16 years and going!

So, I completed my 16 years in Societe Generale, my longest stint to date in a company, on 1st March 2022. 

 As a human resources professional, I am always trying to find answers to “How to retain talent?,” “Why do people leave?” , “Why do people stay?” etc. The last weekend, while I was re-organizing my documents and I looked at my first appointment letter from SG in Mumbai, I thought about why I stayed for 16 long years in Societe Generale, when I could have moved positions in a very dynamic labour market in APAC. Of course, there were ups and downs and some moments which were not that great, but the positives outweighed the negatives, and here I am.

 Here are some of the reasons why I stayed (purely, as an employee), and I do believe that a number of them can help retain employees in organizations:

•  A caring environment with employee-friendly policies – How can I forget the time when my father was in ICU, and I needed time off for a longer time than allowed by the policies, as the situation was unpredictable? The support from my managers and colleagues was excellent, and I will never forget that.
• Internal mobility and opportunities to grow – I moved three times in my SG career in APAC and was entrusted with enhanced responsibilities. The trust placed in my capability and competence made me trust the organization, and it has remained strong.
• Friendly colleagues and peers- I am still in touch with several ex-colleagues who became friends over the years. The interactions with my peers and colleagues are always with respect, and I value the environment where (most of the time) we can make decisions amicably, and even if we disagree on a point, we are respectful of each other’s opinions.
• Psychological safety to share my views and ability to discuss matters if there are disagreements- I feel the safety and feel that my managers do provide a conducive environment
• The right balance of result orientation and humane approach – I like the balance as we need to get results, which can be done with a compassionate approach. Most of my experience has been with this balance. This makes the environment warm, and even with tough decisions, the human touch is not lost.
• Great managers, who were interested in my development and did not hesitate to be honest about my improvement areas. I have been fortunate with most of my managers, who have been supportive and helped me to become a better professional and human being. There have been many examples where I have learned a lot and am still learning. I received several opportunities to learn. Priceless!
• Autonomy to explore new ideas in my field and implement them – I value this very much as it keeps me alive in my professional life. With proper business case and stakeholder buy-in, it was possible, and it did help me innovate in my field.

 And, when I start my work every day and when sometimes I lack motivation for different reasons, I focus on the positives during the last 16 years, and it helps to lift my mood 😊.