|
Hyderabad-based Brigade is growing at an excellent paceits
employee base doubled in just few years time. The company, however, insists
that it is fun that matters at the end of the day. Keeping the fun factor
in mind, the company has appointed a chief fun officer, who ensures that the
employees, who provide e-support to global customers 24/7, do not miss enjoyment
while at work.
Last year, Brigade had debuted on the E-SAT survey at #12. This
year, the companys at #10. But, fun is easy when you have a small setup, not
when you are growing at over 100%. "Indeed, rapid expansion does put some
sort of pressure on the management team, but we are very serious about having
fun at Brigade," says Sri Dasari, chairman and CEO, Brigade.
In these testing times, the KPO major seems to be holding on to
the fun mantra as the best way to curb the attrition rate. So, there is a
fun committee that constantly looks at ways to relieve employees of stress.
Dasari says that the company celebrates festivals, organizes everyday
activities, and observes the Brigade Annual Day to keep employees stress-free
and happy.
| Brigade |
Rank
10 |
|
|
| Sri Dasari,
chairman and CEO, Brigade |
|
How They
Fared |
|
Strengths |
Rank |
|
I am satisfied with the
perks and benefits available to me |
5 |
|
The perks and benefits I get
in this company are relevant to me |
4 |
|
I am satisfied with the kind
of salary hikes I get |
6 |
|
Weaknesses |
|
The company behaves in a
very professional manner, with employees, suppliers & customers |
16 |
|
This company has high
standards of corporate governance |
16 |
|
The companys
infrastructure is good and makes my work a whole lot easier |
17 |
The employees are also encouraged to take up sports, and there
is a Brigade cricket team and a bowling team. "We are the city champions in
both the sports," says Dasari.
Last year, Brigade was rated poorly due to its salary and perks.
The company went back to the drawing board and came out with a compensation
structure that was linked intricately to the employees performance. Thus, its
top 15% (A+) get an increment of over 125% of the industry average. Also, these
A+ automatically become members of the CEO Club, which entitles them to a host
of benefits in terms of promotions, appraisals, and even special outings with
Dasari.
But, a big concern area for the company is its HR rank. While it
may be easy to please employees with outings and perquisites, in the end, the
processes matter. The survey reveals that not many are happy with the level of
transparency within the company. Employees also dont rate Brigade highly on
the issue of corporate governance.
The other big concern for Brigade is its brand image, as not
many seem to know about the company. It doesnt feature at all in the dream
company wish list. Dasari agrees with the issue and is dealing with the issue at
different levels. While the spending for external advertising has been upped,
the company is reaching out to its employee in an innovative wayreaching out
to the employees family.
The fun philosophy seems to be working now, as Brigade is ranked
at #4 in the overall satisfaction index. The real challenge for the company,
however, lies in building upon the gains it has made. Page(s) 1
| 
