Continental is a company where over 240,000 passionately committed people realize the dream of mobility every day for customers and users in 59 countries and markets. The diversity of people at Continental, their skills and their experiences are a source of inspiration and creativity every day.
Ajay Kumar, Head, Human Relations, Continental India, talks about the future of work. Excerpts from an interview:
DQ: How are you dealing with the Covid-19 situation? What plans have you put in place?
Ajay Kumar: In these times, employee safety is our first and foremost priority. Also, it is of high importance that every single person is contributing to the public health by acting responsibly. We have implemented Mobile Work wherever possible, even before the country-level lockdown.
All our manufacturing units across India remain closed, and contract/leasing personnel are being offered paid leave in addition to blue collar staff. Critical business needs are being taken care by some of our employees while adhering fully to the safety norms, but that too only where it cannot be managed remotely.
We also have a ramp-up strategy ready, to help us once the situation improves and production re-starts. This ensures that we secure our supply chains and address the needs of the customer, while ensuring the safety of our people. Our ramp up strategy includes globally approved guidelines with safe production processes and operations during a pandemic.
DQ: Are you giving employees more control over their schedules?
Ajay Kumar: Yes. Flexibility has always been part of our work culture and our employees are owners of their schedules. Since Mobile Work is something our employees are used to, culturally it wasn’t too difficult to adjust to a virtual working way of life. The monitoring is self-driven, focused on results and productivity. and not a system-driven one. Trust is one of our core values, and that’s exactly what drives our behaviors. Not controls and monitoring systems.
An interesting observation we have heard in our employee connect sessions is how the absence of commute time is an added bonus, especially for employees in cities like Bangalore and Delhi.
DQ: How are you assessing on learnings from enforced experiments around WFH?
Ajay Kumar: This time is a true test of the foundation set by the core values of an organization. It is heartening to see how our employees are living by our values, There has been no dip or reduction in productivity. What we also see is commitment and contribution has been the same, if not better in these times.
Of course, the availability of advanced facilities and infrastructure for remote working are helping us cope with almost zero glitches. Overall the experience has been positive and will be possibly recommended more in the coming days.
Another important learning is the value of regular employee connect, at different levels, more than the usual numbers you would consider during normal times. This is absolutely necessary for everyone to feel reassured that we are in this together – a priority for any conscientious organization.
DQ: This is a challenging time for managers. What advice would you give them?
Ajay Kumar: The most important aspect is to connect more often than usual with your employees, engage and be empathetic, and enable performance of employees regularly for a longer period. Sustaining a strong emotional connect is certainly challenging, orienting managers on how to get the desired results without putting added pressure on the employees is an important aspect. This is the time to build a collaborative and transparent work culture
DQ: How does work/life balance work in a crisis like this?
Ajay Kumar: This is an unprecedented situation, none of us have experienced this before in our life or career. It is teaching us how to balance life and work while working remotely.
Firstly, it is important to stay safe, following all safety regulations of the cities or places one belongs to. Next, when you work remotely, one tends to work more without being conscious of the time, as there is no commute or a set time schedule. However, it is necessary to create a balance between personal commitment and work. It’s also important to stay fit, by ensuring you continue whatever exercise regime you follow – and is possible - during the lockdown.
Equally important is mental health, since stress levels may understandably be high. Strengthen bonds with family, friends and colleagues, spend quality time to relax, pursue whatever interests possible within these limitations, and enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
DQ: How are the latest technologies going to redefine workplace?
Ajay Kumar: We will have a lot of eye-opening learnings from disruptive workplaces. As we are evolving into the new virtual work style, we are leveraging on latest technologies for smarter ways to boost productivity and engagement.
Technologies are acting as catalysts, transforming from being a business supporter to a business enabler. More than ever, they have become vital for us to operate efficiently and streamline our day-to-day work. Nature of work is also witnessing a shift as our employees are seen as innovators and strategic thinkers with the advent of automation in work.
Across organizations and industries, policies may undergo revision to suit this new virtual work style. We may see a major shift in performance assessments. Online learning, virtual classrooms and training programs will be part of the new normal. Independent work habits, result orientation, high ownership will take precedence.
Redundant processes will get highlighted, which will cease to exist in a virtual workplace. Technologies will be used to the maximum capacity. An example would be communication tools. Engagement, which was never imagined to be a virtual activity, will be more technology driven, and we will see a lot of distant socializing being at play.