The centrality of customer in organization’s success cannot be overemphasized. In the competitive world where any differentiation edge gets neutralized quickly, more and more organizations are enhancing customer value by adding service component to their products. Today we have very few successful pure product companies. Further the frontline sales and services employees become the important source of customer voice which can shape the organizational strategies. Even within, the organizations have tried to develop service culture with the concept of internal customer. Therefore employees’ customer orientation is critical across product, service, and manufacturing organizations. Human capital becomes very critical in implementing customer oriented strategies. In some industries like services industry it becomes all the more critical because of the real time interaction between “frontline employee” and customer for the production and consumption of the service. This program takes the customer oriented view about managing human resources in manufacturing, services, and sales organizations. Because of the centrality of customer in services, it has large service industry component. The program tries to address important issues of acquisition, retention, and management of talent and knowledge. It also deals with specific issues of representative industries like healthcare, IT/outsourcing, financial services/professional services, sales, and manufacturing.

Program USP
The program is designed to be experiential through case method teaching. Further, the course takes more business/ line managerial perspective on HRM, a prerequisite for successful HRM and general management professionals today.

Learning Outcome:

The course intends to enhance participants’ understanding of:
• Customer oriented view of managing organizations and Human resources.
• Differences and Complementariness in Product Manufacturing, Sales and Service work.
• Human Resource Management policies and practices of acquisition, compensation, rewarding, performance appraisal supporting the Customer Oriented Strategies.
• Developing a customer oriented service culture.
• Strategic Human Resource Management issues of “best practices”, “fit”, and “flexibility”.
• Role of Employees, especially the “frontline”, in high quality customer interface and the challenges they face.
• Managing Knowledge and Talent.
• Employee relation issues and role of trade unions in different industries.
• Strategic Human Resource Management issues in representative industries: IT/Business Process Outsourcing, Healthcare, financial service/professional services, Sales, and Manufacturing.

A Macro Perspective HRM Challenge in Serving External Customer: 6 Sessions

• Differences in Product and Services, and Product – Service Mix Continuum in Industries.
• Product and Services Value Components in Total Customer Value.
• Critical Perspectives: McDonaldization, Customer Sovereignty, and Customer Oriented Bureaucracy.
• HRM Strategy/Policy Choices of Recruitment, Work Organization, Training, Compensation, Performance Appraisals, and Rewards in Service and Product (Manufacturing) Industry in view of Standardized Versus Variable Customer Expectations.
• Best Practices (Customer- Employee Satisfaction Mirror, High Involvement Work Systems), Best Fit (Customer Segmentation and HRM Policies), and Flexible HRM Systems (Handling customer needs/ expectations variability).
• Challenges of Managing Employees at Backend roles (Production) and Frontline roles (Sales and Services).
• Developing Customer Oriented Service Culture (Internal and External Customer).
• Employee Empowerment: Needs and Means to Empower.
• Role of Unions in influencing/ managing Management – Employee- Customer interfaces.
• BSC/Workforce scorecard

A Micro Perspective HRM and Employee as Internal Customer – Talent Management: 6 Sessions

• HRM Internal Customization- Managing Stars versus Solid Citizens.
• Clarifying and Managing Psychological Contract.
• Competency Mapping: Identifying appropriate Competencies on the job.
• Selecting Employees for Competencies: Assessment Centers etc.
• Developing and Motivating Employees: Development Centers, 360 Degree feedback, Mentoring, Coaching, and Rewarding Performance.
• HR Audit.
• Managing and Coping with Emotional Labor in Services.

Managing Knowledge Workers and their Knowledge: 4 Sessions

• Managing Explicit vs Tacit Knowledge.
• Managing Innovation and Creativity.

Few Industry Cases BPO, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Professional Services Firm: 4 Sessions

• BPO
• Healthcare
• Professional Services Firm
• Manufacturing

The overall course - EPHRM, was designed and co-ordinated perfectly. In all there were 6 modules, covering core HRM topics as well as strategy, general management and a final integration module at campus. The delivery mechanism at Hughes was near flawless and going through this one year program has been an overall enriching experience, over and above the valuable certification. The course design comprising literature, case studies, exams and project was as ehaustive as any; and IIM-C's deep rooted heritage and excellence in academics was a significant value add.
Hughes Begumpet Centre in Hyderabad was excellent in terms of both technical and administrative support. There were negligible technical glitches and the staff were always ready on hand to sort any small issues that did come up. The ambience, lighting and air conditioning was indeed conducive to the learning experience.
The staff at Begumpet Hyderabad were ever friendly and helpful; with timely SMS updates and and always open to suggestions. Technical services was near faultless and kudos to the team for maintaining quality.
Tessi Ravishankar
AGM- HR
Vivimed Labs Ltd.
Hyderabad