A chat with HR Alva

Shri Heroor Rajaram Alva, popularly known as ‘HR’ Alva (13/7/1938 – 7/7/2015)

A doyen of the HR Profession in India, Shri HR Alvas has passed from this world but his legacy lives on as do his wise words. Brian Fernandes and Krishnadas Rai, both of whom have worked with him at ITI Ltd, had this chat with him earlier.

Mangaluru: A popular quote by Bill Eardley reads like this: “Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.” Shri Heroor Rajaram Alva, popularly known as HR Alva, a nationally renowned Human Resource Professional embodies this maxim. It is not clear whether it was his initials “H.R” or his love of people that prompted his career choice, but the Human Resource Management profession has, without doubt, benefited from his choice of career. His guiding philosophy has always been, as Barbara Johnson put it, “Never let a problem to be solved, become more important than a person to be loved.” His concern for employees (his internal customers in management parlance) and commitment to their all-round development together with that of the organization always occupied pride of place in his schema.

After his graduation in commerce from the Madras University, Shri H. R. Alva obtained a Degree in Law from the Bangalore University. He then went on to acquire a Post Graduate Degree in social service Administration, specializing in Industrial relations and Personnel Management from the Madras School of Social Work. At the time, the Human Resource Profession was just beginning to assert itself with Employee welfare as its prime focus.

Armed with a postgraduate degree in social service Administration, Shri H. R. Alva began his illustrious career as a Welfare & Labour officer, with Bharath Gold Mines Limited, a Government of India undertaking in 1961. His was a pioneering effort in establishing the HR dept and implementing various innovative welfare measures in BGML. His efforts are still recalled with affection and pride amongst the erstwhile employees of BGML. Later he moved to ITI Limited, Bangalore, where he took various initiatives to formulate and implement trend-setting HR policies and practices, which then became a benchmark for other companies. He grew with the organization and ultimately headed the Personnel and Administration function at its Corporate Office as Additional Director – Personnel and Administration.

His outstanding record in the profession always meant he was destined for greater heights. From ITI Limited, he moved to Hindustan Machine Tools as Director (Personnel), and then onto Hindustan Photo Films, Ootacamund as Chairman & Managing Director, a prestigious assignment indeed, for an HR professional. Subsequently, he rejoined HMT as Director (Marketing Policies, Corporate Planning & Projects) and proceeded to hold the charge as Chairman & Managing Director of HMT during the year 1991-92, a period during which HMT earned a record profit, a commendable achievement in the era of liberalization. He retired at the young age of 58.

After his retirement, his experience across disciplines was much sought after by the corporate world. He was offered an assignment with Nagarjuna Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd., Mangalore as Executive Director (Corporate Affairs), which he accepted. Two mega projects, i.e. 2.5 Million TPA Hot Rolled Coil Steel Factory and 1015 M.W. Thermal Power Station which is in the offing was conceived by Mr. H R Alva. His career is a reflection of his outstanding abilities which were not confined to the HR Profession but which were honed by it.

Shri H. R. Alva was always driven by a thirst for knowledge. During his illustrious career, he took time off to pursue a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from the world-renowned School of Management at Manchester University, in the United Kingdom. His contribution to the field of Human Resource Management brought him to the attention of not only the Indian Government but also world Management forums. Mr. H R Alva is one of the few acclaimed Indians who underwent a 6 Months program on the Japanese system of Management in Japan. He was one of the 12 persons selected by the Japanese Government world over.

His contribution to Management, particularly Human Resource Management is noteworthy. He has held various responsible positions in different Management Associations and Committees, which include the following: – ? Chairman, Southern Region, all India management association ? President, Bangalore management association ? President, National Institute of Personnel Management (All India Body) ? Chairman, National Institute of Personnel Management (Karnataka Branch) ? Member, Taskforce on infrastructure, Government of Karnataka. ? Chairman Confederation of Indian Industry [CII] Southern Region

His activities and contributions were not limited to Management alone. He took an active part in social and cultural organizations. He was the President, Rotary Club of Bangalore east, President and patron-in-chief, Karnataka industries sports and art association, President and patron-in-chief, Canara Cultural Academy, Bangalore, Chairman, Central public enterprises sports control board (South Zone), Chairman, Amateur Dramatic association auditorium trust Bangalore.

During his illustrious career, he has been honored with various awards for his unstinting contribution to society and the Human Resource Management Profession. Some of the awards he has received are:

The “Plaque of Honor” in 1984 by the National Institute of Personnel Management (Karnataka Branch) in recognition of significant contribution to the personnel profession & growth of the institute.
“Fellow” of the National Institute of Personnel Management (All India body) for having rendered distinguished service to the profession and the institute.
“Shiromani Vikas Award” for extraordinary excellence in the field of activity that has contributed to the national progress and enrichment of life during 1994.

Rosalyn Carter, the wife of former American President Jimmy Carter once wrote, “A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” This adage is certainly true of Shri H. R. Alva. Still remembered fondly by his associates, colleagues, friends and most of all by the vast number of employees whose destiny he presided over as head of the Human Resource Management Function in various Companies, (Some have even placed his portrait alongside those of presiding deities in their homes), his life and career are an inspiration for budding HR Professionals to emulate and provides a guiding beacon for the Human Resource Professional, as the profession itself undergoes a transformation from being Welfare oriented to Strategic oriented.

What prompted you to choose Human Resource Management as your profession?
My parents wanted me to become a lawyer [a prestigious profession those days] or a Chartered Accountant. But I had an aversion to both these professions. I wanted to choose a profession, more suited to my nature and interests. My goal was to make a career even as I rendered service to my fellow man. I felt the HR profession was appropriate, as it was well suited to my goals, nature, and interests. I believed it would provide me with an opportunity to build a career even as I rendered service. In the end, it has proved to be the right decision.
What are the challenges you faced during your career with various organizations?
To be frank…. I was not a topper or a high flier. I was an ordinary student like many others. But I always believed that hard work brings success and recognition would come with success. In order to keep ahead of others, I had to work very hard, constantly equipping myself with knowledge on various subjects and periodically updating myself. One should not totally depend on others. We need to delve deep into a subject and understand it thoroughly – Ask questions – why should it be done this way, why not another way? This approach has helped me to understand the intricacies of other functional areas too. In addition, I would always keep my finger on the pulse of the people by practicing the skill of active listening – I would like to cite one incident, which took place on my first day of work at BGML Kolar. In those days my standard attire was white trousers and a white shirt. On joining, I visited the mines. There I saw everyone – employees, supervisors, officers hard at work in a very hostile environment, their attire totally soiled with mud all over. I was the odd man out there, in spotless white. This gave me my first lesson and an insight into the working conditions in the mines. After my visit to the mines, I came back to the Office of the Chief Labor Officer. There I saw a huge crowd gathered in front of his office shouting slogans. On enquiry, I found that the employees of the Company were complaining about the poor quality of rice being supplied by the Ration shop managed by the Co-operative society. The Chief Labor Officer on seeing me coolly announced among the people gathered there. “Gentlemen this boy is your new welfare officer and he will solve your problem.” Remember this was my first day in the company. Without any hesitation, I requested a few of the employees to come along with me to the society for inspection. I could hear some of them talking behind me ”what this boy is going to do… this problem has existed for several years and none could do anything”. I was not disheartened as I was confident that I could solve the problem. I went to the society and after an inspection found that the rice was of poor quality and the complaints of the employees were genuine. When I enquired with the officials of the society, they informed me that the rice is being supplied by the Public distribution system of the Govt and the society did not have any control over the quality of rice being supplied to them. On the same day, I took a bus to Bangalore and met the Director of PDS and explained to him the problem. After discussing with his officials, he made alternative arrangements for the supply of good rice. I went back to Kolar in the same truck carrying the rice bags to society. This is one of the examples of how we could build trust among the employees – Be genuine in your response to people’s problems. You may not be able to solve all of them, but you could make an effort.
How do you see the changes taking place in Human Resource Management?
A sea change has taken place in the focus of HRM. During the first generation, it was more welfare and service-oriented. You will not believe those days the selection was done based on physical requirements like height and weight alone. Of course, the job requirement at that time was such. During the second generation, the aspirations of people were different. The country had moved forward, economic policies had changed. Employee Recognition, Participation, Motivation, etc., gained importance. In order to adapt to the changing business environment new concepts of Human Resource Management were introduced. Management of knowledge workers is the main challenge for the present-day HR professional.
You have occupied the position of CMD which has otherwise been held by technocrats; How did you adapt yourself to this role and what are your thoughts on an HR professional fulfilling this and other roles outside the Human Resource Management function?
No doubt a technocrat has expert knowledge in his chosen technical field. But that alone will not make him a successful CEO. As the head of an organization, one should know how to get the best out of the available resources in the Company. In an organization, there are competent and capable professionals in each functional area and as the head of a company, one needs to use all one’s skills especially those related to Man Management to facilitate and enhance their contribution to the company. A CEO is a leader – he should have a vision for the Company and create an environment for a positive and dynamic change in the organization by working with and around people. Therefore I’ve always believed that an HR professional has an edge over technocrats when it comes to the top job.
Can you please share some of the memorable experiences in your career?
During the year 1991-92, I was in charge of HMT as the Chairman and Managing Director of the Company. That year HMT posted it’s highest ever profit. Being an HR professional it was a proud moment, not only for me but also for the entire HR fraternity. But the road to success was not an easy path. The Kalamassery Unit of HMT was considered as one of the poor performers. It had nine Unions headed by MLA’s and MP’s affiliated to different political parties. The inter-union rivalry was one of the many constraints. I challenged myself to turnaround the Unit. To this end, I worked with people at different forums and levels and involved all the Unions in the decision-making process irrespective of their party affiliations. I set targets at the department and section level even as I provided the required resources for achieving the set targets and constantly reviewed the progress. The Unit, which had not shown positive results, since its inception proved its potential. In the same year, HMT received the award of “Best HR Practices” in the country from the CII. This substantiates my view that HR professionals could score over others in the Management of the organizations.
Having worked in both the Public and Private sectors, do you see any differences in HR Systems and practices?
It is dependent on the objectives of the Company. In the private sector generating wealth for the shareholder is the primary concern. Therefore the profit motive is very high and the survival and growth of the business are the main focus areas. All HR policies are designed accordingly. In private sector ownership is, at least partially, if not fully vested with the CEO of the Company and therefore he is vested with authority and responsibility to deliver results. In the Public sector, the primary concern has recently veered towards generating wealth for its primary shareholder, the government. But as ownership vests with the Government and not with the CEO, authority and responsibility has got diluted. Here the HR policies are designed generally keeping in mind Government principles and practices and are not necessarily based on the nature and goals of its business.
What is your advice for the youngsters who take up HR as a profession?
Earlier HR was considered as an enabling profession – Help, Assist and Work as a service provider in the organization. Whereas now the role of HR has totally changed. The scenario today is that an HR professional has to work in a knowledge-based organization. The HR professional is required to take proactive action and gear up to meet the organization’s objectives and requirements. HR Professionals need to widen their vision, and start thinking like the CEO of the Organization. They need to undertake constructive measures to create the right atmosphere in the organization and work as change agents in the building of positive work culture, enhancing capabilities and building self-confidence in people and the management team to get the best out of the Human resources in the organization. They need to adopt the right kind of strategy to sustain a competitive advantage through the application of various human resource processes.