human capital_june 2015

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realising business strategy through people Vol.19 No. 1 June 2015

®

CONTENTSJUNE 2015 VOLUME 19 ISSUE 1

28 Inculcating the CSR ethosTo ensure the credibility of corporate social responsibility

programs, it is important to embed the CSR culture within

a company's and employees' mindset.

32 CSR: In letter & spiritAn organization which has its vision and strategy hinging

on philanthropic and CSS agenda exudes much more

positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer

branding and able to attract and retain more number of

employees besides securing the long-term commitment of

existing employees.

36 Aligning the millennials in the CSRmovementMillennials feel strongly about the society that they live in

and will not shy away from working to make it better. The

key is to engage them, understand their perspective and

design high impact CSR programs on a sustained basis.

38 Building synergies: C-suite to CSRCSR as an agenda can prove to be truly transformational

for the companies and the community in the country.

Strong leadership from the CEO and the Board can ensure

that good intentions are translated into action and results

and result in societal transformation.

10 The people dimensionWhen a company has a diverse, ethically-grounded and

socially-conscious workforce, CSR gets coded into its

DNA. Building such a workforce is the best and the most

sustainable contribution an HR team can make towards

realizing the CSR vision of a company.

14 Weaving CSR into your talent strategyIntegrating CSR within the HCM strategy makes an

organization's career offerings that much richer. It is a

much richer view of career as one that seamlessly spans

the organization and the world beyond. That would be

truly enriching.

18 Building the strategic connectionWhat makes a CSR platform truly effective and sustainable,

is when employees themselves drive the philanthropy,

volunteering their time, talent and treasure to contribute.

And, HR plays a critical role in driving employees towards

this noble cause.

22 Building sustainable sensitivity an HRagendaHR can play a significant role in CSR by contributing in

subtle but crucial ways by providing key insights into the

congruence of all aspects of management and facilitating

collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders.

26 Revisiting the role of HR in CSRIn CSR, the Human Resources function should contribute

in building a socially conscious organization. However, it

also has a crucial role to play in creating the right

environment within the organization to make CSR efforts

flourish.

50 Championing CSR initiativesThe benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organization

are multidimensional. Realizing this, companies have started

proactively investing in CSR so as to build an engaging

work culture and instill a sense of contributing to a cause

much larger than the individual.

54 Developing a CSR strategyAn effective CSR strategy creates employee engagement,

innovation, and collaboration. Therefore, it is critical that

organizations focus on how to build an effective CSR

strategy that focuses on truly co-creating value for the

business and society.

I ROLE OF HR IN CSR

II THE SHIFTING FOCUS TOWARDS CSR

www.humancapitalonline.com ■4 � June 2015

58 Beautiful beginnings at L'OrealHuman Capital in conversation with Mohit James, Director-

HR, L'Oréal India on Corporate Social Responsibility and

how it's a way of life making it a thrilling adventure at

L'Oreal. He delves into how companies should take up

CSR as a method of giving back to the people.

60 Lighting lives with Schneider ElectricHuman Capital in conversation with Rachna Mukherjee,

Chief HR, Schneider Electric India on what CSR really

means for Schneider Electric, its commitment to help

people change their lives by providing access to energy

and support when it is most needed and what are some

of the key challenges that CSR is facing in the Indian

business context.

64 Aligning Gen-Y with CSRGen-Y are considered to be the most socially conscious of

the generations who believe in being part of a workforce

where they can make a larger impact. They believe an

organization is more than an organization and are excited

in knowing that their employer is taking an active role in

improving the communities and society as a whole.

66 Sustainability through employeeengagementCorporations globally have realised that sustainability must

now be a part of core business strategy. While the attitude

towards social spends has been well accepted, the

challenges are around approach. This is where HSBC

differentiates itself with a focus on 'sustainability'.

70 Value creation for the communityThe principal focus and areas of expertise of HR

professionals include organizational process, cultural

stewardship and change management. The HR function

should take a leading role in developing and implementing

CSR and sustainability strategy.

74 JK Paper - Caring for the society andenvironmentJK Paper is committed to take forward its CSR initiatives

through building on what has been achieved so far and

taking up new initiatives. Focussed on five key areas such

as education, health care, skill development, livelihood

interventions and environment, JK Paper is playing the

right note.

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78 Tata Motors: Setting examples inexemplary workThe underlining philosophy of Tata Motor's CSR program

is 'More from Less for More', which implies striving to

achieve greater outputs, outcomes and impacts of the

programs by judicious utilization resources and by forging

synergetic partnerships for benefiting more lives.

80 Spinning the invisible web of 'goodness'Tata Power believes that 'goodness' is a powerful thing.

For over a hundred years, Tata Power has been an intricate

part of India's growth story, aiming beyond its own growth

and development to promote and sustain the communities

at large, spreading infinite invisible goodness through a

number of outreach and green initiatives.

84 Beyond just cheque- signing philanthropyCSR is an on-going journey that requires people to be put

before profits. The need to engage in sustainable practices

is no longer a choice but an imperative. What is good for

society is good for business.

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June 2015 ● Volume 19 Issue 1

To our readers

MUKESH JAIN

In India, CSR has evolved considerably over the past fewdecades - from business conglomerates simply writing checksto NGOs, to a multitude of initiatives and activities that havebecome highly integrated into business practices.

As Human Capital celebrates its 18th anniversary, I take theopportunity to thank my readers and Industry counterparts whohave sailed along with us. In this issue, Human Capital delvesat the present status of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) inIndia.

While we have made our best efforts to bring out acomprehensive edition on what the Indian corporates are doingin terms of CSR, our intent was also to gaze at the evolvingrole of HR in CSR.

CSR plays a critical role in enhancing a company's reputationamong its employees, subsequently boosting their motivationand engagement, which makes it all the more critical for HR totake a leadership role in CSR.

There is a saying, "CSR can be very hard for employees torelate to if we don't make it tangible to their everyday workinglives."

This is why it is imperative for organizations to involve theiremployees to volunteer for a cause as it not only adds adifferent perspective to an individual's development but alsohelps to foster a deeper sense of responsibility amongemployees, generates goodwill towards the organization, andbuilds a motivated and team oriented culture.

The issue contains articles authored by CEOs, HR Heads andCSR & Sustainability Heads of some of India's top notchbusiness conglomerates. The articles explore multitude ofelements that goes in making an organization not justgenuinely responsible and caring but helps them live up tothe letter and spirit of its declared CSR policy.



F

CSR - More questionsthan answersBY DILEEP RANJEKAR

rom Chamba (inUttarakhand) to Dehradun- I was discussing the issueof Corporate Social

Responsibility regulations and thereasons for the inertness of mostcorporate organizations in spendingit for the right purpose - with mycolleague who is very knowledgeableon this subject.

There seems to be significantreluctance / resistance / inertia onthe part of the corporateorganizations to spend this moneywhich raises several questions in mymind.1. Why this reluctance?2. Don't the organizations see

enormous opportunity to buildtheir genuine brand around suchhuge funds that are just two percent of their profit after tax?

3. Why aren't the businessorganizations not realizing theirsocial responsibility?

4. Why don't they invest in buildingtalent around Corporate SocialResponsibility?

5. Why is it that most of them feellike doing Corporate SocialResponsibility through theirfamily members - whereas theyare busy choosing some of thetop talent for their other businesslines? I must clarify that I have

nothing against the familymembers running CorporateSocial Responsibility - providedthey are competent to do someaningfully and approach it ina professional manner.

6. Why do the organizations chooseto make disproportionate noise -as compared to the actual on theground work

7. Why do most organizations findit difficult to choose the area ofwork as well as the geography inwhich they should operate?

8. Why are the organizationsthinking more about "how toescape the Corporate SocialResponsibility related provisionswithout breaking the law"?

I can continue.In a nation that is so dearth on largescale philanthropy (as compared toseveral countries like the US, Japan,Netherland, Sweden, Switzerland,etc.), the Indian Government bringingin such a legislation could be a realboon for India.

Other than the legendary workdone by the Tatas over the past twocenturies and the more recentexample of Azim Premji personallyallocating (irrevocably) over Rs 30,000crore of his wealth towardsphilanthropy, we have very fewgenuine examples of large scale

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

philanthropy in India. Of course, Iam excluding those cases whereorganizations and individuals havecontributed to temples except wheresuch temples are performing sociallycommitted work.

If the Corporate SocialResponsibility rule has to be takenseriously, the top 100 corporates willbe required to spend approximatelyRs 3000 crores per annum. If youexpand this list to top 500corporates, the amount would be awhopping Rs 9000 crore per annum.And if all business organizationsdecided to spend the requiredamount - it would probably crosssome Rs 20000 crore per annum.Considering that these amounts areavailable on annual basis, this wouldbe a significant addition to thedevelopment of economy each year.

Consider this - the total budgetof the Government of India towardsmid-day meal program (for about12 crore children) is approximatelyRs 2700 crore per annum. Or, if oneadditional toilet has to be constructed(at the cost of Rs 50,000 per school)in all 14 lakh schools, the one-timebudget needed is Rs 7000 crore.

You can therefore imagine thehuge amounts that are available atjust 2 per cent of the total profitafter tax.


While the corporates have nohesitation in splurging money on thetravel, salaries and benefits or theiremployees or on hefty dividend fortheir shareholders, it is not clear tome as to why there is so muchreluctance in allocating just two percent of the profits for the cause ofgeneral society.

Needless to say that there aremany organizations that are seriouslythinking about launching CorporateSocial Responsibility initiatives butneed directions on how best to dothis. A good beginning would be tochoose a few talented individualswho could be assigned dedicatedresponsibility for this subject. Theyneed to understand the deeper issuesthat plague the society and alsoeducate their top management onthe same.

I have a strong feeling that theemployees in general would be veryexcited to participate in the effortsof the organization to do somethingsocially relevant. The Governmenthas identified specific areas in which

the funds could be utilized and itcovers a wide range of issues.

The corporate employeesconstitute almost 20 per cent of ourpopulation that hasdisproportionately benefitted as aresult of economic liberalization andglobalization. They have theresponsibility to think about the partof the society that has been left out.The drive must begin at individuallevel. What it means is - a seniormanager earning a compensation ofRs 1 crore per annum must spendRs 2 lacs per annum in supporting asocially relevant cause - that can eveninclude taking care of the educationand health of the family of the driveror the domestic help at their home.Or a person earning Rs 25 lacsspending Rs 50,000 per annum onsimilar causes.

If the mindset of individualemployees undergoes a dramaticchange, they are bound to influencethe organizational decisions for moreeffective Corporate SocialResponsibility.

Dileep Ranjekar, Chief Executive Officer

of Azim Premji Foundation, is also a

passionate student of human

behaviour. He can be contacted at

[email protected].

Dileep RanjekarChief Executive Officer

Azim Premji Foundation


T

When a company has a diverse, ethically-grounded and

socially-conscious workforce, CSR gets coded into its

DNA. Building such a workforce is the best and the most

sustainable contribution an HR team can make towards

realizing the CSR vision of a company.

he concept of CorporateSocial Responsibility (CSR)goes back a long way inhistory both in the Indian

and global context. In ancient times,traders and businessmen carried theburden of the welfare of the peopleon their shoulders to some extent,the real onus of course resting onthe royalty. The concept of CSR waslargely synonymous withphilanthropy those days and itcontinued to be so for a very longtime. Only in the modern times didthe thinking undergo a fundamentalshift and a more rational approachto CSR began to emerge. Ourcurrent understanding of CSR is bestcaptured by the United NationsIndustrial Development Organization(UNIDO) definition of it: "Corporatesocial responsibility is a managementconcept whereby companiesintegrate social and environmentalconcerns in their business operationsand interactions with theirstakeholders. CSR is generallyunderstood as being the way throughwhich a company achieves a balance

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

The peopledimension

of economic, environmental andsocial imperatives (Triple-Bottom-Line Approach), while at the sametime addressing the expectations ofshareholders and stakeholders."

It is interesting to note that allalong the various phases of evolutionof CSR it has remained a voluntaryactivity quite distinct from legallymandated corporate governance. InIndia, this was sought to change withthe introduction of the CompaniesAct 2013. While one may debate theefficacy of CSR through legislation,there is no doubt that the Act hasmade companies to look at their CSRactivities with greater strategic focusand clarity of vision. CSR now is anend-to-end process starting withvision and strategy, passing throughresource allocation andimplementation, and seeing closurein assessment and reporting. It is notdifficult to see the need for the rightpeople with the right set of skills ateach stage of this process, in orderto build a credible and effective CSRfocus in the organization.

It is worthwhile to look at the

BY SUDHEESH VENKATESH & VISHNUPRIYA BOSE


conventional CSR umbrella, we arean organization of relativelysignificant scale working in the socialsector. Sharing some learning fromour journey so far may help incontextualizing the above exampleswith some specificity.

The need to live by exampleWhile working in the educationdomain, the Azim PremjiFoundation is committed to a visionof a just, equitable, humane andsustainable society. A society asenvisioned in the Preamble to theConstitution of India. Our values,beliefs and culture resonate stronglywith these ideals, and we do realize,that to see any change in people and

different ways in which HRinvolvement can add value to acompany's CSR initiatives. At thefirst level there is the need to ensureall the people recruited are alignedto the company's CSR vision andpurpose. They need to be adequatelyaware of the issues related toenvironment, sustainability and theattributes of good corporatecitizenship. In addition to this, allenabling people processes within thecompany too, should promote andadequately recognize the effectivebehaviours. These can be veryeffectively done through the varioustalent management & talentengagement processes of theorganization as well as any relevant

reward & recognition programs.These would go a long way inmotivating and encouragingindividuals to be environmentallyconscious and socially responsiblecitizens. Finally, it is when the wholeorganization together with itsleaders, line managers andemployees, work in tandem toachieve its purpose that we canexpect any real change, and the HRfunction can play a stronginfluencing role in enabling that.

People dimension - Theexperience of Azim PremjiFoundationWhile we are not a corporate, andso cannot be considered under the


society outside, we must first livethe change as people within; Likemany other social sectororganisations we too try to 'be thechange we want to see in the world'.

To that end, our organizationalprocesses resonate strongly with theideals of responsible citizenship, andrest in mutual accountability and faithin the goodness of people. In thedecisions we take, there are manywhich get resolved unanimously,some which require deeperdeliberation, and some dilemmas wecontinue to grapple with.

Clear priorities for usWe put people before process andbelieve good things happen when webring good people together. 'How'something is done is as important as'what' is done and in this we valueand rely on the good sense andjudgment of our people. Asubstantial amount of attention andeffort is invested on recruitment andselection of people for this reason.

Hard decisions often need to betaken, but humaneness, considerationand respect are non-negotiable. Evenin instances of seemingly obvioustransgression, we take extra cautionto ensure we don't jump toconclusion, revalidate the facts athand, check with care to identify onlythose actually implicated, factor theextenuating circumstances in ourcommunication while our decisionmay remain unchanged, andconsider counselling options whererequired. Prevention of SexualHarassment (POSH) committee'sdecisions or violations of our codeof conduct have been firmly actedupon irrespective of criticality of therole the person is in.

Another area we feel stronglyabout is having a culture of opendialogue and access to information -as long as it doesn't impinge onanother individual's right to privacy(eg information on health orcompensation) there is free and opensharing of information andknowledge to help us do our workbetter.

How do we assess our people?One of the more sensitive issues weface is the assessment of our people.

Due to the subjective nature of thedecisions, we take efforts totriangulate these discussions withmultiple points of view and investthe required amount of time andseriousness for every member in theorganization. We realize this will takeup a significant amount oforganizational time as we scale butthat is an investment we feel we mustmake, to continue to understand ourpeople better and remove subjectivebias in people decisions.

Policies and processes toenable our peopleWhile we have policies andprocedures in place, they aredeliberately kept light as we want tobe governed by a shared 'goodsense' in everything we do. Goodsense to us means being accountableto the cause, to our colleagues andto our own conscience, to go by thespirit of the policy and not by thebook. This implies that we areexpected to apply our discretionwherever needed, and that theorganisation backs those decisions.It entrusts us with both a sense offreedom as well as of responsibilityto act thoughtfully after dueconsideration.

Attrition & retentionThe people who come to work atthe Foundation are more evolved intheir aspirations and come with alonger term approach to their jobs.In terms of career growth within theorganization, people are not typicallyconcerned about their nextpromotion. Setting the rightaspirations and establishing a non-competitive and more collaborativeculture is key to retaining talent andscaling up in this sector. The HR teamat the Foundation recognizes this asone of its prime tasks.

Matters of compensationThe market with all its asymmetry,determines the range ofcompensation for various jobs. Asan organization we may or may notagree with which jobs are consideredmore important than the other andwhy, but we still have to negotiatewithin the market forces. For e.g. we

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

Vishnupriya Bose is with the Azim

Premji Foundation in Bangalore

working in the areas of organizational

development & talent management.

She has over 14 years of experience in

the corporate & social sectors, having

worked primarily with ICICI Prudential

Life Insurance and CRY (Child Rights &

You); and for a brief period with Bank

of America Merrill Lynch.

Vishnupriya BoseMember at Azim Premji Foundation

Sudheesh is the Chief People Officer at

Azim Premji Foundation. Prior to this,

he was Head of Human Resources at

Tesco, India and later the Shared

Services Lead for Tesco’s UK - People

programme. He holds a Post Graduate

degree in Management from the Indian

Institute of Management, Kolkata.

Sudheesh VenkateshChief People Officer

Azim Premji Foundation


HC

know that teaching is a hugelyimportant role, yet it is leastrewarded monetarily compared tomost corporate sector jobs. Noamount of skillful maneuvering onour part will rectify this inequity inthe short term, and it will continueto lure the brightest young mindsaway from academia and teaching.

In paying for 'capability' we areconscious that we are attractingprimarily those who have had'access' to the opportunities thathave made them capable. We striveto be mindful of the trap in thisrelentless cycle and focus instead onlearnability and intent rather thanready skills. It is our attempt to level

the playing field, and we compensatefor that by strengthening the learningand development processes withinthe organization.

Summing upIt is time we go beyond theCompanies Act 2013 and look at theholistic essence of CSR.Internationally, CSR has a stronghuman rights dimension and globallyreputed companies are emphasizingthe importance of good corporatecitizenship beyond philanthropy. TheUnited Nations' Global Compactaddresses 10 principles coveringinter alia human rights, abolition ofchild labour, anti-corruption, non-

discrimination and protection of theenvironment with the goal to havethe private sector help realize UnitedNations' vision of a more sustainableand inclusive global economy. Therole of HR departments in companiesin realizing this vision cannot beoverstated.

When a company has a diverse,ethically-grounded and socially-conscious workforce, CSR getscoded into its DNA. Building such aworkforce is the best and the mostsustainable contribution an HR teamcan make towards realizing the CSRvision of a company. The authorsthank their colleague Utkal Mohantyfor his valuable input.


T

Integrating CSR within the HCM strategy makes an organization's

career offerings that much richer. It is a much richer view of career

as one that seamlessly spans the organization and the world beyond.

BY ABHIJIT BHADURI

Weaving CSR intoyour talent strategy

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

"In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder inbusiness but is in fact the very purpose of its existence." - Jamsetji Tata

a few interns (who the organizationpays for) who work for an NGO thatthe organization supports. Havingthem leverage their skills in codingor finance or creating a processmanual can be a great differentiatorfor your organization on campus.But why should the organization payfor someone whose work benefitsan NGO? And would that optionmotivate the student?

There is business and then thereis Corporate Social Responsibility.Never the twain must mix. That ishow conventional wisdom operates.The for-profit businesses write

cheques annually to support acharity of their choice. That alone isenough to have them feel that theyhave done what a busy enterprisepossibly could. CSR is like a littlevillage stream that loses its identityas it hesitatingly joins the river thatis busy merging with the ocean.

Organizations have oftenoperated inside a bubble. This worldcelebrates the cognitive abilities andsniggers at the emotional. Yet, theability to inspire and connectemotionally remains at the heart ofevery leader's biggest challenge. Veryoften the work done by the vastmajority does not seem to have apurpose beyond the routinetransaction. Without that sense ofpurpose, employees cannot be

he next time yourorganization goes to thecampus to hire summerinterns, how about having

engaged. Could CSR be an integralpart of an organization's talentmanagement strategy?

Attracting talentMillennials will make up half theworkforce by 2020. A focus onpurpose and people is, for manymillennials, just as important as acompany's ability to generate profit.They want to make a difference. CSRthen becomes a valuable approachto attracting the top talent.

Adam Grant's research showsthat even a small connection to thepeople who benefit from your worknot only will improve productivity, itmakes everyone happier. Work musthave a larger purpose beyond beingmeans of providing us with a


paycheck. In his book Give and Take,writes about this power.

The study was done in aUniversity's fund raising call center.The employees had to make calls topotential donors and seekcontributions. The control group didtheir job with no other informationgiven to them. The second groupread stories from other employeesabout the personal benefits of thejob: learning and money. The thirdgroup read stories from scholarshipbeneficiaries about how thescholarship had changed their lives.The first two groups saw no changein performance. The last group thatknew about how the scholarshipschanged the lives of beneficiariesincreased their weekly pledges fromnine per week to twenty three - anincrease of almost 155%. Knowingthat we make a difference to thelives of people can be a greatmotivator.

When I speak to Wiproemployees, they inevitably mentionthat one of the greatest sources ofpride for them is to be associatedwith an organization that gives backto society. One such initiative is calledWipro Cares. It is Wipro's communityinitiative focused on certain keydevelopmental issues faced byunder-served and underprivilegedcommunities. It also provides aplatform to employees tomeaningfully engage withdisadvantaged communities. Morethan five thousand employees areengaged across 14 projects. The otherinitiative, Mission10X has successfullyempowered 10,000 professors inengineering colleges across 20 statesto make them more effective. I haveno doubt that these initiatives arethe best talent attraction programsthat we could have.

Developing talentSeveral companies look at CSR as acore way of developing leadershipskills. The Head of HR for EMC,Debashish Patnaik says categorically,"We use CSR for our leadershipdevelopment. It teaches people torely on themselves and their skillsrather than organization providedleverage. This helps people to clearly


than 30 countries in the developingworld. The employees spend a monthin a team of 6-12 colleagues workingon an issue that has social impact.Why do they do it?

"The objective was threefold: tosupport IBMers in their serviceengagements, to invest theintellectual capital of IBMers intackling social issues around theworld, and to develop the expertiseand leadership of IBMers throughvolunteer opportunities that leveragetheir skills and abilities."

Beyond profitsThe organizations values aretransmitted through the behaviors

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

see in which areas they fall shorte.g. frustration tolerance, influenceetc. They learn to make do withwhat is available rather than focuson asking for more or what's notgiven and this is usually done inaddition to their day job. So it getsto be a great lesson in stressmanagement and delegation. Aboveall, this is a great leveler; it puts onein touch with reality outside andthus makes one more humane andbuilds the ability to empathize. Wewant our leaders to possess all ofthese."

The IBM Corporate ServiceCorps, deploys 500 young leaders ayear on team assignments in more

that leaders display. Values form thebedrock of culture in anyorganization. Nothing builds a bettershared culture than living the values.CSR promotes the process of livingthe Values like no other interventionwithin the organization.

The notion of a "career ladder" isbecoming more archaic. The role ofa leader is to help people findmeaning in the workplace. IntegratingCSR within the HCM strategy makesan organization's career offerings thatmuch richer. It is a much richer viewof career as one that seamlesslyspans the organization and the worldbeyond. That would be trulyenriching.

Abhijit BhaduriChief Learning Officer, Wipro

Abhijit Bhaduri is the Chief Learning

Officer of Wipro. He is a social media

influencer, blogger and the author of

two bestselling works of fiction and one

book on how to hire for cultural fit.

HC


N

As part of CSR, HDFC Life offers a fair chance to the dependent of the

deceased policyholders to become an employee and lead a life with dignity.

CSR with an HR twist

investing heavily in corporate socialresponsibility (CSR) initiatives toearnestly give back to the society.While every organization has its areathat it wants to contribute to, HDFCLife has chosen to make a differenceby offering employmentopportunities to the deceasedpolicyholder's family. HDFC Life's'Swabhimaan Careers' is consideredto be a CSR initiative, where HR hastaken a leading role in deciding thedirection and driving it. As part ofCSR, the company offers a fairchance to the dependent to becomean HDFC Life employee and lead alife with dignity.

The overall objective of lifeinsurance is to compensate thefinancial loss caused due to theuntimely death of the breadwinner.Going one step ahead, HDFC Lifehelps secure the future of thenominees/dependants by creating afair employment opportunity, whichis in line with our brand philosophy"Sar Utha Ke Jiyo". Our associationwith the customer does not end withthe "transaction" of "claimsettlement", but continues with usproviding an opportunity to thecustomers' dependants who are indistress to become self-reliant.

From March 2013, we begansending letters to the claimantsinforming them about this initiative.

This letter informed them about theprocess involved in applying for ajob and a team has been dedicatedby HDFC Life to support this cause.

An on-going initiative, theHuman Resources Division has beeninstrumental in designing and initiallyadministering the scheme. Inaddition, it also continues to ensurethat against each and every vacancyarising in the organization, duepreference is given to those who areapplying via the Swabhimaan Careerscheme. We also make sure theeligible candidates are put throughthe required employmentassessment. Also, awareness aboutthis initiative has been driven acrossthe board so that all employees cancontribute towards this noble cause.

Even employees take pride inbeing a good corporate citizen.Especially for those from the salesfunction, talking about thishumanitarian initiative by theirorganization help them garner thetrust and respect of prospectivecustomers. All in all, employees willtake pride in associating with a valuedriven organization.

While we have been able toprovide employment to the deceasedpolicyholders' dependants, it's beenan uphill task in terms of reachingout to the dependents of thecustomers, explaining to them thatthey will be considered foremployment based on theirsuitability and the overalladministration of the program. For

ot just as means to earn thetrust of customers,emloyees and shareholders,most Indian businesses are

Rajendra GhagSenior EVP & Chief - HR Officer, HDFC Life

Rajendra Ghag is the Senior EVP & Chief

Human Resource Officer, HDFC Life. He

joined HDFC Life in September 2009

and has been spearheading the Human

Resource function since then.

instance, the direct beneficiaries ofthis initiative are the dependents ofthe deceased policyholder who areunemployed. They can apply for anemployment opportunity with HDFCLife, however, they will be consideredbased on merit, fitment andvacancies.

Our aim is to ensure that ourcustomers' dependents leads a lifewith dignity and hence, we do notwant to package this initiative as a"social charity" and instead wish tomake them feel that they haveearned it. HC

BY RAJENDRA GHAG

ROLE OF HR IN CSR

B

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

leading companies embracing it evenfurther - as a fundamentalcomponent of its DNA, as one of itscorporate values and thereforedriver of culture. Going beyond justthe ethical practices in itsconduct of business, thosecompanies have a formalplatform andinstitutionalized programsthat engage employees andenable them to make adifference beyond the workplace.

Being an active partner tobuilding communities and drivingpositive change in places wherecompanies operate has thenbecome one of the key attributesof a company's corporatecitizenship, and its brandas an employer.

usinesses in India increasinglyrecognize Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR) as astrategic focus area, with

Many successful organizationsfollow a 'grassroots' approachtowards community giving -driving meaningful engagementfor its employees right in theplaces where they live and work.What makes a CSR platform trulyeffective and sustainable, is whenemployees themselves drive the

philanthropy, volunteeringtheir time, talent andtreasure to contribute.

Strategic connectionto business

The rapid rise of sociallyresponsible investment illustratesthat corporate citizenship isbecoming a key measure thatclients/investors, as well as potential

What makes a CSR platform truly effective and sustainable, is when

employees themselves drive the philanthropy, volunteering their time, talent

and treasure to contribute. And, HR plays a critical role in driving employees

towards this noble cause.

Building the strategic connection

BY AMIT KUMAR


As HR takes the lead for thecompany to establish the localpartnerships in the areas where thecompany's employees live and work,the partnerships promote a cultureof social responsibility, ensure longterm relationships in thecommunity, greater employeeengagement and volunteeropportunities and therefore, greaterimpact in the countries where welive and work.

Again, in "people businesses"such as the customer managementindustry, employees are the numberone stakeholder because they areultimately driving and sustaining thecommunity partnerships with theirdirect involvement. With employeesat the forefront in making adifference to the communitieswhere the company operates, theyare the direct ambassadors of thecompany's reputation and brand asan employer.

The approachEmployee engagement towards CSRas a practice should be practiced atall company levels. HumanResource drives the approach andprocesses by which philanthropy ispracticed (such as the grassrootsapproach where each localoperations center partners with alocal beneficiary, and employeesvolunteer where they live and work).The extent of effectiveness to enablingemployee involvement is the key to

and across the globe, removingbarriers to stability that includepoverty and illness, and supportshealthy communities in whicheducational and skills-developmentopportunities thrive.

HR's roleHuman Resources plays a criticalrole in driving a culture of givingback and an involved workforce -from taking the lead in identifyingpartner or beneficiary organizationswhose goals are aligned to thecompany's philanthropic focusareas, and the potential forsustainable long-term partnership,all the way to organizing thephilanthropic activities and engagingemployees to volunteer and beactive in the partner in theserelationships, and documenting theresults.

For global companies thatoperate in multiple geographies,some HR departments also have aformal Community Relations arm, adedicated resource unit that aids invarious operating centers' HR teamsin identifying, selecting anddeveloping new communitypartnerships, providing globalprocess governance, communicationtools and best practices. The HRteam in each city/province ofoperations determines the localorganization to partner with, butensures it is aligned to the company'sglobal focus areas for philanthropy.

employees, consider important intheir decision to partner with, orjoin a company. In view of theincreasing importance placed onsocially responsible investment, HR- and the company's leadership-needs to first consider the linkageof its CSR platform to the nature ofthe company's business andpurpose.

Companies such as those in thecustomer management or serviceindustry are a people-focused, andthe CSR focus areas represent theissues that are relevant to its people-clients, employees, andcommunities. With human talent asthe key asset of customermanagement sector companies, inaddition to providing meaningfuljobs and career growth, thesecompanies are empowering itsemployees to give back to the placeswhere they live and work,supporting their communities'capacity to create opportunities tohelp build skills and improveemployability of potential or futureworkforce, eliminate barriers tostability, and improve health andwellness.

In Convergys for instance, we callthis Convergys Community ActionNetwork (CAN), driven directly byeach of our operating centers, and isdirectly aligned with our corporatevalue of "Serve the community." CANpowered by our very own employeesfrom every Convergys site in India



realizing a culture where people givingback to where they live and work isintrinsic to demonstrating thecompany's corporate value of servingthe community. And while HR takesthe lead in the process, it is critical tonote that the involvement of the entireleadership of the company, from thetopmost level such as the CEO, isnecessary to making CSR "real."

Employees realize great personalsatisfaction and sense of well-beingat the opportunity to give back andhelp others. This satisfaction ispotentially transformational forindividuals and increases loyalty andmotivation, as well as personal andleadership skills development -volunteering enables employeesopportunities to gain anddemonstrate skills and leadershipbehaviors outside of the workplace.

Community partnershipsCommunity partnerships with localbeneficiaries/non-governmentorganizations are a great way toimplement a grassroots approach toCSR and develop long-termrelationships in the community. Asearlier mentioned, HR takes the leadin identifying partner or beneficiaryorganizations whose goals arealigned to the company'sphilanthropic focus areas (examplesof focus areas are: workforce

preparedness, stability, and healthand wellness).

As a specific example in ConvergysIndia's Community Action Network(CAN), teams in our operating centersin Pune, Thane, Bangalore andGurgaon have all partnered withrespective local-area institutionswhose focus are providing stability(through shelter and youth education)for impoverished members of thosecommunities, with as many as 6,000employee volunteers and donors,raising USD 7,000 in employeedonations, items in kind such ascomputers and school supplies, aswell as supplemental funding fromthe company's global CommunityRelations' CAN fund. Hundreds ofvolunteer hours were also spent byemployee volunteers in their regularoutreach visits to the institutions'beneficiaries.

SustainabilitySustainability is crucial to the successof CSR, especially in the company'sability to measure the impacts of itsefforts in the long-term. Asustainability approach also affectscorporate practices and policies, aswell as transparency, as is manifestedin the growing number oforganizations issuing annualsustainability reports.

With sustainability and a

Amit Kumar is the Head of Human

Resources for Convergys India and

EMEA region. With over 20 years of

experience, he has established a track

record of success, balancing the

demands of the business with a strong

focus on people.

Amit KumarHead of HR – Convergys India and China

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI


HC

grassroots approach, the continuityof a company's CSR programs willalso enable involvement beyondcurrent employees - such as formeremployees, and their respective localnetworks.

For human resourceFor companies who are seriousabout making CSR part of its DNA,real and meaningful cultural changeis necessary in order to ensure aculture of responsible practices andsustainability permeates the entireorganization. In conclusion, with thegrowing importance of human

capital as a key asset for people-based businesses, the role of HRleadership will become ever morecritical in leading strategicimplementation of CSR andmobilizing employees domesticallyand abroad.

With both company reputationas well as business growth in mind,one of the critical roles of HRleadership today is to spearhead thedevelopment and strategicimplementation of CSR throughoutthe organization. While strategicallyincluding CSR in the organizationcan begin from different points (e.g.,

product safety, the board ofdirectors, business development), itmakes good business sense for HRto head the process and partner withall stakeholders because humancapital is arguably the number onevalue driver. HR leaders caninfluence three primary areas ofCSR-ethics, employment practicesand community involvement, thelatter being the focus of this article.

All these point to HR not justbeing integral to CSR but also one ofthe ways by which HR demonstratesits role as a strategic businesspartner!

t a k e a w a y s

� One of the critical roles of HR leadership today is to spearhead the development andstrategic implementation of CSR throughout the organization.

� Employee engagement towards CSR as a practice should be practiced at all companylevels.

� HR play a critical role in driving a culture of giving back and an involved workforce.� HR drives the approach and processes by which philanthropy is practiced (such as

the grassroots approach where each local operations center partners with a localbeneficiary, and employees volunteer where they live and work).

� HR leaders can influence three primary areas of CSR—ethics, employment practicesand community involvement.


H

HR can play a significant role in CSR by contributing in subtle but crucial

ways by providing key insights into the congruence of all aspects of

management and facilitating collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders.

BY DR. GANESH SHERMON

Buildingsustainable sensitivityAn HR agenda

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

as Sustainability & CSRPrograms kept pace withour growth aspiration as acountry? India plans to

grow at an annual rate of 9% GDP,the need of the industry towardsbuilding a Sustainability Program thatis inclusive in all its actions alsoneeds to grow exponentially. Thetiming is appropriate as CSR law hasalso come into effect from April 12014, which requires companies toallocate 2% of their profit towardsCSR initiatives. It is estimated thatthis initiative will raise Rs 20,000crore every year as sustained streamof resources available for CSRinitiatives. I am not a supporter ofany mandate or law driven CSRactivity, as it is unlikely to sustain avalue based long term commitment.Nevertheless, "A company's abilityto achieve its business goals andincrease long-term shareholder valueis best realized by integratingeconomic, environmental and socialopportunities into its businessstrategies." Companies that want tosurvive do need a socially responsiblebehaviour. Opinions diverge on thequestion how this goal can bereached, i.e., how can the short and

long term be combined. Companiesdon't exist in a vacuum and in aworld of their own devoid of thecommunity in which its stakeholdersbenefit and corporations have a'meaningful need for social interest'.We do not necessarily need aregulation as we should leave this upto the companies' own initiative andits shareholders commitment.Mandates and legal demands neverwork. Values and ethics do. However,some explicitly proposed tougherrules on disclosure and reportingmay become necessary to simplyensure governance. Sustainabilitydevelopment is convened with"meeting the needs of people todaywithout compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their ownneeds" - World Business Council.

The term, "Sustainability" and"corporate social responsibility" wasrarely heard until the 1970s when afew pioneering companies, such asBen & Jerry's Ice Cream in the USand The Body Shop in the UK,ventured into the marketing of socialresponsibility as a business strategy.Today, companies are embracing thenotion that they exist to do morethan just to make a profit. In 1994,

John Elkington, coined the term, "TheTriple Bottom Line" also known as"People, Planet, Profit".

The dissonance lies here.Approaches that help identify HRpriorities and work better on CSRare based on three factors:1. Role of HR in CSR help in

establishing an appropriateproblem identification andresolution mechanism.

2. Role of HR in enabling CSRthrough a delivery process that islinked to the business process anda value that is perceptibly realizedin an ongoing organizationalmodel.

3. And the fact that CSR does notvalue add unless it is inextricablyaligned to business strategy,community, industry requirementsand detailed internal processes.

These approaches can beclassified into four HRstyles....The Laggards - Traditional HR -Low Emphasis on Sustainability -CSR, poor expectation from thecommunity and stakeholders, lowdemands on functional knowledge


and industry knowledge factors butscore high on community oremployee expectation. Here thecommunity could be encounteringstraight forward social problemsdealing with issues that are shortterm and need immediate fixing. Theemphasis on CSR functionalknowledge not integrated withbusiness or industry realities needs

no additional mention. Severalfirms are quite adept inconducting their businesses,doing exactly what thecommunity or people haveasked for as a simple deliverablewith the belief that short termcommunity satisfaction isbuying peace. It's popularitydriven and is organized as aroad show for media and hype.The firm and its HR leadershiphas inadvertently set lowexpectation on the overallpotential of the good that CSRcan do to its constituents andhas been unable to present tothe community acomprehensive strategicperspective with which theissues could have been resolvedon a long term basis, if not forthe myopic outlook.The Gainers - Sustainabilitydriven as an organizationbuilder - HR plays a short-termoutcome role in this context.Low emphasis on expectationfrom the stakeholders, lack ofdepth in functional domainknowledge of CSR, its usesoutcomes, benefits and highdegree of knowledge of industrypractices and business strategy.Gainers, driven as anorganization builder is severalsteps in the communitiesexpectation hierarchy butseverely handicapped by lowdemands, poor strategy, limited

problem solving and lack ofprioritization. More importantlythere is clear lack of emphasis ondepth of sustainability and CSRfunctional knowledge, best practices,expectation on expertise orprioritization of integrating businessknowledge with strategic drivers.While the critical drivers are deep

knowledge of CSR, its uses andbenefits. They do not articulate aproblem in its holistic configurationnor does the consultant perceive aneed to evaluate the problem for itsnon-articulation. A certain degree ofself-preservation dominates themanagement style of the employerand the HR function.The Populist - People Oriented

CSR- High emphasis on meetingemployee expectation, high levels offunctional knowledge of what issustainability and CRM, but lowdegree of knowledge of industry bestpractices, need of the hour andlinkage to business strategy. Peopleoriented CSR is driven through a lowemphasis on the business strategy

of CSR and lack of alignment withthe business strategy. Here firms orindividuals in the HR function aredominated by low emphasis onalignment with business strategy,organizational architecture. Theorientation is to employ hourly work,based on administrative content thata community expects to be delivered.This is followed by a low expectation

from the community and limitedunderstanding of the context of thecompany in relation to its industry,other macro-economic factors,competitive factors and consequentdelivery capability through anappropriate solution to the client.Both do not emphasize the need foradvanced and deep functional


understanding of the businessstrategy, competitive forces thatshape strategy, economic andinfluencing environmental factor asthey relate to a consultingintervention. The firm has moved upthe value chain in driving theircommunity work through strongand appropriate alignment with thebusiness strategy, demonstratingintervention capability that cantypically go beyond singular issueresolution mechanisms. The solutionstructured could be multipolar, interfunctional and integrated acrossorganizational boundaries. Thecommunity here has an opportunityto leverage the company'ssustainability business strategy, bestpractices process knowledge inconsonance with functional domainknowledge, and led by HRF function.� Lack of HR expertise to visualizethe problem at both the strategic,operational and process leveloperates acts as a constraint whileconstructing customized solutions.The Sustainers - Business Strategy& Process driven Sustainability - HRdemonstrates a high emphasis onknowledge of CSR relevant in theindustry, alignment with the businessstrategy and macro environmentfactors, but high level of expectationfrom stakeholders, be it community,people, customer, government aswell as demonstrated high degree ofdepth of functional knowledge andcompetence. However in contrast,the sustainer HR leaders seek aBusiness processes drivensustainability program, and areperhaps the ones who would be

expected to complete the missinglink? The business performancebarometer drives them tocontributing to their community ina way that integrates Revenues,profitability, cost management andenhancing shareholder value is theirrole in building a long termsustainability strategy anddeliverables.� Intervention is simply anenabler, not an end in itself.Fundamentally in this situation, boththe community and the company'sHR to understand the need to alignbusiness strategy and processes withan advanced degree of detail of whatneeds to be done for the communityto enable any intervention. Thepossibility of providing integratedsolutions becomes possible.

Critically an awareness of the CSRprocesses that enables all of it tostitch together - Here HRs abilitylies in providing an outside inperspective, strong commitment atthe strategic level, applying theoryand its relevance to application andare deeply concerned with theclient's problem and are concernedwith doing. Concurrently theemphasis from the community ishigh on the need for an appropriateengagement at the grass root leveland is willing to partner to enablealignment of the work with thebusiness strategy of the firm..� A community integrated CSRapproach is strategy centered,driven by high quality delivery andaims for early and appropriateresolution of the problem.Building collaborative relationship,

Ganesh Shermon is currently the

Partner, Platform Solutions - North

America, TCS Canada Inc. Prior to this,

he was Partner and Country Head of

People & Change Practice at KPMG

Advisory Services. He brings in 30 long

years of experience in consulting in the

areas of Merger Integration,

Organization Design, Change,

Employee Relations, BSC, People

Strategy & Transformation.

Dr. Ganesh ShermonPartner - Platform Solutions

North America, TCS Canada Inc.

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

t a k e a w a y s

� People oriented CSR is driven through a low emphasis on the business strategy andindustry knowledge factors but score high on community or employee expectation.

� The right face of the sustainability enterprise identifies ways in which HR can play aneven more pivotal role in creating the qualities for sustainability management.

� An HR leader can develop, influence, and help business leaders to build the "Foundation"for sustainable-business strategies that simultaneously take into account all itsstakeholders, as well as the short- and the long-term view.

� HR would need to define a CSR Sustainability driven code for their people to follow.


using principles of collectivebargaining, with its employees hasbeen the critical business driver forthe organizations focusing on CSR.These corporate groups deal directlyand openly with its associates on aglobal basis. Each business ensuresthat HR & IR policies are beingoperated honestly and that people -individually and collectively - arebeing treated appropriately withvalue for human dignity, respect forthe individual, integrity, openness,transparency, honesty and fairness.Businesses are responsible fordeveloping programs, practices, tomaintain and make two waycommunications - a way of life.

Best of companies with businessdriven sustainability programs andphilosophy emphasize a need tobuild upon the concept oftrusteeships/ownership of acompany and enable a culture tofacilitate the concept of "Extendedfamily" covering spouse, childrenand parents in our welfare activities.They adhere to all laws of the landand employment standards and takeresponsibility for Health, Education,living, environment and overall well-being of our associates and theirfamilies in the context of theiremployment and what isprovisioned as per law in each ofthe countries that it operates. Thecompany has a board governedprocess to ensure that we will followthe laws of the land under allcircumstances and we will neverever stray away from being an ethicalcompany and a value basedemployer to all our stakeholders. Thecountry manager is held accountablefor ethical Behavior, adherence tolaws of the land, associateengagement and comprehensivecompliance to all standards. At onelevel CSR starts with taking care ofone's own employees. But surely itbarely stops there.� Such cultures can be developed,institutionalized, changed asorganization matures, builds sizeand derives strength from currentculture� But clearly it cannot stop herefor the moment.

HR would need to define a CSR

Sustainability driven code for theirpeople to follow. This Code ofConduct sets out the policyframework underpinning thebehavior of an institution, fellowassociates and the external worldwhich are expected of every associateof the group is expected to behave.Consultation and participation are thecustomer management systemsfollowed and is an organized processin which staff are called upon toparticipate and to help in theformulation of policies that helpeffective community driven actionsand related decision-making. This isa way of satisfying an urge for self-expression and creating in them afeeling of belonging in order to get

their willing co-operation for theefficient functioning of thesustainability program.

The right face of the sustainabilityenterprise identifies ways in whichHR can play an even more pivotalrole in creating the qualities forsustainability management shown onthe left face. By working proactivelywith top management and earningtheir respect as a trusted businessadvisor, an HR leader can develop,influence, and help business leadersto build the "Foundation" forsustainable-business strategies thatsimultaneously take into account allits stakeholders, as well as the short-and the long-term view. To enable"Traction," HR can oversee talentmanagement, training and

development, and diversity. Inaddition, HR is generally wellpositioned to manage organizationalchange and help inculcate values,apparently a critical success factorfor companies to become moresustainable. Toward "Integration,"HR can contribute in subtle butcrucial ways by providing key insightsinto the congruence of all aspects ofmanagement and facilitatingcollaboration with a broad range ofstakeholders.

"Lest we forget it should beremembered that responsibleCorporations determine far morethan any other institution the air webreathe, the infrastructure aroundour homes, noise, pollution, health,

the quality of the water we drink,even where we live. Yet are theyaccountable to anyone to ensurethat they help make the world abetter place to live? There are manyinstitutions who have answered thisquestion. By voluntarily doing whatis right, and yet there are many whoneed a legislation to contribute.Several HR leaders are known inthe country for their contributiontowards sustainability and CSR andyet there are many in the HRprofessional world who barely showtheir understanding, knowledge orability to contribute to sustainabilityand CSR. It's when thiscontradiction dissipates would wesee a true contributor from HR tocommunity. HC


C

In CSR, the Human Resources function should contribute in building a socially

conscious organization. However, it also has a crucial role to play in creating the

right environment within the organization to make CSR efforts flourish.

BY SHAILESH SINGH

Revisiting the role of

HR in CSR

ROLE OF HR IN CSRI

orporate Social Responsibility(CSR) has got lot of attentionduring the last couple ofyears after the Companies

Act, 2013 made it mandatory forprofit making Indian companies tospend two per cent of their averageProfit before Tax for the last threefinancial years on CSR. The Act alsomade it mandatory to set up a Boardcommittee to review and approveannual CSR Policy of the companyand monitor the progress on thesame.

However one thing that tends totrouble me is what was the need to

make such a noble cause mandatory,because if the urge and belief doesnot arise from within to make adifference to the society, will theimpact of CSR efforts of thecompany be sustainable. This is whyI am compelled to analyse the roleof HR Head and that of HR functionin creating the right environmentwithin the organization to make CSRefforts flourish.

Irrespective of whether theCorporate Social Responsibilityfunction sits with HR or in any otherfunction, HR has a critical role toplay in planning and executing the

CSR strategy and initiatives. I wouldlike to take a broader definition ofCorporate Social Responsibility. It isnot just about the two per cent spendon communities in and around thearea of your operations. It is aboutthe social good becoming inherent tothe business operations and also apart of the value system of theorganisation and each and everyemployee of the organisation. Hence,I would like to analyze CSR or societalresponsibility at three levels:1. Societal impact in-built inlarger social objective of thecompany - Businesses do not


participation inspires the wholeorganization to contribute. Suchinitiatives then become part of thefabric of the organization. Theyprovide a sense of satisfaction andfulfilment to their employees. Inmany cases, they help organizationsbecome attractive as employers. Thebiggest shortfall in implementing anysocial program is not the lack ofmoney but the lack of motivatedpeople power. This is where a well-oiled volunteering program could beof critical importance.It is time the HR function of everycompany takes the lead in drivingsocietal good as a cultural milieu ofthe organization. It is time for HR todrive the mindset of its people tobuild a socially consciousorganization.

flourish in isolation. Businessesflourish when they are able toprovide effective solutions forexpressed or latent need of thesociety. However, the businessobjective should not end here only.Business should align itself withvalues and ethics of the society itlives and prospers in. The largervision of the company should beguided by broader societal needs notthe narrow objectives of itsshareholders, employees or thoseengaged in the business.

This is where HR function playsa critical role. While businessmanagers tend to be focused onfinancial objectives of the business,HR has to play the consciencekeeper of the business organizationby aligning the whole organizationtowards its vision, mission andvalues.

Increasing popularity of triplebottom line reporting orsustainability reporting, which hasgained popularity worldwide over thepast decade, is of significance. Triplebottom line reporting covers thecompany's performance oneconomic, social and environmentalparameters. HR has a critical role toplay in social and environmentalreporting.

HR plays an important role insetting the vision and values of theorganization. It is also the custodianof mindset changes in theorganization. Living the values andmindset change is of criticalimportance in incorporating socialobjectives as the critical componentof business.2. Doing good for the society -While social good as part of businessobjectives mainly touches thecustomers of an organization, thereis a need for corporates to movebeyond that. Every corporate takethe resources from the society it livesin and thus it also has theresponsibility to give back to thesociety. This giving back has to gobeyond the products and services itoffers to its consumers, it has to bedirect contribution to communitiesthe company operates in.

This is where the Corporate SocialResponsibility in its narrow

Companies Act definition comes intoplay. As a responsible corporatecitizen who is earning profits fromthe society it operates in, it is theresponsibility of every corporatecitizen to identify the needs of thesociety and work towards fulfillingsome of those needs.

A two per cent contributiontowards this could mean a corpus ofaround Rs.14,000 crore which is asignificant amount, if properlyutilized, to bring about a solution toany social problem. Adoption ofvillages, contribution towards SwacchBharat Abhiyan, healthcare facilitiesin remote areas, hygiene are someof the critical areas which have beenformed as part of CSR programs ofthe companies.

HR can play a critical role indecision making on the themes thecompany should pick up. Theyunderstand the pulse of theiremployees as well as the vision ofthe company. This helps them inidentifying the areas where thecompany can make the mostcontribution.3. Volunteering opportunities foremployees - There is no doubt thatas human beings we want to do goodfor our fellow human beings whoare not as privileged as us. To someextent, we want to share our relativesuperior well being with lessprivileged ones. Most of the time itis not the lack of desire to dosomething good for the society butthe lack of opportunity and sheerinertia that does not allow people tocontribute towards the social good.

This is an area where HR canplay the most important role bycreating a robust volunteeringprograms for its employees at alllevels. The CSR program should notjust touch the society; it should touchone's own employees too. HR canoffer opportunities to its employeesto volunteer in social activities of thecompany and inspire each and everyemployee by leading the social effort.My experience tells me that it is theleadership that drives socialcontribution and thus the HR Headalong with fellow leaders have to takethe responsibility of driving socialprograms of the company. Their

Mr. Shailesh Singh is responsible for

developing and implementing

successful Human Resources strategies

that support long term growth and

transformation of the organization.

Prior to joining, Max Life Insurance, he

worked as Country HR Leader for GE

India Supplychain comprising all its

manufacturing operations, sourcing,

materials and logistics. He headed HR

responsibility for GE Energy - India

operations. He was earlier the Regional

HR Leader for GE Energy (Africa, India

and Middle East).

Shailesh SinghDirector & Chief People Officer

at Max Life Insurance

HC

C

To ensure the credibility of corporate social responsibility

programs, it is important to embed the CSR culture within a

company's and employees' mindset.

Inculcating the

CSR ethos

orporate Social Responsibility…often interpreted as somethingbeyond business is a highlyundermined notion. On thecontrary it is and has to be the

way to conduct business. It is an essentialto be imbibed and integrated in thebusiness processes and operations if thebusiness has to continue successfully. Itbecomes all the more imperative intoday's world where the stakeholdergroups are aware, alert and assertive andcommunication is fast and varied.

Another restraining thought aroundCSR is the general perception of

THE SHIFTING FOCUS TOWARDS CSRII

interpreting CSR and CommunityDevelopment as one and the same thing.This interpretation to a great extent is aresonance of CSR as something beyondbusiness. It is this perception thatrestricts an organization and theimplementation bodies from embracingCSR as an integral part of businessplanning, operations, communication.

Credibility beyond complianceSome activities possess a peculiarpenchant for attracting unwelcomeattention, even scepticism. In this unusualcategory, CSR or corporate social

BY RANU KULSHRESTHA


responsibility activities can be safelyclubbed.

The reason the word 'CSR' holdsnegative connotations is not too difficultto decipher. Many corporate entities areviewed with deep suspicion in myriadgeographies globally. Consequently, CSRactivities of such companies are takenwith a pinch of salt. Clearly, companiesneed to ingrain CSR within their DNAand daily activities to eliminate the taintthat such activities are aligned to PR.

This is not to suggest that companiesrefrain from publicising CSR measures.There are instances where publicising itinspires others to do likewise, benefittingsociety at large. But such publicity needsto be undertaken selectively, not as amatter of course. Many stakeholders areperceptive enough to differentiatebetween deliberate placements of CSRcases versus need-based publication. Theformer erodes credibility, the latterenhances it. Also, these stakeholdergroups are vigilant enough to assess ifthe over publicity of CSR activities is tocover up a business related irresponsibleinstance of the company and therefore itis essential to imbibe and integrate CSRwithin the company rather than onlyextending helping hand towardscommunity development.

The above elaboration clarifies thatwhile CSR has collateral benefits for

companies, these initiatives couldboomerang if undue steps are taken topublicise the same. But if media publicityarises of its own accord, the company iswelcome to discuss it as required. Yet,there is a fine line between publicity andself-publicity. Given the sensitivitiesinvolved in publicising CSR activities, acautious approach is advisable.

In other words, CSR should extendbeyond legal obligations to address theneeds of all stakeholders and society atlarge, while building a more sustainablebusiness.

Also note that CSR, businesssustainability and bottom-line benefitscan be handmaidens. For instance,operational efficiencies can be achievedby reducing energy and materialconsumption as inputs for production.Wastes can also be curbed and materialsrecycled. Taken together, these result inconcomitant environmental andeconomic benefits for the company,boosting profitability and allowing scopefor higher CSR outlays.

A CSR-centric company also tends tocreate conducive conditions at theworkplace that increases employees'commitment and motivation to becomemore innovative, productive and CSR-conscious. Such a working ambienceboosts the loyalty and commitment ofstaff to the company. Companies with a



positive CSR image then find it easierto hire, retain and motivateemployees, which could augmentproductivity and reduce absenteeismtoo.

Another key feature of CSR-inclined entities is how they engagewith various stakeholders, includingshareholders, employees, vendors,customers, communities, NGOs andthe authorities. Such companiesengage in open dialogue, formeffective partnerships anddemonstrate transparency in allpractices, increasing their credibilityand trust quotient. This is a crucialbenefit that increases their "licenceto operate", enhances prospects forcommunity support over the longterm and boosts their capacity to bemore sustainable.

Incidentally, CSR does not alwayshold financial implications and caninvolve almost any aspect of acompany's operations. These couldinclude environmental management,eco-efficiency, responsible sourcing,stakeholder engagement, labourstandards and working conditions,employee and community relations,social equity, gender equality, humanrights, good governance and anti-corruption measures.

Coming back to the credibilityconundrum, the other importantelement in imparting robustcredibility to CSR efforts is toinculcate this ethos in everyemployee thoroughly. The companyshould act as an equal-opportunitiesemployer promoting diversity at alllevels. This is especially relevant toIndia which has very diverse groups

both in-term social and economicstrata and structures. Mainstreamingthem into the business throughaffirmative actions would add valueto the organization… both in-termsof bringing diverse perspective andalso gaining a repute of a real equalopportunity organization, not toforget the value addition in nationbuilding.

It is important to mention herethat the significance ofmainstreaming of women ascontributors to the economy andtheir increased participation and rolecan only be achieved if theorganization consciously workstowards it. Robust policies andefficient mechanisms to implementthem are essential for gendermainstreaming and a sociallyresponsible organization will havethis agenda in mind while adoptingpolicies and practices for the businessbe it recruitment, representation atsenior level, in various functions,effective and strong harassment freeculture with zero tolerance for sexualharassment, post maternity leavemeasures for female employees tocatch up, etc. Such a mind-set isespecially important because formillennia women in India have beentraditionally relegated to thebackground in personal andprofessional domains. Thecompetency of women at theworkplace can be gauged from thefact that in some verticals empiricalevidence indicates women are indeedthe professional "better halves", soto say, of their male counterpartsand perform especially well in

Ranu Kulshrestha heads the CSR

function of Hindustan Powerprojects

Private Limited. During her career

spanning over 18 years, She has worked

at various levels – right from the

grassroots to advocacy and policy

development at various ministries and

industry bodies. As the Chief Executive

of Moser Baer Trust, she has successfully

integrated CSR and Employee

Volunteerism in the core business and

her leadership is widely acclaimed for

the stakeholder engagement through a

process driven program management.

Ranu KulshresthaGroup Head – CSR, Hindustan

Powerprojects


t a k e a w a y s

� CSR has collateral benefits for companies, however, these initiatives could boomerangif undue steps are taken to publicise the same.

� A CSR-centric company tends to create conducive conditions at the workplace thatincreases employees’ commitment and motivation to become more innovative,

productive and CSR-conscious.

� The other important element in imparting robust credibility to CSR efforts is to inculcatethis ethos in every employee thoroughly.

� A company with women helming select top roles would not be viewed sceptically whenundertaking CSR initiatives that empower women.

� Direct engagement helps in aligning the actual needs of the community needs and themanagement understanding of CSR.


1 Why banking mints the most women CEOs in India, The Economic Times, 4October 2013

banking and allied domains.Women in banking andfinance perform even betterin the upper echelons asCEOs, MDs andChairpersons , as attested bybanks such as ICICI, Axis andSBI, to mention a few led bywomen.

Organizations with thismind-set and with women'sempowerment embeddedwithin the company's culture,it would be in the fitness ofthings to launch externalwomen's empowermentprograms, whereby womenfrom nearby regions couldbe helped in various ways. Acompany with womenhelming select top roleswould not be viewed scepticallywhen undertaking CSR initiatives thatempower women. This is because itwould be clear that this particularcompany walks the talk. It is difficultto challenge the credentials ofpersons who practice what theypreach, unlike those whose wordsand deeds are poles apart. Suchorganizations would be held in highesteem by employees, customers andother stakeholders.

With these learning lessons inmind, Hindustan Powerprojectsworks for the uplift of contiguouscommunities near the Company'sareas of operations, with specialfocus on women's development andempowerment. The programs arerevolved around capacitiesenhancement of each individual fortheir economic, social andintellectual development, with theemphasis on ensuring beneficiariesbecome self-sufficient and self-reliant in the future.

To institutionalise genderparticipation in the ruraldevelopment program, most of thevillage level paraprofessionals are thetribal women who are trained to usenew age technology and agriculturalpractices. These women in turn reachout to 100-150 families each andfacilitate and supervise the usage ofthis information under the HPPPLinitiated SAFAL a livelihood programwhich focuses towards ensuring food

sufficiency and sustainablelivelihoods by promoting farm andnon-farm based livelihood activities.In the beginning year itself theprogramme got high receptivityfrom the beneficiaries as it wasaddressing their expressed needs. Inits two years, it has reached out toalmost 2000 families in two locationsthrough its multiple livelihoodenhancement programs likeimproved paddy wheat and chickpeacultivation, vegetable cultivation,rejuvenation of the lac sector andbackyard poultry. The averageproductivity has increasedtremendously from 3.5Qt/acre to23.5Qt/acre and 2.9Qt/acre to 12Qt/acre in paddy and wheat respectively.This intervention has not onlyensured the food sufficiency for thevillagers but also has reinforced theirlost belief in their traditionaloccupation. Gender inclusion is alsoa focus in building community basedinstitutions in the form of SHGsthrough which all the programs arerouted once they achieve maturity…In the same direction ofempowerment, HPPPL undertook aneducational intervention whichfocuses on women's empowermentthrough "Power of Literacy". Thisprogram was not only confined to HC

literacy rather other additional inputson life-skills education, vocationaltraining as well as training on theatreand educational projects were givento ensure their grooming anddevelopment.

These initiatives are successfulbecause the Company's employeesand other stakeholders believe theprograms are meant for thebetterment and development ofsociety, rather than for simply tickingthe right boxes about the CSRprograms undertaken each year. Alsothey are not in contradiction to thepractices at the business operationallevel.

Another significant point is thatthe CSR community engagementprogrammes are not out-sourced.Direct engagement helps in aligningthe actual needs of the communityneeds and the management'sunderstanding of CSR. Employeeengagement through volunteeringalso helps in transferring andimbibing the values and also inreassuring that we actually practicethat we publicise.

This is how the CSR ethosembedded within every employee'smind can make an immensedifference to the success of suchprograms.


C

An organization which has its vision and strategy hinging on philanthropic and

CSS agenda exudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external

employer branding and able to attract and retain more number of employees

besides securing the long-term commitment of existing employees.

CSR:

orporate Social Responsibility intoday's context is very vital forthe overall growth strategy as itprimarily drives the organizationsto act responsibly as a corporate

citizen. As part of this belief,organizations while planning andexecuting business growth agenda shouldalso put high consideration to social,economic and environmentalsustainability on high stakes. This belief ofcorporates towards social, environmentaland resources sustainability builds thefoundation of long- term and strongCorporate Social Sustainability (CSS)culture which then drives the behavioursof leaders, managers, employees acrosslevels and functions. The CSS culturepromotes top down and bottoms upalignment of employees towards overallsustenance of their participation inorganization sponsored CSS activitiesunder the areas of Health, Education,social up-liftment, environmentalawareness and improvement.

Going by Maslow hierarchy of humanneeds, post fulfilment of basic, social andsecurity needs, human look for self-


In letter & spirit

fulfilment and self-actualisation needs andthis urge can only be satiated once hefinds a purpose through his work life orOrganization sponsored avenues wherehe or she can contribute in terms oftime, energy, focus, involvement andadvocacy. CSS culture centric workenvironment provides relevant ingredientsto enhance employees' advocacy programfor promoting CSS initiatives within theorganisation. Once employee find a senseof value and purpose by being involvedin self-fulfilment activities facilitated byCSS culture, he started getting engagedwith the organization and its vision tosupport CSS agenda through his head,heart and soul.

An organization which has got itsvision and strategy hinges onphilanthropic and CSS agenda exudesmuch more positive imagery in terms ofinternal and external employer brandingand able to attract and retain morenumber of employees besides securingthe long- term commitment of existingemployees. Even employees take lot ofpride to be associated with organizationwhich believes in CSS philosophy in letter

BY SANJEEV DIXIT


and spirit.The above hypothesis is very well

supported by empirical evidencesanalysed through various employeeengagement surveys carried out invarious organisation worldwide wherein ithas clearly come out that employees inorganisation which has strong culture ofsupporting and encouraging people inCSS initiatives are more engaged withhigh sense of ownership andcommitment towards such organisationvis a vis others. Even the Gen-Y andmillennial employees are more inclined tojoin and be with companies which areCSS oriented. It has also been observedthat high performing employees are alsovery comfortable and feel connected in aphilanthropic oriented work culture. Thusit's proved that by leveraging CSS,organizations not only enhance itsreputation but increase the employeeengagement and commitment whichfurther results in the improvement inorganization productivity and businessimpact by increasing employees'retention.

Employees survey findings(extract courtesy whitepaper Corporate SocialResponsibility andEmployee Engagement:Making the Connectionauthored by Rob grossand Bill Holland) reveals:� Forty four per cent ofyoung professionals saidthey would discount anemployer with a badreputation and nearly halfsaid corporate socialresponsibility policiesshould be compulsory.� Eighty per cent ofrespondents would preferworking for a companythat has a good reputationfor environmentalresponsibility. Interestingly,respondents were moreconcerned about workingfor an environmentally responsiblecompany than purchasing from one.� Working for an organization whose


employees positively viewcorporate responsibility efforts hasa significant, favourable impact onhow they rate their pride in theorganization, their overallsatisfaction, their willingness torecommend it as a place to workand their intention to stay.� When employees view theirorganization's commitment tosocially responsible behaviourmore favourably, they also tend tohave more positive attitudes inother areas that correlate withbetter performance, such ascustomer service and leadershipfrom management.� Seven out of 10 employees inorganizations that are viewed byemployees as socially responsiblerated senior management ashaving high integrity comparedwith just one in five employeeswho were negative about theiremployer's CSR record.� CSR is the third mostimportant driver of employeeengagement overall, and anorganization's reputation for socialresponsibility is an importantdriver for both engagement andretention.� A company's reputation as agood employer ranks sixth as anattraction driver. Accordingly,"organizations with a reputationfor CSR can take advantage oftheir status and strengthen theirappeal as an attractive employerby making their commitment partof their value proposition for

potential candidates.In my experience across

various companies where I haveworked, the CSS drive had movedfrom basic level of plantation oftrees, blood donations to workingaround strategic theme ofResources sustainability like Rainwater harvesting, zero based waterutilisation, waste recycling andmanagement, resourceconservation, etc.

In my current organizationAllied Blenders & Distillers, CSS isa strategic critical factor of theoverall organization strategy andwell aligned to the company'svision to be the "Most AdmiredSpirits Company". In order to livethe vision in letter & spirit,keeping in view the society as themost important stakeholder, thecompany has shown its intent todrive the Corporate SocialSustainability under the aegis andbrand name of ABD Yogdaan.

Vision of ABD Yogdaan"To position ABD as a sociallyactive Corporate Citizen & MostAdmired Company and leveragethe activities for the social causeand company, involving employeesthrough volunteering, whereverpossible."

Objective� ABD is gaining from thepositive changes triggered by thefast growing economy in India.Conscious of its responsibility


Sanjeev comes with 15+ years of

comprehensive and hands on HR

experience in diversified industries with

specialization of People processes like

Performance Management,

Organization Capability building,

Employee Relations & Management,

etc. He is currently the Chief People

Officer at Allied Blenders and Distillers(

ABD). He has worked with Alstom India

where he was the Country HR Director

and was overall responsible for driving

HR shared services for different SBUs of

their India Operations. Prior to this,

Sanjeev was with PepsiCo India where

he was General Manager-HR for their

Beverages Business of South Market

Unit based out of Chennai

Sanjeev DixitChief People’s Officer- ABD

t a k e a w a y s

� Corporate Social Responsibility is vital for the overall growth strategy as it primarily drives

the organizations to act responsibly as a corporate citizen.

� CSS culture centric work environment provides relevant ingredients to enhance employees’advocacy program for promoting CSS initiatives within the organization.

� Any organization which has its vision and strategy hinging on philanthropic and CSS agendaexudes much more positive imagery in terms of internal and external employer branding andable to attract and retain more number of employees besides securing the long- term

commitment of existing employees.

� Even the Gen-Y and millennial employees are more inclined to join and be with companieswhich are CSS oriented.

� High performing employees are also comfortable and feel connected in a philanthropicoriented work culture.


Pillars of sustainable development - CSS programs to choose from

towards the society, we standcommitted to invest inneighborhood communities, moreand more and improve the qualityof life and inculcate a sense ofwell-being amongst the people,settled around.� The Corporate vision of CSSgoes like this, "To behave fairly &responsibly contributing tosustainable economic developmentand improving the quality of lifein the neighborhood, in theprocess maximizing stakeholders'value."� Accountable for impact onstakeholders - work force, theirfamily, the local community andsociety at large.� Improving the quality of life ofthe neighborhood in ways goodfor development for impact onstakeholders - work force, theirfamily, the local community andsociety at large.

� Through Company sponsorshipand Employee advocacy asemployee engagement inCorporate Social Responsibilitieswill sustain the practices.� ABD is keen in making positivecontribution to society bytargeting social and cultural issues,maintaining a humanitarianapproach, focus on areas in andaround our Offices / Factories andareas of operations.

Supporting societal developmentby contributing towards andinvolving our employees inperson towards:� Education and skills training:Training and earning opportunityto differently challenged youth,underprivileged children andyoung adults, tribal communities.Alleviation of poverty, financialinclusion for migrant labour.� Cultural & sports development: HC

Supporting various communityprograms by local citizens.Helping to create entrepreneurshipopportunities.� Health & quality of life: Safedrinking water, sanitation, healthdisadvantaged.� Environment preservation:Carbon footprint reduction,increasing green cover, promotebio-diversity.

With the business environmentbecoming more and morevolatile, complex, uncertain andambiguous, the imperative willbe to leverage CSS as driver forfulfilling key strategic objectivesof business which includesattracting and retaining talents,enhancing their engagement,commitment and thusproductivity and collectivelymake high return on investmentfrom employee engagementthrough CSS drive.


T

Aligning themillennials in theCSR movement

here is a fallacy about the millennials or Gen Y(those born after 1982) - that they are self-obsessed, self-indulgent lot that does not caremuch about the larger good of the society. But

like several other misconceptions about this generation,this belief too is not true. In fact, they strongly feel aboutthe social causes they espouse, more than the babyboomers. The millennials have witnessed the hightrajectory economy in which corporate honchos likeRatan Tata, Azim Premji, Grandhi Mallikarjuna Rao whohave chosen to commit substantial part of their personalwealth towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).Millennial alumni of premier institutions like IITs andIIMs have also contributed significantly to createinfrastructure at their alma mater. Most of theparticipants at events like Pinkathon or Go Greeninitiatives that champion causes of womenempowerment, environment etc are millennials. Severalof these millennials have just one sibling or less andhence demonstrate the urge to give back to the societythat they fall upon. The young working professionals, infact, go beyond the call of duty, working with NGOs onweekends to support social causes, take a sabbatical towork with organizations like Teach India, and even designtechnological interventions, using their skills. Thisperspective is critical to understanding and aligningmillennials with a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)movement.

Engaging millennials through social media,crowd sourcingLeveraging social media is critical to engaging millennials,as they are highly dependent on social media to get andshare information. If they are able to associate with aCSR initiative, they will spread the word over social(Facebook, Twitter, etc) and Instant Messaging (IM)platforms ( WhatsApp, WeChat etc) using their

smartphones. Thus, they become endorsers for acause or CSR program if engaged in the right wayover mobile, social and IM platforms. Organizationsneed to understand these traits of the 'mobile-firstgeneration' and accordingly engage them for CSR. AtVirtusa, we use our own social platform, RAVE, whichis used to thank, recognize and reward employeecontributions towards CSR activities. This platformhas been combined with gamification, badges andleaderboards to further enhance the millennialengagement. Millennials seek instant gratification

which means that it is crucial to share updates aboutthe difference they were able to create. Such a movewill ensure repeat participation during later stages ofthe CSR activity.

Social media also provides scope for crowd

Millennials feel strongly about the society that they live in and will not shy away from

working to make it better. The key is to engage them, understand their perspective

and design high impact CSR programs on a sustained basis.

BY KIRAN AIDHI



consume news on the go on theirsmart devices and feel the need torespond to such calamities in a timelymanner. Organizations cannot affordto ignore putting in place suchmechanisms and processes. Also, millennials will look forwardto their leaders - team, business etc- to lead from the front with theiractive involvement. There has to be atop-down approach for all CSRprograms being implemented by anorganization. This will underline thecommitment of the seniormanagement and also theirexpectations from their teams inparticipating and ensuring success ofthe initiative.

Delineate CSR andsustainabilityIt is important to clearly delineate CSRfrom sustainability initiatives of anorganization. The communication

outreach to millennial employees also needs to reflectthis. They need to know whether they contributing to asocial cause with significant impact or to create sustainablepractices for the long term. Observance of Earth Hour ormove o encourage employees to cycle to work cannot beclubbed under CSR. Once employees know what they arecontributing to, they will be clear in their minds on theefforts they want to put in. Such delineation willdemonstrate to the millennial employees, the seriousnessof the senior management in fulfilling their socialresponsibility. The new norms for CSR by the Governmentof India also mandate that CSR and sustainability activitiesshould not be mixed up.

Above all, it is vital that there are no barriers toparticipation in CSR - set low barriers for involvementand offer a spectrum of participation opportunities. Acrossthe board, there has to be a lot of communication abouta CSR event much before it takes off. Since most of theseactivities happen on a weekend, adequate time must begiven so as to draw a firm commitment from millennialemployees. It is also important to ensure continuity ofsocial causes espoused and identifying employees whocare deeply about a certain cause. Such employees shouldalso be recognized and encouraged so that they becomeicons for other employees to follow. Create leaderboardsto celebrate the individual contribution to CSR programs.A narrative capturing the entire corporate story ofcontribution to social causes revealed through campaignsacross social media will also instill a greater pride amongmillennial employees.

Millennials feel strongly about the society that theylive in and will not shy away from working to make itbetter. The key is to engage them, understand theirperspective and design high impact CSR programs on asustained basis.

sourcing of unique ideas - to shortlistcauses to be associated with, toannounce actual rollout and theresultant impact. It is advisable toidentify the social causes that anorganization wants to advocate. It isnot possible for any organization towork on all the social fronts - be iteducation, poverty alleviation,environment protection etc. Hence,it makes sense for HR teams to crowdsource ideas from their workforceon social causes they want to workon, keeping in line with the vision,values and beliefs of the organizationand its founders. This will make itmore compelling for millennialemployees to participate in the CSRinitiatives. A sense of ownership alsocomes into a play in such a scenario,something the young professionalsrelish and revel in.

Social media awarenesscampaigns on CSR can also helporganizations in attracting talent as it is one of the factorsconsidered by millennials while joining employment. Itis also a good idea for HR teams to brief new employeesabout the CSR initiatives of the organization duringinduction as this will help to create a connect.

Design innovative CSR initiatives to attractmillennialsThe millennial generation is deep-rooted with innovation

and technological interventions as a way oflife. They do not wish to indulge in lip serviceby involving themselves with a one-off activity.They also do not appreciate unplanned,unstructured CSR programs. They need tosee scale in the initiative. They are more thanwilling to be part of long and sustainedcampaigns that have defined objectives.Considering all these factors, it is pertinent todesign CSR programs in an innovative manner.For instance, creating an e-learning modulebased on gamification for underprivilegedchildren to teach them math skills. Millennialsbelieve technology can solve many of theproblems faced by the society and rightly so. Innovative initiatives like incubating andfunding social enterprises that make adifference to the lives of a section of the societyis another example. At Virtusa, we developedan app for the Corporation of Chennai thatensures public utilities like parks and toilets

are well maintained and provide redressal mechanismsin case they are found to be lacking. It is alsorecommended to put in place a CSR committee that canengage with NGOs and Government wings to respond tonatural calamities like floods, earthquakes, etc. Millennials

Kiran Aidhi is Director-HR for Virtusa

Corporation, a well-known information

technology services provider with a global

reach. She possesses more than 17 years of

extensive experience in HR which includes

Talent Management, Talent Engagement,

Talent Development, Performance

Management, Succession Planning and

Career Transitions. Prior to this, she has

worked with Accenture, Convergys, Tech

Mahindra Business Services, Le Royale

Meridian and Bharti Airtel. Kiran has done

her MBA from IIPM Delhi and has spent

most of her career life in Mumbai.

Kiran AidhiDirector-HR, Virtusa Corporation

HC

O

CSR as an agenda can prove to be truly transformational for the companies

and the community in the country. Strong leadership from the CEO and the

Board can ensure that good intentions are translated into action and results

and result in societal transformation.

ne of the best outcomes ofthe directive from theGovernment thatCompanies should spendtwo per cent of their

profits on a CSR agenda has beenthe elevation of the CSR discussionto the management committees andthe boards of business organisationsin the country. In a country wherethe disparities between the haves and


BY DR. GANESH NATARAJAN

have-nots are reaching gargantuanproportions, the focus on CSRcomes not a minute too early. Anorganization can no longer bedefined only by the quantum of itsbottom-line but by the way itgenerates profits, the concerns itshows for people and its contributionto the planet. This triple bottom-lineapproach is in alignment withorganizational values comprising

Customer Centricity, Commitment toPeople and Community, ContinuousInnovation and Excellence.Zensar Technologies is a case in pointin the way it has set itself up to serve.As a company, we have embracedthe triple bottom-line approach asthe only way of ensuring sustainableand complete success. All initiativesare CEO led with the support of theCSR Committee of the Board and

Building synergies:

C-suite to CSR

the Zensar Foundation trustees andmanaged by a very motivated team.Some of these initiatives are…

Community developmentIn Pune and Hyderabad, where ourdelivery centres are located, we workclosely with slum communities. Wefacilitate their transformationthrough our goals and theirenunciated priorities. We believe thisinterplay reconciles the best ofoutside-in and ground-upapproaches leading to sustainabletransformation.

English proficiency: UdaanEnglish centreUdaan is our flagship programmewhere we address the Englishproficiency of children drawn fromthe Chandan Nagar slum communityand going to the same municipalschool. We have reinforced theeffectiveness of our language trainingthrough the fusion of classroom anddigital technology. Around 48students have benefitted from thispersonalised initiative. The successof the programme has far exceededits functional scope: the trainees haveevolved into confident children, theyhave turned 'teachers' for theirsiblings, emerged as change-makerswithin the community and drivers ofother community initiatives; besides,families have opened out toprogressive mind-sets and there is astrong demand from the communityfor Udaan to be extended to morecommunity children.

Computer literacy: IT schoolprogramAt Zensar, we believe that computerliteracy is essential for modern-daysuccess. In line with this, we runcomputer literacy classes for under-privileged children across 5 schoolsin Pune and Hyderabad, as part ofthe weekly school timetable. Thecurriculum includes the parts anduses of the computer, TUX paint,Scratch and step-wise thinking. Thestudents learn through activities,games, theory and practice. Theyare given projects to innovate andlearn by doing. The total outreachthrough this programme has been

more than 1200 beneficiaries.

Digital literacy: Nationaldigital literacy missionZensar is taking its computer literacyinitiative to the next level throughthe National Digital Literacy Mission(NDLM) which has a goal of at leastone person being digitally literate inevery household by the year 2020.Zensar is contributing to the missionby taking up this goal for its slumcommunities in Pune andHyderabad. These courses are beingadministered in partnership withNASSCOM Foundation through 2NDLM centres one each atHyderabad and Pune impartingdigital training.

Community mobilizationZensar believes that extensivecommunity transformation can onlytranspire when people from the

outside engage extensively withresidents within. This volunteer-driven initiative in Chandan Nagar(Pune), undertaken in partnershipwith the 'Connecting…NGO'comprises periodic engagementswith neighbourhood residents,house-to-house visits, understandingresident problems, inspiring counter-initiatives and providing them withthe confidence to resolve their issues.Over the months, this initiative hasevolved to a point where Zensar

associates (as opposed to fieldworkers) are now becoming change-makers and community mobilisers,ensuring long-term sustainability.

Gender sensitizationAt Zensar, we believe that the mostlasting behavioural change isachieved by starting with the younggeneration. In line with this, wecommenced a gender sensitisationprogramme (managed by EqualCommunity Foundation) for youngmale adults aged 14-17 years inChandan Nagar and Yamuna Nagar.Three batches have been completedso far involving 50 youth. Over themonths, the youngsters havetransformed their understanding ofwomen's roles, capabilities andequality. The entire initiative hasacquired scale and maturity to begrown to other locations.Summary of outcomes: following

ECF's intervention, there is a broadersharing of domestic responsibilitiesamongst family members, reductionof discrimination against the femalefamily members, and veryimportantly, sowing the seeds forlong term advocacy of women'sequality.

HealthcareFor the last several years, Zensar hasbeen providing free health-careinterventions within under-privileged

communities in Chandan Nagar(Pune) and Anjaiah Nagar(Hyderabad). This has now beenextended to a third slum communitycalled Yamuna Nagar in Pune. Weaddress high community incidenceof fever, seasonal ailments, bodypain, headache, blood pressure,asthma and diabetes through freedoctor visits, medicines and healthcamps. Around 4,000 individualsbenefited from these initiatives in2014-2015.

Employability programsAt Zensar, we provide courses thatprepare under-privileged individualsfor promising careers that helptransform their destinies. OurHardware and Networking coursehas built a demonstrable model foremployability within the IT industry,endorsed by a 75 per centplacement. Our Unnati SkillDevelopment Centre, which runsmultiple courses in collaborationwith Thermax Social InitiativeFoundation and Pune MunicipalCorporation, has reported 100 percent placement across its batches forall those willing to work.

Our employability training isbeing scaled through the EmployeeSkills Development programmewhere we have trained over 850students in the year 2014-15, in theirlast year of college for roles withinthe country's IT sector, preparingstudents for full-fledged careers. OurLearnership Development Programis a global training programaddressing the growing needs ofyoung South Africans frompreviously disadvantagedbackgrounds to be trained incontemporary technologies with theobjective of finding gainfulemployment.

VolunteeringTwenty per cent of Zensarians investin active volunteering across theCompany's CSR projects in Pune andHyderabad - all in their personaltime, that is, outside of office hours.In addition to providing theseindividuals with the opportunity totransform ground-level realities,these engagements have provided

Zensarians with the opportunity toenrich their own personalities, interms of enhancing empathy,patience, listening skills, timemanagement and leadershipcapabilities. As an endorsement ofthe fact that volunteering reinforcesworkplace engagement, peopleengagement among volunteers in thelast year was 300 bps higher than theorganizational average.

Zensar is an active participant ina city-wide campaign through PuneAction Task Force which has threefocus areas, namely, Swachh,Saakshar and Digital transformation.Zensar truly believes thatcollaboration between corporates,NGOs and the Government willtransform Pune city. At city level,state level and participation innational initiatives like the NationalDigital Literacy Mission, Zensar is anexample of one company that hastaken CSR as a core agenda and seenthe benefits.

Making CSR successfulCSR as an agenda can prove to betruly transformational for thecompanies and the community inthe country. While it is oft said thatCSR is part of nobody's KRAs buteverybody's job, strong leadershipfrom the CEO and the Board canensure that good intentions aretranslated into action and results andresult in societal transformation.

There are three key roles the CEOcan and should plan in a successfuland scalable CSR program1. Personal involvement in setting

up the vision and strategy for CSR.2. Ensuring robustness of the

governance mechanisms - BoardCommittees, Trustess, SocialWorkers and audit and strategymechanisms are all part of this.

3. Evangelising the CSR agenda toall stakeholders anddemonstrating passion withcompany volunteers, NGOs andthe community and governmenttouch points.At the end of the day, CSR

succeeds only when it is seen as coreto the business of the company andthis is why leadership involvement isessential to its ongoing success


Ganesh Natarajan is Vice Chairman &

CEO at Zensar Technologies, a global

firm that transforms Technology and

Processes for Fortune 500 companies.

He is a Board Member of the RPG Group,

Board Member of Global Talent Track,

Chair - Knowledge IP & Innovation CII

and member of the Chairmen’s Council

of NASSCOM.

Ganesh NatarajanVice Chairman & CEO

Zensar Technologies

HC


19 YEARS IN HRD MISSION

YYoouurr sseeaarrcchh ffoorr OONNEE SSTTOOPP TTrraaiinniinngg && HHRR SSeerrvviiccee pprroovviiddeerr,,

310000+ Mandays Training 595+ Client Companies 28 States

1. Behavioural & Soft Skills Training (for Workers, Supervisors & Managers & their Family)

2. HR Systems specific Training & Implementation

3. 5S & KAIZEN Training & Implementation

4. Implementing Cost Reduction Programme (CRP)

8. Sale of Psychometric Tests & Technical Trade Tests

9. 3/6/15 Months Distance Learning Programmes for HR Professionals

5. Implementing WILL & SKILL MAPPING of Workers

6. Sale of Hard Copy HR Tools

We make complex subjects simple to understand and easy to implement

7. Competency Mapping, PMS & Assessment Centre

10. Designing & Implementing Integrated HR Systems

11. HRD for Long Term Settlement (LTS) with Union & Other HR Services

See Page 7

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[email protected] [email protected]

Dr R K Sahu (09818300668) Ms Pragya Bharti (07827633469)

Human Resource Development Centre

D - 88, 2nd Floor, Lajpat Nagar, PART 1, New Delhi 110024 (INDIA)

Phone: +91-11- 29816980 / 81 / 82 Website : www.hrdc.in

TTaakkee oouutt tthhiiss 88 ppaaggee

BBrroocchhuurree ffoorr yyoouurr ffuuttuurree rreeffeerreennccee

June

201

5 � 4

1

Behavioural, Attitudinal & Self Development

1. My Role in Improving Work Environment dk;Z okrkoj.k lq/kkj esa esjh Hkwfedk

2. Team Work & My Role Vhe odZ ,oa esjh Hkwfedk

3. Discipline: Why & How vuq'kklu % D;ksa vkSj dSls \

4. Good Work Habits dke djus dh lgh vknrsa

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7. Your family budget and saving habits vkidk ikfjokfjd ctV ,oa cpr

8. We & our organization: Meant

for each other ge vkSj gekjh dEiuh % ,d nwts ds fy,

9. Self Empowerment l{ke deZpkjh dSls cusa

10.Absenteeism and its effects vuqifLFkfr ,d % gkfu;kWa vusd

11.Cleanliness and House Keeping LoPNrk ,oa x`g O;oLFkk

12.Self Development for Personal Growth deZpkjh viuk fodkl dSls djsa \

13.Essentials for good Industrial Relations vPNs vkS|ksfxd lEca/k ds vk/kkj

14.Would you like to be a Supervisor ? D;k vki lqijokbtj cuuk pkgsaxs \

15.Role of Employees in fast changing environment vkt ds cnyrs ifjos'k esa deZpkfj;ksa dh Hkwfedk

16. Interpersonal Communication Skills lEizs"k.k dyk

17.Be self-motivated & self-starter Lo;a izsfjr ,oa Lopkfyr cusa

18.Preparing for Life after Retirement

19.Listening Skills lquus dh dyk \

20.

Improving Personal Productivity viuh mRikndrk c<+k;sa % D;ksa vkSj dSls \

21.

Behavioural Skills O;ogkj dkS'ky

22. Put Yourself in the shoes of your Boss (Role Play based) D;k vki vius vf/kdkjh dh Hkwfedk le>rs gSa \

23. Personal Health & Hygiene O;fDrxr LokLF; ,oa LokLF; j{kk

24. Innovative Skills l̀tukRed dkS'ky

25. Your role in development of your family vius ifjokjtuksa ds fodkl esa vkidh Hkwfedk

26.

Happy Life through Positive Attitudes ldkjkRed n`f"Vdks.k ls [kq'kgky thou

27. Work Ethics and Joy of Work dk;Z uSfrdrk ,oa dk;Z esa vkuan

28. Happy Family Life lq[kh ikfjokfjd thou

29.

Managing Stress ruko ls eqfDr

30.

Be Result-oriented ifj.kkeksUeq[k cusa

Union Leaders Development

31.

Enhancing Business: Along with Union dEiuh dk fodkl % ;wfu;u ds lkFk

Basic Training

Advanced Training

Special Training Modules

32.

Art of Happy Living Happy Personal Life

Happy Family Life

Happy Work Life

Happy Social Life

33.

4C Workshop COMMITMENT for Work

COMPETENCE Building

CREATIVITY for

Improvement

CONTRIBUTION to the

Organisation

Training Modules for Manufacturing Excellence

34.

5S : What, Why & How 5l % D;k] D;ksa vkSj dSls \

35.

KAIZEN : What, Why & How dkbtu % D;k] D;ksa vkSj dSls \

36.

Productivity Improvement & My Role mRikndrk esa of̀) ,oa blesa esjh Hkwfedk

37.

Wastage Control & My Role cjcknh dh jksdFkke ,oa blesa esjh Hkwfedk

38.

Quality Improvement & My Role xq.koRrk ,oa blds lq/kkj esa esjh Hkwfedk

39.

TPM & Autonomous Maintenance Vh-ih-,e- ,oa Lofu;af=r j[kj[kko

40.

Plant Safety Awareness vkS|ksfxd lqj{kk

41.

How to achieve ZERO DEFECT in your work vius dke esa thjks fMQsDV dSls yk;sa \

42.

Problem Solving Skills leL;k lek/kku dkS'ky

43.

Cost Reduction & My Role ykxr ewY; esa deh ,oa esjh Hkwfedk

44.

Quality Circle DokfyVh lfdZy

45.

7 QC Tools 7 D;w lh VwYl

Training Modules for Wives of Your Employees

1.

Happy Family lq[kh ikfjokj

2.

Better upbringing of children cPpksa dh csgrj ijofj'k

3.

Managing Stress ruko ls eqfDr

4.

Better Home Management csgrj xg̀LFkh izca/ku

5.

Personality Development Workshop O;fDrRo fodkl dk;Z'kkyk

Training Module for Children of Your Employees

1.

2.

Personality Development Workshop

Preparing for Job Placements

Training Workshops for Workers / Associates at your site (in Hindi )

Page -2

We also conduct need based / customised Training Workshops

DURATION OF TRAINING WORKSHOPS HALF DAY ONE DAY TWO DAYS THREE DAYS

42 �

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Training Needs Assessment 1. Measuring Impact of Training

1. Training Needs Assessment

2. Measuring Impact of Training

3. Competency Mapping

4. Implementing Mentoring System

5. KRA & Competency based Performance

Management System

6. Balanced Scorecard based Performance

Management System

7. Assessment Centre

8. Will & Skill Mapping of Workers

9. Total Employee Involvement (TEI): Concept

& Tools

1.

Team Building & Conflict Resolution

18.

Improving Managerial Effectiveness 2. Managerial Leadership 19. Employee Counselling Skills 3. Creative Problem Solving & Decision

Making

20. Self Development Workshop

4. Negotiation Skills 21. Improving Supervisory Skills 5. Shop-floor Man Management Skills 22. How to Influence & Manage Others

without Authority 6. Stress Management Workshop 7. Improving Productivity through Human

Resource Development

23. Train The Trainer Workshop

8. Implementing 5S & KAIZEN 24. Communication and Presentation Skills 9. Developing Assertiveness

and Self Esteem

25. Self Awareness and Personality Development Workshop

10. Goal Setting & Planning Skills 26. Motivation Skills 11. HRM for Non HR Executives 27. Support Office Staff & Secretaries

Development Workshop 12. Time Management 13. From Engineer to Manager Workshop 28. Disciplinary Actions & Domestic

Enquiries 14. Creativity & Analytical Skills 15. Building Positive Attitude 29. Building IR Capability 16. Interpersonal Communication Skills 30. Improving Personal Productivity 17. How to Improve Productivity and

Control Cost and Wastages

31. Professional Selling Skills 32. Customer Care Workshop

DURATION OF TRAINING WORKSHOPS ONE DAY TWO DAYS THREE DAYS

1. Negotiation Skills 4. Mentoring Skills 2. Building High Performance Teams 5. Change Management 3. Business Communication

& Presentation Skills

6. Performance Counselling &

Feedback

Training Workshops

For Middle Management & Supervisory Staff at your site

HR Systems specific

Training & Implementation

We conduct 2 days In-house Training on each HR area & provide post training Implementation Support too

Training Workshops

For Senior Management at your site

Page -3

For more information call: Dr R K Sahu 09818300668, or mail at: [email protected] [email protected]

June

201

5 � 4

3

Manufacturing Excellence through Total Employee Involvement Tools Complete package for Training & Implementation for each of the 4 tools

CCoosstt RReedduuccttiioonn PPrrooggrraammmmee ((CCRRPP))

Orientation Training

Road Map

Implementation

Follow up

Measuring Savings

Are you Implementing TPM ? Or

Need Competency Mapping (Behavioural & Technical) of your Workers ?

Or Assess Workers Behavioural (Will) & Technical (Skill) Gaps for Training ?

Or Design Multiskilling Plan for Workers ?

Or Have Will & Skill Inventory & SKILL MATRIX

of your Workforce ?

We provide you complete solution for

KAIZEN

Awareness Workshop

Launching

Institutionalization

Measuring Improvements

WWIILLLL && SSKKIILLLL MMAAPPPPIINNGG OOFF WWOORRKKEERRSS

Training & Implementation

Page - 4

Reap Minimum Rs. 10/- for each

Rupee you invest in CRP

minimum 10 times ROI through Cost Savings within 15 months of launching CRP. This is my

- Dr R K Sahu (09818300668)

Chief Consultant & Trainer

multiple advantages. Plant upkeep, Waste Reduction, Cost Effectiveness and Productivity Improvement are immediate gains. However, significant achievements are in the areas of Safety, Work Culture, Team Work

- M. L. Chakraborty, ED- HR

Dalmia Cement

Cost Reduction & Savings worth Rs. 3.91 - A. C. Verma, Unit HR Head,

Ambuja Cement, Ropar

For well organized, efficient, clean & safe workplace through

Total Employee Involvement

In Productivity, Quality, Safety, Employee

100% GUARANTEE OF IMPROVEMENT

Develop 5S Auditors, 5S Trainers & 5S Champions

Training Implementation Revamping Measuring Results 5S Certification

5S

for Training & Implementation/Revamping of 5S. If you are not satisfied with

the result, we would refund you

- Pragya Bharti (07827633469) 5S Consultant & Trainer

Huma Aziz (08512882022)

Consultant & Trainer

44 �

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15

HR Tools

1. Inter-company Executives Salary Survey Rs. 2000/- Questionnaire with Illustration

16. Establishing Assessment Centre Rs. 5500/-

2. Inter-company Workers Wages Survey Rs. 2000/- Questionnaire with Illustration

17. Performance linked Promotion Policies Rs. 5000/- based on defined Norms

3. Set of 35 Techniques for Training Needs Rs. 5500/- Assessment

18. Procedure for Disciplinary Actions and Rs. 2000/- Domestic Enquiry with Illustrations

4. Climate Survey/Employee Satisfaction Survey Rs. 2000/-Questionnaire (For Executives + Workers)

19. Workers Will & Skill Mapping Procedures Rs. 5000/-& Instruments

5. Recruitment Procedure Rs. 2000/-

20. Management & Supervisory Development Rs. 1500/- Programmes Design for 60 Topics (Programme Objective & Contents Outline)

6. KRA & Competency based Rs. 5000/- Performance Management System

21. Workers Behavioral & Performance Improvement Rs. 1500/- Programmes Design for 51 Topics (Programme Contents Outline & Programme Outcome)

7. 360 Degree Feedback Questionnaire Rs. 3000/- & Procedures

22. Workers Technical Training Course Design for 64 Topics Rs. 1500/- on Mechanical, Electrical, Welding, Refrigeration & Air conditioning. (Programme Contents Outline)

8. Set of 10 Total Employee Involvement Tools Rs. 3000/- 23. Measuring Impact of Training in Terms of Rs. 5500/- Learning, Application, Results and ROI

9. Induction Scheme Rs. 2000/-

24. Implementing Balanced Scorecard Rs. 5500/-

10. Survey Procedures with Illustration for Rs. 3500/- calculating Workers Need based Fair Wages

25. Implementing Mentoring Scheme Rs. 5500/-

11. Set of Job Descriptions for 233 Positions Rs. 5500/-

26. Implementing 5S Rs. 2500/-

12. Competency Mapping Procedures & Rs. 5500/- Instruments

27. Ideal Draft Standing Orders Rs. 2500/-

13. Exit Interview Procedure Rs. 1000/-

28.

TQM Tool Kit (Packed with 127 TQM Tools) Rs. 7500/-

14. Toyota Performance Management System Rs. 5500/-

29. Model HR Policies & Systems Rs.25000/-

15. Performance Linked Wage Increment Rs. 5000/- System for Factory Workers

30. Stay Interview Procedure Rs. 3000/-

Meticulously Designed, Applied & Proven, Ready to Use Hard Copy HR Tools

ASSESSMENT CENTRE

(at your site)

Want to assess potentials or promotability of your employees (Workers/ Support Staff/ Supervisors & Front line Executives)? And looking for external help for an objective assessment through Assessment Centre? If yes, just give us a call

If you need Expertise for

CCOMPETENCY MAPPING

&

PPerformance Management System,

we are here to provide you complete package!!!

Page - 5


ISTD Awarded Books, Authored by Dr R K Sahu Your association in our OD intervention, Performance

Management System, Diagnostic Studies & Competency Mapping/ Skill Mapping exercises have definitely helped us in nurturing a culture of Commitment & Superior

- Meghnath Mukherjee, GM- ER

Hindustan Unilever

We appreciate the Quality & Methodology applied by you for designing & conducting Assessment Centre. We are fully satisfied with the outcome & recommendations based

- Avinash Mishra, GM-HR

Godrej

June

201

5 � 4

5

PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS

(HARD COPY) (For Recruitment, Development, Career Planning etc)

1. MAP (Multi-dimensional Assessment of Personality (English)

Rs. 9500/-

2. MAP (Multi-dimensional Assessment of Personality (Hindi)

Rs. 9500/-

3. 16 PF Personality Test (English) Rs. 9500/- 4. 16 PF Personality Test (Hindi) Rs. 9500/- 5. Workers Personality Test (Hindi) Rs. 9500/- 6. Managerial Ability Test (English) Rs. 9500/- 7. Set of Psychometric Tests for Recruitment (English) Rs. 5500/- 8. Emotional Maturity Test (English) Rs. 4500/- 9. Emotional Maturity Test (Hindi) Rs. 4500/- 10. Training / Teaching Aptitude Test (English) Rs. 4500/- 11. Managerial Creativity Test (English) Rs. 1500/- 12. Organizational Commitment Test (English) Rs. 500/- 13. Organizational Commitment Test (Hindi) Rs. 500/- 14. Achievement Motivation Test (English) Rs. 4500/- 15. Achievement Motivation Test (Hindi) Rs. 4500/- 16. IQ & Analytical Ability Test for Executives (English) Rs. 3000/- 17. Mental Ability & Intelligence Test for Workers

(English) Rs. 3000/-

18. Mental Ability & Intelligence Test for Workers (Hindi)

Rs. 3000/-

TETECHNICAL TRADE TESTS (HARD COPY)

(Paper & Pencil, Objective Type, 30 to 60 Minutes each test) @ Rs.3000/- per Test (for each Hindi as well as English Version)

for the following Trades:

I. For Workers (Hindi / English)

1. Machinist 2. Machinist(Grinder) 3. Diesel Mechanic 4. Pump Mechanic 5. Electrician 6. Wireman 7. Electronics 8. Fitter 9. Welder 10. Welder (Helper) 11. Instrument Mechanic 12. Turner 13. Sheet Metal Worker 14. Crane Operator 15. Rigger 16. Plumber 17. Carpenter 18. Draughtsman (Civil) 19. Surveyor 20. Mason 21. Laboratory Assistant (Chemical Plant)

II. For Engineers ( English)

1. Mechanical 2. Electrical

For more details, please mail at: [email protected] [email protected]

DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMMES (DLP)

(FOR HR PROFESSIONALS / EXECUTIVES)

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMMES (Duration: 3 months each Course Fee: Rs. 4800 each) 1. Cost Reduction through Total Employee Involvement

2. 360 Degree Feedback System

3. Certified Recruiter

4. Certified OD Practitioner

5. Domestic Enquiry & Disciplinary Actions

6. Assessment Centre

7. Implementing 5S & KAIZEN

8. Psychometric Testing

9. Balanced Scorecard

10. Mentoring & Coaching

11. KRA & Competency based Performance Management System

12. Competency Mapping

13. Measuring Impact of Training

14. Training Needs Assessment

15. Manpower Planning

DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES (Duration: 6 months each Course Fee: Rs. 9000 each) 1. Managing Training Function 2. HR Policies & Systems 3. Certified Management Consultant & Trainer

1. Highly subsidized Fee 2. Practical, ready to use Inputs, Tools & Instruments

with Study Materials 3. e-Guidance by Practitioner Trainers 4. Award of Certificate based on Distance Assignment

Evaluation 5. Rotating Programmes (You can enrol yourself anytime)

For e- Brochure & details, please mail at: [email protected] [email protected]

Yo u ge t Unique Benefits :

Page - 6

Advanced Diploma in Applied HRM [Duration: 15 months (extendable upto 3 years) Fee: Rs.28,500/-]

You may enrol in any 10 of Certificate Programmes and 1 Diploma Programme together at 50% discounted Fee of just Rs. 28,500/- only. (Standard Fee comes to Rs. 57,000/-) Your Triple Benefits: 1. 50% Discounted Fee

2. Extendable Time Line upto 3 years for Completing the Programme

3. Get Advanced Diploma in Applied HRM + Certificate & Diploma also for each individual programme

46 �

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We give you the complete Package from

Designing to Implementing

Integrated HR Policies & Systems.

Such as:

Mission, Vision & Values

Organisation Structure

Role & Responsibilities

Code of Conduct

Recruitment Procedure

Employee Referral Scheme

Induction Scheme

Performance Management System

Career Growth & Succession Plan

Reward Systems

Performance linked Salary Structure

Employee Engagement

Competency Mapping

Total Employee Involvement (TEI) Tools

Training & Development System

Mentoring Scheme

Team Building Mechanism

Leave & Attendance

Relocation / Transfer Policy

Travel Policy

Management Communication to Employees

Productive Employee Welfare

Exit Interview

Full & Final Settlement Procedure

Delegation of Authority for HR Systems

HR Manual (Compiling all HR Policies & Systems)

Integrated HR Systems

1. Coaching for HR Professionals

2. Retainership for HR Advisory Services

3. Organizational Diagnostic Studies

4. Employee Satisfaction Survey

5. Employee Engagement Survey

6. Executive Salary Survey

7. Workers Wage Survey

8. Workers Cost of Living Survey

Other HR Services

Are you going for Long Term

Settlement (LTS) with your

Workmen/Union ?

HRD for better IR/ ER

Just apply any or all of the following, pro-active and preparatory services to make your life easy: 1. Union Leaders Workshop in Hindi

2. Attitudinal Training for Workmen in Hindi

3. Workmen Wage Survey (Comparable Industries of

your choice)

4. Workmen Cost of Living Survey (at the Locality/

Town where your Workmen reside)

5. Innovativ

increments with their Productivity, Skills,

Attendance, Discipline etc. as a part of LTS.

6. Managers Training on Negotiation Skills for LTS

Page -7


Stop a minute, we are here to support

Ju

ne 2

015

� 4

7

A.C.C. ABB Abhishek Industries Aditya Cement Alfa Drugs Alstom Aludecor Ambuja Cement AMW Anand Lescuyer ANDS LITE Annakut Asahi Glass Asian Paints B.V. Bio -corp bajaj Group BALCO Balrampur Chini Balmer Lawrie Van Leer Base Corporation Bausch & Lomb BCCL Becton Dickinson BEL Bharat Serums Bharat Petroleum Bharat Starch Bharti Teletech BILT Birla Cellulosic Birla Cement Bongaigaon Refinery Britannia Carpo Electronoics CDBL Century Paper

Cornell Overseas Coal India Coca Cola Control Switchgears Daurala Sugar DCM Delphi Denso India Dewan Textile Dhampur Sugar DPCL DS Group Dwarikesh Sugar Eastman Industries EDCIL Eicher Motors EID Parry Enexo Tech ESS AAR Ester Industries Eureka Forbes Federal Mogul Finolex Frontier Springs Gangol GGCL GHCL GIET Groz - Backert GKN Shaft Globus Spirits Goa Shipyard Godrej Gulbrandsen Hamdard Labs. Heinz India

Hero MotoCorp HINDALCO Hindustan Petroleum Hindustan Unilever Hindustan Zinc HLL Lifecare Humboldt Wedag Hyderabad Inds. ICI India IMFA Group Ind sphinx India Glycols India Gypsum India Thermit Indian Oil Corp. Indo Gulf Ingersoll Rand Inox Wind ITC ITCOL J.K. Corp. Jamna Auto JBM JCBL Jindal Steel & Power JK Cements Johnson & Johnson Jubliant Jyoti CNC Kadvani Forge Kanoria Chemical Kansai Nerolac Kesar Enterprises Kanpur Plastipack KRIBHCO Krishna Maruti

Lafarge Laxmi Precison LML Lohia Group Loroy Somer Lupin Luxor Magotteaux Maihar Cement Mark Auto Max India Metso Minerals METZELER MICO Micromatic Minda Autogas Minda EMER Mindarika Mitshubishi MLDC Modern Woollens Modipon Mondelez (Cadbury) Monnet Ispat Moser Baer Motherson Sumi Murugappa Group NALCO Naraingarh Sugar National Fertilizers Neolite ZKW Nepal Unilever Netafim Irrigation New Holland NGK Spark Plugs NHK Spring

NHPC NTPC OKAYA Oil India OLAM Ordnance Factory Orient Papers Oriental Carbon Panacea Biotec Panasonic India Paradeep Phosphates Paramount Parle Products Pashupati Acrylon PEPSICO Pernod Ricard Polyplex Corporation PPAP PPCL Priya Cement Radhe Group Raj WestPower Rampur Distillery Ranbaxy Reliance Industries Reymond Rico Auto RMA Roca Bathroom Rockman Industries Roulunds Ruchi Soya Satna Cement Saudhar Locking Seamec Shaw Wallace

Shivam Autotech Shree Renuka Sugar Sleepwell SMC Pneumaties Smithkline Sona Koyo SOS SRF Star Paper Satyam Auto Surat Electricity Surya Roshni SUZLON T S Tech Sun TATA MOTORS TATA Sponge Thomson Press Threads India Tafe Motors Torrent Pharma Triveni Engg. U.B.Group U.P. Jal Nigam Ultra Tech Uni Parts United Riceland Utility Powertech Vashisti Detergents Vikram Cement VIP Industries Voith Welspun Syntex Whirlpool Wockhardt Yash Papers Zeco Aircon

OUR TRACK RECORD No. 1 Companies used our Training to build the Culture of Commitment & Productivity.

Hindustan Unilever No. 1 in FMCG 16500 Mandays Training HINDALCO No. 1 in Aluminum 3600 Mandays Training TATA MOTORS No. 1 in Commercial Vehicles 3525 Mandays Training Lafarge World No.1 in Cement 3400 Mandays Training GGCL (British Gas) No. 1 in Gas distribution 2250 Mandays Training United Spirits World No. 1 in IMFL 1825 Mandays Training Hero MotoCorp World No.1 in Two Wheelers 1220 Mandays Training Nepal Unilever No.1 Company of Nepal 850 Mandays Training Indian Oil Corporation No.1 in Petro 800 Mandays Training Ruchi Soya Industries No.1 in Edible Oil 750 Mandays Training

" Your Training on Cost Reduction has helped us discover and uncover the magical changes, which we never thought of" - Mr. Sanjay Mishra,GM HR, Panacea Biotech " Software on Performance Management System provided by you has worked very well. It literally proved as a true measure and tool of judging the Performance of

Managers & Positive results are coming out from this" - Mr. R C Singhal, Chief Executive, The Seksaria Biswan Sugar Factory " Your association in our OD interventions, Performance Management, Diagnostic Studies and Competency / Skill Mapping Exercises have definitely helped us in nurturing

a culture of commitment & superior performance " - Mr. Meghnath Mukherjee, GM - ER, Hindustan Unilever Ltd. " - Mr. Ashok Swami, Corp. Head - Finance, IND -SPHINX " We appreciate the Quality & Methodology applied by you for Designing & Conducting Assessment Centre to evaluate the suitability of our employees for their

promotion. We are fully satisfied with the outcome & recommendations based on the above Assessment Centre conducted by you" - Mr. Avinash Mishra, GM (P & A),

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, " relevant to their job & life and were

well imbibed by all the participants" - Mr. S K Sinha, GM - HR, Leroy Somer & Controls India " vidual improvement process and Team

working. Employees look to be motivated" - Mr. Pranav Srivastava, Unit Head, Metso Minerals " Excellent content backed by practical examples representing different types of industry scenarios & practices. Thank you ! " - Ms. Nanaki Singh, GM - Special Initiatives , Fortis

Healthcare " The Programme conducted by Dr. Sahu on Competency Mapping is really useful for Organizational Development " - Mr. Rajendra Singh,Sr. Manager - Corp. Head - HR, Eureka

Forbes " The workshop was good, the material is very useful from the point of view of application" - Ms. Priti Priyadarshini , Manager - T & D, JBM Ltd.

- Mr. A C Verma, Unit HR Head, Ambuja Cement

Our Clients include FORTUNE 500 Companies, MULTINATIONALS and leading Indian Organizations,

such as:

SOME RESPONSES

[email protected] [email protected]

Dr R K Sahu (09818300668) Ms Pragya Bharti (07827633469)

Human Resource Development Centre

D - 88, 2nd Floor, Lajpat Nagar, PART 1, New Delhi 110024 (INDIA) Phone: +91-11- 29816980 / 81 / 82 Website : www.hrdc.in

19 YEARS IN HRD MISSION

Page - 8

48 �

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GLOBAL CSR

Facts, statistics, practices, perspectives and more...

Corporate socialresponsibility: A business imperative

World's most generousorganizationsIndia has climbed 24 places in a global league ranking countries

by generosity, according to a report released today by Charities

Aid Foundation, an international charity which

promotes giving.

The United States and Myanmar were found to be

the most generous countries in the world, followed

by Canada, Ireland and New Zealand.

The next five most generous countries were Australia,

Malaysia and the UK (in joint seventh), Sri Lanka

and Trinidad and Tobago respectively.

Yemen shares the last position on the index with

Venezuela just above them.

Only five countries in the top twenty are members of

the G20, Eleven G20 countries are outside the Top

50 and three of these are outside the Top 100.

Source: http://www.cafindia.org

Microsoft

Google

The Walt Disney Company

BMW

Apple

Daimler (Mercedes Benz)

Volkswagen

Sony

Colgate-Palmolive

LEGO Group

Source: Forbes.com

10compan i e sthat ace CSR

For more than 30 years, Microsoft has also hosted itsEmployee Giving Campaign, a tradition of more than 300fundraising events for favourite non-profits of employees.As a good corporate citizen, Disney was supported by 50per cent of surveyed consumers for its dedication to goodcauses, environmental protection and respectful workplaces.TOMS' profound corporate responsibility is the inspirationof children in need from around the world. The company'smotto, "One for One," reflects its mission to give a new pairof shoes to a child in need for every pair of shoes purchased.

Source: growyourgiving.org

DID YOU KNOW

It all started….The 1950s saw the start of the modern

era of CSR when it was more commonly

known as SR or social responsibility.

In 1953, Howard Bowen published his

book, Social Responsibilities of the

Businessman, and is largely credited

with coining the phrase 'corporate

social responsibility' and is perhaps the

Father of CSR.

A new research shows that corporate

social responsibility (CSR) have

reportedly traces its roots to the early

years of the 20th century.

��

��


A

The benefits of an effective CSR approach to an organization are

multidimensional. Realizing this, companies have started proactively

investing in CSR so as to build an engaging work culture and instill a

sense of contributing to a cause much larger than the individual.

CSR strategy aiming to offer clearbenefits to the organization and createa positive impact on the well-being ofthe society, needs to be designedaround integrity, sound values and

long-term approach. Although with the passageof the Companies Act 2013, the mandate forCSR has been formally introduced to thescorecards of many organizations. Yet, thesocially responsible corporates have beencontinuously engaging and promoting positivesocial & environmental change aroundthemselves since long, as they realized it to bethe only way for creating value sustainably.This realization was derived by the leaders ofthese organizations who looked ahead in thefuture and rightly moved away from beingphilanthropic to being 'communitydevelopment & empowerment' oriented.

The Leadership and the HR function serveas key partners in assisting the organization inboth developing and implementing a sustainablestrategy. The HR leaders can influence threeprimary standards of CSR - employmentpractices, ethics and community involvement -by building a culture of giving back.Organizations with such powerful socialconscience and sense of responsibility furtherinculcate an environment of sustainability, byaligning its practices and policies with the CSRgoals. The term 'Green HRM' has emerged


BY ARMAN CHAUDHARY

Championing

CSR initiatives


sustainability as a key tenet of thecorporate strategy and operations.

Hence, there are numerousopportunities present across theproject lifecycle for real estatedevelopers to constantly analyze,assess and deploy initiatives that worktowards mitigating the adverseimpact of construction activities onthe environment and health & safetyof the residents as well as theneighbourhoods. Here, HR has totake the lead in employing andtraining human capital which isaligned to this mandate of creating aresponsible organization.

Emaar MGF, being a responsiblecorporate entity built the concept ofSocial Responsibility into its corebusiness model during the inceptionstage and ensured it was focused ontouching and improving lives acrossall communities it operated in.Accordingly, the company stated itsMission statement wanting "TO BERECOGNIZED AS A RESPONSIBLECORPORATE CITIZEN" as a messageto all its employees and externalstakeholders.

The Leadership team at EmaarMGF has mandated the HRfunctionality to foster an effectiveengaging culture within theorganization, channelizing thisenergy generated towards those whoare lesser privileged than us. But,more importantly, we aim atempowering all our stakeholders toenable them in creating value forthem as well as for the larger cause.This would, in effect, initiate a chain

from these companies engaging inpolicies promoting the optimumutilization of resources withinbusiness, thereby upholding thecause of environmental sustainability.The HR leaders play a major role informulating & driving sustainable HRprocedures & practices by engagingemployees through training, anddesigning company's culture thatreflects equity, development & well-being; thus contributing to the long-term health and sustainability of bothinternal employees and externalcommunities.

CSR influences economic,environmental and social factors ina variety of ways; there is no "onesize fits all" approach. An effectiveLeadership considers and ensuresalignment of the CSR strategy withthe organization's business strategy,core competence and sustainabilityof impact. The benefits of aneffective CSR approach to anorganization are multidimensionaland realizing this, companies havestarted proactively investing in CSRso as to build an engaging work

culture and instill a sense ofcontributing to a cause much largerthan individual.

It's a known fact that the RealEstate sector is one of the primarydrivers of economic growth of anation. Considering the scale ofoperations, the labour-intense natureand the way it impacts the life ofpeople associated, be it customers,land owners, contractors orstakeholders, it is imperative for HRfunction to take onus of creatingopportunities, at every stage, to touchmany lives positively. Whereaspremium construction andimpeccable maintenance ofproperties would certainly be keyfocus areas, social upliftment anddevelopmental initiatives must notbe ignored or done just as acorporate formality.

This transformation can quitesimply be brought about byemploying resources like land, capitaland people to develop projectswhich, in turn will create townships/developments for residential,commercial and recreationalpurposes. These projects apart fromproviding a good return oninvestment and generating a regularincome for the resources employed,also create a multiplier effect onensuring an overall development ofthe region. When this effect issynchronized with constructionactivities as per the Green Buildingguidelines, it gradually integrates



reaction of promoting sociallyresponsible behavior by thecommunity the organization isaffianced with.

Carrying forward on its envisagedpath, the company augmented therealty space by introducing master-planned projects having elegantdesign themes and premium qualityof construction. These projects wereplanned to create community spacesin eco-friendly settings having highperformance buildings in accordancewith Green Building rating systemslike LEED India by IGBC (IndianGreen Building Council) and GRIHAby TERI, MNRE and ADaRSH.Additionally, the integrated townshipsbeing developed by the companysynchronized commercial, residentialand recreational properties in thesame vicinity, leading to a betterwork-life balance for its inhabitants.These ideologies of a sustainable &balanced lifestyle are also promotedwithin the company amongst all ouremployees.

Emaar MGF is committed to giveback a humble part of what it takesfrom the society, especially in areasencompassing our communities. Tostrike a balance between privateproperty development and the largerpublic interest, we proactivelyaligned our CSR goals with businessactivities and processes aimingtowards long-term strategic growthand development. The social andenvironmental goals have beenprioritized by incorporating them atthe corporate policy level.

For fulfilling its environmentalgoals, the HR function hasformulated an Environment Policyguiding our operations anddemonstrating the commitment toconduct business in a responsiblemanner. The Quality Assurance &Quality Control Policy is prepared toensure optimum utilization of theresources while delivering thepremium quality that our brand isrecognized for. Whereas, the Health,Safety and Environment Policy guidesour efforts towards maintaining thesafety and well-being of theconstruction workforce employed atour project sites.

We continuously strive to be an

entity that is socially committed byvaluing & encouraging volunteeringand participation by our employeesin various initiatives under EMCARE(Emaar MGF Community of Awareand Responsible Employees). Weconsider both individual initiative andjoint participation by our workforceas key elements of our CSR Visiontowards contributing in resolvingsocial issues and pursue therealization of a prosperous society.

Emaar MGF conducts a yearlyCSR campaign 'Gift a Smile'. Underthis campaign, our employees acrossall regions contribute wholeheartedly by selecting, buying andpacking goodies and usable items;wrapping them nicely. These giftsare then handed over to theconstruction workers employed atour sites and their kids to bring hugesmiles on their faces. Also, underGift a Smile campaign, we haveprovided 35,000 blankets to thesesite workers over the years, helpingthem face the extreme weatherconditions.

We also recognize another aspectof being socially responsible is tobuild tomorrow's future by layingthe foundation for today's children.Resultantly, we run Mobile Crèchesfor the children of constructionworkforce employed at our projectsites, providing them witheducational, nutritional and healthfacilities. Health awareness andcheckup camps are also conductedat our sites periodically, in our bid tocreate a sustainable and healthyworkforce. This provides an impetusto the labourers in contributingoptimally to the constructionactivities.

Besides this, the Company is alsoconducting Blood Donation Campswhere employees are encouraged todonate blood, as we consider itequivalent to giving a new lease oflife to the needy. Last year, wecelebrated the 'Joy of Giving' weekby organizing a blood donationcamp, aiming our efforts towardspresenting people with the gift oflife. Emaar MGF has also carried outTree Plantation drives whereemployees and various stakeholdershave been actively engaged in

With a rich experience of over 12 years

and an expertise in Human Resource

systems and processes, Arman

Chaudhary - Head HR, Emaar MGF is a

hands-on leader who proficiently leads

teams and keeps them focused and

productive beyond the usual. Prior to

Emaar MGF, he has worked with DLF

Limited and Tata Power DDL where he

contributed immensely towards

building a high performance

environment. His holds a Bachelor of

Business Administration degree from

IMSAR and an MBA in HR from Fore

School of Management.

Arman ChaudharyHead – HR, Emaar MGF Land



HC

planting saplings and taking care ofthem.

Moreover, an innovative CSRevent 'Pose for Cause' was designedand conducted by us, wherein allthe employees were invited to gettheir portfolio clicked by professionalphotographers with a minimalamount as the donation. The totalamount collected was donated toSkillShare, an International Trust tofund 'Underprivileged Youth MobileSchool' by partnering with multipleNGOs.

We also found a way to engageour workforce into becoming moreresponsible towards health and safetyof themselves as well as peoplearound them. First responseworkshops for medical emergencieswere conducted and delivered byprofessional experts, teachingindividuals to respond to preliminaryrequirements for managing variouscontingency situations. Awarenesssessions on recycling ofbiodegradable and recyclable homewastes have also been organized foremployees encouraging them toadopt eco-friendly practices at homealongside propagating these in theirown community.

The organization has also beensensitive to the various naturalcalamities faced by our nationcausing immense loss to life andproperty, like floods in Odisha,Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir.We contributed to various relief fundsin cash and kind in our bid tosupport these causes.

As far as the social equity aspectof CSR is concerned, fairness hasbeen reflected in our hiring andemployment policies by promotingmeasures like gender diversity, payparity, job satisfaction, no childlabour, long retention periods, etc.We have always been transparent indisclosing sustainability practices andcorporate performance to ourstakeholders by communicating andshowcasing the initiatives online,from time to time.

These activities attempt tohighlight the impact of HR function'srole in fostering a socially-engagingwork culture for the greater good.Going ahead, as a conscientious realestate organization, we would aim atproviding impetus to our CSR goalsand policy practices by aligning themfurther with government-mandatedguidelines. Accordingly, our HR

practices will be streamlined to adoptupdated operating principles underour CSR policy guided byenvironmental sustainability, socialand community interests, ethicalissues and our business partnerships.

Performance with Purposearticulates the belief of ouremployees as our businesses areintrinsically connected to thecommunity and world surroundingus. At Emaar MGF, we're committedto 'Performance with Purpose' -achieving business and financialsuccess while simultaneously leavinga positive imprint on the society.

In conclusion, I would like toreiterate that by becoming a goodcorporate citizen, an organizationcan substantially improve itscompetitive edge with respect toattracting and retaining investors,clients and employees. Consequently,it is paramount for HR leaders oftoday and tomorrow to ensure thatcompanies go beyond complianceand a 'tick-box' exercise, to goodcorporate citizenship andsustainability for uninterruptedgrowth and development.

Note: The views of the spokespersonare personal.

A

Developing a s Management Guru, PeterDrucker once said - 'Whatgets planned, gets done.' Toachieve any goal, we need

a strategy that gets everyone in theorganization heading in the rightdirection in the right time andensures that resources are mobilizedefficiently.Similarly while designing a CSRstrategy it is pivotal that -� The senior leadership and themanagement committed to the CSRinitiatives and engage in it� Determine top three businessobjectives and priorities of thecompany and develop CSR strategythat will contribute to theachievement of those businessobjectives� Align CSR strategy with the

company's core competencies� Fully imbibe CSR into thecompany culture, governance andstrategy development efforts of thecompany, and into existingperformance systems� Develop clear performancemetrics to measure the impact ofCSR initiatives� Communication of the CSRstrategies of the company

Raymond as an organization hasalways been socially responsible andhas displayed relentless commitmentto contribute towards the welfareand social upliftment of thecommunity. Giving is a way of life atRaymond and the thought is deeplyingrained in the company'sphilosophy. Through our numerousunique CSR endeavors, the



CSR strategyAn effective CSR strategy creates employee engagement,innovation, and collaboration. Therefore, it is critical thatorganizations focus on how to build an effective CSRstrategy that focuses on truly co-creating value for thebusiness and society.

BY GEETHA GHANEKAR

organization has been consistentlycontributing in creating an inclusivesociety.

Dr. Vijaypat Singhania, ChairmanEmeritus, Raymond Limited is theinspirational force behind notableCSR initiatives such as JK TrustGram Vikas Yojana, RaymondRehabilitation Centre, SkilledTailoring Institue by Raymond andthe Singhania Schools. Dr Singhaniaand Gautam Singhania, Chairman

and Managing Director RaymondLimited provide guidance on a timelybasis so as to ensure that theinitiatives benefit the society. Overthe years, these initiatives havebenefited millions of lives and havebecome an intrinsic part of theorganization.

While there are several avenuesfor contribution, it is important foran organisation to pick specific areasthat are in alignment with its


corporate mission and purpose. ForRaymond's CSR initiatives the focusof our effort in this direction revolvesaround Education, Employment andSocial Upliftment.

At an organization level, weengage in strategic initiatives thatimpact sections of the society. At theat the grassroot level, employees areengaged in ensuring that we adaptsustainable manufacturing practicesand are at all times an environmentconscious organisation. We areextremely conscious of our carbonfootprint and have continuouslychallenged our manufacturing unitsto come up with innovative andeffective ways to manage affluentdischarge and all forms ofpollutants and optimizeconsumption of water andpower. The Raymond Grouphas conceptualized 4 keyinitiatives that enable inbuilding a bettertomorrow.

JK Trust Gram Vikas YojanaWith the objective of transfer of thetechnical expertise gained over threedecades to the grass-root level, J. K.Trust Gram Yojana (JKTGVY) waslaunched in 1997. The mission ofJKTGVY is to significantly improvethe quality of life in India's ruralareas through a "Cattle BreedImprovement Program" (CBIP) thatachieves the following goals -� Reducing Infant Mortality andMalnutrition: Surplus milk generated

by high milk yielding cows helps toreduce infant mortality (especiallycaused in age group of less than 12months) and reducing malnutritionamong children.� Creating Employment: To provideemployment opportunities for ruraleducated unemployed youth.� Alleviating Poverty: Increasedmilk production by encouragingparticipation of farmers, effectivelysupplementing their income by sale

of surplus milk.

Skilled Tailoring Instituteby RaymondSkilled Tailoring Institute by Raymondis a Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) initiative designed toacknowledge the work of unsungheroes and contributors, who havebeen working behind the curtains allover the country to build the greatsuccess story of Raymond. It is acommon belief that great fabrics canbe made only into great garments

Geethaa Ghaneckar, Director – CHRO

Lifestyle Business (Textiles, Apparel,

Retail and Garmenting) has a career

spanning over 22 years. She has been

associated with Raymond for more

than five years and has contributed

significantly in her role both as Head of

Corporate Learning & OD team and as

CHRO for Lifestyle business. An

Economics graduate with an MBA in

Marketing, she started as a marketing

professional with Aptech Limited. She

has also worked with MANFORD

(Management Foundation for

Organizational Research and

Development), RPG group and AIG

before joining Raymond in 2009.

Geetha GhanekarDirector – CHRO Lifestyle Business

Raymond Limited



t a k e a w a y s

� The senior leadership and the management of an organization be should committed to

the CSR initiatives and engage in it whole heartedly.

� It is critical to determine the top three business objectives and priorities of the

company and develop a CSR strategy that will contribute to the achievement of those

business objectives.

� It is equally vital to align the CSR strategy with the company’s core competencies.

� Organizations must fully imbibe CSR into the company culture, governance and strategy

development efforts of the company, and into the existing performance systems.

� It is essential to develop clear performance metrics to measure the impact of the CSR

initiatives and also communicate the CSR strategies of the company.

HC

by great tailors and these tailorscommunity are among the worst hitby inflation and modernization in thecurrent scenario.

The Raymond Tailoring Initiativeholds the vision of imparting trainingskills to the unemployed,underprivileged youth as well as theexisting tailoring community, byupgrading their current skill set andencouraging employment &entrepreneurship to upgrade theirproduct in terms of finish and style,earn more revenue thereby improvetheir status in the society. Womenand modern youth are our majortarget audience. Its objective is toinculcate a sense of empowermentamong them by helping them grabbetter employment opportunitiesand encourage entrepreneurialventures.

The focus of the initiative is ontraining unemployed youth, women,minority community and lesserprivileged sections of the society inthe art and science of tailoring.

Raymond plans to launch 20more centres across the country inthe next five years in a phasedmanner and train over 10,000students.

Raymond rehabilitationcentreThe Raymond Rehabilitation Centrefocuses on welfare of under-privileged children and wasset up in,2006 at Jekegram, Thane. The centrewas inaugurated by Dr. VijaypatSinghania and is the result ofinitiatives taken by him as part ofother similar projects for the welfareof common man, under the aegis ofthe Sheriff of Mumbai.

With an intention of making lesserfortunate children independent andself-sufficient in life, the centreprovides free vocational trainingworkshops to young boys and girlsover the age of 16 years. The three-month vocational courses compriseof basic training in electrical, air-conditioning & refrigeration courses,tyre puncture and repair, plumbingetc. There are two 2 RaymondRehabilitation centres based in Thaneand Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh.

At the end of the training period,

these children are awardedcertificates and a tool-kit, makingthem independent to start practicingthe skills acquired from the centre.These courses are conducted by thefinest faculty from Industrial TrainingInstitutes (ITI), set up under theDirectorate of Vocational Educationand Industrial Training, Governmentof Maharashtra. The Centre worksin close association with select NGOsfor the vocational training courses.

Singhania schoolsIn order to impart high qualityeducation with emphasis on valuesthe group has founded three schools.

The motto of the school is to"Provide Equal Opportunities to allso that they can rise to their fullestpotential."� Smt. Sulochanadevi SinghaniaHigh School in Thane that wasestablished in 1968: Smt.Sulochanadevi Singhania School isranked 5th in the All India Rankingof Day Schools across India. It isalso ranked 2nd best school inMaharashtra and 2nd in Mumbai andan All India Ranking of No. 1 inSchool Leadership / Management

and for co-curricular Education. Aproud recipient of the 'InternationalSchool Award' by the British Council,twice in succession of 6 years, forgiving a global dimension to thecurriculum and pedagogy.� Lala Kailashpat Singhania Schoolin Chhindwara that was establishedin 1994 in Chhindwara district,Mandhya Pradesh. Its mission is toprovide quality education not onlyto the Raymond employees' children,but also to the children of the localpopulace who were yearning for anopportunity to get quality educationin this remote region.� Dr. Vijaypat Singhania School wasfounded in 2014 at Vapi, Gujarat withstate of the art facilities for providingvaried learning experiences forchildren in and outside theclassrooms.

While all our CSR initiatives areconceptualized to benefit diversesections of the society, they are builton the core principal of inclusiveness.Our CSR philosophy is driven by thevision of creating opportunities forvarious communities of the societyso as to create a better tomorrowfor our country.


Mohit JamesDirector - HR, L'Oréal India

L'

Beautiful beginningsat L'Oreal

BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA

Oreal has always been passionate aboutCorporate Social Responsibility. In fact, it stronglybelieves in sharing growth, which is one of themain themes underlying L'Oréal's commitment

to its community. The group is dedicated to itssurrounding communities, by creating useful projectsthat meet real social needs and are consistent withL'Oréal's activities. The L'Oréal Foundation embodiesthe willingness of the group always to commit itself tosocial causes, based on two fields of expertise: scienceand beauty.

HC: What is your take on the CSR Act 2013 and thework done under the Act since it came into effect inApril this year? How significant is the Act for India?

MJ: The CSR Act of 2013 hasbrought a sense of responsibilityto companies and has even listedout a wide range of activitieswhich they can undertake.Corporates are now taking upmore deeds to promoteeducation, gender fairness,women empowerment, health,environmental sustainability,etc. The law is noteworthybecause India is at the verge ofdemographic dividend, and thereis an urgent need fordevelopment and acceleration of

human and physicalresources. CSR will not only

increase availability offunds for welfareactivities but also lead

to delivery of goodsand services to the

people in a cost-effective manner.CSR is relevant inbusiness for allsocieties, and

THE OTHER SIDE OF CSRIII

particularly for India where there are limited resourcesmaking the process of sustainable development morechallenging.

HC: Have organizations been able to truly workunconditionally towards improving the society atlarge? Or do we still have a long way to go?MJ: Prior to the CSR Act, organizations used to voluntarilymake donations and work towards civic progress. TheCSR rule further acts as a reminder so that companiesmandatorily continue their efforts. Though we have along way to go, the journey has already begun. As far asdonations are concerned, they are beneficial for our societyat large, whether done willingly or out of compulsion. AtL'Oreal India, we have been practicing CSR since the mid-2000s, which is way before the CSR Act was passed.

HC: What are some of the effective ways organizationscan implement CSR, rather than reduce it to chequephilanthropy?MJ: Companies should take up CSR as a method ofgiving back to the people; in L'Oreal India we practiceBeautiful Beginnings, where under-privileged women aregiven salon education and a complete three monthscourse with placements. This helps them to find an aimin their life and be able to take care of their familyfinancially. These kinds of CSR initiatives are way morethan just cheque philanthropy and goes on to buildcapability of individuals to make them financiallyindependent.

HC: What are some of the key challenges, CSR is facingin the India business context?MJ: The main challenge with CSR in India is getting morecorporates to take up CSR initiatives. Further on,maintaining transparency and building trust with NGOsand other organizations - which take time. Lastly,increased company interest and a not very clear CSRdescription also act as hindrances.

HC: What impact have you been able to make in thelives of people through your programs at L'Oreal India?Going by the numbers, how many lives has L'Oreal


India been able to uplift?MJ: Beautiful beginnings: The program was established in2009 with the objective of creating a livelihood by providingbeautician training to young women from disadvantagedsections of society who do not have a formal educationthat could provide a sustainable income for their families.The course enables them to be employed in existing beautysalons or set up their own beauty salons.� Number of girls trained from 2009 till December 2014:

2,400� Number of centres till 2014: 12 centres; 7 L'Oréal stand-

alone centres + 5 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs)� Percentage of girls placed: Above 90 per centFor young women in science: The program is currentlyin its 11th year. It has enabled 150 young women fromeconomically challenged sections of society, to completetheir graduation in a scientific field of their choice.Scholarships worth 3,000 Euros / Rs. 2.5 lacs are awardedto promising young women over a period of four years.In 2014 the number of scholarships given was increasedfrom 30 to 50 and the program was also expanded to theSouthern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. BesidesAndhra Pradesh and Telangana, we offer scholarships tostudents from Delhi and the National Capital Region,Karnataka and Maharashtra.

HC: How can we build strong synergies between thegovernment, corporates, NGOs and implementingagencies in order to further the growth of this nation?MJ: It is noted that only medium and large corporatehouses are involved in CSR activities, that too in selectedgeographical areas. To address the issue of reaching outto wider geographical areas, the involvement of smalland medium enterprises (SMEs) in the CSR domain isessential. For all our CSR activities, we not only sponsorthe two CSR programmes (Beautiful Beginnings and ForYoung Women In Science) but work along with the NGO(Labour Net) and other government, education institutes,small salons etc. in metros and smaller cities. CSR willbe a success only when the complete hierarchy of people,institutes and places are equally involved and each groupworks closely.

HC: Which project by the organisations do you considerthe best so far?MJ: At L'Oreal India, both our CSR initiatives have donewell - Beautiful Beginnings and For Young Women InScience.

HC: What key elements do you keep in mind whileplanning, implementing and executing any CSRproject?MJ: We focus on the following for our CSR programs:� Company benefits such as lower operating costs;

promote diversity and the ability to attract and retaintalent

� We ensure benefits to the community and the generalpublic with activities that result in womenempowerment, skill development, sustainableenvironment etc.

HC: Where does India stand when compared to theCSR work in other developed nations?MJ: Corporate Social Responsibility in India still remainswithin the charitable space, but has moved from officialbuildings to public interest through various projects. Indiahas defined CSR as a vital requirement for organisationsto take knowledge of. CSR reporting has becomemandatory which will raise the standard for the way thatIndian companies structure and implement their CSRdiscourse. However, the country needs a lot more

development. There are many loops which need to befilled such as getting access to sanitation facilities, basiceducation, women empowerment, transformation of therural India, etc.

HC: In the current scenario, which area do you thinkneeds critical attention in the society while it comesto corporate social responsibility? Why?MJ: Human resource management is one area that needsattention when it comes to corporate social responsibility.The credibility of CSR is dependent on delivery; HR isresponsible for recruitment, training and communications,on which effective delivery depends. Employees are keystakeholders in any CSR program. The more the HRpractitioner can understand their leverage with respect toCSR, the greater their ability to pass these insights alongto their business partners towards the organization'sobjectives in integrating CSR in their operations andbusiness model. In the coming years as CSR increasinglybecomes part of the business agenda, it will become anatural agenda for the HR practitioner.

HC: If given a choice mandatory CSR or voluntaryCSR, which of the two will you support? Why?MJ: Though voluntary CSR is more effective, but the newact may widen the scope of CSR for organisations. Firmsmay now be driven to diversify their areas of operationand part of population which had been left behind earlier.Many a times individuals may have the intent to contributeto CSR activities but may lack information to channelizetheir contributions a structured contribution would bea good way to mitigate this.

Human Capital in conversation with

Mohit James, Director- HR, L'Oréal

India on Corporate Social

Responsibility and how it's a way of

life making it a thrilling adventure at

L'Oreal. He delves into how

companies should take up CSR as a

method of giving back to the people.

HC



S

Human Capital in conversation with RachnaMukherjee, Chief HR, Schneider Electric Indiaon what CSR really means for SchneiderElectric, its commitment to help people changetheir lives by providing access to energy andsupport when it is most needed and what aresome of the key challenges that CSR is facingin the Indian business context.

Lighting lives with

Schneider Electric

chneider Electric India is one such organizationthat believes in lighting the lives of people it touchesthrough education, employment, electrification andemergency. Several organizations are contributing

to CSR in best possible ways; however, what Schneider isdoing is a unique way to brighten the society we live in.

HC: Have organizations been able to truly workingunconditionally towards improving the society at large?Or do we still have a long way to go?RM: Today, CSR is on the agenda of a number ofstakeholders, be it companies, governments (nationaland local), NGOs, consumer groups, investors and othersin the civil society. Business organizations across theworld are realizing the benefits of adopting sociallyresponsible behaviour. In the future CSR would requirestrategic intervention due to the impact it is expected tocreate. Increase in CSR spends and scale has made iteven more important for companies to carefully look atCSR plan and delivery.


BY SANNITA CHAKRABORTY SAHA


HC: What are some of the key challenges, CSR isfacing in the India business context?RM: CSR initiatives face many challenges in India andare often seen as deterrent to even the best-intentionedplans. Keeping in mind the current situation the top 3challenges that we might face in executing our CSRcampaigns would be:� The basic understanding of CSR: CSR should notmerely be seen as a set of activities on which mandatoryspending is required but rather CSR should include social,environmental and economic factors i.e. 'Triple BottomLine' approach and make it is core to strategic decisionmaking in organizations. Organizations need to be madeaware of such wider scope and definition of CSR.� Duplication of activities: Companies involved in CSRimplement projects mostly in the areas of health,education, environment, livelihood, disaster managementand women empowerment, to mention a few. In manysuch contexts, it's noticed that companies end upduplicating each other's efforts on similar projects inthe same geographical locations.� Lack of consensus: There is a lack of consensusamongst local agencies regarding CSR project needs andpriorities. This results in lack of mutual consent andregularly brings about duplication of exercises bycorporate houses in areas of their intervention. Thisusually results in unhealthy relationships and meaninglesscompetition. This factor limits organization's abilities toundertake impact assessment of their initiatives fromtime to time.

HC: What impact have you been able to make in thelives of people through your programs at SchneiderElectric? Going by the numbers, how many lives hasSchneider Electric been able to uplift?RM: The Schneider Electric Foundation (operational since2008) has been working towards the development ofsociety through education, employment, electrificationand emergency. The Foundation started off by supportingvarious CSR initiatives to empower the rural communitiesin order to make them get access to electricity. Graduallywe moved on to supporting a number of initiatives insectors like education, employment and

Rachna MukherjeeChief Human Resources Officer

Schneider Electric, India

Rachna Mukherjee is the Chief Human

Resources Officer of Schneider Electric,

India /Greater India. She has extensively

worked in the areas of Talent Acquisition

Management, Career/ Succession

Planning, Organization Capability and

Change Management, Leadership

Development, Employee Engagement,

Compensation, Organization Design, etc.


entrepreneurship.The Schneider Electric India Foundation is currentlyfocusing on 5 E's and creating transformation in everycorner of the country:� Education� Entrepreneurship� Employment� Electrification� Emergency

HC: How can we build strong synergies between thegovernment, corporates, NGOs and implementingagencies in order to further the growth of this nation?RM: In order to build strong synergies between thegovernment and the corporate it is critical to ensure thatCSR is not considered as an obligation but is consideredas service towards overall social development of thecountry. The new rule which makes CSR spendingmandatory for specified firms will see more plannedCSR activities from corporates and this will contributepositively towards the overall goal of economicdevelopment. Till now, a lot of corporate were doingactivities on an ad hoc basis without a long-term objectivein mind. The new ruling will change this situation andwill set in place a sustained and planned CSR campaign.This will yield a lot of positive results in the long termfor the social economic development of the nation.

HC: Which project by the organization do you considerthe best so far? Why?RM: Schneider Electric's Conserve My Planet is aparticipative educational program for the students ofclasses 5th to 7th Grade (10 -13 yrs age group) aimedtowards educating them about environmentand energy. This program hasbeen in practice

for the past three years and through this program wehave managed to train hundreds of teachers and studentsabout energy efficiency. This program has helped usreach out to budding minds who shall shape the country'sfuture and ensure that energy conservation is an utmostpriority.

HC: What key elements do you keep in mind whileplanning, implementing and executing any CSRproject?RM: At Schneider Electric, we see our CSR exercises asa means to help the society and to make our contributiontowards its overall development keeping focus on sectorslike education and employment for the needy. Since2008, The Schneider Electric India Foundation has beensupporting different CSR activities to engage the ruralcommunities with a specific end goal to make them getaccess to energy. The objective of the foundation is tohelp individuals change their lives through access tovitality. The long term mission of Schneider Electric is toempower local groups to acquire long term capabilitiesto develop and keep up access to energy solutions.Schneider Electric has always been committed to wardssocial responsibility projects and our internal processesare also streamlined in a manner such that socialresponsibility activities are a part of the training as wellas work schedules of each employee of our organization.

HC: If given a choice mandatory CSR or voluntaryCSR, which of the two will you support? Why?RM: As mentioned earlier At Schneider Electric, we viewour CSR activities as a means to help the society and tomake our contribution in the overall development. Ouraim is to help those who need that help the most andprovide to those who want it the most. I believe thatspending on CSR should be viewed as an investment andnot a spending. This is the way in which the corporateworld can assist the government and can give back tothe society in which it is operating. The corporate worldhas the required resources to undertake CSR activities



HC

and if properly planed and implemented then it canhave a great positive influence on the society.

HC: What is your take on the CSR Act 2013 and thework done under the Act since it came into effect inApril this year? How significant is the Act for India?RM: The introduction of CSR provision in the CompaniesAct is an appreciated step by the government and thecompanies which fall under the CSR criteria will need tobolster and indulge in social welfare of the general publicat large. India's new Companies Act 2013 has presenteda few new provisions which have changed the substanceof Indian corporate business. One of such new steps isCorporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The idea of CSRlays on the philosophy of give and take. Organizationstake assets in terms of human resources, raw materialand other things from the general public. With CSRactivities, the organizations are giving something back tothe general public.

The CSR system complements the endeavors of thegovernment and non-government associations byobliging organizations in India to start exercises for thewelfare of the underprivileged and for nature.Organizations can likewise hold hands to embrace CSRventures.

This act is very significant for the corporate and isconsidered to be a practical and sensible approach toimplement efforts to support a good cause in everymove made by a company. The principals and guidelinescan also be made a part of the business strategycurriculum. The company can make efforts to internallycreate awareness about ethical business practices andprinciples.

HC: Where does India stand when compared to theCSR work in other developed nations?RM: When it comes to CSR, needs of a developed,developing and under developed countries should betreated differently. Developed nations are alreadypracticing several globally recognized guidelines,framework, principles and tools. Most of the internationalguidelines largely follow the concept of sustainabilitytowards human rights, labour rights, environment andgovernance etc.

On the contrary, India is a country where one-thirdof the population is illiterate, two-thirds lack access toproper sanitation, and 400 million people still live on lessthan US$2 a day. CSR towards sustainable developmentstill remains in nascent stage as CSR is governed byclause 135 of the Companies Act which came intoexistence in 2013. However the incumbent governmenthas laid impetus on identified key areas in theheterogeneous socio economic structure e.g. skilldevelopment, sanitation etc. Socio-economic realities ofthe country still have a long way to go to match thisvision of independent India. The country presently isunder intense debate of developmental growth versuswelfare based development.

Government having set the guidelines and theavailability of auditable international certifications willsurely put India on the world map as a success story ofCSR.

HC: What are some of the effective ways organizationscan implement CSR, rather than reduce it to chequephilanthropy?RM: CSR based corporate events is one of the best waysin which CSR can be implemented. We believe that CSRbased events are here to stay and we shall gradually seemore and more organizations coming up with such eventsdue to the impact that such events are expected tocreate. Increase in CSR spends and scale has made iteven more important for companies to carefully look atCSR plan and delivery. Business organizations across theglobe are realizing the benefits of adopting sociallyresponsible behaviour and CSR inspired events are thusgaining recognition in major global organizations.


E

AligningGen-Y with CSR

BY N SUNIL KUMAR

volution is integral tohuman development. We seeit in all aspects of our lifeand through the different

lenses through which we view theworld and our role in it. Thechanging lens, perspectives andabilities are reflective in that of theway it was perceived and realized bythe generation of baby boomers tothat of Gen X and now to Gen-Y.Corporate Social Responsibility toohas come to be viewed differentlythrough these different generations.It is seen as a paradigm shift in theway it is understood and practicedby corporations all around the world.In India, it goes the extra mile giventhe mandatory nature of itsimplementation. Mandatory orotherwise, corporations do believe


that CSR and talent intersect and CSRcould impact employee attractionand retention.

Gen-Y are considered to be themost socially conscious of thegenerations and believe in being partof a workforce where they can makea larger impact. They believe anorganization is more than anorganization and are excited inknowing that their employer is takingan active role in improving thecommunities and society as a whole.A proactive, pervasive and effectivesocially conscious organizationmakes them believe that their talentand skills will truly be beneficial toway in which the organization willdo business in society and worktowards its purpose of doing largergood in society. They are constantly

looking to build their careers withorganizations that reflect this in theirvision statement and culture.

At the Royal Bank of Scotland(RBS), we are cognizant of thisstream of social consciousness andto the best of our abilities try tocreate an environment where ouryoung workforce feel they have theopportunity to grow professionallyand personally and design roles withthe opportunity to make an impactin society. We have a large workforceof Gen-Y employees who we believeare integral to our business growthand in the role we can play towardscommunity development. It is criticalfor us to channelize their socialconsciousness towards a fulfillingwork experience and aligned with theCorporate Social Responsibility

Gen-Y are considered to be the most socially conscious of the generations who believe

in being part of a workforce where they can make a larger impact. They believe an

organization is more than an organization and are excited in knowing that their

employer is taking an active role in improving the communities and society as a whole.


volunteering activity in acomprehensive and confidentmanner and one that is ensured tomake a positive impact on ground.Right engagement needs rightchannels to use the skills and talentsof the employees to the benefit ofthe project and those which canmake good learning for theemployees. Channels are created foremployees to contribute throughcash, kind and time to the best oftheir ability and the desired need ofthe project. Efforts are systemicallyput into ensure that the humancapital available is utilized to itsoptimum for fool-proof social good.These make for great experienceswhich can be replicated for largerimpact outside RBS FoundationIndia project areas as well. In thiscontext, opportunities are fosteredfor employees to create, manage andmeasure impacts of small projects.This mutually beneficial engagementhas been extremely successful inchannelizing the Gen -Y interest andabilities to realize the CSR objectivesof our organization.

Our projects are many anddiverse, for e.g. supporting ruralcommunities in Uttarakhand indeveloping a spice cultivationenterprise, to a handicraftdevelopment for the indigenous Todacommunity in Tamil Nadu toaddressing the needs of villagecommunities of Bandhavgarh TigerReserve. The methods ofengagement are very diverse.Employees may find themselvesconversing with school authorities,conducting research studies,educating children and youththrough awareness camps,developing marketing models forsmall businesses in remote areas oreven participating in a clean up drive.Over 2500 of our colleagues havebenefitted from the first handexperience of volunteering. Given thehigh knowledge and learningcomponent through theseengagement activities, our employeesfind their experiences stimulating andare always looking for more waysthan one in which they couldenhance their efforts on ground. Webelieve that good intentions can be

translated into a strong impact onground if undertaken in a guidedmanner.

Knowledge, learning and fieldexperience are components ofMHAW that work as a catalyst tostrong fulfilling impact on ground;something that we consciously tryto complement through our workculture, processes and policies aswell. Our HR policy allows 3 days ofvolunteering leave and we ensurethat our workforce is able to use thistime to their best of the abilities forRBS CSR' objectives and incementing their strong socialconsciousness towards larger goodin society. RBS Foundation Indiaprojects till now have supported91000 households and thequantitative impact is something wecontinuously track. While thenumbers tell their own story, the trueimpact of all the work we do is seenin the eyes and smiles of all the livesthat we touch, be it a beneficiary orour Gen-Y employee.

objectives of our organization.Some of the in-house surveys that

we conducted revealed to us thatour Gen- Y workforce soughtopportunity for leadership positionsin undertaking communitydevelopment work and wished toapply their professional or academicbackground when volunteering. Theywere also seeking a wide variety ofvolunteering commitments -something extraordinary, somethingdifferent. One aspect that particularlystood out of the survey respondentswas their need to know exactly howtheir time, money or action is makinga difference.

We saw this as opportunity todesign and develop a program thatwould reflect the aspirations of thisworkforce and to create anecosystem that would facilitate it ina manner that is complementary tothe CSR efforts of RBS. At RBS, ourcorporate social responsibilityinitiatives are undertaken through thework carried out by RBS FoundationIndia. They are projects that areimplemented across 11 states in Indiato help remote rural communitiestowards financial inclusion andintegrate into India's economicgrowth story. Our team worked todevelop a program that would beable to absorb the skills and talentsof our workforce in attaining theproject objectives on ground.

The program - Magic Hands AtWork (MHAW) has been designedon the premise of integrating Gen-Yaspirations with those of RBS'sobjective in contributing to largersocial good. The design frameworkis based on the principle of Enable,Create and Foster. For any employeeto volunteer, knowledge is animportant step. Employees areenabled to take on an activity byproviding them with rightknowledge. They are made aware onrelevant issues to RBS FoundationIndia projects such as poverty,women empowerment, environmentconservation, youth developmentthrough class room trainings, fieldtrips and sharing of information andexperience through mailers and adedicated newsletter. Knowledgeequips them to undertake the

As the Sustainability Head with RBS and

Director for RBS Foundation India, Mr.

Kumar oversees projects that provide

sustainable livelihoods in ecologically vital

landscapes. He has experience across

sectors including financing of agricultural

projects and rural infrastructure,

supervision of rural financial institutions,

microfinance capacity building, developing

banking and rural credit planning.

Sunil KumarHead of Sustainability, India,

Royal Bank of Scotland N.V. and Director

RBS Foundation India

HC


T

Sustainabilitythrough employeeengagement

BY ALOKA MAJUMDAR

he concept of CorporateSocial Responsibility, whichmany count as an act ofphilanthropy is not new for

Indian business houses. The biggestof conglomerates have over the lastcentury shown serious intent ingiving back to society. Therefore, thelatest legal provision mandatingcorporates to spend on the socialsector has raised many eyebrows.While the attitude towards socialspends has been well accepted, thechallenges are around approach.This is where an organizationdifferentiates itself with a focus on'sustainability'.

The sustainability movement atHSBC has gone through severalstages while evolving into what itspresent form. Over the past decade,the bank has taken initiatives which,taken together, have become a partof its ethos and define what HSBCstands for. The movement is borne


out of a deep understanding of whatreally drives businesses, and thatsustainability is not just a nicethought but is the right thing to dofor every business.

Why sustainability?For any business to sustain and growin the long term, it cannot see itselfas being isolated from thesurrounding community.Community means people and theenvironment in which we live. Whilethese two components are, in asense, universal and will be at thecentre of most sustainabilityinitiatives, there are various othercomponents as well that build thishuge canvas.

It is imperative therefore for anorganization to pick what it feels areareas where its contribution couldbe more meaningful and decide toconcentrate on those. At HSBC, thesewere the areas of (i) Education -

Corporations globally have realised that sustainability

must now be a part of core business strategy. While the

attitude towards social spends has been well accepted,

the challenges are around approach. This is where

HSBC differentiates itself with a focus on 'sustainability'.


technical expertise and knowledgethat active employee engagement canmake a very critical role and makethese activities sustainable.

For example in HSBC for everyCS initiative we do, we ensure thatit's sustainable and is run throughemployee engagement, so as toreduce dependency on externalfactors. It also leads to strongbonding within colleagues, who comeback with a sense of ownership andsocial responsibility towards theproject.For any company or organizationemployees are among the mostsignificant stakeholders. Theirunderstanding and engagement areboth critical to the success of theorganization's CS strategy. There areexamples of companies creatingnetworks of volunteers - effectivelyengaging with community partnersnear their respective location. This

concept has been producingconsistent results across

our projects. Creating a pool ofvolunteers to regularly participate inCS activities can be an effective toolto meet one's CS goals.

At HSBC we follow a two-prongedstrategy to engage a large number ofemployees through 'event basedvolunteering' while, through a skill-based volunteering effort, employeesincluding seniors offer theirspecialized skills and expertiseranging from accounts to marketing,legal, taxation and the like, and helpbuild capacity of our NGO partners.

Take for instance the annualHSBC India Bird Races event, whichis held across 14 cities where HSBChas presence. The program isconceptualized and implemented byrenowned environmentalist SunjoyMonga, allow our colleagues acrossthese locations to participate in aunique dawn-to-dusk event spottingand recording as many species ofbirds as possible in their respectivecities. The event is also open to

comprising of primary andsecondary education, financialliteracy, skills development,livelihoods and women'sempowerment and (ii) Environmentand climate change.

Corporate Sustainability (CS) canbe conveyed in three major ways:- Business practices- Investment in communities andvolunteering- Footprint management

Corporate sustainability is muchmore than mere funding of socialsector projects. The organization, inthe true spirit of partnership, needsto be an active player the CSinitiatives, which it undertakes.Alongside funding of projects,imparting technical expertise andknowledge are equally critical in thejourney towards sustainability.

It is in these areas of imparting

Stuart Milne, CEO, HSBC India, releases Olive Ridley turtles in Ganga river in Hastinapur, Uttar Pradesh


citizens at large and schools who areguided by experienced birders. Overthe years the event has resulted increating valuable data on variousspecies of birds.

Another example of a large eventis the annual Helping Hands Melaorganized during pre - Diwali /Dussera festivals across HSBC officesand branches in India. The eventprovides a platform for about 100not-for-profits across the country toshowcase and sell their products andraise funds for various causes. Acompletely branch and employeedriven initiative also sees impressiveparticipation from our customers.

The Volunteering ActionFortnight is another event that seesparticipation from thousands ofcolleagues across two weeksparticipating in a series of activitiesinvolving a wide range of causes suchas education, house building, old age,physically challenged people to waterand sanitation among others.

One of the successful examplesof employee engagement isdemonstrated by financialinstitutions in the space of financialinclusion.

Financial inclusion can never belooked at in isolation. Critical to itssuccess is education. The financialcrisis has highlighted, among otherthings, the need for better financialliteracy, helping people understandand manage their own financesbetter, becoming self-sufficient in theprocess. Financial institutions acrosspublic and private sector have notonly made significant investmentsbut have utilized the expertise oftheir employees to train women and

youth from marginalizedcommunities in financial literacy andentrepreneurship thereby buildingtheir capacity.

While many banks use theirbranch network to impart thetrainings, those with limited numberof branches have adopted apartnership-based approach toscale-up its initiatives beyond theirbranch network. Partnerships withnot-for profit organizations,microfinance institutions, socialenterprises and various stategovernments have proven to beeffective in delivering the financialinclusion agenda. By facilitatingmicrofinance-oriented support toentrepreneurial activities in a costeffective way, these partnerships arehelping thousands of rural womenbecome sustained and successfulentrepreneurs. The benefits accruingto the society because of sucheconomic and social stability arebeyond the measurement of justwealth creation.

The above approach could beuseful in building the capacity of not-for-profits at large. The country isexpected to witness a sizable increasein CSR expenditure by companies,due to the new CSR regulations. Forthe not-for-profit sector to absorbsuch funds, would mean buildinghuge capacity. One of the ways tobuild such capacity will be forcorporate to use the expertise andknowledge of their employees intowards building capacity of NGOs -be in the areas of HR, marketing,legal, taxation and business planning.

But all this would requirecontribution of employees' time and


Aloka Majumdar is the Head of

Corporate Sustainability for HSBC

India. Her expertise lies in the field of

Education and Skills, Financial

Inclusion, Environment & Climate

Change. She has worked extensively

with a wide range of stakeholders that

include community based

organisations, multilateral agencies,

the academia and central and state

governments. Prior to her corporate

assignment, she was a financial

journalist, having worked with leading

business publications such as the

Financial Express and Business India.

Aloka MajumdarHead of Corporate Sustainability

HSBC India

t a k e a w a y s

� Corporations globally have realised that sustainability must now be a part of core

business strategy.

� For any employee engagement initiative to be successful and sustainable, active

participation by the leadership team is an imperative.

� For any business to sustain and grow in the long term, it cannot see itself as being

isolated from the surrounding community. Community means people and the environment

in which we live.

� While these two components are, in a sense, universal and will be at the centre of most

sustainability initiatives, there are various other components as well that build this

huge canvas.


hence will need to be supported bypolicies in processes. For exampleHSBC's leave policy allows everyemployee to take two days offannually to volunteer their time fora project supported by the bank.Different models could work. Thereare instances of teams working onlong duration projects (1-3 monthscontributing a certain number ofhours in a week) to support an NGOis a specific area. It ranges fromhelping NGOs in streaming theirfinancial reporting system, putting inplace systems and processes for HR,to designing tests to helprecruitment, creating modules onUse of email accounts, Socialnetworking, Effective C.V. writing,Appearing for Job Interviews, Powerpoint presentations.

Integrate sustainability withlearning and developmentIt is important that environmentaland social issues are included inlearnings delivered to employees.Engaging employees in CS initiativesis also an important part of learningand development. The benefits aremanifold - respect for values,diversity and culture, social behaviorand leadership qualities etc.

That Sustainability is core to ourstrategy is further demonstratedthrough the fact that SustainabilityLeadership trainings are integral toLearning and Development of ourcolleagues. In fact the leadership inHSBC across the globe participatesin the Sustainability LeadershipProgram.

Employees as citizenscience leadersEarthwatch Institute, an internationalnot-for-profit, developed a uniqueemployee engagement model wherevolunteers can assist scientists incollecting scientific data forenvironmental research papers bycreating a robust citizen sciencedatabase. The projects also helpsdevelop environmental leaders andchampions who will enableorganizations and businesses tobecome more sustainable byfactoring environmentalconsiderations into their policies and

decision making. It is a uniqueprofessional development experiencefor employees designed to promoteunderstanding of sustainability as acore business issue and opportunity.Partnering and engaging withbusiness at all stages of theirsustainability journey is more vitalnow than ever before.

As part of HSBC Water Program,a five year USD 100 million globalprogram, Earthwatch is facilitatingcitizen's action towards conservationof urban water bodies. The programin India provides an opportunity forengaging employees (referred to as'Citizen Science Leaders' and 'FreshWater Watchers') and their widerlocal communities in monitoringwater quality on a regular basis. Itis helping the employees - tounderstand freshwater sources inthe urban context from anavailability and quality perspective;to understand the ecosystemdynamics (flora and fauna includingbirds, amphibians and insects) ofthe water bodies; and to build aknowledge repository useful forunderstanding the urban freshwatermanagement. Earthwatch Indiastarted three long-term action-research projects on freshwaterconservation in Delhi, Hyderabadand Kolkata.

Employees as catalystsBeing one of the world's biggestfinancial institutions also means, we

can make a big difference. We aim tolend and invest responsibly, avoidingprojects where the potential forenvironmental damage outweighs theeconomic benefits.

Corporations globally haverealized that sustainability must nowbe a part of core business strategy.We at HSBC have institutionalizedthis thinking, with the involvementof the top management and a full-fledged CS department in chalkingout the CS strategy for the bank.With the successes already seen incommitment of our colleagues,HSBC will continue to work towardsmore ways to build employeeengagement through CS programs.

For any employee engagementinitiative to be successful andsustainable, active participation bythe leadership team is an imperative.This reinforces the organisationsinvolvement and belief in thestrategy.

Corporations globally haverealised that sustainability must nowbe a part of core business strategy.There are companies which haveinstitutionalised this thinking, with theinvolvement of the top managementand a full-fledged CS department inchalking out the CS strategy for thebank. With the successes already seenin commitment of colleagues,companies will continue to worktowards more ways to buildemployee engagement through CSprograms. HC

A

BY SURESH DUTT TRIPATHI

Value creation for the

community

BENCHMARK PRACTICESIV

to the society that empowers themboth. It is far from imaginable that abusiness is evolving when thecommunity around it is failing. Thecommunity serves as the buildingblock of your corporate just as carbonserves steel. When a community allowsyou to thrive on its land and itsresources, it becomes yourresponsibility that you help nurtureits sustenance and evolution throughyour commitment and perseverancefor their progress in amultidimensional manner, addressingall their needs.

Corporate Social Responsibility isintegrating sustainability into the coreof your business and treating thecommunity not just as one of thestakeholders of your business butrecognizing it as the very basis of yourexistence and progression. It is anopportunity to build an ecosystemthat addresses the welfare of all thestakeholders in the inner and outersphere of the corporation.

Global benchmark in valuecreation and corporatecitizenshipLong before most corporates adopted

t the very core of yourability to sustain andprogress, lies yourcommitment to give back


consistent basis. Employees activelyproffer their energy, time and skillsto run these programs. Sustainabledevelopment is ensured throughpartnerships with the Government,national and internationaldevelopment organizations, localNGOs and the community.

The Company supports andpropagates the principles of theUnited Nations Global Compact as aFounder Member, is a signatory tothe World Steel Sustainability Charterand supports the Affirmative Actionprogramme of the Confederation ofIndian Industry.� Tata Steel has embraced theCorporate Citizenship Index, TataBusiness Excellence Model and the

Tata Index for SustainableDevelopment to become one of themost trusted and respected entitiesof the Tata Group. A CSR AdvisoryCouncil comprising some of themost eminent names from academiaand the development sector providemacro policy-level inputs to guideour Company's approach towardsCSR.

The operating arms thatundertake specific CSR initiatives areTata Steel Rural Development Society(Focus: sustainable livelihoods,education, health and youthempowerment for the ruralcommunities), Tribal Cultural Society(Focus: Promoting and sustainingtribal culture and heritage in

to the paradigm shift, JRD Tata (1839-1904), Founder of the Tata Grouppropagated and invested in hisphilosophy of community service.His ethos and directions havepropelled Tata Steel's commitmentto their vision of 'CorporateCitizenship' and 'Value Creation'. Itis our aspiration to set a benchmarkin these areas. And to fulfil this aim,there runs a common thread ofconversation binding every rank atTata Steel - right from the leadershipto the workers at the shop floor - onhow do we consistently strivetowards contributing ethically to thewell-being of the community and theenvironment we have beenassociated with for over a century.

Reaching out to hundreds ofvillages in Jharkhand, Odisha andChhattisgarh as well as the city andperi-urban areas of Jamshedpur, TataSteel's CSR initiatives have awidespread positive impact on thelives of their central stakeholders -the community. Engaging with thelocal community in the vicinity ofthe Company's Steel Works, Iron oremines and collieries, we helpimprove the quality of life of peoplethrough interventions in sustainablelivelihoods (includes agriculture,enterprise development and skilldevelopment), education, health,renewable energy, ethnicity etc.

A wide ambit of programs -financial and material support, social,cultural, sporting, charitable andemergency assistance - are plannedand executed by the Group on a

The principal focus and areas of expertise of HR professionals include organizational

process, cultural stewardship and change management. The HR function should take a

leading role in developing and implementing CSR and sustainability strategy.



Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh),Tata Steel Family InitiativesFoundation (Focus: Maternal andChild Health interventions for thecommunities in Jamshedpur), andTata Steel Skill Development Society(Focus: Skill development trainingsfor the youth). Each of theseinstitutionalized bodies have definedsocial purposes integrated with thecompany's business objectives andstrategies. Tata Steel's socialinterventions are formulated annuallyon the basis of need assessmentsurveys with both internal andexternal stakeholders.

A program that Tata Steelconducts with great pride is theAffirmative Action Program thathelps eradicate poverty that plaguesthe indigenous communities throughits 5E's approach: Employment,Entrepreneurship, Education,Employability and Ethnicity. Thisprogram has been specially designedfor the underprivileged, vulnerableScheduled Caste and ScheduledTribe communities with poor socio-economic indicators residing in areasaround the company's mines,collieries and steel works.

As part of the Affirmative ActionProgram, Self-help Groups (SHGs)have been set up comprising 9000plus members, of which, SC/STmembers are nearly 3800. Thesegroups operate small business unitsincluding poultry farming, pig andgoat rearing, soap making, phenyl

making, mushroom cultivation,nurseries to raise sapling, seedlesstamarind making, tailoring, paperbag making etc.

The Affirmative Action Program'soperations, development andexecution is directed by a 13member cross functional teamspearheaded by the ManagingDirector who oversees theprogramme. Activities includeeducation of tribal children andyouth, employability training,entrepreneurship developmentopportunities, promoting self-helpgroups, promoting tribal sportsthrough tournaments at grass rootlevel, reviving traditional tribalmusic, etc.

Tata Steel also shows ardentcommitment to the agriculturaldevelopment for the communitiesaround. Working with and harnessingavailable skills and resources toimprove agricultural productivity ofthe locals in rural and semi-urbanareas has always been given a highdegree of importance at Tata Steel.Besides improving dry land farming,wasteland development andhorticulture, and enhancing irrigationfacilities, Tata Steel also helpsdevelopment of farming techniquesthrough skill-based trainings.

Creating opportunities forsustainable livelihoods, Tata Steelcollaborates with training institutesand other organizations. They equipthousands of young men and women

Suresh Dutt Tripathi, Vice President

(HRM) – Tata Steel Limited has a rich

career that span 32 years. He has

worked with several reputed

corporations such as Steel Authority of

India Ltd, HCL Perot Systems (HPS), a

joint venture between HCL

Technologies of India and Perot

Systems Corporation, US, Mascon

Global Ltd. (MGL) and SRF Ltd before

joining Tata Steel Ltd in Oct 2012. He

has done his Masters in Physics from DU

and PG Dip in Social Work from

University of Calcutta.

Suresh Dutt TripathiVice President (HRM)

Tata Steel Limited


t a k e a w a y s

� Corporate Social Responsibility is integrating sustainability into the core of yourbusiness and treating the community not just as one of the stakeholders of yourbusiness but recognizing it as the very basis of your existence and progression.

� It is an opportunity to build an ecosystem that addresses the welfare of all thestakeholders in the inner and outer sphere of the corporation.

� ‘Value creation’ for the communities should be a part of the culture and work ethic ofemployees in organizations.

� Knowledge management of the CSR initiatives, motivation to voluntarily engage inthese initiatives should form a part of the HR function.

� Organizations across the globe must not forget the third dimension of the bottom line– planet sustainability and it is the HR and CSR function that play a governing rolein this effort.


HC

with employable skills and hencecreate valuable opportunities forthem. The skill developmentprogrammes impart knowledge in ITsoftware & hardware, nursing,technical maintenance of consumerdurables, security, driving, BPOsector, hospitality etc.

The role of HRThe principal focus and areas ofexpertise of HR professionals includeorganizational process, culturalstewardship and changemanagement. The HR functionshould take a leading role indeveloping and implementing CSRand sustainability strategy.

to embed the philosophy ofcommunity service and the concernsand actions for sustainability into theemployees' work DNA. Knowledgemanagement of the CSR initiatives,motivation to voluntarily engage inthese initiatives form a part of theHR function. In order to make itrobust and effective, a representativeof the HR function contributes tothe affirmative action program andprovides extensive support to theculture of workplace volunteerism.

'Value creation' for thecommunities is a part of the cultureand work ethic of employees at TataSteel. The employees enthusiasticallyvolunteer to extend their support

states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha andJharkhand that account for a higherproportion of the population thanthe national average inhabit thesestates, from where Tata Steeloperates. It hence makes themsignificant communities across WestBokaro Division and the Ore Mines& Quarries, the raw materiallocations of Tata Steel.

An important initiative is toempower primitive tribal groups- theBirhore and the Sabar in particular- to become economicallyindependent by providing themlivelihood prospects.

Members of the seniormanagement and representatives

across all units frequentlyengage with village opinionleaders, youth and women tointegrate the aspirations ofindigenous communitieswithin the social strategy ofthe Company, as well as helpthem benefit from greaterawareness and understandingon their rights as indigenouscommunities. Thisconsultative approach hasensured a lasting and peacefulrelationship with indigenouscommunities.

Tata Steel has proactivelysought to execute itsdiscretionary responsibilitiestowards the sustainability ofthe environment and thecommunity around it oraffected by it. To enable itsfocus on meaningful CSR, Tata

Steel Limited has formed a CSRAdvisory Council comprising someof the most eminent names fromacademia and the developmentsector. CSR Advisory Council guidesthe Tata Steel Limited managementon how to make CSR moremeaningful for the communitiesaround its areas of operation. Itsemployees have not just participatedbut have partnered in making thisongoing endeavor a fulfilling one.Organizations across the globe mustnot forget the third dimension ofthe bottom line - planet sustainabilityand it is the HR and CSR functionthat play a governing role in thiseffort.

At Tata Steel, we appreciate theimportance of cultural stewardshipand engaging employees in the taskof integrating CSR across all ranksand levels of the firm. The HRfunction runs initiatives to align theemployees with the CSR goals andencourage them to work inconsistency with its strategic businessdecisions. Employees notparticipating or advocating the firm'sefforts could lead to breedingcynicism and reputational damagedue to the crack between rhetoricand practice.

The Human ResourceManagement at Tata Steel is dedicatedto assist the executing teams of CSR

and contribute their time and energyfor the development of the localcommunities. The tradition has beeninstitutionalized under the guidanceof the Tata Council for CommunityInitiatives (TCCI) (now a part of theTata Sustainability Group). Employeesassist in Tata Relief Committee'sdisaster management programs,immunization drives, AIDSawareness campaigns, Adolescentreproductive and Sexual healthcampaigns, malaria control camps,etc. The HRM group allows them totake time off from office to servethe community and assist in disasterrelief work.

Countless ancient tribes from the


L

BY DR. T K MANDAL

JK Paper - Caringfor the societyand environment


it operates in. JK Paper, a unit of JKOrganization is India's largest producer ofbranded papers and a leading player in CoatedPapers and High-end Packaging Boards. TheCompany began its journey more than half acentury ago with 18,000 tons per annumcapacity paper plant. It has grown over theyears and maintained its quality leadershipposition. The Company has two integratedPulp and Paper Plants at Strategic Locationsviz; Unit JK Paper Mills ( JKPM) in East(Rayagada, Odisha) and Unit Central Pulp Mills(CPM) in West (Songadh, Gujarat). Our currentcombined annual capacity is 4, 55,000.

JK Paper always believed that caring andsharing is the essence of ethical enterprise. Inour research, we found that the key issuesfaced by these communities were illiteracyand lack of basic social infrastructure. Thecompany actively contributes in helping toaddress these issues. We believe in team effortand HR has been playing a catalytic role inthis effort towards building and sustaining CSRinitiatives at both our Units. Our CSR activities

ong before CSR became amandatory part of business in India,JK Organization has been activelyinvolved with the communities that

are focussed on five key areas such aseducation, health care, skill development,livelihood interventions and environment.

1. EducationJK Paper through its schools has beenimparting quality education from the primaryto the tertiary level. The three schools nearour factories at Odisha and Gujarat make allout efforts to reach out to the weaker sectionsthrough enrolling students from less-privilegedsections of the community in that vicinity.

Both our units JKPM & CPM have alsobeen organising special programmes for tribalchildren periodically, so that they can competewith other students. Towards promotingcomputer literacy, the unit CPM has beenrunning computer certificate courses througha computer training centre since last five years.A large number of students, mostly from tribalcommunity, have successfully completed thesecourses.

There are communities near our plantsthat have never got access to formaleducation. Our Adult Education ProgramModel has successfully enabled many of theseilliterate villagers, particularly women belongingto backward strata of the society, to become

JK Paper is committed to take forward its CSR initiatives through building onwhat has been achieved so far and taking up new initiatives. Focussed on five keyareas such as education, health care, skill development, livelihood interventionsand environment, JK Paper is playing the right note.


literates through community based AdultEducation Centres.

The twin objectives of the Adult Educationmodel is to instil awareness among them tobe self-dependant with the tool of educationand ensure that their offspring are notdeprived of education. The Adult Educationmovement at JK Paper has helped over 11,000tribal adult illiterates, especially women tobecome literate ever since this initiative startedalmost 10 years ago. Apart from bringing basicliteracy, adult education has brought in aremarkable change in the lives of these tribalwomen. Through these initiatives, we havebeen able to support the Sarva Siksha Abhiyanin its efforts towards reducing school drop-out ratio. Our efforts have been appreciatedby the local community.

In addition to these, at our Unit JKPM wehave been taking special initiative for mentallychallenged children through NutanGyanvardhini, a special school for theEducational Rehabilitation of the Childrenwith Special Needs (CWSN). The school,organized in collaboration with the districtadministration, Rayagada has 30 mentallychallenged children of nearby areas on itsrolls.

Efforts are made for the vocationalrehabilitation of these children as well. Trainingin Tailoring has been launched for four girlsand training for Gardening and Paper Envelopemaking has also been identified as a part oftheir vocational rehabilitation. Parents'meetings are also organized at regular intervalsto create an interface for assessing thedevelopment of the CWSNs. General healthcheck-up camps are organized twice a monthwith support from unit JKPM for these children.Children are brought into school and takenback to their home by the school bus regularly.

2. HealthcareWe have been making concerted efforts toextend basic healthcare facilities to the villages.Health camps and Mobile Dispensaries havebeen organized from time to time for variousailments such as cataract and others. Theservices include free medicines and sometimesfree stay in camps, for the tribal villagers.Mobile dispensaries are a regular feature wherefully equipped vehicles with qualified medicalstaff travel to distant and remote locations toextend treatment to those who need it.Committed health intervention through theseHealth camps & Mobile Dispensaries besides


maternal and child health services atthe doorstep have successfullyreduced the incidence of healthhazards in the villages.Simultaneously, the CommunityHealth Facilitators (CHFs) have beenexplaining need for safe healthpractices among pregnant andlactating mothers.

Our CSR team at unit JKPM alsoconducts training programmes onAdolescent Reproductive & SexualHealth (ARSH) and also Life - Skilleducation for Balika Mandals. TheseBalika Mandals involve tribaladolescent girls: they in turn impartthe learning obtained from thesetraining to the community asCommunity Health Facilitators(CHFs).

3. Skill developmentAs mentioned earlier, the units of JKPaper are located close to the tribalbelts. They have been making specialefforts to enhance the employabilityof tribal youth by organizingdifferent need based SkillDevelopment Program.

In order to build vocational skillsamong tribal youth, JK Paper hasadopted an Industrial TrainingInstitute (ITI) at Ukai, Gujarat underthe PPP model launched byGovernment of India in the year 2008.With the direct involvement of ourlocal management and technologyleaders, ITI, Ukai is now recognisedas an example for providing trainingin skills. This ITI centre has beendeclared as Centre of Excellence atan all India level.

Besides upgrading the

infrastructure, ITI Ukai, with supportfrom unit CPM, introduced tradesthat are in demand, therebyincreasing the employability of thelocal youth. We also take advantageof the availability of the trainedpersonnel for our operations fromITI, making it a win-win situation forboth the company and thecommunity. We have also arrived ata structured collaboration modelwhereby ITI Ukai provides studymaterial and other assistance fortraining the non-qualified workmenof our Unit CPM for short termcourses. Under this initiative, thetraining faculty are engineers fromour plant and ITI provides GCVTcertificates after their successfultraining.

Unit JKPM similarly has beentaking up activities towardsenhancing skill development foremployability of tribal youth. It hasbeen providing adolescententrepreneurs training in tailoringthrough constant handholdingsupport. A tailoring cum embroiderycentre has been created exclusivelyfor SC/ST adolescent girls.Employability among the tribal youthis also enhanced through differentother vocational trainings like drivingand beautician courses.

4. Livelihood interventionsOur Odisha plant, over the years hasbeen acting as a catalyst to form SelfHelp Groups (SHGs) for women.These have helped to improve thestandard of living of their families byenabling them earn additionalincome.

Dr. TK Mandal is the Head of Corporate

HR as Vice President with JK Paper

Limited. He has been heading HR at JK

Paper since December 2006. Prior to

this, he was the Aditya Birla Group for

11 years, out of which 10 years at

Grasim’s Staple Fibre Plant at Nagda in

M.P. as Sr. General Manager (Personnel

& HRD) and 1 year as the Asst. Vice

President (HR & Admin) of the Aditya

Birla Insulators at Halol near Godhra.

He is a B.Tech.(Hons) from IIT

Kharagpur and also an M.Tech in

Industrial Management.

Dr. T K MandalVice President - HR, JK Paper Ltd


t a k e a w a y s

� HR should play a catalytic role in the effort towards building and sustaining CSR

initiatives in an organization.

� JK’s CSR activities are focussed on five key areas such as education, healthcare,

skill development, livelihood interventions and environment.

� Apart from bringing basic literacy, adult education has brought in a remarkable

change in the lives of these tribal women.

� The Human Resources function facilitates visits and active involvement of senior

managers in different CSR activities round the year.

� They have helped to sensitise the staffs at all levels on the need for building a

socially responsible corporate brand.


Our CSR team continuously workwith the women through IncomeGeneration Programmes (IGP) likePhenyl Making, Detergent Making,Paper Plate making, Turmericmaking. Producer groups consistingof the members of differentmembers of the Self Help Groupshave been formed in collaborationwith Odisha Livelihood Mission.These are supported by encouragingthe families to take up Poultryfarming as a backyard initiative.

Individuals with entrepreneurshipskills are also encouraged to set upmicro enterprises like Tiffin Stall,Cycle repairing Mart, Fancy Store,etc., which have gradually becometheir principal source of income. Themicro savings generated through theSHGs has substantially increased theeconomic independence of tribalfamilies and freed them from theclutches of money lenders.

The empowerment of womenmembers of SHGs is now reflectedin the active participation in GramSabha deliberations and a few ofthese have been elected to three TierPanchayat Raj Governance System.

Our unit in Odisha (JKPM) hasbeen helping to create additionalincome. Besides helping them formFarmers' clubs, it also organises Cropspecific training programmes.Recently in association with OdishaGovernment's AgriculturalDepartment some of these farmerswere selected and taken for anexposure visit to successfulagricultural models.

5. Respect for environmentRight from inception "Caring forEnvironment" has been an importantaspect of our business. This has beendone by adopting modern andenvironment-friendly technologiesand taking efforts for increasing thegreen cover. Modern technologyalong with other resourceconservation measures such asbetter house-keeping, re-cycling ofwater have led to lower specificconsumption of inputs (i.e. lowerinputs per unit of output). This hasalso led to lower emissions (Gas &Air) as well. Our dependency onFossil fuels has also been reducing

because more energy is generatedout of renewable sources.

Our Social Farm ForestryProgrammes has been adding to thegreen cover year after year. Thecumulative acreage under Farmforestry activities have crossed1,30,000 Ha, thanks to sustainedefforts since early 1990s andaggressive efforts in recent years.

Based on recent 'India specificstudy' conducted by internationalwatchdog RISI, we are proud to saythat our plantation efforts havegenerated 11% share in nationwidefarm forestry being promoted bypulp and paper Industry. TheCompany's in-house ultra-modernnurseries are now producing closeto 20 Million clonal plants to sustainthe plantation drive in a cost effectivemanner. Farm forestry activities havealso helped to provide substantialsupplemental income to the marginalfarmers.

At JK Paper, community welfareactivities are considered as part ofits business strategy. CSR is animportant element of ourorganisational structure. The CSRteams are manned by qualified andpassionate members. HR along withother functional divisions has beenable to motivate the CSR team somuch so that they now derivesatisfaction from accomplishingsomething for the communitiesaround. Initiatives are also beingtaken to keep the team up-to-dateon various Central and State levelprograms, besides encouraging themto learn and share their experiences HC

in our Group level forums.The Human Resources function

facilitates visits and activeinvolvement of senior managers indifferent CSR activities round theyear. These have helped to sensitisethe staffs at all levels on the need forbuilding a socially responsiblecorporate brand. We also encourageyoungsters to invest time forcommunity related activities.

The result of our CSR initiativesis for everyone to see. The bondingbetween the communities and ourteams has led to a long lastingsymbiotic relationship, with eachhelping each other on severaloccasions.

Since January, 2010, our CSRactivities are being carried out underthe umbrella of 'SPARSH, a NGOformed under Society RegistrationAct 1860 in Cuttack, Odisha. This hasenabled to take up developmentalactivities in a more effective andsystematic manner in the nearbyvillages, of our factories, mainly unitJKPM.

'SPARSH' has begun to mobilizeresources vide different schemes ofGovt. Departments like Agriculture,Animal Resources Development,Odisha Livelihood Mission, CPDO,Office of the District Social WelfareOfficer & NABARD so thatbeneficiaries can take advantage ofthese schemes.

JK Paper is committed to takeforward its CSR initiatives throughbuilding on what has beenachieved so far and taking up newinitiatives.


G


carries forward this legacy. TheCorporate Citizenship at Tata Motorsis demonstrated through our activeparticipation in improving quality oflife of the people in the communitiesin which we operate. Our CSRprogram was started in 1950s, withcommencement of manufacturingoperations at Jamshedpur.

In the CSR journey of last sixdecades, we created some milestonessuch as formation of self-sustainablewomen cooperative society - TataMotors Grihini Udyog at Pune andreducing incidences of rampantleprosy from East Singhbhum district.We have also created strong nationalfootprint and forged synergeticpartnership with our dealers and co-created CSR programs for skilldevelopment of unemployed youth.

Our commitment towards

iving back to society is inDNA of Tata Group. TataMotors, FlagshipCompany of the Group

and continuously improve ourprograms to meet beneficiaries'aspirations.

Health, Education, Employabilityand Environment are four focusareas of our CSR program. We haveidentified malnutrition treatment andprevention under health, improvingacademic performance of secondaryschool students under education, skilldevelopment of unemployed youthunder employability and promotingrenewable sources of energy underenvironment as priority CSRprograms.

Malnutrition treatmentand preventionWe have established MalnutritionTreatment Centre (MTC) inpartnership with UNICEF andGovernment of Jharkhand. Any childadmitted to MTC is given freetreatment and round-the-clockfeeding care for 15 - 30 days,depending upon this health.

inclusive growth is furtherdemonstrated through ourAffirmative Action Program. On thelines of Tata Group's AffirmativeAction (AA) Policy, we havedeveloped our AA program andattempt to address the prevailingsocial inequities in India byencouraging positive discriminationfor the Scheduled Castes andScheduled Tribes (SC/ST )communities.

The underlining philosophy ofour CSR program 'More from Lessfor More' which implies striving toachieve greater outputs, outcomesand impacts of our programs byjudicious utilization resources and byforging synergetic partnerships forbenefiting more lives. Our projectmonitoring and review mechanismensures regular interaction withcommunity members andimplementation partners. We usevarious research tools and datasources to identify community needs

Tata Motors:Setting examplesin exemplary work

The underlining philosophy of Tata Motor's CSRprogram is 'More from Less for More', which impliesstriving to achieve greater outputs, outcomes andimpacts of the programs by judicious utilizationresources and by forging synergeticpartnerships for benefitingmore lives.

BY TEAM CSR, TATA MOTORS


(NCEF) through Ministry of New andRenewable Energy (MNRE); ii) TataMotors in capacity of Philanthropic/CSR partner and iii) BeneficiaryCommunity. The project's key outcomesinclude inter alia enhanced numberof study-hours available for studentsinhabiting villages with poor gridconnectivity thereby promoting thecause of education; greaterawareness on renewable energyamongst children - the future of ourcountry; reduced dependence onkerosene (fossil fuel) for lighting

purposes and associated reducedcarbon emissions/foot-prints.

Way forwardFocused intervention, innovativeapproach and multi-stakeholderpartnerships are key features of ourCSR program. We regularly appraiseour CSR strategy to meet communityaspirations. Moving ahead on thislearning curve, we have initiatedstructure process to measure impactof our CSR program. We did a pilotSocial Return on Investment (SROI)study evaluating our skilldevelopment program atRamakrishna Mission Ashram,Sakwar, Palghar. This study concludesthat every rupee invested in thisprogram has generated social valuewhich is three times of the initialinvestment. We have also developedinter-linkages amongst our focusareas and aspire bring positive changein lives of more than a million peoplein next five years.

Moreover, this centre also extendscompensation to one family memberrequired to stay with child in thehospital. The MTC is supervised bytrained medical staff who workround the clock in shifts forproviding personalized care andservice to the children. On similarlines, in partnership with NGOs andhospitals, we organise malnutritiondetection and treatment campsacross our areas of operationbenefitted more than 1100 children.

Special coaching classes forsecondary school studentsEducation is the cardinal factorwhich determines holisticdevelopment of an individual,foundations of which are laid downduring the early childhood period.Education aids development of anindividual's cognitive, psychologicaland intellectual faculties thatultimately shapes his or herpersonality. Secondary Education isa crucial stage in the educationalhierarchy as it prepares the studentsfor higher education and also forthe world of work.

About 50% of students dropoutat secondary school. To bridge thisgap, we partnered with reputed NGOsto provide additional academic inputsto secondary school students. Wehave appointed qualified teacherswho teach students for additionaltwo hours every day and alsomonitor performance of in the class.

We engage with parents to createpositive learning environment athome and also conduct regular homevisits to check progress of studentswith their parents. The activities liketoy bank, excursions, counseling byprofessional counselor help in creatingjoyful learning environment. Ouremployees also volunteer theirpersonal time and guide studentsabout career options available to aftermatriculation. 24,000 secondaryschool students, annually, arebenefitted by this program.

LEAP program to train youth

as motor vehicle mechanicIndia is poised to become the world'syoungest country by 2020, with an

average age of 29 years. However,the country faces considerablechallenges of providing gainfulemployment to youth. Around 93%of the Indian workforce is employedin the unorganized or informalsector, which lacks any kind offormal skill development system.

We have developed unique oneyear long program where theoreticallearning is supplemented through'on-the job-exposure at Tata Motors'authorised service centres.Moreover, it supports the studentseconomically in form of stipendwhich is given during theinternship period. At theend of the course thestudents will be awardeda certificate on successfulcompletion.

With this certificationthe students are free tojoin the same dealer/TASS (Tata AuthorizedService Station) they arewith, or they may chooseto join any other dealer/or a company / or aninstitution of their choice.The course curriculum isadjusted in a way thatmakes the studentsemployable on the day they completethe course. Presently, this programis running in 20 cities in partnershipwith 27 organizations.

Promoting renewable

energy: Distribution of

solar lamps to studentsUnder our environment program,8500 numbers of Solar Study Lampswere provided to school goingchildren in tribal blocks of Thaneand Pune District, Maharashtra. Thisrenewable energy project wasdeployed by Tata Motors inpartnership with India Institute ofTechnology Bombay (IITB) and NGOBAIF-MITTRA.

This Project is based on a uniqueP u b l i c - P r i v a t e - C o m m u n i t yPartnership Model wherein the persolar study lamp cost is jointlycontributed by three parties - i) theGovernment of India's Ministry ofFinance, National Clean Energy Fund HC


S

BY ASHOK SETHI


'green movement' and 'corporate socialresponsibility'. To most companies, sustainabilityremains a way to showcase their corporate socialresponsibility, completely divorced from theircore business objectives. But people's familiaritywith the subject is largely fleeting. A mishmashof sustainability tactics does not add up to asustainable strategy. There is a strong need topromote 'sustainability' from the generic 'checkthe box' approach to a strategic seat at the

ustainability as a business practice hasbecome ubiquitous these days,implemented with zeal at companies,and often used in conjunction with

boardroom. Integrated sustainability is the firststep towards conserving nature and developingthe communities at large, and a holistic approachshould be adopted so that the interdependenceof various elements can be understood.

The philosophy of Social Responsibility aspracticed by Tata Group is a legacy of itsfounders. The multitude of community initiativesthe group has sowed and fostered from its earliestdays flows from this wellspring of voluntary, asopposed to obligatory commitment. Tata Power,following this philosophy, has taken up variouscommunity initiatives and pursues an inclusiveapproach, investing in community development

Tata Power believes that 'goodness' is a powerful thing. For over ahundred years, Tata Power has been an intricate part of India's growthstory, aiming beyond its own growth and development to promoteand sustain the communities at large, spreading infinite invisiblegoodness through a number of outreach and green initiatives.

Spinning theinvisible web of'goodness'

Spinning theinvisible web of'goodness'


and skill building initiatives ofstakeholders at large. At Tata Power,we believe that 'goodness' is apowerful thing. It has the ability totouch lives and often change it forthe better. For over a hundred years,Tata Power has been an intricate partof India's growth story, aimingbeyond its own growth anddevelopment to promote and sustainthe communities at large, spreadinginfinite invisible goodness through anumber of outreach and greeninitiatives.

Community initiativesAs a company, Tata Power believesin integrating its business values intooperations to meet the expectationsof its stakeholders. Communities,

ranging from those villages aroundits plants to those employed by itscontractors and suppliers, constituteour important stakeholders. TataPower aims to continue to serve itscommunities by:� Ensuring they benefit from the

Company's presence byproactively responding to theirneeds.

� Providing assistance during timeof disasters.

� Building and strengtheningcommunity institutions includingGram Panchayat, which willenable them to realise their rightsand entitlements.

� Working in partnership withNGOs, State and Central bodiesto widen the reach and leverageeach partner's individualexperience and expertise.

� Encouraging its employees tovolunteer their time for society

We are pursuing initiatives across allthe identified thrust areas. Presently,Community Relations initiatives arepositively impacting lives throughformation of Village DevelopmentAdvisory Council (VDAC), installationof roof rain water harvestingsystems, value chain analysis,establishing revolving funds at thestart of the farming season, exposurevisits, regular meetings, SHGformation, drinking water andsanitation facilities, school-levelinterventions, and distribution ofboat lights, fishing nets andmarketing equipment.

We aim to ensure a sustainablefuture for women by providinglivelihood options and employabilityby adopting a multi-facetedcommunity developmentprogramme to encourage theformation of self-help groups (SHG).The main objective of such SHGs isto implement various incomegeneration and skill upgradationtrainings to help the women of thevillage to lead a better quality life.The company has undertaken thefollowing activities for the bettermentof the community:� Information sessions and a 'sakhi

mandal' scheme was introducedwhich helped in sensitizing thecommunity about the importance'Mahseer Conservation’ program


for SHG's.� A program was carried out to

offer credit support through banktie-ups to encourage women toinitiate their own ventures.

� Introduced micro financeprograms for the alleviation ofpoverty and at the same timeempower women.

� Tata Power announced a specialprogram, 'Vartika' whichpromoted value-added traditionalembroidery crafts and alsodeveloped market linkage forwomen to increase their earningsand livelihood profitability.

� Awareness programs on severalprevalent social issues such asdomestic violence, groupstrength, etc., are organized forthe SHG's.Tata Power also provides support

to a number of fishermen of Modhvaby providing better fishing nets,uninterrupted drinking water to thecommunities, better access tosanitation and maintaining the healthand hygiene of the fishingcommunity. The Company hasformed a partnership with Aga KhanRural Support Program India andFisheries Management ResourceCentre to protect and enhance thelivelihoods of the traditional marinefishing communities of Kutchthrough strengthening and scaling upthe cooperative institution of fishworkers.

We have implemented varioushealth initiatives such as mobilemedical services, specialised healthcamp and Awareness on hygiene anddiseases, in the areas around ouroperations. In addition, we are also

invested in building and renovatingeducational infrastructure, providingeducation materials, impartingcomputer education and specialcoaching to the community childrenliving around our plant sites.

CSR is an integral part of ourbusiness vision and has a centuryold sustained legacy of contributingto the social wellbeing of the keycommunities and nation building.Under Tata Power SustainabilityModel, Care for Community is onethe key aspect derived fromCompany's Values-Care. Theinitiatives for communitydevelopment is well aligned to thecommunity need and well definedas per Company CommunityRelations as part of businesspresence for CSR. Also, Tata Poweremployees are the key brandambassadors in sustainingcommunity developing initiatives byvolunteering as a part of nationbuilding. Tata Power CommunityDevelopment Trust is thedevelopment arm of Tata PowerCompany which also executes thedevelopment plan and activities asper the CSR strategy.

Sustainable initiativesTata Power has taken up severalinitiatives for increasing awarenesson environment protection andmanagement. Tata Power started offover thirty years ago with eco-restoration and eco-developmentprograms in its area of operation inthe Western Ghats, particularly in thecatchment areas of the lakes inMawal and Mulshi Talukas. Sincethen, over 70 lakh saplings of 60 tree


Ashok S. Sethi, is currently the COO & ED

(Operations) at Tata Power. Prior to

this, he was the Chief - Corporate

Operations Management and also

Executive Director at Maithon Power

Limited. He has wide experience in

power sector ranging from Thermal &

Hydro Generation, Transmission &

Distribution, Commercial & Regulatory

and also Advocacy. He has been with

the company for the last 38 years and

has deep understanding and

commitment to the business and

stakeholders. He holds a BTech degree

from IIT, Kharagpur.

Ashok SethiCOO & ED (Operations), Tata Power

t a k e a w a y s

� Sustainability as a business practice is being implemented with zeal at companies, and

often used in conjunction with ‘green movement’ and ‘corporate social responsibility’.

� There is a strong need to promote ‘sustainability’ from the generic ‘check the box’

approach to a strategic seat at the boardroom.

� Integrated sustainability is the first step towards conserving nature and developing the

communities at large, and a holistic approach should be adopted.

� It is important to include a sustainable development agenda in all functions of business

and policies to avoid destabilizing the planet. After all, there are no rehabs available for

a tired, spent earth.


HC

species have been planted in the area.The program was intensified in 1995.Over 6 lakh trees, mainly evergreenand indigenous species, are beingplanted regularly, enriching the floraand fauna of the surrounding hills. Agreen belt has also been raisedaround the Trombay Thermal powerplant and nearby hillsides.

Industrial growth has its effectson biodiversity and, therefore,corporates should play a major rolein reversing the trend of biodiversitydegradation by imbibing'conservation' as a corporate value.The Mahseer Conservation Programby Tata Power is a case in point thathas lent a new lease of life to the fastdepleting golden mahseer in whatcan be described as the biggestIndian conservation effort afterProject Tiger. Mahseer are the world'shardest fighting fish and can growup to 2.75 metres (9 feet) in length,and easily weigh 35 to 40 kg. Butaccording to a 2010 report, thegolden mahseer is estimated to havedeclined by more than 50 per centin recent years and, without anyintervention, the population mightfurther dip down to 80 per cent inthe future.

After carrying out thorough

research of the fish in its naturalhabitat, we transported healthymahseer from its Himalayan habitatto our facility at Lonavla nearMumbai. The fish needed to beacclimatized to the changed environsand higher temperatures. They alsoneeded to be reared for three years,until they reached maturity and wereready to breed. After carrying outseveral experiments, our biodiversityexperts at the hatchery spiraleddown on two species of the breed-the Deccan mahseer and the goldenmahseer.

After the initial vigilantmonitoring of the mahseer'sbehavior, the first batch of eggs,approximately 14,000, was procuredthrough a process known as drystripping. These were artificiallyfertilised and about 10,000 werebrought to maturity. Over the years,the project has gained momentumand has successfully produced inexcess of 10 million seed of Mahseer.Today, the project is the biggestbreeding stock of mahseer in India,and produces four to five lakhmahseer seed every year. Thehatchery also sends fish every yearto rivers in a dozen states, includingKarnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra

Pradesh and Assam, in an attemptto introduce the golden mahseer inother parts of the country.

Involving all stakeholders andmultiple business functions incompanies' green initiative makes'sustainability' as a practice moremeaningful. There lies a certaininterdependence between societaland company's overall performance,and engaging stakeholders in joininga company's sustainable effortsachieves optimal results. Tata Poweractively engage with governments,consumers, suppliers, subsidiaries,investors, and academics to helpbuild a society that is driven bystrong solutions in the face of themodern world's many sustainabilitychallenges.

No, sustainable economicdevelopment will not be easy. Butyes, it is an inevitable responsibilityof all institutions- businesses andgovernment bodies alike- to achievethe same with better planning,favorable policies and effectiveexecution. It is important to includea sustainable development agenda inall functions of business and policiesto avoid destabilizing the planet. Afterall, there are no rehabs available fora tired, spent earth.


In times of intense global competition,businesses are continuously faced withmultitude of pressures like demand forprofitable growth, financial market volatility,political uncertainty, global shifts in

Beyond just cheque- signing philanthropy

CSR is an on-going journey that requires people to be put before profits.The need to engage in sustainable practices is no longer a choice but animperative. What is good for society is good for business.

workforce demographics, and rapidly shiftingtechnology. This environment has madecompanies more amenable to looking atoptions beyond just cost reduction to improvetheir business efficiencies.

People orientation and Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR), which were traditionallyconsidered 'soft' factors are now viewed andaccepted as being amongst the most importantdynamics to impact business success in termsof bottom-line. This is indeed importantbecause as the definition goes, an "engagedemployee" is one who is fully absorbed by andenthusiastic about their work and so takespositive action to further the organization'sreputation and interests. Recent research tooshows that employees' commitment andmotivation, i.e., employee engagement is indeedcritical to a businesses' success. Engagingemployees in one's business goals andembedding a culture that supports this isfundamental to an organization's ability todeliver on their commitment to customers -which lies at the heart of everything.

At Vodafone, Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR) too has come a long way from being aconsidered as a 'cheque book philanthropy'activity to being a core belief in both thoughtand action leading to create value for all ourstakeholders and for ourselves. Traditionally, CSRexisted philanthropically and largely revolvedaround activities like donations, planting trees,community development, setting up schools andhospitals, and so on. While these are importantcomponents, they are not self-sustainable. Theirsurvival is dependent on the profitability ofbusiness. And while they continue to contributeto the goodwill of a company, their contributionin the company's actual success is limited, if notnon-existent. Hence, the need of adoptingsustainable practices, in addition to bringinggoodwill, helps a company remain profitable,which is the need of the hour. The time hascome to benefit from alternative thinking -tofoster and integrate sustainability into the businessprocess.

CSR is an on-going journey that requirespeople to be put before profits. We understandthat the need to engage in sustainable practicesis no longer a choice but an imperative. Whatis good for society is good for business. Theneed to engage in responsible practices is ledby an intense desire to contribute positivelytowards the three pillars of sustainability andCSR - social, economic and environment. The


BY P BALAJI


partners and our business.CSR has evolved with time.

Today, being a responsible businessis not only about what and howmuch you do but increasinglyimportant is how you do it. Is itsustainable, does it create sharedvalue, does it empowercommunities, and does it helpaddress a relevant socio economicchallenge? It is no longer about howmuch you give back to the societybut about being able to createprograms and initiatives that makea real difference in the society.Accordingly, we endeavour to usethe power of our network andtechnical know-how, our resourcesand capabilities, our presence acrossthe country to make a positiveimpact in the communities andenvironment in which we operate.

At Vodafone, CSR is not justrelegated to corporate philanthropybut become an integral part of ourlong-term strategy for bothmarketing and talent managementas employees demand more than justa paycheck as they look for prideand fulfilment from their work, apurpose and importantly acompany's whose values match theirown.

mission, vision and values of theorganization clearly reflect itscommitment, not only to thedirect stakeholders but also to thesociety, in which it operates. Beinga large and established corporate,with a presence across the entirecountry, Vodafone India engages witha wider group of stakeholders(beyond those articulated in itsMission) to fulfil its economic,environmental and socialresponsibilities.

The outlook towards CSR has tobe far beyond passive philanthropy.We are fortunate to be a part of anindustry that connects andempowers people, enablesinclusiveness and furtherscommunity causes. We understandthat the need to engage in sustainablepractices is no longer a choice. Wewant and need to contributepositively to the three pillars ofsustainability - social, economic andenvironmental. Our commitment tocorporate responsibility is at theheart of everything we do - the waywe run our business and design ourpolicies. We believe that actingresponsibly and giving back provideslong-term, sustainable benefits to ourcommunities, our employees, our

An Executive Committee member at

Vodafone India, Balaji leads the company’s

Regulatory, Public Policy & Government

Relations activities. He administers the

Corporate Social Responsibility and the

Vodafone Foundation in India. Prior to

Vodafone, Balaji was in the mobile devices

industry as Managing Director of Nokia

and Sony Mobile Communications, India.

Balaji has over 24 years of experience in

Telecom & IT, in diverse functions. An

Electronics Engineer from IIT Roorkee,

Balaji did his MBA from IIM-Ahmedabad

in Marketing, Finance and Strategy.

P BalajiDirector - Regulatory and External

Affairs, Vodafone India

HC

Vodafone employees from Pune embarked on a cycle tour from Pune to Mumbai tosend girls from Bundi village in Rajasthan back to school.

Krishna Vijay Singh is a senior partner at

Kochhar & Co., one of the leading and

largest law firms in India with offices at

New Delhi, Gurgaon, Bengaluru, Chennai,

Hyderabad, Mumbai, Dubai, Riyadh,

Jeddah, Singapore, Tokyo and Atlanta

(USA). The firm represents some of the

largest multinational corporations from

North America, Europe, Japan and India

(many of which are Fortune 500

companies) in diverse areas of corporate

and commercial laws.

K. V. SinghSenior Partner, Kochhar & Co.

regarding the commencement ofnew business in addition to theoriginal business from the samepremises. The aforesaid positionwas settled in the case of DayawantiBai v. Corporation of City of Nagpur(1969 II LLJ 128) wherein the courtheld that no fresh registration isrequired for starting a new venturein the same premises if the saidventure is started with the samemachinery or same equipmentsused in the original business.

We are a private company. One ofour employees resigned two weeksago, which we accepted on the sameday. We immediately started theprocess of taking charge of his workand transferring the same toanother employee in his team.However, before we could send himthe written acceptance of hisresignation, this employee changedhis mind and has sent a letterrevoking his resignation. However,we do not wish to keep him. Shouldwe terminate his employment? Oris revocation of resignation illegal?It is a settled principle that anemployee can withdraw hisresignation before it is validlyaccepted. While it is imperative thatan employee's resignation must beaccepted, however, non-communication of acceptance ordelay in communication ofacceptance would not render theacceptance invalid. In North ZoneCultural Centre vs. Vedpathi DineshKumar (2003) 5SCC 455, the SupremeCourt held that non-communicationof the acceptance does not make theresignation inoperative providedthere is in fact an acceptance beforethe withdrawal.

Thus, if your company hadaccepted the resignation of theconcerned employee before herevoked it, the resignation would bedeemed to have become effective.We understand that you had initiatedthe process for taking charge fromthe concerned employee, which in

Q & Aour view clearly demonstratesacceptance of the resignation.

Thus, if there is sufficient ground toestablish that the resignation was infactaccepted, the same would be operativeand the revocation of the same by theemployee may not be sustainable.Accordingly, there is no reason toterminate his employment, as he is nolonger your employee.

I have started an infrastructurecompany with 80 employees inKarnataka. Please let me know whetheraccountants and assistant engineers willbe considered as workmen in terms ofthe Industrial Disputes Act.

Please note that the IndustrialDisputes Act, 1947 defines the term'workman' as any person employed inan industry to do any manual, unskilled,skilled, technical, operational, clerical orsupervisory work for hire or reward.However, it does not include thoseemployees that are employed inmanagerial, administrative orsupervisory capacity (provided anemployee in supervisory position isdrawing wages equal to or more tenthousand rupees per month, i.e., INR10,000/-).

Accountants: Though it may varyfrom case to case depending upon thefacts and circumstances, the courts haveheld that the work of an accountant ismainly clerical in nature unless he isvested with supervisory or administrativeduties. It has been held that merelysigning of salary cheques does not excludea person from the purview of thedefinition of workman [Punjab Co-operative Bank Limited vs. R.S. Bhatia(1975 (31) FLR 326 (SC)].

Assistant Engineer: An assistantengineer performing the functions of atechnical nature was held to be aworkman. [Uttar Pradesh State SugarCorporation Limited vs. The DeputyLabour Commissioner, Meerut 1990 LLR138].Notwithstanding the above, as indicated,whether a person is a workman or nothas to be determined keeping in view hisoverall role, functions, responsibilities andthe salary that such person draws.

LAW AT WORK

I run shop in Mumbai and haveobtained a registration undershops and establishment act. I

am now planning to expand mybusiness from the same premises inaddition to my usual business. Pleaselet me know if I am required toobtain a fresh registration for the newbusiness?Please note that under Section 8 theBombay Shops and Establishment Act,1948, ("Establishment Act"), anemployer registered under theEstablishment Act on commencementof a new business is not required toobtain a fresh registration unless theemployer is using new machinery orequipments to start the new business.The only obligation of the employer insuch a case is to notify the Inspector HC


R.N.I. No. 66615/1997Postal Regn. No. DL-SW-1/4022/2015-16-17Date of printing: 7th June 2015

Date of posting: 9-10 June 2015 atPSO, New Delhi-110001

human capital_june 2015

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