Abstract

The report evaluates Telenor Health's Human Resources (HR) practices and Performance
Management System (PMS), a Telenor Group subsidiary launched in 2015. Telenor Health, a
leading player in the digital health sector, uses technology to provide on-demand healthcare
services in growing regions. The report goes thoroughly into the company's HR framework,
focusing on performance appraisal methodologies, the usage of Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs), and the alignment of individual goals with broader organizational objectives. It also
describes the company's organized career development activities through Individual
Development Plans (IDPs), as well as the integration of rewards and compensation based on
performance outcomes.

The report emphasizes the difficulty of maintaining continual performance improvement and
addressing instances of underperformance. It also emphasizes the importance of regular feedback
and planned performance reviews in maintaining an effective PMS. To address these issues, this
report makes strategic recommendations for improving staff development, boosting goal
alignment, and establishing a culture of performance excellence. Telenor Health can use these
tips to increase employee engagement, maximize performance, and achieve its long-term goals in
the competitive digital healthcare sector.

Introduction of Telenor Health:

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Telenor Health, established in 2015 as a digital health subsidiary of the Telenor Group, is a
purpose-driven company that leverages technology to make high-quality health and wellness
information, advice, and services accessible, particularly in emerging markets. This mission
aligns with Telenor Group's vision of "empowering societies" and its commitment to improving
lives and communities across Asia through innovation. As a pioneer in offering round-the-clock,
on-demand healthcare services via digital platforms, Telenor Health, now known as Grameen
Digital Health, continues to provide world-class healthcare solutions while ensuring an
exceptional consumer experience. The company addresses a full spectrum of health needs with a
focus on long-term well-being and is dedicated to supporting employees in achieving a healthy
work-life balance.

Overview of the HR Practices of Telenor Health

Recruitment
First, Telenor Health does a job analysis to determine the duties and qualifications of the people
filling the roles. Following that, they create job descriptions, which include a list of what the
occupations entail, and job specifications, which determine who is qualified for the job. Then
they publish job circulars in newspapers and online, and people apply, and they go through the
CVs and calls for potential employees, and they do an online interview, and whoever is chosen
goes for an in-person interview. Furthermore, they do external recruitment, in which existing
employees recommend fresh prospects. They can also sit for the in-person interview right away.
The chosen applicants attend a day-long interview in which they are tested on teamwork,
communication, and leadership qualities. The selected applicants are next subjected to a medical
examination and a background check. Finally, the chosen applicants will be recruited.
Selection Process
Telenor Health has classified its employee selection process depending on the range of
employees it hires.
Interns' selection: They select interns based on the number of courses completed by the
applicant as well as their current CGPA (3 or higher), preferably from well-known universities.
Besides CV screening they interview selection. The interview is usually conducted by the
recruiter, but it can also be conducted by a potential co-worker.
Management Trainee Selection: The candidate must possess the required qualifications for this
position. Graduates and postgraduate graduates are considered. Must be a graduate with a
minimum CGPA of 3 and two recommendation letters, preferably from renowned universities.
Aside from these, the following tools are used in the selection:
CV screening: During this process, they eliminate all applicants who are not a good fit for the
position. They emphasize the skills, extracurricular activities, and academic attributes of the
applicant.

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Aptitude test: This is used to assess a candidate's cognitive and personality abilities. A written
test is used to carry it out.
Background investigation: They gather at least two references from their previous employment
for their background investigation. They also collect a required feedback form from the source of
the reference, as well as a verbal statement from the referred person at the applicant's previous
workplace.
Interview: They usually conduct two phases of interviews and may conduct more depending on
the job profile. HR officers and concern dept. The line manager conducts the initial phase of the
interview. The second phase is led by the head of the relevant department & HR Manager. A
structured interview is followed for both phases.
Selection for experienced hires: Telenor Health relies heavily on internal sources for this
method. When selecting experienced employees in the respective field, the number of working
years does not matter as long as the candidate is substantially skilled (relevant to the particular
field).
Selection for healthcare professionals: Telenor Health, as a healthcare organization, carefully
selects its healthcare professionals. A thorough background investigation is conducted, and
proper verifications of the applicant's academic record and skill in the respective field are made.
Selection of employees for the tech department: Technical departments prioritize strong
knowledge and proficiency in the relevant field, regardless of the candidate's educational
background. This field's candidate selection is carried out using a work sampling test.
Training & Development
Training and development: Developing an effective training and development program
requires long periods of continuous and systematic approaches. For any company considered to
be a successful T&D provider, it must follow a systematic process to carry on training initiatives.
Training and development programs are organized based on culture, competencies, and demand.
Telenor Health is a part of Telenor Group focuses on training development programs in a very
broader aspect. They do both on-the-job and off-the-job training. They conduct off-the-job
training in two ways:
Outside Seminars: Outside seminars are a very common type of off-the-job training for
maximum companies. Telenor Health sends their employees to different training programs such
as the UNDP training program, doctors are sent to medical colleges to attend different seminars
on health issues, senior employees attend virtual training with international health care
organizations, etc.
Case-study method: Telenor Health uses the case-study method occasionally. They conduct a
case study for those employees who need to deal with real-life scenarios daily. Case study
enables employees to use their theoretical knowledge in practical life by solving organizational
problems and help them come up with new long-term solutions.

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Now, on-the-job training is always an integrated part of a company. Telenor Health prefers on-
the-job training more than off-the-job training. Their on-the-job training includes three
processes:
Coaching: Coaching involves the development of a one-to-one relationship between the
employees and supervisors, which provides feedback to employees on how well they are
performing their tasks. Telenor Health usually performs a coaching process within six months.
Their motto of conducting coaching is that employees master themselves through a step-by-step
process on a task from an experienced worker.
Job rotation: Job rotation is a very usual training process at Telenor Health. They rotate the
positions of their employees to different departments for three months.
Special Assignments: This task is meant to be for fresh graduates hired at their company and for
lower-level executives so they understand the work by doing it on a firsthand basis.
Performance Management Process
Performance Appraisal: Performance appraisal should compare "what should be" with "what it
is". Every company has to do a performance appraisal to measure the performance of every
individual to provide them with monetary and promotional benefits based on their performance
rating. Telenor Health does this performance appraisal based on the Key Performance Indicator
(KPI) of every employee. Some KPIs used for employees in Telenor Health:
 Customer Satisfaction
 Cost efficiency
 Alignment with the goals of the organization
 Virtual patient wait times
 Patient care service
 Onboarding new doctors quarterly
 Targeted new customers per month
The former in charge of performance appraisal at Telenor Health is the individual department
head then it is reviewed by the HR head and final in charge is the CEO of the company.
Benefit Offered
Benefits Offered to Employees in Telenor Health
Conveyance Allowance: It is also known as transportation allowance. It is a type of allowance
offered to the employees of Telenor Health to travel from their residence to the workplace. But it
can differ depending on the designation of the employee.
Parental Leave: Telenor Health provides their women employees maternity leave during their
time of pregnancy. They provide 24 weeks of maternity leave and 10 working days for Paternity
Leave.

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Festival Bonus: Telenor Health provides its employees incentives during festivals in
Bangladesh. Employees get an extra amount of basics during each occasion. Especially
employees are rewarded during the festivals of Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha.
Leaves: Telenor Health provides their employees with Sick leaves up to 14 days per year. They
also provide their employees with Annual leave of 15 days, Casual leave of 10 days, Government
holidays of 21 days, Transfer leave of 5 working days, and Pilgrimage Leave of 15 working days
If not used entirely then the employees can encash their annual leaves.
Insurance Benefits: Telenor Health provides its employees with health and life insurance. They
also provide health insurance for the parents, husband/wife, and at most 2 children of an
employee. This feature aids employees of the company to have a certain amount of medical fees
covered.
Phone Facility: Telenor Health provides their employees with a certain amount of phone
facilities which include limited talk times and internet packages. It may differ based on the pay
rates of the employees.
Food Allowance: It is a type of allowance that is provided to the employees for meals during
working hours. At first Telenor Health provided their employees with meals during working
hours but now they compensate the employees with food allowance.
Gratuity and Provident Fund: It is one of the most important advantages that practically all
companies use. However different organizations may have different policies. Unfortunately,
Telenor Health does not provide these benefits yet. They plan to start providing these benefits
after they reach break-even which may be in 2025 according to their forecast.

Performance Management System of Telenor Health

Policy Statement
The business goal of Telenor Health Bangladesh is achieved through optimum management of
the performance of its employees. With its vision to become a leader as a dependable and
trendsetter in the sector, Telenor Health Bangladesh is constantly working towards superior
customer satisfaction. This is deeply rooted in its team performance and, therefore, Telenor
Health needs to adhere to smart ways of recognizing specific contributions that add exceptional
value to the organization. Rewarding its people for a job well done is taken very seriously and
efficiently. Similarly, it also confronts performance that does not meet the required standard and
corrects the situation. Thus, Performance Management is the means to get alignment of personal
goals with business strategy, provide feedback for performance improvement, and help identify
and explore the potential of its people.
 Principles: Telenor strongly believes that performance management is about people
and performance, not just process. Therefore, Telenor Health Performance Management
process shall ensure:
 Cascading the strategy of Telenor Health and translating it into operational goals for
teams and individuals.

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  Reviewing performance and potential of employees with outputs used for mobility,
succession planning, and other talent management purposes like training and
development.
 Developing and leveraging the talents, of both managers and experts.
 Performance, as reviewed in the (PMP), shall be used as a basis for reward.

 Objective:
 To align the outputs of the appraisee and teams with the objectives or goals of Telenor
Health Bangladesh and about one another.
 To build productive working relationships between appraisee and appraiser, with
shared meaning about the work to be done.
 To optimize individual work performance by continual improvement, and thus
achieve superior work outputs.
 To encourage appraisee behavior that demonstrates the values adopted by this
Company.

 Inherent Features: Every appraisee at all levels is expected to be managed on a day-to-

day basis in line with the following principles of the Performance Management process:
 The performance objectives of every appraisee are aligned with the team and
organizational goals.
 Formal objective setting and review discussions take place between appraisee and
appraiser once a year with the provision of a half-yearly review, if not more often,
and incorporate multiple inputs where possible. This will include monthly
assessments of salespeople.
 The Performance Management Process is based on joint discussion and comment
between the appraiser and appraisee, and there is joint responsibility for its
occurrence Standards known as Key Performance Indicators are to be met by the
appraisee to incorporate: customer expectations, relevant standards of Telenor Health,
other professional and legislative ones, as well as those agreed between the appraiser
and appraisee.
 Pay increases and incentives are linked to performance which are determined from
the Performance Management process outcome.
 The appraiser maintains a Performance Management record containing both formal
documentation and informal notes about the performance of every appraisee, and the
appraisee has the right of access to this record.

 Key Performance Indicators (KPI):

 KPIs are the standards - translated from direct and indirect activities which deliver the
required outputs. These are what the appraisee must do and how these must be done.
Therefore, KPIs answer the question: "What will we see as an outcome?"
 In Telenor Health Bangladesh, the cycle of Performance Management consists of:
 Setting Objectives and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
 Working towards achieving the Objectives, and

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  Reviewing performance

 Performance Review Process: The following pertinent points are to be delivered in the
Performance Review Process:
 once per year, along with provision for a six-monthly review and monthly assessment
of salespeople
 performance reviewed against documented Objectives and KPIs
 a joint discussion between the appraiser and appraisee
 conduct the review in private with each individual
 outcome and comments documented and signed by both parties
 where possible, include feedback from significant others, e.g. customers, colleagues,
subordinates, etc.
 incorporate the Appraisee's assessment of performance
 review by the second appraiser (Appraiser's Supervisor) rating compilation and
endorsement

 Performance Review Activities: The specific PMS activities that should be maintained
are:
 Assess and rate performance against Objectives and KPIs
 Commend good performance
 Counsel to improve any elements of poor performance
 Action plan:
 to correct shortfalls, where necessary
 to link to other HR processes e.g. Training and Development, Recognition and
Reward (incentive scheme), and pay review
 Document the outcome (Refer to Clause 18.8 below)
 Revise Objectives and KPIs for the next period
 Submit all the documents to the CEO, or his/her delegated person

 Performance Rating: The following is the step-by-step Performance Rating process:

 Separate ratings are prepared by the appraisee and appraiser before the appraisal.
 The objective is to ensure an overall assessment is made and that this is regarded as
fair by both the appraiser and the appraisee under the circumstances which existed
during the period under review.
 Include reference to formal measures and informal indicators. (e.g. data from agreed
and formal performance indicators, letters of commendation from customers,
warnings for poor performance or misconduct.)
 Rate performance per KPI, Objectives, and then overall.
 Rating should not be a rigid arithmetic process but be based on a reasonable
conclusion drawn from all available data, and take into account factors beyond the
control of the appraisee.
 Objectives and targets will include Telenor Way and ethical standards as behavioral
targets.

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  The following rating criteria are to be followed:
 Rating 5 Criteria, Outstanding: The appraisee consistently exceeded challenging
objectives, measures, and targets.
 Rating 4 Criteria, Superior: Accomplished more overall than expected, with a
broad record of positive results, especially on major objectives, measures, and
targets.
 Rating 3 Criteria, Good (On Target): All the major objectives and targets were
achieved as against the set measures.
 Rating 2 Criteria, Marginal: Several key personal results did not match expected
levels of performance. Expect Level 3 to be achieved during the next cycle.
 Rating 1 Criteria, Unsatisfactory: Important objectives and targets missed. Also,
poor performance across a broad range. Performance at this level is not to
continue over more than one cycle.
 Consequence of poor ratings: In the case of rating 2, it would be mandatory to cover
up by achieving rate 3 during the next cycle. In the case of rating 1, performance at
this level is not to continue over one cycle.
 Joint discussion and decision by the appraiser on the final rating and endorsed by the
appraiser's supervisor.
 Final scrutiny by the HR Department and C&B Committee.

 Performance Management Documents: Managing performance is about identifying

what the individual or team must do to achieve business goals and make continuous
improvements to maintain the quality barometer consistently. For Telenor Health
Bangladesh Performance Management System (PMS) is, thus, a cycle having different
inter-linked components, each of which has sub-components; these include:
 Performance Management Document (PMD) i.e. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
appended as Annex - I
 Career Plan i.e., Individual Development Plan (IDP) appended as Annex – II

 Career Interest and Individual Development Plan:

 The document that is used to record an individual Manager's career planning
discussion is called the Individual Development Plan (IDP).
 In general, career interest is to hold a discussion on possible career paths for an
individual within Telenor Health by identifying his/her skills, qualifications,
experience, and competencies to do the future job, and also support to attain these.
 It also optimizes the current and future performance of potential Managers, by
discussing a possible career probability and associated developmental activities to
achieve this growth.

 Performance Management Toolkit: An updated performance management toolkit is

available to all the appraisers and appraised by the HR Department, which governs the
total procedure of the Performance Management System (PMS).
ANNEX – I PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT DOCUMENT
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ANNEX II INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (IDP)

Name
Current Position

CAREER INTEREST
Preferred
Alternative

FUNCTIONAL/TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES

Strengths

Weaknesses

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

Strengths

Weaknesses

DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
Functional/ Technical
Competencies to be
developed

Behavioural
competencies to be
developed
Experience to be gained
(Areas)

SIGNATORIES
Appraisee Date

Appraiser Date

Recommendation for Telenor Health

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Following are some important suggestions from Telenor Health's Performance Management
System (PMS):
 Objective Alignment: The PMS is designed to align team and individual objectives with
Telenor Health's larger business goals. This ensures that individual ambitions are tightly
related to the business's strategy.
 Formal Reviews and Ongoing Feedback: The procedure includes both annual and six-
monthly performance assessments. Salespeople must be evaluated on a monthly basis.
This encourages constant input and performance enhancements.
 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): To ensure that everyone is aware of the objectives
for each employee, KPIs are defined and evaluated on a regular basis. They provide
quantifiable goals to help evaluate performance and make decisions about incentives and
development.
 Relationship between Rewards and Pay: Incentives and salary hikes are strongly tied
to performance results, encouraging employees to reach or exceed their KPIs.
 Development Focus: Individual Development Plans (IDPs), which are specific to each
employee's skills, experience, and future career objectives, are critical components of
career planning and development.
 The performance rating standards are as follows: "Outstanding" to "Unsatisfactory,"
with "Marginal" or "Unsatisfactory" ratings highlighting areas for development. There
are clear recommendations for dealing with underperformance.
These recommendations provide a structured approach to managing performance, promoting
continuous improvement, and aligning employee efforts with organizational success.

Conclusion
This report study on Telenor Health's Performance Management System (PMS) concludes that
the company is committed to connecting individual and team goals with its overall business plan.
Telenor Health uses Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure that staff understand their
anticipated contributions and receive constant feedback on how to improve performance. The
system also links compensation and awards to performance results, which motivates staff to meet
and surpass their goals.
Telenor Health's PMS includes structured career development through Individual Development
Plans (IDPs), which are focused on individuals' progress and future career career paths.
Furthermore, this report emphasizes the necessity of a performance evaluation process that
includes cooperative conversations, input from diverse sources, and documentation, along with
mechanisms for dealing with underperformance..
In summary, Telenor Health's Performance Management System (PMS) offers a complete and
systematic approach to performance management, with the goal of fostering continuous
improvement, employee growth, and organizational success.

Reference

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 Telenor Health. About Organization. Retrieved from
https://www.linkedin.com/company/telenor-health/
 Telenor Health. About Organization. Retrieved from
https://www.telenor.com/media/newsroom/archive/tonic-is-the-new-face-
of-digital-health-services-for-telenor-pr/
 HR Policy Manual of Telenor Health.

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