What motivates an employee to do an excellent job at work? Is it only the compensation they receive? We spoke to Atul Barjatya, Director, Head – Channel Sales, Research Solutions, at Merck Group, and he says that more often than not, the answer is no. He goes on to say,
“In the last couple of years, our engagement scores have gained by 18% and we have an enviable attrition of just 5%.”
This commitment to keeping his team members engaged and motivated also got him a place in the prestigious Top 100 Great People Managers list of 2021 by Great Manager Institute®, published in Forbes India. At the sales team, his teammates must go out into the market and sell their product with conviction while facing rejection. The best way to ensure they can do their job is to motivate them with several employee engagement practices. One such remarkable practice is that they call themselves “Sales Warriors”.
“We held our strategy meetings in key locations across our nation because these locations have a rich history and a strong sense of patriotism that inspires us to work as a team. On these occasions, we didn’t conduct business reviews, but instead decided on long-term strategies or tackled pressing issues as a team. Rather than waiting for annual accomplishments, we began recognising the sales process and introduced quarterly awards by renaming them after our gallant medals; they were given away at such strategic places, the team members’ motivation increased beyond belief.”
Another way Atul has ensured that his teammates are positively engaged is by developing a culture of listening to each other. They have a mandatory participation by everyone and no ‘no’ policy in their brainstorming sessions. He insists that each team member gets a chance to speak their suggestions, and no one is supposed to interrupt till they finish, or respond with negative words. This increases the confidence of team members and generates diversity in ideas which leads to the inclusivity of one and all.
Great Managers Institute® aims to bring out the best in industry leaders. Our series “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast and Everything Else for Lunch “shares the best workplace practices of India’s Top 100 Great People Managers of 2021.
According to GMI, this is what we can learn from Atul Barjataya:
- Keeping employees engaged through meritorious rewards is critical to keep them motivated
- Going beyond the workplace to find motivation is an excellent way to keep the team engaged
If you believe your leadership skills are at par with the best practices shared in this story, participate in Great People Manager Study 2022 and get a chance to feature in India’s Top 100 Great People Managers list. We are eager to hear your story. Register here!
Cheers to great leaders!
