Some industries – from e-commerce and insurance to gaming – are hiring even during the pandemic. Also, there are firms that are doling out pay hikes. Check out a list of companies (not exhaustive) that are upping their talent acquisition and retention game.

Amazon is creating 50,000 seasonal jobs across the country for its fulfillment and delivery network.

Dunzo is looking for senior leaders – managers, directors, architects, and tech leads.

Edtech firms including Whitehat Jr, Unacademy, Simplilearn, Vedantu, are all planning to hire in the range of 500-2000 employees, Economic Times reports.

Early stage startup ShoppinPal is looking for Customer Success and Data Operations executives.

Five insurers, including PNB MetLife Insurance, Tata AIG and Reliance Nippon are reportedly looking to hire around 5,000 people as they anticipate a boom in business once the lockdown ends.

Gaming unicorn Dream11 seeks 250 people over the year for its technology, design and product teams.

Contract management venture Icertis plans to hire 180 people over the year.

FarEye, which upped its headcount by more than 12% during the lockdown, seeks individual contributors in engineering teams and techno management roles, a company spokesperson said.

Humans of Bombay is looking to hire for these positions: HR Executive, Graphic Designer, Executive Assistant and BA interns.

Grofers and BigBasket have committed to hire thousands for their delivery operations.

Hindustan Unilever, Asian Paints, Johnson & Johnson, Flipkart, BharatPe and CSS Corp are among those companies that have reportedly given salary hikes, made variable payouts and even effected promotions.

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While COVID-19 surely paved the way for sustained ‘working from home’ measures across the globe, the pandemic also has been responsible for multiple unfortunate lay-offs, pay-cuts and unpaid leaves across organisations. The annual season for appraisals has understandably been lack-luster for most parts, but few organisations have not broken tradition and honored annual increments and performance bonuses despite the COVID-19 challenges.

Here’s a list of organisations that have given their employees performance bonuses, delivered on their commitment for new hires or ensured timely salary remittance:

1. Nayara Energy
At Nayara Energy, achieving results and caring for people are integral aspects for their culture. Given the immensity of the COVID 19 pandemic, Nayara Energy remains committed to honouring all employment offers that were made. In fact, new employees joining the company in the midst of the lockdown period were facilitated virtual induction to equip them with the business as well as with their functional teams. The company also expanded employee benefits such as covering COVID-19 under insurance, seamlessly moved parts of their operations to work from home, enabled remote working through accelerated skill building, and continue to ensure timely salary remittances to all. In recognition of the continued efforts by our employees, the annual performance linked incentives were also paid out to all eligible employees.

2. CSS Corp
CSS Corp has rolled out high single digit annual increments for its employees for FY21. Apart from this, variable pay for FY20 has also been given. At the lower bands, which constitute 70% of the workforce, the variable payout was 100% and at higher levels where metrics are a little more stringent, the payout was around 80%. We have also handed out promotions to all eligible employees. Apart from this, we have given an additional incentive for those employees who played a critical role in helping CSS Corp transition to a 100% productive WFH model early in the cycle in March itself. We call them our COVID heroes. We believe, in these times it is a great opportunity for organisations to lead with empathy and take care of their employees’ interests and these decisions will help add certainty in uncertain times. From a hiring perspective, we are targeting an addition of 1,000 employees this quarter. We ended Q4 FY20 at around 7,000 employees, so that makes it a net headcount addition of almost 15% this quarter.

3. BSH
In these uncertain times, BSH is doing everything they can to help to keep the morale of all their employees high and give them a sense of security. BSH is probably one of the only organisations in the industry that has given an increment instead of salary cuts or job cuts. In a bid to manage fixed costs in this period, while they have cut down on marketing and travel costs and put a freeze on future hiring, they have made sure to not cut down salaries or stop promotions since they believe that retaining the best manpower at any cost in testing times is the strength of their organisation. As per appraisal cycle, all staff of BSH India got their increased salaries and promotions for previous year’s performance by March 31. About 1000 sales consultants, on third party payroll are being paid full salaries along with sanitary facilities for their safety. BSH also recently introduced a new insurance policy inclusive of COVID-19 for all employees.

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While it is a well accepted fact that the Covid-19 crisis has been disproportionately affecting the health of men more severely, women have been feeling the effects of the coronavirus in different ways. Before the pandemic struck, they were already underrepresented in the workforce – particularly in tech – and the crisis has further deepened this chasm.

In the lead up to The Rising 2020, the second edition of Analytics India Magazine’s Women in AI conference, we reached out to several accomplished and successful women in tech across industries to hear from them directly:

Working From Home – A Blessing Or A Curse?
The tech industry, as a whole, maybe benefiting from work-from-home policies amid the pandemic, but its effect on the lives of working women tells a different story. The greater share of (unpaid) housework and increased burden of childcare is where Covid-19 seem to have hit them the hardest.

“Barring some exceptions, I believe that most professional women who’ve been able to work from home have had to take on round-the-clock duties that were typically shared by and delegated to daycares, schools, parents, and domestic help,” says Nidhi Pratapneni, SVP, Product, Analytics & Modelling, PVSI at Wells Fargo.

According to her, most women credit their support system for their career successes, but with that largely vanishing amid the lockdown, the Covid-19 crisis could further hamper their return to – or progress in – the tech industry.

The pandemic has brought into sharper focus the chasm that still exists between male and female professionals, thanks to cultural perceptions and expectations. In fact, according to a report, women in the tech industry are almost 1.5 times as likely as men to feel a greater burden of childcare due to Covid-19-induced lockdowns.

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Locked down but not locked out from learning. Amidst certain aspects of convenience that a work-from-home model offers, the employees are getting connected with the digital learning platforms enabled by the employer. While the infection curve is yet to show signs of flattening out, the learning curve is on a new high!If the download rates of virtual collaboration tools are any indicator, virtual learning has indeed breached past the barriers of social distancing. IT service providers who are dexterous enough to take advantage of their digital skilling frameworks do so for the advancement of employees. Amid a pandemic and the ensuing harsh economic headwinds, employees are enhancing their employability through continuous learning.

Upside of a Downturn

A positive side to the downturn of our times is visible during remote working conditions. This downturn reflects the truthabout ateam’scollaboration, productivity, and efficiency. When the economic engines decelerate, it indeed is a bad time. But amidst the challenges it also offers an opportunity for professionals to recalibrate themselvesfor the emerging technological requirements. Irrespective of market conditions, continuous skilling is the byword by which professionals live to stay relevant and employable. The difference now is that COVID-19 has cast the focus on diversifying and deepening of skills. Obviously, those with deep technical or domain skills are always sought after and canmeet the challenges of job market due to economic slowdown.

Importance of Skilling

Honing one’s skills across new-age technologies has come as a saving grace for employees caught in the thick of the interim phase. Employees who had to spend approximately 1 to 3 hours of commute daily can redeploy the extra hours and energy in areas of self-development. On the one hand, the unstable economic scenario has witnessed employees signing up for training programs to stay competitive; on the other hand, those who already are on a robust skilling plan are the focus of top management. At a time when organizations are treading cautiously about costs, new investments and additional hiring, employers are looking to do more with less. Employees who are agile, flexible, and quick learners are much sought after. Those who are willing to seize learning opportunities and implement what they learn are assets for the organization.

Online Learning Opportunities

Learning for the purpose of achieving personal goals or professional advancement never ceases. The digital workplaces of today offer a myriad of continuous online learning avenues. The Learning & Development function has risen to the fluctuating demands of clients; they have their task cut out in bridging the skills gap. Learning Management Systems are utilizing best practices such as online learning opportunities through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), micro modules, university programs, online certifications, and bite-sized courses. Thanks to new-age skilling frameworks, homes and workspaces have become like training labs for employees to sign up and skill up based on their convenience or their demanding projects.

Spotlight on Productivity

In an evolving technological landscape, witnessing changing client demands, the wheels of continuous learning are grinding swiftly, but the question remains as to what’s the net impact of it. A common pet peeve aired by project managers is, “Don’t tell me you’re on a nonstop learning journey but tell me how you’ve translated that learning for the benefit of the client.”

Impact of learning wanes unless it has a practical application. Employers overlook employees who are content with what they learned yesterday in favor of those abreast with technological developments. With the availability of many learning opportunities, employers raise concerns about course completion rates as well as the practical significance of learning during this downturn. Employees must think beyond earning certificates and apply concepts such as AI, automation, and analytics.The proof of the pudding, therefore, is in the eating. The future of work demands that IT professionals display their productivity by applying their newly learned skills in projects.

The Big Picture

Long periods of confinement have demanded a high degree of discipline from professionals who have extra time on hand. Between household chores and professional responsibilities, employees find themselves pulled in different directions. On the bright side, being at home with family and relatives offers solace to the homesick workaholics who otherwise glue themselves to their desks in a different city. On the brighter side, prolonged days of confinement mandate a systematic approach to learning new skills. Employees need to make everyday count to be on a par with the speed of change. Irrespective of crisis or normalcy, learning must be a perpetual enriching experience full of practical implications. The maxim “…Learn as if you were to live forever,” rings true.

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1. Shift to the New Normal
The way the IT industry works will never be the same, and the shift to the new normal has not been an easy feat for many. Invaluable takeaway from the crisis is the swift migration to a high percentage of virtual work, and the increasing use of digital collaboration tools. The industry is thinking about redrafting job templates to include remote work options in the post-pandemic phase; a significant portion of the workforce is likely to work from remote.

2. Bolster Wherewithal
Another key lesson from the crisis is the need for enterprise resilience; tempestuous seas have revealed skillful sailors who can transition unchartered waters. The IT industry is taking this learning to accelerate their customer experience. Enterprises are thinking beyond core capabilities; they are strategising around emerging and future capabilities to future-proof their business. Toughening operational resilience is on the to-do list of industry’s top brass.

3. Invest Strategically
In line with what I said earlier, a vital lesson from the crisis is to invest in best practices, solutions, and industry standards. XaaS (cloud, consumption-based pricing), digital innovation, extreme remote work, employee reskilling, and rapid response frameworks are a few examples. The industry has learned to make quick decisions and accelerate digital transformation.

4. Amplify Customer Experience
The industry learned to handle the significant spike in demand for customer support. IT professionals realised that an organizations’ display of assurance, continuity, and engagement during a downturn will be indelibly imprinted in the minds of customers. The IT fraternity has learned that when the stakes are high, customers do not care how much we know until they know how much we care. The crisis is the catalyst to transform the customer engagement model.

5. Ramp up Employee Experience
The last but essential takeaway for the industry is that employees need emotional succor. IT professionals have had demanding schedules and they have stretched themselves to ensure business continuity for customers. Prolonged confinement, gloomy news, and fragile job situations have brought IT professionals’ mental health problems into focus. The industry has taken this seriously and intensified their programs on psychotherapy, self-help, virtual engagement, and counselling. The industry has learned to be more empathetic and appreciative so that employees have a deep sense of belongingness and satisfaction in what they do.

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It’s the year 2020, and thanks to technology, the world is witnessing a change at an unprecedented pace. Unlike days of the past, women are being encouraged to take charge and be a part of the ongoing transformation. The field of engineering especially is opening up new opportunities for women who are now challenging stereotypes and discrimination. On this International Women in Engineering Day, women leaders share their thoughts with us on what has changed for women in the field of technology, and how their respective organizations are ensuring a diverse workforce

The IT industry in FY’18 had 34% of women working across the sector and set to grow. The industry has seen the value women bring to the table and their endless possibilities. Organizations are already creating initiatives like work-life policies, employee-friendly needs, space in top management circles to promote a healthy mix of a talented workforce. Going forward, they should provide diverse work environments with opportunities to help them pursue career goals, like ones set up by the IDC and CIO Executive Council. With the industry now open, there’s nothing stopping women in accomplishing what they need. Every challenge presents an innate opportunity for innovation. So don’t limit yourself, celebrate every small achievement, and look forward to more. The WFH model has given the freedom to women who can balance their work-life environment, upskill themselves, and be more productive. It gives them a platform to assess priorities and step up boldly into a world that was earlier dominated by men. The future looks bright!

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The solutions would help with streamlining customer data, extract insights to identify customer propensities and offer context

-driven support with a human-like interaction. Also, the company is investing in SDN Services and Solutions i.e. Software Defined Networking Solutions (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV automation services) to improve the efficiency of its services

Global technology company CSS Corp is working on new solutions which would be integrating capabilities of artificial intelligence, machine intelligence, analytics and Internet of Things (IoT) thereby helping the company provide better IT services and technical support to its clientele.

The company is responsible for supporting 30 out of 50 telecom companies in the world.

In an interaction with ET Telecom, the company’s CEO Manish Tandon told about the five new solutions that the company is working on namely Auraa, Active Insights, Cognitive Customer Experience Platform, Premium Tech Support, and Cloud Transformation suite.

The solutions would help with streamlining customer data, extract insights to identify customer propensities and offer context-driven support with a human-like interaction. Also, the company is investing in SDN Services and Solutions i.e. Software Defined Networking Solutions (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV automation services) to improve the efficiency of its services.

The company is based out of Chennai and Bangalore and has a head-count of 5500 technology professionals in 16 of its global centers across the world.

“We recently recruited 30+ Data Scientists and Data Engineers in India to augment our platform capabilities as a part of the Digital COE. This team is instrumental in building AI, Machine Learning and automation solutions,” said Tandon.

“We are seeing significant acceptance for our digital services like Insights as a Service and Conversational AI among our customers in the telecom sector,” added Tandon.

CSS Corp recently collaborated with BITS Pilani to launch the ‘Earn as You Learn’ which is a specialized M.Tech work integrated learning program.

Preview: ETCIO

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the entire economy to the back foot. These extreme uncertainties have caused ripples in the business models and, challenged some of the most well established workplaces policies and processes. The duration and the impact of this crisis is nearly impossible to calibrate, but still amid these rough times many organisations are leaving no stone unturned when it comes to ensuring employees’ well- being.

According to a recent TimesJobs survey titled ‘Indian workplaces response to COVID-19’, diversity was the flagpole for all hiring activities during the COVID-19 lockdown. This survey received responses from 1,145 HR professionals working across diverse industry verticals.

The survey highlights the various work regimes and that India Inc. adopted has been the top priorities for the companies amid the COVID-19 lockdown time.

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Digital is playing a significant role in disrupting workplaces.

What does the word ‘Workplace’ mean? The word has different meanings, for the baby boomer generation it is the traditional office set-up – meeting rooms, office desks and office phones. For  today’s generation, particularly the millennial, expected response would be centered around digital touch points, virtual personal assistants, tablets, SaaS based productivity tools, unified communication, chat, smartphones or instant messaging.

This article discusses how the digital workplace, along with consumerization of IT and new age technologies is changing the dynamics of today’s workplace.

Transforming the Workplace Digitally

Digital is prompting organizations across industries to reimagine their workplace strategies for better business success as the correlation between employee engagement and business performance is becoming increasingly relevant. Digital is playing a significant role in disrupting workplaces.

Today’s digital workplace is an always connected environment that enables faster and instant access to everything an employee needs. The digital workplace promotes employee collaboration, engagement and innovation through a consumer-like computing experience. Consumerization of IT and convergence of mobile technologies with social computing is changing the workplace dynamics. Proper planning, overall strategy, roadmap and execution are all linked to overall productivity and agility of the employees along with work engagement is required for a Digital Workplace.

Reimagining the Workplace with Digital

Generation Z, the demographic cohorts after the Millennials, are expected to enter the workforce in large numbers in the next few years. They, as consumers, expect personalized, user and persona based support solutions for their connected devices. To engage effectively with this demographic group, enterprises will need accelerate innovation and build a better workplace of tomorrow.

Here are the key trends that are driving the transition from the traditional workforce to a digital workforce:

Digital Dexterity

Digital dexterity is an organization’s ability to self-organize and adapt to evolving digital technologies in order to deliver more value to the customer. It is the level of adaptability to new technologies, evolving customer and market expectations, along with optimum resource allocation.

Digital Collaboration

Thanks to increasing consumerisation of IT technology and devices, an increasing number of digital workers are expecting the same ease of use with their work-related technology and tools, as any of their consumer related experiences (such as online shopping) in their personal lives.

Digital Innovation

The dynamic pace of the modern work environment means that employees must learn to adopt collaboration and productivity tools to get their work done easily and faster. The dependence on connected and collaboration devices has further accelerated the change, which is challenging for employers to meet the growing demands.

Device-Centric to a User-Centric Model

A revolution is occurring in today’s workplace. Personalization and consumerisation of employee engagement through digital has increasingly changed the way people work. With the continuous evolution of the workplace and employee expectations, businesses that do not adopt a digital workplace strategy, face the maximum risk with regards to employee engagement.

Digital Business Enablement

The digital workplace along with the supporting technology tools can transform information technology from a support-based function to a business-enabling function.

The digital workplace can provide the following business benefits through proper implementation:

Revenue Generation: Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data — so much that 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. Digital applications can enable sales and marketing professionals to find the right resources and identify product up-selling or cross-selling opportunities for their customers. The rise of digital analytics tools, which involves the analysis of business data, can be used to drive a continuous improvement of the online experience for customers

Productivity Improvements: Improved workplace tools can save employee time and improve productivity. The implementation of a comprehensive digital workplace strategy can enable knowledge workers in their daily tasks through collaboration, communication, connection, and delivery

Improve the Customer Experience (CX): The use of data analytics tools and customer insights is critical for an organization to track their customer’s digital footprints. Structured customer data can provide valuable information on the type of transacting customers, the categories of products purchased, and the market demand for a product line. The CX factor can be managed effectively using digital analytics

Employee Augmentation

The optimum use of digital technologies can augment the capabilities of employees, particularly in the retail sector. Some of the trends that are helping employees include:

Cognitive technologies – to observe and analyze human work, and delegate common or routine work to digital assistants

Physical technologies – including advanced robotic technologies, which are compact and suitable to be integrated in any human workflow environment

Collaborative technologies – including software tools that can improve how product developers can create new products

Conclusion

Workplace innovation is critical to any business success, and depends on the business integration of emerging technologies that are appearing in the market. Emerging innovations in digital product technology can be integrated into the organization’s workplace strategy, after assessment of their business value.

The digital workplace has added differentiating value to the highly-competitive market, which has experienced new needs including mobility, seamless integration across technology devices, and global collaboration. With the rise of cloud-based services, the digital workplace is poised to become the new normal for providing new digital services to the customers, which cannot be delivered through traditional delivery modes.

Preview: BW Disrupt

An interview with Manish Tandon, CSS Corp CEO, talks about the company’s roadmap following an organisational revamp undertaken two years ago

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