Being proactive is the right approach as far as flexible working is concerned, and for companies such as Mindtree, shifting towards remote working, was not a sudden change. Having all the infrastructure, facilities and collaboration tools in place, the IT consulting firm has been able to provide seamless delivery of work to its customers during these times.
To begin with, in order to ensure wellness of remotely working Mindtree Minds, the Company has enabled a 24/7 medical helpline staffed by specialist doctors. The helpline is set up for the benefit of both Mindtree Minds and their families.
Paneesh Rao
“We are glad to have the required ‘infrastructure management and technical support’ team in place that allows our employees to work smoothly from any location. We are using tech-based software that allows even our IT teams to work from home.”
As part of the work-from-home (WFH) allowance, internet reimbursements will be included in the salary package. Since employees are continuing to work from home, the Company has extended its support with basic infrastructure so that the staff can have an office setup at their homes as part of its business continuity plan.
Initiatives, such as issuing health advisories from time to time, virtual yoga sessions and a helpline specially dedicated to COVID-19 are helping the Mindtree Minds stay updated, safe and healthy.
Paneesh Rao, chief people officer, Mindtree, says, “With all the employees operating virtually in the current scenario and set to continue doing so in the near future, we have a dedicated team in place, which is closely observing the evolving situation. A decision to resume work from office shall be taken accordingly going forward.”
Ensuring quality services to customers, globally, the employees are using Microsoft Teams extensively to collaborate for different aspects, such as IP creations or customer engagement.
“We are ensuring that the quality of our services to customers remains unaffected. Hence, we have created a remote delivery structure wherein we have adjusted our delivery model to ensure that our employees continue to be as productive while working virtually,” Rao shares.
To ensure optimum utilisation of time and productivity through the WFH arrangement, the Company has assembled an enterprise risk-management team to look into the evolving situation, and implement any changes required to the workforce structure on a real-time basis.
Reskilling employees
Reskilling has always been an imperative for any successful organisation. The current situation has made it even more crucial for organisations to build a future-ready workforce that can adapt to unforeseen challenges during the times of crisis.
Likewise, to enhance the skills of its employees, the IT company has been utilising this time efficiently by increasing online training and running reskilling programmes for its employees, using its digital learning platform, Yorbit. This platform hosts over 80,000 courses covering 900+ skills in domains, such as digital, testing, infra, behaviour and engineering.
The courses are not just limited to the employees alone, even managers are participating in to be able to manage their teams better.
Also, as part of its leadership training, Mindtree is offering courses such as Harvard ManageMentor and Harvard Spark that help build critical business skills.
Business continuity
While the pandemic has caused many businesses to struggle to find work-from-home solutions, Mindtree has been pushing on despite the restrictions in place.
“As part of the organisation’s policies on business continuity, we are glad to have the required ‘infrastructure management and technical support’ team in place that allows our employees to work smoothly from any location. We are using tech-based software that allows even our IT teams to work from home,” claims the CPO proudly.
Navigating through the crisis, Rao continues, “Our pro-activeness in setting up a cross- functional crisis-management team (CFCMT) operating in the ‘Hub-and-Spoke’ model, robust business continuity processes, and infrastructure at Mindtree ensure uninterrupted services to our clients even while maintaining health and safety of Mindtree Minds.”
Adapting to the new normal
Mindtree has realised the benefits of WFH and is ready to bring in further alterations to make the practice more prevalent.
It has created a comprehensive action plan for COVID-19. In terms of processes, a systematic three-step approach has been designed to resume office along with specific FAQs. The approach includes seeking business approval, completing online e-course on ensuring health and safety guidelines and providing a self- declaration on health and safety guidelines.
“We have created a remote-delivery structure wherein we have adjusted our delivery model to ensure Mindtree Minds continue to be as productive, while working virtually,” Rao shares.
Awareness messages along with specific do’s and don’ts have been updated and are already being circulated amongst the employees.
Currently, the Mindtree Minds — with the collaboration tools in place — are connecting with their respective managers and ensuring that the business remains unaffected.
From being an athlete to an avid writer, she has found a happy space in discovering new places and exploring new cuisines. An English graduate from Delhi University, she is a hungry rover, who has a passion for food and travel, and likes to maintain a healthy work-life balance.
