The Hindu Business Line : What it takes to be the best at work

MADHAVI and Purva Misra have put together the Indian perspective for Hewitt in a study about the `best employers.' As expected, the `distinguishing features' of the best are that their employees take "pride in the company," have "faith in leadership," and everybody "lives their values." Before you yawn, know best employers to be "more open," and they "use technology to make a difference."

If you find that you can't take your eyes off the clock, it means you're not the best employee; similarly, if your company uses swipe cards as a timekeeping device, rather than for "security and admin," you can be sure it doesn't rank in Hewitt's best.

Top ones encourage employees with "a do-it-yourself attitude." "If you think something is missing or there is something more to be done, by all means go ahead. The organisation will support you," is what I get to read in Leadership & Talent in Asia from Hewitt. But I guess the encouragement shouldn't be over-stretched, to laying roads or building dams. To be a great employer, make the work-environment "great" by adding "training centres, conference rooms, gyms, green areas, ATMs, travel desks and recreation areas," but one hopes you don't forget your main business.

If you were to eavesdrop, you'd know the sort of phrases the best use: "We changed this just last year," is a sample. "We are working with ... to create this," and "There is a taskforce for this," are more examples. In contrast, the worst should be saying, "Do as it's always done" and "Let us appoint a sub-committee to do this."

Assuming numbers don't cause indigestion to you, I can cite a few statistics from Hewitt's findings: 72 per cent of best employers offer development-oriented sabbaticals compared to 17 per cent of the rest. Seventy-four per cent of the employees of the best feel that their manager recognises their good work, compared to 61 per cent in the non-best category. Eighty-three per cent of the employees of the best employers have complete confidence in the integrity of their bosses, but in the other group, it is only 66 per cent, though one may say that the latter are more conservative.

The study has profiled some of the best employers. Agilent has an online weekly survey called `Pulse' to ensure that employee concerns are immediately addressed. Amex discourages working late and on weekends. In Asian Paints, "more settled employees coach new entrants" on what the company "experience" is all about. BHEL may well be expanded as Bharat Healthy Employees (un)Limited because the company "takes total responsibility for the health of its employees." And if you find at a concert a pharma man sitting next to you, he may well be from Dr Reddy's because there they have "a host of interest clubs such as music forum and performing arts club."

Gail rotates its senior management, so they become well-rounded. HP grants "an additional 10 days leave if employees get married" but don't think of ways to get that benefit every year! In HLL, "training is a sacred activity," Amen. Do you know that in ICICI, you can C, I mean, see on your desktop what your child is doing in the "camera-linked crèche"?

On kids, again, in Tata Steel, employees' children can "borrow toys," and in Satyam, you can get `mileage cards' for making suggestions. Sasken has no attendance logging, and "employees can choose their designations from a flexible basket." And in Reliance, "managers make performance commitments to the chairman," though I doubt if the chairman is busy with a brawl.

Since Anil has of late been reading Sun Tzu's Art of War, he may know that the skilful employer will employ "the wise man, the brave man, the covetous man, and the stupid man." Why? "The wise man delights in establishing his merit, the brave man likes to show his courage in action, the covetous man is quick at seizing advantages, and the stupid man has no fear of death."

Going by Tzu, therefore, if you don't find anybody stupid around, your employer, perhaps, is.

SayCheek@TheHindu.co.in

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Gujarat plans survey on whale sharks visiting Saurashtra coast

Cordless revolution

What it takes to be the best at work

Puneiites taking to art, slowly