Pitney Bowes has launched a Women Mentoring Program to develop holistic women leaders across regions. MIND, Mentoring in New Dimensions, connects women leaders from different locations in the form of a mentoring program. For 8 months, both the mentors and the mentees are given guidance in key areas, so as to extract maximum value from the program. They are even given assignments across Pitney Bowes offices, which are not necessarily from their business domain. These women are given the opportunity to work and experience cross-geo cultures under continuous mentorship, helping them learn and aspire to do more.

Pitney Bowes Software India Pvt. Ltd. is recognized among India’s Best Companies to Work For-2017!

InMobi has a creative way of ensuring that their employees’ pets become a part of their workplace families as well. At all their offices, InMobians are allowed to bring their pets to work at any point in time. They launched the ‘Human Dog Interaction Project’ to build a fun environment for people to interact with one another. While this helps to build a more informal and relaxed workplace culture, employees are more at ease and perform better in the long run.

The Performance Management System at Feedback Electricity Distribution Company (FEDCO) has been designed to integrate company core values as a part of the process and build a value-centric culture. It lays emphasis on the fact that apart from the need to excel in their performance and show desired competencies, employees also need to exhibit behaviors which reinforce the company values and mission.  Thus, in scoring performance appraisals, a 10% weightage has been allotted for behaviors that advocate the core values.

Mahindra Insurance Brokers has a robust performance management system wherein employees who were unable to meet minimum performance expectations are put in Performance Improvement Plan. ‘Magnificent Comeback’ is a unique initiative to reward the positive change and recognize employees who have shown significant improvement in their performance during their performance improvement program. During this period the manager handholds the employee and provides adequate resources for them to perform better. This way employees get a second chance to show their caliber and boost their morale to perform better.

Aristocrat Technologies has a practice of sending a few employees abroad every quarter to gain a live casino experience on the products built by their company. Selected employees from each department travel to Macau for a 3 day-2 night tour while staying in a 7-star hotel, and are given $700 to gamble on machines and games built by Aristocrat. This real-time understanding of the product cannot be replicated easily and seeks to cover 40-45 employees per year. Being a great development opportunity, the individual is acquiring practical knowledge of the business output while also gaining the experience of a lifetime.​

Employees at United Colors of Benetton have the freedom to reject the performance appraisal rating given by their manager if they believe that it is not fair. Such a case goes to the Head Of Department and the discussion is held again with the intervention of Human Resources. It’s important for organizations to focus on creating a performance experience rather than a mere process.

Cultivating a transparent work environment, all guidelines and policies at Quovantis are decided democratically and not imposed upon any team. Under this unique initiative, they run a live poll to seek feedback from employees around their experience of the company policies and guidelines. These polls are conducted during the company update sessions and give a real-time understanding of how well a policy has been received by the employees. Thus, involving employees in matters that impact them helps in fostering a culture of trust at the workplace.

At Adobe, Girls Who Code is a program that aims to educate girls in computer science. Since it launched in 2012, Girls Who Code has gone from 20 girls in one classroom to graduating 3,000 girls from clubs and camps across the country. Adobe proudly supported Girls Who Code for the first time last year, hosting 20 students from across the country to learn everything from graphics and animation to mobile app development. The girls stayed at Adobe headquarters in San Jose for seven weeks in summer, fully immersing them in their technology and pairing them with volunteer Adobe mentors.

At Eureka Forbes, the ‘House of Eurochamps’ was formed to give a voice to their employees in decision making and strategic development of the organization. They instituted this democratic process as a way of integrating a unique governance model with the workplace to empower their people. Eurochamps are elected through a secret ballot based on their individual plans to support their constituencies. Those elected hold regular meetings in their constituencies to discuss issues which need to be specifically handled. Those issues which are escalated upwards are carefully reviewed, after which bills are tabled accordingly.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts has introduced an AI-Driven virtual trainer on WhatsApp to build a culture of continuous learning for the front line team. Bringing the field team together for knowledge sharing and product refreshers is always a challenge. By introducing training modules on WhatsApp, they are able to track user scores, real-time progress, and feedback. This initiative has not only increased user engagement but has also helped achieve a 60% reduction in training cost over the traditional classroom-based programs.

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited is a recognized great workplace!

At Mahindra & Mahindra AFS, a platform for stimulating the minds of agri-engineers in India has been launched in the name of ‘Farmkshetra’. This initiative has been divided into phases wherein participants present a Business Case on a variety of topics, spanning cost-effective practices and designing of farm implements. Farm mechanization in India stands at about 40-45%, which shows that we fall behind more developed countries. With many agricultural processes still underdeveloped, this would give them the chance to come up with innovative solutions for farm mechanization and bridge the underlying gap.

Mahindra & Mahindra Automotive & Farm Equipment Sectors is recognized among India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing-2018.

At S.C Johnson, a simple initiative was started where all employees were asked to decorate their workstations with things that inspired them the most. They even had a contest called “Mera Wala Space” where employees would decorate their desks in a manner that described them and energized them every day. Employees found joy in small things like displaying their nameplates and working out of the same floor. The context of such initiatives ensures that while having fun at work, a sense of belongingness and a close bond is built among the employees.

S.C Johnson Products Pvt. Ltd. is a recognized great workplace. 

Winners of the Quarterly Award at Jardine Lloyd Thompson can opt for an interesting option called ‘Hobby Allowance’ of INR 15,000. This allowance can be used to enroll in hobby classes such as dance, music, purchase sports equipment and so on. This gives employees an opportunity to enhance their creative acumen and encourages people to pursue their hobbies. Jardine Lloyd Thompson provides a meaningful platform to nurture that passion by giving people a sense of purpose and thus also promoting work-life integration.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson India Pvt Ltd is Great Place to Work® Certified™.

‘Know your Boss’ is a simple practice at Inspira Enterprise India which ensures rapport building between the prospective candidate and the reporting manager. During the HR round of interviews, the candidate is candidly briefed about the qualities and success stories of the manager to help them relieve the initial anxiety and get better acquainted with the manager. At the initial stage itself, the candidate and manager spend enough time to get to know each other. In order to provide a beneficial experience, expectation setting is done in advance, thus saving everyone’s time and possible attrition

The matrix mentoring program at Broadridge Financial Solutions (India) matches executive committee level leaders across the organization with high potential associates. A unique structure has been designed where each mentor receives two mentees, and each mentee receives two mentors-which doubles the learning for both mentors and mentees. In an effort to be inclusive of all, the mentee class is 70% women and 30% men. During the mentoring relationship, the participants are given specific topics, discuss chosen articles and work through leadership models which serve as a great way of harnessing a trusted two-way relationship.

NTPC Ltd. provides a gamified idea generation tool – ‘Brain Ticklers’ to facilitate innovative ideas from Gen-Y Employees. An online initiative where employees conceptualize their ideas/suggestions. The idea is then endorsed by others who can comment, contribute to enhance the concept and add points to a particular idea they support. When that idea gets implemented, all the investors get rewarded. This encourages everyone to participate and a culture of collective innovation and creativity kicks off. As all ideas are tracked and collected in one place it serves as a great tool as against the traditional brainstorming sessions.

S.C. Johnson Products Pvt. Ltd. takes pride in sharing profits with all employees, irrespective of tenure. The quantum of amount shared is based on employees’ performance and job level. All the new joiners who have served for less than 6 months in a financial year are paid token profit share. While only 58% employees in India believe that they receive a fair share of profits made by their company, S.C. Johnson has been two steps ahead by following the practice of profit sharing consistently for 99 years. This tradition has taken root from the belief that wealth must be shared with all those employees who have helped to generate it, building a sense of ownership and long-standing loyalty.

At Apollo Tyres, a custom-made program titled as Apollo Global Citizen Certification has been designed to train people in being cross-culturally competent. This program is intended to establish and leverage business rapport with people from different cultures. It has enabled them to develop a global mindset, intercultural competence and an awareness of workplace cultures in countries other than their own. Any employee who is selected to move from one country/culture to another as a part of career development is certified through this program. This ensures a smooth transition and a sharper delivery curve of the employee in the new milieu.

A participative goal-setting process is followed at Chang Yun India where each individuals KRAs are directly linked to the company objectives. The methodology used is that of ‘Large Scale Interactive Process’ wherein all managers first understand the expectations of key stakeholders – business heads, customers, and suppliers. Basis this, 10 Key Objectives for the company are finalized through collaborative participation. Post this, each functional head along with his direct reports draws up a list of projects that contribute towards achieving the 10 key objectives. This ensures clarity of expectations right from the beginning and a clear visibility of one’s role in achieving the larger objectives of the company, hence instilling a sense of pride in each employee.

Chang Yun India is recognized among India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing-2018. 

Tasty Bite Eatables Limited has initiated ‘All Hands Day’ wherein all employees of the organization involve themselves in the Manufacturing activity. This practice extends all the way up to Senior Executives and top management, helping them understand the various activities at the factory. They are allocated different areas of semi-skilled and skilled work and are supervised by a factory worker. Through this practice, several inputs regarding wastage, productivity and safety are received from individuals around the organization. Ultimately, the factory workers feel closer to the top management and a sense of belonging is established across functions and hierarchy.
Tasty Bite Eatables Limited is recognized among India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing-2018. 

View the complete list of India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing here

At Oerlikon Drive Systems India, blue-collar employees are given behavioural training on building self-confidence and self-esteem. In addition to this, white-collar employees are given training for building leadership excellence, time management, conflict management and workmen management, among others. Across the world, a shocking 48% of the employees believe that their personal development isn’t taken seriously by their employer, making them feel undervalued. Through this training, Oerlikon is able to lay emphasis on individual development and personal growth, which ultimately contribute to the larger picture of organizational growth.

The welcoming program at Marico, titled ‘Slice of Marico’ includes a personalized gift, letter as well as a poster displaying the ‘Spirit of Marico’. The posters capture the Marico values and purpose while having a super-hero theme intended to inspire. 69% of employees are more likely to stay in an organization for a longer tenure if they experience great onboarding, resulting in high loyalty and retention. Through this program, new hires have a slice of the culture embedded in them right from the first day, building a bond and sense of pride.

At the Godrej Headquarters in Mumbai, a new type of experimental space called the Godrej India Culture Lab has taken shape. The aim of the Lab is to create a culture of free-thinking for employees to generate new ideas and innovate. 75% of employees feel as though they are more pressurized to be productive than creative at work. Serving as a catalyst to create conversations around powerful thoughts of employees, the Lab’s cultural investigations have spanned across various themes that are relevant to contemporary India. Success, to them, is a continuous process of exploration and discovery, intended to empower for innovation.

The challenges and opportunities in managing a millennial heavy workforce are often discussed in the people space. Hundreds of studies have been conducted across the face of Earth, but a unique and yet simple way to decode millennials has come from Mars!

Mars Inc., a global manufacturer of candy and other food products, has paired up MBA Interns with senior leaders as a means to reverse mentor.  This unique program allows interns to educate senior leaders on the new generation entering the workforce and learn their career wants and desires. Interns also coach leaders on the ever-increasing social media influence using fun competitions like creating a Facebook page or learning to blog. A similar project was implemented at a US-based Fortune 500 company with 50 mentees. 80% participants rated the exercise “extremely effective/effective” for Business and 97% rated it “extremely effective/effective” for Personal.

Mars has been globally recognised as a great workplace. Take the first step in your organisation’s greatness journey and apply to the Great Place to Work® – Certification™

Acknowledging the challenges faced by first-time managers, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd provides a range of customized training interventions to help new managers in developing people management skills.

Ensuring a smooth transition of employees from individual contributors to people managers is of critical importance. At the same time, this transition is generally not an easy one for the new manager as well as the team. Hence, GCPL aims at making this transition a successful one through learning interventions and reinforcement of the skills needed to become a great people manager and keep the organization’s culture and employee experience intact.

Our research study on Mid – Size (organisations with 100-500 employees) workplace cultures reveals that receiving management support while taking up leadership positions has been identified as a Key Driver of employee engagement. Getting the best out of people by creating a favourable context for learning eventually leads to building greater capabilities among them and equips them as they step into new leadership roles.

In order to enable networking among their colleagues, Nearbuy India launched a  ‘Know Your Colleague Series’, to encourage employees across locations to engage with one another. This series includes setting employees from different teams up on blind dates with one another, giving them the chance to get to know each other in an informal setting. Having people connect with folks they don’t necessarily work with helps build the ties that keep the organisation strong and keeps information and ideas flowing. Such quirky initiatives foster camaraderie amongst co-workers and improve inter-employee relationships.Camaraderie is more than just having fun. It is also about creating a common sense of purpose and the mentality that we are in it together.

At CACTUS Communications, any new policy is introduced only after getting a buy-in from employees. This is done by putting the ‘policies on probation’ for 1 month! During this probationary period, Cactizens are invited to offer their suggestions so as to refine these practices to make them more relevant. This ensures that they genuinely listen to their people, understand their sentiments and that all its practices are employee-centric. After incorporating these ideas, the final practice is implemented so that it meets employee expectations and is hence proved effective. Thus, involving employees in decision making leads to higher morale, motivation and stronger bond of responsibility.

The ‘Women’s Executive Shadow Program’ at Adobe Systems is geared towards providing leadership and career development opportunities for women employees. An intensive, one-day shadowing experience where employees get a chance to partner with a key leader in the company to experience a day in the life of the executive. While executives have the opportunity to introspect on their leadership philosophy and contribute to talent development, the program gives women at Adobe a valuable opportunity for professional development, networking, executive visibility and cross-functional exposure.
It encourages women leaders to learn from each other, share success stories and inspire one another.

The People Leader Learning Path (PLLP) programme at American Express aims to develop leadership capabilities for the current as well as potential future roles of people. The programme identifies needs that go beyond the immediate job and is diversified into 2 components- ‘First Things First’ for new people leaders and ‘Raise Your Game’ for the seasoned leaders. Developing capabilities of each individual on a continuous basis helps create a pipeline for succession planning and a non- stop supply of talent for leadership.