HCL Technologies since the Global 2008-09 Crisis Creating Value through Employee Empowerment Case Solution

2. What are the most important people practices, particularly regarding implementation of “Ideapreneurship”? How are they aligned with HCL business model?

The most important people practices are those of:

• Allowing and requiring retrospect: a process that encourages employees to look inside out rather than outside in – highlighting the importance of identifying the need for change.

• Trust through transparency: the company trusted the employees, and expected them to uphold the trust in change processes by ensuring that they were not only actionable but also transparent.

• Inverting the organization: building teams as social networks that bring out innovative solutions.

• Empowerment: giving enough power to employees to bring about changes in their zones of influence without having the approval from the CEO or higher management at all points.

HCL’s business model focuses on providing innovation and value in services to its employees through its EFCS model i.e. where employees come first, and customers come second. These people oriented practices allow HCL to achieve its business goals through its business model: employees are trusted enough to take entrepreneurial decisions, and work for more than just compensation: they work for satisfying an integral need to seek alternatives and to deliver the best possible to the customer. By keeping its employees happy and satisfied, HCL has ensured that its external customers are happier with the service level being provided.

3. Can they easily be transferred from India to the other HCL operations globally?

Yes, they can easily be transferred to operations outside India. The reason for this is the fact that the company has initiated and implemented a number of transparent processes and systems, such as the smart service desk, U&I, 36-degree feedback, directions, employee passion indicative count and MEME. Other policies which encourage and appreciate ideas from employees that can be imitated and transferred to other global HCL operations include MAD JAM- awarding implemented ideas, value portal- co creating value, LeadGen and Diversity and Inclusion.