What are the perks offered to a fresher in Hexaware?

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Managing Employee Benefits at Hexaware

One of the basics of employee management is keeping an open mind and gathering as much feedback as possible. Happy employees are the foundation of great work culture. And your organization’s work culture plays a massive role in the overall productivity and performance. To make giant strides on the global stage it’s vital to make small tweaks in your employee management mechanisms. At Hexaware, employees are at the absolute centre of decision making and our policies and workflow are always designed by keeping their interests as a primary factor. When it comes to employee welfare practices, very few organizations can compete with Hexaware’s policies and this is one of the key reasons behind our low attrition rates and increasing employee satisfaction levels.

Providing employees with a conducive environment at the workplace is just one-half of effective employee welfare. A well-crafted employee benefit takes care of their overall mental and physical well-being. Hexaware has been championing this holistic approach to employee benefit for several years now. Through our various mentorship and learning programs, we are providing a conducive environment for work along with terrific scope for growth. Similarly, through initiatives like the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), employees are getting benefits such as counselling and guidance on professional as well as personal matters. These additional steps from an organization’s side can pave the way to a fruitful relationship where both employee and organization can thrive and chart new success stories.

At Hexaware, we are quite aware of the changing global employment landscape. The last couple of years, in particular, have been monumental in defining the course of employee benefits management. Gone are the days when employee benefits included medical care and a few rewards and recognition programs. The need of the hour is to be receptive to employee concerns and craft policies accordingly. Our internal human resource management tools are designed for these specific purposes. Feedback and suggestions are a critical part of the way we, at Hexaware work. Our flexible working hours, work-from-home options, and excellent leave policies are all a result of this mechanism.

Great compensation, work-life balance, terrific work culture, and better prospects for growth are some of the key factors that every employee must consider before joining any organization. And Hexaware has consistently placed itself on the top of employee satisfaction levels when it comes to these parameters.

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5 Ways to Reduce Stress at the Workplace

Mankind as a whole has come under unprecedented stress with the pandemic. During this time, workplaces became bigger sources of stress than normal. So, it’s no surprise that the American Institute of Stress reported that extreme stress levels at work stood at 40% in 2022.  Unfortunately, stress at work is linked to many health issues or injuries which in turn lead to financial, and personal problems.

The human Resource team at Hexaware routinely grapple with the task of dealing with the stress responses of workers. We found out that workplace stress is caused by both physical and psychosocial elements. From bad lighting or poor seating issues at work, causes extend to demands of the job, long/inflexible work hours, harassment, and bullying. Poor structuring of work or a lack of job insecurity would also add to the stress affecting the health of a worker, whose poor performance would affect the performance of the organization itself. Hexaware campus is a huge green campus where you can casually stroll to ease your mind, play a game in the gaming zone and do many more activities.

 Employers can adopt some interventions, to reduce the stress at the workplace. Let’s look at 5 such interventions by Hexaware that helped reduce workplace stress-

Planning Hybrid/Remote work:

In the wake of COVID-19, workers are quitting their jobs when asked to return to the office. The time has come for employers to take the wishes of their workers into account and modify/redesign work to make work from anywhere possible. Workers need to stay productive, work with energy and focus and willingly coordinate/cooperate with others on the team. Hexaware provides its employees with the option of working from home till the pandemic is completely over. Financial support is also provided to employees to necessitate work from home for a long-term basis due to the Covid-19 pandemic like work from home productivity items, internet reimbursement, etc.

Redesign Work and Workplaces:

When the stress faced is psychosocial, it helps to match employee skills with job requirements and eliminate mismatches by imparting the required skills. Until the employee turns adept at the tasks assigned, they may be allowed to get more time and resources to complete the work. Workplaces also need to eliminate physical hazards and adopt safer equipment and technology while promoting the use of protective equipment, where necessary. Hexaware is very innovative when it comes to our workplace. Employees can also take initiative and design their desks as colourfully as they want.

Employee Involvement in Decision-making:

When employees are involved in important decisions at the workplace, taps into their experience and accumulated knowledge of internal processes, it improves their morale and commitment and gets them invested in the success of the organization. At every level of management at Hexaware, we make sure that the employees are involved in important decision-making. Leadership Lantern Series at Hexaware is a series of Leadership sessions that reflect the involvement of the leaders and their clear focus on employee wellbeing. It's a creative initiative where leaders share their thoughts, visions, and actionable goals with the employees and include them in these strategic and practical discussions. This is critical in bridging the gap between the leaders and the employees as well.

Provide Effective Work-Life Balance:

Workplaces and managers need to establish boundaries between work hours and off-work hours and maintain them. This allows the employees to actually know that they are not expected to be available all the time. Taking breaks also helps employees recharge themselves, and get relief from stress. There is an amphitheatre, a gym, a gaming zone, etc. at Hexaware to provide employees with stress busters and help them maintain good work-life balance.

Train Employees to Cope with Stress:

Employees can be trained to recognize the signs of stress and learn how to avoid stress reactions using active coping mechanisms, which promote relaxation and minimize stress.

Enterprises can avoid the harmful effects of workplace stress - like low employee productivity, lower retention rates and increased absences - by tackling stress in a proactive manner. Fighting-it-Together (FIT Project) by Hexaware is a project to enable everybody to have healthy mental and physiological health was a blessing for many who suffered the stress of working at home for such a long time. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is similar in nature to the FTI Project, EAP gave free confidential counselling to help employees deal with their problems on both personal and professional fronts.

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Conflict Resolution at the Workplace

Conflict is a natural occurrence in any workplace. It can be defined as a disagreement or dispute between two or more people. Conflict arises when different people have different opinions, ideas and goals which result in disagreements and disputes.

Conflicts can be categorized into four types:

Personality conflicts: These are based on individuals’ personality traits, such as their attitudes, beliefs, values or emotions that trigger conflicts with other people.

Workplace conflicts: These are based on differences in working styles and cultures which result in conflicts between employees.

Structural conflicts: These arise due to problems related to the structure of the organisation such as lack of communication channels, unclear policies etc.

Processing style conflicts: These are caused by how people process information and make decisions which leads to poor results

Conflict resolution is a process of managing disagreements, disputes and other types of interpersonal conflicts. It involves finding mutually acceptable solutions to problems between two or more parties.

There are several strategies and techniques that can be employed in resolving workplace conflicts. They include:

Active Listening — To resolve conflicts effectively, it is important for you to listen attentively to what the other person has to say. You should try to understand their point of view and feelings before expressing your own position on the matter.

Reframing — Reframing is another useful technique for resolving workplace conflicts which involves altering one’s perspective on a situation. For example, instead of focusing on negative aspects of a problem, reframing helps one look at positive aspects as well.

Problem Solving — The main objective behind problem-solving is to find solutions that meet both parties’ interests and needs. Problem-solving is an effective means of conflict resolution since it allows both parties involved in an argument to suggest ways in which they could settle their differences without having to compromise on their respective positions or views on the issue at hand.

Take responsibility for your part in the conflict. It takes two parties to argue, but it only takes one person to end the argument by apologizing or admitting that they were wrong. The first step toward reconciliation is accepting responsibility for your part in any dispute.

Listen to the other person’s side of the story without interrupting them or judging them when they’re upset or angry. Listen attentively while they talk about why they feel upset and try not to interrupt or offer advice until they’ve finished talking about their feelings. Avoid making judgments about what they say until you have all the information, instead of jumping to conclusions based on limited knowledge or assumptions. Ask questions if necessary — but don’t ask leading questions that make it obvious that you think something negative about them or their actions (e.g., “So are you telling me that my method is wrong and yours is right?)

Conflict is often seen as a negative thing. However, conflict is an important part of every relationship — at home with family or friends; at work with colleagues; in schools; in communities; even between nations. Conflict allows us to discover new ideas and ways of doing things that might otherwise not have been discovered or considered before.

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Hexaware’s Inclusive Culture

Contributed by Gwen Kolader on 23 March 2022

Being a global company comes with employing people from all over the world. All individuals in the workforce come with their own unique life stories, backgrounds, beliefs and heritage. “Creating a culture where all Hexawarians feel that they belong and can thrive because of who they are, not despite who they are, is powered by our constant focus on inclusion”, says Gwen Kolader, Global Head DEI. “Building an Inclusive Culture is the top priority at Hexaware, a continuous journey of listening, learning, changing and growing — as individuals, employees, leaders and a company”.

An Inclusive Culture also creates the opportunity to boost diversity in our workforce. A diverse group of people will logically come with multiple, varied ways of thinking, problem-solving and execution, stimulating creativity, innovation and engagement. Building an Inclusive Culture is a necessity for social development and will favorably influence enhancing diverse opportunities. It will also strengthen the potential to tackle unforeseen challenges in the business landscape.

One of the challenges is the War on Talent; worldwide, there is a significant lack of (technical) talent next to the fact that the global workforce is aging. Finding talent outside the standard search profile could potentially tap overlooked talent. Another challenge with regards to the workforce is Retention. Why do people leave your company? This could be for various reasons, but organizations must ensure that the reason is not the lack of acceptance wherein they have been excluded from certain internal processes, overlooked or passed because of bias or prejudices. If you are a human-centric company, a true Inclusive Culture is what should you should strive for. Customer focus is another top priority for Hexaware; supporting and serving our customers, clients, partners and suppliers comes with inclusive ways of working, communicating and connecting. Together with all our important stakeholders, we build strong relationships to create a deeper understanding of the best ways of collaboration.

Over the past years, we have implemented several Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives to support and grow our Inclusive Culture and Diverse workforce. At some events, clients have also joined us for celebrations. Examples of our DEI initiatives:

Global celebrations We globally celebrate different cultural traditions, religions, national remembrance days, spiritual moments and days of importance by sharing and enjoying stories about these festivities. This will support a more unified understanding of each other’s heritage and culture.

Awareness initiatives Every year Hexaware raises awareness about Diversity. By doing this, we are trying to create a culture where people feel accepted and seen. We, for instance, raise more awareness of gender equality by celebrating our women (not only on) International Women’s Day.

Humans of Hexaware This is a treasure trove of beautiful and inspiring stories that celebrate Diversity in Hexaware. We invite employees from different global offices of Hexaware to share their inspiring stories about overcoming challenges, striking a work-life balance, achieving milestones, and experiencing life-changing events. This initiative focuses on increasing awareness and enables connecting at an augmented and informed level.

Women empowerment Last year we started a very powerful program in Hexaware called Rising W@H (Rising Women at Hexaware), a leadership development program designed to create a pool of talented women leaders who can make a significant impact not only within the organization but across the industry, at large. The program contains 6 months of academic learning, 6 months of mentoring by senior leaders and 6 months of special assignments. This program is exposed throughout the company and is sponsored by our CEO.

We hire different The hiring policies are being reviewed to ensure that we hire Inclusive and can tackle potential biases in our hiring processes amongst recruiters and hiring managers.

This year also, we continue to listen to our employees, customers and stakeholders to understand their requirements, wishes and needs to upgrade our internal processes and ways of working. We will continue to maintain our streak of hiring diverse talent by constantly improving our awareness and focusing on unconscious biases, cultural differences and demographic variations. Hexaware’s leadership is committed to leading this Inclusive journey and sponsoring our DEI plan and initiatives, helping build and maintain that Inclusive Culture that ensures everyone thrives at Hexaware.

[hexawaretech]

Are You Keeping Your Employee's Mental Well-Being in Check?

Mental health is one of the most common things that affect people. We come together to learn, grow, and support each other and help the people who suffer from mental health issues. Mental health support at offices has become popular and demanding as companies and employees realize how productivity and efficiency are directly linked to positive mental health. The happier an employee is, the better they perform.

It is becoming more and more important to focus on mental health at workplaces and how it affects people. Mental health-related issues regarding the workplace have been steadily rising for the past 20 years. Mental health is not just a measure of how healthy one is eating or how friendly one is. It is about the well-being of oneself at an individual level. Mental health issues do not present themselves as perceived in most cases. Hence, it becomes significant for an employer to identify and help an employee.

Understanding mental health is the first friendly step an organization can take to help its employees. All the employees should be educated, and mental health need not be treated as a taboo subject. In fact, 'What are mental health issues and how do they affect employees?', this is something a manager should be trained to recognize.

Burnout syndrome is the most common mental health issue found in employees that work more hours than usual. This is caused due to excessive stress at work. Burnout syndrome can also cause people to spiral down thoughts of negativity and slide into depression. They may also experience anxiety, insomnia, etc. This becomes very counterproductive in the long run. It can become quite challenging to come out of this negative spiral. To avoid Burnout syndrome, employers can encourage employees to use their leaves and take a break from work. Encouraging breaks and regular rests can help a lot in refreshment and positive development to their mental health.

Hence, Hexaware has dedicated amenities to help combat stress at the workplace. These refreshments like a gym, amphitheater, gaming parlor, etc. address the stress concern within the office. It is done such that employees can brush off the burnout before it creeps in.

Taking regular feedback helps ensure that employees do not fall into heavily stressful scenarios. Also, regularly checking up on your team members can help a manager recognize mental health issues relevant to his subordinates.

Encouragement and praises work like magic for employees. Appreciation for their work and rewards can drive a very positive impact on their mental health. It is the responsibility of the employer to recognize the value brought to the table by their employees and reward their hard work.

To counter all this above-mentioned, Hexaware houses an initiative called the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to keep mental states healthy. This program provides free, fully confidential counseling with professional psychologists. Hexaware recognizes that employees' well-being matters. Not only does it benefit an individual at a professional level, but it also helps at a personal level.

[hexawaretech]

Employee Recognition at the Workplace — Why it Matters

Employee recognition refers to an ongoing process of recognizing the quality of work put up by an employee and appreciating it. Employee recognition plays a very important role in maintaining a successful company and a healthy workplace environment. Even if someone fails at a given task, it can be motivational if the peers and seniors appreciate their work and wish them better luck for the next time. Hence, we at Hexaware promote and validate employee recognition and appreciation in the workplace.

Workplace Environment at Hexaware Recognition and appreciation at a workplace not only promote creativity and hard work but help maintain a work-life balance. Also, it allows employees to maintain good relationships with peers and seniors. Seniors and peers here take time and recognize and appreciate the people equally. There are award ceremonies and events to thank and congratulate the employees for their contribution. Small gestures such as saying thank you or giving them a hi-five can be a gift for employees.

Apart from unit-specific recognition programs, Hexaware has a Reward and Recognition framework at an organizational level that makes sure that the employees are rewarded for their work. With the rewards and recognition program, we make the entire process for employees a fun-filled one that they always look forward to. Awards which include Star of Quarter, Ace, Best Debutant, Best Team, and Spot Awards boost their morale and encourage friendly competition among peers. The unit-specific awards are given by clients i.e; Hexastars.

The High Performers Club (HPS) celebrates the true champions at Hexaware. It is a very exclusive club with membership for achievers only. The consistency with which the employees perform — is the criteria for evaluation based on their sustained performance over consecutive years. The HPC members enjoy Basket of Rewards curated exclusively for them.

Hexaware has also introduced a new program called AwEH. It’s an online digital platform for Rewards, Recognition & Benefits since the Covid-19 pandemic has halted the meet and greet activities in the world. Indeed, this has made the world a smaller place and shown us a way to celebrate talent across the globe.

Also, loyalty and service tenure are very appreciated and celebrated at Hexaware. Hexaware is just as happy as its employees when they reach a milestone. Employees are awarded for their commitment towards Hexaware, spending 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years within the company. “Hall of Fame” is one such initiative that identifies employees who have completed a decade and more with Hexaware, to share their remarkable journey and extend their roots into the Hexaware family.

Another big appreciation is the Great Managers Award dedicated to the managers who always try to set new benchmarks at the workplace. It ensures that the managers demonstrate superior performance and provide a positive experience to their team members.

Gratitude is seen as a high virtue at Hexaware, and Hexaware is grateful to have employees with this deep-rooted attitude. Our R&R program bears testimony to that. Giving out consistent high performances is the essence behind our employees’ excellence. The R&R portal is available 24x7. Winners are guaranteed global recognition in the Hexaware universe. They become the stalwarts who inspire others by example. Also, R&R is linked to our PMS portal.

We at Hexaware believe that an environment with only work and no fun makes it all gloomy and dull. We have introduced this fun-filled environment with recognition and appreciation for our employees so that they lead a joyful work life. We also promote the idea of working in teams and help with better coordination within other teams, setting an example of how important and how right it is done. We do all of this, ensuring continuous recognition of the amazing talent and skills our employees bring in for us. All in all, it’s a great cycle of us being happy with our employees and vice versa.

[hexawaretech]

How can companies invest in employee well-being?

When it comes to employee well-being, the first question that pops up is why is it necessary.

Well, to answer that, here's a small quoted text from JLL’s research that states, "Employees now prioritize work-life balance over a comfortable salary, and three out of four expect their employer to support their health, well-being, and nutrition." It now becomes a requirement for organizations to cater to employee needs and ensure they feel justified and privileged at their workplaces.

The evolving employee expectations have made companies initiate a lot of well-being programs on campus. Activities involving on-site gyms to lunchtime yoga sessions are popular to maintain mental and physical fitness. Moreover, employees expect medical assistance for themselves and their families from their employers. Talking about this domain, Hexaware pleases its employees well with the FIT project and Mediclaims they offer. It makes sure it has invested enough to satisfy its employees with mental and physical peace.

Hexaware has also set an example for other companies with its crucial investment in employee development. It's well-known that employees who keep learning while executing tend to do much better than those who only work. Keeping this in mind, Hexaware has invested generously in programs like Ignite, Evolve, Mavericks, etc., to ensure their employees develop as they progress with work. They've also offered employee assistance programs and extended these to the employees' families too. While these factors might seem irrelevant, they hold great significance to the employees and promote their well-being.

Last but not least, Hexaware leaves no stone unturned in building a positive and friendly work culture. It makes sure it invests in its employees enough to have fun days, employee engagement activities, excursions, etc., for them. It is an important aspect when it comes to maintaining a work-life balance and managing employee well-being.

While 'how to invest in employee well-being' remains a question for many, companies like Hexaware have cracked the code and executed it well. They've set forth examples through their employees working with a delightful work-life balance they offer with their programs.

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What are the perks offered to a fresher in Hexaware?

When you enter the IT industry as a fresher you have a lot to prove and are excited to finally apply the knowledge that you have gathered over the years. However, you soon realize that not everything is taught in college. You feel at a loss. You have to learn things and learn things fast or you will be left behind in an industry that churns up thousands like you every day. That is why at this stage, the company that you start working in plays a major role. Now most companies have identified this gap and provide training to the new joiners. One such IT company is Hexaware. Hexaware offers a lot of things that a fresher can gain advantage of in his professional career.

1. Training

Hexaware's training program is one of the best out there for freshers. It helps the new debutants to gain a strong grounding. Not only that, the program which is called Mavericks, stands up to its name and helps the freshers gain a jumpstart in their professional career and stand out. If you have got the training in Hexaware, it means you get a jump of 2-3 years worth of knowledge and expertise over your peers.

2. Work Culture

Apart from this amazing start, you also enjoy a modern work culture that includes flexible working hours, on-campus amenities like a gym, yoga room, game parlor, amphitheater, cafeteria, etc.

3. Growth Opportunities & Higher Education

Most of us are looking to grow in the industry and need an environment that encourages growth. In that aspect, Hexaware is a place where you can keep growing and reinventing yourself while working the 9-5. Hexaware not only gives access to free udemy courses to all employees but has various programs that encourage employees from all levels to upskill. This helps you stay up-to-date in an industry that is changing quite rapidly.

For these reasons, Hexaware is one of the best IT companies for freshers at present.

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Why to choose Hexaware as a Fresher

First job is always special and important in setting the strong foundation for professional life and giving the right direction to the career. That’s why you would see freshers lose their peace and sleep over their first company. Many keep trying for offers outside their campus placements to get a better offer or company because no one wants to ruin the start of their career. 

I was a fresher two years ago with lots of dreams and aspirations for my career as an IT professional. I got placed in Hexaware. I was really happy because the package was good and my seniors said that the company is also good. 

But it was only after spending six months in the company I realised that I was lucky to get such an awesome company as a fresher. Here is why you should choose Hexaware as a fresher: 

1. Mavericks: This is one of its kind programs run by Hexaware to train its future employees while they are still in college. Yes the 16 weeks training program begins while joinees are studying. The program is rigorous and the future employees are provided both technical and non technical training. It gives the joinees an edge over their friends in other companies. High performers are given awards and rewards after the training ends and a small felicitation is also organised. 

2. Learning and Development:  The company provides immense scope of learning under various programs like Hexavarsity, EVOLVE, SIKSHA and free UDEMY courses. It also encourages higher education for its employees. This is one of the most important factors for a fresher because learning is most important in the early career phase.

3. Rewards, Recognition and Promotion: Hexaware values talent, work and performance not politics and sycophancy and hence the people who are talented and do their job with full conviction keep getting rewards, bonus, appraisal and promotion for their performance. It’s a fair company. 

4. Culture: A culture that has fun filled fests like YUVA, weekend meet-ups, plank challenges,  gym worship, the shuttle rallies, the cricket face-offs is one that gives employees the well-deserved time to unwind and bond with employees that they might not interact on a daily basis on the office environment. 

The company has cool and funky office spaces and provides work life balance as well. What else could you want as a fresher?