Infosys Technologies Ltd.'s 'Voice of Youth' Program

[Bik@sh ... !!!]

Infosys Technologies Ltd.'s 'Voice of Youth' Program Infosys Technologies Ltd. (Infosys), one of India's leading information technology (IT) companies, was founded in 1981. As of early 2008, it had not only established itself as a technology powerhouse in the global IT arena but had also earned a lot of kudos for its innovative human resources management (HR) practices. In fact, the company contended that its business success was largely due to the human capital that the company had nurtured over the years.

Hema Ravichandar, former Senior Vice President (VP) of HR, Infosys said, "It was our emphasis on transparency, communication, and connecting with employees that set us apart from other organizations."¹

In addition to launching various innovative programs to attract and retain talent and create a strong employer brand, the company also launched innovative initiatives for leadership development.

According to Girish Vaidya, Senior Vice President (VP) and head of Infosys Leadership Institute², the company had three leadership tiers.

"Tier 1 includes leaders of business enabling functions. Tier 2 has people who can take on the Tier 1 responsibility in 3-5 years, and in Tier 3, the employees are expected to take the Tier 2 category [responsibility] in 3-5 years,"³ he said.

One of the programs that the company launched to develop leaders and foster innovation in the company was the 'Voice of Youth' (VoY) program.

Infosys was not only a young company, its workforce too was young. The average age of an employee at Infosys was 26 years.⁴ The company sought to set an environment marked by openness, meritocracy, innovation, self-motivation, ownership, and excellence in execution.

Subramanyam G.V., VP - Microsoft Technology Center and Software Engineering & Technology Labs, Infosys, said, "Infosys has always encouraged a culture that upheld respect and dignity for the individual, emphasizing meritocracy over hierarchy."⁵

The company viewed youth as a source of innovative ideas and as such encouraged the young employees in the company to come out with innovative ideas and also strengthen the leadership bench strength at the company.

This emphasis on youth came from the top. N.R. Narayana Murthy (Narayana Murthy), Founder, Non-executive Chairman and Chief Mentor, Infosys, said, "It is important that you give challenging engagements to deserving people, whether they are young or new in the organization. Youth and empowerment are the keys to scalability and longevity."⁶

 

^Cheers'

^Bikash