People are ultimately the foundation of a services business. At Infosys, we realize that our people are our key assets, and that it is our duty to ensure that we engage them effectively to keep them motivated.

Articulating the linkage between people and business performance is one of the fundamental pillars of a successful business. Companies are ultimately made of people who believe in the vision of the company and spend their time committed to working towards that vision. Employee satisfaction, motivation, and commitment are intangible benefits that can separate an organization from others and it is essential to approach employee engagement strategically to align personal and business aspirations.

In this ever growing market, where the demand for talent is rising exponentially, we would like to hire the best from the available talent. With the industry requirements changing constantly, the need to recruit the right talent continue to be a large focus area for us. Our biggest challenge is the increasing gap between the industry requirements and the available talent pool in the country. To address this concern, Infosys works closely with colleges to keep them abreast of the latest technological developments. We also conduct a 23 week training program for freshers joining the company, to equip them to enter the corporate world. We have built strong campus relations, making Infosys the employer of choice at majority of the colleges we visit.

Another focus area is lateral hiring. This is a challenge faced globally, where there is a need to find managers who can scale up rapidly and handle teams delivering complex projects. We strive to achieve the best fit between individual aspirations and organizational requirements. Keeping all these parameters in mind, our strategy is to hire the best-in-class and create a high performance culture known for unparalleled learning opportunities and good career development prospects.

As an organization, we track workplace trends, which have different implications for the company. Each country that we are present in requires a unique approach. From all the challenges lying ahead of us, an important one includes managing complexity that comes with business cycles, globalization and size. Our talent acquisition strategy is linked to our business strategy, with our focus aimed at deepening our global footprint and building a global workforce.

Of the various people activities, I spend time between employee communication and mentoring. Employee communication at my level is to share with employees, regular updates on business, progress on strategic initiatives such as our Building Tomorrow's Enterprise initiative and addressing employee concerns and apprehensions. This is through regular town-halls, meetings and communication platforms such as Infy TV, Ask Shibu, etc. As a part of the Infosys Leadership Institute, I also play a role as a mentor for other tiered leaders as we invest in our leadership pipeline.
We believe that Infosys’ longevity will depend on how well we build on our people resources and how we can keep them ‘happy’ and motivated; and this is our biggest challenge.

Today, we are dealing with what we call the ‘millennial workforce’, whose requirements are very different from the Gen X workforce. They look for career advancement and require a strong understanding of the company’s vision and a platform for constant two-way communication with the senior management.

Today's workforce realizes that merely moving up the hierarchy is not enough. What keeps a career vibrant and relevant are the experiences that employees gain through different on-the-job opportunities for learning and career building. In addition to the exciting career opportunities that we provide in areas such as cloud and mobility, we also have a number of HR practices in place to keep our employees engaged at the workplace, such as communication platforms like InfyBubble, Infosys’ enterprise networking platform, which was launched in June 2011 and InfyRadio, our internal radio station. Our HALE initiative focuses on the increasing emotional value-add of our employees by optimizing their health, quality of life and work environment and facilities such as satellite offices for new mothers, telecommuting for employees on need basis, work-from-home options, flexible work hours, part-time work policy, sabbatical for working with NGOs, near-site daycare facilities, etc. These initiatives help employees overcome their personal challenges and stay committed to their career path.

As Chief Executive Officer, I travel extensively on business commitments, which may limit my in-person people-related activities. However, while I am in India, I make it a point to travel to our development centers across the country to engage with employees. I follow a similar approach when I travel to our overseas offices. At the same time, technology is a great enabler for communication and through internal communication platforms such as InfyRadio, Infy TV and Ask Shibu, I am able to engage with employees virtually. In my new role as Chief Executive Officer since August 21, 2011, my employee engagement has increased. This is a natural progression from my previous role as Chief Operating Officer.