New Hats
for the Chiefs
Companies
are doing away with time-worn designations and introducing creative concepts in
naming key roles. Others are doing away with terms like ‘employees’ and
‘heads’, in an attempt to break down hierarchies and bring in more colour to
their jobs
Job titles that say, ‘agile evangelist’ or ‘chief pusher’ may conjure up images of work involving two extremes — one, a crusader, and the other, connecting to theseamier worldof narcotics. Butwith a bitof lateral thinking, these can also be perfectly operational, senior corporate designations.
Corporate India is tossing out the old, stodgy nomenclature in favour of creative, personalised designations. At Bangalore-based start up Teleradiology Solutions, the CEO is called the ‘chief pusher’, quite simply because he pushes and nudges employees into delivering the goods. The organisation also has a chief listening officer (HR head) and chief enabler (technology head). “It creates an environment where designations do not matter,” says chief dreamer, Sunita Maheshwari.
Instead of being called ‘business developmenthead’,Maheshwari prefersthe quirkier title she now has. In most organisations thatworkon similar lines,executiveswant their titles to resonate their approach to work instead of seniority. It breaks down hierarchies; Maheshwari, for instance, plans to knock off the ‘chief ’ in her title. “It is a great conversation starter, and works because firms are trying everything to differentiate themselves,” says Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting. Recently, she says, a programmer with three years’ work experience with aBangalore-basedIndian information technology firm requested the company not to give him a designation. The company agreed, and he is expected to explain his work in emails and conversations. “Hierarchy iscrumbling in India andwork areas are flatter, where everyone is in self-actualisation mode,” adds Menon.
Navnit Singh, partner at executive search firm, Heidrick and Struggles, recalls a search for a training head. When the skills of the executive were being assessed, the CEO suggested, this role be renamed ‘chief capability officer’. “Itstarts as a nuance and becomes institutionalised,” says Singh.
In most cases, though, the choice of designation is reservedfor thosewhohave proved themselves. The rest of the employees can sticktowell-wornlabels. Thecorecontentof the ‘glamourised’ role does not change. “When we are searching for a CXO, it is based on skill-sets and competencies,” says Sonal Agrawal, CEO, Accord Group India. ET takes a quick look at what some organisations are doing, in an attempt to redefine the way they see typical roles.
SAPIENT TECH: BLANKET BAN
Sapient Technologies believes in recognising individuals, rather than a collective mass of people. It has banned the use of words like ‘employees’, ‘workforce’ and ‘head’. “We are not resources or tools but assets for the company,” says M Anand Bhaskar, whose role in the company is vice president, people success. His job definition: Help people in the company succeed. Bhaskar says it takes a few years to completely understand the philosophy behind not referring to those on payrolls as ‘employees’ and instead as ‘Sapient people’. However, this kind of culture is easier to build in a smaller organisation than a growing one, where dilution of some values is always a possibility, he says. Sapient has 10000 employees of which 70000 are in India. So do such designations attract talent? People in their late 20s and 30s do get excited by them. In some cases, they help attract people for jobs like talent strategy or organisational development lead, which are niche requirements, he says. But they don’t draw senior leaders. “The designations are not about informality; they are created so that one can identify with the philosophy and culture of the firm. At Sapient, we do not have these to create market attraction,” he says.
Job titles that say, ‘agile evangelist’ or ‘chief pusher’ may conjure up images of work involving two extremes — one, a crusader, and the other, connecting to theseamier worldof narcotics. Butwith a bitof lateral thinking, these can also be perfectly operational, senior corporate designations.
Corporate India is tossing out the old, stodgy nomenclature in favour of creative, personalised designations. At Bangalore-based start up Teleradiology Solutions, the CEO is called the ‘chief pusher’, quite simply because he pushes and nudges employees into delivering the goods. The organisation also has a chief listening officer (HR head) and chief enabler (technology head). “It creates an environment where designations do not matter,” says chief dreamer, Sunita Maheshwari.
Instead of being called ‘business developmenthead’,Maheshwari prefersthe quirkier title she now has. In most organisations thatworkon similar lines,executiveswant their titles to resonate their approach to work instead of seniority. It breaks down hierarchies; Maheshwari, for instance, plans to knock off the ‘chief ’ in her title. “It is a great conversation starter, and works because firms are trying everything to differentiate themselves,” says Nirmala Menon, founder and CEO of Interweave Consulting. Recently, she says, a programmer with three years’ work experience with aBangalore-basedIndian information technology firm requested the company not to give him a designation. The company agreed, and he is expected to explain his work in emails and conversations. “Hierarchy iscrumbling in India andwork areas are flatter, where everyone is in self-actualisation mode,” adds Menon.
Navnit Singh, partner at executive search firm, Heidrick and Struggles, recalls a search for a training head. When the skills of the executive were being assessed, the CEO suggested, this role be renamed ‘chief capability officer’. “Itstarts as a nuance and becomes institutionalised,” says Singh.
In most cases, though, the choice of designation is reservedfor thosewhohave proved themselves. The rest of the employees can sticktowell-wornlabels. Thecorecontentof the ‘glamourised’ role does not change. “When we are searching for a CXO, it is based on skill-sets and competencies,” says Sonal Agrawal, CEO, Accord Group India. ET takes a quick look at what some organisations are doing, in an attempt to redefine the way they see typical roles.
SAPIENT TECH: BLANKET BAN
Sapient Technologies believes in recognising individuals, rather than a collective mass of people. It has banned the use of words like ‘employees’, ‘workforce’ and ‘head’. “We are not resources or tools but assets for the company,” says M Anand Bhaskar, whose role in the company is vice president, people success. His job definition: Help people in the company succeed. Bhaskar says it takes a few years to completely understand the philosophy behind not referring to those on payrolls as ‘employees’ and instead as ‘Sapient people’. However, this kind of culture is easier to build in a smaller organisation than a growing one, where dilution of some values is always a possibility, he says. Sapient has 10000 employees of which 70000 are in India. So do such designations attract talent? People in their late 20s and 30s do get excited by them. In some cases, they help attract people for jobs like talent strategy or organisational development lead, which are niche requirements, he says. But they don’t draw senior leaders. “The designations are not about informality; they are created so that one can identify with the philosophy and culture of the firm. At Sapient, we do not have these to create market attraction,” he says.
]
AEGIS: A
QUESTION OF ETHICS
Companies like Aegis want to prevent any dilution of ethics. Three months ago, they created the post of a ‘chief ethics officer’, whose job is to keep a check on any kind of fraudulent behaviour. This was done so that there is better handling of ethical issues, which are tougher to address than grievances, says SM Gupta, HR head of the Mumbai-based IT company. Earlier, there were grievance officers who looked at disciplinary problems but to tighten loopholes in ethical issues that cropped up, they needed a separate unit. A chief ethics officer at Aegis also holds other posts, and is nominated by business leaders. He or she heads a team that keeps a close watch on every business unit.
PHILIPS: TWO BETTER THAN ONE
Philips in India has two kinds of designations for its employees. One is an email signature, like that of an ‘architect’ or a ‘programmer’ similar to the employee’s counterparts the world over, and the other is reserved for visiting cards, keeping in mind the importance of designations in countries like India. The ecosystem in India is different where managers, senior managers and designations like these count, unlike in the West, where on can have the same designation for 25 years and it does not matter, says Deepak Shetty director, HR, Philips Innovation.
MINDTREE: SPREADING THE WORD
The Bangalore-based IT services firm has created designations to promote software development programs like Agile. This year, it created the role of an ‘Agile Evange list’, a post headed by Raja Bhavani, chief architect, for product engineering and IT services. “My role involves promoting Agile adoption across all businesses of MindTree. The objective is to make our customers successful by leveraging the benefits of Agile methodologies and delivering high-quality software in a timely manner,” says Bhavani.
Companies like Aegis want to prevent any dilution of ethics. Three months ago, they created the post of a ‘chief ethics officer’, whose job is to keep a check on any kind of fraudulent behaviour. This was done so that there is better handling of ethical issues, which are tougher to address than grievances, says SM Gupta, HR head of the Mumbai-based IT company. Earlier, there were grievance officers who looked at disciplinary problems but to tighten loopholes in ethical issues that cropped up, they needed a separate unit. A chief ethics officer at Aegis also holds other posts, and is nominated by business leaders. He or she heads a team that keeps a close watch on every business unit.
PHILIPS: TWO BETTER THAN ONE
Philips in India has two kinds of designations for its employees. One is an email signature, like that of an ‘architect’ or a ‘programmer’ similar to the employee’s counterparts the world over, and the other is reserved for visiting cards, keeping in mind the importance of designations in countries like India. The ecosystem in India is different where managers, senior managers and designations like these count, unlike in the West, where on can have the same designation for 25 years and it does not matter, says Deepak Shetty director, HR, Philips Innovation.
MINDTREE: SPREADING THE WORD
The Bangalore-based IT services firm has created designations to promote software development programs like Agile. This year, it created the role of an ‘Agile Evange list’, a post headed by Raja Bhavani, chief architect, for product engineering and IT services. “My role involves promoting Agile adoption across all businesses of MindTree. The objective is to make our customers successful by leveraging the benefits of Agile methodologies and delivering high-quality software in a timely manner,” says Bhavani.
The Label Says it All
Chief Listening Officer
THE WAILING wall for all employees. Looks after policies, compensation and career growth. Also known as the human resource head
Chief Pusher
OTHERWISE CALLED the chief executive officer. Now wears the ‘nudging’ badge high
Chief Dreamer
IDEATES TO get more clients and business. In the traditional hierarchy, is called business development head
People Success
A HUMAN resource officer who involves himself or herself closely in career development, and is a success enabler of employees and the organisation
Chief Ethics Officer
KEEPS A check on fraudulent behaviour, and a close watch on every business unit
Agile Evangelist
THE ROLE involves promoting the adoption of Agile software across businesses
DEVINA SENGUPTA BANGALORE ET 120413
Chief Listening Officer
THE WAILING wall for all employees. Looks after policies, compensation and career growth. Also known as the human resource head
Chief Pusher
OTHERWISE CALLED the chief executive officer. Now wears the ‘nudging’ badge high
Chief Dreamer
IDEATES TO get more clients and business. In the traditional hierarchy, is called business development head
People Success
A HUMAN resource officer who involves himself or herself closely in career development, and is a success enabler of employees and the organisation
Chief Ethics Officer
KEEPS A check on fraudulent behaviour, and a close watch on every business unit
Agile Evangelist
THE ROLE involves promoting the adoption of Agile software across businesses
DEVINA SENGUPTA BANGALORE ET 120413
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