Some companies just do not miss out on a chance to have some fun at work. Fun and team activities play a vital role in establishing a great relationship with the employees. Now that summer has arrived, many companies are starting their internship programmes taking in young boys and girls from the top b-schools of the country.
When the beginning of its internship programme almost coincided with April Fool’s Day, Swiggy decided to play a small prank on the new batch of interns, referred to as ‘Swiggsterns’, during their on-boarding process.
The Swiggy team made up a fictitious and non-existing company of its own, called ‘Orange Dabba’— a food-delivery startup that supposedly delivered home-made food to people. The interns were given the impression that they would be working with Órange Dabba’and not Swiggy! The new brand was made out to be so genuine and legitimate that the interns were actually in a quandary. They were perplexed as to who their actual employer was, although they had enrolled with Swiggy.
Most of the interns half-heartedly participated in the induction process, nodding mechanically, throughout the presentation. It was clear that mentally they were preoccupied, probably thinking about how they had been tricked into believing they were working for Swiggy when they had actually been hired for Orange Dabba. Confusion prevailed till one girl gathered the courage to ask where exactly their appointment letters will come from after the intership programme.
To her query, the presenter confidently answered, ‘From Orange Dabba itself.’
The disappointment on the faces of the interns was quite evident then. Fortunately, the induction team revealed that it was all a prank, and everybody was able to breathe light and regain composure. Though it caused confusion and disturbance in the minds of the interns for some time, everyone could look back and laugh over it.
This was a memorable and fun way for Swiggy to induct its interns, who will be an integral part of its workforce in the future.
Though it was just a prank, it managed to loosen up the interns, establish a great rapport with the newcomers and create a bond that is sure to last. What better way to engage the employees?
Swiggy is known to be a company that values its employees and has also been featured in LinkedIn’s top companies to work in India.
In the past, Swiggy had launched a campaign called ‘Call me by my name’, wherein its customers had been requested to call / address their delivery partners by their name and not ‘Swiggy’.
It is not difficult to win over the workforce and engage employees. Swiggy has shown the way. Time for others in India Inc. to follow suit. After all, it is never too early to establish a bond with the employees. In fact, starting with the interns will ensure a loyal workforce in the long term.