.

As said by you Madame , “HR is generally perceived to be a profession based around people and people skills. Men – and this is too deep a topic to be specific about – tend to be attracted to areas that are more systematic, more structured and more competitive.” I will say you are quite correct to some extent but still the top positions are held by Men and these fresh graduates who are actually never bend towards HR as a profession are being groomed by them. The result being a mutation of thought and this I felt in a big brand company I had worked with. I had searched very deep in it to get the source of the thought and found the same. The though which was prevailing, “a person coming out of B-School should be treated as a fresher if he is not from a premiere ranked B-School. What ever experience and/ or domain knowledge he/ she possess is insignificant. His/ Her pay-scale, rank and every thing other than work responsibility and profile will be decided on basis of it. Without even looking in detail of how statistically correct the B-Schools are being ranked.” Many such incidence was experienced by me in this recession phase while working as a Job consultant. That add to my worries a lot.

Human Resource management is as important function as procurement. If we trade in cost to quality you cannot expect a better product. And if getting myopic on cost saving by doing as above stated then actually we are not considering the effect of Type I an Type II errors and their cost implications.

I know able women are much efficient than men in this profession but I can’t say how good it would be with women non-able and mutant in terms of thinking process. The world is changing as both men and women are, history provides us only reference but if present is getting disrupted there will be no hope in future. It is high time that education is given only by selection not by choice. If someone is not for a purpose s(he) should be not for it.

Mare statements will do no good, it is required to spread awareness.

I regret may be my letter is somewhat unorganized but I hope I am able to convey what I intended to say.

Best Wishes and Warm Regards,

Sandip De