A winning strategy

The power of training is as close to a universal truth as HR can get. Organisations that maintain a strong training curriculum, irrespective of the downswings of the global market, have always found an edge over their competitors in tough times. And it is through intelligently-developed training programmes, that employees develop the requisite capabilities and new skills to perform both their own jobs and those roles higher up the ladder. So says Anand Pillai, Global Head of Quality, Talent Transformation and “Intrapreneurship” Development, at HCL Technologies. He says the Indian information technology giant has enjoyed positive results, both tangible and unseen, from its heavy training focus.

Employees first
HCL’s training and learning programmes are driven by its unique “Employees First” philosophy. Pillai says this recognises employees as key strategic elements in the organisation, making them even more important than customers. “It is a path-breaking philosophy that takes an entirely new approach to engaging, empowering and enhancing employees,” he says. “It democratises the company’s functions and its way of working.”

Importantly, Employees First demands a strong focus on training and development activities. Pillai says there are “ample” opportunities for both personal development and career growth. “This motivates staff to perform in such a way that it transforms the environment within the organisation.”

Back to school

Honing the skills
HCL’s Talent Transformation and Intrapreneurship Development department is essentially a wide—reaching learning and development team. It maintains a series of end-to-end programmes to enhance employee value within the organisation. Pillai says most training is done on the job or close to it. “The office is our campus,” he says. Indeed, sometimes the learning and development that takes place is just as important as the actual work, if not more so.

“The office is a place where you come to learn, and (only) in the process, work,” Pillai says. “To this effect, the ‘back to school’ approach is the most effective method of training employees.”

HCL’s offices therefore host a number of in-house academies, each focusing on specific development areas for both individuals and teams. Courses cater to both functional competencies and more generic soft skills. For instance, the Strategic Sales Academy equips sales and delivery personnel with negotiation skills and best practice mathods for strategic account management.

Building leadership qualities
HCL’s leadership development strategies – executed through its “Top Gun” Leadership Academy – are among its most important training programmes. Pillai says the types of skills taught cover issues such as stakeholder and relationship management, as well as effective communication. “Soft skills training encompasses influencing and persuading, negotiating, presenting, public speaking, networking and managing teams,” he says. “Top Gun aims to identify and groom future business leaders so they are ready to head independent business units in the future.”

Participants remain in the leadership programme for up to 21 months, taking part in a wide range of development activities. These include traditional classroom training, one-on-one coaching, and action learning projects. In each of these, HCL’s values and philosophies play a major role in the curriculum. “As we move towards an uncertain and volatile culture, it is essential that our leaders stand by certain values and beliefs to withstand external forces and emerge victorious,” Pillai says.

One unique tool used is HCL’s “Meet the Expert” sessions. These monthly platforms allow participants to directly interact with senior management members and Information Technology specialists. They learn how these leaders have embraced HCL’s Employees First concept, and exchange valuable experiences from both inside and outside the company. To date, 331 leaders have been identified and enrolled in this Leadership programme, Pillai says.

Putting in the time
Not everything works like clockwork; despite having such a rigorous and strict training philosophy, adjustments do occasionally need to be made. One of the key challenges that Pillai’s department faces while training senior management is getting a consistent time commitment. “The senior management (are) involved in a large number of strategic activities and (sometimes) find it difficult to be present for classroom trainings,” he says.

The Talent Transformation and Intrapreneurship Development department has therefore introduced a range of e-learning modules for some of its most popular and important programmes. These are archived online and can be accessed anywhere in the world. At the same time, each senior leader is assigned a peer mentor with whom they can swap notes and discuss assigned topics.

These improvements came in response to HCL’s comprehensive employee feedback survey. The “Employee Passion Indicative Count” allows every staff member to indicate what drives their passion for the organisation and their role. Some 25,100 employees participated in the most recent exercise, giving both the individuals and the organisation a better perspective on the critical factors driving performance.