Amit Prakash, CHRO at Marico Limited, elucidates the significance of ‘The Marico Way’ in shaping the company’s future. Built on core tenets such as trust, transparency, inclusion, integrity, and an owner’s mindset, Marico’s ‘People First ethos’ has been pivotal to its growth, even during challenging times. As Marico envisions the next phase of growth (Marico 3.0), the focus is on refreshing and reenergising the organisational culture, adapting to the evolving workforce’s needs, and preserving Marico’s uniqueness.

“The foundation of Marico has been shaped by our people, values and culture. Our ‘People First ethos’ built on the core tenets of trust, transparency, inclusion, integrity and owner’s mindset have been the pillars of our growth, even during unprecedented times. With changing times and dynamic business landscape, our values continued to evolve to help meet our business aspirations. As we embark on the next phase of growth and achieve our ambitious goals, we wanted to refresh and reenergise the culture that is critical to building Marico 3.0. The objective was simple – to adapt and evolve while preserving the essence of what makes Marico unique.”

Amit Prakash, CHRO, Marico

In an effort to ensure resonance with members and alignment with the organisational vision, Marico conducted extensive workshops involving over 150 participants from seven regions. ‘The Marico Way’ was crafted based on cultural experiences, needs, and aspirations, aiming to empower members and bridge the generational gap.

The refreshed values are designed to prepare Marico for the next phase of advancement, Marico 3.0. Curated to remain relevant across all units, these values serve as a gateway to align the company culture with the demands of the new-age workforce. Embracing the nuances of digital businesses like Beardo, Just Herbs, and True Elements, the revamped values also foster a culture of digital experimentation and adoption.

‘The Marico Way’ encapsulates Marico’s purpose, emphasising making a difference to all stakeholders, and ethos, focusing on elements like an Owner’s Mindset, Frugality, Transparency, Mutual Trust, Integrity, and Meritocracy. The refreshed values include a commitment to consumer delight, fostering bold ambition, enabling responsible growth, nurturing members’ potential, ensuring accountability for outcomes, and executing with agility.

In conclusion, ‘The Marico Way’ serves as a compass guiding Marico’s members to align their actions, decisions, and the organisational direction with a clear sense of purpose. As Marico navigates the intricacies of generational dynamics and envisions future growth, these refreshed values pave the way for a cohesive, innovative, and inclusive workplace.

The post Marico unveils ‘The Marico Way’: Refreshed culture for future growth appeared first on HR Katha.

The agency has added to its performance-driven culture, with an open-office environment and open-door policy. Puretech Digital continues to support ‘Work from Anywhere’ — wherein the concept of micromanagement is not entertained as a culture and members are given freedom to work at their ease and comfort nevertheless following best practices and quality standards. The agency aims to deeply centre on employee wellness as well asemotional and mental well-being with these initiatives.

Puretech Digital celebrates employee contribution via its Rewards & Recognition initiative called #PQAMP — Puretech Digital & Quantent Awards for Mastering Performance. A quarterly award event that recognises and appreciates the talents and their exceptional performance. Awards like Star Performers, Value Victors, The Collective for outstanding projects and the ultimate Puremate of the Quarter award are showered on the team. This happens at their – All Hands Meet.

The agency has also rolled out period leaves and has been hosting a plethora of employee- engagement activities such as Heist of the Year, All Star League – The Quirky Awards, Sports Tournaments and so on.

Prashant Deorah, CEO, Puretech Digital reiterated, “Employee well-being holds prime importance at Puretech Digital. With these new additions on the human resource development front, we look forward to connecting with today’s young talent pool who knows what they want and how they want. We have been constantly driving on the ethos of – People First!”

According to Abhijeet Patil, associate vice president – HR & Business, Puretech Digital, “Our people vision is based on five key pillars – respect, learning, flexibility, ownership, and the achievement of the first four, ultimately leading to a great People Experience for every mate. As an organization, we aim to have every member adopting a people-first approach in their day-to-day interaction to have an enriching experience at Puretech Digital.”

The post Puretech Digital launches People Vision, an aspirational chart for its employees appeared first on HR Katha.

For instance, when we talk of Google, innovation is a key element in the Company’s success. Googlers are known for their innovative minds and the Company itself is known for allowing employees to experiment, let loose their creativity at work and come up with innovative ideas. What’s more, the Company understands that people may fail in this process, and simply allows them to.

On the other hand, Amazon, a competitor of Google, has a very different culture. Customer obsession is the highlight of Amazon’s culture. The Company strives to keep the customer experience at a high, and this has become the key to success for the e-commerce firm.

“For me, distinctiveness comes from finding an element that is truly experienced and practised by all, and not just from fancy terms”

Naveen Narayan, chief people officer, Biocon Biologics

Though the two Internet giants are rivals, they have very unique cultures.

P. Dawarakanath, former non-executive chairman, GSK, shares that the key element of GSK’s culture is, ‘Giving a healthy and quality life to people’ so that the Company works towards building products that make people healthy and enhance quality of life.

There is no doubt that companies should strive to develop a culture which is unique to them and separates them from others. “In today’s talent market, every company needs to uniquely establish and position themselves as employers with distinctive cultures. Their uniqueness is the key element, which separates one company from another or gives one an edge over the other in the talent market,” says Dwarakanath.

As per HR leaders who spoke to HRKatha, companies often fail to develop that distinctive identity or create a true culture in the organisation. “Very few leaders in India know how to develop a distinctive culture. Although they manage to write the cultural values of the company on the walls, they forget about them soon after,” observes Satyajit Mohanty, CHRO, Crompton.

To understand how cultures are made distinctive, we need to first understand how cultures are created in the first place. Many HR leaders feel that during the initial days, companies rarely make a conscious effort to define their cultural values. The initial culture gets developed on the basis of how the founders or other leaders in the company behave.

“The cultural difference lies in the manner in which each company defines its values and then puts them into practice, in reality”

P. Dawarakanath, former non-executive chairman, GSK

There are two key elements that define the culture of an organisation. The leadership behaviour and the line of business the company operates in.

For instance, GSK is in the pharmaceuticals business. Therefore, it strives to develop a culture of providing great health and quality life to people. Dwarakanath, who has also worked with Max Healthcare, shares that being in the insurance business, Max was highly focussed on providing the best of services to its customers.

Additionally, “The leadership of the company plays a significant role in culture building,” points out Naveen Narayan, chief people officer, Biocon Biologics.

For instance, the Tata Group was founded by Jamshedji Tata. Thanks to this inspirational leader, the Tata brand has succeeded in creating a culture of ‘trust’. This trust exists in not just the customers and consumers, but also Tata’s own employees. “I started my career with Tata Motors and the distinctiveness of the Tata’s is known to all. It is a global benchmark of culture and a brand that stands for trust. The Company sets the highest standards in terms of employee care and commitment towards society,” states Milan Chattaraj, chief people officer, MTR Foods.

Giving his own company’s example, Narayan shares that Biocon has a 40-year legacy. He recalls how they started to ponder over some of the values or elements of Biocon’s culture, which are experienced by all in the Company, and which have made the brand successful. “We came up with one string value — ‘problem solving’,” reveals Narayan. “For me, distinctiveness comes from finding an element that is truly experienced and practised by all, and not just from fancy terms,” asserts Narayan.

“Very few leaders in India know how to develop a distinctive culture. Although they manage to write the cultural values of the company on the walls, they forget about them soon after”

Satyajit Mohanty, CHRO, Crompton

For Chattaraj, uniqueness comes from the purpose defined by the Company. At Orkala, (parent company of MTR Foods) the purpose of the brand is, “Friend in Everyday Life” and the culture values are defined as ‘brave, trustworthy and inspiring’.

Many a time, companies are observed to have the same cultural values. For instance, everybody wants to be innovative or high on integrity. Yet, some companies end up having a culture that is distinctive and different from others. How? “The difference lies in the manner in which each company defines its values and then puts them into practice, in reality,” says Dwarkanath.

For instance, when it come to a performance-lead culture, high performance will be defined very differently in different companies. Also, as per Mohanty, the negative behaviours in an organisation are picked up much faster than the positive ones. That is why, companies fail to actually develop the culture they really desire to. “If it was possible to plan culture, every company would have had the same culture,” quips Mohanty.

“Uniqueness in culture comes from the purpose defined by the Company”

Milan Chattaraj, chief people officer, MTR Foods

Companies do strive to keep their culture distinctive, but how far they succeed in doing so depends on their efforts to practise those values, so that the desired culture can be developed.

The post Why companies need to have their own signature culture appeared first on HR Katha.

Inspired by this school of thought, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals has recently launched an initiative called ‘Leadership Language’. Here, the Company is focussing on training managers and leaders on the kind of language they should promote or discourage at the workplace, while interacting with their subordinates or reportees, reveals Satyajit Mohanty, CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals talking to HRKatha.

A lot of research went into this project before it was launched. As Mohanty shares, first the Company analysed its employee-engagement survey to identify the most engaged teams in the organisation. Then, it started figuring out the kind of language being used by these teams and their managers, which ultimately leads to better motivation and performance. Basis that, the programme has been designed to promote the words and language that motivate and encourage, and instil trust and push people to perform better. The Company gathered insights through frequent interactions with all the frontline teams, using chatbot technology, which helps collect feedback through nudges and small focussed group chats every week.

“People more often fail to understand the importance of language. This generally happens when we fail to hear ourselves while talking”

Satyajit Mohanty, CHRO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals

As of now, the Company has started training its top leadership on ways to maintain composure during stressful situations and keep calm when the teams are not performing at the optimum level. It is also training them on the language to use and attitude to portray during demanding and difficult times.

Mohanty reveals, that it is not just the leadership teams and managers who will be trained in using language as a skill. The Company has designed modules for employees, based on their perspectives, to understand and harness the power of language. Mohanty shares with HRKatha, “As employees, we often fail to look beyond the words of our managers or understand their intentions,” tending to overlook the true intents of the managers, and therefore, get more impacted by the words they use. Modules have been created for employees to understand the subtle signs of their managers. The Company is following a ‘bottom to top’ as well as a ‘top to bottom’ approach to help the employees understand the power of words and language.

Through internal research, the Company has identified the kind of language it will promote and the kind it will choose to avoid at the workplace. In one of the focussed group sessions, it was realised the language and words used by a highly-engaged team is different as compared to other teams. It was noticed that the leader was very empathetic in trying to understand the situation and encouraged the team to work together and solve problems instead of criticising the team members for not meeting targets.

It is important to never neglect the efforts of a person. An employee may have failed to deliver as per expectations, but he surely must have put in a lot of effort to try and achieve the target. At that moment, words such as, ‘You have not done anything’ will demotivate that person. There are many similar instances which the company has identified and uses to train the employees to speak the right language.

As a testimony, employees who are undergoing these learning interventions, are also posting their experiences through videos extolling the power of language. The Company has also released guidelines on professional etiquettes. For instance, during the pandemic, when many employees were working remotely, people often failed to respect other’s time and called them at odd hours for work. These guidelines aim to teach employees to be considerate towards others’ time and space.

According to Mohanty, Crompton is going through a major transformation, with many processes being changed or overhauled. For instance, the manner in which the sales team functions and works is changing. And when a company is going through such a transformation, internal tension tends to build up. This has prompted the firm to use the power of language to transform the culture of the company to sustain in a stressful and highly-volatile environment. Since many people are mostly working remotely, language and words have become more important than before. “In these tough times, such as the pandemic, language is the only visible and critical aspect when people are not really interacting face-to-face,” points out Mohanty.

The Leadership Language initiative has been well received and supported not just by the CXOs but also the board members. Everyone realises the power of language and how the use of the right words at the right time can create a huge impact on teams. Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals has some of the greatest minds from the Indian corporate world as board members, such as Shantanu Khosla, MD, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals; Mathew Job, CEO, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals; PM Murthy, former CEO, Asian Paints and many more who, as leaders, understand the power of language in building high-performing teams.

“People more often fail to understand the importance of language. This generally happens when we fail to hear ourselves while talking,” says Mohanty.

The Leadership Language initiative is well underway at Crompton, but it is a long battle of change which has just begun. “We hope to find some meaningful results through this big shift,” says Mohanty.

The post How Crompton is using the ‘Power of Language’ to create a high-engagement culture appeared first on HR Katha.

What happens when a company decides to implement a strategic culture change for business reasons.

Is it possible to bring in this change overnight?

Former HR leader, and now co-founder, Fundflo Technologies, Rattan Chugh, believes it is possible and he has done it in his previous stint at Times Internet.

Satyan Gajwani, the then CEO of Times Internet, wanted to shift the mindset of the company from being just a digital arm of Times of India to a tech product company. In this whole process, hiring people from outside was a key activity. Leaders were hired from the tech product industry, which brought in a major change. “But hiring from outside was not the only thing here. Empowering these new hires to drive change was also important,” shares Chugh.

Chugh mentions that Gajwani’s leadership was very clear and he was persistent about bringing about the change. It took time but gradually, it all happened.

“We started rewarding behaviours which promoted the shift to a tech products company. This way, it was easier to bring a change in the mindset of the people as they all got encouraged to replicate the same behaviours,” shares Chugh.

“The need to bring about change has to be clear at the time of drawing out a strategy to change the culture. Otherwise, it will get difficult to communicate to the people the reason why one wants to bring about a change”

Emmanuel David, former director of Tata Management Training Centre

“As a leader one will have to be very persistent with what one wants to do. If one’s vision is clear about what one wants to achieve and how one wants to shape the culture, the task is achievable,” opines Chugh.

By being ‘persistent’, Chugh means that one needs to constantly promote the kind of change in culture one wants to bring about, otherwise the fire may die out within one, and as a result, the people may not bother to change either.

Former director of Tata Management Training Centre, Emmanuel David also opines that the need to bring about change has to be clear at the time of drawing out a strategy to change the culture. Otherwise, it will get difficult to communicate to the people the reason why one wants to bring about a change.

David shares with HRKatha, that he has been part of such culture changes in his career.

During his stint at the Gujarat Gas Company, the Company had to change the way it worked and become more customer centric. At the time, the gas sector in India was highly regulated by the government due to some changes and reforms.

The Company never wanted to be seen or perceived as a firm which sells gas.

“Gujarat Gas wanted to be seen as a company which provides safe and preferred energy as a solution,” recalls David.

To make this possible, all top-management leaders discussed the problems areas or the pain points they wanted to work on and then came up with solutions to tackle those challenges. A committee called the ‘Large Scale Intervention Programme’ (LSIP) was constituted, where all leaders brainstormed about how this big change could be achieved.

One of the challenges that came up was that of the internal communication process. People used to share their problems but no action was taken.

“When I noticed this, I realised how big a problem it was. If the leadership teams and managers failed to act on employees’ problems, then the employees would gradually stop sharing their issues with the management, and there would be no resolution ever,” shares David.

“As a leader one will have to be very persistent with what one wants to do. If one’s vision is clear about what one wants to achieve and how one wants to shape the culture, the task is achievable”

Rattan Chugh, co-founder  Fundflo Technologies & former HR leader

Another problem area that emerged was the appraisal system. The goals were not properly designed, and hence, it was difficult to reward and recognise the people. To solve this, all employees were asked to pen down their individual goals and share them with their managers, which made it easier for the company to reward people for fulfilling their goals. Additionally, all departmental heads shared goals with each other, which created harmony in the company. Everyone was able to understand how to work together to achieve one single goal of the company.

Another interesting instance of a strategic culture change was at Dr Reddy’s where GV Prasad, co-chairman, Dr Reddy’s, championed this change.

The Company wanted to lean down some of the processes to make faster decisions and reduce turnaround time. They launched a tag line called ‘good health can’t wait’. After driving this change like a movement, the company was able to achieve it.

Prasad realised that the change came when a scientist prepared a medicine product in just 15 days, breaking all the rules of the company, which were earlier in place, especially pertaining to procurement of raw material.

“When one starts feeling that the majority of the population has started to behave in a manner one wants them to, then one can say that the change has finally taken place,” asserts Chugh.

To bring a change in a company’s culture, constant communication is very important, one has to tell the people why the change is required. The second most important thing is to have leaders who can cascade that change and be persistent about the exercise. Otherwise, the whole movement runs the risk of losing steam.

It is essential to be clear about the vision of the company and where one wants to go. Ultimately, the fact remains that the whole process requires time. Culture change does not happen overnight, it takes time and effort to bring about a cultural transformation, especially in a large organisation.

The post How to implement a strategic culture change in an organisation appeared first on HR Katha.

A similar example is that of Ford Motors. In 2014, the Company tried a digital transformation journey by introducing Ford Smart Mobility. The aim was to build digitally-enabled cars and enhance mobility. Huge investments were made to establish the new venture, but quality issues started to emerge. The stock prices went down and in a couple of years the CEO had to resign. In this case, Ford Smart Mobility was a new venture, separate from Ford’s other businesses. The unit was created far from the headquarters and there was no integration or cohesion with the other businesses at all. There are many examples of such failures.

“In a digital transformation, the efficiency of technology comes first and then the mindset and acceptance part”

Jayant Kumar, joint president – HR, Adani Ports & SEZ

In both the above cases, significant amounts of money were poured into the digital transformation projects, and the best of technology was introduced, but still the whole exercise failed. Why?

A recent study has revealed that 73 per cent of the companies failed to show any business value from their digital-transformation efforts. Was it the technology itself that failed to deliver or did the companies ignore the mindset of the people?

Since digital transformation is a big change, even to the culture of the organisation, people need to be at the centre of it. There can be multiple reasons, but one of the main reasons was not making efforts to change the mindset of the people and failing to keep people at the centre of the whole drive.

Ford, for instance, failed to produce tangible results because there was no cohesion, despite so much money being invested in technology. The transformation was happening in an isolated manner. If the Company had attempted to integrate the culture of the new venture with the existing business and made people accept technology, keeping them at the heart of the transformation, the results would have been more positive.

“From smartphones to advanced applications, technology exists everywhere. We know that it is here to stay. One day people will have to accept it to sustain themselves”

Rani Desai, partner, Catalyst Executive Education Institute and HR leader

What does ‘keeping people at the heart’ mean? Anish Philip, CHRO, Marlabs, feels it is very important for technology to bring efficiency and increase the productivity of the people. However, he also points out that it is not just about bringing in technology, but also about making people see value in it. “If people fail to see what they gain from the introduction of digital applications in the business, the transformation may not be efficient. Technology should be instrumental in the growth of the people,” shares Philip.

Skilling people in the new technology is also very important. They should know how to leverage the technology in an efficient manner, otherwise the whole exercise will be futile. “Learning, skilling and reskilling makes people adopt the technology faster and start seeing value in it. The mindset starts to change and acceptance begins,” asserts Rani Desai, partner, Catalyst Executive Education Institute and HR leader.

Jayant Kumar, joint president – HR, Adani Ports & SEZ, points out how significant it is to lead the digital transformation from the top. The existing leaders should be the first to accept the technology and that acceptance then cascades down to their teams. “Leaders should act as cultural change agents, which makes the transformation as well as the integration into the culture faster,” says Kumar.

“A digital transformation which keeps people at its heart, has to be simple, easy to use, intuitive to enhance the UX, and more importantly, should increase the delivery speed. This helps in easier and quicker adoption of digital transformation”

Lalit Kar, SVP-HR, Reliance Digital

Does change in mindset and culture come first or does the technology need to prove its mettle first? Digital transformation is also about technology, which gives results and improves customer and employee experiences. Therefore, according to Kumar, technology should come first before one can attempt to change the mindset. After all, technology has to give tangible results to the business.

Lalit Kar, SVP-HR, Reliance Digital, agrees that in the digital transformation journey, technology plays a greater part in keeping people at the centre of the entire exercise. “For instance, a simple app for life cycle management — such as attendance, pay and benefits, leaves and holidays, and containing all employee policies and so on — empowers employees with self-service, clarity and convenience. Similarly, a digital transformation which keeps people at its heart, has to be simple, easy to use, intuitive to enhance the UX, and more importantly, should increase the delivery speed. This helps in easier and quicker adoption of digital transformation,” explains Kar.

“Technology should be instrumental in the growth of the people”

Anish Philip, CHRO, Marlabs

For Desai, on the other hand, skilling people and changing their mindset is more important, because technology is anyway evolving. It has already become a part of our day-to-day life and we are left with no option but to leverage it. “From smartphones to advanced applications, technology exists everywhere. We know that it is here to stay. One day people will have to accept it to sustain themselves,” believes Desai.

Clearly, keeping people at the centre of digital transformation and changing their mindset is important. At the same time, technology should also prove its value — not just to the business, but also to the people.

The post Is digital transformation less about technology & more about mindset? appeared first on HR Katha.

Many HR leaders that HRKatha spoke with, are of the opinion that in all big organisations, irrespective of the field or domain they operate in, there can never be any single culture followed by all departments. “Having a uniform culture across the organisation is a state that every company desires to achieve, and requires undertaking a tough journey. However, it is something that no company may have accomplished till date. Having worked with so many big conglomerates, I have always seen different subcultures co-existing in companies,” shares Nihar Ghosh, president – HR, Emami.

As we are aware, people come with diverse backgrounds in terms of education, regions, states, language and ethnicity. Therefore, it is next to impossible for any organisation to have a uniform culture within.

“Having a uniform culture across the organisation is a state that every company desires to achieve, and requires undertaking a tough journey”

Nihar Ghosh, president – HR, Emami

It is not just the diversity of the workforce which creates subcultures in the company, but the so many different leaders within the company who have their own way of leading businesses and teams. So, as many leaders, as many cultures. “It is the leaders who demonstrate certain behaviours in the company, certain ways of working and functioning, which cascade down to all other employees,” shares Milind Apte, SVP-HR, CEAT.

What is culture? Culture is not something that is seen, but something that is experienced. It is visible in the way one conducts oneself at work and does business. While everyone is aligned to that one goal, each one will achieve it in their own way. Apte cites an example of how at one manufacturing unit, which has three different operations teams working, there can exist three different subcultures.

But what if these different subcultures start conflicting with each other? Well, if subcultures exist, there is bound to be some conflict. “In every company, there is one primary or dominant culture, which will comprise behaviours common to all, and which will drive the success of the business. The leaders in the company will have to constantly demonstrate and encourage such uniform behaviour so that the subcultures do not start dominating the primary culture of the firm,” tells Apte.

As Manu Wadhwa, CHRO, Sony Pictures explains, in a large organisation there you will bound to have different subculture and they coexist with harmony till the time it does not contradict with the larger or primary culture of the company. Let’s say the company has a culture of meritocracy and in one corner of the organisations there is a leader who is leading the team on a patriarchy culture which will definitely start conflicting. In that case strong mentoring and coaching is required to rectify the issue.

“In every company, there is one primary or dominant culture, which will comprise behaviours common to all, and which will drive the success of the business. The leaders in the company will have to constantly demonstrate and encourage such uniform behaviour so that the subcultures do not start dominating the primary culture of the firm” 

Milind Apte, SVP – HR, CEAT

“I think if everyone is aligned with a larger purpose of the company goals these small cultural differences will not hinder or create any problems,” explains Wadhwa.
The perfect example of this can be seen in armed forces, every battalion will have a different motto, but when required they work together for the same purpose.

Apart from this, it is also vital to understand the existence of subcultures in the company. For instance, in 2018, United Airlines rolled out a new system to reward and recognise its people. It replaced small, quarterly bonuses with a lottery system, which handsomely paid a handful of employees. However, this was not really appreciated by the employees and the Company had to withdraw this programme within a day of its announcement. Here the leadership failed to understand the subculture which existing within their employees which believed that everyone or a large part of the population who has demonstrated exceptional work should get something as a reward rather than a handful of people getting rewarded overwhelmingly. That means, it would be correct to say that identifying the subcultures in an organisation is a must, and so is engaging with them.

After 9/11, the Department of Justice in the US wanted to roll out a new computer system. It gathered representatives from more than 50 local sites to plan the logistics, communication and training procedure for it. 300 people from different offices worked on flipcharts answering questions on how they will carry out the process and what responsibilities they will handle at their offices. Others modified their initial plans, as per these responses. The resulting design was appropriate for each office and the organisation claims this to be the best of its deployment efforts, because subcultures were recognised and considered.

“If everyone is aligned with a larger purpose of the company goals these small cultural differences will not hinder or create any problems”

Manu Wadhwa, CHRO, Sony Pictures Network

According to HR leaders, subcultures will not clash with the overall culture of the company, provided they are not changed. Conflict only occurs when a new leader emerges and starts working against the dominating culture of the company, which actually creates a mess. People are often misunderstood amidst their attempt to align themselves to the primary culture of the company.

According to Ghosh, hiring is the key to maintaining balance. “Every company needs to give time to culture-fit hiring. One will not get a 100 per cent culture-fit person, but even if it is a 60 or 70 per cent match, it is good enough,” says Ghosh. According to him, there are interventions, such as coaching, mentoring and the buddy system, which help the new joinees to become aware of how things are carried out at the workplace.

While it is almost close to impossible to achieve a single uniform company culture, it is a long journey and companies can strive to undertake it and get there!

The post ‘One company, one culture’ is a myth appeared first on HR Katha.

For the last 15 to 16 months, people have not seen their offices and have had no in-person interaction with colleagues at all. So, how will the culture survive? The company culture is built from its people relationships that have a foundational base in the organisation. Is the company culture under threat, due to limited, restricted and formal interaction amongst people?

“No face-to- face interactions can impact the culture of the company because there will be no building of relationships between people, which otherwise occurs through informal interactions at the office”

Ganesh Subramanian, CHRO, More Retail

While some companies will follow a 100 per cent remote-working model, others will opt for a hybrid one. In both instances, people will be working remotely at least part of the time. In one of the Gallup polls, it was found that remote workers are 10 per cent less likely to feel that someone cares about them at the company or that their contribution is recognised by their managers.

Can we say that there is no culture if people are not present at the workplace physically?

According to Praveen Purohit, deputy group CHRO, Vedanta Resources, culture is a very big thing. It is formed of our core values, behaviours and the way we work in the company.

“For us at Vedanta, the employees definitely miss physical interactions and informal conversations, but it has not impacted relations amongst employees. Though not physically, we all are attached emotionally. Companies have built their culture over the years and it cannot be destroyed by a pandemic which has just come recently,” says Purohit.

Mahipal Nair, CHRO, Nielsen IQ, cites the example of the Tata Group, which has a large workforce, with global presence, and yet has a uniform culture. “The Group comprises of big companies with presence across locations in India as well as in globally, but their values and behaviours have remained the same without any impact,” says Nair.

“Companies have built their culture over the years and it cannot be destroyed by a pandemic which has just come recently”

Praveen Purohit, deputy group CHRO, Vedanta Resources

Purohit shares that in case of Vedanta, almost 90 per cent of the employees work on the ground and only 10 per cent sit in offices. Still, the culture has never been threatened due to distance. This is because it takes years to build a culture and if the company demonstrates it with true spirit at all levels, it can never be impacted.

Nair does agree though, that in some way, absence of physical interaction has hampered the culture but not the larger purpose of it. “Since we do not see each other face to face, the belongingness factor has gone missing. One cannot show a person how much one cares about them, virtually. Gestures, such as warm handshakes and hugs are not there anymore,” shares Nair.

Ganesh Subramanian, CHRO, More Retail, believes that businesses will not rely on 100 per cent remote work. They will have to operate in a hybrid work model to sustain the culture. “No face-to- face interactions can impact the culture of the company because there will be no building of relationships between people, which otherwise occurs through informal interactions at the office,” opines Subramanian.

“Since we do not see each other face to face, the belongingness factor has gone missing. One cannot show a person how much one cares about them, virtually”

Mahipal Nair, CHRO, Nielsen IQ

While employees who have been with the company for longer tenures are completely aware of the company culture and values, what about the freshers? Freshers have not experienced the company culture at all, as they have not really been in the office environment. “Yes, the new joinees will be impacted a lot. It is up to the managers to demonstrate the correct behaviours and values in front of the new joinees. Also, it makes a huge difference when the senior leaders in the company come forward and talk about the company culture with all the freshers,” asserts Purohit.

In a hybrid work model, since some are working from home and others from the office, the remote workers may feel sidelined and unattended. “People who are working from different locations need equal care and attention. They need to be rewarded and appreciated just as any other employee in the company,” asserts Purohit.

We may not agree that remote working or hybrid working is killing the company culture outright, but some minor impact can be felt deep within, due to limited physical interaction.

The post Is the company culture under threat? appeared first on HR Katha.

This is a very common phenomenon in several offices. Happiness at work is derived from many things including camaraderie with colleagues. If a valued teammate leaves, the loss can disrupt the community. What exactly prompts them to leave one after the other?

“Salvage the star performer leaving quickly. Address the issues in the first 48 hours of resignation. If the employee is adamant to leave, best will be to let go and invoke the notice pay with cash, if that option is available. This way, the Company will insulate the spread of the fire even while upholding the culture and the policy. The longer a star stays, the more is the damage likely to happen”

Rajesh Padmanabhan, HR leader & CEO, Talavvy

Mexican wave

Debjani Roy, chief HR officer, Mind Your Fleet, compares the phenomenon with the Mexican wave observed at stadiums during a big game or an event. She feels that employees look for some affection and attachment in an organisation. That’s culture building. “When an organisation grows in terms of profitability and numbers, its culture starts becoming impersonal. The employee moments get diluted as the organisation grows in size and business. When that happens, the glue factor, which keeps employees embedded in the organisation, thinking this is where they belong, starts thinning. Slowly and steadily, the loyalty and belonging factors start eroding. They are anyway misnomers today, and require a great deal of effort,” she reasons.

How to tackle it

How can organisations stop attrition of such nature? Paramjit Singh Nayyar, CHRO, Bharti AXA General Insurance, believes such a herd mentality certainly exists because humans are social animals and have social circles. “As an organisation, to make sure it doesn’t get critical, we shouldn’t hire people from one source at a time. For instance, one should be wary of hiring a leader who wishes to bring along his own team. If such a leader leaves, the entire team will leave with him. It is essential that one cross-pollinates talent so that the loyalty to the organisation remains stronger than the loyalty to an individual,” he explains.

“When a person is helping one’s cause, one is fine with the herd mentality, but the moment that person decides to leave and others follow, one is disturbed about it. Therefore, rather than banking on a particular individual completely, one should equally distribute bandwidth, time and values, and develop a personal relationship with everybody. That way, the herd mentality can be subdued over a period of time”

Paramjit Singh Nayyar, CHRO, Bharti AXA General Insurance

Alternatively, Nayyar adds here, this phenomenon also occurs because at times managers don’t do enough. Everyone has strong relationships with other individuals. Often, one banks on a certain individual to influence others. Anyone who gets an opportunity like that will naturally leverage it. “So, when a person is helping one’s cause, one is fine with the herd mentality, but the moment that person decides to leave and others follow, one is disturbed about it. Therefore, rather than banking on a particular individual completely, one should equally distribute bandwidth, time and values, and develop a personal relationship with everybody. That way, the herd mentality can be subdued over a period of time,” elaborates Nayyar.

Steps to not lose after a star

When a star employee leaves, it triggers emotions, reactions and thoughts and the grapevine buzzer is set on. Other employees start viewing the departure through different a lens, but the one that will have maximum impact on the organisation is that it sets the jungle on fire with respect to all fast trackers. They see that there are good opportunities available and they too will be tempted to leverage the option. Rajesh Padmanabhan, HR leader & CEO, Talavvy, lists out a few steps that an organisation can take to deal with the likely exodus.

“Salvage the star performer leaving quickly. Address the issues in the first 48 hours of resignation. If the employee is adamant to leave, best will be to let go and invoke the notice pay with cash, if that option is available. This way, the Company will insulate the spread of the fire even while upholding the culture and the policy. The longer a star stays, the more is the damage likely to happen. It is important to ensure that all leaving employees are company ambassadors for life and treated well,” he says.

“When an organisation grows in terms of profitability and numbers, its culture starts becoming impersonal. The employee moments get diluted as the organisation grows in size and business. Slowly and steadily, the loyalty and belonging factors start eroding”

Debjani Roy, chief HR officer, Mind Your Fleet

Padmanabhan further adds that it is important to reach out to all other stars through the managers and emphasise on their learning, growth and experience. Leadership should stay committed to addressing all grapevine queries and discussions. They should be unified in messaging and communication on vision next and future of talent. This should be business driven and not be seen as another HR initiative.

Communication is the key

Roy believes that the key people need to be protected. Easing them out of the system should be a very humane process. It cannot happen in a way that will set off a kind of precedent. That would have created tremendous reputational harm to the company. Simple touch and feel elements, reaching out to the employees, making sure the experiences remain the same as earlier – those are the strategies that organisations should focus on. Communication, thus, plays a vital role here.

It’s only human for a person to follow his or her peer when the latter exits an organisation because there’s a comfort level. It needs to be addressed with humane solutions rather than through aggression.

The post Attrition is infectious: how to deal with it appeared first on HR Katha.

This trend is not restricted to the IT and tech sectors alone, even Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages announced last year that people who are not required to work from office can opt to work from home permanently. However, with so much of flexibility there are bound to arise challenges that companies will be required to tackle at their workplaces.

“This is going to be a real problem for managers rather than the organisations. And it will come into play when things start getting normal and employers begin opening up workplaces in a staggered manner. The conversations and encounters that one has at the workplace are very informal. However, communication with remote employees is formal and scheduled, which makes a difference.”

Amit Sharma, CHRO, Volvo Group India

While all this talk of flexibility at the workplace sounds nice, this hybrid approach is not devoid of challenges. Some of them may have already started becoming visible by now. One such challenge is that of proximity bias.

Proximity bias is a phenomenon where managers and leaders start to favour or are more inclined towards people or employees, who are seen in the office or frequently visible or present in person.

Interactions with people who are working remotely are limited, formal and scheduled. In-office interactions, however, are very informal and they help build relations. Let us take a scenario where some employees are coming to the office and the rest are working remotely. The bosses and the managers will tend to favour them more in terms of performance reviews, benefits or other career development opportunities. While this often happens unconsciously, it is a problem nevertheless, which can lead to conflicts, bad employee experience and engagement at work.

Additionally, employees who visit the office will get the chance to be part of informal chats and unplanned encounters with the leaders. This can lead to favouritism at the workplace, while remote workers not getting enough face time with their managers and leaders may get sidelined.

“Leaders in the pharma industry never really advocated remote working before the COVID crisis emerged. However, now things have changed, but those with a negative mindset towards remote working will definitely give rise to proximity bias.” 

Ajay Tiwari, VP-HR, Lupin

“This is going to be a real problem for managers rather than the organisations. And it will come into play when things start getting normal and employers begin opening up workplaces in a staggered manner. The conversations and encounters that one has at the workplace are very informal. However, communication with remote employees is formal and scheduled, which makes a difference,” says Amit Sharma, CHRO, Volvo Group India.

Though we hope that the pandemic would have changed people’s perception, thought processes and mindsets, there will always be some people with a fixed mindset towards remote working. Such people may not promote the idea at all. They will favour those who are physically present at the workplace. “Leaders in the pharma industry never really advocated remote working before the COVID crisis emerged. However, now things have changed, but those with a negative mindset towards remote working will definitely give rise to proximity bias,” shares Ajay Tiwari, VP-HR, Lupin.

“The solution should be more culture driven, and organisations should strive to create a culture where only output level is recognised and appreciated, whether one is in the office or not. Good work has to be appreciated.Ultimately, I believe that companies who are output driven and measure performance only on the basis of output level, will not face the issue of proximity bias.”

Saba Adil, chief people officer, Raheja QBE

Post the second wave of the pandemic, which resulted in heavy loss of life in India, now the daily cases have started dipping in many cities. With talk of a third wave, however, companies will be cautious about opening offices in real time. With many having adopted a hybrid model and having asked a significant portion of the workforce to permanently work from home, chances of proximity biases arising are high.

How can firms deal with this malady?

Many steps can be taken to keep proximity bias at bay. Some of them are as follows:

Making roaster charts – Many HR leaders believe that it is very important to call team members to office in rotation. This will ensure that every employee gets equal amount of face time with their managers and other team mates. “This way, everybody in the office will get a fair chance to interact with the leaders and their managers,” shares Tiwari.

Fixing one day for 100 per cent attendance – Managers can also fix one day when all team members would be required to be present together at the office. Of course, it will be mandatory to follow all social distancing norms. “I have a friend who follows this practice at his firm. He has set aside one day of the week where he encourages all his teams members to come into the office and interact with him and each other,” says Sharma.

Communicating regularly – Team members should feel encouraged to have regular informal chats with their managers. While it is important that both managers and their team members share this responsibility, according to Sharma, the burden of this should lie majorly with the team members. “The onus of regular communication between the managers and team members should be largely shared by the team member rather than the manager,” believes Sharma.

Building a culture of appreciating only the output level – It is high time organisations focussed on appreciating the output level of employees, irrespective of where they are working from. With the future being so uncertain, it is important to build a culture that recognises the output and quality of work. This is the only permanent solution to avoid proximity bias. “The solution should be more culture driven, and organisations should strive to create a culture where only output level is recognised and appreciated, whether one is in the office or not. Good work has to be appreciated,” opines Saba Adil, chief people officer, Raheja QBE.

“Ultimately, I believe that companies who are output driven and measure performance only on the basis of output level, will not face the issue of proximity bias,” concludes Adil.

The post How managers can keep proximity bias at bay amidst hybrid working appeared first on HR Katha.

When one individual fails to understand what the other person is trying to convey, or takes it in the wrong spirit, the phenomenon called misunderstanding takes place.

While speaking, people often fail to take note of the tone or words they are using. Very often, what the speaker means and what the listener interprets are way different. This happens due to lack of clarity in communication or the listener’s inability to comprehend. Whatever may be the reason, such kind of ineffective communication does generally lead to misunderstandings and then a big conflict.

The phrase ‘this work is going nowhere’ is commonly heard at the workplace. For most, this phrase carries a negative connotation, as it implies that speaker is unhappy with the way things are turning out or the way the team is functioning. However, the person who used these words may actually have intended to simply seek a vision to go ahead. In such situations, managers are supposed to understand where the issue or problem is and solve it appropriately. All it takes is a bit of listening.

“People tend to use inappropriate words which are taken very differently by the recipients, leading to unnecessary conflicts at workplaces.”

Sharad Sharma, CHRO, Pramerica Life Insurance

Communication

“Many a time, the reason for a misunderstanding lies in the communication channel used and the level of clarity of thought in people. To avoid misunderstandings, it is important to take a feedback from people to know whether they correctly understood what was said,” says Praveer Priyadarshi, HR Consultant & former CHRO, Jindal Stainless.

As per Mangesh Bhide, head – HR, technology & FTTx business, Reliance Jio Infocomm people tend to make assumptions and fail to clarify things.

“There is often a gap between what has been conveyed by the speaker and what the listener understood. So in such situations, we need to clarify it with the other person whether he/she understood what exactly was communicated. Also, we should have the habit of summarising our conversation so there is no room for any confusion,” says Bhide.

Bhide shares an instance where two leaders, an HOD and his immediate reportee, equally powerful and knowledgeable got into a conflict. After a discussion it was found that many a times the one who use to report to the HOD bypassed him in a lot of matters and conversations and directly reached out to the HOD’s boss. This made the HOD think that the other person disrespects him. And the reportee clarified that he thought that the HOD never had a conversation with him and did not recognise his knowledge.

“Misunderstandings generally arise when there are changes in company policies related to compensation, salary or benefits and also during layoffs. In such situations, the communication has to be very precise and accurate. It is crucial to explain to the employees why this is happening and avoid any misinformation.”

Praveer Priyadarshi, HR Consultant & former CHRO, Jindal Stainless

“This happened because between these two leaders, there was no rapport built, no exchange of ideas and no face-to-face conversations in the past. Even the boss of the HOD did not feel the need to understand why this was happening,” says Bhide. The problem got resolved after they sat and discussed their differences.

Electronic media

Sharad Sharma, CHRO, Pramerica Life Insurance, is of the opinion that most misunderstandings happen due to excessive use of electronic media for communication.

“People tend to use inappropriate words which are taken very differently by the recipients, leading to unnecessary conflicts at workplaces.”

Let’s take the example of someone writing ‘Let me clarify’ in a mail. While some people would take it positively as it means ‘sorry I meant to say this,’ but it can also be interpreted negatively by someone, depending on the emotional intelligence of the person. It can be read as ‘Oh you dumb ass! You got it all wrong.”

“There is often a gap between what has been conveyed by the speaker and what the listener understood. So in such situations, we need to clarify it with the other person whether he/she understood what exactly was communicated. Also, we should have the habit of summarising our conversation so there is no room for any confusion.”

Mangesh Bhide, head – HR, technology & FTTx business, Reliance Jio Infocomm

Misinterpretation

“Misunderstandings also take place when one fails to listen to the other person. People think that whatever they say is right and the other person is wrong. The situation gets worse when people start taking stands,” adds Sharma.

Ideological differences

A difference in opinions and ideologies also leads to conflicts and disagreements between team members or functional heads.

How HR sorts it out

As per experts, there is only one way to sort out such issues. Before it gets too ugly and out of control, both the parties need to sit together, face to face, and clear things out. The HR has to play the role of a moderator in such cases to understand the root cause of the situation and empathise with both parties. A detailed discussion paves the way for an appropriate solution to sort out things.

Since we all are working remotely, video calls and virtual meetings should be used to sort out such issues.

Sharma admits to being caught in such issues at work and reveals, “Such cases generally come to HR only when the misunderstanding has transformed into a major conflict.”

According to Sharma, “Rather than any other method of conversation, we need to sit together with the other party and sort things out. In my experience, only dialogues and conversations can effectively resolve such issues,” says Sharma.

Sharma cites the example of organisations working in a hybrid model today. There are some people who are working from home and others who are regularly working in the field or in the office. So chances of conflicts and misunderstandings between the functional heads of such teams is high. They will often come up with questions, such as ‘Why can’t our team work from home?’ In such cases, the HR has to explain the problem at hand to both the groups, facilitate a dialogue, and try to make them sit together and understand the objective, as well as appreciate the benefits of such a work model in the continuity of business.

Sometimes, even conversations may not help to clear the air. “This usually happens when people’s egos grow bigger than the company. As professionals, people should learn to discuss and weed out issues, and move on,” says Sharma.

In such cases, the HR should empathise with both the parties, try to understand both their points of view, find out what exactly is the root cause of the conflict and come up with fair and appropriate solutions. Most importantly, the HR should not take any sides.

Priyadarshi believes that it is the HR’s duty to guide and train individuals to communicate better with the other party.

“At every level the HR can play a role in resolving such differences by being neutral and understanding the cause of the issue,” mentions Bhide.

Misunderstandings generally arise when there are changes in company policies related to compensation, salary or benefits and also during layoffs, feels Priyadarshi. “In such situations, the communication has to be very precise and accurate. It is crucial to explain to the employees why this is happening and avoid any misinformation,” says Priyadarshi.

To avoid such conflicts, as individuals, first and foremost, we need to communicate clearly, listen intently, and understand correctly what the other person is trying to say. Second, if any misunderstanding snowballs into a conflict, we need to sit together with the other party and sort out everything.

“I think such issues need to be addressed without delay. If they are not tackled at the early stages, they will unnecessarily grow, and impact people’s relations in a big way,” concludes Priyadarshi.

The post How HR deals with workplace misunderstandings appeared first on HR Katha.

Hiring talent which can influence cultural change within the organisation is one way to achieve a shift. One can follow a ‘culture add’ mindset, which can bring about that change. The ‘culture add’ mindset is something which can help organisations stay relevant and keep evolving with time. ‘Culture add’ is a variant of ‘culture fit’.

“Any organisation that needs to drive a faster culture change needs to focus on bringing in leaders with different perspectives in key leadership roles, who can cascade that change in the entire organisation.”

Ganesh Subramanian, CHRO, More Retail

Where culture fit talks about aligning the organisational behaviours, core values and competencies with that of the candidate during the evaluation process, culture add is more about being open to different kinds of behaviours or values, which can result in better growth for the company. It is about bringing in talent, which can bring different elements in terms of behaviours, skills or values, which are different from that of the organisation, but can prove to be beneficial for the growth of the company.

Can we say that a ‘culture add’ approach or mindset is more effective in smaller organisations and startups, because the employee strength is less compared to bigger organisations that have a large workforce? Logically, it does appear that way because in bigger organisations, where the employee base is large and spread across geographies, employee interaction is very limited.

“I am not just saying this as an HR leader but also as an employee that the ‘culture add’ approach is very much effective in case of larger workforces too, but yes, the visibility is more in smaller organisations and the process is much faster.”

Shefali Suri, group CHRO, Greaves Cotton

The HR leaders HRKatha spoke with, think otherwise. According to Prashant Vishwa, head of talent acquisition, Jubilant FoodWorks, it is not that the culture add approach is ineffective in bigger organisations, but the impact is not that visible. In smaller companies, on the other hand, the impact is very much visible.

“By virtue of the scale of employees, in bigger organisations, the culture add approach may certainly bring very slow and subtle changes in terms of influencing culture, but that does not mean it is altogether ineffective,” says Vishwa. After all, like Vishwa points out, culture changes are visible in bigger organisations, such as Microsoft or Tata. In fact, they are great examples of organisations that have been evolving their culture consistently, trying to make it as employee centric as possible.

Shefali Suri, group CHRO, Greaves Cotton, agrees to Vishwa’s views. “I am not just saying this as an HR leader but also as an employee that the ‘culture add’ approach is very much effective in case of larger workforces too, but yes, the visibility is more in smaller organisations and the process is much faster,” says Suri.

“I have seen in bigger organisations, culture add is practised in senior leadership positions and key roles to make a culture shift in the company. I believe, if one wants to bring or influence any change in the company, it can only happen with change in leadership, irrespective of whether the company is small or big.”

A senior HR leader from the insurance sector

The HR leaders suggest that if a company is desirous of bringing about faster cultural changes, the ‘culture add’ approach needs to be followed not just at the entry level or regular positions, but even in the hiring process for key positions or senior leadership roles.

“By virtue of the scale of employees, in bigger organisations, the culture add approach may certainly bring very slow and subtle changes in terms of influencing culture, but that does not mean it is altogether ineffective, After all, culture changes are visible in bigger organisations, such as Microsoft or Tata.” 

Prashant Vishwa, head of talent acquisition, Jubilant FoodWorks

“Any organisation that needs to drive a faster culture change needs to focus on bringing in leaders with different perspectives in key leadership roles, who can cascade that change in the entire organisation,” shares Ganesh Subramanian, CHRO, More Retail.

A senior HR leader from the insurance sector adds, “I have seen in bigger organisations, culture add is practised in senior leadership positions and key roles to make a culture shift in the company. I believe, if one wants to bring or influence any change in the company, it can only happen with change in leadership, irrespective of whether the company is small or big.”

It is not as if the culture add approach only works for smaller organisations. It is about how one is using that strategy. Bigger organisations that aim to shift the culture of the firm, will have to focus on following the culture add formula in senior leadership hiring to see visible results.

The post How bigger organisations can also see visible results through ‘culture add’ appeared first on HR Katha.

“This generation has been used to sitting in their cabins and people coming and meeting them. They felt the power and control in their hands, but now with work from home, there is a feeling of loss of control.”

Sriharsha Achar, Jt. executive director & CHRO, Star Health & Allied Insurance Company

GenX

Born between 1965 – 1979, GenX, is currently the oldest generation at the workplace, and they have found it difficult to adapt to the new world of work. Many of them are in senior roles, and have a sense of achievement in their career.

Many from the younger generation may not be able to comprehend this, but not being able to work out of their cabins, has made them feel a loss of control.

As Sriharsha Achar, Jt. executive director & CHRO, Star Health & Allied Insurance Company rightly points out, “This generation has been used to sitting in their cabins and people coming and meeting them. They felt the power and control in their hands, but now with work from home, there is a feeling of loss of control.”

Many may say that work from home has been a great leveller. The fact is that this generation has been suddenly exposed to the new way of working, and it’s not easy to adapt to the new world overnight. There is a sudden sense of isolation in this generation of workers.

“Imagine a person, who has been working for over 20 years or 30 years, being made to suddenly work from his home. Throughout his entire career, he was used to getting ready in the morning, leaving for the office and meeting people. Now, abruptly, everything has changed.”

Nihar Ghosh, president – HR, Emami

“Imagine a person, who has been working for over 20 years or 30 years, being made to suddenly work from his home. Throughout his entire career, he was used to getting ready in the morning, leaving for the office and meeting people. Now, abruptly, everything has changed,” says Nihar Ghosh, president – HR, Emami.

Adapting to technology has been yet another problem for GenX. The collaborative tools being used to connect with each other today, are not things that GenX has been used to. This doesn’t necessarily mean that GenX is not tech savvy. While many of this generation are familiar with technology, they are not used to making technology a part of their everyday tasks. “If I take my example, I am not used to staying hooked to my mobile screen all the time or even my laptop. However, now that everything is virtual, I realise that GenX really finds it difficult to remain online or hooked to screens all the time,” shares Achar.

“Milllennials at this stage are approaching the peak of their career. And a lot is expected from them at work. So I believe they are also overloaded with responsibilities and immense workload at this time.”

Siddharth Vishwanath, head of human resources, Zivame

Achar also recalls an instance where an older colleague wished to work on hard copies rather than online sheets to carry out a performance-appraisal task. Working on online sheets may take only a few hours but GenX is used to signing hard copies for approvals rather than signing documents digitally.

GenY

GenY or the millennials, in the age group of 26 – 40, also have their own set of problems to deal with amidst the world’s transition to a hybrid work model. Experts estimate that it is the millennials who are dealing with the problem of work stress and immense workload. In most workplaces, they are the executioners, or in mid-level roles. Ask them about the challenges in the hybrid world of work, and they will instantly talk about a sudden increase in workload.

“Millennials at this stage are approaching the peak of their career. And a lot is expected from them at work. So, I believe they are also overburdened with responsibilities and immense workload at this time,” says Siddharth Vishwanath, head of human resources, Zivame.

“Yes, the younger generation is missing out on the ‘office life’ at the start of their career, but on the other hand, the hybrid work model has also given them the flexibility to create a work – life balance.”

Seema Bangia, chief people officer, Mahindra Agriculture & Defence Systems

In addition, they have family responsibilities as well. In this generation of workers, many people will have kids and toddlers in the two to 10-year bracket. So, they are dealing with the responsibility of their kids, office work and domestic commitments all at the same time.

Also, many of them will be living with their aged parents who are most probably retired. With the second wave hitting us so hard, many from this generation have had to tend to their elderly parents who have been affected by COVID as primary caregivers. Also, in many cases, it is the millennials who have become the primary bread earners in their family.

Siddharth shares one such case where a millennial candidate who applied for a tech role at the company had asked for a 50 per cent increase in his salary. On enquiring, the candidate said that he needed a huge hike as his father was suffering from COVID and he required Rs 60 lakh for treatment.

“The younger generation had their own set of challenges, shared accommodation, inadequate infra at home, being alone in the PG etc due to this many actually went back to their hometowns and worked from their hometowns largely during the pandemic.”

Biswaroop Mukherjee, head HR, commercial vehicle unit, Tata Motors

GenZ

GenZ is the youngest of all the generations comprising those born after 1995. Interestingly, research shows that it is this generation that is struggling the most with the hybrid work model! GenZ has recently entered the workforce in the year 2020. Most of them have been recruited for their first job virtually, and undergone the entire onboarding process online.

As a result, they have not seen their offices, workplaces, subordinates and managers/team leaders, which has greatly impacted them. They are missing out on the experience of networking at the workplace, hallway conversations, chance encounters and small talks over coffee.

As per the report, GenZ is struggling the most in these three areas – being able to bring new ideas to the table; getting in a word during conference calls/meetings; and eventually feeling engaged or excited about work.

Speaking to HRKatha, Seema Bangia, chief people officer, Mahindra Agriculture & Defence Systems, agrees with this observation and says, “Yes, the younger generation is missing out on the ‘office life’ at the start of their career, but on the other hand, the hybrid work model has also given them the flexibility to create work – life balance.”

Siddharth shares another recent incident where a young management trainee had joined with utmost enthusiasm, all geared up to prove herself. However, given the current situation, the leadership team finds it very difficult to give apt attention to her growth and learning, which makes her feel a little low. And she is not the only one experiencing such feelings. Other trainees feel the same way.

In addition, there are other logistical problems. As Biswaroop Mukherjee, head HR, commercial vehicle units, Tata Motors, says, “The younger generation had their own set of challenges — shared accommodation, inadequate infra at home, being alone in the PG during lockdown, and so on. Many actually went back to their hometowns and worked from there during the pandemic.”

Despite all challenges, the fact is that people across generations have learnt to adapt to the new world of work. “The real impact will be seen 12-18 months down the line when things open up and a set of employees continue to work from home despite no restrictions or fear.”

The post Who’s finding it difficult in the new hybrid world of work: GenX, GenY or GenZ? appeared first on HR Katha.

The very idea is preposterous. You are born into a family. You never choose it, and they can’t un-family you. It should be massively obvious that Shopify is not a family but I see people, even leaders, casually use terms like ‘Shopifam’ which will cause the members of our teams (especially junior ones that have never worked anywhere else) to get the wrong impression.” His argument is that ‘family thinking’ only makes it hard to let go of poor performers. “Shopify is a team, not a family,” asserts Lütke. That obviously made many sit up and take note.

“Why can’t you have both? That’s what we call non-duality. At IndiGo, we say ‘you are never alone here’. That means, we are here to help and support. Yet, when it comes to making tough calls, we do take them. For instance, we have opened a 13-bed COVID hospital in Gurgaon at a time when the industry is doing so badly. We are spending crores on vaccinations. That doesn’t take away the fact that last year, we had to lay off people. When we did that, we looked after them well, both in terms of monetary compensation and emotional support.”

Raj Raghavan, senior vice president & head – human resources, IndiGo

Sense of belonging vs undue expectations

Many would argue that since they spend a majority of their time working and benefitting a company, it can be considered as their own. Calling the company they work for as their family gives a sense of belonging to the employees. The objective could be to make employees responsible for the welfare of this ‘family’, which in turn, will take care of them. However, going by Lütke’s logic, it also gives rise to undue expectations. After all, an organisation is a business unit and some tough decisions will have to be taken.

If one looks at things objectively, working as a team makes far more sense than working as a family. The latter brings obligations as well. Working as a team, say for instance, a sports team, the team members together achieve goals and when needed, restructure as well. Every action is undertaken for the collective good or with the desire to accomplish a common goal or mission. This puts the employees and the bosses on the same page without anyone going overboard. This also reduces the instances of heart burn or feeling of betrayal because the goal is common – productivity.

When HR Experts were asked to throw light on what they think of Lütke’s e-mail in the Indian context, we received mixed reactions.

Professionalism vs lenience

Nilay Nilay, CHRO, Indian Shelter Finance Corporation, completely agrees with Lütke’s vision. He feels that while a familial approach at the workplace may reflect caring, it does lead to lack of professionalism. Treating an employee as a family member may be good for building trust, but in some situations, it may also lead to taking soft calls professionally or tolerating underperformance and toning down expectations. “It is important to be professional while dealing with employees if one wishes to build a professional work culture. Both employees and employers seek a professional work environment, and that’s true even in India,” points out Nilay.

“It is important to be professional while dealing with employees if one wishes to build a professional work culture. Both employees and employers seek a professional work environment, and that’s true even in India.”

Nilay Nilay, CHRO, Indian Shelter Finance Corporation

Profits vs empathy

Contrary to the above thought, an organisation is also like a family from the limited perspective that it takes care of employees and their families during difficult times, and even supports employees through social security schemes after they retire and so on. While it is right that organisations are commercial, for-profit organisations, what differentiates the good ones from the bad is the amount of empathy they have for their employees; the level of tolerance they have for genuine cases of below-par productivity; the amount of investment they make to reskill employees instead of replacing them at the first instance.

Logic vs emotion

Pradipto Sahoo, HR advisor & consultant, Bank of India, says, “The differentiating factor here is the objective. A sports team carries only members who are able to play well and complement each other, while a family carries all members irrespective of level of contribution. It is also true that holding on to non-performers and/or non-aligned employees is bound to sink the organisation, which would then harm the rest of the employees too. That’s why, there have to be certain limitations to how far an organisation should go.”

“The differentiating factor here is the objective. A sports team carries only members who are able to play well and complement each other, while a family carries all members irrespective of level of contribution. It is also true that holding on to non-performers and/or non-aligned employees is bound to sink the organisation, which would then harm the rest of the employees too. That’s why, there have to be certain limitations to how far an organisation should go.”

Pradipto Sahoo, HR advisor & consultant, Bank of India,

He also asserts that the objective of the organisation is profit making and not profiteering. Great organisations ensure organisational growth by taking care of employees’ interests and not at the cost of it. The organisations that continue socialistic activity endlessly, face business risk. Citing an example, Sahoo elaborates, “General Motors was overburdened with accumulated retirement benefits of ex-employees. It eventually went bankrupt because life expectancy increased and the cost of retiral benefits increased severely. Such tough decisions have to be logical and practical, not emotional.”

At a time when everyone is talking about getting closer amidst the difficulties all around, such strong stands on setting boundaries and office bonding/relationships have the potential to alienate bosses from their employees. This, in turn, can hamper productivity.

However, Raj Raghavan, senior vice president & head – human resources, IndiGo, is of the opinion that the Shopify CEO probably does not understand the concept of non-duality.

“Why can’t you have both? That’s what we call non-duality. At IndiGo, we say ‘you are never alone here’. That means, we are here to help and support. Yet, when it comes to making tough calls, we do take them. For instance, we have opened a 13-bed COVID hospital in Gurgaon at a time when the industry is doing so badly. We are spending crores on vaccinations. That doesn’t take away the fact that last year, we had to lay off people. When we did that, we looked after them well, both in terms of monetary compensation and emotional support,” Raghavan enunciates. He insists that one is not independent of the other. If, during tough times, organisations are taking care of their employees and getting closer, they are also making uncomfortable decisions to tide over.

Clearly, Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke’s leaked e-mail to his managers has forced employers to give serious thought to an approach that works not just in the Indian context but international as well.

The post Are colleagues family, friends or just teammates? appeared first on HR Katha.

“The pandemic has been treating everyone equally, irrespective of who they are or which economic strata they belong to. It is affecting one and all, which is why people are coming out to help each other, and in doing so, establishing bonds at the workplaces.”

Reetu Raina, CHRO, Quick Heal

While the general impression was that people would feel left out and the bond-building exercises conducted remotely would lose their real essence, the second wave of the pandemic actually proved otherwise. Yes, people have suffered, families have lost their loved ones and companies have had to struggle to stay afloat. However, on the other hand, there is no denying the fact that this global crisis has also brought human beings closer to each other. In fact, while making professional calls, irrespective of who the other person is, I personally have developed the habit of enquiring after their and their family’s health. I can sense, it means a lot to those at the other end of the line. Many organisations have focused on developing these habits within their teams — of checking on each other regularly.

Examples abound, of employees stepping up and coming forward to help each other in these gloomy and challenging times. Irrespective of the rank of the people or the department or location they belong to, co-workers and colleagues have gone out of their way to lend support to each other. This has truly facilitated the creation of new bonds and friendships at work.

           “One of my national heads in Europe arranged for necessary kits — comprising essential items such as bed sheets, food, groceries — which may be required for someone working in a different location and admitted to one of the COVID Care centres arranged by the Company. There are many such stories at Essar.”

Tanaya Mishra, global CHRO, Essar Projects

Interestingly, building of bonds has not just been limited to the office, but has gone much beyond the workplace. Reetu Raina, CHRO, Quick Heal, shares one such example where one of her ex- colleague’s friend’s husband was battling COVID. Raina’s ex-colleague reached out to her seeking help. Raina put them in touch with her brother, who is a doctor, and now her brother is in constant touch with the patient’s wife and family, guiding them through the crisis. The point to be noted is that, Raina does not even know that lady personally and neither does her brother. Yet, they went all out to support her. This has laid the foundation for a new relationship between them.

Likewise, Raina shares that many colleagues have reached out to her, whom she may never have met or heard of before, but whom she has helped in her full capacity. In fact, she shares that amongst her own employees, she has observed people coming together and assisting each other. She can see that new bonds and friendships are being built all around her.

“Whenever there is a crisis, I believe that it is human tendency to come together and stand firm for each other. I have seen many of my employees helping each other to organise beds, food supplies, medicines or injections, creating stronger bonds between them.”

Ranjith Menon, SVP-HR, Hinduja Solutions

“The pandemic has been treating everyone equally, irrespective of who they are or which economic strata they belong to. It is affecting one and all, which is why people are coming out to help each other, and in doing so, establishing bonds at the workplaces,” mentions Raina.

Tanaya Mishra, global CHRO, Essar Projects, tells HRKatha that there are many instances of employees at Essar Projects — working in different countries and belonging to different nationalities — reaching out and coming forward to help each other.

“One of my national heads in Europe arranged for necessary kits — comprising essential items such as bed sheets, food, groceries — which may be required for someone working in a different location and admitted to one of the COVID Care centres arranged by the Company. There are many such stories at Essar,” shares Mishra.

“Why just the workplaces, even within our society people are making new relations by extending a helping hand to one another”

Ravi Mishra, SVP-HR, Global epoxy business, Aditya Birla Group

“I truly see an environment where new bonds and relationships are being developed as people are connecting with each other from across locations, to offer help and support,” adds Mishra.

Ranjith Menon, SVP-HR, Hinduja Solutions, talks of one of his colleagues who has helped over 20 people in her office procure beds and medicines. Having helped each one who reached out to her, little wonder that many are grateful to her and cherish the fruitful bonds that these interactions with her have been converted into.

“Whenever there is a crisis, I believe that it is human tendency to come together and stand firm for each other. I have seen many of my employees helping each other to organise beds, food supplies, medicines or injections, creating stronger bonds between them,” tells Menon.

At Aditya Birla Group, employees made contributions to provide financial assistance to some of the contract workers who were not on the rolls of the Company. Almost 99 per cent of the workforce came forward to donate towards the cause. In this case, even though there may not have been a direct physical contact, any contract worker who may have benefited from the fund, would have developed deeper and stronger feelings for the Company and its employees.

“Why just the workplaces, even within our society people are making new relations by extending a helping hand to one another,” points out Ravi Mishra, SVP-HR, Global epoxy business, Aditya Birla Group.

If we give it some thought, we may be able to come up with innumerable incidents in our professional lives, where we have witnessed the development of such bonds. These may be short-lived, but at times they may last a lifetime. However, irrespective of how long they last, helpful gestures from colleagues and fellow workers in times of crisis are rarely forgotten.

The post Pandemic bonding at workplace appeared first on HR Katha.

This decision has been effective from April 1, across 611 branches of the Bank, including the head office in Bangalore. As per Ravi Duvvuru, chief compliance and human resources officer, after a long debate within the management team, Jana Small Finance Bank decided to implement this decision as the senior management wished to come closer to the staff, to guide them and create a more open and informal culture at the workplace.

“The objective was remove the physical barriers and work as one troop to show togetherness. For this to happen, the senior leaders must be seen together with all other employees.”

Ravi Duvvuru, chief compliance and human resources officer, Jana Small Finance Bank

Message of togetherness

The Bank feels this is the right time to initiate more openness and convey a message of togetherness and solidarity. The objective, as Duvvuru rightly puts it, was to “remove the physical barriers and work as one troop to show togetherness. For this to happen, the senior leaders must be seen together with all other employees.” This also eliminates any hesitance that employees may have had in walking into cabins of senior managers. “With this initiative, the senior management has become more approachable,” shares Duvvuru during a chat.

Also, this move takes care of the shortage of meeting rooms that the Bank was facing at the branches.

Equality and transparency

Not only have the senior managers given up their cabins, but they do not use any special tables or chairs either, reveals Duvvuru. They will be working on the same tables and using the same chairs as the other staff members. Therefore, “We have also tried to inculcate equality in our culture, treating every individual in the Company as equal, and encourage transparency,” mentions Duvvuru.

Many companies have tried open offices in the past, but later realised that employees did not like it due to lack of personal space. Even small things matter, and employees cribbed that they could no longer place their family pictures or other memorabilia on their desk. The fact is everyone wants their own designated corner – small or big doesn’t matter.

Faster decision making

However, Jana Small Finance Bank feels this major shift at its branches has only given positive results. It has helped the Bank make faster decisions and in the absence of physical barriers between them, the senior management is able to guide the employees easily.

In fact, Duvvuru shares that the employees as well as the senior management team are very happy with this arrangement. They have no complaints about their privacy being taken away. “After all, now we have enough meeting and conference rooms available in our offices and branches where people can enjoy privacy,” points out Duvvuru.

The senior management is really happy with this decision and feel more connected with the employees.

Positive interaction

Duvvuru rightly describes this as a very successful transformation, because it is not just one particular team openly interacting with each other, but the instances of teams across verticals sharing ideas with one another have increased significantly so far.

Does this move sound right at a time when the world is talking about maintaining physical distance and following social-distancing norms? “We are operating at only 25 per cent capacity at the head office and 50 per cent capacity at the branches, and social distancing is being followed,” clarifies Duvvuru.

It has been just a few weeks since the Bank initiated this open-office concept. Only time will tell how successful this strategy of ‘building an open culture’ will turn out to be!
Jana Small Finance Bank is a small finance bank that commenced operations on March 28, 2018, headquartered in Bengaluru, India.

The post Jana Small Finance Bank breaks physical barriers between senior leaders and staff appeared first on HR Katha.

Jacob Jacob, global CHRO, Malabar Group, who has worked in a global environment, in countries, such as Dubai and Malaysia, describes his experience as one that ‘opens up one’s mind to see the many possibilities and the ability to view things from a different perspective’.

Definitely, an HR leader who has worked in his homeland for 15 to 18 years, would understand the cultural nuances, working styles, habits and language of the workforce. However, if such a leader who is all too familiar with the people and workings of a domestic workforce or market, is expected to take up an HR role or work in a foreign market, some level of preparation will be required.

“I had to implement the rewards system in seven different countries, taking into account the differences of each country. Initially, this presented many challenges. After all, the concept had to be sold and people had to be made to believe how it would help them. A while later, the system was accepted by all and successfully implemented as well.”

Jacob Jacob, global CHRO, Malabar Group

We asked some of the HR leaders, who have worked in foreign land, to share some tactics and tips that can prepare a person for a global HR role and achieve success.

I. Understand the labour laws of the land

Every nation will have its own set of labour laws. There will be differences, and a fair understanding of the laws of the land where one would be working is extremely important for one to formulate HR policies and frameworks at a global level. For instance, in the UK, the law allows maximum freedom to employers and workers to determine the conditions of work. However, other countries in the Europe have detailed legislative provisions on these matters. Similarly, in terms of collective bargaining, in Sweden, there is a traditional practice of national negotiation covering the whole industry. In the UK, agreements generally cover an industry or an occupation and in the US and Japan, the unit of negotiation is generally the company or plant.

Nisha Verma, CHRO, Apparel Group, who is currently based out of the UAE and has also worked in a global role when she was a part of Capgemini, opines, “Understanding the labour laws and employment regulations of a country is the first step a person can take in preparation, before moving into a global role. It is something which is very basic and hygienic.”

“In UAE, the attitude of the government is also very different. It is very much involved in employment matters. In India, she never got an opportunity to interact with bodies, such as the HRD ministry, but in the UAE, in the very first year in the role, she was discussing employee-employer relations with the government bodies.”

Nisha Verma, CHRO, Apparel Group

II. Develop openness towards people from different nationalities

When one moves into a global role, one has to work and deal with a diverse workforce, with members of different nationalities. There will be people from around the world, and one will have to understand and adjust with them. While in India, people may come from different states, they are all of the same nationality.

Jacob shares that when he joined Emirates, the Company had people from almost 100 nationalities and the HR team itself had people belonging to 20 different countries. “Such a diverse environment means more variables and dynamics with respect to team working. It requires an individual to understand the perspective of the team members and work towards the common goal of the organisation,” mentions Jacob.

“There is a lot of trepidation and fear about one’s own acceptance within the team, whether one will be able to deliver, whether one’s ideas will be heard and so on. However, once one adapts to the culture and ethos of the organisation, which is fundamental to everyone’s success, one will be able to see a plethora of options before one,” adds Jacob.

Jacob also shares an experience, where he had to implement the rewards system in seven different countries, taking into account the differences of each country. Initially, this presented many challenges. After all, the concept had to be sold and people had to be made to believe how it would help them. A while later, the system was accepted by all and successfully implemented as well.

“As one builds relationships, one is able to understand how to navigate conversations in a professional context. One will have to be extra cautious about the kind of language and words one is using with the people around.”

Rajendra Mehta, CHRO, Welspun

III. Understand cultural nuances and behaviours

Understanding the culture of the place and the country helps one to settle in that environment quite easily. Verma also made the effort by adopting the clothing style of UAE, where she dressed herself in an abaya, a traditional dress women wear in the Middle East. “People appreciate the fact that one is respectful of their culture and is making the efforts to understand it,” shares Verma.

She also says how crucial it is to understand the behaviours of people. “I have noticed that people are quite reserved in the Middle East as compared to other geographies, such as Europe.

“In UAE, the attitude of the government is also very different. It is very much involved in employment matters. In India, she never got an opportunity to interact with bodies, such as the HRD ministry, but in the UAE, in the very first year in the role, she was discussing employee-employer relations with the government bodies.”

IV. Master professionalism and accurate communication

Rajendra Mehta, CHRO, Welspun, has worked in various locations such the UK, Sweden, Amsterdam and the UAE. He recommends utmost professionalism in terms of behaviour, and high ethical standards. One should definitely go through an orientation on what kind of language, words and gestures to be used when one moves into different geographies. For instance, a thumbs-up sign can be an ‘Okay’ in countries, such as the US or India, but in the Middle Eastern and West African regions, it is highly offensive as it is considered to be equivalent to a middle finger in the US!

“As one builds relationships, one is able to understand how to navigate conversations in a professional context. One will have to be extra cautious about the kind of language and words one is using with the people around,” explains Mehta.

V. Appreciate diversity and inclusion

While working in a global role, one will have to show inclusivity in every approach, while recruiting and making policies. “One will have to accept the fact that one is working in a global environment, and approach every employee as ‘talent’ and appreciate what they bring to the table, rather than bucket them into categories,” opines Verma.

As per the experts, possessing the willingness to learn and accept new ideas, to empathise and understand people and to appreciate the view point of everybody at the global level matters a lot when it comes to being successful.

“Having a high emotional quotient as a global HR leader is very important, which helps one to empathise with others and communicate with them effectively,” mentions Mehta.

So, for all those out there, aspiring to be successful global HR leaders, these insights from our experienced leaders can help you achieve your goals and understand the dynamics and challenges that come with an international HR position.

The post Desi HR in a foreign land: Five tips to succeed appeared first on HR Katha.

However, Balaji decided not to give up on the new joinee so early. In a one-on-one meeting, the new HRBP changed all previous perceptions. Balaji was astonished by the person’s knowledge and intelligence. Within a few days, the executive had gathered critical information and insights on how  attrition was high among the sales team because new joinees in the sales team were not able to achieve targets in the first three months. The HRBP also suggested ways to change the matrices and processes. These insights brought in a lot of positive changes in the process,  and while productivity increased and attrition declined.

The organisation took time, but finally realised that the person who was once considered  to be  a bad hire was actually a storehouse of knowledge. The problem was that the person concerned just couldn’t express himself/herself during meetings.

“New hires can’t start performing from day one. They have to understand the system and processes first. Eventually, they will deliver. It will take three-six months for them to be productive. Within that time, they can be analysed.”

Rohit Suri, chief HR & talent officer, South Asia and Corporate Communications, GroupM

Bad hires are part of any hiring process. Not all judgements and choices can be correct. However, what’s important is how to convert bad hires into star performers, as it happened in the above mentioned case. Balaji suggests that bad hires need to be provided emotional support in terms of team challenges, work ecosystem and management.

“Work closely with new hires, have matrices in place, agree with those individuals on the matrices they will be tracked on, whether monthly or fortnightly, and provide all the support they need. Put in place systems to track purpose and productivity. Agree with the managers on a baseline, and then set the target,” he says.

The reasons for a bad hire or someone being labelled as a bad hire could be many. In fact, one of the common reasons attributed to a bad hire is when there is a mismatch in expectation between the new employee and the organisation.

“At Raheja QBE, there is a practice where for all senior-level hires, there are regular check-ins with the new leader, their manager and teams as they are in critical roles and impact the organisation at large.”

Saba Adil, chief people officer, Raheja QBE General Insurance Company

Rajeev Singh, chief human resources officer, Yokohama Off-Highway Tires, is a big believer in giving people a second chance.

In fact, he feels every organisation should believe in supporting all its employees irrespective of whether someone is old in the system or a new joinee, or someone is a good or a bad hire.

“Organisations have to remember that if an employee is successful, they add value to the company.”

At Raheja QBE, there is a practice where, for all senior-level hires, there are regular check-ins with the new leader, their manager and teams as they are in critical roles and impact the organisation at large.

Saba Adil, chief people officer, Raheja QBE General Insurance Company, says, “It’s critical to address any issues early!”

“Work closely with new hires, have matrices in place, agree with those individuals on the matrices they will be tracked on, whether monthly or fortnightly, and provide all the support they need. Put in place systems to track purpose and productivity. Agree with the managers on a baseline, and then set the target.”

Rajesh Balaji, CHRO, Matrimony.com

Adil shares a case, “During one of those check-ins, it came to our notice that there were communication gaps between the manager and the team as the manager wasn’t as gregarious as the previous leader. Of course the team found the manager competent in work advice and approachable. We soon got a dialogue running between the manager and the team to set expectations and to establish that every leader will have his/ her own unique style. With constant communication of the two, we were able to address the issue very early. The team went on to develop great camaraderie!”

Rohit Suri, chief HR & talent officer, South Asia and Corporate Communications, GroupM India, firmly believes that the hired candidates are never good or bad. The objective is to get the best fit for the job. The inability to perform could be attributed to other peripheral reasons, which need to be addressed. The reasons could be many —the environment, the manager the person is reporting to, or a conflict with other people and so on.

“If one employs the same yardstick for internal recruitment — underperformance is a matter of concern there too —whom does one blame.”

Rajeev Singh of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires

“New hires can’t start performing from day one. They have to understand the system and processes first. Eventually, they will deliver. It will take three-six months for them to be productive. Within that time, they can be analysed.”

Suri shares a common practise in case of bad hires. It’s about moving people across various departments within an organisation.

However, problems of misfit or bad hire are not just restricted to external hires. The same can happen even during internal movements.

“If one employs the same yardstick for internal recruitment — underperformance is a matter of concern there too —whom does one blame,” opines Singh of Yokohama Off-Highway Tires.

“This is why even in internal movements, an assessment process and evaluation of values is a must to get a right fit,” he adds.

At Yokohama, there is a special programme for summer interns, where they are taught how to be better professionals and what it takes to be successful. This is to ensure to reduce the chances of bad hire when they are finally recruited into the team.

Clearly, bad hires are a possibility but they are certainly not beyond repair. Yes, they may increase a manager’s job as they may need more time to cope than usual, but they deserve all the support. Showing them the door at the first sign of difficulty may be disadvantageous, not just to the employees but to the company as well.

The post How ‘bad hires’ can be transformed into ‘star performers’ appeared first on HR Katha.

Team members suck up to their bosses making the latter feel good about themselves. While the subordinates manage to find a place in the good books of the decision makers, the supervisors’ positions are never threatened.

As Ravi Mishra, senior vice president, HR, global epoxy business, Aditya Birla Group, says “Most managers like people in the team who are faithful to them rather than the organisation.”

Mishra calls it a ‘Do-Mo theory’ — donkeys and monkeys — who always dominate an organisation. Managers always feel safe with the donkeys, as they don’t challenge the status quo. Donkeys will always be there and never leave the company.

On the other hand, the monkeys are the people who may not be doing a great job, but keep a tab on everyone else. Therefore, the managers feel the need to rate them well, fearing they will complain to the higher authorities, if they don’t.

While the good performers get a lot of opportunities elsewhere, the Do-Mo are well aware that they may not get jobs in other organisations. Therefore, they make sure they please their bosses.

“It’s a ‘Do-Mo theory’ — donkeys and monkeys — who always dominate an organisation. Managers always feel safe with the donkeys, as they don’t challenge the status quo. Donkeys will always be there and never leave the company.”

Ravi Mishra, senior vice president, HR, global epoxy business, Aditya Birla Group

Agreed, bootlicking is rampant when people are working out of physical offices, but one does wonder how it manages to stay afloat during the work-from-home arrangement.

Earlier, it was easy to spot flatterers — people who said ‘yes’ to everything the boss uttered, never questioned the boss’ decisions, and were ready to sacrifice their personal life to please the boss and even become the boss’ trusted whisperer. It was possible to watch out for and judge such people in pre-COVID times.

Now, this has become quite tough. Virtual meetings do not give enough room to such people to suck up efficiently, because they are timed and monitored. In the last one year, to reach out to their employees— working from all kinds of places, remote places, metros and even foreign locations — organisations have developed several communication channels.

Does that imply that the pandemic and the work-from-home model have impacted sycophancy in both good ways and bad?

People seem to be divided on this.

“We have moved through the pandemic to an environment of outcome-based performance rather than focusing on the process. Therefore, if people are not directly adding value, chances are that their survival is going to be difficult. So, mere sycophancy will not help people sail through now.”

Unmesh Pawar, advisor, KPMG

One argument is that in the post pandemic era, organisations have been moving to an outcome-oriented performance system now which completely discounts the amount of time spent on the work, and it’s the completion of project or work that matters. That alters the basic principle of offline sycophancy in a big way because now nobody can prove his or her worth by putting in more than their assigned hours without any significant output.

Unmesh Pawar, advisor, KPMG, enunciates, “We have moved through the pandemic to an environment of outcome-based performance rather than focusing on the process. Therefore, if people are not directly adding value, chances are that their survival is going to be difficult. So, mere sycophancy will not help people sail through now.”

On the other hand there is a counter argument that flattery has got a new lease of life in the remote working environment.

“Flattery is well protected now. In the office, one could spot these people sucking up to their bosses. For instance, they were the ones who spent more time in the boss’ cubicle. In many cases, the bosses themselves ended up talking to these people more than the others. In a WFH model, however, one cannot spot such behaviour easily. Also, in the office, one could gauge how productive a person was. With remote working, it is not possible to find out who the boss is giving a good feedback about,” Mishra says.

“Life is difficult for sycophants for sure, but people do evolve and find newer ways to continue. The smarter ones are leveraging technology for their cause. There have been cases where people who are not supposed to be part of a video call still manage to barge in. In all likelihood, they may be planted in these meetings by managers to extract certain information.”

Anurag Verma, VP, HR, Uniphore

It’s also the fear psychosis is at play now, because job losses have been on the rise and to save their own, people try to impress their bosses.

“These days, with many organisations considering  cutting down manpower, such people are even more keen to flatter their bosses,” Mishra opines.

In fact, work from home or  work from office, the issue of skill incompetency has always persisted. Incompetent employees do not oppose a manager’s flawed reports, because they are not competent to speak up. It’s a ‘you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours’. When a crisis crops up or restructuring happens, the bootlickers are often in the safe zone.

“When the need to please is strong, it plays out from both sides – supervisors and subordinates,” Pawar comments.

Insecure individuals, whether subordinates or supervisors, embrace sycophancy to survive and succeed.

“If one feels the need to please, one will refrain from providing feedback to team members out of fear that they will end up disliking one for doing so,” he explains.

However, it’s not always a bootlicker’s day. The flaws of sycophancy come to light, when it’s time for rewards and recognition.

If an organisation has a robust rewards and recognition system, a good performer will outdo the bootlickers, and that’s when such managers or leaders lose face because they can’t live up to their promise in return.

For some flattering their bosses during remote working could have become easier and for some it may have been difficult, but there is also another side of the story, where bootlickers have found innovative ways to keep the practice afloat.

Even sycophants are evolving with each passing day. With this new setup they may have suffered an initial setback, but they have come up with innovative ways to combat the same.

Anurag Verma, VP, HR, Uniphore, says, “Life is difficult for them for sure, but people do evolve and find newer ways to continue. The smarter ones are leveraging technology for their cause. There have been cases where people who are not supposed to be part of a video call still manage to barge in. In all likelihood, they may be planted in these meetings by managers to extract certain information.”

Verma also reveals that initially, these people were in fact connecting with everyone on a humanitarian level, trying to understand how they were. However, over a period of time, they got a little too over-communicative. The thing about the virtual medium is that one cannot indulge in it openly because of the transparency.

Their regular sources are non-existent in the virtual medium of work. For instance, there may not be a pantry guy giving them tip-offs. So now, these sycophants have put in more effort to find out what extra they can do to please their superiors.

“The pandemic has definitely made things quite tough for them, but then what good are human beings if they cannot evolve and adapt to changes?” Verma quips.

All said and done, such practices can be counter-intuitive or counter-productive to the organisations’ performance.

These are times when one doesn’t need yes men. One needs someone who can quickly iterate and do things smoothly,” Pawar concludes.

The post Has pandemic curbed the sycophants? appeared first on HR Katha.

Nobody could do anything about it. We could only sit back and wait — wait for some semblance of normalcy to be restored. The morale of the workforce took a big hit with layoffs, salary cuts and so on. At that point of time, all that business leaders could think of was to just sail through the bad times somehow. Most of the businesses were in survival mode. They were just waiting for things to get a little better.

“COVID will not vanish any time soon. It is almost close to impossible to predict when things will return to 100 per cent normalcy. So, we will need fearless people with the ability to thrive and perform in these times.”

Sharad Sharma, CHRO & chief business ethic officer, Pramerica Life Insurance

Just when things had begun to look up, with the economies opening up and everything starting to limp back to normal, the number of cases have started rising again. Nevertheless, it is certain that things will soon get back to normal again. Businesses will again need to change their gears and shift to the ‘thrive’ mode. A big transformation will need to be undertaken from the ‘survive’ mode to the ‘thrive’ mode.

Talking to some of the HR leaders and experts, we have come up with five factors that can help organisations try and get back on their feet and shift to a ‘thriving’ culture again.

Building or acquiring a new kind of talent

Given the times, organisations will certainly need people who can thrive amidst uncertainty — fearless people who can drive a transformational shift. Either organisations will have to build these qualities in their people or acquire people who possess the right attitude.

“COVID will not vanish any time soon. It is almost close to impossible to predict when things will return to 100 per cent normalcy. So, we will need fearless people with the ability to thrive and perform in these times,” shares Sharad Sharma, CHRO & chief business ethic officer, Pramerica Life Insurance.

“During the lockdown, layoffs and salary cuts gave a message that things are not good. Now we have to do the reverse. We have to show people the positive signs to build morale and bring them back to a thriving stage”

Manish Majumdar, HR consultant, and former head – HR, Novo Nordisk

Positive communication & messaging 

During the pandemic, layoffs and salary cuts had become common. These were indications of all not being well with the companies. Now, organisations will have to indulge in reverse communication. While acknowledging the current circumstances, a communication, such as ‘Yes, we know things are bad but we assure you that normalcy will return,’ can be very reassuring. While organisations may not want to hire, they can still give assurance that they will not take away jobs from their people. Releasing a bit of budget for people to implement and execute some formulated ideas will also give a positive sign.

“During the lockdown, layoffs and salary cuts gave a message that things are not good. Now we have to do the reverse. We have to show people the positive signs to build morale and bring them back to a thriving stage,” says Manish Majumdar, HR consultant, and former head – HR, Novo Nordisk.

Giving bonuses or salary hikes

For morale building and motivation, it is important for people to see positivity in the organisation’s attitude and actions. Giving bonuses and salary hikes can really motivate people and put across the message that the company is getting back to normal and eyeing growth.

Changing the mindset of leaders

It is not just the employees who were demotivated by the pandemic. Managers and business leaders were equally affected. First, the leaders are the ones who need to change their attitude and return to their high-performing days. This will help the organisation cascade the thriving culture down to each and every employee in the organisation, across ranks.

New interventions for transformational change in the organisation

People will have to brainstorm and come up with ideas internally or consult some experts about bringing in new interventions to change the mindset of the people and restore a high- performance culture in the organisation.

Nobody was really prepared for such a situation. Therefore, people are unlikely to have definite answers or solutions to ensure that things are brought back on track. Each industry will face a different kind of challenge, which will have different solutions. It is time for the big HR-consulting firms to do some R&D and come up with some practical solutions to help organisations make this shift.

The post From ‘survive’ to ‘thrive’ – How to transform organisational outlook appeared first on HR Katha.

Now that we live in a world where a sizeable part of the workforce is operating from home, has there been any change.

In March 2020, a leaked e-mail from the Wall Street Journal revealed how a manager wanted remote workers to inform about every break they were taking, including scheduled meetings. Basically, the employees were supposed to keep their manager informed of every minute that they were not available. So, has the pandemic made matters worse?

It’s true that initial days of lockdown wasn’t easy either for the manager or the teammate, but eventually both learnt to trust each other.

“If the project is mission critical, micromanagement increases. The level of management also differs with the confidence a manager has in his team member. If the team member is competent, he may need less instructions and guidance — he is largely autonomous. If, on the other hand, a team member needs help, the management needs to focus more on him, giving him more time.”

Lalit Kar, senior VP & head – HR, Reliance Digital

“It is a fact that after companies were forced to move from physical to virtual all of a sudden last year, there was a plethora of meetings initially, where managers sought visibility of everything. They wanted to ensure that the team members were engaged and focused. However, with ‘work from home’ having become a way of life, focus has moved to output and deadlines. The frequency of meetings is on the wane,” says, Lalit Kar, senior VP & head – HR, Reliance Digital.

Agrees, Prasad Kulkarni, senior vice president – HR Business Excellence, The Citco Group. “There is a rise in trust and regular communication now. Due to remote working, there are multiple channels of communication. Whether it’s over a call, or an internal chatting software or e-mails, everybody is communicating. There is also a rise in structured meetings or reviews on a weekly or monthly basis, since we aren’t all at one place. So, automatically, good insights are being provided to the managers,” he says.

Irfan Shaikh, head – HR, Gits Food Products, believes the pandemic has definitely put a check on micromanagers simply because it is not possible to micromanage now.

“In a way, it is good as it allows employees to take responsibility of their work. It pushes them to be productive and give quality output. It also helps managers identify good resources from amongst the team members. Now, it’s a game between quality output and quantity of time spent,” Sheikh summarises.

“There is a rise in trust and regular communication now. Due to remote working, there are multiple channels of communication. Whether it’s over a call, or an internal chatting software or e-mails, everybody is communicating. There is also a rise in structured meetings or reviews on a weekly or monthly basis, since we aren’t all at one place. So, automatically, good insights are being provided to the managers.”

Prasad Kulkarni, senior vice president – HR Business Excellence, The Citco Group

However, Kar does point out that micromanagers who cannot help being themselves, will keep following up on the virtual medium as well.

Not to be blamed, managers have, after all, been used to receiving daily reports in person. It is this daily reporting which put them in a better position to understand how the employees performed.

As it has been portrayed time and again, micromanagement is not all that negative. It would be wrong to assume that micromanagement is an completely irrational way of working with the employees. Sometimes, certain workers need supervision, be it in the office or in the virtual medium.

Kar points out that it depends on the situation. “If the project is mission critical, micromanagement increases. The level of management also differs with the confidence a manager has in his team member. If the team member is competent, he may need less instructions and guidance — he is largely autonomous. If, on the other hand, a team member needs help, the management needs to focus more on him, giving him more time,” he elaborates.

Micromanagement is a managerial style. To an extent, it is accentuated by the organisational culture. Similarly, empathy has been the buzzword in the last one year. Organisations stress upon the same for having a harmonious work culture even when everyone is logging in from home. Empathy or trust can only work if there’s transparency. That has been significantly achieved in the last couple of months for a few reasons.

“It is the leader who has to instil trust in his team/employees to be able to ensure that they exceed expectations. Work from home has always existed in the West. However, with the pandemic it has now become the obvious need of the hour, worldwide. Despite WFH, many companies have booked substantial profits precisely in the core work-from-home scenario.”

Irfan Shaikh, head – HR, Gits Food Products

The pandemic has put everyone in the same situation, making them go through similar issues. Therefore, now managers too are putting themselves in others’ shoes, believes Kulkarni.

“If an organisation is promoting a culture, where teams are monitored closely and hourly reports are sought, then it could be a challenge. But most organisations are now supporting open work environments. Hence, micromanagement should have gone down considerably,” informs Kulkarni.

However, can micromanagement raise the productivity bar of an employee?

“It is the leader who has to instil trust in his team/employees to be able to ensure that they exceed expectations. Work from home has always existed in the West. However, with the pandemic it has now become the obvious need of the hour, worldwide. Despite WFH, many companies have booked substantial profits precisely in the core work-from-home scenario,” reasons Sheikh.

Sheikh strongly believes that employers are required to encourage employees by way of introducing incentives and new benefits that can reassure them that the employer is being fully supportive of them. Motivated employees do not require micromanagement. They only require appreciation and recognition for the tasks done well and on time.

The post Why ‘micromanagement’ as a managerial trait is hard to do away with appeared first on HR Katha.

Traditionally, it is the employees who adapt to the culture and environment of the organisations they join, but what if the company needs to adapt to some of the working styles of the employees? Along with fresh talent comes innovation, which allows organisations to touch upon the areas they have never really ventured into. This, in turn, brings success to the organisations.

“A company may hire people with different sets of behaviours and values, without compromising on the core values of the company, only when the company itself has something ‘new’ in its business strategy pipeline.”

Ganesh Chandan, CHRO, Tata Projects

“There are people who come with different styles of working. While some people may like to talk a lot, there may be others who prefer writing mails. So, the management needs to understand these different types of styles in their organisation and identify them. Generally, the organsations do adapt to certain working styles, but it is more visible in the leadership position. It is not the same for all,” says Jayesh Sampat, senior talent advisor, global retail markets, Liberty General Insurance.

Sharing one such instance from his previous company, he says, “We hired an individual who came from a start-up culture. His habit was to take decisions very fast, on his own. When we identified this trait of his, we allowed him to take calls on his own, on certain matters. However, we made it clear to him that there will be certain areas where he will have to consult with other subordinates.”

“There are people who come with different styles of working. While some people may like to talk a lot, there may be others who prefer writing mails. So, the management needs to understand these different types of styles in their organisation and identify them. Generally, the organsations do adapt to certain working styles, but it is more visible in the leadership position. It is not the same for all,”

Jayesh Sampat, senior talent advisor, global retail markets, Liberty General Insurance

‘Diversity in culture’ has been the topic of much discussion. If organisations keep on hiring and building teams with people possessing similar behavioural competencies, there will be no diversity, which ultimately means, no innovation and no new ideas.

That is when the need for cross-culture hiring arises. This also calls for the existing work culture of the company to evolve in order to absorb such people into the organisation.

Ganesh Chandan, CHRO, Tata Projects, agrees that a company may hire people with different sets of behaviours and values, without compromising on the core values of the company, only when the company itself has something ‘new’ in its business strategy pipeline.

“A company will bring in diversity in areas where it is planning to introduce new ideas, new processes or a new line of product in the market,” says Chandan.

Bringing in diverse mindsets into the organisation is always beneficial because that allows the existing workforce to get an opportunity to learn something new and bring innovation to the table.

Sharing his thoughts with HRKatha, Vijay Singh, former VP-HR, JK Cement, says, “The existing workforce can always blend in and adapt to the working styles of other people. And I believe that bringing in people with diverse mindsets — while ensuring that we do not compromise the core values of the organisation— always benefits the company.”

“The existing workforce can always blend in and adapt to the working styles of other people. And I believe that bringing in people with diverse mindsets — while ensuring that we do not compromise the core values of the organisation— always benefits the company.”

Vijay Singh, former VP-HR, JK Cement

Singh also shares a case study, from the time he was working with JK Cement. There was a time when JK Cement strictly hired people from the cement industry alone, without even venturing into construction or building. However, soon this started to change and the firm began hiring people with diverse mindsets and from diverse industries. “We even hired people from the telecom industry in our marketing team, who were not only capable enough to do the job but actually excelled tremendously.”

Chandan also shares that experimenting with the hiring strategy and bringing in new mindsets and innovative people at Tata Projects is an age-old practice. “Our MD loves to hire individuals who stand out from the crowd,” says Chandan smilingly.

As long as we understand and respect each other’s ideas, we can adapt to anything, irrespective of what we have been doing in the past.

The post Cultural transposition: Why organisations should also adapt to people’s style appeared first on HR Katha.

Brew of balance

Talking about the ‘Brew of Balance’ initiative, Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks, says, “Motherhood is a challenging phase for every woman. However, we are open to giving a fair chance to mothers who wish to come back on board even after they have given up due to commitments of motherhood. In fact, we do not differentiate in terms of gender when it comes to getting back on board. Even if men wish to join us again, we readily provide them a fair chance. For women, however, we have a special programme under which we provide them an opportunity to work part time, during the school hours of their children.”

Gender pay parity has always been our priority. We have actually never differentiated between genders when it comes to pay scales or hiring

Navin Gurnaney, CEO, Tata Starbucks

Some coffee shops under Tata Starbucks are run entirely by women, and the Company has not compromised in any way when it comes to the safety of these women partners. “We wish to make sure that all our women partners reach home safely. Our values and culture ensure that. All our coffee shops are secured with guard rails and security personnel are stationed to provide 100% safety to our partners,” says Gurnaney.

The goal of Starbucks is not just to make the workplace safe, but also ensure that people can enjoy their work at their own convenience. “We always prefer that our people commute for not more than one hour. In fact, there have been instances, where, keeping in mind the convenience of commute, we have transferred women employees from one shop to another, sometimes even to another part of the country post their marriage,” claims Gurnaney.

Gender parity

A report published by Tata Starbucks states that it achieved “100% pay equity for women and men in 2019, which demonstrates its commitment to gender equality globally.” Commenting on this, Gurnaney adds, “Gender pay parity has always been our priority. We have actually never differentiated between genders when it comes to pay scales or hiring. So, there arises no question of attaining this goal separately. Everyone is welcome on board and Starbucks has always been very culture oriented.”

No pay cuts

On how Tata Starbucks has been supportive towards its partners during the distress period of the pandemic, Navin Gurnaney elaborates, “I can proudly say that we did not resort to any pay cuts or salary cuts during the pandemic. In fact, we prioritise the safety and well being of our workers above everything. We believe that employee satisfaction is as important as customer satisfaction. All our partners who were staying away from their homes went back to their villages, but continued to have their salary credited throughout the lockdown period, even when our shop floors were not operating.”

He further adds, “We did not have to face any extra challenge while bringing the workforce back on the floors post lockdown. Following a gradual process and abiding by all the safety guidelines, we did not open all stores at once. We got our partners back on the shop floors proportionately. At times companies find it difficult to maintain the promises or programmes announced by them, due to changing business scenarios. However, for us, it was a proud moment to have come to the end of the lockdown without compromising on our promise of no salary cuts.”

The post Tata Starbucks: Riding the wave of values & culture appeared first on HR Katha.

Employees in organisations look for a sustainable environment, where they feel the drive to immerse themselves in work, with their mental and psychological well-being intact. They are aware that their employers expect them to face challenges, achieve targets and so on, but will they do so happily if they are not encouraged to take a step and falter?

Prabir Jha, founder and CEO, Prabir Jha People Advisory

Success vs growth

However synonymous they may sound, ‘success’ and ‘growth’ are not the same. Every organisation needs to understand the importance of growth. To grow is to be dynamic, and go beyond the routine, the mundane, the conventional. The daily tasks of firefighting make organisations afraid of failure. They fear that the moment they stumble, they may lose out on opportunities or a particular goal, that is very close to their hearts. What does this lead to?

Prabir Jha, founder and CEO, Prabir Jha People Advisory, says, “Part of it is in the human psychology, where we all seek to win. Part of it is cultural. What do we celebrate? Whom do we celebrate? If these metaphors are anchored around success, only then will people play safe, surely not by thinking or working on something that may fail.”

Obsession with success

Everyone — leaders and juniors — becomes so uptight that they are unable to experiment with conventional ideas and strategies. In such situations, we must try to think of the scientists who have given so much to the common society, in terms of healthcare, basic principles of biology, natural phenomena, such as climatic changes and so on. An ideal scientist is the one who doesn’t frown upon the idea of faltering. In fact, that is when our mental faculties get enlarged, with innumerable possibilities floating around us. The more they panic about not succeeding, the more hypotheses they will come up with. This does not mar their excellence. Rather, it makes them resilient.

Ramesh Shankar, chief joy officer, Hrishti.com, says, “Some organisations adopt a lessons-learnt project. What does one learn from an accident, which is not planned, which cannot be organised? For instance, in Safety, we are supposed to provide a report of near-misses, where there is a high likeliness of accidents. And, in future, that is what prevents us from committing the same mistakes or major accidents.”

Failure makes people comfortable. Let’s find out how.

Each failure is a lesson learnt

How can an organisation succeed without going through numerous trials and errors, or without going through the rigor and drudgery? Every time we fail, we register the stimulus and the response. The nervous synapses of our brain are shelved in a safe space, which is entered into, time and again, whenever a similar situation arises. Similarly, when organisations face failure due to failure of the system or a faulty idea, they can make a note of the exact point where the problem lay. This will encourage an all-embracing attitude and cause less panic when something similar happens in future.

“Failure means an increase in lessons. Some leaders give employees enough space to succeed or at least take risks. If a cricket team captain does not give enough space to the batsman, he will never muster the courage to score a six. Employees become innovative when this happens. When innovation happens, success is bound to follow. Indirectly, failure is what leads to success in such cases,” adds Shankar.

Creativity increases happiness 

Employees tend to loosen up in an environment where failure is not shunned. This loosening up is not to be confused with lesser productivity or lesser quality of service delivery. Rather, it means, they get enough space to sit back and think, however naïve or odd the idea may seem. They require an impetus from their leaders — a push — so that when they fail, they are not humiliated.

Jha says, “The most important part is the kind of culture one creates. Space to experiment and even be celebrated for failure will attract more creative and free-thinking talent. Better ideas, constant raising of the bar, reimagining of possibilities and greater team glue will finally generate more success and celebration.”

Ramesh Shankar, chief joy officer, Hrishti.com

Engagement and ownership

What exactly guarantees employee happiness? Is it the ability to have fun, to shrug off responsibilities or the assignment of less challenging tasks? Actually, none of these. The problem is rooted in the term, ‘happiness’. It is so often associated with fun and frolic, that we forget that being able to stick to one’s task and fulfil the regular targets diligently can also trigger happiness and contentment. Picture an employee, retiring for the day and getting into bed, retreating into deep slumber, with a head cleared of all responsibilities — that is closer to the idea of happiness. A day of engagement-filled experiences at the workplace is all one needs to be happy sometimes. Without engagement, the employee may risk an existential crisis.

To enable engagement at the workplace, it is necessary to include people in the decision-making process. Organisations fear redundancy, ideas with high vulnerability, less profitability and so on, whenever they think of engaging the lower strata of the organisation. They fear that these ideas may not work and cause the entire goal-driven approach to collapse. This fear makes them averse to taking risks or in some situations, they may not even ask for opinions!

Better collaboration and coordination

Organisations often forget that they are teams. In a team, one member takes the fall for the other. Responsibilities and power are uniformly shared, with lesser fingers being pointed to blame. When employees get enough space to make mistakes and bounce back in a healthy way, with support from their teams, it enhances the collaboration and coordination stimulants. Such a work culture gives birth to positivity.

“Talent attracts talent and they create an ecosystem where ideas are truly valued. There is more spontaneous team play and collaboration. Even if someone slips, others rise to help, not blame. Teams and cultures become more resilient and optimistic in the process” emphasises Jha.

The post Why should failure be encouraged to maintain a happy work culture? appeared first on HR Katha.

To kickstart the campaign on celebrating values, Sandeep Singh, managing director, Alkem Laboratories, addressed the team through a video message. He said, “Value systems cannot be only on paper, done and forgotten. Companies do well because of the right (work) culture set by the right value system.” He also mentioned how fostering an open relationship with colleagues, like family, is imperative to building a healthy work ecosystem.

Starting from the first week of December, leaders across functions at Alkem have taken up a value each — out of the nine values the Company believes in — to be promoted each week. “Last year we revised our values, and as part of our ethics, we revamped and popularised them (the values),” says Rajorshi Ganguli, president and HR head, Alkem Laboratories. Values form an important basis for any healthy organisation and this two-month campaign will help internalise the values and encourage every employee working at Alkem to practise and promote a good work culture.

Nine values

The nine values were launched in 2019 as part of the new code of ethics — safety, quality, honesty, responsibility, compassion, fairness, respect, adaptability and gratitude. Ganguli mentions how the values took proper shape in 2019 and a ‘common language’ of values was thus born for the Company and articulated further. The nine values took center stage along with the new code of ethics under the umbrella, ‘Doing What’s Right.’

“Value systems cannot be only on paper, done and forgotten. Companies do well because of the right (work) culture set by the right value system.”

Sandeep Singh, managing director, Alkem Laboratories

As December 2020 rolled in, the campaign was launched with the nine values being propagated digitally, and with standees and banners spreading awareness within the Company. “Values guide ethics in the Company, and we took this opportunity to refresh the values and give them a more specific focus,” adds Ganguli.

The two-month campaign, aptly called ‘Celebrating Values’, will last through January. The purpose of this drive is to internalise these nine values for the existing employees. The fresh hires, meanwhile, are expected to sign an online undertaking acknowledging the nine values and accepting the code of ethics, when they join Alkem.

“Values get institutionalised only when people see how their leaders are behaving. If I talk about values and don’t practise them myself, it’s a farce.”

Rajorshi Ganguli, president & HR head, Alkem Laboratories

Teasers were dropped initially, when the campaign commenced, followed by full-fledged videos, each two to three-minutes long. Every week, one or two such videos focusing on one value are being released, with a senior employee or two adding their bit on the value taken up for that particular week. These senior employees belong to different areas of the Company, not necessarily HR. “Values get institutionalised only when people see how their leaders are behaving. If I talk about values and don’t practise them myself, it’s a farce,” comments Ganguli and thus, this year the senior employees are actively engaging in this campaign.

Employee response

The campaign is in progress and will continue till the last week of January. The activities are delivered, encouraged as a mix of online and in-person engagement by the respective team leaders. Indigenous games are also being designed, based on these core values, which makes the whole campaign more fun and engaging for employees. Crossing the river is one such game wherein a person is required to choose a value(s) to clear the game. There are crossword puzzles and other online games to make this campaign more fun. Debates, discussions and interactions are encouraged by the respective heads of department every week, to help integrate these values into the organisation, and make them more mainstream through engagement.

Sushil Barkur, associate vice president – L&D, TM and OD, and Garima Agarwal, HR consultant, at Alkem are the brains behind this whole campaign. So far, the employee response has indeed been positive, as an interaction with a few employees working at Alkem revealed.

A common thread for most employees with regard to this campaign was quality over quantity. The employees assert that this campaign reminds them of why they joined Alkem — for its consistent quality in terms of services and for instilling a sense of belongingness in each employee.

Alkem’s HR initiative to promote values in a people-friendly and engaging manner is a reminder of the fact that the employees are the ones who form the heart of a company. A ‘fair and friendly’ approach towards each employee and not the whole employee body — as has been the tradition for organisation-centric companies — is what helps Alkem and many more companies today implement HR policies in a smoother way. An employee who feels valued is receptive, and learns and adapts faster than one who does not feel valued. Employee engagement through learning or in case of Alkem, integrating their core values through a campaign, nurtures a thriving employee base that feels valued by the Company.

The campaign will conclude with a video compilation of genuine responses from the employees — their reflections and opinions on the whole campaign about ‘celebrating values.’

The post How ‘Celebrating Values’ at Alkem is promoting a healthier work culture appeared first on HR Katha.

How Sandeep Bakhshi led a cultural shift at ICICI Bank that starts from the top

As a leader, Sandeep Bakhshi believes in letting his team grow and take initiative. This philosophy is having a major cultural impact on ICICI Bank, wherein team members are being empowered to take decisions. Throughout his career, Sandeep Bakhshi has followed a customer-first approach, which balances customer interests with value generation for stakeholders and shareholders. He believes that his staff should be independent thinkers, and feel confident in taking decisions to further the organisation’s goals.

Under Sandeep Bakhshi’s leadership, ICICI Bank has seen a shift in its operational environment over the past two years. The Bank prioritises building a work culture that brings out the best in its staff, by creating a synergy between all the brand’s attributes, such as product, distribution, and human capital. The teams are all galvanised by a common goal: ‘fair to customer, fair to bank’.

To this end, the frontline employees have taken the core responsibility of providing the best possible banking experience to the customers. A significant sign of this is that zonal heads have the authority to establish branches in a specific region or geography, and even have the freedom to organise their workforce. ICICI Bank has around 21,000 touch points, which include about 5,300 branches across the country. The Bank also has about 15,000 ATMs.

Boosting co-operation across teams

The Bank is now working towards simplifying its vertical and horizontal hierarchies. Managers are now expected to rely on their connections with large corporates to collect opportunities, which will be passed on to business leads. Teams have an increased sense of responsibility and ownership towards the Bank’s performance.

Additionally, the Bank has replaced titles such as senior general manager (SGM) and deputy general manager (DGM) for its 400-strong leadership team, replacing them with titles that are indicative of the team members’ responsibilities. This streamlined, simplified approach to team structures boosts the spirit of cooperation within the teams.

The Bank is also increasing its culture of experimentation. It is breaking down markets based on PIN codes, where it is conducting micro-experiments, whose results it expects to replicate on a broader scale.

Making employees feel appreciated

A good leader knows that happier employees work better. Under Sandeep Bakhshi’s leadership, the Bank has gone the extra mile to ensure that frontline and customer-facing staff are appreciated for their work and service during the ongoing pandemic. Around 80,000 employees of the Bank have received pay hikes of about 8 per cent. These employees, who form about 80 per cent of ICICI Bank’s total workforce, have been indispensable in ensuring the normal functioning of all branches during these unprecedented times.

At the two-year mark of Sandeep Bakhshi’s tenure as MD and CEO, the Bank has seen inspiring changes at every level. It has gone through transformative cultural and structural reforms that have been swift, decisive and effective. The philosophy of “One Bank, One Team, One Goal” has brought the teams closer by breaking down symbols of hierarchy, and has increased the collaboration within teams across the Bank.

Even during these challenging times, under the guidance of Sandeep Bakhshi, ICICI Bank remains committed to emerging stronger as an institution. It is participating in the nation’s economic development with the sole focus on nurturing a lasting relationship with customers and creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.

The post Sandeep Bakhshi completes 2 years as MD & CEO; gives ICICI Bank a work culture transformation appeared first on HR Katha.

The new realities imposed by the global pandemic, in fact, made the execution of many initiatives easier for Tata Realty. Additionally, the Company is a step ahead in embracing not just a remote work culture driven by the latest technology, but also trailblazing aspects, such as peer appreciation, flexible management and gender diversity.

While these initiatives have certainly proved their mettle for the Company and its employees, they also hold key learnings for the real-estate industry and HR professionals at large.

1. Digital evolution

It wasn’t COVID-19 that propelled digital adoption for Tata Realty & Infrastructure. The Company was already in the process of evolving into a digitally-savvy workforce when the pandemic hit. “We were lucky that we embarked on this journey and by the time we were kicking it off, the pandemic had started,” says Wahi. “Therefore, we didn’t have to struggle to drive the adoption for our employee engagement and connect plan during the lockdown.”

It is the changing workforce demographic that inspired the Company to think digital. “We were hiring a lot of GenY and GenX talent, and some from outside real estate,” explains Wahi. “They’re very digitally savvy and are looking for a work culture that a new-age economy company would offer.” This observation, coupled with the need to leverage the new talent led the Company to strive towards a more “digital employee experience, keeping the human aspect in mind” says Wahi. “Besides, as the economy is changing, it has become imperative for your own talent to be digitally savvy.”

2. In-house tech

To make it a seamless experience, Tata Realty partnered with Paris-based Sociabble, an employee communications and advocacy platform. “We noticed that remote work depended on too many different platforms to function efficiently,” says Wahi. “With Sociabble, we launched an in-house tool that brings all these features under one roof.”

The tool combines the best functions of all the technology being used for virtual work today. It allows Tata Realty’s employees to collaborate on projects, interact socially, as well as reward and recognise each other. It also encourages employee advocacy and enables employee-engagement activities.

In addition to Sociabble, the Company joined forces with Oracle’s Human Resources Management System. “This made a lot of admin and HR-related tasks accessible to employees,” shares Wahi. It resulted in “a fair degree of transparency and the ability to do things on their own instead of relying on HR or their manager”.

“Some of our changes were driven by the want to introduce a new culture. We wanted to move away from being a very ‘sales’ organisation.”

3. Cultural revival

When Tata Realty & Infrastructure was born in 2018, as a result of the integration of two Tata companies, the Company’s leadership had begun building a new cultural framework, which was put into practice this year. “Although we are a Tata company, there are certain aspects which are unique in the context of our organisation,” explains Wahi.

The Company took a bottom-up and outside-in approach to define this new culture. “We didn’t want the new cultural framework coming from or being stated by the management,” states Wahi. The leadership was going for a more immersive experience. “We spent a lot of time with our employees to understand what is an ideal work culture for them,” she points out. This was done through many interactive team activities in the year’s first quarter, which involved painting canvases and dramatics companies. “These experiences helped to internalise the essence of the new culture rather than just putting up posters in the office.”

Feedback was also taken from the Company’s customer base. “We believe that a lot of what the customer experiences is a reflection of the company culture itself,” reveals Wahi. “So, we asked them what they expect from our employees, what kind of experience they are looking for,” she adds. All of this combined with the Company’s vision culminated into its new cultural framework that is now in practice.

4. Peer-led recognition

In a bid to break out of the sales-focused appreciation model that the real-estate industry is infamous for, the Company also upgraded its rewards and recognition system this year. “Most recognition in our industry is usually for employees in the sales departments for meeting their quarterly numbers,” points out Wahi. “Some of our changes were driven by the want to introduce a new culture. We wanted to move away from being a very ‘sales’ organisation.”

Instead, Tata Realty wanted to imbibe its key cultural tenet of empowerment in its rewards and recognition programme. “We were thinking on the lines of ‘how do we empower employees and managers to recognise and appreciate each other more often’.” Leaving the archaic and long process of evaluation and assessments behind, the Company launched a tool called AwesomeU, which takes the entire exercise online, lending it an egalitarian dimension.

“Every quarter managers are given kitties from which they can reward their teams,” illustrates Wahi. “They decide who they want to reward and how.” The Company’s leadership wanted managers to have a more active role in employee appreciation. “Why should they go through a formal process of approval? We expect managers to be fair and believe they should be empowered to take fair decisions,” adds Wahi.

Team leads present real-time reward points and ‘spot awards’ to employees as soon as good work is done and recognised. “The points can be encashed in various ways — either an Amazon voucher or if they wish to give it to a charity,” shares Wahi. It’s not just managers who can reward team members; employees can reward each other, and their bosses too! “We wanted to encourage an attitude of ‘let’s — you and me as peers, do something good for each other’,” notes Wahi.

The recognition is not just company-wide, integrated into Sociabble, which is used by the pan-India 800-strong workforce, but can also be shared on the employee’s personal social media. When this was being developed, “the idea was not to limit rewards and recognition to a monthly activity between the manager and employee,” says Wahi. “We wanted to introduce something that allowed people to appreciate each other as they see something good happening.”

5. Diversity and gender inclusivity

With its ‘We for Her’ initiative, Tata Realty has taken long strides towards constructing not just a more gender-inclusive and diverse workspace, but the industry in general too. It is a monthly women’s network, that also encourages the participation of men, to address and resolve the many biases against women in real estate.

One of the biggest biases the organisation noticed, that prompted this focused diversity programme, was the limited participation of women in certain departments. “You’ll see them in marketing, corporate or architecture, but not at the project or site level,” points out Wahi. “It’s perceived that these functions are not suited for women, which is not true.” The forum also addressed issues, such as unconscious biases and women-specific stressors that were unrelated to work.

Rather than looking at diversity as a mandate to be fulfilled, Tata Realty is driven by the intent to “enable women to talk about the challenges they face in the industry, empower them to take on more leadership roles”, claims Wahi. Through the forum, the Company also aspires to achieve industry-wide goals, such as, “How do we ensure equal opportunity for women in the workspace? How can we make them feel safe to join a real-estate firm?”

The post 5 progressive ways Tata Realty is pioneering the new work reality appeared first on HR Katha.

The ESOPs programme encourages employees to volunteer for various CSR projects. Year on year, the Mahindra Group employees have contributed over 3.3 million person-hours cumulatively for programmes aimed at helping the disadvantaged communities.

The Group is launching a new video film, as part of the emphasis on ‘Rise’, the Group’s corporate purpose. The employees are required to watch the video, make their own video and upload and share the same on social media, with the hashtag “RiseUpChallenge.

The Group is celebrating its over seven decades of success and ‘spirit of service’, in keeping with its commitment to ‘giving back to the community’ and bringing about “positive change in the lives of stakeholders and the communities it serves around the world”.

This is another step in the right direction by the Mahindra Group, which has always taken a thoughtful and holistic approach to corporate social responsibility, in keeping with its core values.

The Mahindra Group, which employs over 2,56,000 people across 100 countries, has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2040 by optimising energy efficiency, focusing on the use of renewable energy and creating carbon sinks. ‘Project Hariyali’ involves planting over a million trees every year. More than 17 million trees have already been planted till date. Most of the plants of this water-positive Group are certified as ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’. Its $600 million green product portfolio comprises low carbon, climate friendly product lines and corporate practices, including electric vehicles, green housing, solar business and micro irrigation.

The post Mahindra Group employees pledge 750,000 hours of community service appeared first on HR Katha.

Founded in 2014, Chalo, a bus-mobility company, takes this rule quite seriously. It is not just any other rule or simply a point on papers. The Company takes strict action against those who fail to abide by this rule. In fact, many employees, even good performers, have been asked to leave, simply because they were found to be gossiping or taking the rule lightly.

“We wish to build an open culture where employees are courageous enough to initiate discussions. People should feel free to discuss their discomfort without the need for anonymity. If something is not right in the organisation, they should speak up without fear. More than being right or wrong, it is all about expressing their views”

It is not as if employees are never pulled up or warned when they are found to be in the wrong. The rules implies that if an employee is not present during a conversation or in a meeting, the remaining employees can only talk positively about that person.

Yes, if the person is present in the conversation or the meeting, she/he can be told about his/her mistake.

“We are strictly against people talking ill about somebody who is not present in the room. Instead, we appreciate people and talk about them in a positive manner in their absence. One should have the courage to talk to people to their faces, no matter how crucial the conversation,” says, Priya Dubey, chief people officer, Chalo.

That is why, apart from the ‘No-Gossip’ policy, the Company also has another policy in place, called ‘Act with Courage’, wherein every employee, irrespective of rank, is expected to have the courage to express his/her opinion.

“The ‘Act with Courage’ takes more time for people to adapt to. All of us are conditioned to adapt, and have learnt to be careful. Silent disapproval leads to frustration and demotivation. Both aspects are extremely harmful for any setup in the long run,” says Dubey.

The real test for this rule happened during the lockdown when the ‘trust’ factor played a very important role in ensuring that all 50-60 members of the team remained motivated and committed.

Dubey opines, “Today, everybody is working from home, and for companies that are not well knit and have no trust, the new normal can turn out to be a nightmare. Here, communication plays the real deal. Anyone, irrespective of the designation, can call anyone and take feedback.”

The practice of ‘no gossip’ was introduced at the onset when the Company was founded. It is now a part of the organisational DNA, which is based on respect, ownership, dependability and trust.

Sharing an interesting incident, Dubey says, “Recently, one of our team members questioned me on why full salary was being paid to a new joinee, while others had to take a salary cut during the lockdown.”

“We wish to build an open culture where employees are courageous enough to initiate discussions. People should feel free to discuss their discomfort without the need for anonymity. If something is not right in the organisation, they should speak up without fear. More than being right or wrong, it is all about expressing their views,” she adds.

In Dubey’s words, more than policy, it is a guideline that the company follows.

Chalo also has unlimited leave policies for its employees. As long as the project is delivered on time, the Company does not really bother if the person comes to office or not.

Unlike many other companies, there are no additional compensation and benefits given to the employees. “We do not believe in variables and other schemes to motivate people,” claims Dubey.

With a versatile team of more than 1300 employees, the training during the induction process plays an important role. It is during the induction that implicit trust is built, right from the moment the employee starts working with the organisation.

“All of us are working in the interest of the Company’s belief in us doing better as individuals. Through the hourly interview sessions on culture and values, every employee is tested on whether he/she will be able to contribute and be a part of the zero-tolerance policy,” Dubey explains.

“Gossiping leads to no trust. Even if a person possesses immense talent, but fails to follow the guidelines, we will not tolerate it. We strictly follow a no-criticism culture,” she concludes.

The post This startup makes its employees sign a ‘No- Gossip’ agreement appeared first on HR Katha.

The expatriate Korean managers in the foreign land were often misunderstood by the local subordinates due to their rigid attitude. On the face of it, they appeared to distrust non-Koreans, apart from being hard taskmasters. It was also perceived that they barely listened to their local subordinates. As a consequence, Korean companies in offshore lands often faced talent-retention problems.

Not to blame the Korean managers, the problem was linked to the hierarchical society back home, where people valued seniority. They were used to taking orders from their superiors blindly, and would rarely challenge their leaders. It was owed to gruelling military training that virtually all South Korean men undergo.

The expatriate Korean managers tried to implement the same in the offshore lands. However, not all subordinates were the same – there were educated white-collared workforces in Germany and Netherlands, while there were low-wage workers in South East Asia. For instance, Dutch employees in a Korean subsidiary in Netherlands stated that their Korean superiors failed to understand the nuances of Dutch culture, while the Korean managers failed to understand why Dutch employees would call in sick because they had a cold whereas Korean employees would come to work until they were truly unable to do so. In South East Asia, Korean managers were even embroiled in beatings and brawls with low-wage workers.

In Korean culture, if a boss asks ‘Are you hungry?’, he/she actually means ‘I am hungry, can we eat now?’ So, a ‘No’ in response would hurt his/her kibun, which means sentiment, morale, affection or mood. Now, such nuances were hard to understand for a subordinate from a different culture.

The problems kept escalating and then the Korean companies realised that they needed to work on the cultural skills of the expatriate managers. That is when many Korean companies introduced the concept of ‘nunchi’ for Korean managers working offshore. The idea was to teach the Korean managers to ‘listen’ more.

Nunchi is a 17th century concept, which is the subtle art of listening and the ability to gauge others’ moods. The Japanese believe that a good listener hears one and understands 10. Nunchi is all about developing skills to become a better listener, as it provides the ability to assess a situation, read between the lines, and hear between the sounds. Nunchi is the ability to determine another person’s kibun by using the eye. It is like a sixth sense, which reads non-verbal and body languages, as well as the tones to get the real meaning of what they say.

In other words, Nunchi is the tact to grasp social situations and read a given interaction, besides also learn how to respond to it. In short, it’s the act of grasping what other people are thinking and learning how to anticipate their needs.

Korean companies believe that nunchi enables Korean managers to uphold control in faraway lands. Korean managers are expected to look after employees’ needs, with the expectation that in return, the employees will show a high interest in their workplace. The companies have, therefore, laid down informal nunchi-grounded checks and balances.

It is also a manager’s role to motivate and inspire others, to foster positive attitudes at work and generate a sense of contribution and importance with and among employees. All this can be achieved by practising nunchi. In Korean culture, a socially clumsy person is described as nunchi eoptta which means ‘absence of nunchi.’

In today’s context, nunchi is comparable to a heightened form of emotional intelligence (EI), and to be an effective manager, one needs to possess emotional intelligence.

Emotional intelligence is closely related to the broader concept of paralanguage. However, nunchi also relies on the understanding of one’s status relative to the person with whom one is interacting. It can be perceived as the embodiment of skills necessary to communicate effectively in high-context culture.

The post Why ‘Nunchi’ is important for managerial success appeared first on HR Katha.

According to studies carried out by Development Dimensions International (DDI), empathy is the biggest single leadership skill needed today.

Rising expectations

As organisations have come out effortlessly to stand behind employees and ensure their safety and wellbeing during the pandemic, there will be similar expectations from the employees once they are back to offices. Similarly, organisations must prepare now to facilitate the same level of collaboration and cooperation in the future when employees return.

“Companies have come up with new policy changes, including allowing more flexibility, which will continue even when employees return to office. This will only improve efficiency, effectiveness and work-life balance for employees.”

Those who will be able to excel at empathy in the post COVID-19 workplace will be quicker to build trust and relationships even virtually. If colleagues and customers know their leaders care about them, they will reciprocate and care about those leaders too. This will create a working dynamic of mutual loyalty and dedication. It will inspire both sides to put in extra effort to achieve ambitious goals, and adapt to the ever-changing economic landscape. Those who will lead with empathy will eventually win.

Rohit Thakur, CHRO, Paytm, believes, “It is empathy that helped us understand and address the needs of our colleagues and simultaneously stay on the growth track. In the post-COVID world, it will be more important than ever to have the same level of empathy organisations are showing right now. One needs to understand and listen to employees so that they can develop solutions that will help companies transition into the post-COVID world.”

“Organisations today are focused on being employee friendly and more empathetic, especially when it comes to taking care of employees. This is the most important element now. The pandemic has increased the empathy quotient between employees and employers.”

Going deeper, leaders will now make it a point to acknowledge and show emotions; to let others know that they are attentive to them and care about their well-being. Helping others label their emotions not only shows how much one cares for them, but it allows them to process their own emotions deeper and cope better with uncertainty.

For Karan Makhania, head – business HR and talent acquisition, Aegon Life, “The pandemic has given a reality check. Now that everyone is working from home, managers and leaders have realised how much employees have on their plates apart from official work. This realisation will reflect in the behaviour of the managers in the coming times.”

Adding further, he says, “Many organisations have done a good job of enabling ease of work while working from home. There is no chance of looking back from this journey of being an empathetic employer. Without any hesitation, employees will look up to their managers and leaders with higher expectations and hope.”

There are leaders who believe that empathy will be the only most important element in the workplace after things are back to normal. It will be bigger than any monetary reward or benefit.

Udbhav Ganjoo, head-HR, Mylan Laboratories Limited alludes, “Organisations today are focused on being employee friendly and more empathetic, especially when it comes to taking care of employees. This is the most important element now. The pandemic has increased the empathy quotient between employees and employers.”

Every organisation has rewards, such as increments, bonuses, incentives and benefits. However, Ganjoo states that while the softer elements, such as empathy existed before, the focus has now completely shifted to employee wellness — emotional and physical.

Stronger bonds and connections

Talking about emotional wellness, Ganjoo opines, “In the current context, emotional wellness means taking care of employees, and having a stronger connection with them across all hierarchies than there was earlier. This means, more attention from the manager — other than on just work and output— which will build a stronger connection.”

As we move forward, being empathetic will determine how well connected a manager is with the employees at every level. Apart from the workplace needs, it will be more about the holistic wellbeing of the employees, which will ensure better performance and management.

For instance, Ganjoo explains, “Employees will now expect that certain work be allowed to be done from home, and similarly, the managers will not mind considering such an option. It will be a challenge to meet the expectations of employees.”

Makhania holds a similar opinion. “Companies have come up with new policy changes, including allowing more flexibility, which will continue even when employees return to office. This will only improve efficiency, effectiveness and work-life balance for employees.”

Earlier, interviews used to take an entire day. Some candidates used to even commute for hours or even travel to different cities, spending days. However, the pandemic has made several things easier for organisations.

“In the past, for outstation candidates, travelling to cities for interviews was common. COVID has made us realise what a sheer waste of time, money and effort that was. Now, employers will consider the possibility of virtual interviews as an option, and a lot of other things will get eased out. Here, the empathy factor will make employers question as to why somebody should be summoned from afar or required to be physically present only to be spoken to for just half an hour when the same can be done virtually,” explains Makhania.

‘Empathy’ may not be a new trait for many organisations. Many have been empathetic towards their employees in pre-COVID times as well.

“While empathy existed earlier, the focus is more during these current times, as compared to pre-COVID times. A lot of these things were happening in an informal way, where much was not talked about. The pandemic has simply made all of us conscious and vocal about it,” adds Makhania.

Adversities have a strange way of bringing people together. Over the last several months, the bonds between the management, employees and colleagues have strengthened. From just being there to help each other, they have all emerged stronger, not just as individuals but as an organisation.

“It is empathy that helped us understand and address the needs of our colleagues and simultaneously stay on the growth track. In the post-COVID world, it will be more important than ever to have the same level of empathy organisations are showing right now. One needs to understand and listen to employees so that they can develop solutions that will help companies transition into the post-COVID world.”

In Thakur’s words, “One needs to understand that after staying indoors and working from home for so long, some may be more comfortable with the remote working setup while others may just want to go back to working from offices. Businesses need to consider these situations and help employees in the transition, instead of simply following set guidelines. Given the enhanced work-from-home situation, it will definitely change the way many companies have been working in the past. It is as much about a behavioural mindset change as it is about a physical change to do with how work typically happens.”

As mentioned, industry experts believe that this will continue even in the post-pandemic scenario.

The post Why ’empathy’ is trending in the post-pandemic workplace appeared first on HR Katha.

It may sound like a normal exchange between an employee and a manager, but during such troubling times like the pandemic, it is a blessing in disguise.

In times of crisis, companies often tend to focus on the stress and strain of keeping the organisation together and afloat. Things would go smoother if employers start recognising and mostly acknowledging the efforts of their employees. In fact, it is even more important during times of struggle, to let the employees know how much they are appreciated.

“More than the organisations, the managers should be more appreciative on a daily basis. Today, however, the need is even more because the overall situation is very gloomy. There is a lot of uncertainty prevailing, and believe it or not, there is no good news on the way,” says Jayant Kumar, joint president- HR, Adani Group.

“For organisations, this period is a test of their loyalty. If they take care of employees during this crisis, employees will go beyond their limits to perform for the organisation. If not, tomorrow when the market re-opens, they will be the first to leave. Therefore, when the chips are down, it is important to take care of employees more than anytime else.”

Employees are constantly juggling between work and personal life within the four walls of their homes, which is a relatively new experience for them. Initially, it may have felt right to be away from office, chilling at home and work, but it has started to take a toll on everyone, especially employees.

“Under these challenging circumstances, leaders and managers in the organisation should create such conditions wherein people can succeed and achieve higher and better and then appreciate and reinforce their confidence,” advises Kumar.

Some people prefer monetary rewards, while others are happy with public acknowledgement. There are yet others, who would rather be rewarded with increased responsibilities or new opportunities, since these can often lead to promotions.

However, Ramesh Shankar, former EVP & head- HR, Siemens, believes that appreciation does wonders to people. He believes, “Appreciation is not just financial, in the form of compensation or benefits. Rather, non-financial appreciation is more effective in today’s scenario. Money cannot buy happiness. All employees need today is to be recognised and applauded for the effort they are putting.”

Secret to productivity

Recognising the hard work the team does can have a significant impact on their productivity. It is observed that employees work harder and with more drive when their efforts are recognised and appreciated. The more the focus on acknowledging employees’ hard work, the better the chances of keeping them happier and more committed to the company’s end goal.

As Kumar already mentioned, a lot of uncertainty prevails currently. Therefore, if adequate attention is given to appreciation and recognition of efforts, it can even bring in clarity and definiteness in the ecosystem, and thus increase the productivity of the employees. “Productivity comes with a mindset. As everyone is unsure of what is going to happen, a well thought out appreciation will bring clarity,” he explains.

“Appreciating employees will relieve them of anxiety. An anxious mind can never create excellence, and under such circumstances, we want our people to be better than what they used to be earlier. These situations demand higher efforts from the employees.”

Appreciation is not just mere words from an employer and an employee. In fact, it is a gesture shown during such critical times, such as the pandemic.

“When companies take care of employees during their difficult times, they respond with equal sincerity when companies themselves are in trouble. Organisations do not realise that this is an opportunity for them to take care of their employees. Once the employees feel better and are back in form, they will put in extra effort owing to that particular gesture bestowed upon them,” he elucidates.

Keeping anxiety at bay

The pandemic situation is taking a toll on people’s mental health. While for some it is a new experience, the rest are finding it even harder than ever before to deal with the stress and unease brought on by the new normal.

In Kumar’s words, “Appreciating employees will relieve them of anxiety. An anxious mind can never create excellence, and under such circumstances, we want our people to be better than what they used to be earlier. These situations demand higher efforts from the employees.”

“How can employees be expected to put in extra effort when their mind is constantly occupied with negative thoughts?” he questions.

While some fear loss of jobs, others have already seen pay cuts and deferred appraisals. The locking and unlocking of states have left employees feeling worried about their future. That is precisely why employers should never let go an opportunity to appreciate the goodness in their employees.

While the importance of feeling appreciated varies for different individuals, it is essential to the fostering of a positive relationship — be it at the workplace or at home.

On the flip side, if appreciation is absent, individuals are less likely to feel connected or motivated to invest themselves in that relationship.

According to Shankar, “For organisations, this period is a test of their loyalty. If they take care of employees during this crisis, employees will go beyond their limits to perform for the organisation. If not, tomorrow when the market re-opens, they will be the first to leave. Therefore, when the chips are down, it is important to take care of employees more than anytime else.”

Infusing hope

It is during a crisis, or during sickness that employees need more love and care. Similarly, Shankar continues, “Employees need more appreciation and reassurance from the management during a pandemic, when businesses are not doing well. The feeling of insecurity and the fear of losing bonuses, increments, and jobs is even more during such times.”

Kumar aptly considers appreciation to be the lifeline in such a difficult situation.

“The only way is to appreciate the small and big things that people are able to do under such challenging circumstances. Hope brings light despite all darkness, and inability to create positivity and hope amongst the team members, will not only cause employees to suffer, but also organisations to lose,” concludes Kumar.

The post Why it is important to ‘appreciate’ employees even more now appeared first on HR Katha.

Aptly called ‘The PhonePe Engineering Journey’, it began in the month of April this year. Within the 2000-strong company, the technology team consists of close to 500 employees amongst whom around 300 are hard-core engineers.

The goal here is to ensure that titles are not the motivation for individuals anymore. Rather, increasing skills to command more responsibilities, and being fairly compensated for the same are the aims now. Therefore, if an employee wants to join a particular team or work on an exciting new initiative, she or he is allowed to participate on the basis of merit and performance, rather than title.

What PhonePe has essentially tried to do is, build a culture where organisational hierarchies do not have a role to play in the day-to-day functioning of the company.

“Our ability to connect with people — specifically on the value they are creating, the complexity of problems they are solving and the learning they are obtaining on their functional and technical capabilities — is so clear that we are able to design a journey of growth for them. This journey is entirely about scope, complexity and functional improvement.”

Why do away with titular recognitions?

Manmeet Sandhu, chief people officer, PhonePe, says that aspirations of titular recognition are mostly superficial. People aspire for those because that is how they are conditioned.

“The best way to attract, engage and retain talent is to enable them to create value and contribute to the best of their capability. The core idea behind the Engineering Journey at PhonePe was to ensure that people feel a sense of belonging and value through the work they are doing,” says Sandhu.

How does the PhonePe Engineering Journey work?

Employee growth for the technology team at PhonePe is measured through the impact they deliver on a role. For instance, for an engineer here, growing as a professional would mean moving from working on small tasks under supervision within a team, to working on larger platforms and owning end-to-end product deliveries.

Sandhu explains that they have identified a set of dimensions for engineers, such as technical competence, domain knowledge and operational excellence among others. These are laid out for every engineer and a roadmap is created, which allows them to identify where they stand as professionals. She adds that these dimensions serve only as a guide and not as an overly indexed checklist to tick off. All the engineers are able to self-regulate their individual journeys of continuous improvement and determine in which areas they need to invest more effort to grow as an employee within the Company.

“Our ability to connect with people — specifically on the value they are creating, the complexity of problems they are solving and the learning they are obtaining on their functional and technical capabilities — is so clear that we are able to design a journey of growth for them. This journey is entirely about scope, complexity and functional improvement,” explains Sandhu.

Aspiring engineers, for instance, need to improve their designing and development skills and their understanding of the systems around them. Going forward, they will need to be able to plan and prioritise to deliver on projects of increasing complexity.

It is an added bonus if the individuals are able to grow their skills as managers and lead successful teams. However, that is left entirely to them. Sandhu says that if employees’ functional capabilities are strong and they do not have any interest in management, they are guided on how to take their current abilities to the next level.

Moreover, titles that currently exist for the engineering team are merely functional and define the role rather than seniority. For instance, employees who are involved in solving vertical problems, are defined as engineers, while those whose responsibilities are more horizontal and include high-level design, setting technical standards and focussing on organisational-level goals of reliability, performance and data-centre cost optimisation are defined as architects. Both roles have parallel growth paths along the way, and employees do not feel the need to switch from one role to another for learning or compensation reasons. Fluid internal mobility of individuals and a broadening of skill sets and perspectives are the end goals of the Engineering Journey at PhonePe.

Currently, the initiative is limited to the technology team only. Sandhu adds that in time, they may look towards implementing the same in other functions and areas as well.

Rewards

Employees are given financial rewards, based on the increase in their skills and contribution to the organisation. At the end of the yearly performance review, employees receive a 360-degree feedback. By removing hierarchies among employees, it is possible to reward them solely on the basis of individual skill sets and contribution. Both aspects are taken into consideration, before delivering fair compensation. An increase in skillsets without an increase in contribution will not qualify an employee to receive a reward. Managers sit down with their team members every quarter to discuss individual performance as well as progress.

In addition, the Company offers an education allowance of Rs 5 lakhs for any structured course an employee wishes to pursue. The determining factor for reimbursement is the alignment of the course to the individual’s work at the organisation.

In terms of hiring, PhonePe has continued to recruit fresh talent, and till now has hired a 100 people in technology and about 300 in the non-tech side.

The post PhonePe removes titles, focuses on flat structure for tech team appeared first on HR Katha.

The firm has an effective employee-referral programme in place, which is called the Talent Ambassadors Programme. Jitender Panihar, global head-people and culture, MoEngage, says that the numbers were quite different a year ago. A higher percentage of hiring took place through vendors.

“The reason why we are different and have an unusual presence is because of the practices we have been able to innovate and our increased focus on building culture, communication and employee recognition.”

Right after, the Company focussed a lot on building the culture and its Talent Ambassadors Programme, post which it was able to move up the numbers for internal hires to 60 per cent of the total. Currently, 100 per cent of the hiring is taking place through internal efforts. This is a positive change, which has come about after the lockdown was imposed and the employees moved to the work-from-home mode.

Just as any other organisation, MoEngage wanted to focus on hiring through referrals for reasons such as longevity of talent retention, quality of hiring and saving costs on external hiring through vendors. It managed to break the norms and stand apart from others in the industry. “The reason why we are different and have an unusual presence is because of the practices we have been able to innovate and our increased focus on building culture, communication and employee recognition,” says Panihar.

Culture and employee experience

It is natural for employees to hesitate to refer a candidate for any role in the company if they themselves do not believe in the company’s culture, or if the company fails to be a good place to work, no matter what benefits are offered to the employees for their referrals. Panihar mentions that their first move was to spend a lot of time on building the culture in the Company, which is critical to ensure a great employee-referral programme. Only a great culture can influence the employee experience.

Clear, consistent communication

The second factor was consistency and clarity in communication. Any process, once created, needs to to be communicated to the employees in a regular and clear manner.

Motivation

The third factor is to motivate people to refer. Panihar believes that the fact that MoEngage recognises the efforts of the employees who contribute successful referrals has been crucial in pushing them to work harder in their roles. Apart from a cash reward for successful referrals, all talent ambassadors who bring in referrals get recognised at a company-wide level every quarter, as ‘MoEngage Ambassadors’ for the quarter. They win additional gifts, such as a smartphone or a smartwatch. The person who brings in the maximum number of referrals in a year wins a fully-funded international trip. All these rewards get processed only if the referred employee completes three months in the organisation.

“It is a proud moment for the employees and they become role models for others as well. They are not merely referring profiles, they are actually helping to build the organisation,” adds Panihar. These three components were the crucial factors, apart from their social media and employer-branding efforts, in building a successful employee referral programme.

The People and Culture department at MoEngage has been striving to make work from home easier and engaging for its employees during the lockdown, with some interesting initiatives.

Financial empowerment: The Company changed the salary pay-out date from the 31st to the 25th of every month to ensure that the employees have sufficient funds and are empowered both financially and mentally. The pandemic has turned the financial states of people upside down and this was the Company’s effort to support their people.

Appreciation Week at MoEngage: In order to recognise their employees for their work during the lockdown, the Company introduced the Appreciation Week at MoEngage, where individuals can call out anyone’s efforts and appreciate anyone in the Company regardless of team, hierarchy or location.

The Inspire Hour @ MoEngage: This initiative is a series of short talks or demonstrations on a variety of topics, presented by external speakers from different fields. The Company claims it to be its own version of Ted Talks, planned on a fortnightly basis. The firm has had two interesting sessions for this initiative, one with professional mountaineers, Sauraj Jhingan and Samir Nicholas Patham who scaled the Everest in 2018; and another one with Stu Lloyd, celebrated Australian author and bestseller, on his travel tales. These have been received well by the employees who consider these sessions as a much-needed source of inspiration and a good break from the monotony of work.

Small Talk: The Company put out a series of social-media posts featuring employees discussing remote work challenges and their life during the lockdown, in an initiative called Small Talk. The focus was to bring out individual stories on how people are tackling the lockdown. The Company also ran a voluntary contribution programme towards the COVID-19 efforts. This was a move suggested by the employees themselves, and all the funds so gathered were shared with the Government.

Other activities include, a monthly townhall and all-hands meeting with leadership; monthly 1-on-1 meetings with the employees by the people and culture team; weekly pictionary sessions, treasure hunts, beg-borrow-steal and quizzes; coffee conversations and Fam-Jam connects with employees and their families. All these initiatives have gone a long way in making the Company a fun and engaging place to work, and boosting employee advocacy for the Company.

The post This firm hires a majority of its talent through referrals alone! appeared first on HR Katha.

Companies have realised the benefits of WFH and are ready to bring in further alterations to make the practice more prevalent.

It is a belief that in the new normal, with more people working from home, managers will lose their relevance. If, by ‘managers’, what people mean is ‘watchdogs’, then they are certainly not needed any more.

Till the time there is a human to human interface in the system, whether through virtual presence or physical, the role of the manager cannot be undermined, though it may undergo a change

Agrees Venkatramana B, group president HR, Landmark Group, “When employees are aware of their jobs, managers need not be deployed to oversee if the work is done or not. Rather, they need to see whether the employees need some assistance or help in order to finish the work.”

“At first pass, this comes across as a fair question, but when you think a little more deeply, it is easy to figure out that there is more than just management that an employee wants from her manager,” explains Raj Raghavan, Sr. VP and head-HR, IndiGo.

The biggest reset in the role of the ‘manager’ that I envision will be the move from a ‘command and control’ approach to an ‘inspire and mentor’ one

Raghavan shares that this lockdown has taught him several things. The first and foremost being the warmth of connection, which the managers have shared with their teammates.

Did she look out for me while I was juggling my household chores versus work assignments? Was she empathetic to my overall needs as an employee?  Did she make me feel valued at work? How frequently did she connect with me? The list can only get bigger.

“So, one thing is certain. How one felt working from home had a lot to do with how connected one was with one’s manager. Also, it is obvious that the manager’s role was not just to supervise the work, productivity and output, but also to make one feel a part of the whole,” states Raghavan.

managers will be required to quickly adapt, learn and flex their leadership and team management styles to be effective in their new avatars

Anurag Verma, Sr. HR director, Uniphore, believes that managers will be required to quickly adapt, learn and flex their leadership and team management styles to be effective in their new avatars. This will require them to transform from being conventional managers to becoming step-up leaders. They will need to be empathetic and good communicators, capable of guiding, developing, empowering and coaching their teams. They have to be capable of effectively reviewing team and individual performance, on a regular/weekly basis.

Verma opines that effective managers will have to take a balanced approach towards acknowledging the stress and anxiety that employees may feel in difficult circumstances, such as the pandemic. However, they should also provide affirmation of their confidence in their teams — that they are with them and that together they will come out stronger and emerge as winners post this phase. “With this approach of empathy, support, trust, coaching, efficient reviews, as well as effective and frequent communication, employees are more likely to accept and follow their managers and take on this challenging phase with a sense of purpose and focus, and end up emerging victorious,” believes Verma.

Harshvendra Soin, CPO, Tech Mahindra states that in the current scenario, managers will have to balance business outcomes and wellbeing. While business leaders can provide clarity and direction, it is the managers who will have to offer day-to-day support and ensure employees’ wellbeing, progression and productivity.

when you think a little more deeply, it is easy to figure out that there is more than just management that an employee wants from her manager

Soin further explains, “Post-COVID, new people dimensions will emerge for organisations following a work-from-home module — moments that matter will now include ‘at home’ experiences. There will be a sharp increase in diverse and alternative workforce, namely gig workers, contractors, freelancers and so on. The biggest reset in the role of the ‘manager’ that I envision will be the move from a ‘command and control’ approach to an ‘inspire and mentor’ one. Managers will be required play the role of ‘success coach’. They will have to move from ‘generalisation’ to ‘specialisation’, helping the teams to succeed in their engagements.”

All this will be possible only if managers shift their mindsets and lead with purpose. After all, purpose is the deepest driver of wellbeing, and goal achievement and productivity need purpose.

Andleeb Jain, CPO, JK Cement, has completely different view on this. “It is an accepted fac that there will be a new normal for workplaces, and many organisations have already announced their plans to reduce the physical presence of staff in offices. Still, these announcements are limited not only in number, but also to very few sectors.”

“Till the time there is a human to human interface in the system, whether through virtual presence or physical, the role of the manager cannot be undermined, though it may undergo a change,” asserts Jain.

When employees are aware of their jobs, managers need not be deployed to oversee if the work is done or not

“Talking specifically about manufacturing or construction, here the workforce required at the project site, or, manufacturing facility (especially shop floor) will not change to a large extent unless until there is a disruption due to technology, which requires lesser manpower. Of course, the processes, precautions and the manner of social interaction may change, but again, to what extent these will change remains to be seen,”  adds Jain.

Role of manager will definitely be altered, but it will not cease to exist. The manager’s presence will be required in the allocation of resources, management of talent, job rotations, career progressions, conflict management, skilling or any other phase of the employee lifecycle.

Though leaders will keep playing their role of giving a direction and purpose to the organisation, and defining values and beliefs, managers will still play a crucial role in implementing the organisation’s mission and vision to the last man standing,” concludes Jain.

The post Will managers lose ‘relevance’ in the new normal? appeared first on HR Katha.

Handholding

The Company thought through the process and defined principles to facilitate a smooth departure, which included a fair and humane approach, financial protection — for a reasonable time — empathy, respect and continuous support.

“Based on these guiding principles, we benchmarked our exit processes, not just with local standards, but with the very best globally,” says the spokesperson.

Oyo provided bandwise notice period duration + ex-gratia (for every half year served, the amount increases), leave encashment, variable pay (if any) and also paid gratuity as ex-gratia.

It also provided complimentary outplacement agency service to 100 per cent of the impacted workforce. These agencies are helping the affected employees reach out to and make the best of suitable opportunities. The impacted candidates are being counselled, and also being given the required support.

An internal team has been set up to assist the affected employees reach out to companies that are hiring, including partner companies, the start-up ecosystem and the general industry.

Employees have been offered on-call 24×7 counselling, and medical insurance has been extended to their immediate family as well as their parents, if they had opted for the same.

In exceptional situations, such as in the case of pregnant employees or those who are returning from maternity leave, the Company has shown extreme sensitivity.

Experts (in addition to HR) were brought in to impart sensitivity training so that all conversations were handled with utmost respect and care, in a humane and dignified manner.

Immediate payout of a percentage of employees’ full and final settlement ensured that the impacted employees managed cash flow smoothly post their departure. The remaining amount was also transferred in record time.

Why did the layoff happen?

Since its inception, seven years back, Oyo has grown phenomenally, expanding operations to include the US in the West to Japan in the East and many others in between. Oyo managed to change the consuming habits of middle-class people with respect to modest hospitality requirement. However, in spite of a surge in the number of hotels under the Oyo umbrella, about 20 per cent employees of the consolidated workforce of 12,000 were handed the pink slip at the beginning of this decade. So what went wrong?

Apparently, two things took place at the same time — a growth spurt and a momentum, following which, Oyo became too big too quickly. Having gone ahead of itself, Oyo took 2019 as an opportunity to reflect on its journey. On introspection, it decided to take steps to address the issue.

First, the CXOs collectively developed a strategy for 2020 and committed to its delivery. Priority was given to the smooth transition of some employees into more meaningful roles within OYO, by providing mentorship, training and tools to be successful. After having streamlined the organisation by driving synergies across the business line, Oyo removed duplication in many of the everyday manual processes. Thus, employees were discharged not on account of their performances but as a result of restructuring and optimisation.

An Oyo spokesperson declares, “We reorganised teams in a one-time restructuring exercise across businesses and functions, which led to some roles becoming redundant. Moreover, we were able to further drive tech-enabled synergy, and enhance efficiency by removing duplication of effort across businesses and geographies.”

“Based on these guiding principles — fair and humane approach, financial protection, empathy, respect — we benchmarked our exit processes, not just with local standards, but with the very best globally.”

How is Oyo motivating the existing team?

While ensuring adequate support to the laid off employees, Oyo did not forget the existing staff and their needs. The Company is well aware that the mood is generally gloomy during such an exodus, even though it may benefit the employees in the longer run. So, what is Oyo doing to keep its team motivated and charged?

Ritesh Agarwal, founder, Oyo, answers the question in his blog. He says, “We are taking several measures to simplify the work culture, introduce employee-friendly policies, such as offering better insurance, work flexibility, bringing people from diverse backgrounds, moving to better workplaces, ensuring holistic career development, instilling a fresh sense of pride and belonging for Oyo, and driving further happiness and well-being for OYOpreneurs.”

Culture of trust, respect and resilience

Oyo is committed to building a sustainable business model following the three core values— building trust, being respectful and being resilient at all times—as a natural extension of its cultural tenets.

Apart from all the initiatives undertaken by the Company, in the entrepreneurial, compassionate and team spirit of true OYOprenuers, existing employees have lent voluntary support to the affected colleagues. For instance, when Jasmit Singh, an OYOpreneur and head of enterprise sales wrote a post on LinkedIn enquiring about job openings, help poured in from every corner and within 24 hours the post got 800+ comments and 3000+ likes. No wonder they say, an OYOpreneur is an OYOpreneur forever!

The post How Oyo benchmarked its exit process appeared first on HR Katha.

With a view to creating a better environment for the women at CredAble, the young Indian fintech company is taking gender sensitisation very seriously. With its small workforce of 70 to 80 employees, the Company is endeavouring to ensure that it builds an environment and culture suitable and most comfortable for the women in its workforce.

To achieve this goal, CredAble has made gender sensitisation a mandatory part of its induction and orientation process. Whenever new recruits are inducted into the workforce, they are made to attend gender sensitisation sessions, where they are clearly explained the policies of the Company with regard to such cases.

“The HR teams helps sensitise the new recruits about sexual harassment and make sure that each and every employee is aware of how to conduct themselves at work,” says Nirav Choksi, co-founder and CEO, CredAble.

Last month, the Company also organised a gender sensitisation workshop, where it called an expert to spread awareness about sexual harassment and give training to all employees on how to handle such cases at the workplace.

The sessions were customised for the different teams and functions in all the three offices of the Company. They gave the employees an opportunity to share their experiences and try and understand the subject in depth. According to Choksi, all employees attended these enlightening sessions.

“Through detailed discussions and role plays, the employees were explained how they should handle such situations,” mentions Choksi.

“The whole aim of the activity was to make everyone interact enthusiastically over the important aspects of the complex subject of sexual harassment, and how related legalities affect the issue at the workplace,” Choksi adds.

“As the number of women employees is growing at our workplace, we keep organising gender sensitisation workshops, every 45 days,”

A different session was organised for the leadership team. The managers and leaders of the Company were trained on how they should go about handling a case of sexual harassment brought to light by a team member.

“As the number of women employees is growing at our workplace, we keep organising such sessions, every 45 days,” shares Choksi.

“We want to build and imbibe certain values in our organisation’s culture early on. We are constantly working towards making CredAble more conducive to women by providing a respectable environment, maternity leave policies, workplace safety, and a culture where every individual feels secure enough to have an open conversation on such sensitive issues.“

Choksi also shares that the Company follows a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual harassment. It has an external and internal committee to look into such cases.

“Presently, 40 per cent of our workforce comprises women, and their numbers will only keep growing. As of now, no sexual harassment case has come forth, but strict action will be taken against the culprits if anything ever comes to light, irrespective of hierarchy,” concludes Choksi.

The post CredAble takes gender sensitisation seriously appeared first on HR Katha.

This transition has forced the company to go for a complete makeover of its culture. The technology company, that specialises in digital projection and imaging, has decided to rejuvenate its culture so as to align it with its new business model. So, it is actually a global cultural rejuvenation that Barco is currently undergoing— a process that began early this year and is still in progress.

This shift in the culture is an inclusive process where top leaders started the change and inputs were taken from all levels and geographical locations. The Company is organising storytelling sessions and workshops globally to explain the new elements of Barco’s culture.

Jayati Roy, director HR, Barco India, explains that the Company came up with some 40 ingredients for the new culture that they were planning to implement, while brainstorming on which ones will or will not work with the new business strategies.

“Moving on from a hardware- based company to a software solutions one, has made us implement a culture change and align with the strategies of the new business model,” says Roy.

Following the discussion and focus group sessions locally and globally, Barco came up with five critical elements of the new culture, which it calls the ‘culture building blocks’:

We think with the customer – This implies working with internal and external customers of the Company in every function, by focussing on who the customers are and what they want.

We team up to win globally – Everybody at this MNC is on the same page— from the global teams at the headquarters, to the local teams. Every process in the company works the same way, irrespective of location.

We look for the better way – This is about moving on from traditional ways of business and management to adopting new methods of working.

We own our results – Each one is accountable and responsible for the work and its outcome.

We care, we grow – Working at Barco is all about caring for each other and ensuring that each one in the company experiences individual success and grow with the company.

The Company is communicating these elements of the new culture to the entire organisation, through various storytelling sessions and workshops.

“We have culture champions in the company who are conducting these workshops all across the organisation, globally,” mentions Roy.

“Moving on from a hardware- based company to a software solutions one, has made us implement a culture change and align with the strategies of the new business model”

Talking to HRKatha, Roy explained that this shift will bring a major change in the people-management practices of the Company.

The talent acquisition process will go through a transformation. The training and induction processes may also be majorly overhauled.

As the transformation is still in progress, the Company is not ready to reveal much about the key changes that will happen.

Moving to a SaaS-based model may require a different set of talents altogether. Generally, SaaS-based setups require people with cloud-computing skills, programming skills and system-operating skills.

According to Roy, the Company is presently in the process of implementing the culture building blocks in every function of the organisation. It will take about two years for the complete changeover to take effect.

The post Culture rejuvenation at Barco appeared first on HR Katha.

This year, the projects were based on themes, such as career counselling, coaching on interview skills, learning through art, storytelling, sports, and awareness building on various topics.

The programme, which took place in two phases— on 29 November and 6 December, respectively—saw participation from employees at all levels, including the top leadership. The Company claims that it is the Millennials—comprising 80 per cent of the total workforce—who always take the lead in the programme.

As the initiative is aimed at bringing about a positive effect on the lives of others, it ends up bringing about a change in the lives of the volunteers and project leaders as well.

Leading projects under the ‘Impact Day’ programme requires strong people- management skills.

“Project leaders and volunteers learn empathy, patience, and the importance of having a positive outlook, in the face of stumbling blocks. These are all learnings that contribute to a better professional, as well as a better citizen,” says SV Nathan, partner & chief talent officer, Deloitte India.

There are many experiences of employees who have participated in the programme. Sonali Fabiani, a Deloitte employee, conducted workshops on identifying personality types, resume writing, interview skills, and career counselling, for children at Abhyudaya Nagar Municipal School in Parel, Mumbai, in 2018. This year, she collaborated with Asha Sadan, which houses children from vulnerable backgrounds in Dongri, Mumbai. She believes that whatever knowledge we have and which can help others to build better careers, should be shared to create a significant impact in someone’s life.

“Project leaders and volunteers learn empathy, patience, and the importance of having a positive outlook, in the face of stumbling blocks. These are all learnings that contribute to a better professional, as well as a better citizen”

Project leaders liaise with NGOs to identify the optimal number of people required to complete the activity at hand. Registrations for projects are done on a first come basis. The objective is to allow each volunteer to be able to make a concrete contribution to her/his project.

Employees offering to be project leaders receive guidance from internal teams, such as talent and CSR, to coordinate with the NGOs, get the necessary due diligence documentation done and obtain permissions, create a project plan, and host the same on an internal registration portal for prospective participants.

“Awareness about the projects is built through internal communications. The CSR and talent teams continue to remain available for any support that project leaders or volunteers require. Some senior leaders also visit multiple projects in their respective cities, to motivate volunteers to keep up the good work,” shares Nathan.

This programme also helps the organisation cater to the ambitions of the Millennials in the company.

“Most of our employees are Millennials and they strongly wish to play a positive role. They yearn to be active participants and not mere spectators,” mentions Nathan.

The wider purpose of this activity is to inculcate a habit of volunteering amongst the employees of Deloitte.

“It’s about putting one’s passion, determination, and skills to use for the benefit of the communities in which we operate,” concludes Nathan.

The post ‘Impact Day’ develops people- management skills in Deloitte employees appeared first on HR Katha.

Being located far up in the North, these countries have hardly been impacted by the worst historic periods. Denmark and Norway were occupied by the Nazi Germans during the Second World War, but only for a very short period of time. Other than that, the Scandinavian countries have never been occupied by foreign nations. This has helped them preserve their age-old culture of togetherness and equality.

Janteloven mentality

The Law of Jante or the Janteloven mentality followed in the Scandinavian countries, promotes the idea that individuals shouldn’t think of themselves as being any better than the rest of the community. It emphasises on collective success rather than individual success. The mentality is not about considering oneself any lesser. Instead, it is about encouraging individuals to observe and be sensitive to other people’s values. That is why, people working in Denmark are used to seeing their managers or CEOs washing coffee cups so that the custodian does not have to.

The Jantelov mentality builds a culture of trust and equality at the workplace. Professionals begin trusting one another from the very start, which makes things quite easy for a new employee at the time of joining. Another benefit of this mentality is that it keeps politics in check at the workplace. Not only are people able to express themselves without fear, they also truly mean what they say.

Fika tradition

In some of the companies in Sweden, it is mandatory for employees to sit together and enjoy a cup of coffee with some cakes. ‘Fika’, which roughly translates to drinking coffee, munching sweets and chatting, is an integral part of the Swedish work culture. The Fika tradition is about about getting together, eating good food and meeting good people. It enhances the bond between employees at work, and therefore, boosts productivity.

Short working hours

Firms in Denmark and Sweden support the concept of a six-hour working day. Employees leave for their homes between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. This ensures that they have ample time for themselves and their families. Although still at a nascent stage, the concept is being given a try and some serious thought, which itself is a step in the right direction. Almost a decade ago, Toyota reduced time on its shifts in its service centre on Sweden’s west coast. While the move had no adverse effect on productivity, the profits actually started increasing at a significant pace.

Subsidised day care

Scandinavian countries have to pay very less towards day care expenses for kids. Also, day cares in these nations are considered to be the best in the world. This allows new parents to get back to work as soon as possible and also focus on their job without worrying about their children.

Mandatory vacations

In many parts of the Scandinavian region, because of the flat management in the companies, each and every employee is encouraged to take full five weeks of vacation every year. In countries, such as the US, companies usually only give two weeks of annual vacation. Employees also take some time off during Christmas and Easter celebrations.

Celebrations and recognitions

The flat management structure in Denmark, Norway and Sweden, means that whenever there is a celebration in a company, every employee is part of it. This creates a sense of value in each member of the workforce. It also boosts engagement amongst employees and they tend to remain loyal and stay with the company for a long period of time.

Abiding by these philosophies and policies has helped many big conglomerates and businesses achieve success at the global level. H&M, Carlsberg, Novo Nordisk and Ericsson are some of the big brands and companies in different sectors that have achieved great heights in the business world.

It is time for organisations across the globe to learn from these policies and try them out in their HR management system, to create a better employee experience.

The post Why Scandinavians have the happiest work culture appeared first on HR Katha.

Culture-fit hiring in the talent-recruitment process can increase the possibility of longevity and retention of the employees.

So what exactly is culture-fit hiring? Simply put, it is the process of matching the values of the company with that of the candidates. The candidates will be considered a good fit for the company if their values match with that of the company.

Various assessment tools and conventional techniques, such as deep conversations can be employed to determine whether the person is a culture fit or not.

“When I was working with the Mumbai Airport, we used to check the profiles of candidates for senior-level leadership roles to do a background check on their political views and inclinations”

Given the buzz surrounding social recruitment, can we use social-media platforms to ascertain whether the candidate is a culture fit or not?

Companies, such as Taco Bell, Dell, and Unilever, use social media comprehensively to promote their culture and employer brand.

Taco Bell posts pictures of its employees working in uniforms in kitchens on platforms, such as Facebook and Instagram, to tell people what it is like to work at Taco Bell. It also posts jobs on Instagram, which is a fairly unconventional way of attracting talent.

Unilever also shares a lot of videos on LinkedIn and Facebook, wherein its employees describe the culture of the organisation, and their own progress in their professional journey with the Company.

Apart from this, social-media platforms can be used to analyse those skills of candidates, which are not mentioned on their resumes. By venturing into their profiles, it is possible to gain insights into their lifestyles, likes, dislikes and inclinations.

“To find out whether the person is a culture fit, we use the conventional method of deep conversation with the candidate”

The way individuals conduct themselves on social-media platforms can impact their chances of getting a job. These platforms are also used to verify the backgrounds of candidates.

“When I was working with the Mumbai Airport, we used to check the profiles of candidates for senior-level leadership roles to do a background check on their political views and inclinations,” says Lalit Kar, SVP-HR, Reliance Digital.

But when we asked HR leaders about whether they use social media to assess the culture fit of candidates, many of them answered in the negative!

This is not surprising at all. While HR still relies on assessment tools and other conventional methods to do a culture fit check, HR leaders do not think that social media is a great tool to check whether a person is a culture fit or not.

“To find out whether the person is a culture fit, we use the conventional method of deep conversation with the candidate,” says Ganesh Chandan, CHRO, Tata Projects.

“Social-media platforms do not showcase the values of a person which can match with that of a company. We can only get some idea about the potential, but not the culture fitment”

HR leaders who spoke to HRKatha feel that social media is not a great culture fitment assessment tool because :

It is not a reliable source – We can never trust social media for culture fitment assessment because a person’s social profile may not portrays his/her real self.

Cannot help in psychometric profiling – While a person can share various posts on social media, none of them can truly reveal the values of the person. For instance, a company’s values may comprise a ‘high performance culture’, ‘transparency’ or ‘display of entrepreneurial skills’. These values cannot be assessed on the basis of what a person likes, shares or comments on social-media platforms.

“Social-media platforms do not showcase the values of a person which can match with that of a company. We can only get some idea about the potential, but not the culture fitment,” shares Ajay Tiwari, VP-HR, Lupin.

Companies can definitely use these social-media platforms to promote and market their work culture and organisational philosophy. But as of now, it is a long way off from acting as a two-way street.

The post Why Indian companies shy away from using social-media to assess culture fit appeared first on HR Katha.

Organisations are now creating similar groups, clubs and societies for its employees. These small groups seem to be doing wonders in achieving the diversity and inclusion agenda.

At GE capital, employees have a group called ‘book-reading club’. On the last Friday of each month, for two hours, the employees who were part of the reading club, come together to read a book.

The Indigo Airlines’ employees in Mumbai have a football club and those in Delhi, have a cricket club. There is also an Indigo Premier League for cricket and the tournament is organised by the employees.

“The benefits of such employee groups are many. There is cross functional understanding of work, relationships are built, bureaucracy and red tapism declines. Overall there is an improvement in productivity”

The role of HR is to facilitate, take care of logistics and also bring in a sponsor.

Raj Raghavan, senior vice-president & head HR, Indigo Airlines, says, “The benefits of such employee groups are many. There is cross functional understanding of work, relationships are built, bureaucracy and red tapism declines. Overall there is an improvement in productivity.”

Such groups help employees to bond with others who share common interests. Thus, they help in fostering inclusiveness in organisations and drive forward the diversity goals. They also help increase belongingness amongst the employees.

In addition, these groups also result in employee retention, increased productivity and raise the overall satisfaction level of existing employees.

Rajorshi Ganguly, president and global HR head, Alkem Laboratories, says, “Such informal groups are also a safety net for people who look for emotional support at work. People find value in these groups which is why they come together.”

Having a colleague who shares the same interest or preference can be pillar of support for anybody facing a tough time at work or personal life.

These employee clubs also have an important role to play in workplaces, where five generations work together.  It increases bonding across generations over common interest areas.

“Such informal groups are also a safety net for people who look for emotional support at work. People find value in these groups which is why they come together”

However, the companies need to be not only cautious but also ensure that at no point should these clubs take a political turn. At times, these groups can be highly unpredictable and affect the operations. The HR has to ensure that informal groups must always be submissive in nature and their goals shouldn’t ever conflict with the organisational goals.

This is why it is important to set some guidelines for these employee clubs and monitor the activities from a distance.

The groups are formed through personal likings and interests. However, in course of time, the bonding between the members increase and they act as a socio-psychological support for each other. In such case,  if one member of the group is fired or pulled up for non-performance, the other members may rebel in support of the member.

Biplob Banerjee, CPO, ABD, “The informal groups have to be watched carefully from a distance. The presence of senior employees in such groups can prevent overly passionate elements from derailing the organisation’s purpose in organising activities.”

When there is a group, there is also a leader,  the leader may be formally appointed or informally become one. However, a leader can influence the behaviour of other members for good or bad.

Organisations need to ensure that a parity is maintained and each group within the company gets equally opportunity to voice itself, so that it can become a truly inclusive environment and no one feels left out.

The post Employee Clubs: Good for organisational culture appeared first on HR Katha.

On these very lines, K Raheja, a diverse Group with interests in the realty, retail, hospitality and power sectors, has taken a progressive step to consolidate its diversity agenda. The Group has implemented what it calls the The Pride Side Policy. This policy prohibits all discrimination against any gender within the organisation. It also aims to usher in more transparency.

The policy will apply to all the businesses of the Group.

The K Raheja Group has taken this step after successfully implementing policies, such as ‘Anchal Policy’, which is a maternity-support programme for pregnant women. Under this policy, the Company offers work-from-home, cab assistance for commuting and even assistance of a colleague to provide support at work, during pregnancy.

Further proving that the Company has the best interests of its women employees at heart, it nurtures women into key leadership roles, and offers them greater career prospects in the organisation.

Additionally, the Group also has policies in place to offer adoption assistance and time off from work for volunteering work.

The key elements of the Pride Side Policy are zero discrimination in the hiring process, financial support in gender affirmation procedure, adoption assistance benefits, workshops to sensitise employees, and also provision of professional counselling whenever required.

The organisation intends to focus more on sensitising the employees by organising workshops, discussions during townhalls, informal discussions in smaller groups/forums to seed a more inclusive culture.

“Employee sensitisation will be key for the success of this policy,” says Urvi Aradhya, CHRO, K Raheja Group.

The other aspect of the new policy focuses on hiring purely on merit and creating awareness about including all genders in the organisation. This is also a step to promote transparency within the Group’s companies.

“Being an LGBT-inclusive employer is a process that starts with everyday actions. Working towards equality requires many voices and hands joining together. At K Raheja, we believe what we do here will ultimately impact the community and society at large. India Inc. has the potential to amplify the message of inclusion and diversity. The change, as they say, must begin from within,” adds Aradhya.

As part of the Pride Side Policy, the internal communication team at K Raheja encourages employees to approach the HR personnel directly, in case they perceive any unfavourable action being directed towards them. If the employee hesitates to reach out to HR or any colleague, the Company provides an employee grievances portal to register complaints.

“Employee sensitisation will be key for the success of this policy”

“This is a very sensitive policy and we have to ensure it evolves as we deal with various employee issues that may come up along the way. We hope that this policy receives a positive reaction from the workforce. Non-compliance will have to be dealt with on a case-to-case basis,” says Aradhya.

Though bringing in a non-discriminatory policy against other genders and transparency is not something new in the corporate world, Aradhya claims that K Raheja is one of the first few companies in the realty industry to adopt it.

“I don’t think we are late. In fact, we are one of the first few in the realty industry. We have launched it based on our needs and timed it to our organisation’s requirement,” she explains.

A transparent and healthy environment for the new generation and Millennials to work in, is what the K Raheja Group is striving towards, with this policy and others. Setting the standards for the industry, the Pride Side Policy can prove to be just the step in the right direction.

The post K Raheja Corp strides towards building an all-inclusive work culture appeared first on HR Katha.

Following the revelation, the social-media platform released an apology stating that nobody, irrespective of whether they are employed at Facebook or elsewhere “…should haveto put up with this behaviour.” The statement admitted that the anonymous post goes against what the Company stands for, and that FB is making all efforts to improve.

Apparently, non-white staff members are often forced to tolerate unpleasant and sarcastic comments and even unnecessarily targeted for negative performance feedback. The post revealed that the non-white employees are made to feel as if they do not belong in the Company and that the atmosphere has only become worse in the past one year. The treatment meted out to the non-whites is far from equitable and they are neither given any power or appreciated for their work. The post clarified that these problems were being faced by all non-whites and not just Blacks.

The complaint revealed that Blacks were not only called arrogant but one was actually asked to clean up after two whites had eaten. Apparently, when the incident was brought to the notice of higher authorities, the whites involved were simply asked to “dress professionally” and no other action was taken against them.

The post Accused of racist culture at work, FB apologises to employees appeared first on HR Katha.

This initiative by Ola was designed to encourage seamless idea sharing across the floor and provide employees with a platform to bring interesting projects to life. Conducted over the last few years, initiatives including Ola Product Day and Ola Hack Day have played a pivotal role in encouraging young talent to develop a technology-led problem-solving approach.

Srinivas Chunduru, group CHRO, and CEO, Ola Skilling, says, “While on the journey to build mobility for billions, we have concentrated our efforts to build innovative and disruptive solutions by leveraging the best of technology. This has seen us invest in developing capabilities, building expertise and growing our team to 7000 employees globally.”

Conducted once every two months, the Ola Product Day offers great opportunities for networking as well. The event is geared towards supporting employees to give shape to their ideas and grow them into viable new products.

The second edition of Ola Product Day saw teams across the floor deliberate on current trends and key areas of focus within the technology as well as mobility ecosystems. This edition of Product Day coincided with ‘Engineers Day’ held on the 15 September, and had the best minds from the technology and engineering spaces participate and collaborate to solve real business problems.

“Ola Product Day is one of the many platforms, where employees can showcase lateral thinking, cognitive abilities, and brainstorm with people across the board to come up with futuristic ideas. Some of the most interesting business ideas at Ola are a result of fresh thinking that our employees bring to the table” 

To make the day more fun and to test the participants’ skills as engineers, the organisers designed a fun chain-reaction game. The game was followed by an inspiring talk by Inder Singh, Head of Tech and Product, Smart Mobility, Ola. The top performers were recognised with soft toys of animals that signify the attribute of the awards.

What made this edition of Ola Product Day different from the previous ones was a unique initiative called ‘Pitch-a-thon’. In this event, over twenty five teams presented their business ideas, which were in line with Ola’s current and future business priorities. “It was held in an interesting and engaging format. We saw enthusiastic participation from various business verticals that came together to brainstorm and share their ideas for improving customer experience and creating new products”, says Chunduru.

The ideas pitched by the teams were presented to an expert panel, which included representatives from the leadership team. They further engaged with the participants to judge the viability and execution of the ideas.

The winners get to work actively with the company on the execution of their ideas. Ola helps to bring their ideas to life by providing them support in the form of in-house resources. Athira Warrier, head of allocation product and a winning team member of Ola Hack Day, says, “It was a great environment to collaborate. Working with cross-functional teams helped us understand each other’s point of view and challenges. Our idea is already in the production stage and we are looking forward to it going live on the Ola app in the coming months.”

Speaking on this Chunduru says, “We believe great ideas can come from anywhere. People at Ola are encouraged to think outside the box and come up with solutions that are unique, and also possess the potential to spur innovation. Ola Product Day is one of the many platforms, where employees can showcase lateral thinking, cognitive abilities, and brainstorm with people across the board to come up with futuristic ideas. Some of the most interesting business ideas at Ola are a result of fresh thinking that our employees bring to the table. We encourage them to think big, be agile and take risks.

Ola has been successfully driving innovation and engagement at the workplace by organising events like the Ola Product Day. In a LinkedIn video uploaded by the Company, employees can be seen having a good time while brainstorming and playing a chain-reaction game. Such events are an example of how big companies can drive a culture of innovation and agility and increase collaboration among different verticals, while having fun at the same time.

The post How Ola is developing an entrepreneurial mindset among its employees appeared first on HR Katha.

According to a research conducted by Professor Lauren Rivera at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, that whole perception of hiring managers and interviewers when it comes to hiring culturally-fit candidates, is to select someone they would enjoy having a beer with or with whom they would not mind being stuck at the airport. The hiring managers’ decisions are influenced by the similarity of the candidate’s educational level, experience and institutions, with their own.

That means, instead of hiring the right ‘cultural fit’ they usually end up hiring a ‘personal fit’.

Therefore, the decisions made by hiring managers in terms of candidates who are a misfit in the organisation’s culture, may cost a lot to the organisation. As a result of such hiring decisions, over a period of time, companies lose out on the best of talents. Instead, they end up putting together a team of individuals who are similar and even share similar thoughts.

“People who match the cultural values, may not necessarily have similar thought processes”

It is just an instance of human beings preferring to hang out with like-minded individuals. This can heavily impact the organisation as a whole because there will be no diversity of thoughts. In the absence of diverse views and creativity in design, the value of the organisation’s product(s) will also be degraded.

As explained by Nihar Ghosh, CHRO, Emami, the concept of culture fit does not hamper the diversity at the workplace. It simply facilitates hiring of people who are aligned to the cultural values of the organisation, rather than the values of the employees.

For instance, transparency and customer-centric mindset are two examples of an organisations’s cultural values. A candidate who is found to match and fit these, will be called a culture-fit hire.

“The gender, colour or background of the candidate, better known as the profile of the candidate is different from the values of the organisation. People who match the cultural values, may not necessarily have similar thought processes,” says Ghosh.

On the other hand, for Vijay Singh, VP-HR, JK Cement, the mindset of the person is more important. A culture fit is not always a person who fits or matches the values of the organisation. A person with a flexible mindset, will be able to better fit in with the company’s culture.

“Technology should be leveraged while hiring people. Humans, under the influence of some bias or the other, are likely to make mistakes, but machines will not falter”

“Culture fit can also result from the adaptability and flexibility of a person. We hire people from so many sectors and organisations— some from the telecom sector, and even some from our competitors. They all come from different organisation cultures. The most important thing is to see whether they can adapt to ours,” explains Singh.

Hiring people from different company cultures will only add to the diversity of the organisation.

We can safely conclude that the concept of culture-fit hiring does not really go against the diversity agenda. It is simply the wrong perception of the concept by the hiring managers that ruins everything.

So, the right step would be to train hiring managers to understand the difference between ‘culture fit’ and ‘personal fit’.

According to Singh, “Technology should be leveraged while hiring people. Humans, under the influence of some bias or the other, are likely to make mistakes, but machines will not falter,” shares Singh.

Training managers to understand the concept of culture-fit hiring should be an important part of the diversity agenda of organisations. Companies can include relevant counselling and awareness sessions to encourage diversity and inclusion at every level.

The post Does ‘culture fit’ come in the way of diversity? appeared first on HR Katha.

Corporate leaders have begun to value the entrepreneurial mind-set of employees and are finding new ways to facilitate such an atmosphere in the workspace. They are giving their employees the authority to look for new ideas, and also create and lead innovation. This allows employees to drive their creativity and bring about positive disruption in the workplace. The work environment should facilitate fearless innovation to drive business growth. This is a true example of a start-up culture.

A startup-culture is not all about being performance driven, but also about enablement.

A start-up culture stands opposed to a behemoth, unable to adapt to the new market because of a lack of learning and flexibility. Agility and learning are valued across all organisations. Business leaders understand that irrespective of the size of the company, there must be a drive within the organisation to learn, adapt and deliver, while accepting the risks. It is this drive to do more, which captures the start-up mindset.

“To have a start-up culture, organisations need to value merit-based decision making without placing absolute importance on decisions made at the top. Second, high performance must be valued above tenure. Third, every employee must be enabled to take decisions and be held accountable for them”

Fast decision making and risk-taking behaviour is difficult to incorporate for a big organisation. There are existing traditional systems in place, which have to be modified first for a new culture to be admitted.

As Emmanuel David, director, Tata Management Training Centre, explains, “For the companies to start taking risks, the risk-taking ability must first be built into their DNA. It is impossible to take risks, without preparing for them. Companies have to move from awareness of what they want, to action. If an organisation wants people to adopt an agile culture, it must first look at its processes and systems, culture, people as well as its structure. Only after it has taken all these into account, can it proceed towards its goals.”

Sharad Sharma, CHRO, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance, says it depends on the openness of the company and how much it wants to take on new challenges.

“Having a start-up culture means having agility, the drive to challenge the status quo by doing things differently, driving innovation, the ability to take risks and create a legacy”

Citing an example, Sharma talks about the hiring of management trainees in large companies. New trainees are brought into the organisation to create positive disruption in the workplace. Once they understand the way the business is run and how processes work, they bring forth their own ideas, which can deliver a fresh perspective on doing things. They can suggest ways to make businesses more efficient by identifying the lacunae in management. “Having a start-up culture means having agility, the drive to challenge the status quo by doing things differently, driving innovation, the ability to take risks and create a legacy,” says Sharma.

The most characteristics of a start-up mindset according to Biplob Banerjee, CPO, Allied Blenders Distillers, are extremely high speed of closure, inspiring role modelling, giving the empowerment to try, fail and rise, a relentless energy to stretch without burning out and a fine balance between culture, empathy, care and ruthlessness to achieve. “The leadership should have the ability to make the entire team believe, own and drive the vision as if there is no tomorrow.”, adds Banerjee.

An open and collaborative environment to facilitate innovation is vital to maintain a start-up culture. With today’s rapidly-changing landscape, whether it be in technology or business, it has become necessary to provide employees an environment that fosters the spirit of innovation. Continuous communication and accessibility among employees is a must to infuse such a culture.

“If an organisation wants people to adopt an agile culture, it must first look at its processes and systems, culture, people as well as its structure. Only after it has taken all these into account, can it proceed towards its goals”

A start-up culture necessitates innovation, without which even large companies may find it tough to survive in today’s market. To achieve a desired organisation goal, it is important to keep working towards it all the time. Organisational goals and cultures are forever evolving and organisations are continuously growing. From new business processes and technology to enhanced customer service, companies need to keep challenging themselves at all times to keep growing.

“The leadership should have the ability to make the entire team believe, own and drive the vision as if there is no tomorrow”

Adopting a start-up culture is often used as a proxy by large organisations to achieve agility in their culture. Most often, traditional organisations fail to understand the real essence of a start-up culture. Problem solving, innovation and technology are critical to achieving such a culture.

Anil Kumar Misra, CHRO, Magicbricks, sums up thus, “To have a start-up culture, organisations need to value merit-based decision making without placing absolute importance on decisions made at the top. Second, high performance must be valued above tenure. Third, every employee must be enabled to take decisions and be held accountable for them.”

Adopting a start-up culture will not add value to an organisation if the senior and middle management are not compliant with the changes. The real essence of a startup can only be realised when such a culture is pursued across the organisation. A start-up culture is an agile and innovative mindset along with being performance driven.

The post Is start-up culture all about performance-driven mindset? appeared first on HR Katha.

Henceforth, the group leaders will not be sitting within cabins, but amongst the team members. There will be some conference rooms available for employees’ use for discussions and meetings. Also, the dining room, which was once meant only for the senior executives has been thrown open to the entire workforce.

Henceforth, no ranks above assistant general manager will exist. Grades other than that of the managing director and the executive directors have been discarded. By removing hierarchies the organisation aims to be more flexible and agile so that the speed of response to the marketplace is improved.

Cabins and all other symbols reflective of grade have been done away with for good. For instance, difference in cars and cabin size, which were reflective of certain grades and the benefits they attracted, have been abolished, and many have been replaced with cash benefits.

The employees who were till now used to being identified by their roles, such as division heads, will now be commonly referred to as the leadership team. The earlier practice of prefixing the designation with the grade, will be done away with.

The post ICICI Bank undergoes cultural shift, scraps employee grades and hierarchies appeared first on HR Katha.

But why should this gifting be restricted to people who are retiring? Why not all employees, who have made a significant contribution during their tenures be given gifts? These days employees tend to switch jobs after a period of three to five years, and even in this short period, they work hard, with sincerity and dedication, contributing to the organisation’s growth. Don’t they all deserve a parting gift?

We may not have had the tradition so far, but during these times, when we are relooking at every aspect of the employer–employee relationship, why not try this one as well?

Sriharsha Achar, group CHRO, Apollo Hospitals Group, agrees. “It makes sense to give a parting gift if someone has spent about three to five years. It may not be an official practice but more informal and personal. Also, it is mostly the concerned departments who organise these things for their members.”

“It makes sense to give a parting gift if someone has spent about three to five years. It may not be an official practice but more informal and personal”

Yes, it’s true that depending on the relationship they share with their colleagues and team mates, people do receie parting gifts. However, what we are trying to establish is why this should become an organisational practice. More so, when organisations are increasingly making efforts to stay connected with the ex-employees hoping for a rebound.

Building and maintaining relationships has become vital. Human resource practices have changed since the last generation. Earlier, the act of leaving a company did not entail any effort from the company to make it a smooth experience. Once you left a company, all threads were cut. Now, the experience has changed. The focus has turned to employee experience. Corporates big and small value senior members of the company, and while exiting, there is usually a big gesture from the company’s side

Who knows, an employee may even decide to come back to the company in a senior position, after gaining meaningful experience in other places.

“On many occasions, I have seen team members or managers create a parting gift for an employee. Such gestures are for people who have spent a significant amount of time in the company and they go a long way in carrying forward the relationship”

The homecoming can only be possible when you part ways happily, and therefore, the parting gift should be memorable for the exiting employee.

Suruchi Maitra, CHRO, Lenskart, concurs that the practice is common among managers and senior leaders but never as an official policy for all employees. “On many occasions, I have seen team members or managers create a parting gift for an employee. Such gestures are for people who have spent a significant amount of time in the company and they go a long way in carrying forward the relationship.”

Amit Das, director-HR and CHRO, the Times Group, argues that it’s not just the parting gift, but the overall experience of the employee that matters. “A gift is more symbolic in acknowledging the long service or tenure that the employee must have put in the organisation, but more importantly, it is the experience of the employee in the organisation that matters. The experience and the relationships that are built matter. How we create an experience around the separation process is more important. That will help the worker remember us fondly and be an advocate of the company going forward.”

“The experience and the relationships that are built matter. How we create an experience around the separation process is more important. That will help the worker remember us fondly and be an advocate of the company going forward”

A senior HR leader, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke of large companies giving away cars and houses and offering health-care benefits, but only after retirement. “Of course it makes sense to give an expensive gift to a person with 30 years of service, but one cannot expect to give the same to a kid who has put in only three years. That will depend on the team members,” he says.

But why only long-term workers? We can think of two reasons why a gift for every employee should be advocated.

First, since the focus on employee engagement is high right now, a gift for every departing employee can be a bonus for the company’s reputation. For instance, an employee who has contributed a few years to the organisation can be given a small token in the form of a gift, before she/he leaves.

Second, it is not only about the years of work put in, but about how effective or productive an individual has been, and that has to be appreciated in some way. This can be expressed by giving a gift. It simply goes a long way in showing how caring and appreciative the work culture of the company is.

Gifting small can also have big returns!

The post Why employees deserve a parting gift appeared first on HR Katha.

Anil Gopinathan, vice president and general manager, Ingersoll Rand Engineering and Technology Centres in India, says, “As an organisation, our approach is highly employee centric, which reflects in our efforts to create an enriching work culture for our employees.”

He adds, “Our goal has always been to provide a thriving and inclusive environment, which facilitates our employees’ holistic growth.”

Ingersoll Rand has also come up with an initiative called ‘ReLaunch’, to provide an opportunity to women engineers to re-start their careers after a break.

This recruiting programme has been recently launched at its engineering and technology centres in Bangalore and Chennai. The programme offers an opportunity to women engineers and professionals who had taken a voluntary break from the workforce for more than two years and are ready to return to a full-time career. It will not only help qualified engineers in the community to resume their careers but will also bolster support for Ingersoll Rand projects and teams— by helping find and attract top engineering talent.

Ingersoll Rand products range from complete compressed air systems, tools and pumps to material- and fluid-handling systems. This global business is committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results.

Shirin Salis, vice-president, human resources, Ingersoll Rand India, says, “We continuously focus on creating a culture where our employees can learn and thrive in their careers in an inclusive and progressive organisation. We believe that our ongoing investments in people, development, engagement and culture set us apart.”

The post Five dimensions of Ingersoll Rand’s work culture appeared first on HR Katha.