Innovation must be at the core of any business in today’s digital world, said Vasilica Zuld, HR Manager at Cognizant Softvision, at Business Review’s Working Romania. It is essential that the relationship between employers and employees is based on continuous feedback and communication.
Any employee wants things “now”, to cover their immediate needs, so Cognizant tried to change company structure and the performance management process. This is an ongoing process that started two years ago.
“We are continuously improving the process and trying to make as much time as possible to implement it. We have chosen not to automate certain processes in order stay in touch with the people,” says Vasilica Zuld.
The goal for any company in the IT industry is to bring technology and innovation closer to people. But when it comes to the employees of a company, the human interaction cannot be replaced.
“When human interaction disappears, performance goes down,” Zuld argues.
Cognizant has also changed way it evaluates its employees. If in the past evaluation was done once or twice a year, today it is a process based on monthly feedback. “So that any needed change can happen quickly, in real time,” says Zuld.
This means that managers can quickly identify when somebody starts to perform below their potential and can offer instant feedback and help the employee get back on track.
“We are also involved in mentoring both at HR and management level and we try not to make an issue of the employee’s agem” says the Cognizant Softvision HR Manager, answering a question on why companies do not take older candidates into consideration for jobs.
Even though they are of different ages, people want the same thing: to make their mark on the role and the company,” says Zuld.
She also pointed out that the money is not as important as employees seeing that the company or the managers care about them and are interested for real in their well-being. “We try not to compensate with money and benefits for the lack of care from others,” says Zuld.
Treating employees like adults, which means listening to their ideas, is also very important. “If we treat them like children, they will behave like children.”
Time is also an issue, as it is the benefit that most of the employees ask for. The company offers the option of working from home, since there projects that can be done well this way. Of course, there are also projects that require a presence at the office, but the company acknowledges it’s not always the case.
“The legislation on remote work is very weak and it needs improvement, as we are required to take into account all the legal provisions,” says Vasilica Zuld.
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