“ITC’s People First initiative is dedicated to the incredible work force,” says COO, Anil Chadha

At a time when new ways of working are becoming the norm, it’s difficult for employees to stay safe, focused and maintain productivity, at the same time, especially while they work from home. 

With this objective in mind, ITC Hotels have taken various initiatives to make sure their employees are safe and secure during the current Covid-19 pandemic. The luxury hotel chain is extremely proud of its associates, who are at the frontline of operations at various properties during the Covid-19 crisis.

“ITC, our parent company’s philosophy of Nation First: Sab Saath Badhein underlines its core belief in building a globally competitive and profitable Indian enterprise that makes an exemplary contribution to creating larger societal value. As a company deeply rooted in Indian soil, ITC is inspired by the opportunity to serve larger national priorities.

“Be it through our food distribution initiative or providing guest services at this hour, they display extraordinary zeal and commitment. Our highly motivated associates, working from home continue to share great ideas for the way forward. Their strong dedication and support has been truly exemplary and for us their safety and the well being of their families is of prime importance. ITC Hotel’s People First initiative is dedicated to this incredible work force,” Anil Chadha, COO, ITC Hotels told us.

Sanjay Bose, EVP & head HR, ITC Ltd – Hotels Division says that People First is a way of life at ITC Hotels. “The well being of our human capital is of prime importance to us. Together, they add up to a phenomenal number of ‘experience years’ which is such a significant asset for the organisation. Covid-19 presents itself as a challenge. However, we have taken a multitude of initiatives to ensure we ride smoothly over the tough times. Training, Learning and good mental health are some of our focus areas at this hour. We are in this together,” he said.

The employee care initiatives not only ensures physical, mental and financial well being of the employees, but also contribute to their professional growth, if they wish to improve it.

Some of the significant initiatives include:

Salaries Before Time: Disbursed all salaries before the lockdown had begun to ensure no delay in dues.

Engagement Conversations: With the objective of proactively enquiring about the well-being of its employees and their family, as well as to uphold personal connect, 3600+ employees have been reached at their homes and necessary support has been extended.

Mental Health – One-to-One Help: To sustain the overall well-being of employees and their family members, the organisation has leveraged its association with One-to- One Help to offer a holistic employee assistance service.

Enhanced Communication  : The organisation has collated phone numbers of all 7000 employees to ensure that everyone can be reached to any given point of time.

Covid Advisories: To avoid inconsistency and information lag, several employee well-being advisories have been shared with all units to generate awareness, standardise responses and uphold ITC’s culture of care and concern. This includes a Covid-19 booklet, an HR approach document and on premises assistance for employees.

The Employee Learning and Growth: This has seen the organisation roll out a number of e-learning courses targeted at specific roles and levels through multiple platforms of e-learning. Till date, employees have cumulatively covered over 36,000 courses across different platforms.

ITC Hotels is also anchoring several virtual classroom sessions to not only anchor the induction of new employees but also to train its employees in functional and general management skills. The organisation has also leveraged its digital infrastructure to continue training sessions for its 53 management trainees.