Education With Values

Education plays a very important role in driving a business. But in smaller
cities where the education level is not as good as compared to big cities,
channel partners have to find solutions through which they can churn out the
best from available human resources. In smaller towns, for eg in Allahabad,
manpower is not as robust as compared to the metros. This forms a vicious cycle
because the function of a company and service delivery to the customers largely
depends on the people working with it.

Therefore, partners have to know the trick of how to train the less educated
employees and make them suitable for a good and profitable business. Channel
partners in smaller towns need to understand the mindset of employees and assign
them tasks accordingly.

Arising problems

In metros, because people have access to good education they have a better
understanding of the market. In small towns though there are well-educated
people, retaining them is a major problem. Once they are qualified to work they
do not want to stick around with small firms. Either they are absorbed by the
MNCs in metros or they start their own businesses. This is a major concern for
channel partners. It is not only the money that attracts educated employees to
move towards bigger cities. Though channel partners are ready to offer fat
salaries people prefer to work for big brands because that acts as a status
symbol for them. For eg these days young men are ready to work as sales
executives with banks even at low salary packages because of the brand name.

Most employees are graduates while some are diploma holders. It takes a lot
of time to make them understand the business. Employers need to tackle this
problem carefully. Being the only option available to them it is imperative for
them to train their staff properly with a lot of patience.

Customers are at times quite aggressive and that is the time when the
potential of the employee can be gauged. If the employee is smart, he will know
how to handle the situation wisely and stop the situation from going out of
hand. Any wrong step on the employee's part can mean the loss of a potential
customer. There are times when customers comes up with certain queries for which
we do not want to give direct answers so we make them understand the situation
in a different way. If the customer puts that question in front of a less
educated employee, he would probably not be able to handle the situation.

Way out

It is imperative for dealers like us to feel the pulse of the young
generation and win them over. That is the only way they would remain our
customers for a long period. New recruits should be made to undergo training for
a duration of about six months to one year. They should also be given all kinds
of support, be it personal or professional. Channel partners should provide
in-house training to newly appointed employees and give them first hand
experience because that is the only way they would learn the tricks of the
trade.

This gives them the confidence to work at one place for a longer time. It
becomes difficult to retain good workers and therefore they should be given all
the facilities that make them  feel comfortable at one place, so that the
need to change does not arise.

Win manpower's trust

In B and C-class cities, when people join a firm they not only look for good
money but all kinds of support that will give them a better life. Creating a
family like environment at the workplace is just the right thing to do in order
to win their confidence and trust. Sharing their personal problems and offering
them genuine solutions helps a lot in retaining good employees. I personally
give all kinds of support to my people, right from providing assistance in the
education of their children to providing them all kinds of insurance or
mediclaim policies. My employees, who are not very well educated, have been with
me for as long as 10 to 15 years and they have actually become the pillars of my
company.

Recognize unveiled assets

The best way to judge the potential of new recruits is by understanding their
family background. In towns and small cities, joint families are still
considered to be of great importance. I firmly believe that people who come from
joint families have a strong sense of commitment and can be the best men for
firms like ours. They may start off on a low-key note but have the spirit to
excel in all ways. They also give the credit of their success to the company
that gives them the opportunity to grow.

Little steps for big result

A few initiatives channel partners can take to establish good working
relations with their employees is like going out for lunch with them and
discussing non-work related issues. Employers need to treat their people very
personally and express affection towards them. The more you interact with them,
the more it becomes easier to understand their nature and requirements. This
creates a team spirit that maintains a healthy environment at the workplace. The
strength of a team is much higher than that of an individual and that is clearly
reflected in the output of a business. Channel partners need compassionate
people that have the enthusiasm to work together. A higher education and
brilliant minds may at times lead to eccentricity in business. It is consistency
and stability in a business that counts in the long run and that comes from
employees who have a strong family background and it does not matter whether
they are highly educated or not.

Manish Mehrotra

The author is CEO of Tritech Enterprises, Allahabad and can be contacted at
manishmehrotra3@rediffmail.com