TCS, Bharti rated best employers : Hewitt

New Delhi: Tata Consultancy Services, Bharti Televentures, NTPC, Proctor and Gamble and Glaxo Smithkline Consumer were chosen the five best employers in 2004 by the Hewitt Best Employers Study among 272 companies covering 75,000 employees in India.

TCS, which figured in the 10th rank in the 2003 study, moved up to the first position this year while P&G which was at top last year has slipped to the fourth position.

Bharti Televentures, Satyam Computer, Tata Motors, Intel and NTPC are the new entrants to the top 10 list while American Express, Tata Steel and Wipro have slipped from the top list.

According to Mick Bennett, Hewitt Associates, managing director for Asia-Pacific, "The best employers inspire and maintain a passion for outstanding achievement. They not only pose sharp focus and clarity but also share it simply and effectively with the employees besides looking for building sustainability of customer relationships," he said.

Companies figuring in Hewitt's list of 25 best employers in India include Procter & Gamble, Glaxo Smithkline, Tata Motors, Satyam Computer, Intel, IOC, Johnson & Johnson, Dr Reddy's, GAIL, St Microelectronics, Philips, Mind Tree, Eureka Forbes, Agilent Technologies, Tata Steel, Biocon, HPCL, EI Dupont, Oracle, Birla Sunlife, Wipro Spectramind and Gillette.

Hewitt Associates identified the 25 best employers based on in-depth questionnaires later analysed by a panel of judges.

Procter & Gamble received the most admired HR department's award while the five best-managed workforce were in Godrej consumer products, IFFCO, Parry Confectionery, the Leela Palace Kempinski and Jubilant Organosys. Eight of the 25 best employers were in the IT sector, while four were in the FMCG and rest from energy, telecom, manufacturing and other sectors.

Three Tata group companies figured among the top 25 companies and four were PSUs.

272 companies with a workforce of 7 lakh participated in the Hewitt survey, the highest participation in any geographical location.

The study concluded that the best employers viewed talent management as an important investment, and focused on building a high performance work environment, articulated the elements of their organisation's culture, used rewards as a differentiating tool and derived leadership behaviour throughout the organisation.

The study said the best employers have changed their opinion towards talent management and are investing more in developing the talents of the employees. They are also focusing on building high performance work environment, and using rewards as the differentiating tool.

A new category 'best people CEO' saw Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Televentures as the front runner, while Proctor and Gamble was voted as having the most admired HR department.

The study said the best employers focus on evaluation of performance targets at all organisational levels. About 88 per cent of the best employers use market data to determine fixed pay pre-evaluation, while 24 per cent are willing to pay without regard to compensation band or grades.

The best employers use performance as well as improvements in knowledge, skills and abilities to determine increases in salary.

The study said 26 per cent of the best employers pay more than three times the amount to top performers than that to average performers.

The study added that 96 per cent of the best employers also have formal special recognition programmes to support the performance management.

Many public sector companies are seen investing in HR development as companies like GAIL, NTPC, Indian Oil and HPCL have all made it to the top 25 list as compared to only BPCL and IOC last year.