In the competitive consumer-appliances sector, KenStar has distinguished itself not through product innovation alone, but through methodical cultivation of its workplace culture. The company’s transformation reveals how systematic listening—followed by targeted action—can turn employee feedback into strategic advantage.
KenStar’s journey began with diagnosis. Comprehensive internal engagement surveys revealed disconnection among remote staff, communication failures between field teams and headquarters, and underdeveloped digital infrastructure hampering everything from onboarding to performance evaluation.
“This feedback gave us critical insights into what employees valued, areas where they felt heard, and gaps that required immediate attention,” explains Ashish Sharma, head HR, KenStar. Rather than treating these insights as administrative trivia, the company elevated them to strategic imperatives.
“The feedback gave us critical insights into what employees valued, areas where they felt heard, and gaps that required immediate attention.”
Ashish Sharma, head HR, KenStar
The centrepiece of KenStar’s response was its HR Brand Ambassador programme—a network of representatives who meet employees quarterly to address concerns ranging from personal challenges to operational coordination. This human interface proved particularly effective in bridging the gap between field personnel and corporate leadership.
KenStar supplemented this approach with quarterly town halls, creating regular forums where employees could directly engage senior leadership. These sessions transformed one-way corporate communications into genuine dialogues, allowing decision-makers to respond to employee concerns in real time.
Recognising that employee wellbeing transcends the workplace, the firm developed a multi-dimensional wellness strategy. Health check-up campaigns conducted in partnership with established hospitals addressed physical wellbeing, while financial literacy sessions tackled another significant source of employee stress.
“We organised financial wellness sessions aimed at helping employees manage their earnings better and plan for future financial stability,” notes Sharma. “Employees were encouraged to explore savings, investments and budgeting techniques to reduce financial stress.”
The company also identified behavioural skills as a critical development gap. While technical training for sales teams was robust, leadership capabilities required attention. KenStar responded by partnering with premier institutions including IIMs and XLRI.
“Our collaborations with prestigious institutions helped deliver training programmes, including sessions on ‘Leading Self and Others to Performance’. These programmes focused on enhancing leadership skills using psychometric tools and behavioural science principles,” Sharma points out.
Simultaneously, the company addressed operational inefficiencies through comprehensive digitalisation of HR processes. Manual procedures for exit management, talent acquisition and performance evaluation were automated, improving accuracy while freeing HR personnel to focus on strategic initiatives.
Perhaps most distinctive was KenStar’s attention to personal milestones. The company partnered with Fern and Petal to deliver birthday cakes to employees’ homes—regardless of whether they lived in metropolitan centres or remote villages.
“By creating moments of joy and recognition, we demonstrated that we valued employees beyond their roles and performance,” shares Sharma. “This seemingly small gesture had a significant impact in terms of boosting morale and creating positive emotional connections to the workplace.”
This initiative exemplifies KenStar’s understanding that perceived corporate authenticity often hinges on consistency in small interactions rather than grand proclamations.
Leadership support proved crucial throughout the transformation. An open-door policy allowed employees at all levels to approach senior management—including the CEO—with concerns or ideas. Additionally, KenStar established a dedicated email address for employee input, using this feedback to benchmark and update policies.
This responsiveness manifested in concrete policy changes. When employees in congested cities reported commuting difficulties, the company adjusted working hours, demonstrating that feedback wasn’t merely collected but acted upon.
KenStar also revolutionised its talent acquisition approach, incorporating psychometric assessments and assembling a dedicated interview panel to ensure evaluation consistency. New hires received personalised welcome kits and were paired with experienced colleagues who guided their integration.
Understanding that employees’ family circumstances influence workplace performance, the company introduced initiatives such as the Young Scholar Award programme, which recognises academic achievements of employees’ children with monetary prizes and certificates.
KenStar’s transformation illustrates how cultural change requires more than superficial engagement programmes. The company created a comprehensive ecosystem where employees feel valued through systematic listening, tangible policy adaptations and leadership accessibility.
The approach demonstrates that while workplace culture can seem nebulous, it can be systematically cultivated through concrete practices that address employee concerns at multiple levels—professional development, operational efficiency, work-life balance and personal recognition.
As companies increasingly compete for talent on dimensions beyond compensation, KenStar’s journey offers a roadmap for building organisational cultures where employees genuinely thrive. The appliance maker’s experience suggests that when companies listen attentively and respond thoughtfully, employees don’t merely perform better—they become powerful advocates for the organisation itself.
