Exclusive | 2012 was good; All geared up 2013: Pulp strategy's Ambika Sharma

In an era when retaining talent has become the most difficult task, certain companies like Pulp Strategy believe in introducing effective and attractive measures to keep their existing talent secure and also attract much more. The company encourages individuals to achieve their potential.  A Pulp Strategy employee   can avail of  the opportunity to work in their respective area of expertise or try their hand at one which  interests them be it sales, marketing, research, Innovation, strategy, engagement design, communication or digital engagement. They offers opportunities under heads like: Growth Opportunities, Freedom to act, Compensation Packages, Benefits and Fun Work place.

Adgully caught up with Ambika Sharma, MD and CEO, Pulp strategy communications to understand the thought and insights behind the initiatives.

When asked about her views on how  important she considers retaining talent, Sharma said, “Retaining talent is important for all organizations, for young companies in the services space even more so than others. Talent retention is not just about growth and stability for the organization and the employee it’s also a cost optimization function. It’s not an easy task though since the team strongly and proudly overcame all the challenges they faced.” She further adds , “Talent retention for us has not been a dominant challenge. We are a carefully constructed team and took steps early on to ensure a rewarding environment with opportunity road maps for each individual clearly spelled out.”

Sharma also shared the challenges they face as a company with regard to acquiring talent .She said, “We do face challenges in acquiring talent. We are a fast growing team and have aggressive recruitment plans but do not wish to compromise on standards for the sake of quantity. This makes the acquisition process long and drawn out, but in the end it’s worth it,” she adds.
She further informed about the initiatives that they have adopted to retain talent and the growth they have witnessed post it. She said that they have a built in benefits and opportunity assessment plans at every level in the structure. Being a fast growing company – as their business evolves, new possibilities arise and so does the opportunity for employees to fast track growth.

She says, “We make a conscious effort to encourage freedom to act. Our success depends on innovation, so we do everything to ensure that enterprising people have the freedom to act.  We give them all the support, training and encouragement they need. At the same time, we empower them to make tough decisions, implement new ideas and take initiative. As a young organization we have an advantage of more flexibility, more job diversity and the possibility of high growth.”

Pulp Strategy has a rewarding compensation structure and they value performance as well as initiative by individual team members. This year they were perhaps amongst the rare 1% of organizations that gave out substantial bonuses and increments for a team who is credited with a better than anticipated 2011-12 fiscal.

They also have a strong benefits policy for their  employees and it is comparative with global levels. All employees and their families get annual cash less medical cover, eligible at the best medical facilities in the country plus accident and life cover for the employees.

“We are a high stress industry and all employees get an additional two weeks paid recreational leave every year. We also have smaller thoughtful initiatives, for e.g. we have a Birthdays Bonus. Yes! All our employees get a spend packet to make their special day extra special,” says Ambika Sharma.

They care about the safety of their women colleagues and arrange to get them a dropped back home if working late. They also have a mentoring program which identifies key in house talent and streamline individual efforts via a soft skills training and attitude nurturing.  Cross functional career exploration is also allowed which is a successful move from a people career growth perspective.

“We see that efforts towards opportunity management, mentoring, training and the other initiatives have strengthened and empowered the team, kept iteration to a negligible level and most importantly led to enhanced organizational productivity,” Sharma said.

When asked about the year 2012 and about their plans and strategies to be adopted in 2013, Sharma told us that the year has been good and now they are gearing up for a better 2013. The company is expanding the team and bringing like minded individuals on board to add value to the current talent pool. “We have built a strong base and 2012 saw good recognition for our work on global platforms; we were able to demonstrate strategic capabilities and execution excellence. 2013 is going to be an interesting year to befriend,” Sharma concluded. | By Aanchal Kohli [aanchal@adgully.com]