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Sapient's Co-Managing Directors Soumya Banerjee and Changappa Kodendera field questions on the company's culture to BT's Amanpreet Singh. Excerpts: What would you say is the culture of Sapient? Soumya Banerjee: Sapient is a purpose-, vision- and core value-driven organisation, where every single person at Sapient has the freedom to take decisions in line with our strategic context. It creates a powerful environment of freedom, flexibility and trust. The culture is about enabling human potential, making our clients successful and making our lives and careers successful beyond our dreams. When CK joined Sapient nine years ago, he was an associate at the entry level and today, he has set up the Bangalore centre because he had the passion that Sapient then enabled. How do you ensure that this culture percolates down to everybody? Chengappa Kodendera: People are involved all the way from the ideation standpoint. Once we have articulated the strategic context, we actually do a global rollout in smaller groups with a discussion around the strategic context and everybody ends up feeling connected. At the end, we also get feedback, which is incorporated. The hiring process is actually where it starts; we look for similar core values aside from just the domain skills of coding. Everybody talks about a 360-degree appraisal, how much of a reality is it at Sapient? CK: It's as real as it can get, growth is a result of this constructive feedback. It's as fluid as people walking up to me and giving their opinions on various decisions and as structured as it can get in a Performance Management System. SB: We all are rated whether it is Jerry, Stuart, CK or I. We all go through this not just with our direct line managers but our career managers as well. So who are your career managers? SB: Stuart Moore, our co-CEO. CK: Mine is Clayton Locke, who is the ex-MD of Sapient India. One of the more integral aspects of Sapient is co-leadership. What is the philosophy behind it? CK: Co-leadership is not new to Sapient, we have had two CEO's since the day we started the company. Even if you go down to the project-level structure, we actually have a technology manager and programme manager on projects. I would say, it's more in our DNA. I feel like I definitely have a coach in Soumya, and can bounce ideas off him. I can ask for help as well as for load balancing. But this is something that most companies would not touch with a bargepole, isn't it? SB: What most organisations see as divisive, we see as being inclusive. It's the power of the 'and', the ability to make a greater impact when you combine two forces together. That's the essence of it. Soumya you sit surrounded by People Strategy, how important is man management for the both of you? SB: It's integral, because our purpose is enabling human potential. It's a primary focus area for me. CK: Our goals are measured by balanced mix of financial and people-related numbers, be it morale or attrition. People growth is a part of being at Sapient, you are measured by how your people growth.
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