Dinesh Kamath's Editorial 'Rating employers is a tricky affair' that was published in Newsband

Rating employers is a tricky affair

Many of you love your organisation, at least on the days of salary, bonus, promotions and other self-gain days. To love an organisation, you need to experience the sense of feeling valued, job satisfaction, equal opportunities to grow etc. The discussions around dream employers who have authentic leadership, transparent culture, going beyond shareholder needs, allowing employees to express themselves, not having silly rules and having meaningful work are still relevant.

Would showcasing the highest productivity in the industry mean the place was a grind? The day-to-day experience at work, culture, growth prospects, value-adding supervision and authentic leadership are a must, besides attracting talent.

The parameters to discover the dream employer mostly revolve around tangible benefits and financial gains. Many organisations that make the dream employers grade are commercially successful providing superior customer experience with some cutting-edge products.

Most difficult part of work is handling employees, whose policy is 'work-to rule'. One employer has reserved an unfurnished room for such employees. After punching the entry card, they have to remain in that room until end of duty hours. Rest of this story is left to the imagination of the reader.

As regards 'career growth opportunities', one employee who joined at the lowest ladder, rose to become its C.E./ M.D. During the send-off party, at the time of his retirement, he stated this: when joining, I lied to myself that the company belonged to me.

Employees of one progressive employer have formed a Welfare Society (registered as Co-operative Society), which gives a solid sum on the untimely death of any employees to the dependents of the departed one. The employer has given it interest-free, non-refundable loan. Every employee (top to bottom) contributes to it from their monthly salary. The aggregate amount is invested in FD with a co-operative bank: interest income is tax-free in the hands of the society. If any death occurs, then dependents of the employee are given an appropriate amount, from the accumulated interest income of the society.

As regards financial support for university education, a cautious employer would reimburse all expenses which are incurred exclusively for the purpose of education, only after being declared successful, securing 60 per cent marks, or more, in the qualifying examination.

Someone has rightly said that rating employers is a very tricky affair. All the employees need not have the same view about the organisation or the employer they are working for.