A 113 year old company - failed to move on. Review on Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing. Co. Ltd.

Disclaimer - This review is not for the product of Godrej & Boyce (G&B) but a review about the work culture which should help prospective employees.

I joined G&B in Jan-2011 after cooling my heels in a MNC with a simple expectation to learn and enjoy my work at Indian MNC. But this decision has backfired as it exposed me to the work culture which truly is 113 years old.

This work culture reminds you from day one about a family owned business which is more bothered about CSR than employee well being. Though its trying hard to replace baby boomers with young employees, its still a long way behind (may be a decade).

A company which aspires to be world class cant implemet cost cutting in the way IT is implemented. I was shocked to see that everybody gets only Ubunu (Linux OS) and Open Office instead of Windows and MS Office and all this only to save few lakhs of rupees. All this would be embarrassing when you realize that G&B has a annual turnover of 5000 crores. Some other strange policies which will surely shock you are as follows:

1. As a new joinee you have a probation period of 6 months. During this period, you are required to come to office by 8:40 AM where as all others in your division have flexible timings and can come any time before 10:20 AM.

   
   




2. You dont have a canteen except for lunch. If you feel like having a quick bite or good coffee, you need to travel 2-3 kms to reach the nearest tapri (Indian Coffee/Tea joint).

   
   




3. If you take a leave on Saturday and Monday, you will have to apply for 3 days leave which includes the Sunday as well. This may be a norm in manufacturing sector.

   
   




4. You are supposed to work from day one on your KRA's but nobody bothers to take care of your basic needs like computer, email, seat, telephone extension.

   
   




5. If your system (desktop/laptop) crashes, you are literally cut off from the work becasue the IT take about 4-5 days to make the first visit. Even though they have SLA's menionted in their IT site, nobody really adheres to them.

   
   




6. The salary is credited on the 10th of the following month.

   
   




7. You have a 3 month non-negotiable notice period even in the probation.

   
   




8. Your offer letter talks about a designation where-as your reporting manager expects you to perform completely different responsibility.

   
   




9. Company does'nt pay for your relocation expenses which otherwise is a industry norm.

   
   




10. If you resign, you are not considered for bonus (or EVA as they call) even though you have worked in the previous year.

    
    




11. Their annual peformance review is pretty complex (or may be fool-proof) but whats the use when you dont get a exclusive desktop. Many of my freinds were shocked to see that about 10-15 people get to use one PC.

    
    




12. Sales people dont get a laptop and all they get is a shared laptop, One of my co-joinee has left for this reason.

    
    




13. There are mandatory deductions from your salary like different funds which really dont make any sense except for work men.

    
    




14. A new joinee is required to create his own official email ID on Godrej domain and there is no consisteny or guidelines. Its a herculean task to find out the email ID of a person.

    
    




15. If you are applying for a PF transfer after joining, please dont expect any support. My PF was debited becase Godrej people failed to forward my application to my previous company within a stipulated time of 60 days.

    
    




16. They say their's is a ethical company but I am sure many new joinees would have enough excuses to disagree.

    
    




17. Thier allotment of flats/houses is a clear replica of how our government officse work.

    
    




18. You are required to park your bikes/cars in the blazing sun.

    
    




19. There is no hope of having a 5 day week in Godrej as Mr.Verma has categorically said that he has no plans of re-introducing the 5-day week schedule.

    
    

The career path is very staggered with so many milestones (read stages). The HR function seems to be most funniest with complete disconnect between what corporate thinks and what HR's at divisions implement. My suggestion to all the new joineess is not to hallucinate after encontering with the corporate HR during your interview. The HR at divisions especially in a few divisions is pathetic.

Any new employee after a very 10 day induction program is thrown into their dak and shabby divisons (i meant their 14 division's bulidings barring one). All you get to learn from this 10 day induction program is absolutely nothing. I would really want to make a mention about their 3 day work shop on CHANGE delivered in the most illogical manner by the most boring person.

Apart from this, this 10 day program takes you through their archives section, CSR activities, 113 year history and many such things which any new joinee fails to comprehend and understand its relevance to his joining a professional company.

I spent about 3 months before I realized that its going to be suicidal to continue working with this organization. During these 3 months, there was one question which flashed across my mind - Why is the attrition so low in such a company? I even dared to understand this directly from many old employees. The answer was pretty obvious. Godrej offers housing facility right opposite their place of work and this is highly subsidized. For an average Mumbaikar, this is truly a luxury which otherwise is a golden trap for the emploees. Anybody who spends about a year looses the motivation/interes to leave Godrej simply for the housing facility which is good as per Mumbai standards. And all others who dont avail this facility, only they themselves can say why they are sticking to this company. May be they dont know how other companies are progressing.

If a guy named Mr. Mangesh Ambre is still working in this company, I have my full sympathy for the current employees of G&B because this company is really a century old company. This guy is a shame to the entire HR fraternity. I wont even hesitate to say that he is a shame to the corporate community. This is not my personal opinion but a opinion shared by an entire division.

My advice to all the new joinees woule be:

1. Get clarity on the designation

   
   




2. Get clarity on the career path and the current role and responsibilties

   
   




3. Understand the division which you would be joining

   
   

Now, some of you might be wondering about the review and the ratings I have given. My veiws for every parameter is as follows:

1. Salary and Benefits : If you stay in any of those 3 housing facilities, you are bound to save a lot. The housing is hugely subsidized and also there is absolutely no travel to office. These 3 facilities are a stone throw-aways distance from G&B's Vikhroli facility.

   
   




2. Career Growth : There are many classifications/stages and the difference between most of them is negligible.

   
   




3. Job Security : You perform or dont perfrom, you are going to stay there unless you want to exit. If the above mentioned HR person is still in G&B, your behaviou with your peers, superiors and sub-ordinates is also irrelevant.

   
   




4. Work Environment : No canteen, No parking facility for your vehicles. The buildings are very shabby. IT is pathetic. Desktops are a decade old.

   
   




5. CEO Rating : I have no considerable exposure to the CEO - Mr. Godrej. But I cant give a very good rating to him with so many flaws in his company when Godrej Industries just a few blocks aways is the preffered company to work for.

   
   

Regards,

An ex-employee who decided to leave G&B in April.