'We Have Achieved Diversity, Inclusiveness, And Equity As An Outcome By Making It A Priority In Our Process' – Siraj Saiyed, Director, Arete Group

Employees at Arete grow multifold by the day as the approach stands to be productive and inclusive of all, not just to work but also grow to new statures by training them which helps enhance the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of employees. In an exclusive interaction with Outlook, Arete Group’s Director Siraj Saiyed talked about the organisation’s work environment, future of work, and various initiatives for its employees

Give us an insight into the work environment at Arete Group. How do you categorize it among one of the best places to work in the country?
At Arete, we have always emphasized aligning employees’ individual growth with the business objectives of the organization. This can create a win-win for everyone involved. While growth is paramount for us, we also ensure that at our core we remain an employee-centric organization. We have taken special care in nurturing a strong sense of team amongst our employees and we expect within their groups, individual employees to step up and take up leadership roles. We believe in healthy and open conversation & interaction. It helps in better team building and gives everyone space to voice their opinion. 
Meanwhile, we also believe that always being glued to the desk can weigh heavily on individual productivity in the mid and long-run. So since our inception, we have developed a culture of organizing adventurous sports, trekking, lot of games & fun activities etc for our employees. Not only does it help them to recharge but also improves creative thinking and team spirit. 

What is Arete’s model and thought process behind the future of work? How should companies keep the employee-first approach while deciding on the future of work?
The future of work would increasingly shift towards a more project-centric approach rather than focusing on just pure activities. There will be a greater focus on cross-team interaction and collaboration with a clearly defined end objective. Reporting structures will prevail yet their significance will get lowered. Rather than managing employees’ day-to-day activities, it will be more important to monitor end results. 
At the same time, employees would remain the central theme of any business growth objective. Unless there is no right synergy between the growth of the employee at an individual level and the overall objective of the organization, any initiative taken in this direction will give suboptimal results. Seamless integration of individual aspiration and growth with the larger organizational picture is important. 

Please also tell us about major initiatives for the employees at Arete Group. In what all aspects can these initiatives help the company to grow?
Employees at Arete grow multifold by the day as the approach stands to be productive and inclusive of all, not just to work but also grow to new statures by training them which helps enhance the skills, capabilities, and knowledge of employees. Weekly training and mentoring sessions are conducted with a focus on not just physical and mental well-being but also spiritual enrichment. Knowledge sharing and regular briefing mechanisms have been integrated across the workflow. Daily mailers are sent and group discussions & training sessions are conducted to build and instil a culture of knowledge. Regular briefings are shared on both, company-related as well as individual department-specific news, so that no one feels left out. 
We have made a youth brigade called Rising Stars at our organization. People can go and share their thoughts with the Rising Stars. The idea behind this is to facilitate communication and thought sharing as well as offer a semi-formal platform for self-expression. 
We need just an opportunity to celebrate be it someone’s birthday or festival occasions such as Women’s day or Eid or Diwali, as it keeps our Arete family bonding strong and enjoyment among team is at high. We keep on doing a lot of recreation activities from treasure hunt to cricket tournament as it keep everyone recharged and rejuvenated. 

What is Arete’s recipe for employee wellness and an inclusive workforce? How does it help the company in retention?
Inclusiveness is an idea that is deeply ingrained in our work ethos. Since the beginning, we have encouraged the active participation of women in our workforce. Not just women, but we have ensured active participation of members from other marginalized communities. To usher India into an era of high-octane sustainable growth, it is important for us to embrace the idea of inclusive organizations, workplaces, and societies. In this new Bharat, we have to take each and every stratum of society and ensure no one is left behind. 

How does the company prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion? What have been the major initiatives undertaken to increase these in the workplace?
We have achieved diversity, inclusiveness, and equity as an outcome by making it a priority in our process. For us, these are not jargons that need to be patronized. Rather they are guiding principles and philosophical compass that determines our goals and objectives at the organization. Since our inception days, we have strongly adhered to the idea of building a truly diverse and inclusive organization that can give an impartial stage for everyone to grow and prosper.