Headquartered in Bangalore, Zerodha Broking Limited Company is perhaps the largest stockbroker company in India. The 1100 employees working in the company serve more than one crore clients. They also keep an account of all their transactions. This company conducts regular interviews to hire fresh graduates and experts. Recently, the CEO of the company, Nithin Kamat disclosed an interesting fact in an interview that came as a huge surprise for everyone. He said that his company has never hired an IIT and IIM graduate. Revealing the secret of such an unusual practice, he said that the graduates from such highly reputed educational institutions are more focused on their career than the company. Of course, he added that he would certainly hire a competent person if he found them fit to get absorbed into the structure of his company. It can be inferred from his statement that a person who prioritizes the growth of the company over his/her own growth is much more beneficial to the company. This small incident is indeed very thought-provoking from which we can conclude that such a company prefers dedicated employees who value the company more than themselves. Such a company hires employees who prioritise the company's goals above their own goals.
Thus, it is often observed that companies put their own interests ahead of their employees. Some time ago economic experts said that this year (2023) is going to witness a huge recession. Economists also highlighted this fact in numerous conferences and lectures. Fearing this issue, giant companies like Microsoft, Google, Amazon etc. have laid off thousands of their employees. Many small companies are also following suit and have begun to lay off employees. It fits perfectly within the management theory that the company should be secured from the ensuing trouble. Is sacrificing the employee better than sacrificing the company? The answer being subjective may surely vary.
The spirit of working selflessly and giving a job at a selfless price is becoming as scarce as a noble verse of Satyug in our society. The HR department of any company while interviewing a new employee keeps in mind how much can s/he contribute to our company? Or how much value can the company gain through his intelligence, skills and knowledge? Or when to fire him/her? Likewise the candidate too thinks how much leverage will s/he get by way of package and promotion from the company. Along these lines, s/he also makes a mental calculation about the kind of facilities and other benefits that the new company will provide.
This is a very common practice in the job market. But there are many companies that treat their employees very well and also take their full responsibility along with their families (as long as they are employed with the company).
An incident related to Mahant Maharaj Swami comes to mind out here. In the year 1992, the Yogiji Maharaj Centenary Festival was being celebrated with great pomp in Gandhinagar. At that time Mahant Swami Maharaj was the saint in charge of the Gardening and Landscapes department. Therefore, he was responsible for the complete care of all the flowers, plants, trees or greenery in the entire campus. Once, during one of his daily visits to the landscaped areas on the campus, it so happened that he came to a small spot and stood there as he was checking the plants, flowers, vines etc. A volunteer brought to his sight a small withered plant and asked Swamiji whether it should be dug up and thrown away? Mahant Swami Maharaj immediately replied, ' No no, let it be where it is. We should try to help it survive by continuously watering it and nourishing it with proper fertilizer s' In his heart which is tender as a flower there is caring even for a wilting plant. Instead of discarding a plant, he empathized that it would be better to nourish it. In the heart of a Gunatit saint there is no feeling of uprooting or throwing away anything. He preserves a flower just as well as he preserves all human beings and their feelings.
શેરડીમાંથી રસ નીકળી ગયા પછી શેરડીવાળો શેરડીના કૂચાને ફેંકી જ દે છે કારણ કે તેમાંથી રસ તો પૂરેપૂરો નીકળી ગયો છે. હવે તેમાંથી વધુ કંઈ પ્રાપ્ત થવાનું નથી. સમાજમાં આવું આપણે જોતા હોઈએ છીએ કે બધાં અરસપરસ ફાયદો કરતા સંબંધો તાજામાજા રાખતા હોય છે. અમુક હદ સુધી તો આવું સારું છે. પ્રમુખ સ્વામી મહારાજ તો ઘણીવાર કહેતા કે માથામાં પાઘડી અને પાઘડીમાં માથું. અર્થાત્ એકબીજાને સાચવવાની અને શોભાવવાની આ વાત છે. કંપની અને કર્મચારી ઘણીવાર એકબીજાનાં પૂરક હોય છે. બંને એકબીજા સાથે સંકળાયેલા છે અને સંબંધિત હોય છે. ટૂંકમાં, જે કોઈને અન્યને સાચવવાની ભાવના ન રાખે તેને કોઈ પોતાને સાચવી લે એવી ખોટી આશા અને અપેક્ષા ન રાખવી.
After the juice is extracted from the sugarcane, the sugarcane vendor discards the sugarcane stalk since there is no more juice that can be extracted from it. We observe a similar scenario around us. In society we see that all mutually beneficial relationships are kept afresh. To some extent this is good. Pramukh Swami Maharaj often said that a turban on the head is as good as the head in the turban. Meaning, to take care of each other is mutually beneficial. Company and employee are often complementary to each other. Both are interrelated and woven. In short, if you can't help and take care of others then don't expect to be helped and taken care in return.
Thanks Giving
This article is written and submitted to The E Today by Sadhu Amrutvadandas. We thank swamiji for his research and analysis and hope to see the awareness about life and peace being spread ahead to larger mass of our citizens.