Are you one
of those employees who sit in your office; sweat, work and then find out that
you have very little to gain from doing your work successfully? In short the fruits
of the task that you do are enjoyed by senior employees. You thus remain at the
lower end of the economic ladder in terms of reaping the economic benefits that
are due to you.
A management
consultant and writer, Tarun Agarwal recently authored and released a ‘Business
Manifesto’ discussing these problems. The 10-page document was released at Sydenham Institute of
Management Studies, Research and Entrepreneurship Education (SIMSREE) by Icon Business Forum (a collective of
consultants, writers, entrepreneurs and investors).
Millions of
white-collared employees across the country face this constant sense of
economic dissatisfaction, where they work long hours, but neither getting
sufficient salary or job security. A stake in the company is a dream that we
read about only in the papers. This dissatisfaction should be taken seriously
by employers who need to realize that businesses are becoming fragile. Wouldn't it be said in fair justice that an incentive would be required to provide employees with a sense of job satisfaction? This would not only increase their
inclination to work, but they would also feel far more happy to give in their
best.
This is
exactly where the Business Manifesto comes into the picture. A fulcrum for
debate on how different businesses can meet the dual demands of overall growth
and inclusion, it is a platform to provide the opportunity for businessmen to
think in lateral and divergent manners.
Dealing with
a very critical issue where employees neither have job security or job satisfaction,
the Business Manifesto aims at bridging the gap between the two. Of course this
issue is not a new phenomenon and has existed since decade’s altogether. However, this is important as we seem to have
entered into an age high unemployed, great dissatisfaction and companies
battling survival. So, wouldn't you want to do something about it? Wouldn't you
want to be a far more motivated employee or as an employer have a far more enthusiastic employee hired to work in our company?
Many renowned
Indian thinkers and philosophers have discussed these aspects in various ways.
As quoted by Uppaluri Gopala Krishnamurti (known as U. G.
Krishnamurti) an Indian thinker in Inner Quest “Since I don't have any rights,
I don't have any duties either.” So, here lies the center of our debate,
of Business Manifesto; and that is, as an employee if we don’t have rights,
where can duties arise?
Whether a
content writer at a digital agency, a research associate at a financial
company, a banker or any other job that we hold; it is always about attaining a
senior position in order to win a ticket to a higher salary. Why can’t this
change? Why can’t the one’s at the lower end of the economic ladder, who are
also involved in high demanding jobs where they work long hours also reap
similar benefits and get a piece of the pie? Wouldn't this boost their morale
and lead to better performance and higher job satisfaction?
The
Business Manifesto lays down several points on how this motivation can be obtained.
These may be in the form of monetary and non-monetary incentives.
Some
of the Non-Monetary incentives include (suggested if employers are unable to
pay due to economic distress etc.):
1)
Giving all permanent employees a listing on their website (where
their name is mentioned).This not only provides recognition but also a feeling
of pride for employees.
2)
Analyzing the time commitment given to the firm & reducing it
by 10%.
3)
Listing all contract/temp staff on the website (if they have
served for more than 3 months i.e. beyond internship period)
4)
(For blue-collared employees) Providing periodic training to
employees to help hone their skills
Some of the the Monetary
incentives could include:
1)
Permit employees to pursue additional sources of income (as long
as it does not interfere with their work at the company)
What
separates this Business Manifesto is its attempt to unify all segments of the
society. Whether it is an industrialist who is having difficulty in running his
business or a blue collared employee, the manifesto is sympathetic to everyone.
It offers an economic restructuring recipe for all segments of the society –
industrialists, employers, white-collared employees, blue-collared employees,
the unemployed and even the unemployable (disabled etc.)
The Business
Manifesto is a 10-page riveting, must-read!
