The Hindu Business Line : Few Infoscions opt to take a break to work with NGOs

The venue is not the usual engineering colleges or business schools that one would expect, but the high-tech campus of Infosys Technologies in Bangalore.

And if that does not surprise one enough, here’s the second — the recruiters are not the top notch technology giants but various non governmental organisations (NGOs) interested in taking on board Infoscions for a year.

This is one of the ways the company is trying to involve in philanthropic activities. While it had made a provision for 50 employees to go on sabbatical and work with NGOs, only 9 have opted for it.

Disappointing response

“We were disappointed because very few people applied,” said Ms Nandita Gurjar, Senior Vice-President and Global Human Resources Head, Infosys. “They were cautious and were not sure how they would add value in such a different environment,” she added.

A large number of NGOs had approached Infosys once they came to know about the initiative. “The next action for us is to call the NGOs on a single day and create a kind of a fair,” said Ms Gurjar. “They can talk about their work, the kinds of jobs they can offer and the skill sets they require. . We had short-listed about six NGOs ”.

Currently, the option to take a sabbatical is open to employees in India, but over time the company intends to introduce it across the world and increase the number to 100. Ms Gurjar said the company monitors the performance of employees who have opted for sabbatical and would regard it as work experience. But what could have kept employees away?

Mix of factors

It is a mix of factors that are socio-economic and cultural in nature. “Employees think if they go out, then their entry back will be tougher,” said Ms Gurjar.

Also, there would be a financial impact as employees would receive only 50 per cent of their salary. “In today’s scenario where you are not sure if your spouse is going to retain the job, it is tough to take a decision such as this,” she added. Also, people in the West are more receptive to this concept because they believe in these disconnects. But in India, career plans are long-term, and in some instances the family intervenes, she added.

Change in perception

Ms Hema Ravichandar, a strategic Human Resources advisory, agreed. She said the hiring managers should acknowledge the sabbatical as a valid work experience. On the other hand, the employees should choose with care and must be able to demonstrate what value they have gained from the sabbatical, she added.

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