At Aye, we strongly believe that the greatness of a culture can be found in its festivals. Festivals are an opportunity to connect, celebrate and create an inclusive culture in our organization. Through these festivities, not only do we create memories, but we also provide a much-needed break to our employees to relax and rejoice!
How Ayetians celebrate
Though we never fail to celebrate any festival, be it local or national, we always come together (sometimes, even digitally) to celebrate some of the key festivals:
1) Holi
For numerous festivals, such as Holi, we didn’t let the pandemic dull our festivities – Ayetians came together to celebrate with each other virtually! On Holi, we conducted a virtual poster-making competition for the kids of our employees. The topic for the competition was “Safety First in the Times of Covid-19”. Our purpose behind this engagement activity, apart from fun, was also to pass on a social message in society.
2) Navratri
On Navratri, we extensively leveraged social media to engage our employees during the pandemic. During those 9 days, we asked Ayetians to follow a pre-decided dress color every day and send in their pictures. These pictures were widely circulated, and kept the fun and festivity alive among our employees!
3) Diwali
On Diwali, we conducted a branch decoration competition across all the Aye branches, also inviting their families to the offices. The top 3 best-decorated branches were rewarded and their pictures were widely circulated through social media platforms.
At the Head Office level, we had numerous engagement activities designed for them such as Tambola, musical chairs, etc. To amplify the fun, we also had a caricature artist come into our office!
4) Appreciation Day
At Aye, we also celebrate ‘Appreciation Day’, where Ayetians can share their appreciation towards each other. For employees who gain 5 or more appreciations, the HR team makes a collage for them to display on their social media handles. This makes our employees feel recognized for their efforts throughout the year and motivates them to give their best at the workplace. It also nurtures a culture of trust and camaraderie among the employees.
5) Christmas
This Christmas, we organized a secret Santa event at the Branch Offices and Head Office. At the Branch Offices, the top 3 best-decorated branches on the theme of Christmas were rewarded. At the Head Office, a Christmas tree decoration competition was organized for all the employees and the top 3 winners were rewarded with exciting gifts. Employees were also encouraged to keep one gift under the Christmas tree till Christmas day to be later distributed to an orphanage.
Behind the scenes – How Ayetians work to celebrate festivals
1) Designing a calendar
Our year starts with designing an engagement calendar, post which we send an interactive mailer to all our employees as and when a festival arrives.
2) Deciding budgets
The budgets for these celebrations are pre-decided and pre-approved. The branch managers are then given brief training about conducting these engagement activities, while the HR business partners support in planning these activities in a very structured manner. Every activity is planned at least one week prior.
3) Designing engagement activities
At the branch level, the branch managers take the lead and help in designing these engagement activities. We also take inputs from HR business partners, to understand the kind of engagement activities employees will enjoy.
At the Regional Office level, we design activities based on the various regions our offices are located. At the Head Office, employees like to have interdepartmental activities which helps them to know their colleagues from various departments better.
At Aye, we believe in the philosophy of being connected to our roots. This is why, even when we are celebrating, we strive to make our employees feel proud of where they come from. All Ayetians are encouraged to come in their traditional attire, speak their local dialect and showcase their culture.
Festivals are a way for employees to connect with each other on a more personal level, which in turn strengthens a team holistically. Aye Finance is always looking for new and innovative ways to make overall operations smoother, be it on the employee front or on the client front. Because, as we all know, teamwork makes the dream work, and we have big dreams for our future!
