With the pandemic, work culture has turned topsy-turvy! Undoubtedly, companies have begun to adjust accordingly. The world is trying to adapt to this new culture, where the majority of the employees will continue to work from home. This means the work policies will have to be flexible and some even rephrased. Dealing with such times is a lesson to be learned, and ensuring that work isn't hampered while employees remain motivated is indeed a tough nut to crack for the corporates. Despite such desperate measures, companies will have to continue motivating their workforce through all means related to benefits, remuneration, continuous learning & development of employees, and much more.
While speaking of companies with such amazing attributes, mentioning Thales is worthwhile. A brand with human-first culture, Thales provides the most effective breeding ground for their employees to grow and flourish both personally and professionally. CEO Insights engages in an exclusive conversation with Ashish Saraf, VP & Country Director - India, Thales, to know more interesting details about the company and how it is striving to make a safe space for employees during the pandemic.
How did Thales overcome the adversities during the recent upsurge of COVID-19 in India?
With the second wave of COVID-19 striking the country, Thales leadership of the Group came forward to help our teams get through the tough times. The organization put in place several measures to support and protect our employees and families whether it is making available various services including nursing attendants, oxygen cylinders & concentrators, isolation rooms, insurance claims against COVID-19, home quarantine expenses, hospital bed search, or online physician & mental health-related consultations, among others.
As vaccination is one of the strongest tools to fight this pandemic, we are complementing the national effort and strengthening the safety of our people by covering the vaccination costs and also organizing camps in Noida, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. To support the society at large, we have also contributed to the French COVID-19 aid to India to fight the pandemic.
As the VP and Country Director of Thales Group India, how do you help in increasing employee productivity?
Here, employees are encouraged to think independently and realize their leadership potential to pursue assignments that contribute to the company's and their professional growth. Thales supports equal opportunity and promotes gender equality. We offer a multi-cultural smart-work environment and encourage diversity and inclusion in the organization. The dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive work environment has empowered innumerable employees to deliver innovations that make a difference to customers, to society, and to the organization itself.
While speaking of companies with such amazing attributes, mentioning Thales is worthwhile. A brand with human-first culture, Thales provides the most effective breeding ground for their employees to grow and flourish both personally and professionally. CEO Insights engages in an exclusive conversation with Ashish Saraf, VP & Country Director - India, Thales, to know more interesting details about the company and how it is striving to make a safe space for employees during the pandemic.
How did Thales overcome the adversities during the recent upsurge of COVID-19 in India?
With the second wave of COVID-19 striking the country, Thales leadership of the Group came forward to help our teams get through the tough times. The organization put in place several measures to support and protect our employees and families whether it is making available various services including nursing attendants, oxygen cylinders & concentrators, isolation rooms, insurance claims against COVID-19, home quarantine expenses, hospital bed search, or online physician & mental health-related consultations, among others.
As vaccination is one of the strongest tools to fight this pandemic, we are complementing the national effort and strengthening the safety of our people by covering the vaccination costs and also organizing camps in Noida, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. To support the society at large, we have also contributed to the French COVID-19 aid to India to fight the pandemic.
As the VP and Country Director of Thales Group India, how do you help in increasing employee productivity?
Here, employees are encouraged to think independently and realize their leadership potential to pursue assignments that contribute to the company's and their professional growth. Thales supports equal opportunity and promotes gender equality. We offer a multi-cultural smart-work environment and encourage diversity and inclusion in the organization. The dynamic, collaborative, and inclusive work environment has empowered innumerable employees to deliver innovations that make a difference to customers, to society, and to the organization itself.
Providing recognition is of utmost importance at Thales. Also, the provision of face time for mid to senior level executives with members of the global management team accentuates the value of recognition among employees. Employees at all levels are encouraged to speak their minds. Additionally, the mid to senior level managers are provided with the required training to coach and mentor team members. We organize several interactive townhalls and one-on-one sessions with our leadership teams throughout the year to further build engagement across the organization.
How robust is your learning and development infrastructure? Do you encourage & sponsor/reimburse your employees?
Skills upgradation is a constant focus for us. We are committed to giving all employees opportunities to be their best and grow with the organization. We have Thales Learning Hubs across the world these are Thales' in-house learning centers of excellence' supporting the Group's employees worldwide at all key stages of their careers. In India too, we have a strong leadership and development portfolio that is a part of our talent and culture. From initial induction to advanced professional development, enabling mobility and promotion throughout the organization, our teams (HR, managers, and sponsors) are focused on paving the growth chart for our employees in line with Thales' strategic and business objectives.
From maintaining a state-of-the-art production portfolio to introducing cutting-edge innovative technologies, Thales has a long-standing tradition of promoting engineering skills and benefiting its customers from its integrated solutions in India.
We believe in fostering an ecosystem for research and consequently securing innovations for tomorrow. We highly encourage our employees to file for patents and assist them in the process too. Our employees from the engineering centres in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR have been successfully doing the same.
Innovation is a key aspect of innovation at Thales, and to this end, collaborating with the world's most dynamic universities is pivotal. Thales has partnered with the IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore for Ph.D. fellowship programs.
How robust is your learning and development infrastructure? Do you encourage & sponsor/reimburse your employees?
Skills upgradation is a constant focus for us. We are committed to giving all employees opportunities to be their best and grow with the organization. We have Thales Learning Hubs across the world these are Thales' in-house learning centers of excellence' supporting the Group's employees worldwide at all key stages of their careers. In India too, we have a strong leadership and development portfolio that is a part of our talent and culture. From initial induction to advanced professional development, enabling mobility and promotion throughout the organization, our teams (HR, managers, and sponsors) are focused on paving the growth chart for our employees in line with Thales' strategic and business objectives.
Employees at Thales are encouraged to think independently and realize their leadership potential to pursue assignments that contribute to the company's and their professional growth
From maintaining a state-of-the-art production portfolio to introducing cutting-edge innovative technologies, Thales has a long-standing tradition of promoting engineering skills and benefiting its customers from its integrated solutions in India.
We believe in fostering an ecosystem for research and consequently securing innovations for tomorrow. We highly encourage our employees to file for patents and assist them in the process too. Our employees from the engineering centres in Bengaluru and Delhi NCR have been successfully doing the same.
Innovation is a key aspect of innovation at Thales, and to this end, collaborating with the world's most dynamic universities is pivotal. Thales has partnered with the IIT Madras, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore for Ph.D. fellowship programs.
How does Thales Group aid in attracting fresh talent to the organization?
Even though the importance of a candidate' domain knowledge largely depends on the offered role, as a specialized technology organization, success in many of the roles offered requires relevant sector knowledge. Young graduates arriving at Thales are enrolled in a training program to help them learn/gain the necessary knowledge.
Beyond the technical know-how, candidates with interpersonal skills, the ability to observe & analyze situations, the capacity to work in a team & a multicultural environment, and a passion for future technologies are prioritized. The organization seeks not just expertise, but also life skills.
What is the number of women in the top management layer? Do you maintain any quota for women while recruitment?
We are committed to creating an equitable work environment. The organization promotes gender diversity and gender equality in its leadership. The organization also believes in being an equal opportunities employer by providing a level playing field to all employees irrespective of their gender, and today, it has women forming more than 22 percent of its workforce worldwide. As a result of its women's inclusive policies, providing good work-life balance and work environment that empowers them to become leaders, Thales India has been recognized among the `100 Best Companies for Women' in 2019 and 2020.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Thales is present in India since 1953. There are over 1,800 employees working with Thales and its joint ventures in India.
· In November 2020, Thales inaugurated new India headquarters, spread across six floors and a sprawling area of over 150,000 sq. ft. with a smart-working environment.
· This office hosts over 1100 employees and the engineering competence center that is dedicated to the Digital Identity and Security business with over 800 highly skilled engineers working on advanced technologies. The office also has state-of-the-art engineering labs and data centers along with Thales' engineering, sales and marketing, and customer support services and support functions. With this new corporate office and engineering centre, Thales continues to remain close to its customers and foster collaboration and innovation among its teams to provide fillip to the Indian government's `Make in India' initiative, aiming for `Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
· Thales' Bengaluru engineering centre specialises in defence, aerospace, and transportation, and the ones in Noida and Gurugram are focused on Digital Identity and Security including cybersecurity, IoT, biometrics as well as big data analytics solutions.
Even though the importance of a candidate' domain knowledge largely depends on the offered role, as a specialized technology organization, success in many of the roles offered requires relevant sector knowledge. Young graduates arriving at Thales are enrolled in a training program to help them learn/gain the necessary knowledge.
Beyond the technical know-how, candidates with interpersonal skills, the ability to observe & analyze situations, the capacity to work in a team & a multicultural environment, and a passion for future technologies are prioritized. The organization seeks not just expertise, but also life skills.
What is the number of women in the top management layer? Do you maintain any quota for women while recruitment?
We are committed to creating an equitable work environment. The organization promotes gender diversity and gender equality in its leadership. The organization also believes in being an equal opportunities employer by providing a level playing field to all employees irrespective of their gender, and today, it has women forming more than 22 percent of its workforce worldwide. As a result of its women's inclusive policies, providing good work-life balance and work environment that empowers them to become leaders, Thales India has been recognized among the `100 Best Companies for Women' in 2019 and 2020.
HIGHLIGHTS
· Thales is present in India since 1953. There are over 1,800 employees working with Thales and its joint ventures in India.
· In November 2020, Thales inaugurated new India headquarters, spread across six floors and a sprawling area of over 150,000 sq. ft. with a smart-working environment.
· This office hosts over 1100 employees and the engineering competence center that is dedicated to the Digital Identity and Security business with over 800 highly skilled engineers working on advanced technologies. The office also has state-of-the-art engineering labs and data centers along with Thales' engineering, sales and marketing, and customer support services and support functions. With this new corporate office and engineering centre, Thales continues to remain close to its customers and foster collaboration and innovation among its teams to provide fillip to the Indian government's `Make in India' initiative, aiming for `Aatmanirbhar Bharat'.
· Thales' Bengaluru engineering centre specialises in defence, aerospace, and transportation, and the ones in Noida and Gurugram are focused on Digital Identity and Security including cybersecurity, IoT, biometrics as well as big data analytics solutions.