Dynamic blueprint for learning at Future Generali India Life Insurance

Driving innovation is imperative to any organisation looking for growth. Recognising this, Future Generali India Life Insurance or FGILI has designed unique programmes to drive its people who form the fulcrum of the Company.

In an exclusive conversation with HRKatha, Ruchira Bhardwaja, CHRO, FGILI, talks about spearheading innovative programmes to take the company into the fast lane of phenomenal growth.

The rethinking approach

In the beginning of 2018, the Company initiated the campaign to transform the workplace through a comprehensive rethinking approach. The strategy was to establish rethinking pervasively in talent, workplace and technology to strengthen and build capacities at all levels.

It made a huge leap in developing talent by mid-year and achieved full optimisation in the sales force. The focus all along was to develop and provide opportunity to internal talent, rather than hire externally.

ACE with FG Life

They say stories spark a connection— when we hear other people’s stories, we see ourselves in them. FGILI has chanelised this universal tool of inspiring people at their workplace with the campaign, ‘Ace with FG Life’. Reading and listening to the stories of the employees who have made a difference in FGILI have warmed the hearts of other employees and have played an instrumental role in engaging them. These stories are weaved around gratitude and opportunity, as fellow employees share their experiences of being able to make a difference at work, fulfilling personal aspirations and aligning goals.

“Our culture exemplifies the fact that people are very important for the company. I like to call them the fulcrum. We have an unwavering focus on doing what is right for the business and building a sustainable business proposition by replacing ‘right now’ with ‘future’ as we believe in developing talent for tomorrow”

Building capability

A plethora of initiatives is offered to level-I and level-II employees to challenge their capabilities and upskill them. Bhardwaja says, “On a priority basis we introduced reskilling and upskilling of the employees to augment their capabilities in the digital age. Moreover, a cookie cutter approach was not used. The learning was personalised to accommodate diverse capabilities and interests as well as align them with business needs”

She adds that they have multiple channels for upskilling, from classroom learning to cross-functional projects. An individual can choose from short programmes to bite-size learning. Learners are also given an opportunity to work on individual projects and go through amalgamated and blended programmes to manifest the learning.

Incorporating the elements of challenge and team spirit they host quizathon periodically, where people from different departments compete with each other. This also brings in a fun element into the process.

FG Headstart

This is a specialised onboarding experience for the Corporate office, executed with the aim of providing new entrants a positive onboarding experience by enabling them with the requisite knowledge, tools and resources quicker.

FG Rockstar

FG Rockstar is a structured intervention for a new joinee in the regional office. The programme is spread over a period of 90 days and uses a collaborative approach amongst learners, L&D team, line function and other support functions to enhance quality retention through a fun and intense learning mechanism.

Learning Lighthouse Programme (LLP)

Future Generali LLP is a structured learning initiative for upgrading capabilities of FGILI’s non-FLS employees. It is formed with the motive of equipping the cohort to be “future ready” and to build a learning culture. “With the help of this programme, we want to drive performance in FLS cohort by cascading LLP learnings through their managers,” says Bhardwaja.

FG LLP-iDEV

Integrated Lighthouse Portal is a customised, personalised and interactive, cloud based – online learning platform, which acts as a one-stop-shop for employees’ online learning requirements. It aims to reinforce learning from classroom sessions and encourages a process of continuous learning. One can find a variety in learning through byte-sized learning, case studies, webinars and mini-projects. It is also fuelled by analytics to provide rich insights on FG capabilities.

7-point performance management process

“Our culture exemplifies the fact that people are very important for the company. I like to call them the fulcrum. We have an unwavering focus on doing what is right for the business and building a sustainable business proposition by replacing ‘right now’ with ‘future’ as we believe in developing talent for tomorrow,” narrates Bhardwaja.

The 7- point purpose was drafted so that all employees know that their actions are aimed at a common goal.

1. Deliver financials
2. Deliver all key distribution projects
3. Build trust
4. Build growth
5. Customer centricity
6. Develop talent
7. Simplify

For instance, the 7-point purpose clearly defines a manager’s responsibility to develop talent pipelines for the future. Similarly, employees delivering financials knows that developing client’s trust is more important than getting business. Thus, they help to clearly define expectations regarding work parameters.

Partner for life

The 7- point purpose sets the tone for the company’s culture- ‘partner for life’. “The attribute ‘partner for life’ is reflected in the way our employees handle the clients and also the way we handle the people,” opines Bhardwaja.

Learning enables them to create a culture, which is customer-centric, inclusive and open. Moreover, joy and happiness are an integral part of every programme and we can see that in the – ‘choti khushi’ ( thank you) cards.