The Hindu : Front Page : Where fun is serious business...

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 10, 2005

Front Page

Front Page

Where fun is serious business...

A. A. Michael Raj

COIMBATORE: One of the largest medical transcription companies in the country, Spheris India Pvt. Ltd., places a premium on "fun at the workplace" to make employees feel at home.

"We want people to de-stress themselves at work," said Suresh Nair, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Spheris India Pvt. Ltd. (formerly Healthscribe India Pvt. Ltd.).

"They need to have fun at work, right in the company. Employees are banned from calling anyone `Sir' and should address others only by their first names."

"If you don't break the monotony," added Surya V. Ciryam, Vice President (Human Resources), "productivity will come down. People need to love to come to work. We have a Chief Fun Officer who has a budget and a team working with him. There are quizzes, jam sessions, signature interpretations, Family Day (when everyone comes with their family), Babies Day Out and annual awards."

With accuracy levels of "99 plus" expected in medical transcription, stress levels kept mounting as employees tried to excel themselves.

"Our primary goal is to make the person happy. Many might not have a happy home; so let them be happy at least at work. Office should be `Home 1' and `Home 2' should be home," he said.

Ciryam said that the aim was to avoid behaving like race drivers who kept their eyes only on the road and avoided looking elsewhere.

"We want to be rally drivers, go on happy journeys and look around a little, without stopping. Diversion enhances alertness, so we consistently break the monotony."

Spheris India Pvt. Ltd. formally began operations at the STPI - IT Park on the Kumaraguru College of Technology campus in Coimbatore on Friday.

Steven E. Simpson, president and Chief Executive Officer, inaugurated the new facility.

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