"We Focus On Building A Solid Organisational Culture,” Priyanka Sharma

Can you provide examples of specific programs or initiatives that have significantly enhanced the employee experience?
One of our initiatives is our “Speak Easy” program, which aims to build public speaking confidence among our employees. This initiative not only enhances communication skills but also promotes personal growth and team bonding. Additionally, our “Connect and Inspire” monthly series for managers includes activities like quizzes on our brands and presentations by team members, which fosters camaraderie and continuous learning. Our wellness programs, such as annual health check-ups and mental well-being support, have also been instrumental in enhancing the employee experience. We are also introducing Mentorship programs to bridge cultural experiences and provide better exposure to our employees.

What advice would you give to other organizations looking to enhance their employee experience strategies?
The advice would be to place employees at the heart of your strategy. Listen actively to their feedback and involve them in the decision-making process. Tailor initiatives to meet the specific needs of your workforce rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach. Measure the impact of your efforts regularly and be willing to pivot when necessary. Also, focus on building a solid organizational culture where employees feel valued, respected, and part of a larger mission.

Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives related to employee experience that you are excited about and would like to share with us?
To create consistent & coherent employee experience it is imperative that we touch all facets of HR from hire to retire. So, our HR roadmap comprises of 4 pillars- Ongoing Emp Exp, Building a Future ready org, Employee Engagement, Statutory & Compliance. We ensure that we are constantly raising the bar by introducing various initiatives enhancing employee experience across these pillars and constantly seeking feedback to ensure we stay relevant.,
One of our core values is ‘We Demand Diversity’, and we enhance all elements of the employee experience, from recruitment through to employee engagement.  To support diversity in hiring we begin by ensuring that our job descriptions are free from bias. Interviews are done in teams. Gender balanced hiring slates are presented to hiring managers. We can see in the business units which drive a more inclusive hiring process, there is a correlation with a higher percentage of women in management positions.
We have empanelled vendors who are champions of DE&I because it is embedded in our culture. If we are empanelling new vendors, we encourage them to leverage our account as a starting point in their diversity journey. We intend to make GCC Ahmedabad’s footprint a benchmark for our global partners. We want to go FTE route by reducing our dependence on vendor partners and absorbing lot of employees post screening measures into our FTE mix. This move enables us to have more control over the gender diversity for our GCC.