Case
Studies
In the corporate
sector where human resource is becoming like oxygen to companies
it is important to take care of them in every way you can. This
section will treat you with articles about time tested companies
and what they do to keep their employees happy. May be you can
benchmark with them...?
Home
and away
Gap
Inc.’s paradise
Meandering
paths lined with sturdy oaks where managers saunter to conduct
business while enjoying their nature walks; natural thermal
and acoustic insulation of grass and wildflowers to help get
all steamed up. A walkway leading to a teleconferencing centre,
café, fitness centre with an aerobics studio and swimming
pool- it’s the dream workplace of every professional. The
sprawling acreage is also the HQ of Gap Inc at San Bruno California,
home to 500 bustling employees.a
A
clean and comfortable ambience in Mickey Drexler President and
CEO words is “what makes Gap’s formula creative and
innovative. It also makes us feel good about our jobs every
day.”
Nortel
Network’s facility
At
Brampton, 15 miles south of Toronto is an office that is aesthetically
designed on the lines of an ancient Roman city. Although it
is not located in the city it claims to have “put the city
into the building” according to a US News and World Report.
With 3000 employees on board, Nortel chanced upon this idea
when it acquired an old digital switching factory. It then worked
on remodelling the locale and which included colour coded departments.
This
mini-city has a Zen garden, seven parks, volleyball and basketball
courts, fitness centres, a physio clinic, the Ooops Café,
a dry-cleaning service, a shipping area called Docklands, and
a “spirituality” room where employees engage in prayer
and meditation.
Cool
culture
At
Nortel there are no formal offices and space is function specific,
not a privilege earned by senior employees. The HR place an
important role in understanding employee behaviour and then
designing a corresponding workplace in consultation with the
Information Systems (IS) and real estate staff. The meetings
of shareholders can be viewed on strategically placed TV sets.
There
are no private enclosures even for senior executives, but HR
managers who need to conduct confidential meetings can use conference
rooms with the teleconferencing facility for the same.
Following
in the footsteps of companies like Nortel and Gap smaller companies
like NextMonet.com and Osho International have integrated some
of these aesthetics into their vision through the active involvement
of HR departments thus improving the quality of work conditions
making the workplace an extension of the home.
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