Work Culture

Collaboration over competition

Focus on quality and excellence at work, is as important as building team spirit and enhancing life here. In focus— QA InfoTech. By Renuka Vembu

A part of the services fraternity, QA InfoTech is involved is providing quality service to its customers. From this customer-service aspect emerges the focus on its workforce as the most important asset. Founded on the values of commitment to quality, excellence and importance of building team spirit, they work towards building both the quality of work and life, and nurture a culture that emphasizes on collaboration over competition.

As Mukesh Sharma, Founder and CEO, QA InfoTech, put it, “We have a strong culture of sharing information and working together in a non-hierarchical structure complying with the fact that people are most productive with jobs when they are given opportunity to give their inputs and ideas freely without any fear of criticism or lack of support.” Thus, a family-like cultural environment, free of stress or chain-of-command, makes for a productive workforce where people perform to the utmost potential.

HR engagements

Managers in QA InfoTech act as equal partners and facilitators and not as leaders or bosses—they exist to serve members of their team, make the team work together, facilitate communication within the team and with other groups as well, solve problems, manage resources, and help provide access to company resources.

All operations and projects are team based and these teams in turn work in unison with the senior management ensuring free flow of information. The work culture of the company espouses that it is all about making connection.

Feedback is critical to their day-to-day functioning and status reports are sent out every day. Training and learning programs are undertaken to facilitate employee growth and development. Team meetings and one-on-one with the top management to discuss team work and developments, are periodically arranged for. Also, HR intervention whenever any issue needs to be addressed, is promptly made available.

Job enrichment, by enabling employees to pursue their area of interest within the company, and outside of the work purview, are practiced.

To help employees overcome challenges and enact their roles effectively, a strong support system has been built, which includes human resources help desk, team building activities, training programs that aid the employees to carry on their tasks efficiently, and most importantly with joy.

As Sharma said, “The Human Resource Department ensures that every grievance is sought out and the senior management keeps a track about the performance and the problems of all. One-to-one meetings, inclusive of mentoring and career counseling, with the team leads, HR, as well as the top management are of critical importance. We also have a QA InfoTech All Hands Meeting, which is called upon biannually, and is to be attended by every employee of the company.”

Recruit and remodel

QA InfoTech recruits essentially by five modes. They directly take in candidates who have over two years experience in testing. For freshers, they conduct trainings in software testing and then intake suitable potential talents. Campus placements through prestigious colleges in the Delhi/NCR region, contractual employees, and the all pervasive employee referrals, form their recruitment pattern.

Sharma voiced, “We at QA InfoTech thoroughly believe that just like constant polishing gives a diamond more shine, similarly, by way of training, resources can be made more efficient and productive. Also, this is a great attempt for personal development of the employees wherein they get the chance to amplify their knowledge and skills.”

Their annual training calendar is not only addressed to meet the needs of the trainees, but also encompasses company level workshops. Training not only includes training related to projects, but also soft skills including communication—both verbal and written, corporate mannerisms, team behavior, etc. This is constantly done on-the-job, but the HR department also arranges training sessions both for the manager level employees and engineers, by calling in industry experts and consultants to conduct workshops on the same.

‘Saturday Forums’ are organized wherein newer technologies are discussed and efficient methodologies as adopted by some teams are put forth before all, so that others inculcate the same in their projects.

On-the-job training is an integral part of the training methodology and supervisors become mentors and train their mentees on a regular basis.

Leaders, buddies and mentors

Sharma explained, “Team members are mentored by their leads, leads by managers and managers by the senior management; but there is no rigid hierarchy that is followed in the same. At times senior management directly supervises and advises the trainees also, if they indicate potential to grow.”

He went on to add that leadership development is another greatly accentuated practice wherein, from the day of induction constant track is kept on the skill set and development of each trainee or new joinee. Those who have the potential to grow are recognized and favorable environment is provided so that leadership skills can be nurtured in the correct direction. Succession planning is done only on the basis of skill analysis of which leadership qualities occupy a major place. Employees are the lifeline and every care is taken to build and develop them so that they can make decisions and resolve any conflicts or disagreements that may arise. He quoted Lao Zi, a philosopher of ancient China, who said, “To lead people, walk behind them.” At QA InfoTech, they follow the same principle; they mentor and guide employees to perform their best and to think out-of-the-box.

A formal briefing by the HR personnel, introduction to the team lead thereafter, a subsequent informal exchange between the team members, and then a buddy help the new employee assimilate into the company.

Employee focus

Periodic evaluation, inclusive of the overall behavior of the employee not restricted to work alone, but also behavior with team mates, initiative taking capability, attendance, punctuality, willingness to learn, reliability, etc., are the factors taken into consideration. This is done by way of frequent meetings of the senior management with the leads and managers as well as interaction with team mates and at times also with the support functions.

Sharma asserted, “We believe it is always important for employees to be a part of any decision that is made which will impact the way they work or their particular work area. In fact, each person has the right to give inputs as far as decision-making is concerned and feasible inputs are processed ahead and the inputs that are not considered are rejected with a reason justifying the same. The senior management always makes attempts to seek for suggestions to make processes better and effective (considering both cost and time). There is a huge inflow of ideas from various members and it greatly helps when decisions are shared and appropriate actions taken when lot of minds work together.”

At the time of induction, trainees are shown their career development path with the company. Performance here is not restricted to any boundaries of a set hierarchy as far as designations and roles are concerned. Regular feedback allows for alteration in areas of improvement, and corrective actions lead to achievement and recognition.

Filling the gaps

Fun is an integral part of the daily work culture. To lighten the atmosphere, there is a fully equipped recreational section where there is a gymnasium and many indoor games.

An intranet chat facility has been provided to all employees so that there is a bonding developed among all, including the management as well as the key position holders.

To make the workplace more desirable and interesting, different activities like cultural day, annual day, team outings, table tennis tournaments, cricket matches, outstation trips, rafting trips, etc., are organized. Interactive and competitive activities are frequently undertaken to promote an exuberant environment.

A culture of ‘Home away from Home’ is encouraged within the company so that a comfortable ambience is maintained within. They give tokens like a free dinner pass to a restaurant or passes to the discotheques for employees who perform exceptionally well. These are few initiatives taken to focus on the families and to make them proud of their loved ones working with QA InfoTech.

The company fulfills its corporate social responsibility by way of community service. A team goes to orphanage in the area on a regular basis and not just monetary help is provided, but they spend some time playing with the kids there. Also, teaching while playing is done and meals are shared so that they develop a feeling that they are a part of this society and not a separate entity. Sharma opined, “We will continue to nurture and guide them to become good individuals and to join a good college or a professional course, so that they have a great future ahead of them. We have also organized various blood donation camps and all our employees have participated with enthusiasm to do whatever little they can for our community.”