BT ANNIVERSARY ISSUE: [8] Compaq: The Soft Touch

Janaki Ramakrishnan, a corporate manager at Compaq, had to stay back late for an important meeting. But what worried her was not that she would be late but the fact that her pet dog Chotu had to be taken for a walk. The meeting was extremely important, but so was Chotu. 'No problem', said the company. In stepped the concierge services provided by Compaq. They not only took Chotu for a walk, but also gave the dog a special treat.

Cut to a gaggle of cherubic children prancing around dressed in their best. Their joyful shouts and screams shatter the normally placid atmosphere at the 48,000-square feet 'Compaq Centre' located in the verdant surroundings of Yeshwanthpur on the outskirts of Bangalore. Spouses of employees float around greeting each other. Everyone is having fun. It's the Compaq Annual Day. Desktops, notebooks, and servers are forgotten as everyone lets their hair down and has a blast.

It's this sort of human touch that has made the country's No. 1 PC-maker Compaq Computer India one of the most preferred destinations for employees. Of course, pay packets matter-the average salary for the 700 employees is Rs 20,000 a month. But that obviously isn't enough to make a workplace great.

Achieving and retaining leadership in the hyper-competitive Indian market is no easy task. The work atmosphere is hectic. ''We run a tight ship,'' admits Zarir Batliwala, Director (HR), and Company Secretary. This is reflected in the fact that even when the company added nearly 120 employees this year (2000-2001) most of the recruitments were in the sales and marketing functions, which directly contribute to the bottomline. The support staff have remained the same despite the growth. ''We run a lean and humane, but not a mean machine,'' adds Batliwala.

Worldwide, Compaq and Digital merged in 1998; the Indian situation was an aberration. While Digital Equipment India was a publicly listed company, Compaq India was completely privately held by its parent. And in India, Digital was the bigger partner with greater revenues and more number of people, whereas worldwide, Compaq was the dominant partner. When the two companies merged, there were several functions that overlapped. Around 100 employees had to be given the pink slip and this created a ripple of fear among employees about who would have to go. Batliwala says that this was a crunch time, which the company was able to overcome as the outgoing employees were helped in getting jobs, counselled, and given generous severance packages (the minimum being a year's salary). ''Not a single employee who was right-sized is unemployed today,'' claims a beaming Batliwala.

Compaq isn't the best paymaster in the industry, but it aims to be in the upper quartile. Like most contemporary employers, part of the compensation is variable, linked to performance. ''In directly measurable areas like marketing and sales, it is 70/30 and in case of support functions like hr and finance it is 80/20,'' says Soumitra Das, Country Manager, HR.

Compaq offers its employees the opportunities to learn as well as deliver. ''People create their own careers; we only provide them the road-map so that their goals mesh with that of the organisation's,'' he adds. Like most infotech companies, Compaq offers its employees flexibility. Endorses B.R. Venkatesh, a software specialist: ''There are no cards to be swiped each time I enter and exit the facility. The opportunity of working on cutting-edge technology projects, the work environment, and my co-workers are what makes Compaq such a exciting place to work.''

Why COMPAQ is number 8

Compaq's sensitivity towards employee needs is touching. Managers recount a story of how, when an employee was battling a debilitating illness the organisation not only took care of his medical expenses but took him back on without looking at how much value he would add. An accident involving an employee alerted the company into immediately organising a road safety workshop.

The technology quotient in the company's hr practices is high. The hr portal facilitates feedback, self-paced learning, and has to concierge services. 'Knowledge-enriched Fridays', reimbursement of fees for technical courses, and the flexibility to address one's development needs adds to the intense learning environment.

The company's values are reflected in hr activities. Strong customer orientation translates into a customer-interview being part of the hiring process. A desire for community involvement took Compaq to the Spastic Society to create a logo for its current 'Inspiration' theme.

Ownership and empowerment are strong themes at Compaq. A 100-per cent stock ownership plan coupled with freedom to manage action plans and goals results in employees taking charge. A gymnasium, fitness consultant, and health food ensure the employee's well-being. Travelling employees may come back home for the weekend and return on Monday. Dial-up connection from home facilitates telecommuting. No wonder ex-employees come back, and re-hiring is encouraged.

Madhavi Misra and Purva Misra, Hewitt Associates LLC