One of the striking features which stands out about Marico Ltd. as an organization is their reference to all employees as ‘members’ rather than ‘employees’. The emphasis is on an open and transparent culture which is united with an environment of trust and mutual respect. Says Ashutosh Telang, Executive VP and Head HR, Marico Limited, “We are an organization which believes in ‘membership’ rather than ‘employeeship’. People here are given early responsibility which enables them to learn and grow as an individual.” Marico Limited is is one of India’s leading FMCG companies and ranks #36 in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s study, and #2 in the Industry Category of the FMCG sector.
The Indian FMCG sector boasts of the world’s topmost MNCs as well as domestic home-grown companies. In such a scenario, Marico’s attempt to attract talent has been extremely successful. Says Harsh Mariwala, Chairman and MD, Marico Limited, “The perception around domestic FMCG firms is that they are giving tough competition to MNCs. Today, the employees want to work for a company that is doing well and has a strong culture. They even interact with the ex-employees to gain insights into the company. Marico has a robust and well designed process to recruit management trainees, who are further aligned with the organizational goals to convert them into full-time employees. Eventually, when potential candidates compare us with any MNC, they see for themselves the open culture, the freedom to create their own future, and the empowerment to take decisions at Marico. Marico has also won several awards which acknowledge us as an ‘employer of choice’. We address a few questions to Harsh Mariwala and Ashutosh Telang.

What makes Marico a great workplace?
Harsh Mariwala: It is our open and transparent culture that makes Marico a great workplace. Our organizational culture is based on meritocracy and empowerment. And this recognition reinforces and strengthens the value systems of our organization.
Ashutosh Telang: For me, there are four simple guidelines viz. great company culture, the way we focus on the talent and growth of individuals, well managed organization and fair remuneration, that make Marico a great workplace. We believe that when we hire employees, there is an immediate emotional connect and this helps encourage a feeling of belongingness and commitment among them.

Marico recently acquired companies in the overseas market. Does this hold opportunities for your domestic employees to work in these markets?
Harsh Mariwala: Certainly. Depending upon the organization we have acquired and the talent required to run operations in these markets, we train our people here to take charge in the foreign markets. Each company or brand that we have acquired internationally, requires a different set of expertise and talent. This increases the opportunities for our Indian members to explore their potential and capabilities. We’ve been sending our people to markets such as Bangladesh, Egypt and South Africa where we have either set up operations or acquired companies and will continue to do so.

What attributes of your company appeal to prospective employees?
Ashutosh Telang: The brand name and the image of the organization is what appeals to prospective employees. Our organizational purpose – ‘be more. every day’ - encapsulates our mission - ‘To transform in a sustainable manner the lives of all those we touch by nurturing and empowering them to maximize their true potential’. This along with a value based and fundamentally strong culture helps us maintain an image of being an employer of choice.