Only the fittest companies will
survive 2001 intact, a leading HR academic claims.
Stephane Garelli,
professor at IMD Business School in Switzerland, said companies are going to
have to retain talent as the global economic growth slows down.
Garelli predicts that
employers will be suffering from an economic hangover in 2001 in the wake of
the recent US stockmarket crash. People are the most valuable assets that a
company could possess in this period of economic uncertainty.
He said,
"Employers should look for resilience in employees – those who can weather
the economic storm."
But Garelli advised HR
not to panic. He said, "Staff need reassurance and a sense of
direction. HR people who become the
loudspeakers of the CEO by amplifying concerns are not doing their job."
He said HR should
support staff in periods of economic uncertainty. "You need to say to
staff that you’re going to fight for survival together," he claimed.
