No flip-flops: LTI Mindtree COO Nachiket Deshpande backs hybrid working for employees 

Nachiket Deshpande, COO, LTIMindtree

LTIMindtree continues to retain the hybrid model by mandating two-day work from office (WFO) for most associates and three-day WFO for middle management and leadership, said chief operating officer (COO) Nachiket Deshpande.

Deshpande added that some of the IT services major’s peers have “flip-flopped” on their return-to-office strategies, but LTIMindtree won’t do that.

“We've always said that we would want to strike a balance and get the best of both worlds. We are today mandating two days a week for all of our associates up to a certain level, and for the middle management and leadership, it is mandated to be three days a week. So we will continue to focus on that,” he told Moneycontrol in an interview.

The company, he added, is already seeing good traction on employees coming back to offices. Going forward, LTIMindtree would opt for a “bit of an aggressive rollout of the same strategy across locations.”

Deshpande, however, didn't mention how the company plans to enforce the WFO mandate.

Last week, Moneycontrol had exclusively reported that HCLTech had moved to link fixed leaves of employees with their compulsory three-day attendance in office.

“I think some of our peer groups have flip-flopped on that, from saying that they will only have 25 percent of the people working from the office by 2025 to everybody wants to be in the office, otherwise we'll cut your pay. We don't believe in doing this flip-flop on strategies,” Deshpande said.

The dig was in context to the country’s largest software services firm, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), first moving from its 25/ 25 vision, wherein by 2025, only 25 percent of its associates will need to work out of facilities at any point of time. Also, the employees will not need to spend more than 25 percent of their time at work.

TCS then moved to implement a three-day WFO for all employees, which, in a few months, shifted to five-day WFO. The latest blow came in April when the company linked its quarterly variable pay out to employee’s attendance in office.

Those  employees with less than 60 percent attendance won’t be eligible for this payout and consistent violation could attract strict disciplinary actions. This didn’t go down well with employees.

TCS is expecting a minimum 85 percent attendance in office for employees to be considered for full quarterly variable pay here on. Those with 75-85 percent WFO attendance will receive 75 percent of their variable pay while those with 60-75 percent attendance will only get 50 percent of their variable pay.

This did work out ultimately as Chief HR officer of TCS, Milind Lakkad, shared that almost 70 percent of their employees are back to office.

Striking a balance

Deshpande emphasised on the need to strike a balance in a way that it benefits its employees to fulfil their personal commitments as well.

WFO has lately become an industry-wide trend for IT services companies in India. They had initially resorted to the option of remote working during COVID. Many then predicted that this would be the way of work, going forward.

Two years later, companies started moving towards hybrid models or entirely WFO as a huge number of the current IT industry workforce was hired during the pandemic and have never been to offices. Companies believe office attendance will help boost social capital among freshers entering the workforce.

“We've always said that we would want to be in the hybrid model. We want to strike a  balance. There are benefits for people. They are able to balance personal commitments and work life that working-from-home flexibility gives,” Deshpande said.

“At the same time, it's important for us to have the collaboration, the culture, the belongingness, the learning that comes by working together with your peer group. So we want to strike the balance,” he added.