Work Culture

Values matter

InfraSoft Technologies constantly aims to get the best from its employees, while giving them the best of values, compensation and fun at work, writes Rishiraj Verma.

InfraSoft is an organisation that takes great care to recruit the right employees and then treasures them. The company tries to instill in its employees a sense of togetherness at all times. This employee-centric focus can be seen in its HR philosophy and mission statement, which says, “To come together, excel together and share together. To create an environment for the above.”

The HR division at InfraSoft plays multiple roles, which are clubbed down into the word FRIEND—Facilitator, Recruiter, Innovator, e-HR, Nurturer and Developer. And the HR team in the company appears to be constantly working in this direction.

Focus on values

InfraSoft Technologies has a set of core values that it tries best to follow. These values are related to various sides of the organisation. For instance, their value of “being a people partnership enterprise” deals with empowering employees. Says Susan D’souza, Senior Manager, HR, InfraSoft Technologies, “The designations are meant only for accountability.”

The company claims to practice meritocracy in all its forms—letter and spirit. According to D’souza, it is this merit of the employees that is the sole basis of all rewards and recognitions they receive while in the company.

Support from the top management team also takes an important place in their core values. Along with this, the customer, as in most cases, becomes very important to the company. They aim at generating high intellectual capital for their customers and thereby build long-lasting relationships. For this, the company insists that the standards they set for themselves be constantly raised by means of educating employees about the market and what customers really want.

Finally, what may be the most important core value from the employees’ perspective is that of “creating a home away from home”. D’souza says, “We constantly try to enhance the positive work culture. We appreciate our employees’ aspirations and foster innovation and initiative in them.”

Potential talent

To ensure fast working, the company has set up a Web-based profiling system that allows them to shortlist required profiles. Other than this process, InfraSoft also allows employees to refer their acquaintances for various job openings.

“To guarantee that only the best talent is absorbed, several tie-ups have been made with resourcing consultants and various job portals in India have been subscribed to,” says D’souza. Once a CV is shortlisted through these processes, an internal panel of HR, technical, domain and functional heads interview the candidate.

Any potential candidate with experience under three years has a written test in addition to interviews. Similarly, all senior level selections need to have candidate approval by an independent departmental head.

It is only after such rigorous processes that an aspirant can join the company. InfraSoft feels that candidates achieve a job after the interview process and therefore need to be called InfraAchievers instead of employees.

Training initiatives

Once the candidate makes it through these rounds, the training begins. The first step in the manifold training process at InfraSoft is the induction ceremony. As they start taking up more responsibility, the process of on-the-job training starts, where InfraAchievers gain first hand experience of “real” projects.

The company does not limit its faculty to the internal experts. Says D’souza, “We ensure the involvement of external consultants to enhance knowledge on industry standards.” That said, InfraAchievers are also encouraged to participate in workshops held by industry bodies such as Nasscom, CII and such others.

For training purposes, the company has set up its own internal communication tool, which is called InfraNet. A majority of the training documents are archived on InfraNet and regularly updated.

The exit

When it comes to the exit procedures, the company believes that it should be made as uncomplicated for everyone as possible. The first step in this process would be a talk between the InfraAchiever and his line manager. If the latter is not able to change the person’s decisions, the HR department comes into play and tries to understand further reasons and offering solutions.

When the decision has been finalised, certain processes such as the handover of a separation checklist, clearance from other teams and a final exit interview are conducted.

Special programmes

Apart from the general training processes, InfraSoft truly appears to try and induce “the home away from home” value by creating development programmes that are casual in nature, yet, are extremely important to an employee’s career.

First up, the organisation has a fortnightly meet called the InfraBT or the Infra Banyan Tree meet. “This meet acts as the HR ear to listen to and address employee queries,” says D’souza. The reason for calling it the Banyan Tree meet is based in the pages of history. According to D’souza, the meet aims to be similar to the Panchayats held in old rural India, where problems were solved under a Banyan tree.

The HR team also collaborates with different line managers to get a clearer picture of team productivity. This meet is called the InfraGeese, based on the concept of geese always flying in a pack—and the InfraAchievers, HR and management of InfraSoft always moving towards becoming the dream team.

In an attempt to bring “fun and joy” at work, InfraEvents are organised constantly—birthday celebrations, quarterly get-togethers, an annual day or a picnic, and various talent competitions, including a quarterly quizzing competition called InfraGyani. D’souza points out, “Recently a large number of InfraAchievers participated in the Mumbai Marathon.”

Finally, the company also has an anthem that has been composed by InfraAchievers. It is played at all major gatherings and the annual day celebrations. According to D’souza, “We even play it on the pipe music in office.” This anthem was created with a view to strengthen the bonds between the organisation’s people.

Measuring employee performance

The company uses its Web-based Global Performance Management System, called the InfraPMS twice a year to measure employee performance. Says D’souza, “We have an open system of evaluation, with different people assessing an employee’s performance.”

Apart from the appraiser and the reviewer, the employee gets to evaluate himself too. These evaluations are done through basic discussions and the use of tele-conferencing. Twice in a year, the company selects a Star InfraAchiever, who has been a major contributor. An important part in the review process of an employee is that of KRA setting. At InfraSoft, this is done mutually by way of discussions between the employee concerned and the reviewer.

On an annual basis, the company benchmarks a compensation grid based on the ongoing industry standards. “We do this with the help of surveys from external agencies,” says D’souza. Indivi-dual InfraAchievers and teams receive project closure incentives and performance bonuses based on the fulfillment of the project.

The performance reviews received through InfraPMS play a major role in the incentives that InfraAchievers get. The sales, marketing and deployment teams for instance, are provided with incentives based on revenues and sales. Says D’souza, “Accelerated growth and corresponding compensation is provided to exemplary performers.”

For social causes

InfraSoft believes in the idea of Corporate Social Responsibility. Their perception of the concept has changed from giving to their own people to give a helping hand to the needy. From distributing gifts on occasions to InfraAchievers, the organisation has now moved on to providing donations to orphanages.

They also contributed to victims of natural calamities like the recent floods and blasts in Mumbai. Says D’souza, “This has been a united decision across the organisation”

Next on the charts is a blood donation camp that the HR and corporate communications divisions are planning. The catch here is that they are not targeting Mumbai’s major hospitals, but the ones that would fall into the NGO category. Concludes D’souza, “We want to make this (CSR) a part of the company’s DNA.”