Attracting and retaining skilled IT professionals is no easy task. At Nagarro, the focus is on cultivating a self-learning organization that prioritizes employee development and engagement. Annette Mainka, a member of Nagarro’s management board, shares insights into how the company’s innovative work and learning culture drives success.
The “Great Resignation”, which caused a stir in the US, has also left its mark in Germany. Despite having a job, many employees feel they have mentally quit their jobs, which indicates a lack of satisfaction and commitment. At Nagarro, a global leader in digital product development, the challenges of the shortage of IT specialists have been observed for a long time. Instead of being led by negative trends such as waves of resignations, the company is focusing on innovative solutions to counteract them.
The focus is on positive measures that will retain and motivate employees in the long term. This includes improving the working environment of employees. Recognizing the value of individual development and creating space for personal growth and professional development is particularly important here. The buzzword in this context is “self-learning organization”.
Success model self-learning organization
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Self-learning organizations are characterized by their ability to continuously learn, adapt, and develop. By establishing structures for a self-learning organization, a culture is created in which knowledge is shared, innovation is encouraged, and change is seen as an opportunity. This makes it possible to react flexibly to new challenges, continuously expand expertise, and offer customers the best possible solutions.
An important element at Nagarro are the worldwide “Centers of Excellence”, where experts share their knowledge and work together on innovative solutions. These Centers of Excellence serve as a point of contact for specific topics such as artificial intelligence, cloud technologies or agile methods, and enable employees to deepen their expertise and exchange ideas with like-minded people.
Another example of a self-learning organization, like Nagarro’s, is the open feedback culture. Employees are encouraged to give and accept feedback regularly in order to continuously learn and improve. This open exchange makes it possible to identify challenges at an early stage and work together to find solutions.
Overall, the aim of a self-learning organization is to establish a culture of learning and continuous improvement. This requires not only the use of technology and tools, but above all an awareness of the importance of lifelong learning and a willingness to actively participate in this process. This is accompanied by the conviction that a self-learning organization is the key to long-term success in a rapidly changing world.
Developing talent, expanding skills
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The future of work lies in the systematic development of talent. In an age in which the demands on skilled workers are constantly increasing and the world of work is changing rapidly, continuous training is essential. Nagarro therefore places a strong emphasis on ensuring that every employee has the opportunity to expand their skills and develop professionally.
An online learning platform, such as the company’s own virtual “Nagarro University”, offers standard training, masterclasses and mentoring programs to support the individual needs of employees. The uniqueness of each individual “Nagarrian” is taken into account and individual development paths are pursued.
Programs such as the Young Talent Program and the Glass Window Program have been launched to specifically address the needs of employees. One is aimed at high-potential employees, helping them to develop into technical or disciplinary managers over a period of two years. The other is specifically for women, who spend a year as part of senior management, looking over the shoulders of decision-makers, exchanging ideas and, above all, expanding their internal network.
A daily program of MeetUps, as well as Hackathons, Ideathons and Storytelling Challenges that take place several times a year, guarantee the exchange of ideas and innovations and create an inspiring work environment in which creativity and collaboration are encouraged. This new form of agility and flexibility is particularly necessary in the current dynamic, disruptive industry in order to expand one’s own expertise and thus optimally support customers on their journey to digitalization. Only in this way can it be possible to react quickly and efficiently to technological advances and guarantee one’s own competitiveness.
For a company like Nagarro, with over 18,000 employees in 36 countries, a special organizational design based on certain corporate values is a prerequisite for such a work and learning culture to function. The focus is consistently on people in the corporate culture. Flat hierarchies and flexible work structures are designed to enable employees to organize their workplace according to their individual needs.
This culture of trust and flexibility are crucial factors for a company’s success and create an atmosphere in which employees feel comfortable and can develop their full potential. Such an organizational paradigm shift does not come about on the drawing board or through external consulting, but naturally over time, largely derived from customer needs.
At Nagarro, we firmly believe that our employees are our most valuable asset. By promoting their individual needs and strengths, we create a working environment in which they feel valued and supported. Our numerous employee retention measures are an important contribution to overcoming the shortage of IT specialists and show how companies can develop long-term relationships through innovative solutions.
Annette Mainka is a member of the management board at Nagarro, a global leader in digital engineering and listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the TecDAX and SDAX. Her responsibilities are wide-ranging, with a particular focus on cultural and HR issues. Photo: Nagarro
