India’s Work Culture: Some Tips for Returning Indians and Foreigners

chillibreeze writer — Karen Pinto

They say the grass is always greener on the other side. Well, is it? That depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re hoping to find a home away from home in a workplace in India, you could end up disillusioned. On the other hand, if you’re practical you may just stumble on something within your own comfort zone.

Over the last decade, the average Indian jobseeker has got a lot to be grateful for in terms of superior job opportunities, work environment, empathetic bosses and substantial pay packages. The explosion of jobs, technology and the advent of multinationals has revolutionized the work culture in India.

>> Read more on the Cross-Cultural Info Package

As a foreigner or an Indian returning from abroad, the work culture in India can strike you like a bolt from the blue if you’re not prepared. You’re better off sticking to the major metropolitan cities like Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Chennai to work in. Smaller towns and rural areas may prove to be tiresome due to power failures, substandard transportation and communication snags.

Formerly, the Public Sector jobs (government jobs) were much coveted owing to the job security and the high wage structures associated with these jobs. However, if you are a foreigner or an Indian returning from abroad, you can safely assume that these jobs are way out of your league. Believe it or not, these jobs are handed down the generations like family heirlooms. So, unless you have a grand old godfather or someone with similar clout working in these departments, your odds of getting in are not too bright. Anyway, the work culture in these organizations leaves much to be desired.

If you’re wondering why the tobacco sales in India are on an upward slant, you can thank the hapless workers in these departments, who not only insist on chewing tobacco while attending to customers, but also revel in spewing tobacco on the walls resulting in painting the surrounding areas with incredible shades of saffron. They follow an “as you like it” approach towards work, have no regard for punctuality and execute every task as though doing a personal favor to the nation.

Never mind the comfortable salary and perks not to mention the numerous holidays associated with these jobs, nine out of ten times, you’ll discover these tortured souls complaining about being overworked and underpaid and instigating strikes that bring the country to a grinding halt. So, unless you have a tobacco fixation, leave these jobs to the locals.

There is no dearth of suitable job opportunities in the private sector. Professional or not, looking for a job in India is like looking for love. There is something for everyone. You have tiny firms, small firms, medium-sized firms, large firms and multinationals.

As far as possible, you might want to excuse yourself from the family businesses and small firms. These firms work on old world philosophies that believe in all work and no play, the kind where the boss is the master and the employee a minion. While getting away with paying a pittance, these firms afford no overtime pay while encouraging daily overtime. You may be asked to show up on Sundays and other public holidays without adequate compensation.

Employee bonding, constructive criticism, training programs, refreshers and motivational meetings are unheard of. The approach is strictly authoritative and inter-personal interaction between colleagues may even be frowned at. Training is a luxury that these firms don’t provide. Generally, you are unceremoniously put on the job like a babe in the woods and left to fend for yourself. If you’re looking for experience, if money is not your deciding nature or in general, you’re one of those who can give as good as you get then this is the place for you. If not, you’re better off elsewhere.

All’s not lost though. Let’s not forget the cream jobs. The ones where you get to have your cake, eat it and wash it down with a milkshake.

Thanks to the burgeoning BPO, Software and Information Technology industries, cities like Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon are flooded with a variety of jobs. The people applying for these jobs are smart, savvy and sophisticated. Hence, there was a need to create a work culture that appealed to this racy set. A place that they would enjoy working at, a place to just be. No more Manic Mondays. No more Terrible Tuesdays. So what makes these places different?

For one, it is finally recognized that a happy employee is a productive employee. Don’t push your employee too hard or you may push him into the open arms of your competitor. The work culture in these industries is all about pleasing the employee.

Training programs, attractive recreational centres, constructive criticism, refresher courses, memberships to clubs and subsidized cafeterias are some of the facilities provided to these deserving staff members. Interaction between colleagues is encouraged and certain companies have referral schemes wherein employees can refer their friends and get rewarded monetarily.

The dress code is semi-formal, the language “hip” and employers are addressed by their first names. Dating and hanging out with team members is frequent. And the cherry on the icing is the fat pay packages that come promptly at the end of the month. Some have been known to use these workplaces to escape from home. So, if you are among those who are known to spend more than 12 waking hours at work then you may be interested in what these ultra-cool, ultra-modern organizations have to offer. What’s more, you may even meet your potential best friend, your confidante or your spouse at one of these places!

Broadly, the work culture in India can be discerned from the following areas:

Time Management
Indian Stretchable Time has been known to drive some up the wall. Indians in general, are not sticklers for punctuality. This permeates the work culture as well.

Late-coming while not encouraged is not punished either. After all, the traffic provides a ready excuse to anyone who’s looking for one. This frequently leads to overtime hours even when the job could be completed within normal work hours.

A Business Meeting beginning half an hour after the scheduled time is not uncommon.

Dress Code
Office-goers in India generally dress in semi-formals. Shirts and trousers for men and Western or Indian attire for the women. Casuals are permitted on weekends.

Our climate does not permit the use of heavy suits and blazers. Linen and cotton are the preferred materials.

Wear a business suit in summer and you could end up melting in the heat.

Meals at the Workplace
In smaller organizations, the “lunch-hour” is a source of camaraderie and amusement. You’ll come across people clustered in groups gossiping and sharing their lunch-boxes. Everything from the price of vegetables to the grouchy boss is discussed in low whispers.

The “Tiffin system” wherein stay-at-home moms prepare food, package it and send it to the workplace is gaining popularity. This system allows you to savor a home-cooked meal at a relatively low price.

Multinationals have cafeterias which offer vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare at subsidized rates.

Inter-personal Relations and Communication
In traditional firms employees address their bosses as “Sir” or “Madam”. However, being on a first name basis with your boss is catching up. This trend began with the arrival of the BPO & IT industries in India.

Indians communicate with a combination of English and Hindi or some other regional language.

The typical Indian is born inquisitive. Most will not shy away from inquiring about your marital status, family, health, dogs, cats or anything else that may fuel their curiosity. Some will even offer unsolicited advice on your personal life.

The secret to enjoying a good working experience in India is:

Infuse a few words of Hindi or some other local language into your speech. It exudes a semblance of brotherhood and gains you acceptance by your colleagues especially in a place like Mumbai.

Try to be tolerant of distorted time-schedules. Indians don’t believe in speed. So, take your time and smell the roses.

Since most people here are family-oriented; so, inquire about your colleagues families. This will help you score brownie points with them.

Don’t be too offended if your peer tries to get too personal. He is probably trying to make conversation and break the ice. Be polite but firm. After all, it’s not absolutely necessary to divulge your biography.

Lunchtime is a great way to get to know your colleagues better. Use it to your advantage.

Do your homework and always look up the company you plan to work with. Avoid signing any hasty contracts or you’ll have plenty of time to repent in leisure.

Does the work culture in India work for you? It’s up to you to decide. After all, it’s different strokes for different folks.

 

Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.

 

—About our writer:

Karen writes for Chillibreeze