An Insider’s Look at One of India’s Best Places to Work

By Hardeep Kaur, Director of People at Demandbase.

To some, a “Best Places to Work” award, might seem like nothing more than a trophy. But, the reality is that attaining a Great Place to Work Certification™ requires a great deal of intentionality from an employer, immense care for employees, and the willingness to put in a lot of work.

Demandbase India was honored to receive this prestigious certification in 2024. The award signifies the company’s commitment to creating an outstanding workplace culture and investing in its team members.  Here’s why this milestone matters and what it means.

Understanding the Great Place to Work Certification™

The Great Place to Work program involves an in-depth, two-step certification process, which includes an employee survey and an organizational questionnaire.

The beauty of an award like this is that its outcome is determined by the very people who make their organizations run daily: its team members. Even the fanciest writing and the most impressive numbers wouldn’t be able to conceal low morale, when an employee survey tells the story.

The companies that move forward have to be rated positively by 70% or more of their employee respondents. Being scored so highly by your own workforce is a mark of global prestige.

The Path to Certification

Engaging employees and preparing the questionnaire for this award is part of the application process, but the path to certification starts long before this. Leadership teams must be dedicated to cultivating a workplace culture that aligns with Great Place to Work criteria and, most importantly, its employees’ needs and wants.

Key Elements of the Demandbase India Award-Winning Culture

Here is a deeper look at some of the different areas that comprise the foundation of making Demandbase a truly Great Place to Work.

Trust and Work/Life Balance

• Demandbase is flexible about employee time off, giving employees two mandatory, “refresh breaks” every year. Since the entire team in India is shut down there’s no pressure to check their email or work.
• Demandbase provides wellness initiatives and mental health support to give its team a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives.

Employee Growth

• Demandbase gives equal access to training, development programs, and career advancement opportunities for all employees, regardless of their job function or background. All employees are encouraged to have learning conversations with their manager to align on their learning goals.
• At Demandbase, select employees across departments get a chance to work on strategic initiatives that drive the company forward. Participants collaborate with colleagues from different teams, gaining the chance to research, plan, and execute ideas with support from executives.

Innovation

• Demandbase regularly conducts Hackathons across teams where employees get a chance to learn and present their ideas. The latest Hackathon in India was themed around GenAI.
• Demandbase employees are encouraged to innovate from within and are often asked to assist in solving issues they come across. For example, as a solution to a recent idea, Demandbase employees created, tested and launched Agentbase, a system of connected artificial intelligence (AI) agents, developed to be flexible, open, and transparent, that transform and accelerate B2B pipeline growth, all in less than one year.

Diversity and Inclusion

• All leaders at Demandbase are trained on cultural competency and inclusive management practices. This ensures they create environments where all employees can thrive.

Employee Recognition

• Leaders and employees work together to identify key business challenges, brainstorm solutions, and drive initiatives that directly contribute to our mission. This is further supported by recognition and reward programs, where employee contributions—big and small—are acknowledged.

Open Communication

• Demandbase sends out surveys on employee engagement and manager effectiveness every year. Employees respond anonymously, and leaders read every comment and make a plan of action. This is later discussed openly with employees in a Town Hall meeting, so there’s transparency and team members know their voices have been heard.

Why Being a Great Place to Work Matters

When all is said and done, earning an award like Best Place to Work furthers a company’s mission in many ways. It builds trust and loyalty and enhances job satisfaction. It helps companies attract and retain top talent while strengthening their brand in a competitive marketplace. Finally, it demonstrates corporate responsibility and ethical leadership, boosting both customer and partner confidence in the organization.

In Closing

It takes a village to earn recognition as a Best Place Work. Demandbase India acknowledges every person who helped the company achieve this honor and hopes it inspires others to do right by their team members and continue striving for excellence.

Also Read: Remote Work vs. Work from Office: Examining the Shift in India’s Workplace Dynamics