What is an engaged employee? Meet Maulik and Krishna – Keen, motivated and happy friends at work

3rd Aug, 2020

When we asked our HR team- what is an engaged employee, they asked us to meet not one but two employees- Maulik and Krishna. Maulik has been with Cadila for more than 9 years and Krishna for more than 6 years. Their friendship stands out in a crowd and helps them remain enthusiastic and motivated. So, this friendship day, we decided to deep dive into friendship at work with Maulik and Krishna. Not only have they benefitted from their friendship at workplace but it has also helped them get through the COVID-19 crisis.

Maulik and Krishna work in the finance department. They have been friends for the past 6 years and were introduced to each other while working on an assignment. “When I joined Cadila, I was instantly assigned to some difficult projects. Coincidently, I turned to Maulik to help me out, and being the gracious person he is, he instantly agreed. In the last 6 years, I have learned an immense amount of skills from him which he has taught to me patiently.” Krishna says.

While we all are juggling between video calls for work, wearing masks to protect ourselves, and enhancing our inner master chefs, one thing we all are desperately missing is those tea breaks with our work buddies. Maulik and Krishna though were lucky to have stumbled upon a common interest right before the COVID-19 crisis hit.

“The defining moment in our friendship was when we had to spend long hours on a project and there we started exchanging stories and their interests. It was surprising to them when we both realized we were interested in photography. While I had more experience in photography, Krishna had the energy to pursue it with dedication. And that’s when the lockdown happened,” shares Maulik.

The world is ready to return to new opportunities in the new normal. Every organization has been trying to do its best to provide employee safety, stability and security as the COVID-19 crisis started. Special efforts are being made to provide emotional support and engage employees. It’s not only the organizations but the employees who have been resilient and have forged stronger bonds in the face of this crisis.

“When the lockdown was announced, within a week, I was looking for a distraction. I had long forgotten my camera thanks to the balance between work and home. Krishna then one day reminded me of my old love. What was surprising that he set us a target for our hobby! We decided to click at least one photograph of our surroundings and share it on our social media platforms just to give us the boost. It was a challenge at first but we both started exchanging tips and now our photos often get featured on Cadila’s official social media handles!” Maulik shares.

While the reasons to celebrate friendship’s day around the world are varied, friendship should definitely be celebrated, especially at work. Friendships at work are varied, extreme and exciting, especially in India, which holds one of the youngest working populations in the world. While previously, talking to a friend during work hours was looked down upon, the relation between a happy employee and the friends they have at their workplace is not lost to the HR teams. HR teams around the world are now developing employee engagement programs to help their employees interact more, encouraging dialogues between various team members. In addition to increasing the happiness quotient, these activities help in motivation, collaboration and team-spiritedness- qualities every organization looks for in an engaged employee.

When asked what makes them an engaged employee, they both unanimously shared that their friendship is a big reason that they remain motivated. One thing that brought them together was their complimenting personalities. They constantly learn from each other. Be it work or hobbies, they keep encouraging each other to do better. And that is what has helped them steer through all the difficult times. “When you spend so much time together at work, it is necessary to have a trusted friend. There have been days where I feel frustrated with the task I was assigned and Maulik helped me out. Friends at work don’t just help you in your work, but they keep you motivated. And when your friend is from the same stream as yours, they also help you think out of the box and take challenges head-on.”

While we often reminisce about our school or college friends, friends at work are often overlooked. One might not share their deepest thoughts with them, but when it comes to facing challenging situations at work, they are our go-to person. And we thank all the work friends from all around the world for having our backs.

Happy friendship day!

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