India's 25 best employers

Aditya Birla Group, Satyam Computer Services and Marriott Hotels India have been ranked as the top three employers in India.

The Best Employers in Asia 2007 study, conducted by Hewitt Associates and presented in partnership with The Wall Street Journal Asia, provides a definitive benchmark against which you can measure how effective an organisation is in providing a workplace that engages the intellectual and emotional commitment of its employees.

The best 25 employers in India include companies from, both, the new as also the old economy sectors.

The others who make up the top 25 include: Eureka Forbes Limited,, Cisco Systems (India) Private Limited,, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, Agilent Technologies Ltd, Standard Chartered Scope International - India, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd, Wipro BPO, Covansys (India) Private Limited, Ajuba Solutions India Private Limited, Pantaloon Retail India Limited, Text 100 India Pvt. Ltd, Domino's Pizza India Limited, Ford India Becton Dickinson India Pvt. Ltd, Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd, HCL Technologies Ltd,- BPO Services Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Limited, Johnson and Johnson Medical, India GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd, HSBC, and Monsanto India Limited.

India's 25 best employers

The study determines what it is that makes organisations great employers, analyses the relationship between the 'best employers' and top performing organizations, and identifies emerging workplace trends for the future.

The Hewitt survey is the largest of its kind in India. The Hewitt survey accounts for the views of over 1,140000 employees and have been represented by over 44,000 employees in 230 companies across industry sectors in India.

The study undertook an analysis of what differentiates organisations when it comes to employee management, and conducted a thorough audit of all related areas, including people policies, recruitment, talent management, learning and development, recognition, opportunities, etc.

Best employers represent a wide range of industries. Despite this, they all have two things in common-they have aligned their practices with the organisation's strategy and goals specific to their industry needs, and have created an environment that produces a positive employee experience and results.

The study also revealed that employee Engagement in India, has gradually increased since Hewitt's first Best Employers study was conducted back in 2001. This demonstrates that organisations are placing a growing emphasis on creating a more challenging environment for their people.

In India, career opportunities is a key driver of employee Engagement, clearly reflecting the ambitions and aspirations of a restless and demanding workforce that is keen to ride the growth wave. As a result, organisations that are able to manage employees' career aspirations and provide them with opportunities for growth and development will have a more engaged workforce. The study showed that 76% of employees at Best Employers are satisfied with their career opportunities, compared with 64% at The Rest.

Smita Anand, head of Hewitt India, commented, "The Best Employers differentiate themselves by making their employees a part of their growth story. They provide unrivalled opportunities for growth and development irrespective of an employees' background, differentiating only on the basis of performance. As a result, they see stronger business results and stand out as a place where people want to work."

The Best Employers in Asia study revealed four key benefits to being a Best Employer:

A strong competitive advantage over other organizations. Best Employers have a highly engaged workforce that is prepared to go the extra mile for their organization and customers.

Better business results and the ability to grow a sustainable business. This is because Best Employers take a long-term approach to building a sustainable workforce and focus on growing committed and loyal employees who have faith in the leaders of the company.

Attracting the best talent and recognition in the marketplace for having a strong employer brand. Best Employers' employees believe their companies are hiring the right people for the right jobs and deliver on their employment promises.

Long-term employee relationships, which leads to fewer employees leaving the organization. Best Employers also have outstanding leaders in place who not only inspire employees, but actively make them feel valued in the workplace.

The Best Employers in Asia 2007 study commenced in September 2006 and results were published late last week.