HPCL ,India Samavesh - a unique integration

process

OBJECTIVES:

Introduction and integration of new joinees with Corporation at personal/professional/cultural level.

Dissemination of knowledge about the Corporation for the freshers.

Facilitate the transformation from a student to a well groomed corporate professional. Inculcate Corporation’s values and spirit.

Role clarity on expected deliverables/outcomes.

DETAILS OF THE PROJECT:

Meticulous planning was done for inducting maximum number of freshers on a single day. ‘E-brochure’ was sent in advance to the freshers detailing the concept of Samavesh, its process, various welfare / professional benefits available etc.

. ‘Samavesh Awareness Workshops’ were conducted for the field supervisors / location heads to impress upon the changing needs in talent retention, Human Resources Development, the cultural integration for the new generation etc. A total of 448 Engineers and MBAs were appointed in the Corporation on a single day, (first batch of 280 on 14.06.2008 and second batch of 168 on 02.08.2008).

Psychometric tools based on Human Job Analysis profiled against various job-positions, were taken as the criteria for identifying right-fit-for-right-job at the induction stage itself.

The Phase-I of ‘Samavesh’ was for 4 days with a theme "What HPCL is?". This phase is full of interactions through presentations, formal/informal events like dinners, cultural programs, sports etc. To supplement the lecture method of imparting knowledge, an innovative method of SBU (Strategic Business Units) Stalls exposition was facilitated,

wherein each of the SBU showcased/displayed the products and services. The presentations from Business Units were done by experienced personnel and giving the young joinees an overview of the entire businesses including Vision / Strategy.

Thru informal dinners (without any music or cultural programs), the freshers were exposed to the informal culture and discuss about their personal / professional ambitions, job profile, competency requirements etc.

‘Cricket’, considered a religion in India, and one of the popular sport in the region, was a great success among the freshers. The team formations with names from HPCL’s popular brands, brought in a spirit of loyalty and encouraged team-work. ‘Unity in Diversity’, the country’s culture & strength, was inculcated.

The Phase-II was for 10 days designed with a theme "How HPCL works?" The freshers were given practical inputs through actual location visits / interactions with customers at petrol stations, storage points, carousel operations, crude processing etc.

To structure the learning, only 8-10 freshers were allowed to visit one particular location with pre-printed "Learning Diary". and the freshers are encouraged to find the answers of the pre-printed questions and put on-line for blind review / assessment.

The Phase II training involved 2800 mandays, 49 locations representing 7 Strategic Business Units spanning across 4 States.

The Phase-III spanned for about 8-14 working days (depending upon the SBU) with a theme "How your SBU works?" wherein structured and rigorous inputs were given to the freshers of that particular SBU.

At the end of each phase assessment methodologies are put in place to gauge the level of commitment/understanding/learning. The top 10% are to be given laptops apart from nominating them to the premier development programs at Indian Institute of Management.

After the Phase-III, the new officers are sent to their designated locations for on-the job training under the direct supervision of seniors.

. During this period HR buddies and “mentors” are identified for professional development in their work area. With ‘‘Samavesh’’ the freshers' training period was slashed to 6 months from earlier 12 months.

HPCL is confident that the freshers will be ready to take over their assigned roles at the end of the training period, thereby ‘delighting’ their supervisors with the newly acquired knowledge. The Team ‘Samavesh’ has executed the entire Project which comprises the entire team of Competency Mapping and selected HR functionaries.

RESULTS:

Thus, through the process of ‘‘Samavesh’’, HPCL achieved instant success in the following areas: a) Integrating the new officers in the age group of 21-25 with the existing officers whose average age is 42 – mixing up two generations into one.

b) Taking into its fold 12% of existing officer strength, in the form of new recruits.

c) Placing confident and competent manpower into the various sensitive positions in a Fortune 500 company (HPCL).

d) Reducing the initial phase of attrition – from 20% to 5%.

e) Developing one of the best practices of “integration” for Corporate world in the Asia-pacific region, for large manufacturing/processing industries. Customer's feedback (on video/on-line) sent separately.

OTHER INFORMATION:

The word ‘‘Samavesh’’ is drawn from the Sanskrit word ‘Samavaran’ which has multiple meanings. At a philosophical level the work signifies a relationship between the whole and its parts.

In this context, the whole is represented by the Corporation and the parts by its Human Resources. Just as every part is an integral constituent of the whole, HPCL believes that its Human Resources are an important element of its ethos.

In Hindi (India’s national language), ‘‘Samavesh’’ simply means the process of inclusion. Just as the vast oceans embraces the rivers, HPCL on its part ensures that all the new members of its family are welcomed with open arms to enable them discover meaningful and mutually beneficial association.

There was a strong need to propagate the theme of ‘‘Samavesh’’ to the existing employees of HPCL, so that they personally identify themselves with the concept and welcome the freshers into HPCL family with warmth and affection. Therefore, a need was felt for a logo for buy-in throughout the Corporation. It was in one of the brain-storming sessions, that one summer trainee from Indian Institute of Management-Indore has designed the ‘‘Samavesh’ Logo’