IT, ITeS sectors say 'we care' to beat stress

Offer concierge services for their staff

Because we care, could have been a fitting tagline for a healthcare service provider. The IT and ITeS sectors, however, are quietly stealing that tagline away.

While some companies have started concierge services for their manpower, others have ensured that the perceived high stress levels of their employees get a catharsis - all in the hope that the workforce believes that their employer cares and therefore performs better and stays on.

Sierra Atlantic, for instance, has gone to the extent of branding its initiatives on the aforesaid front as Planet Sierra.

Says Sanjay Khendry, vice-president, business development, Sierra Atlantic, "Planet Sierra is a package via which we are sending across a message to our employees that we care. The premise is not just to reduce attrition but to increase productivity."

The company, therefore, has now started concierge service where the facilities range from picking up the kids from school to even booking air tickets for the employees.

On similar lines, Sierra Atlantic has also started consulting sessions on finance wherein employees can learn the basics of what taxes they are paying, where can they invest, what's the best financial instrument for saving money etc.

"We have also realised that we need to provide a platform for communication. So employees can now let the company know about any innovative idea, set up a team and implement it. One such innovation was a 'Say Hello Today' initiative wherein employees were encouraged to reach out to their co-employees," Khendry says.

Another initiative often used by companies is with regard to infrastructure facilities. Says Arun D Rao, vice-president, human resources, Intelligroup Asia Private Limited, "Better aesthetics and ergonomically designed spaces are an incentive for employees to work better. Colour scheme, height of the partition between two employees, etc can enhance productivity levels of the employees. It's also important for companies to ensure that their employees relax. Our new campus, therefore, has a 'Break out room' where employees can relax, meditate, read a book etc."

Agreeing that adopting a human approach to sort out employee problems helps in enhancing productivity levels, Lekha Sishta, director, human resources and performance development, SumTotal Systems, says, "We are initiating a concept wherein our employees can approach counsellors free of cost. These counsellors will operate from their respective clinics so that employees can visit them outside office hours. We will be selecting three counsellors to help our employees sort out their issues and reduce their stress levels."

And to ensure that the employees feel a part of the growth of the organisation, Sishta says that they organise quarterly dashboard meetings for all employees where the performance of the company is reviewed and the strategy for the future is planned. "After all, software professionals are people who may not talk too much but they need to hear - about the company and about themselves," she adds.