Feature

How work-life initiatives impact productivity

Organizations are increasingly understanding the need for implementing work-life programs. Sudipta Dev analyzes how such initiatives are business driven

Most organizations take great pride in claiming to have systems in place for a better work-life balance for their employees. It is also a strong retention strategy, particularly for people in the 30 plus age bracket who want to enjoy a good quality of life, take care of their family responsibilities and are keen to balance their professional aspirations with personal needs. It is also true that these work-life programs are not just welfare measure but are driven by business needs—greater retention and productivity. But, is it possible to actually quantify the difference that these initiatives make to productivity? The intangible benefits might be many, but are the tangible benefits visible?

It is firstly important to dispel the myth that work-life programs are only driven by goals of employee well-being. The final objective is business in nature and it is in an organization’s own interest to implement such programs. Srinivas Kandula, Global Head-HR, iGate Global Solutions, concedes that work-life balance is an integrated approach to work, “It is not a welfare program. It is a quality of life program. We also impart project planning skill for employees, so they can spend quality time with their family. We strongly believe that if we want to achieve high quality and productivity at the workplace, there has to be a work-life balance.” Evidently, without such measures there will be greater stress among employees, low morale and of course less productivity.

A matter of productivity

Increased productivity is important for every company working in a competitive global market. It is true that many people believe they will not be regarded as star performers unless they work for more than the required office hours. “However, that is a myth. People are fatigued and tired. Many are talking about pre mature retirement. Hence organizations have to come up with initiatives for work-life balance, else they will run the risk of losing employee productivity. This is the reason why work-life balance programs are important,” stated Kandula.

Ernest Louis, Senior Vice-president, HR, Zenta India, asserted why every organization should implement work-life programs for their employees, “In today’s context employees value leisure and are willing to pay a price for the same. We are dealing with GenX and not the babyboomers, who were very concerned about basic security issues, which is hardly a matter of concern for today’s generation.”

Range of initiatives

Organizations believe in providing a balanced life for their employees as they know that today’s knowledge workers are less concerned about just financial security which earlier bound them to their employers. But they are definitely drawn towards employers who possess the brand of caring for their employees’ well-being—personal as well as professional.

“The Indian IT industry is becoming increasingly conscious of the work-life balance and have therefore devised several initiatives that would help strike a balance in improving employee commitment, productivity and motivation,” said Rosita Rabindra, Executive Vice-president and Head of HR, NIIT Technologies. She pointed out that work-life programs and policies are designed to create more flexible, responsive environments to support a productive workplace by maximizing employee work-life effectiveness.

These initiatives are almost common to most organizations and range from stress reduction programmes (like meditation, yoga classes, etc.) to telecommuting, five-day week, flexible working hours, sabbaticals, hobby clubs and other fun activities.

Tangible and intangible benefits

There are both tangible and intangible benefits of implementing work-life programs. The results are almost similar in all organizations. The intangible advantages range from a more motivated workforce to a better work culture. “We receive minimal complaints about boss, customers and the organization from these employees. And interestingly, clients too complain minimally about them,” stated Kandula. iGate has witnessed a higher rate of retention among people who have participated in such programs. Further-more, these employees have been known to contribute much more to projects—they finish projects on time and bring out better quality.

“A balanced lifestyle boosts their sense of responsibility and ownership. These programs also help the employees build better relations with the management. It builds their confidence, thereupon creating a positive impact upon their productivity,” stated to K V Suresh, Director, Bahwan CyberTek. He pointed out that an all-pervading healthy environment within the organization is more than enough to indicate about the created impact by such conducted activities among the workforce.

Studying the impact

To understand whether these efforts have actually made an impact, employee satisfaction surveys and an increased level of employee referrals are good proofs.

“One of the standard methods that we follow to understand the level of impact or to obtain employee feedback is through questionnaires/ surveys. Considering key areas like employee productivity, retention, and absenteeism would also help,” stated Vedha Bopaiah, HR team, Marlabs Global Training & Delivery Center in Mysore.

Zenta India started participating in the Gallup survey last year and the actionables have shown a positive movement towards productivity. “Also, some of the internal metrics on satisfaction vis-à-vis productivity can be good indicators. However, we aren’t aware of many approaches to map this and the RoI on such measurements are still grey areas,” added Louis. He acknowledged that providing work-life balance to employees in real terms, is now a competitive advantage. It is no longer a nice thing to do. It is now an imperative to stay ahead.

It is true that productivity is driven by several factors, but organizations have started realizing the significance of providing a culture that is more holistic. “Unlike our counterparts in the West, we Indians are not really oriented towards striking that elusive work-life balance. It is heartening to observe that this consciousness has now started taking shape in our minds and has acted as a driver for corporates to design innovative and effective strategies for work-life balance,” added Rabindra.

It is however important to understand that no matter the efforts made by an organization, an individual in his drive to be the best among the best often neglects the balance between work and life. It is as much a responsibility of the individual as his organization to ensure that both benefit from how well work is planned and executed.

sudipta.dev@expressindia.com