The emergence of a more dynamic talent and work model benefits us all, creating an inclusive growth model that will stand the test of time
Words by Dillip Kumar Patel
Over the past 48 years, NTPC has had a glorious journey made possible by its “Can Do Spirit” which has acted as a catalyst in its transformation from a thermal power generator to one which has established itself as the dominant power major with presence in the entire value chain of the power generation business.
“People before PLF (Plant Load Factor)” is the guiding philosophy behind the entire gamut of HR policies at NTPC. We realize that in these fast changing and disruptive times, the one thing which will continue to act as a differentiator for us is our employees. And for this, we are continuously trying to ensure that our HR policies are aligned to the business needs and employee aspirations. We engage with our stakeholders through a structured Communication matrix, which also brings an inclusive approach to decision-making. Regular feedback is taken from employees by conducting organizational climate surveys and employee satisfaction surveys.
We are a company that is strongly committed to the development and growth of our employees as individuals and not just as employees. A well-established talent management system comprising PMS, Leadership Development System, Career Development Scheme, and Succession Planning Scheme is in place to ensure that we fulfil our promise of meaningful growth and relevant challenges for our employees. The career development of individuals is linked to diverse job exposure, location exposure, learning inputs through planned interventions, clearance of online e-learning functional & cross-functional modules and administration of assessment tools.
An entire gamut of benefits, from competitive salary structure, well-designed loan schemes, to unlimited medical facility during service, to Post-retirement Medical benefits to Family Economic Rehabilitation are extended to employees to meet any exigency that may arise in their lives.
A key component of our Employee Value Proposition is our focus on employee well-being. NTPC has taken many initiatives for securing safety, social security, welfare and holistic well-being (physical and emotional) of its employees. NTPC has a 24×7 online Employee Assistance Program (EAP) called SNEHAL for emotional assistance, including counselling for employees and their family members.
Our thread of emotional connect with employees continues even after their separation. Our employees know that the “organisation would stand by them” during the significant milestones in their lives, which is why they value being part of the “NTPC Family”. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, NTPC became synonymous with ‘special care’ due to its efforts in handling exceptional cases that needed advanced urgent care, as well as for the various relief measures implemented to ensure financially sustained and dignified life for family members of deceased employees.
Our commitment to providing a “safe work environment” to our employees and extended workforce makes us a preferred place to work.
Another important reason behind NTPC being a preferred place to work is the quality of life at NTPC townships that are “great places to live in”! Far removed from the buzz of cities, our townships are the epitome of serenity, natural beauty and close community living. A range of welfare and recreation facilities including schools, hospitals, shopping centres, recreation centres, club, gym, pool, etc. are provided at the townships to enhance the quality of life and well-being of employees and their families. No wonder our attrition rate is very low, and most employees choose a lifetime career with us!
We continuously participate in various assessment processes in order to benchmark and improve our practices. What we have realized through such participation is that there are many novel HR practices in NTPC which are unique even when compared with private companies and MNCs – some of the key initiatives being continuous assessments and real-time feedback in PMS, Online Competency, Potential and Value (CPV) Assessments, customised learning paths on the GpiLearn + platform, CLIMS (Contractors’ Labour Information Management System), Samarth modules for facilitating job rotation, internal and external e-learning modules like Harvard ManageMentor, etc. In tune with employee aspirations and to increase agility in the HR functioning, many HR processes have been simplified and digitalised, over time.
We make concerted efforts to build the capabilities of our People Managers and HR Executives through various interventions, as they are the crucial link for translating great people practices into a positive employee experience!
We are a preferred organisation for the community in the vicinity of our sites as well. Being part of the community fabric, we achieve part of our Talent Sustainability agenda by transferring unique skills and knowledge to the community members, and creating livelihood opportunities for them. A humble yet valuable contribution by NTPC to the national cause of gender justice and empowerment is its flagship “Girl Empowerment Mission” project to provide holistic education to girl children in the age group of 10–12 years who come from the neighbourhood community of its stations!
Dillip Kumar Patel is the Director (HR) at NTPC Ltd.
Having started his career in NTPC way back in 1986 as an Engineering Executive Trainee (XI batch), his ascent from his humble beginning as an Executive Trainee to the top echelons of HR function in NTPC signifies his passion, commitment, and hard work. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering from NIT, Rourkela and did his Post Graduate Diploma in Business Management (HR & Finance) from MDI, Gurgaon. He has also received management and leadership training inputs from ESCP-EAP (Paris, Berlin & Turin), Harvard Business School (USA), ISB Hyderabad & XLRI Jamshedpur.
