PNG Jewellers: The HR credo is to care beyond compensation

Priyanka Vanjari, Head of HR, PNG Jewellers, describe show the legacy jewellery company applies the ‘happiness’ ideology to create an engaged work culture

Historically, PNG Jewellers is seen as a legacy brand which cares. At PNG Jewellers, we have always had a philosophy of looking at profitability from the lens of happiness. So, happy to work for, work with and serve are fundamental driving forces at PNG Jewellers. We believe that employee happiness goes beyond fair compensation. It is intrinsically linked to their voice being heard and their getting an opportunity to create a meaningful career path for themselves. The company focuses on individual growth and the autonomy of employees, contributing to its profitability.

“Top performers are selected for our six-month-long programme called ‘Udaan’, where they are groomed to be next-in-line leaders. This helps us select and choose the right people for the right roles from within the organization”

Priyanka Vanjari, Head of HR, PNG Jewellers, Pune

CULTURE OF EQUALITY

We have created a unique speak-up culture where each member of our organisation is considered to be an equal member with a voice, an opinion and ideas, leading to the co-creation of a culture, policies and processes.

Programmes like ‘Speak Out’ factor in the contribution of every individual. Speak Out is a small group discussion activity across the organization. Here, anyone and everyone gets to speak their mind, and share their experiences and perspectives. The HR department is the facilitator for these discussions.This not only leads to personal growth but a sense of belonging, leading to highly engaged and happy employees.

PLAN GROWTH

At PNG Jewellers, internal growth for an individual is highly encouraged. Ours is a people-first approach, which has led to us creating multiple programmes that support the growth and development of individuals at all levels. We want our people to grow and take up more prominent roles within the organisation. We have created performance assessment modules at all levels.

Top performers are selected for our six-month-long programme called ‘Udaan’, where they are groomed to be next-in-line leaders. This helps us select and choose the right people for the right roles from within the organisation, with a system for identifying the right talent across all levels of the company. There have been instances of housekeeping staff being promoted to sales executive positions because of their sheer hard work and self-development to meet the role’s needs.

ENCOURAGE IDEAS

There are forums like the ‘Open House’ where people can voice their feedback or ideas. Any idea can also be shared on this platform which brainstorms and picks novel ideas for implementation, even at the risk of failure. We encourage people to come up with ideas as often as possible. Whether marketing campaigns, product collections, cost control measures, or any other aspect; we want our people to come up with ideas that support our goals. These ideas, if successfully implemented, make a huge difference in our effort to improve continuously.

VALUE COMMITMENT

Through the ‘Walk Together’ programme, the brand felicitates employees for every five years of loyalty and working together.  The number of people who have been with the brand for over 15 years goes into triple digits.

Beyond these, we do not miss a chance to celebrate every milestone, festival and day that is important on our business  calendar, such as Retail Day, World Book Day, Women’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and the like.

The brand is known for its long-term vision instead of short-term gains or profits. From the beginning, this approach has created a legacy of upholding the faith and trust of all stakeholders. It has always attracted good people – be it employees, partners or customers.

(This is a new column for top HR professionals of prominent companies in the jewellery industry to share best practices in the area of managing human resources. To contribute to this column, write to info@retailjewellerindia.com )

The Retail Jeweller India