AMEX: The group provides in-house training to employees for positions within te organisation across 130 countries.

The best employers outperform other companies in virtually all aspects of the employment relationship investigated by the study. They surpass other companies not only in terms of the number of initiatives they have in place, but also excel in delivery and execution. They have a clear vision; they know how to achieve it; and how to communicate it. They are effective in bringing employees on board for a successful journey.

Spirit and motivation always beat mere talent

Best employers in India have highly engaged and committed people. On an average, the satisfaction score of best employers was as much as 20 points higher than other companies. Best employers tended to go out of their way to gauge the level of morale of their people, incorporate their feedback, and give back to them the opportunities, systems, and practices needed by them. They instilled pride and a sense of achievement in their employees.

Best employers position the overall employment experience as a key factor in keeping their employees happy. Most have tried to create a distinct ''employer brand'' to distinguish their employment experience with those of competitors.

Best employers tend to take care of personal needs (e.g., through flexibility in hours, administrative help, and hr services) so the level of commitment towards the organisation is strong. A happy employee at home is a more effective employee at work.

The Best never underestimate the power of dreams

Best employers realise that their talent gives them a wealth of ideas, creativity, and innovation. This input is used to enhance business performance and making product and process improvements. On an average, 18 per cent employees formally make suggestions; as many as 37 per cent are implemented by the organisation in one year. Best employers reward people for their contribution and create specific programs and practices to gear people to think beyond job roles. Cross-functional movement and cross-functional teams are encouraged to inculcate fresh thought.

The Best understand the influence of human relations

Best employers leverage strong employee relationships for business success. Bonding programs for senior executives, employee referrals, adventure sports for new joinees, regular core value building exercises, and involvement of families are examples of programs to build a sense of co-operation and common purpose. Employees of these organisations tended to emphasise much more a team orientation and support of colleagues than employees of other companies. Relationships with senior management and immediate supervisor reflected mentoring rather than hierarchy and authority levels. Employees tended to be more exuberant and confident about their leaders and positive about their managers.

LG: Recognition is a way of life with LG. Performance-linked bonuses and culture-building help maintain peak motivation levels.

The Best know that the potential for greatness lives in all

Leadership and management development programs are a key emphasis of best employers. Fast-track development practices and a focused attention towards high performers is a significant initiative and a key result area of managers. Stress on potential assessment to identify employees for strategic positions, organisation structures, and performance management built around competency maps emphasise desired behavioural attributes.

With a median training of 53 hours, employees in these organisations tend to be more attuned towards learning than those in others. The focus on training is balanced around technical and behavioural drivers of high performance. Apart from providing opportunity for their employees to learn the skills necessary for their current roles, best employers also train for future demands of a changing workplace. Computer-based training programs and employee self-nominations aid in this effort.

The Best build systems on strong foundations

Best employers place high importance on culture. It is the most critical factor in their hiring process.

They are more passionate about the transparency and efficacy of their performance management systems than other companies. They are more likely to use multi-source feedback and build individual scorecards for success. Their hr systems are more likely to be linked around performance management-this system really functions as the nerve centre.

Best Employers get the pay equation right

They know that pay alone will not suffice in keeping their best people. Few claim to be the highest paymasters, though most of them certainly are in the top quartiles of their respective markets. They emphasise 'fairness' in pay towards contribution made rather than paying to be the market leaders. The benefits provided by best employers tend to meet more effectively the needs of employees and their families. Best employers also tend to make exceptions for exceptional situations. Employee sickness, family need, life situations (e.g., child schooling assistance and extra maternity leave) are areas for greater discretion and flexibility.

Empowerment and freedom to take risks (and make mistakes) are integral facets of being a best employer. Employees of best employers are more confident that they have ''the authority to make decisions to do my job well'' than those of other companies.

The Best take everyone along

The best have taken tough decisions. Business situations often demand it. Their hallmark is the ability to do so with remarkable humanity. A lay-off, pay cut, or organisational change decisions get the entire employee community involved. Suggestions are solicited. Packages that result in minimum 'hurt' are devised. Communication, information, and transparency throughout the process is stressed. Programmes for families and future employment opportunities are created. Strong leadership is the most significant feature of surviving in difficult circumstances.

The authors are consultants with Hewitt Associates LLC.