Author: Kunika Verma

2000+ organizations participate in the Great Place To Work® Trust Index™ Survey annually. But only the workplaces, that are driven by passion for transforming their culture, excel at turning the survey feedback into transformative action.

Bosch is one such organization that has successfully acknowledged and unlocked the power of diligent actions. The organization first embarked on this journey back in 2019 by partnering with Great Place To Work for an assessment and a people manager intervention program, and there has been no looking back. Over the last 5 years through continuous participation, action planning and commitment to enhance employee experience, Bosch has been able to foster a culture of High Trust and create an environment where employees feel valued and supported. Bosch has witnessed remarkable growth, reflected in a significant 38% increase in their Trust Index Grand Mean score in 2023 since they first began their journey.

Particularly, the story of Bosch Limited Jaipur plant shines through as their journey stands as a testament to the massive potential an organization can yield by simply listening to their employees.  

The growth journey of Bosch Limited – Jaipur Plant

Jaipur Plant started its business in the year 1999, with the production of Diesel Fuel Injection Pump (VE Pump). From producing 10 pumps / day to the 2400 pumps / day, the plant is charting an impressive growth story.

The second product was introduced in the year 2016, where the Plant surpassed the quality parameters as well as production numbers in a span of 01 week. The business currently caters to Euro III (BS III) products, and is the sole decision maker for these two products across Bosch globally. The agility within the Plant has, and is, successfully leading the ramp-ups and ramp downs as necessary for market economics.

Commemorating its 25th year of operation in 2024, Jaipur plant has evolved from a modest beginning with minimal manpower and production output to accounting for a significant 10-12% of the company’s total earnings.

However, in 2020, the plant faced a significant challenge with a 56% reduction in its workforce due to restructuring efforts.

Amidst these turbulent times too, the plant witnessed a remarkable improvement in the Trust Index Grand Mean (Employee satisfaction scores), displaying a continuous upward trend from 2019 to 2023.

Notably, Jaipur has witnessed a significant increase of 32% in the Trust Index Grand Mean score for white-collar employees, and an impressive 48% for shop floor employees over the last 5 years, showcasing the commendable investment by the team in enhancing the employee experience and creating a Great Place To Work For All™.  In fact, for the past three years, Jaipur plant has seen an attrition of less than 4% for their white-collar workers and 0% for their shop floor workers.

The leaders at the plant recognized early on in the journey that they needed to develop, nurture, and sustain a highly agile, adaptable, and innovative workforce to bring about impactful changes.

“All great achievements are hard won, and our plant leads the way to showcase this. Even with large restructuring, formidable business challenges, and reducing turnover, we stand firm in our commitment to excel, collaborating beyond boundaries, to be the best.” – Tejinder Nath Issar, Plant Commercial.

Integrating Great Place To Work insights with leadership vision

The leaders have consistently demonstrated their unwavering commitment to the following principles:

• The well-being of the employees should go hand in hand with the well-being of the business.
• Prioritizing transparency and open communication during both prosperous times and challenges, offering support where needed.
• Actively acknowledging and rewarding employee efforts, particularly in cases of innovation and sustainability initiatives.

To complement these principles, Jaipur plant employs a systematic approach to action planning, ensuring focused and effective strategies for addressing priority areas.

• Workshops for Leaders: Once the results are obtained, a workshop is conducted involving people leaders, including Plant management, N-1, and N-2, along with the HR team and additional individuals identified as contributors to change.
• Transparent & Open Conversations: Plant results are shared with all participants, highlighting areas of strength and areas of opportunity. This in turn, creates a culture of transparency and open communication.

Jaipur Plant transparently sharing results, discussing focus areas and co-creating action plans

• Group Discussion & Action Planning: Once the results have been communicated, participants are divided into teams for each focus area. Every team discusses and aligns on actions, responsibility, measures of effectiveness, timelines and support needed during the execution & implementation phase. 

• Ensuring Consistency of Experience: A similar process is followed for shop floor employees as well, where a specific group of employees along with their supervisors, are invited to discuss and co-create action plans for the year. 
• Finalization of Action Plans: Each team presents their action plans and seeks input from the rest of the groups.

Jaipur Plant felicitation ceremony – Recognizing leaders and teams with the highest positive feedback and improvement from the previous year

• Communication: A detailed email communication is rolled out to all employees of the plant, transparently highlighting the specific focus areas along with actionable steps and clear ownership assigned to individuals responsible for each process. The same is also communicated during in-person info-sharing sessions with both sets of groups respectively (white collared & shop floor employees).

Communicating this goes a long way in building Trust and Confidence in employees to keep sharing open and candid feedback which is being heard and acted upon. This also creates a sense of ownership, clarity and openness towards planned actions.

Towards Tomorrow: Action Plans for Sustainable Development

In 2024, key action areas were identified from insights gathered through the Great Place To Work Trust Index Survey. Through strategic initiatives under these areas, the organization aimed to foster a culture of transparency, support, and continuous improvement.

1. Mentoring:

In 2023, an initiative was launched with the goal of supporting and guiding aspiring employees in achieving their growth objectives. This initiative encouraged employees to voluntarily nominate themselves either as mentors or mentees. Mentors were then assigned based on the specific goals of the mentee, with the aim of fostering both personal and professional development.

Employee testimonial:
“I found this initiative to be useful and wish to see it continuing. It helps me find a different perspective. I had my mentor from non-technical area, because of which,the insights received were different. This also helped me complete my leadership training well before time.”
– Mr. Arun Kumar Sharma, Manufacturing

2. “Aap Ki Aawaz” and skip-level connects:

This initiative has been ongoing for almost a decade, demonstrating its enduring value to employees. Employees engage directly with Plant Management — sharing suggestions, ideas, and concerns enabling a culture of open communication and collaboration. Employee feedback has led to tangible improvements. They appreciate the transparency and responsiveness of the management, enabling them to directly address areas of improvement.

Employee testimonial:
“Aap ki Aawaz “as the name signifies, has lived up to our expectations.
We get a platform to directly interact with the plant management and get our questions cleared without any pre-screening. All our queries are rightly addressed, and at times, succeeded by immediate action. The feedback we receive at the end of these sessions in turn aid us in unlocking our highest potential. My sincerest gratitude to the entire team for organizing this session.”
– Ms. Pallavi Dayal, Manufacturing

The plant stands as a beacon of how organizations can champion change and drive sustainable development. Despite facing challenges like workforce reductions and business restructuring, the plant saw significant improvements in scores. Through transparent communication, systematic action planning, and initiatives like mentoring programs and direct engagement platforms, the leadership fostered a culture of trust, innovation, and resilience. As it commemorates 25 years of operation, the Jaipur Plant is poised for continued success, ensuring an even brighter future for its employees and the organization.

To emerge as a leader in today’s hyper-competitive talent market, every organization needs to begin by asking itself a question – “What do our current and prospective employees expect from their workplace?”
 
REA India embarked on this quest with Great Place To Work® in 2015. Ever since this partnership began, REA India has seen consistent evolution and refinement in its approach towards building a High-Trust High-Performance™ culture. This has led to them acquiring a place in the Top 3 of Best WorkplacesTM 2023 in India and 4th rank among Best WorkplacesTM for Asia 2023 – both fantastic feats!
 
To top it all, REA India is also recognized among the Top 10 Best Workplaces in India for Millennials – one of the largest cohorts of the global workforce. 
India’s median age according to the 2021 estimate by the CIA World Fact book is 28 years. This means half of the population is under the age of 28 years. With the immense talent and potential that can be tapped with the millennials, it is becoming increasingly essential to acknowledge the generational context of diversity – REA India has got it right!

Unique celebrations keeping in mind the diverse workforce including Millennials. Glimpse of a ‘Stand Up Comedy’ show from Diwali celebrations

What characterizes REA India’s culture to foster a millennial-friendly workplace culture?

1. Creating an Equitable and Fair Workplace

An equitable workplace aligns with the Millennial values of prioritizing fairness and inclusivity. Millennials want to work where their contributions matter and where they can grow personally and professionally.

As per Great Place To Work® India 2023 research, when people in Retail industry feel they are “paid fairly and treated fairly, as well as provided with the better work environment,” they are 5 times or more likely to respond to their organization being a great place to work.
REA India’s hiring process ensures equitable offers, determined by internal role equity, batch parity, and pay structure alignment. To maintain industry competitiveness, they collaborate with respected experts for compensation benchmarks, ensuring the employees remain aligned with industry standards.

“The organization has a streamlined flow for reviews & promotions. We have a quarterly review process where the employee & reporting manager both get a fair chance of assessing the employee’s efforts based on the work they did in the quarter. The same thing is done in the mid-year review process.” (Senior Software Engineer)

“Initially when I joined, I received the compensation which I asked for but later within the mid-term the leadership team approached me for increment as the pay was not fair compared to other team members of same level. Soon after 1 year I received another increment based on my performance, so I strongly believe that this strength makes REA India a great place to work.” (Senior Interaction Designer)

2. Developing For All Leadership

As per the Best Workplaces™ for Millennials 2023 Report by Great Place To Work®, 39% of the millennials are in managerial roles today. REA India vests complete autonomy in its people managers which reflects in the significant investments made in developing managerial capability.

REA India introduced the People Manager Learning Series, designed to equip their people managers with the essential knowledge, skills, and attitude necessary for effective leadership through tailored Individual Development Plans and learning programs. These learning programs focus on diverse aspects of Leadership and include masterclasses, personalized coaching, and group workshops.

For example, REA India’s LEAP (Leadership Excellence through Awareness & Practice) is a 5-month program tailored for leaders at middle to senior levels to elevate self-awareness and action-based leadership.

This has a two-pronged advantage:
– Many Millennials transitioning into leadership positions and emerging as future leaders feel empowered to lead effectively – a proactive approach to succession planning.
– Great Place To Work® research suggests that For All Leadership, on an average, results in 62% more employees finding meaning in their job, making a difference, and creating a better future  

3. Genuine Care for the wellbeing of the employees

Wellbeing is at the forefront for employees as the pandemic has reshuffled the priorities for many; more so, for the younger generation that wants its leaders to connect with them at a personal level.

Wellbeing, however, is multi-faceted. The research team at Great Place To Work® has identified six key levers that drive the wellbeing experience in the workplace. Notably, REA India has implemented practices that effectively cater to each of these aspects.

Responsible Leadership: In tandem with their regular townhall meetings, they have a practice known as ‘Coffee and Conversation (C&C) with the CEO’, held monthly. The aim of these sessions is to provide the team members with an avenue to engage with the CEO on an informal level about work and beyond.

Supportive Managers: Quarterly ‘Unfiltered Sessions – Skip Level Connects’ have been established as an integral initiative for leaders to engage directly with their teams, foster meaningful relationships, encourage expansive thinking, and extend support, especially useful in a hybrid setup. Similarly, the quarterly ‘Feel @ Home Hour’ sessions by the Regional HRBP Leads have only one agenda – to understand and address unresolved concerns.

Autonomy and Fulfillment: REA India has established a Talent Management Framework that guarantees a clear trajectory of advancement and recognition for every type of talent within the organization. It entails talent assessments, psychometric tests, and 360-degree feedback to uncover the unique skills and capabilities possessed by everyone. This approach effectively creates customized growth plans and empowers their employees to find enduring fulfillment through a deeper sense of purpose in their work.

Enabling Work Environment: The ‘League of Legends’ is an initiative to reward performance and align recognition efforts across departments. This monthly R&R program directly links performance metrics to KRAs, acknowledging top performers within the organization.

“We’ve some good recognition for the work in the form of spotlight awards, You’re\ Awesome cards, League of Legends, Hall of Fame, promotions, Mid-year reviews etc., This keeps the morale high of our team.” (Engineering Manager)

Sense of community: ‘AutoVALUEgraphy’ is a practice at REA India that invites stellar stories from people about critical incidents where they displayed organizational values. In true spirit of collaboration, people could share stories of their colleagues also.

CEO, Dhruv Agarwala interacting with AutoVALUEgraphy winners

Health: REA India’s comprehensive wellness programs prioritize both proactive health management and immediate medical support during emergencies. In line with this commitment, they’ have introduced complimentary full body check-ups for employees and discounted check-ups for their dependents. They also have a robust Employee Well-Being & Assistance Program (EWAP) which is aimed at the mental well-being of people and provides them with the support and resources they may need to address any personal or work challenges that may affect their well-being and work performance.

This comprehensive approach towards wellbeing resonates with millennials by addressing their holistic needs.

4. Tailoring Workplace Solutions for Unique Needs

The younger generation highly values inclusion as they have grown up in a diverse socio-economic environment. As a reflection of their own values and aspirations for a just and equitable society, millennials prioritize workplaces that actively drive a sense of belonging and inclusion.

Recognizing the fact that different teams and departments function remarkably well in different set-ups during lockdowns and subsequent reopening of offices, REA India embraced a progressive Future of Work Policy – a policy that encompasses a versatile ‘work-from-anywhere’ model.

This contemporary approach allows their team members to decide between office-based or remote work, tailored to their roles. It also demonstrates the full confidence REA India has in their employees’ ability to outperform, regardless of their chosen work environment.

“In the extraordinary situation of the pandemic, management was quite empathetic and benevolent to give us first a hybrid and then a permanent remote working policy. This has given immense support to be with the family and at the same time contribute to the company’s goal in an efficient manner.”

(Senior Director)

The ‘Future of Work’ policy which allows people to work form anywhere brings talent from various parts of the nation to the REA India family

In line with their commitment to adaptability in this VUCA world, REA India also understands the importance of financial wellbeing. That’s why they have introduced the innovative ‘Early Cheque-In’ practice, a one-of-a-kind initiative that enables their employees to access a portion of their salary on the 15th of each month. This forward-thinking approach empowers their team members to effectively manage their expenses and achieve greater financial flexibility.

5. Promoting Open and Transparent Dialogue

The digital age has given millennials unprecedented access to information. They expect organizations to be authentic and forthcoming with information and authenticity often goes hand in hand with transparent communication.

While quarterly townhalls have proven effective to cascade information downwards, initiatives like the Blank Canvas Sessions are dedicated to inviting employees to speak their minds.

Millennials are more likely to contribute fresh ideas when they feel their voices are heard. REA India recognizes this and collaborates with all employees to co-create policies, encouraging them to determine what supports their optimal growth and performance. These co-created policies are proudly marked as “Co-created by: People at REA India,” reinforcing their commitment to valuing every individual’s input and fostering a true sense of organizational inclusivity.

REA India encourages creative thinking and constant improvement through its platform called ‘MYDEA’, which is an online idea generation tool where people can park their suggestions for improving company products, services, policies, and practices, for enhancing customer and employee experience. The ideas with merit are then picked up for implementation by various departments. This creates a sense of empowerment among people, and they feel deeply connected with the purpose of the organization.

‘Ide-o-clock’ is another unique practice tailored for their Product, Design & Technology teams to spark innovation. This involves quarterly meetings using design thinking, promoting creative brainstorming and fresh ideas. Several ideas that emerged are in process of implementation, reflecting the impact of these sessions.

“I love this one, my ideas, my opinions are heard and given a stage. I have a voice here in very important decisions. Even in the branch, I never felt that we are away from head office, I can reach out to anyone anytime. They will respect my opinions.”

(Manager-Human Resources)

REA India ensures that people experience isn’t impacted because of the work mode. Glimpse of virtual monthly engagement fun

If an organization can check the boxes for these five important characteristics, they will not only become a great workplace for millennials but become more adaptable to the Gen-Z needs. As millennials currently form a significant part of the workforce and Gen-Z is the future, aligning with millennial preferences and values serves as a stepping stone to effectively accommodate the upcoming generation’s needs, preferences, and work dynamics.

In conclusion, focusing on millennial talent is crucial for organizations to remain adaptable, innovative, and competitive in a rapidly changing business landscape. Dexterous organizations like REA India exemplify this principle.