The Challenge: Boost retention of star performers, boost talent transformation, and retain the spirit of Intrapreneurship.

The Solution: Create an integrated learning model and culture focusing on leadership development.

The Results: Turnover reduced from 22% to 16%, ranked number one in satisfied and engaged employees in an independent study.

HCL Technologies is one of India’s leading global IT Services companies, providing software-led IT solutions, remote infrastructure management services and business process outsourcing. With 35 offices in 17 countries, HCL’s customer base reads like a who’s who in business.

HCL is recognized around the world for a legacy of entrepreneurship. The Economic Times called HCL “a breeding ground for entrepreneurial talent” when their study revealed that the organization had produced 100 CEOs in a 30-year span. And while HCL is proud of this innovative record, it came with a price. The organization became a poaching ground for competitors and was losing top talent. Compounding the attrition problem was the fact that those who stayed were becoming less and less engaged. In addition, the attrition meant that 30% of their workforce each year were new hires, which made maintaining the culture difficult.

HCL knew it needed to attack the issue from all angles so the organization created a philosophic and integrated model to bring about the needed changes. First and foremost, was a belief that employees were the most important asset. The phrase “employee first customer second (EFCS)” was the cornerstone of the organizations new thinking from top down. This EFCS philosophy also got featured as a case study in Harvard Business School as an innovative people practice. Second, was a paradigm shift from the philosophy of the office as a place of learning rather than a place of work. Third, was that all learning should be stewarded by the organization’s internal leaders and grounded in the business issues and environment at hand. And finally, that customer needed to identify and drive the skills that employees needed to gain.

Since a primary concern was to continue to develop the ranks of internal leaders, HCL sought a trusted, time-tested leadership model. Their search lead them to The Ken Blanchard Companies^® Situational Leadership^® II program as part of their solution, primarily because of the program’s successful track record. As Anand Pillai, Vice President and Global Head of Talent Transformation and Intrapreneurship Development, puts it, “We chose SLII because it was the only leadership model used today that has survived three decades. It is so profoundly simple that it is simply profound.”

In addition to providing training, HCL focused on getting top management buy-in from the start and creating internal champions to sustain momentum for the training. The organization also rolled the training out as a process wrapping the two-day training with follow-up and reinforcement, coaching, and mentoring.

HCL is pleased with the results to date. Employee turnover has decreased from 22% to 16% and, based on third-party research, HCL has gained high marks for employee engagement and satisfaction. The organization’s managers have become champions for change and while innovation and Intrapreneurship are still hallmarks for the organization, they no longer drain the organization’s talent pool. As a final benchmark, repeat customer business has improved from 74% to 92%, a testimony to the organization’s focus on transformation.