HR News: 28 Aug, 2017

1.

DDI releases new futuristic leadership acceleration platform.

A new digital learning portal catapults leadership development into the future with on-demand insight tools, personalised learning and increased connectivity.

Taking leadership development to the next level, DDI has released a cloud-based digital leadership acceleration platform. The platform boasts of an enhanced corporate learning experience through a single online portal from which learners and trainers can access learning materials and tools anytime, anywhere, using any device.

The initial phase of the digital leadership acceleration platform is designed as an enhancement to DDI’s classroom-based leadership development programmes. Learners will be able to use the platform to readily complete and track course materials and access a wide range of interactive tools that will help them reinforce and apply their learning on the job. For trainers, the platform will lighten the administrative burden by enabling them to easily organise, distribute and manage course materials and tools both before and after training.

“The digital leadership acceleration platform represents a significant next step in our efforts to bring learning ever closer to the job,” says Barry Stern, senior vice president, Accelerated Development Solutions, DDI. “We have been aggressively testing and refining the digital learning environment with our clients for quite some time and are encouraged by the strong positive market reaction to both the immediate and anticipated platform features and content.”

2.

Justice delivered: Uber fires more than 20 employees for harassment.

The cab service provider has reportedly fired more than 20 people following an internal investigation into harassment claims.

Uber Technologies Inc. has taken some much-awaited decisions in a probe after allegations against the company’s inability to take appropriate actions against sexual harassment issues at the workplace. The cab service provider has reportedly fired more than 20 people following an internal investigation into the various harassment claims.

Former Uber engineer Susan Fowler had alleged that the company failed to act on sexual harassment and gender discrimination complaints. In an elaborate blog earlier this year, Fowler had expressed how, despite various attempts, the company did not take any action against her complaints on sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the workplace. With her blog, a few other existing and ex-employees also admitted to facing such issues.

Following this incident, CEO Travis Kalanick called for an urgent investigation into the claims. As a result, a legal investigation was set up and Bobbie Wilson, an attorney at Perkins Coie LLP, reportedly gave Uber’s more than 12,000 employees an assessment of the firm’s investigation this week.

3.

TCS reduces H-1B visa application to a third of 2015.

The IT giant has increased local hiring in the past two years.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has cut down the number of H-1B work visas application this year. The number of applications submitted is one third of that of year 2015. This is the third consecutive year since 2015 that TCS has decreased the work visa applications.

The IT major says that it has increased the hiring of candidates from engineering and B-schools in the US, which is the reason for less H-1B work visas this year.

According to Ajoy Mukherjee, EVP, human resources, TCS, the IT giant has increased local hiring in the past two years. The company has partnered with academic institutions in the US through various campus programmes and is in constant touch with high school students for hiring local candidates.

The firm is visiting hundreds of engineering and B-school campuses in the US for hiring candidates, which has helped it bring down the number of H-1B work visa applications.

This cut in number of H-1B visas by TCS comes when US President Donald Trump has tightened the work visa norms and scrutiny for working in the country.