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BEST TECH COMPANIES TO WORK FOR
The
Times of India
Technology sector has emerged as one of the most coveted by employment
seekers not only in India but across the globe. The fact that the world's
richest man happens to be the chief architect of the world's number one
software company goes on to show the sector is blazing hot as far as jobs
go.
While the fat bottomlines and high growth figures have made the companies
that make this industry a trailblazer, the work ethos, HR practices and
organization culture that many of these companies provide also makes them
stand apart. Here are some of the best companies that have been from ranked
among the Best Workplaces in various global surveys from time to time.
A common factor running across all these companies: Employees are in the
driving seat and are made to feel valuable.
Google
Geoffrey Moore, high-tech guru and author of the popular management book
"Crossing the Chasm" sums the # 1 company on Fortune's 100 Best
Places to Work, "Google is all about individuals fulfilling or exceeding
their potential, and employees are given significant license to foster
this.."
The company boasts of an informal work culture. Googlers are allowed to
bring their pets to the workplace, and are provided with free snacks, lunch
and dinner prepared by the celebrity chef Charlie Ayers. The Googleplex
has snack rooms offering Googlers cereals, gummi bears, cashew nuts and
other snacks along with fruit juices, soda and cappuccino...
Cisco Systems
The Networking giant Cisco Systems believes that retaining the best talent
requires listening to employee feedback. Hence the company provides its
large population of employees with multiple ways to provide feedback. The
company CEO John Chambers himself stays in touch with the staff. He meets
with groups of new hires to welcome them and at monthly breakfast meetings
workers are encouraged to ask him questions.
The company also has Cisco Pulse Census that provides a confidential and
standardized means for employees to assess their work environment and gives
both managers and Cisco leadership clear information to act upon.
Infosys Technologies
One of India's top technology consulting firms, Infosys Technologies prominently
figures on most international Best Employer surveys. The company with operations
in more than 15 countries benchmarks its compensation packages against
those of best-in-class companies to ensure that its salaries are competitive.
Though Infosys grew to become a $ 2 billion company by the year 2006, it
still retained the culture of a small company. The company attracts the
best talent from across the world, and recruits candidates by conducting
one of the toughest selection process. All the selected candidates are
required to go through an intensive 14-week training programme. All the
employees are required to undergo training every year, and some of the
chosen few are further trained at the Infosys Leadership Institute to take
on higher responsibilities in the company. Infosys was also one of the
first companies to offer ESOPs to its employees.
Qualcomm
The company works on a simple philosophy: When employees are happy, they're
more productive. A big part of what makes them happy is the ability to
balance the demands of a career, family and the need for leisure time.
Adobe Systems
Another regular in Best Employer surveys, Adobe Systems boasts of a non-hierarchical,
informal and open environment. The company believes in fostering a culture
of the highest levels of integrity. It works to create an environment where
employees thrive on innovation and creativity.
It provides a dynamic work environment that is result-oriented, energizing
and fun, motivating and inspiring employee commitment and team spirit.
Yahoo
At Yahoo!, the company regards "employees as its biggest assets."
The company claims to attracts employees who not only think big, but want
to make a big difference as well — and who are often already connected
or involved with compelling organisations. The company encourages ideas
to surface from anywhere within the organization and appreciates the value
of multiple perspectives and diverse expertise.
SAS Institute
"If you treat employees as if they make a difference to the company,
they will make a difference to the company," that's been the employee-focused
philosophy behind SAS' corporate culture since the company's founding in
1976. At the heart of this unique business model is a simple idea: satisfied
employees create satisfied customers. SAS has created a flexi work environment
at its campus.
SAS is widely known for its "break stations," which are stocked
with breakfast pastries, fruits, varieties of snack crackers, and soda,
juice, coffee and tea. Every floor also has free M&M's served in bowls
that are replenished every week. The key centers also offer employee conveniences
like onsite car detailing, massage, dry-cleaning pickup and delivery, and
a hair salon.
Microsoft
Another regular in international surveys on Best Employers as well as Workplaces,
the software giant boasts of one of the lowest attrition rates in the tech
industry. The company claims that it receives 45,000 to 60,000 job applications
a month, and over 90 percent of the people offered jobs accept.
A firm believer in healthy work / life balance the company offers several
programmes to its employees on the same. Some key initiatives include:
variety of sports and healthcare benefits; broadband connection at home,
enabling staff to work from home when required; job-share; counselling
service for employees and their families; social clubs; career guidance
and planning; mentoring programmes
Texas Instruments
The maker of digital signal processing and analog technologies recognizes
that a diverse, empowered workforce is a means for achieving a sustained
competitive business advantage.
Texas Instruments offers an informal work environment that aims to "bring
out the natural best in people." There are no formal dress codes for
the employees. The company offers what it describes as an "ad hoc"
flexibility policy to its employees. Though the employees in the manufacturing
process are excluded from this programme because of the demands of their
job, they are allowed to work under a compressed work week schedule.
Network Appliance
A leader in advanced network storage solutions, Network Appliance Inc is
another IT company that figures prominently in the Fortune magazine's list
of '100 Best Companies to Work For'. The company has been a part of the
list since the last four years in succession. The company firmly believes
that its "success is founded on the people who work here."
The company offers flexible work schedules and special benefits for parents
of special-needs children.
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