Telenor team was kind enough to arrange ProPakistani’s visit to their head office (referred to as CHQ within Telenor Pakistan) and the F-11 office in Islamabad. This turned out to be a day to remember – I would refer to it as a travel experience rather than just an office visit, for many reasons.
We were allowed to take pictures and shoot videos, something not commonly allowed in the corporate sector for external visitors. We had a chance to closely eye the culture and people at work. The environment is extremely robust and has a pattern to it. It truly strengthens the working charisma of people at Telenor. I was really delighted to see the young work force that Telenor has hired, developed and put a lot of faith in.
There are so many things to share, let me highlight few of them for you:
The first thing that you notice upon setting foot on any floor of the building is the open seating culture, meaning that no offices, cubicles or cabins. The seats are not fixed! You can actually be sitting on first floor one day and the top floor on the next, without having the slightest of difficulties.
As long as your laptop is connected, you are in office. Nonetheless, it is considered good to work while sitting with your team, to eliminate communication delays and allow ready access. The company facilitates its employees with a wireless network that also works in the building’s surroundings – I wont be surprised to see a Telenor employee sitting on a bench outside of the building to work.
You will find plenty of meeting/conference rooms on every floor – When asked, a gentleman on the floor told me that anyone can book any conference/board room through a shared calendar, given that it is not occupied.
The board rooms are nicely equipped with latest tech gadgets, including audio and video teleconferencing solutions and a self service tea/coffee-station.
Each floor has a shared printer room. One only needs to give a print command on their laptops and then walk over to the printer room to collect their printouts (that applies for the CEO too). Print outs/Paper is only allowed in extremely unavoidable situations. Employees are encouraged to print on both sides of the sheet, to avoid wastage.
There are no office/tea boys to serve you on your seats. Employees are encouraged to fetch their own tea/coffee or water. By the way, these kitchens are available at every floor too. Even the CEO makes his own coffee!
Everyone seemed friendly, cheerful, bright and most importantly focused on work. The general atmosphere was one of corporation, with people helping each other out, creating an air of exuberance that could actually be felt.
The Casual dress code of Telenor appealed to me the most, as I personally believe one can perform better in casuals rather than the stiff suit and tie. I could see people with jeans and t-shirts, even managers and directors!
They have this bright café that has tasty food to offer, along with fresh juices, a salad bar and a dessert station. This is self-service too.
Gym facilities are available for both males and females (separate timings) throughout Telenor Pakistan offices. A recreation room is also available in buildings, I was told.
A mosque is also available as a separate facility for both men and women.
We managed to speak with a few Telenor employees at executive, manager and director level, including Noushad Javed, Manager Organization Development, Telenor Pakistan to get an insight on the culture and working environment.
Here is the video… (Shoby Awan of ProPakistani did the Camera for both Video and stills)