People and Management October 2018 | Page 39

www.peopleandmanagement.com A DAY IN THE LIFE CAN BOTS PROMOTE PEOPLE? In our study of workplace culture in India, we found that fairness continues to be a huge challenge for organisations. Less than 60 percent of the people trust that managers often avoid playing favourites at work. Bajaj Finance Limited has identifi ed a way to reduce this human element of biases by introducing the Auto Promotion Policy. This allows eligible employees at manager level or above (up to a certain grade) to be automatically promoted on the basis of their achievements and performance. There are well-defi ned metrics for all functions and roles, and if the employee qualifi es the same, he or she gets auto- promoted in the system. Having clarity on expectations and the knowledge that they will be fairly rewarded for their efforts enables employees to give their best and meet their targets, collectively leading to high business performance for the organisation. POLICIES ON PROBATION The Womens Executive Shadow Program at Adobe Systems is geared towards providing leadership and career development opportunities for women employees. An intensive, one-day shadowing experience where women employees get a chance to partner with a key leader in the company to experience a day in the life of the executive. While executives have the opportunity to introspect on their leadership philosophy and contribute to talent development, the program gives women at Adobe a unique opportunity for professional development, networking, executive visibility, and cross-functional exposure. It encourages women leaders to learn from each other, share success stories, and inspire one another. At CACTUS Communications, any new policy is introduced only after getting a buy-in from employees. This is done by putting the policies on probation for one month! During this probationary period, Cactizens are invited to offer their suggestions so as to refi ne these practices and make them more relevant. This ensures that the management genuinely listen to its people, understand their sentiments, and that all its practices are employee-centric. After incorporating these ideas, the fi nal practice is implemented so that it meets employee expectations and is hence proved effective; involving employees in decision making leads to better morale and stronger sense of responsibility in a high motivation environment. Vol. 9 Issue 6 • Sep-Oct 2018, Noida / Pre-Event Edition | 39