SC Johnson has a great heritage and is one of the most respected companies around the world. The company is recognized for its ethics and employee satisfaction. With its rich legacy of more than 124 years, SC Johnson India opened in 2005 and in this short span has been successful. The organization is a family company, which is its guiding principle. Santosh Sharan, HR Director, SC Johnson India says, “Our story begins with family. Family inspires us in everything we do. This allows us to focus on the long-term success of the company and stay true to the core values on which we were founded. Our culture has always been and continues to be about innovation, quality and workplace excellence. It’s about doing the right thing for people. Integrity is a cornerstone. SC Johnson’s culture lives on in our value statement — This We Believe — which we use to guide our business practices.”
Ranked #45 in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s Study, People Matters spoke to Rajiv Bhat, Group General Manager – South Asia, heading the Indian operation and Santosh Sharan to gain insight of the organization’s working philosophy.

The market segment for the FMCG sector in India is flooded with choices, in such a case what is your competitive advantage over peers?
Rajiv Bhat: Our main competitive advantage over our competition is that we are a fifth-generation, family-owned and -operated company which means we focus on doing what’s right for the long term versus the short term. We make our decisions for what’s best for the environment and for the families that use our products. This point of difference is especially meaningful in a market where consumers are faced with many choices. We must not only deliver products that reflect our values, but also build on our deep understanding of what our consumers need and want.

You are a comparatively new company in India. How is the Indian consumer different from that across the world?
Rajiv Bhat: We believe that, except for the cultural differences which are unique to any country, consumers’ needs in India are basically identical to consumer needs in our other markets. While the competitive landscape, trade environment, and terms of doing business may vary across markets, our consumers expect best-performing products, at the price points that deliver value AND an emotional pay off.

What according to you are the mandates for a successful business and employee driven organization?
Rajiv Bhat: Full employee engagement and support of the company’s commitment to doing what’s right is crucial to our success. When our employees take pride in being a family owned company with solid values and a strong mission, our history and our brands – the focus is on quality and driving excellence in the marketplace. The support of our people and our company is a major point of difference at SC Johnson.

Why is SC Johnson a great workplace? Why is that critical for the organization’s success?
Rajiv Bhat: SC Johnson is a great place to work because, as a private, family-owned company, we put core values – such as integrity, respect, fairness and trust – above everything else. We believe the fundamental vitality and strength of our company lies in our people. Employees are a main focus for us. That commitment truly sets us apart and it also inspires a great deal of pride and loyalty among SC Johnson people – not only here in India, but around the world.

Your organization lays emphasis on learning and development of its employees; can you explain some initiatives taken for the same?
Santosh Sharan: SC Johnson has a global team which focuses on leadership and management development as well as functional training across the company through different training modules, tools and coaching. India’s leadership presence is growing. Within SC Johnson as a whole, there are opportunities for our India-based management team to work on assignments across the globe. Likewise, our international counterparts have the same opportunities to share their expertise with India as well. We believe the key driver of business growth is investment in our people. Here in India, our training and development activities have not slowed down. We continuously train our employees on functional and soft skills through internal and external training programs.

What does being a great Workplace mean to you? What are the key ingredients that make you a one?
Santosh Sharan: The key ingredients that make SC Johnson a great workplace are at the heart of our culture. We put core values – integrity, respect, fairness and trust – above everything else. This means doing the right thing for our employees, our consumers, and our communities where we live and work.