Venus Remedies among the best companies to work for

Venus Remedies Limited, a research-based global pharmaceutical firm is the only company from North India to have made it to the list of Top 100 in the "India's Best Companies to Work for" study conducted by the Great Place to Work Institute, India in association with The Economic Times. The company is placed at the 72nd position.

Terming the achievement as a matter of great pride, Pawan Chaudhary, CMD, Venus Remedies Limited, said, "We have been getting recognitions in the past from across the globe for our research products. This time, our HR practices have been acknowledged as people-oriented. Now a circle has been completed. We give our employees a conducive environment to learn and work so that they can in turn give great solutions. Employees are our biggest asset and all policies are oriented towards them."

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About 550 organisations registered for this year's study. The survey, considered to be the most comprehensive and representative study of workplace culture in corporate India, was based on the responses of 98,998 employees in these organisations, which included not only Indian and multinational companies but also public sector and not-for-profit organisations.

Hailing the achievement, Dheeraj Aggarwal, chief financial officer and vice-president, HR, Venus Remedies, said, "We did remarkably well on various parameters considered for the survey. We always try our level best to make all our employees feel wanted from the moment they join us. The work timings are employee-friendly. Sitting late at work is not encouraged. Employees are motivated to strike a balance between their personal and professional lives. At Venus, we play light and soothing music to create a relaxing atmosphere for employees. The company has a team of more than 40 in-house faculty members to run the tutor and training programme for employees. This is apart from the technical and non-technical training provided through external agencies. We also seek detailed feedback from employees from time to time on their level of satisfaction."

Elaborating on the company's employee welfare schemes, Aggarwal said, "We have a unique practice of a Venus Army, which handles all grievances that are reported to it. Venus Army is available round-the-clock to meet any exigencies and welfare of the employees under a meticulously designed programme called "Manav Utahan Yojana". All employees contribute Rs 50 per month towards the Venus Army Fund, which is used to support employees from economically weaker sections."

Under its shagun policy, the company extends financial assistance for the marriage of employees and their immediate family members. As many as 127 employees availed the facility last year. Apart from extending car and housing loans to employees at subsidised rates, the company grants its shares to certain set of employees at nearly 95% discount.

Only six companies among the top 50 are new entrants this time, down from 14 in the 2012 survey. On the other hand, there are 25 new entrants in the top 100.

The parameters for the survey include genuine caring for employees, willingness to share wealth and equal opportunity for recognition, candid communication, reliability of managers, collaboration with employees, impartiality and opportunities for career growth. In simple terms, these factors connote the three fundamental relationships that an employee has—relationship with the management, with the work that the employee does and with other co-workers.

The framework of the US-based Great Place to Work Institute is followed by more than 6,500 organisations globally that participate in the annual research on workplace culture across more than 45 countries.