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Employee First

The document provides background information on HCL, a large IT company based in India. It discusses how HCL kept its promise not to lay off employees during economic downturns. It also discusses the company's culture of prioritizing employees and empowering frontline workers through transparency and communication. The main problem addressed is whether HCL's unique "employees first" culture attracts unique employees.

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686 views4 pages

Employee First

The document provides background information on HCL, a large IT company based in India. It discusses how HCL kept its promise not to lay off employees during economic downturns. It also discusses the company's culture of prioritizing employees and empowering frontline workers through transparency and communication. The main problem addressed is whether HCL's unique "employees first" culture attracts unique employees.

Uploaded by

anon_806011137
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1. Background of the Company.

As one of the largest companies in India, HCL sells various information

technology product services, such as laptop, custom software development, and

technology consulting. Like its competitors, HCL had excess employees and had

suspended raises. But HCL kept its promise and didn’t lay off any HCLite (Nayar’s name

for HCL employees). As business has picked up, however, employees begin looking at

competitors’ job offers. HCL Technologies is headquartered in the world’s largest

democracy, so it’s quite fitting that the New Delhi–based company is attempting a radical

experiment in workplace democracy. CEO Vineet Nayar is committed to creating a

company where the job of company leaders is to enable people to find their own destiny

by gravitating to their strengths. Through a forum called U&I (You and I), Nayar fielded

more than a hundred questions from employees every week

2. Background of the Case

“Employees first.” That’s the most important and crucial cultural value that HCL

Technologies CEO Vineet Nayar believes will take his company into the future.

Although most managers think that customers should come first, Nayar’s philosophy is

that employee satisfaction needs to be the top priority.As we discussed in the chapter

opener, one thing that Nayar has done is to pioneer a culture in which employees are first.

What has he done to put employees first? Part of the cultural initiative dealt with the

organization’s structure. HCL inverted its organizational structure and placed more

power in the hands of frontline employees, especially those in direct contact with

customers and clients. It increased its investment in employee development and improved
communication through greater transparency. Employees were encouraged to

communicate directly.

3. Main Problem of the Case

Does the unique “employees first” culture at HCL Technologies attract unique

employees?

15-17. What is your impression of an “employees first” culture? Would this work in other

organizations? Why or why not? What would it take to make it work?


For me, my impression of an “employees first” culture is the benefits. As the culture

enthuses, empower, and encourages employee across the organization to come up with

innovative solutions to operational and customer business challenges. It depends on each type of

organization, size and its employee’s behavior. For instance, a company that has a strategy

focusing on customers will not be suitable with the culture. Some employees do not find

advantages of this culture and feel not being motivated in working. To make it work maybe

employee’s behavior or a change in the basic and strategy that fits with the culture.

15-18. How might an understanding of organizational behavior help CEO Vineet Nayar lead his

company? Be specific. How about first-line company supervisors? Again, be specific.

CEO Vineet Nayar help lead his company through understanding of organization

behavior because it is the study how individuals and groups behave within an organization and

applying such knowledge in improving the effectiveness of an organization. The CEO has idea

about motivating his workforce. He realizes not all employees may share his personality and

attitude toward work. The trust pay implemented by HCL may motivate some employee who

actually like this culture and benefit from his variable pay. Improving productivity and higher

performance. For first-line managers fight different types of battles and deal with a different

types of employee than top managers.

15-19. What aspects of personality do you see in this story about HCL? How have the

personality traits of HCL employees contributed to make HCL what it is?


The aspects of personality that I see in this story about HCL is enterprising which prefer

verbal activities that offers opportunities to influence others and attain power. The personality

traits of HCL employees contributed to make HCL are sensitive to changes, creative to generate

new ideas and risk-taking. Sensitive to changes in a way that they responds as a need to the

relative change occurring in the environment. Creative to generate new ideas in which how

accurate the employees’ mind function to find solutions. Risk-taking is where the employees take

necessary actions for the company’s success or loss in certain decision makings.

15-20. Design an employee attitude survey for HCL’s employees.

For me, it would be attitudes such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and

organizational citizenship behaviors in the survey items. With the programs proposed by the

CEO, Mr. Nayar, the attitudes of employees should be high. However, something to consider is

the concern over high turnover mentioned in the opening case. High turnover may be indicative

of poor employee attitudes toward the organization and low morale.

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