TALENT MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGE-

MENT: INSIGHTS FROM INFOTECH ENTERPRISES

LTD.
Vinnie Jauhari Rajesh Sehgal Pooja Sehgal
The case study addresses the issue of talent management and employee
engagement in the context of IT industry where human resources are the key source
of competitive advantage. The case study provides a base for discussing various
people management practices in the context of changing business environment.
In the context of emerging economies, talent is one of the key differentiators.
This case study gives insights into the nature of employee engagement practices
a firm can engage with. It also gives insights into talent management practices in
the context of emerging economies with specific reference to Infotech- a leading
IT firm in India with global operations. The case study provides a framework
of understanding on how employee satisfaction relates with engagement and
the relationship with customer satisfaction and organizational growth. It also
brings in multiple perspectives from various studies on employee engagement
practices.
Talent Management and Employee Engagement

P
eople are the most important asset for an organization. Accord-
ing to a survey by KPMG (2012), people matters are among the
top five concerns for business leaders (Eyre,2012). As the world
economies continue to globalise, organisations continue to intensify their
global investment (Guthridge and Komm, 2008). In this context, the im-
portance of global talent in the organisation has also been increasing (Kim
and Mclean, 2012). Many organisations are making efforts to acquire, de-
velop and retain talent worldwide (Lewis and Heckman, 2006). As global
competition for talent heats up, organisations that do not prepare ways
to acquire, develop, utilize and retain talent may fall behind in a race for
global business (Kim and McLean, 2012). According to Talent Pipeline
Draining Growth: Connecting Human Capital to the Growth Agenda, a
CGMA report mentions that 43 percent of CEOs, CFOs and human re-
sources directors believe that poor human capital management has kept
their companies from reaching their financial targets. 40 percent of the
313 executives surveyed said that subpar talent management hinders their
ability to innovate (Hagel, 2012).
Talent management is an HR practice aimed at addressing competition
for high value labour in widening global markets alongside key employees
demand for fast track career development (Mellahi and Collings, 2010).
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
2013 by Institute for International Management and Technology. All Rights Reserved.
162 Talent Management

Forman (2005) proposes that the talent management cycle consists of the
following stages or levels: workforce planning, talent acquisition, talent
development, talent deployment, talent retention and talent evaluation. Ef-
fective organisational processes, culture and strategic direction would lead
to a better management of talent. Talent management is argued to consist
of set of processes for succession planning and accelerated development
paths, typically for executive level roles , aimed at those employees with
highest potential who also demonstrate a capacity for high performance
(Cappelli, 2009).
Advancement of an organisation occurs when a flexible, committed
and highly motivated pool of talent who have a strong sense of purpose
about their work are present (Smythe 2007, pg.12). Employee engage-
ment is first and foremost a management philosophy based on the idea
of including the right people in right places at the right time in right way
(Smythe, 2007, pg.11). Talent development is about the ability to ensure
that the right people with right skills and knowledge are used on the right
jobs at the right time.Employee engagement fosters an emotional link
between the employee and their organisation and this link assists retention
(Aon Hewitt, 2011). Kahn (1990) found that workers were more engaged
in situations that offered them more psychological meaningfulness and
psychological safety. Research reveals that organisations that provide a
workplace culture with the psychological conditions of meaningfulness
(job enrichment, work-role fit), safety (supportive manager and co-work-
ers) and availability (in terms of resources) are more likely to have en-
gaged employees (Bhatnagar, 2012).
Bhatnagar (2012) defines engagement as a positive experience, char-
acterised by high energy, resilience, a willingness to invest effort on the
job, the ability to not easily be fatigued and persistence in the face of diffi-
culties. People not only choose organisations but also choose jobs, become
engaged with their work on the basis of how well their preferences and
aspirations mesh with those of the organisation. What truly makes great
companies is their ability to attract and retain right people, who are excited
by what they are doing and the environment in which they are operating
(Attridge, 2009). They also found that work engagement can be improved
through adopting certain workplace behavioural health practices that ad-
dress supervisory communication, job design, resource support, working

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 163 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

conditions , corporate culture and leadership style.

Talent management is important. If the employees are not managed
well, attrition goes up. According to Taleo, in DAmeco (2008) The cost
of losing an employee can range from 1-5 times annual compensation, in-
cluding lost business performance, customer satisfaction, and cost of hir-
ing and developing new employees. Firms adopt a variety of measures to
manage talent. Firms care for talent management and they have a number
of benefits to offer, such as employee engagement, retention, aligning to
strategic goals in order to identify the future leadership of the organiza-
tion, increased productivity, culture of excellence and much more (San-
thoshkumar and Rajasekar, 2012).
Why should employee engagement matter?
Employee engagement brings forth numerous advantages for the firm.
Employee engagement is a tool which could be deployed in the organiza-
tion so that the talent is appropriately deployed and harnessed effectively.
It helps in building employee commitment and helps employees perform
better in their roles. It leads to focused efforts and better outcomes. It
translates into greater innovation, commitment to organisation, positive
energy and higher productivity. It also leads to lower attrition levels and
absenteeism. Engaged employees love their jobs, believe their employ-
er, company goals and the manner in which they conduct their business
(Smartmanager.com, 2012). They exhibit high levels of passion and cre-
ativity and they believe they create value and management.
It is also important for top management to understand how disen-
gaged employees affect an organization.
Disengaged employees look at their jobs as trading time for compen-
sation. (Smartmanager.com, 2012). They do little beyond the minimum
effort required to complete their job. They exhibit little passion or crea-
tivity typically going through the motions of completing their duties.
They do not see their job as a long term association with the organization.
Disengaged employees also have an impact on other employees as they
tend to spread negative energy. Actively disengaged employees typically
constitute only 15 percent of the workforce but can have a disproportion-
ate effect on the positive contributions of engaged employees (Smartman-
ager.com, 2012).

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

164 Talent Management

In a survey conducted by Gallup in 2006, it has been estimated that de-

creased productivity and performance fostered by actively disengaged em-
ployees cost US businesses around $328 billion annually (Gallup Business
Journal, 2012). This is because the employees do not contribute to their
level of potential and talent. So investment in such people does not get
back the desired returns. Gallup study(Gallup Business Journal, 2012) in-
dicates that engaged employees inspire company innovation and are most
likely to contribute to innovations. They are more productive, profitable,
safer, create customer relationships and stay longer with the company than
less engaged employees.
There is a distinct difference between behaviours displayed by engaged
and disengaged employees. 70 percent of engaged employees indicate that
they have an understanding of how to meet customer needs while as only
17 percent of non-engaged employees say the same (Morgan, 2012). 78
percent of engaged employees would recommend their companys prod-
ucts or services against 13 percent of disengaged employees. It is quite
clear how the employee behaviours impact the organisations business.
Gallup has classified employee engagement into three categories:
1. Engaged employees
2. Disengaged employees
3. Actively disengaged employees
All the three categories of employees display different bahaviours. There
is certainly an overlap between disengaged and actively disengaged em-
ployees. Engaged employees work with passion and feel a profound con-
nection with the company. They drive innovation and move the orga-
nization forward. Disengaged employees are essentially, checked out
from the organization. They are putting their time but neither energy nor
passion into their work. Actively disengaged employees are not just un-
happy with their work but are also busy acting out their unhappiness. They
undermine what their engaged co-workers accomplish.
Business firms are struggling with ways and means of attracting the
right talent to the organisation and look for ways of employee engage-
ment. It will be interesting to see what factors contribute to employee en-
gagement. It is therefore important to understand what employee engage-
ment means.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 165 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

Mercer defines engagement as a psychological state in which employ-

ees feel a nested interest in the companys success and are both willing and
motivated to levels that exceed stated job requirements. According to Aon
Hewitt, Report (2011), engagement is defined as the state of emotional and
intellectual involvement in a group or organisation the extent to which
organisation has captured the hearts and minds of its people. Gallup Con-
sulting relates it with involvement and enthusiasm for work.
There are numerous models available for employee engagement and
different business firms have their own thought patterns around the same.
For example, Eyre (2012) also mentions that offering developmental op-
portunities is also one of the key ways for managing talent. Motivating
the key talent is one of the most important aspects of talent management.
Stevens-Huffman (2011) remark that for employee engagement to occur,
there are two important aspects which need to be looked into. The first is
enablement, which exists when employees have the necessary support and
tools to work efficiently and effectively over time; the second is energy,
which comes from a healthy work environment that supports employees
physical, social and emotional well-being.
There are several factors which help build employee engagement in
an organisation. Santhoshkumar and Rajasekar (2012) in their study on
automobile and IT industry in India found seven important factors: (1)
creativity and innovation; (2) leadership; (3) teamwork; (4) interpersonal
sensitivity; (5) personal motivation; (6) association; and (7) team-spirit
contribute to managing talent.
As the emerging markets have growing business opportunities, there
are foreign direct investments (FDI) which lead to more recruitment op-
portunities and increased search for talented employees. In India for ex-
ample, there are lot of R&D centres of IT firms which are perpetually
looking for research talent. Microsoft, IBM, HP Labs, Accenture, Intel,
Infosys, TCSthey all compete to hire computer science graduates and
PhDs. It is a very tough battle to attract and retain talent. The MNCs com-
pete with the local firms to attract talent. D Ameco (2088) quotes Ac-
centure, Some 97% of the 438 million people to be added to the global
workforce by 2050 will come from emerging regions.
As per the Aon Hewitt Report (2011), best employer organisations
have higher employee advocacy. The best employers also display the fol-
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
166 Talent Management

lowing characteristics (Aon Hewitt Report, 2011)

Strong organisational alignment
Better growth and development opportunities
Address needs by employee segments
Strong belief in importance of HR function
Culture of reward and recognition
The line managers play a very important role in engaging employees in
an organization. Bratton and Gold (2007) remark, At the heart of the
learning climate or learning environment lies the line-manager-employee
relationship. A line manager can create a positive approach to lifelong
learning. The interactions between the line managers and his team mem-
bers play a major role in employee engagement. His behavior, feeling and
attitude play a key role in generating positive interactions for the employ-
ee. The role of coaching and mentoring is extremely important for any
manager. The ability of a manager to help the employee understand his
potential and come up with a developmental plan is a big enabler for an
employee. It makes a tremendous impact on the performance management
of an employee.
As contrast to coaching, mentoring is more of a long term approach.
Mentoring is the help given by one person to another person to find new
meaning in work and life (Clutterbuck and Megginson, 1995 in Bratton
and Gold, 2007).
There are several other factors which contribute to employee engage-
ment. People who do not feel properly rewarded reported being less en-
gaged and productive at work (Mielach, 2012). To engage employees in a
manner that is meaningful and motivating requires an understanding of in-
nate human drives and what people value and view as important (Mielach,
2012). The research conducted by Gallup Business Journal (2012) ex-
plores the role that workplace friendship play in promoting innovation.
About three fourths of engaged employees strongly agreed that they felt
more comfortable sharing new ideas with colleagues who they treat as
their friends.
Recognition of employees also play a key role in engaging employees
meaningfully. In a research conducted by socialworkplace.com (2012), it
has been found that 69 percent of employees would work harder if they are
recognized for their performance. 49 percent of employees would leave

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 167 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

their jobs for a company that recognizes performance. 89 percent of the

engaged employees believe that their managers would advocate them for
them in front of their customers and upper management (socialworkplace.
com).
The compensation factors also matter. The share options offered to
employees or other bonuses are also ways to demonstrate recognition of
employees. Child care facilities, flexible work hours are all elements that
demonstrate a caring attitude of the employer and ways to engage with
employees.
71 percent of American workers are not engaged or actively dis-
engaged in their work. This means they are emotionally disconnected
from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive (Gallup, 2011)
Gallups employee engagement index is based on worker responses to 12
actionable workplace elements with proven linkages to performance out-
comes, including productivity among others.
Gallups engagement ratio is a macro-level indicator of an organiza-
tions health that allows executives to track the proportion of engaged to
actively disengaged employees.
Actively disengaged employees erode an organizations bottom line
while breaking the spirits of colleagues in the process. Within the U.S.
workforce, Gallup estimates this cost to be more than $300 billion in lost
productivity alone. In stark contrast, world-class organizations with an en-
gagement ratio near 8:1 have built a sustainable model using our approach.
As organizations move toward this benchmark, they greatly reduce the
negative impact of actively disengaged employees while unleashing the
organizations potential for rapid growth. (Gallup, 2012).
Hence one of the key questions which growing firms will have to ad-
dress is how to attract, manage and engage their employees? Which strate-
gies for employee engagement would work better? What are the best prac-
tices which can be emulated by the other firms? What are the models or
frameworks which could be deployed for managing talent and employee
engagement?
FRAMEWORK FOR EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AND ORGAN-
ISATIONAL GROWTH
The authors propose a framework for employee engagement in an organi-
zational context. A higher level of employee motivation may be an out-
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
168 Talent Management

come of employee engagement. There are number of factors which could

contribute to employee engagement. These could be role of a manager,
leadership style and commitment to values, work environment, rewards
and recognition, pay and other benefits and development opportunities.
The framework is depicted in figure 1.

Figure 1: Relationship of Employee Engagement

with Organizational growth

If employee satisfaction and motivation is high, it will lead to higher em-

ployee engagement. A higher level of employee engagement will lead to
higher levels of customer satisfaction leading to higher profitability and
growth of the firm. A unique model of employee engagement would lead
to a very distinct culture in the organization which would be very hard to
replicate. Firms such as Disney, GE, Marriott demonstrate work environ-
ments which lead to higher levels of employee engagement. In the context
of framework proposed as above, the following hypotheses are proposed:
Hypotheses 1: Higher the level of employee satisfaction and motivation,
higher would be levels of employee engagement.
Employee satisfaction is important for an organization as it contributes to
retention and better performance on the job. A happy employee will con-
tribute far more willingly and with a passion which creates a positive work
environment conducive for growth of an organization. Higher employee
satisfaction will lead to higher levels of motivation to perform better and
hence this would result in higher employee engagement. To achieve higher
levels of motivation and satisfaction, numerous factors play an important
role. These would be challenge in the job role; role of a manager; quality
of leadership in an organization; opportunities for growth and career ad-
vancement; flexibility and fun element at workplace among other factors.
Hypotheses 2: Higher the level of employee engagement higher will be
the customer satisfaction. A happy employee would transmit that happi-
ness in all his engagements. The enthusiasm of an engaged employee is
contagious and will reflect in his work all the time.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 169 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

A survey by Gallup reveals that 67 percent of engaged employees advo-

cate their company or organization against only 3 percent of the disen-
gaged employees (Morgan, 2012). The Gallup survey also reveals that
86 percent of employees say that they feel very happy at work against 11
percent of disengaged employees. 45 percent of engaged employees say
that they get their life happiness from work against 8 percent of the disen-
gaged (Morgan, 2012).
Hypotheses 3: Higher levels of employee engagement will lead to higher
levels of organizational profitability.
This would need to be tested empirically. However, happy and engaged
employees would lead to happy customers. If customers are happy and
engaged, this would lead to higher levels of customer satisfaction leading
to higher profitability of the firm.
Employee Engagement Practices
It will be interesting to see the trends in employee engagement. There
are numerous insights into employee engagement practices. It is not just
the talent management practices or the compensation practices. Compa-
nies with highly engaged employees articulate their values and attributes
through signature experiences-visible, distinctive elements of the work
environment which send powerful messages about the organisations
skills, stamina, and commitment employees need in order to succeed there
(Erickson and Gratton, 2008). Companies that have highly engaged em-
ployees provide signature experiences. They realize that all employees are
not identical and therefore they have different needs. Just like customers
are unique so are the employees.
One in 2 Indian employees considering a change in his / her present
job with young workers most likely to quit as robust economic growth of
the country offers more job opportunities, a survey by human resource
consulting firm Mercer has found.(Indian Express, 2011).
A study by Mercer (2011) shows that overall 54% of Indias work
force are seriously considering leaving their organization at present time,
which is higher than 26% in 2004. 58% of women are considering a shift.
Younger employees are looking to exit-66% of employees of ages 24 and
younger are considering a change.
According to a study conducted by Mercer (2011) the following as-
pects matter are important in the context of employee engagement in India:

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

170 Talent Management

1. Career Advancement
2. Base Pay
3. Training Opportunities
4. Type of Work
5. Working for respectable organizations
6. Bonus or other incentives
7. Retirement saving plan
8. Flexible work schedule
The current case study takes the context of Infotech Enterprises Ltd. and
looks at aspects which lead to talent management and employee engage-
ment. Infotech Enterprises Ltd. is a part of growing Engineering Services
industry in India. Most software and engineering services firms would face
challenges in attracting and retaining talent on account of shortages of the
talent pool. People element is one of the strong factors that contributes to
competitive advantage and therefore firms rely on unique competencies of
their workforce for business growth.
According to Hewitt survey, the best organizations have the following
aspects in common:
1. Strong organizational alignment
2. Better growth and development opportunities
3. Address needs by employee segments
4. Strong belief in importance of HR function
5. Culture of recognition and rewards
The key driver of engagement for best employer has been identified as
career opportunities. It is the number one positive impact driver for em-
ployee engagement. The role of their manager and their own responsibility
plays a big role in ensuring their future success in the organization.
The best companies invest in equipping managers to provide direction
to employees careers by
1. Providing clear career planning discussion guidelines
2. Coaching managers in career conversations
Background of Infotech
Infotech is headquartered in Hyderabad. It has 9300+ associates across 30
global locations. The clients for Infotech span across various businesses
such as Aerospace, Consumer, Energy, Medical, Heavy Equipment, Hi-

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 171 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

Tech, Transportation, Telecom, etc. In terms of service offering, Infotech

Enterprises Ltd. offers leading edge engineering design services, prod-
uct development and life cycle support, process, network and content en-
gineering to major organizations. The organization banks upon offering
global delivery and collaborative engineering to its clients. The goal of
the firm is to cross the billion dollar mark in the next few years.
Infotech aligns with industry best practices and standards and con-
forms to the International Standards Organisation (ISO) 9001; 2008, In-
formation Security 27001:2005. Aerospace (AS9100C), Medical Devices
(ISO 13485) and capability maturity Model Integration (CMM) Level 5.
Some of the key milestones achieved by Infotech are as follows:
2006 : General Procurement Key Supplier of the year
: ACE Gold
: Optistruct Weight Reduction Initiatives Award
2008 : Supplier Gold in the year 2008
: The Edison Award 2008 Infotechs UGIS Implementation
: GITA Excellence Award 2008 by GITAAN for EGIS imple-
mentation.
2009 : Infotech wins the TOM TOM Performance Cup
2010 : Supplier Productivity Innovation Award 2010. Geospatial Ex-
cellence Award for Infotechs CGIS Project at Map Area 2010.
: Engineering Services Supplier of the Year Award.
2011 : Supplier of the Year from the Boeing Company.
Received Asias Best Employer Brand awards at Suntec Sin-
gapore, 22nd July 2011 for Innovation in retention Strategy.
Organisation with Innovative HR practices by Ascent Asia
Pacific HRM Congress on 2nd Sep. 2011 at Mumbai.
June 2011; Received award from Inspire NHRD in Talent En-
gagement and Retention category.
2012 : Infotech has been a recipient of the following awards as well:
HR Excellence Awards for Innovation. By Star News in the
2nd Talent Leadership and HR Awards held 16th Feb. 2012
Leading HR Practices in Learning and Human Capital De-
velopment by Shine.com at their HR Leadership Award cer-
emony.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

172 Talent Management

Snapshot of Business Growth for Infotech

Infotech has over 20 plus years of experience in engineering business.
57% of the revenues come in from North America and has many Fortune
500 companies as its customers as well. 98% of its business comes in
from repeat customers. Please see figure 2. The turnover of the company
has shown a consistent growth pattern. This is despite the global recession
and a tough business environment. Please see the exact locations in the
Figure 3.

Figure 2: Overview of Infotech Turnover and Business in the

FY 2011

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 173 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

Global Engineering with Local Access

Stavanger

Breda
Gothenburg
London
Montreal
Minneapolis Leonberg
Bristol
E. Hartford Paris
Peoria
San Jose Sterling Tokyo
Noida
Paragould Tupelo Dubai
Jackson Hyderabad
Mumbai

8,700+ Puerto Rico Bangalore

Vizag
Kuala Lumpur

Global Workforce Kakinada Singapore

21+
Nationalities Sydney Auckland

30 Global Delivery Centers

Melbourne

Global Locations Relationship Management Offices

2011 Infotech Enterprises 10

Figure 3: Infotechs Global Business Locations

Vision, Values and Culture

Vision and values influence the culture and character of a work place. It
is a binding mechanism which propels employees to work for higher goals
and achievement. Infotech has a vision of delivering innovative solutions
together for a better future. The organization is driven by key set of val-
ues FIRST which are as below:
Fairness in dealings with all stakeholders
Integrity is significant to the business in all business transaction
and relationships
Respect for all stakeholders
Sincerity as demonstrated through commitment towards quality,
cost, delivery of the values system
Transparency in all transactions

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

174 Talent Management

The code of business conduct encompasses the following beliefs.

1. Uncompromising integrity
2. Transparency of deeds
3. Customer delight
4. Respect for individual
There are formal written documents and manuals on values which are
shared with all employees.
There are clear guidelines on acceptable behaviours and practices in
which employees must engage in. There is a clear emphasis on respect,
involvement and fairness in all transactions.
Employee Engagement at Infotech
It is interesting to see how Infotech has evolved and grown despite market
uncertainties. A lot of factors contribute to an organisations growth where
employee engagement practices contribute majorly.
Engineering services firms are a lot about people and technology. The
IP and learning play an important role in developing deeper insights into
business practices. It is interesting to see how growing firms like Infotech
engage their employees and deploy talent management practices.
Infotech strongly believes in employee engagement practices. Info-
tech has deployed a very specific framework for employee engagement.
The company strongly feels that employee engagement is a measurable
degree of a employees emotional attachment to their jobs, colleagues and
organisation which profoundly influences their willingness to learn and
perform at work.
The core philosophy at Infotech around employee engagement in-
volves the following elements:
Engagement of employees with their manager and the organisa-
tion
Leadership by example
Policies, people and practices

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 175 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

ENGAGEMENT OF EMPLOYEES WITH THE MANAGER AND

ORGANISATION AT INFOTECH
Infotech tracks employee engagement at two levels:
1. Manager level
2. Company level
To measure employee engagement, a metric called engagement index is
used. This is tracked at a manager level and a company level.
Engagement of employees at a manager level:
Managers engage with their employees in numerous ways. Managers
get a feedback on their management style from their employees on
a quarterly basis. The variable pay of managers is dependent on the
achievement of engagement index with their teams. The engagement
index is measured for every manager at Infotech. There are numerous
elements which constitute the engagement index of the managers .
Some of these elements are mentioned below:

a. Guidance on work
b. Belief that the actions are fair
c. Accountability and credit sharing with the team
d. Role clarity and goal setting
e. Behaviour of the manager- politeness, courteousness and respect-
ful towards the subordinates
f. Communication and listening skills of the manager
g. Facilitation of growth and development of the team members
h. Decision making style- is it participative , inclusive or directive
i. Appreciation and recognition of good work
j. Providing feedback on tasks accomplished
k. Belief in manager keeping commitments
l. Demonstrating dominant leadership-This measures whether a
manger displays emotion, provides guidance on goals among
other factors.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

176 Talent Management

Based on the score of engagement index, a manager comes up with

a plan of action reviewed by the reviewing manager and also the sub-
ordinates on a quarterly basis. Based on the progress of the action
plan, the subordinates award smileys to the manager on a quarterly
basis. These are then tracked to see whether the teams are happy and
engaged with their managers.
Based on the engagement index scores of managers, training interven-
tions are initiated with the managers in coaching and engaging with
employees annually.
Engagement at Company Level:
There are numerous questions which should be tracked at a company
level. Infotech deploys a seven dimensional framework to achieve
the same. The company level engagement of the employees can be
tracked by measuring various aspects such as
1. Relationship with co-workers, customers and other stakeholders
2. Rewards in the organization- compensation, benefits and recogni-
tion
3. People practices which includes company reputation and people
assessment
4. Quality of work life in the organization
5. Growth opportunities for employees
6. Career and learning opportunities created for the employees
7. Resources available to achieve the objectives of the employees
The employee engagement is measured at both the company and the man-
ager level and is reflected in performance management system as well.
LEADERSHIP BY EXAMPLE
Infotech being a global organization, looks for a leadership talent that has
a global orientation and an engaging and an open mindset. There is a lot
of clarity on what constitutes leadership behavior. Infotech has developed
a leadership quotient which comprises of factors that have an external and
internal impact. The external factors are related with some of the follow-
ing aspects:

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 177 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

1. Global strategic mindset: This is to retain a global mindset and the

ability to work across different cultures. The idea is to think about
the Big Picture not compromising on short term achievements
and then act and take decisions appropriately.
2. Customer leadership: Understanding the customer needs and en-
dorsing them internally. Developing customer relationships and
influencing them effectively.
3. Creating collaborative partnerships: This reflects an ability for
cross pollination of ideas and builds teams with different compe-
tencies. The leadership allows flourishing of different ideas. Th
leader engages in thought leadership activities and builds part-
nerships with numerous stakeholders. He/she engages beyond the
call of duty.
4. Adapting to change: The leader is willing to adapt to the change.
He responds to situations pro-actively with a speed. He is contin-
uously reinventing himself and also rocks the boat so as to avoid
complacency.
The above four factors prepare Infotech to leap to the next phase of growth
and be actively engaged with external community.
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT POLICIES, SYSTEMS AND PRAC-
TICES AT INFOTECH
Infotech strongly feels that systems, policies and practices contribute to
employee engagement. Infotechs framework of engagement is called
INFOTOUCH. Please see figure 4 which represents different facets of
policies which help employees to engage more intensely with Infotech.
Infotouch is an acronym which represents various ways through which the
company engages with its employees. It is about setting an internal culture
which helps to foster bonds with employees and their families and external
stakeholders to evoke a sense of respect, connectivity and imbibe a fun
element. The culture is institutionalized by way of setting up communi-
cation practices and adopting regular and annual rituals which evoke a
sense of belonging in stakeholders.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

178 Talent Management

Figure 4: Infotouch: Framework for Employee

Engagement Practices at Infotech

INFOTOUCH is InfotechsAssociate Engagement Model which believes

in the Philosophy of Touching the Mind, Heart and Soul of every stake-
holder (Associates, Families, Friends)
Mind represents the Rational side of Connect with Infotech Vision,
Mission, Business Aspirations
Heart represents the Emotional side of Delight with Infotech Val-
ues, Work Practices, Interpersonal relations
Soul represents the Spiritual side of Shared Dreams with Infotech
irrespective of directly being associated as employee or not
When an employee is engaged, he/she pro-actively seeks opportunities to
serve the mission of the organization. He /she is willing to travel the extra
mile and is willing to be constructively critical for the good of the organi-
zation. At a higher level of engagement an employee becomes an advocate
wherein he makes discretionary effort for executing projects. He sees a
mutuality of interest between his values and aspirations of the organiza-
tion (Mercer Consulting, 2011). The level of employee engagement may
vary across industry segments as well and several organizational factors
may have an impact on employee engagement. Country specific culture
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
 179 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

may play a big role in employee engagement practices as well. In India,

establishing family linkages helps build up bonds. Activities which help
employees to find new talents in themselves or pursue their passion helps
them to engage better.
Company Practices:
Different processes are aligned to the values of the organization and team
activities are structured in a manner which ensure engagement keeping in
mind different outcomes. Engagement element percolates down to various
initiatives such as building bonds with the families of employees, Growth
opportunities are created in the organization for employees. The company
has adopted practices which builds close connectivity with the teams. It is
a culture where numerous channels are created to build and connect with
employees. A continuous and inspiring communication with internal and
stakeholders helps the people stay inspired and motivated.
Internal communication and branding:
The people element is seen as a resource and various initiatives are taken
to promote communication with people such as

Internal mailers
Rewards and recognition programs have been clearly communi-
cated.
Internal referral programs
Reflection and newsletter circulation
Engagement communication workshops
Rendezvous with senior management
HR Newsletter InTouch
Womens Day Celebration
Women are treated as an equally important resource. Womens day is cel-
ebrated and there are women related initiatives are clubbed under an ini-
tiative called, Spoorti. This is to celebrate the spirit of womanhood. It
involves creating opportunities to unfold their potential, provide mentor-
ship opportunities and encourage women to aspire for growth. There are
groups of women created with ten members each and projects are rolled
off. Various other activities are created which help them realize their po-
tential and also create great networks and support within the origanisation.
Developmental efforts are also targeted at these groups.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

180 Talent Management

New Adventures (Social interest groups)

There are social interest groups which have been created which are a vol-
untary effort by employees.
These groups are formed on the basis of common interests outside the
work domain. There are groups which would be involved in performing
arts or painting or walking clubs. There could be groups interested in
poetry. These groups then engage in social activities and provide an op-
portunity to connect with each other in a social setting. After office hours,
these groups may host activities and plan their creative initiatives.
Fun at Work
Fun at work helps people to be happy and helps them to contribute more
meaningfully at the workplace.
There are various initiatives which are initiated to create a climate of
wellbeing and belongingness. Numerous celebrations are organized which
help the employees to connect and celebrate. Some of the key events which
are hosted at Infotech are:
Mothers Day, Monthly Birthdays
Festival Celebrations
Team Outings
Online Gaming Competition
Kids connect: where kids and families get connected
Gym, Social Events
Outperform (High Performance Work Culture)
Infotech makes special efforts to recognize and reward talent. It is not only
for big achievements but also for numerous other initiatives for which
people can thank and recognize each other. This creates opportunities for
bonding and comradeship in the organization. There are numerous forums
which are created like Hall of Fame, Appreciation Tree, overseas holidays
for the best teams. There are long service awards which are in place for
the employees.
Appreciation Tree - An initiative to spread positive vibes throughout the
organization by giving the associates an opportunity to thank and appreci-
ate their peers or someone whose help or guidance made a difference to
them. Keeping this in mind, Infotech initiates a Mutual Admiration
Week in which an appreciation tree is stuck at different places and the
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
 181 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

leaves are given to all employees to be used to recognize and thank their
colleagues.
Pat on the back (POB) is another effort through which employee efforts
are recognized. POB is Infotechs appreciation method where in the as-
sociates are rewarded for their outstanding performance and efforts on the
spot by their managers and peers. Associates receive points from which
they can buy company personalized goods from Infotech Shoppe. This
shoppe offers branded Infotech products such as caps, T shirts, bags and
other products specially created to build up branding efforts.
Talent Development (Learning)
Talent development is a key priority at Infotech. There is a strategy de-
ployed to manage the future talent in the organization. Individual devel-
opment plans for senior managers are in place. There is a provision for
executive coaching and mentoring. Future stars are identified and a high
performers club program is in place. They also have a four tier leadership
development program. The levels at which these are initiated are front-
line managers, first time managers, senior managers, strategic managers
and managers in individual contributor roles. At each level, the require-
ments are unique and tailor made programs at each levels have been im-
plemented. There is a unique work practices program which relooks at
all people practices. There are awards for initiating best practices. There
are specific training budgets for each of these levels as well as prescribed
training man days for various positions.
Opportunities for Career Growth
Infotech strongly believes in investing for employees growth. There are
higher education opportunities that are created for the employees. Their
career development plans are discussed. Job rotations are initiated and
succession plans are discussed. There is a four tiered approach towards
development which is adopted. Employees are encouraged to participate
in national and international conferences. Infotech follows a layered ap-
proach to leadership development. There are four levels identified. They
are the first time managers, senior managers, strategic managers and the
individual contributors. Also efforts are made to spot the talent internally
and develop the same for senior positions. All job postings are shared
internally first before opening to external market. 70 percent of hiring for
senior positions is from internal talent. Star performers are identified and
Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)
182 Talent Management

are developed to take on the key positions in the organization. There are
also very clear job descriptions in place. There are clear guidelines on how
an employee could evolve from being in one role to another. How would
the skill set be aligned as one moves from one role to another role. There
is a clear emphasis on succession planning in the organization. The same
is done at various levels in the organization. Roundtables are held in which
future talent is discussed. Both at the top level and horizontal level, the star
talent is tracked. In talent management discussions, the chief managing
director is also involved. The growth opportunities not only are about the
position growth but are also about knowledge growth. This is an important
component. While most IT organizations, involved in software area would
invest in training opportunities, specially in technical areas, Infotech of-
fers opportunities to work for Fortune 500 clients and also work on cutting
edge technologies. Some of the unique technologies on which Infotech
employees work are: engineering services, next engine aircraft, and mood-
lighting in the aircraft. The challenge in the work assignment helps engage
employees meaningfully along with very clear growth opportunities and
employee investments.
Unique Work Practices
Infotech creates unique opportunities for its employees to be connected
with the organization. There are numerous forums created for the same
throughout the year. The company strongly believes in creating growth
opportunities for all its employees. It also provides opportunities for in-
novation in their roles and encourages and rewards out of box thinking. It
encourages risk taking and also clearly states it in its leadership manual
and in identification of future talent as well. It also provides lot of learning
opportunities as well. There are initiatives such as Walk a Mile wherein
the senior managers visit the offices of the younger managers and un-
derstand the challenges in their roles. They have lunch together and get
an opportunity to discuss various facets of their job challenges and op-
portunities around the same. Rendevouz is another opportunity which has
been created for the employees. Senior leaders may come and address
200-300 people and talk to them on various issues which may be related
to business opportunities, environment or technology areas. There is also
an initiative wherein the CEO delivers talks and all global employees get
connected and get an opportunity to interact with him.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 183 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

Connect with Managers

The senior leaders get involved in creating the right kind of climate in the
organization. Spending time with employees atleast once in six months,
creating right forums for expression and sharing of ideas is created from
time to time. The culture of respect and trust is enshrined in numerous
rituals that are practiced by the firm. Know your leaders sessions are well
received where success stories and experiences are shared.
The engagement index is measured for all managers as well at an or-
ganizational level. This has been explained in an earlier section as well.
Employee engagement index is an important contributor which reflects in
performance measurement of a manager,
Health and well being
In Infotech special efforts are made for ensuring health and well being for
all employees. Every month health camps are hosted. Monthly birthday
celebrations are an integral feature at Infotech. Employees get involved in
CSR activities. This involves blood donation camps, books donation and
employees volunteer to teach with NGOs. Infotech also has a charitable
arm named Infotech Charitable Trust.
Employees volunteer for various activities. There are also family din-
ners hosted by Infotech. There are painting competitions, singing and
annual day celebrations. There are newsletters where families contribute.
Summing Up
Talent management is one of the key priorities for successful firms. A
clear strategy to attract the right people and the ability to leverage their
competencies for organizational growth can make a big difference. Firms
adopt a variety of measures for managing talent. Talent management starts
from attracting and recruiting the right talent for the organization;training
and developing them; engaging them meaningfully which leads to their
growth and organizational growth. In order to retain talent, employee en-
gagement is a very important tool. Engagement is not just about delivering
on the job. It involves a deeper emotional bond with an organization where
a person steps beyond the call of duty to achieve goals for an organization.
It is about connecting with the organization emotionally and also demon-
strating resilience and going out of the way accomplishing goals for the
organization.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

184 Talent Management

There are different components which contribute to employee engage-

ment. Some of these components are work environment, leadership , man-
agement style of a manager/leader, rewards and recognition among other
aspects. Psychological security plays a very big role in employee engage-
ment. The role of a manager assumes a lot of importance in this context. A
manager plays a very important role in engaging his teams meaningfully.
His behavior and ability to create a challenge in the job roles and fairness
in his conduct can go a long way in institutionalizing employee engage-
ment in an organization. The leadership and values espoused by leadership
helps engage employees. Leading by example, transparency and clear di-
rections for the growth of the firm enables a connect and inspiration in the
hearts of people. Compensation, rewards and recognition are all enablers
for employee engagement. As discussed earlier, instilling fun elements
and creating opportunities beyond the job roles also enables employee en-
gagement. CSR activities, involvement with families and helping employ-
ees bond with each other all help in achieving higher engagement levels
in the organization. A powerful communication strategy internally also
keeps the employees connected with the firm. Learning and growth op-
portunities enable employees to be connected and engaged with the firm.
Challenge in job roles and ability to see the career trajectories is important
for employees. Recognition of performance is an important contributor
to employee motivation and engagement. Monetary and non monetary
aspects are both important. Community efforts, social activities, women
empowerment efforts initiated in an firms context are all ways to create
a greater understanding of organization orientation and building a culture
where individuals are valued and they get opportunities to contribute and
also discover themselves.
Key Questions
The following questions should be the basis of the group activity and dis-
cussion:
1. Some factors impact employee engagement more than the others. A
firm should only focus on factors that matter more. Debate the above
statement.
2. Evaluate the employee engagement practices at Infotech. Are there
elements missing which Infotech should look at to manage their talent
better?

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

 185 Jauhari, Sehgal, Sehgal

REFERENCES
Aon Hewitt (2011) Trends in Global Employee Engagement, Aon Hewitt (online)
(cited April 13, 2013). Available from <urL: www.aon.com/attachments/thought-
leadership/Trends-Global-Employee-Engagement_Final.pdf>.
Attridge, M. (2009) Measuring and Managing Employee Work Engagement: A Review
of Research and Business Literature, Journal of Workplace Behavioural Health, 24,
pp. 383-398.
Ayers, Keith (2012) The High Cost of Lack of Engagement (online) (cited 6 November
2012). Available from <url: www.engagementnot enough.com/pdfs/Cost of
engagement.pdf>.
Bhatnagar, J. (2012) Management of Innovation: Role of Psychological Empowerment,
work Engagement and Turnover Intention in the Indian Context, The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, 23:5, pp.928-951.
Bratton J. and Gold, J. (2007) Human Resource Management, New York, Palgrave
Macmillan.
Cappelli, P. (2009) A Supply Chain Approach to Workforce Planning, Organisational
Dynamics, 38, pp.8-15.
Clutterbuck, D. and Megginson, D. (2005) Making Coaching Work: Creating a Coaching
Culture, London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
DAmeco, E. (2008) Talent Management: Skilled Worker Demand Outweighs Supply,
Chemical Digest, 170:11, pp.22-23.
Erickson, T.J. and Gratton, L. (2008) What it Means to Work Here, Harvard Business
Review on Talent Management, Boston, Harvard Business Press.
Eyre, E. (2012) People Really Do matter, Survey Reveals, Training Journal, (online)
(Cited 15 April 2012). Available from <URL: www.training journal.com>.
Forman D.C. (2005) Principles of Human Capital Management, White River, V.T.:
Human Capital Institute.
Gallup (2011) Majority of American Workers Not Engaged in their Jobs, Gallup,
(online) (Cited 13 April 2013). Available from <URL: www.gallup.com/poll/150383/
Majority-american-workers-not-engaged-job.aspx>.
Gallup (2012) Employee Engagement (online) (cited 31 May 2012). Available from
<URL:http://www.gallup.com/consulting/52/Employee-Engagement.aspx>.
Gallup Business Journal (2012) Gallup study: Engaged employees inspire company
innovation, Gallup Business Journal, (online) (cited 6 November 2012) Available
from <URL:www.businessjournal.gallup.com>
Guthridge, M. & Komm, A.(2008) Why multinationals struggle to manage Talent The
McKinsey Quarterly, pp. 10-13.
Hagel, Jack(2012) Developing the Talent Pipeline, Journal of Accountancy, 14:5, pp.24-25.
Kahn,.A.(1990) Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at
work, Academy of Management Journal, 33, pp. 692-724
Kim,S. and Gary N. McLean(2012) Global Talent Management: Necessity, Challenges
and the Roles of HRD, Advances in Developing Human Resources, 14:4, pp. 566-585.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

186 Talent Management

Indian Express (2011) 1 of 2 Indians employees null job change, The Indian Express, New
Delhi, (online) (cited 25 August 2011). Available from <URL:www.indianexpress.
com>.
Lewis, R. and Heckman, R. (2006) Talent Management : A Critical Review, Human
Resource Management Review, 16, pp.139-154.
Mercer (2011) Inside Employees Mind (online) (cited 15 May 2012). Available from
<URL:www.Inside-employees-mind.mercer.com>.
Mellahi K. and Collings, D. (2010)The Barriers to Effective global Talent Management:
Teh Example of Corporate Elites in MNEs, Journal of World Business, 45, pp.143-
149
Mielach, David (2012) The Dangers of Disengaged Employees, Business News Daily
(online) (cited 6 November 2012). Available from <URL:www.businessnewsdaily.
com/2950-employee-enagement-rewards.html>.
Morgan, Jacob (2012) The Cost of a Disengaged Employee in Cloudave.com (2012),
(online) (cited 6 November 2012). Available from <URL: www.cloudave.com>.
Nasscom (2012) Knowledge Professions (online) (cited 15 November 2012). Available
from <URL: http://www.nasscom.org/knowledge-professionals>.
Santhoshkumar, R and Rajasekar, N. (2012) Talent Measure Sculpt for Effective Talent
Management: A Practical Revise, IUP Journal of Management Research, 11:1, pp.
10, 38-47.
Smartmanager.com (2012) Disengaged Employees can Cost the Companies Millions
(online) (cited 6 November 2012). Available from <URL: www.smartmanager.com/
au/eprose/main/cms/content/au/smartmanager/en/pages/disengaged_employees_
cost_millions_html>.
Smythe, J. (2007) Employee engagement-its real essence and how it helped to transform a
top four UK bank, Human Resource International Digest, 15, pp.11-13.
Socialworkplace.com (2012) Engaged vs Disengaged employees (online) (cited 6
November 2012). Available from <URL: www.Socialworkplace.com/2012/09/17/
engaged-vs-disengaged-employees-and-what-to-do-about-it/>.
Stevens-Huffman, Leslie (2011) Exponential engagement, Smart Business Los Angeles,
6:1, pp. 22-22.

Dr. Vinnie Jauhari, Director and Professor at IIMT (Oxford Brookes

University) Gurgaon, India. Email: vinnie.jauhari@yahoo.com
Rajesh Sehgal, Vice President-HR, Infotech Enterprises Ltd., Noida,
India.
Pooja Sehgal, Assistant Professor at School of Business, Galgotias
University, Noida, India.

Journal of Services Research, Volume 13, Number 1 (April - September 2013)

Copyright of Journal of Services Research is the property of Institute for International
Management & Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or
posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users
may print, download, or email articles for individual use.