Learning From Gen Z And Music Mondays

SAS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (INDIA) is reputed to have built an environment in which employee innovation thrives and employees are able to best achieve their potentials. The organization therefore, naturally occupies the second rank among India’s Great Mid-size Workplaces 2021.

The Pune-based SAS R& D India is a subsidiary of SAS Incorporated USA and is a research and development centre for the company’s own products and solutions. The organisation’s values shine through in almost all its programmes from hiring, welcoming employees and in recognizing their skills. 

The organisation’s work environment is embellished with various employee benefits, facilities, training programmes and employee engagement initiatives, all of which are among the best across the industry. “The organisation gives equal importance to employee’s families and provides encouragement and support. It also makes them contribute to and participate in various events. During the current pandemic, the organisation has provided all types of assistance so that each one of us could work smoothly from home/remote locations,” said an employee. 

Reverse Mentoring 

Currently, SAS R&D India has an employee strength of 450. The company has a unique programme called ‘Headspace’, which is a sort of a reverse mentoring programme, where the young are motivated to teach at the workplace. It aims to support senior management in development through the work experiences of younger, Gen-Z employees. The programme focuses on topics like meaningful work, workplace trends, and career growth. The idea is to emphasise that learning never stops. 

The employees share their experience of working at SAS R&D India. “A unique thing which I noticed about SAS over the last ten years is graceful adaptation of mass scale changes. SAS has had a complete revamp of its technologies and developments/delivery models over the last couple of years, but none at the cost of employees’ discomfort.” This strategy seems to have helped teams and employees achieve their potential and feel more involved with the company. 

Music Mondays 

The company has a programme called ‘Music Mondays’ at which SAS R&D India’s COO/CTO, Oliver Schabenberger turns his passion for music into memorable Mondays for the SAS staff. The soulful music Schabenberger plays on his guitar is known to keep SAS employees energised through the week

Music Mondays The company has a programme called ‘Music Mondays’ at which SAS R&D India’s COO/CTO, Oliver Schabenberger turns his passion for music into memorable Mondays for the SAS staff. The soulful music Schabenberger plays on his guitar is known to keep SAS employees energised through the week.

The company’s COO began incorporating other SAS musicians, to create virtual duets and was able to lift the spirits of the SAS staff with the power of music. In effect, the initiative made the SAS workforce feel cared for. It has also inspired them to devote time to pursuing their own passions. These little efforts on the part of the company’s leadership has no doubt, contributed to relieving much of the stress and despondency the SAS workforce experienced during the pandemic.