At Claris Lifesciences, employees are referred to as ‘members’ and are treated as equal stakeholders of the company. One of the largest sterile injectables pharmaceutical companies in India, Claris Lifesciences ranks #37 in the Great Place to Work® Institute’s Study and #1 in the Industry Category of the Healthcare sector. Being a part of the growing healthcare industry of India (which is pegged to touch US$33.6 billion in 2010 with an estimated CAGR of 15% for the next 15 years) not only requires Claris Lifesciences to be ahead of its counterparts in terms of new products and technology, but also demands continuous training and development of its members. Says Shyam Sharma, President – HRM & Corporate Communication, “Being part of Healthcare industry, Claris has always focused on quality which can be ensured through dedicated, aspired and committed people only. We believe that to keep our people capable and motivated is our duty to the society. Hence, we strive to hire the right talent, inculcate in them the culture of accountability, and provide them with highly motivating and fun-filled work environment.” We speak to Arjun Handa, MD & CEO, and Shyam Sharma on what it means to be a great workplace

How critical is this recognition for your company from the business perspective?
Arjun Handa: We are operating in a serious and critical business. Lives of our consumers are in the hands of our members; any damage to mental health of members could lead to life threatening situations for our consumers. Hence, we cannot afford to lead teams which are not motivated. We need to hire the right talent, which is possible only if our brand is genuinely competitive in the market. The recognition from the Great Place to Work® Institute is an authentic testimonial of our healthy work culture, which is a critical factor to attract talent. I am sure that being a great workplace in healthcare, we can brand ourselves as ‘Employer of Choice’.

Can you elaborate on the training and development programs at Claris?
Shyam Sharma: At Claris, we believe that every member has one or the other inherent strength. Our training programs make sure that members build upon those qualities and skills which result in value addition to their role and enrichment of our work culture.
Our Learning and Development framework includes internal trainings based on competency mapping, and external trainings/ workshops at renowned institutions like IIMs, ISB, TMTC and MDI based on customized need for functional enrichment. The focus of our programs remains on enhancing managerial, leadership, communication, and overall behavioral skills to make them ready for the next level. Some of the key programs include “Daksh” at managerial level, “Saksham” at supervisory level and “Jaanbaaz” for high potential sales executives. We also sponsor our members to international seminars and conferences. The review meet at international location is again a medium for exposure to our members.

What kind of leadership model fosters in your organization?
Arjun Handa: “Leaders never lead, they are followed” - this is the spirit we inculcate in our members at senior and middle management positions. People look up to a leader who is a true believer of an idea, a thorough practitioner of what he thinks and acts, and is participative and democratic in nature. I think, at Claris, we have been able to create such a leadership which people have trust in. They help in creating a sense of community, and a transparent, trustful and healthy work environment. Leaders decide the destiny of folks!