Acquire a few new skills-It is time for appraisal

Are you ready to relocate to a different location? Do you have the ability to manage risks at work? These are some of the questions that may crop up when you step into your boss's cabin for your appraisal.

With the appraisal process in full swing at most places, most companies are expecting staff to adapt a number of new skills.

Consider the stuff that could help you do better:

# Ability to get along with people and sense their needs

# Understanding the nuances of another a new place or situation

# Willingness to relocate base

# Taking ownership for errors or priority tasks

# Skill to meet regulatory requirements

Your awareness about another culture might get you a reward. "With rapid globalisation, employees work with cross-cultural teams. It is now important for them to be sensitive to people's beliefs and values and yet be effective as teams," said Emmanuel David, chief human resources (HR) officer, Voltas, a part of Tata group.

Stress, interpersonal conflicts and work-life balance are emerging as critical issues in the new paradigm. "It is important to moderate one's emotions and recognise other's emotions," said David.

Willingness to move cities is gaining importance. "We prefer candidates who are flexible to relocate as it helps us meet business requirements," said Prithvi Shergill, chief HR officer, HCL Technologies.

Specialisations in big data analytics, mobile application development and digital media are hot.

The banking sector, expected to dole out new jobs, is evaluating its employees on skills such as risk management, financial crime and regulatory compliance. "We are looking towards employees who are equipped to be the bank's line of defence against all risks," said Vikram Tandon, HR head, HSBC India.

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