India Inc hits a home run with top performers

Bengaluru | New Delhi: It is turning out to be a pitch-perfect moment for India Inc!

The ICC T20 Cricket World Cup which concluded recently and the FIFA World Cup that begins Sunday have given companies a unique opportunity to roll out initiatives - like all-expenses-paid trips to reward top performers and match screenings in office - to build greater camaraderie.

Edtech company upGrad has shortlisted around 20 employees in its sales division - based on their performance - for a fully sponsored seven-day trip to Dubai and Qatar, and to watch the South Korea versus Portugal football match live on December 2.


In addition, they will also be taken to Doha and Abu Dhabi. "In India and across locations, we'll install projector screens inside the office on select days to let employees enjoy the tournament," Mayank Kumar, co-founder and managing director of upGrad, told ET.

Fostering positive experiences at work

Construction management startup Powerplay will organise FIFA nights, with matches screened in the office courtyard. "Laughing and crying, as our favourite teams win or lose, will serve as an ice-breaking session across teams and a refresher from work," said Ankita Sen, HR head, Powerplay. "We're also going to have a grand screening for the finals."

The startup raised $7.14 million (about Rs 56 crore) in its latest funding round, led by Accel, with participation from Sequoia Surge, India Quotient, and the founders of Snapdeal. Hosting match nights is one way of fostering positive experiences at work. "Most of our team members stay away from families and friends; therefore, creating a community is one of our key initiatives," Sen added.

The cricket T20 World Cup was yet another occasion for others to boost employee morale.

Specialist staffing firm Xpheno sent one of its senior leaders on a fully paid trip to Australia - where the tournament was held - as a reward for his performance during the last financial year.

"We believe this will now be a good template for us, and we look forward to being able to design similar non-monetary rewards to performers as we go along. The impact and longevity of providing experiences as rewards is pegged high on the spectrum of employee engagement," said Kamal Karanth, co-founder, Xpheno.

Coca-Cola had also hosted match screenings for the cricket World Cup, with employees being able to watch matches on big telescreens in the cafeteria and other locations inside the office.