Human Being as Resource

 In my earlier years as a Training and Placement Officer, I often interacted with industry professionals about what qualities they valued in employees. Their answers were consistent: the ability to learn, aptitude, sincerity, and hard work. Intelligence was appreciated, but sincerity and perseverance were prized more highly.

I observed that many sincere and hardworking individuals rose steadily to high positions. Meanwhile, some highly intelligent people found challenges harder to navigate, perhaps because they relied more on intellect than on character.

Knowledge, after all, can be acquired. But sincerity and hard work take years to cultivate. They are not easily taught; they are built slowly, like character itself. And knowledge, however vast, is only meaningful when shared. A person with modest knowledge who transfers it generously is serving society far more than one who hoards an ocean of wisdom.

The Changing Organisational Culture

Today, however, the scenario has changed—and is changing rapidly. In competitive organisations, talented individuals in high positions are spotted, targeted, and lured away to join rivals. This practice, known as “Head Hunting,” is now a common strategy to secure big projects and expand profits.

When I first heard the term, I was amused. Hunting once meant chasing animals in the wild; now it means chasing humans in boardrooms. But behind the humour lies a serious reality: people are being treated less as individuals with values and more as assets to be acquired.

Humans as Physical Resources

In discussions with young engineers, I learned another striking shift. Human beings are now considered resources in the truest sense. The distinction between “human” and “physical” resources has blurred—everything is simply a resource.

This terminology may sound efficient in managerial circles, but it risks stripping away the essence of humanity. When sincerity, creativity, and values are reduced to “resources,” organisations may gain short-term profits but lose long-term meaning.

A Call to Thought Leaders

I share these reflections not merely as observations, but as a call to thought leaders and professionals. Organisational culture is evolving at a pace that demands reflection. If we continue to treat human beings as interchangeable resources, we risk undermining the very qualities—sincerity, hard work, and character—that sustain organisations and societies alike.

Let us remember: companies may hunt for heads, but societies thrive when head, heart and mind work together.

Dr. Mahendra Ingale @ Pune on Nov 24, 2025

#ValueBasedLeadership #EngineeringHeartBeats