In a bid to reassure employees in times of perceived uncertainty, Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy has written to them, assuring them that the ‘best of Infosys is yet to come’.
Employee sources in Infosys said the email was a response to the fact that there was an undercurrent of disquiet following Wednesday’s news about the >exit of company President B. G. Srinivas , marking the tenth top-level exit from the second largest IT services exporter.
The letter comes quick on the heels of another letter he wrote to employees last Saturday, imploring them to ‘think big and act boldly’.
The letter is among several measures the company is taking to address employees’ fears in the light of these top-level exits.
Senior team leaders had been told, sources said, to hold meetings within units and instil a sense of confidence among employees.
According to one source, “The reporting in the media on Infosys is being perceived internally as negative. So, the HR machinery is keeping tabs on employee morale.” Another source added that there were ‘minor uncertainties’ even in internal policy, which was causing some confusion. “This is why team leaders are being asked to keep employees in the know and reassured,” he said.
This was imperative given that in the year ended March, Infosys saw its highest ever employee attrition at 18 per cent.
CEO search on track In this most recent letter, Mr. Murthy wrote that the search for the new CEO was ‘progressing as planned’. “The new CEO will be announced at the conclusion of the process. While the search is on, the Infosys board, Shibu [S. D. Shibulal], Kris [S. Gopalakrishnan] and myself will continue to steer the company in the direction we have set for Infosys.”
He assured employees of a smooth transition and that in the interim Mr. Srinivas’ vast portfolio would be managed by Managing Director and CEO S. D. Shibulal. His portfolio included a chunk of client-facing roles, including financial services, insurance, manufacturing and engineering services, to name a few. On Thursday, Hong Kong-based PCCW announced that Mr. Srinivas is joining them as group Managing Director in July.
On Mr. Srinivas' resignation, he said: “As we embark onto newer and better horizon for our employees and our clients, we will see some transition in leadership. Please rest assured that the leadership changes take into account the best interest of the company as a whole.”
