“It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do.” – Steve Jobs
Back in 2014, when our Founder Mr. Alakh Pandey quit engineering, took the leap of faith and decided to walk on the unconventional path, he established one remarkable example of autonomy.
In terms of workplace ethics, the word “autonomy” has lately gained a mantra-like status. Working autonomously implies that the company’s employees themselves work towards meeting goals and fulfilling expectations consciously with minimal dictation. In the research paper titled “Micromanagement– A Costly Management Style”, the authors stated that long-term micromanagement leads to “reduced employee morale, increased staff turnover, and substantial loss of productivity.”
At PhysicsWallah, we always strive to foster an autonomous work environment through greater employee independence and engagement to achieve maximum productivity. We believe in macro-managing our staff for cultivating innovation and intrapreneurship.
Bestselling author Daniel Pink in his book “Drive”, lists three factors for high employee performance in the workplace:
In this blog, we will highlight the ways through which PhysicsWallah has created a near Utopian work environment with substantial employee autonomy.
Measures Adopted By PhysicsWallah To Create An Autonomous Work Environment:
As per the research conducted by the University of Birmingham, “a higher degree of autonomy leads to a greater sense of well-being and job satisfaction”. Our co-founder, Mr. Prateek Maheshwari has always aimed to decrease its employees’ stress and increases their overall well-being through constant support from the management team and the ability to work autonomously. To prevent instances of burnout and mental fatigue, PW’s employees set the pace of their work. A regular Yoga session takes place in our Studio every Friday to give us the much-needed relaxation our bodies require. This autonomous work environment along with regular employee engagement surveys makes them feel more heard and valued, thus, resulting in higher levels of job satisfaction.
In a study titled “To Have Control Over or to Be Free From Others?” conducted on over 2,000 people across three continents, it was found that as compared to a job offering more influence, “people were nearly two and a half times more likely to take an autonomous job.”
‘Samvaad’, a biannual event makes way for a more open communication channel where all the PW leaders including the man, Alakh Pandey himself. Thus, the entire team of PhysicsWallah has always sought to create an open space for its employees wherein transparent and honest conversations take place between the employees and the management without the former's fear of facing repercussions. This openhearted communication style has significantly improved our team's accountability for its work which is visible in 4.11 billion views across our 48 YouTube channels.
Scientific studies have demonstrated that workplace autonomy greatly increases the creativity and innovation of its employees. PW’s employees feel rewarded and fulfilled by dedicatedly engaging in the company’s meaningful work. Rather than pestering the employees and monitoring them every single minute of the day, PW's managers focus more on the larger picture; the short-term effects and long-term results.
We not only encourage our members to upskill themselves but also to work on their creative ideas. One such example is the Fun Contests that PW organises every month to keep up the innovation going. Thus, unlike a highly-monitored workplace, this approach helps PW achieve innovative solutions and a much more creative base of employees who are better adapted to changing market trends and technological advancements.
According to Prof. Arvind Malhotra of the highly esteemed UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, employees wish to control when, where, and what they work on. Therefore, we have been fostering employee engagement for an autonomous work environment. PW’s management team consistently invests in its employees’ skills so that they thrive in a work environment requiring a higher degree of workplace autonomy.
Excessively managed employees under the pressure of conformity-centric staff policies tend to feel lost. That is why, right from its founders to the top management, PW has created a vibrant work culture built upon the foundations of trust and a sense of purpose. We strictly adhere to International labour laws making way for a secure and trusted work environment.
Supportive relationships between the employees and supervisors are the binding pillars of PW’s trust-building measures. Our employees have much more autonomy in their work-related decisions and day-to-day functioning. Thus, the PW staff is known to be more productive, content, and devoted in their respective roles.
Working along the lines of the aforementioned high employee performance factors by Daniel Pink, PW's staff understand its work (purpose) and are well-versed on how to achieve it as per the company standards (mastery). Lastly, we believe in providing them with a seamless feedback mechanism about their performance.
PW not only corrects its employees when needed but also recognizes them for excellent performance over time. An anonymous employee suggestion box ensures the effective delivery of feedback and suggestions from our employees. Thus, this feedback mechanism helps them track their progress and make rectifications.
With over 10,000 highly satisfied, engaged, and dedicated faculty members in our team as of now, PW has largely benefitted from its autonomous work environment policies. By implementing the above-mentioned best practices, PW is promoting a work culture that is marked by a pitch-perfect work-life balance, a higher sense of workplace autonomy, and employee well-being and growth.
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