Our Values Are Integrated Into Our Business: Sagar Desai
Employee first’ is a buzzword for many. But not for the leadership at Best Alternative which follows the standards and practices associated with the phrase in letter and spirit. “Creating a massive impact in the lives of others through magic and really caring about each other. Being true to what we stand for and living it,” says Sagar Desai, COO, Best Alternative, summing up the motto of this company which came to life in 2007 providing management outsourcing and advisory services. According to Desai, at Best Alternative they never compromise on their values no matter what. “We will never chase the dollar at any expense,” he told BW Businessworld during an interaction.
Excerpts from the interview.
On profits over people and vice-versa
Best Alternative is absolutely about people first. The organisation believes that profits are just a by-product of keeping the people happy.
On what makes Best Alternative a great place to work
Best Alternative does social business – a positive social change is as important as business goals. There are three words that define Best Alternatives and are the guiding light: impact. Magic. Care. The focus is to create impact in the lives of people, communities and clients connected to the company. We believe in giving people magical experiences and sincerely and deeply caring about them all. Our values are the foundation of the business and are deeply integrated in all we do. We live them -- we just don’t have them up on a wall!
On the company’s evolution
Since inception, Best Alternative was built as a social business. To be a great force for good, we have stayed true to our ethics throughout the growth years. Our core and extended teams have been with us for many years and we hire new people and promote them on this alignment. We want to create an environment wherein actions come instinctively from within which are deeply aligned to everything we do.
On people philosophy
The vision is to create all-rounder individuals and not just good professionals. We want to help create truly happy and fulfilled people. We believe that as leaders — we have a responsibility above all the moral ones - to create an environment for people to feel good and flourish.
On brand identity
We believe in creating massive impact in the lives of others while being true to what we stand for and never compromise on our values. We never chase the dollar at any expense while ensuring that our people are entrusted with happiness and become better human beings. We have understood that real success is about fulfilment as well as achievement.
On the future road map
Our goal is to truly be the best in what we do. We are a niche player—a trusted strategic partner to our clients so that they can count on. Big headcounts is not the focus.
On managing and resolving people issues
The practices of our people are a reflection of our goals, and central to the idea of all our practices is the concept of treating people as a holistic person while dealing with them with trust. We have employee centric policies such as unlimited leaves, work from home and flexi work hours that resonate that trust. We encourage constant personal development through internal initiatives such as video screenings of educational and motivational videos. “Feel Good Fridays” where we celebrate the week and discuss the challenges and opportunities we have encountered during the week with a personalised touch. We provide people room for errors while encouraging them to reflect on their issues. We regularly organise Skip Level meetings and Town halls where people air their differences. We have an IDEA Box where people submit their ideas anonymously, and regularly conduct Value Chain Analysis to collectively analyse operational issues and minimize errors and create better cohesiveness’ in teams.
