Among the many factors that contribute towards an employer being one of the best across the country is its open work environment, egalitarian policies, transformational learning opportunities to equal and non-discriminatory benefits. These are the characteristics that Telenor has excelled at establishing along with the fact that Telenor doesn’t hesitate in going the extra mile to facilitate and empower its workforce, making them fall in love with what they do and how they do it. A testament to Telenor’s work practices and culture are the numerous awards and accolades they have claimed on multiple occasions.
At the core of Telenor’s success as a creator and promoter of an ideal workplace is how it optimizes innovation at all levels. Reflecting its role as the country’s catalyst for ICT-powered digital revolution in its own quarters, a host of innovation-centered employee empowerment programs set Telenor apart from the rest. This is the key approach with which Telenor Pakistan has achieved excellence in developing and promoting a workplace culture that’s inclusive, productive, and a breeding ground for communications breakthroughs.
Managing ways to trigger employees’ creativity amidst everyday routine sounds easier said than done, but Telenor has invested heavily to master the art. Take Startup Garage for example, a space within Telenor Pakistan headquarters ‘345’ offering an enabling environment to foster a culture of innovation among employees. People gather here to share ideas, discuss possibilities, and collaborate to get closer to achieving their growth goals.
Another initiative to instill design thinking is Activate, a month-long boot camp for Telenor employees to learn the innovative mindset. The program is at the heart of Telenor’s digital transformation lead, focusing on bringing a shift in the mindset of its employees towards more agile, lean and disruptive thinking.
A similar program that hones the Telenor employee’s hidden innovator is Ignite. This initiative enables the Telenor employees to ideate and transition ‘napkin ideas’ to pilot products impacting millions. Promising ideas are given resources to develop into a product to impact the society who will use it in their daily digital lives.
The intense attention Telenor focuses on promoting an innovative workplace culture naturally gives birth to opportunities for millions of people outside the company as well to showcase their tech skills and contribute toward a shared vision of technology-backed social empowerment. To Telenor’s credit are a number of industry-first initiatives designed to develop and promote a sustainable digital ecosystem in Pakistan that helps the country achieve its short- and long-term inclusion goals.
The talk of digital enablement of the young Pakistani tech talent is incomplete without Velocity, Telenor’s powerful accelerator program for promising digital startups. Helping young startups survive teething troubles and go to market, Velocity provides access to mentors and investors, co-working space, customers, online payment solutions, and a chance to pitch for seed funding. The 4-month training program provides the power of digital communication, enabling everyone to improve their lives, build societies, and secure a better future for all.
Built around the premise of empowering societies, Telenor Youth Forum (TYF) brings together young and passionate change-makers from across Telenor’s markets to ideate and develop digital solutions at a global platform. It is a unique initiative, in collaboration with Nobel Peace Center that enables the youth to contribute towards ‘reducing inequalities’ (UN SDG 10) and realize their ideas through expert mentoring.
When it comes to taking the first step towards bringing Pakistan at par with the global ICT developments, Telenor’s pioneering of IoT (Internet of Things) in Pakistan deserves a special mention. Telenor not only introduced IoT to Pakistan with products such as Companion Watch and providing solutions to other businesses, but also hosted the first and the largest yet IoT exhibits in key Pakistani cities. Building on its IoT success, Telenor partnered with IGI General Insurance earlier this year to launch IoT based vehicle coverage plans though AUXO. The product uses an internet enabled SIM to communicate updates from the car to smartphones or web portals for management purposes.
Telenor continues to disrupt traditional workplace models, an act that contributes to the company’s steady ascent as the country’s favorite employer. By optimizing innovation, Telenor has developed a work culture that is independent of employees’ physical presence, and enables improved professional output ensuring achievement of short- and long-term goals.
Telenor’s unique model transitions work by freeing it from the ‘number of hours’ put in and focusing on the ‘productivity & quality’ aspect of it. Employees at Telenor are at ease to maximize their productivity regardless of time or location. Through this unique approach, Telenor is able to achieve excellence in productivity and innovation while at the same time enabling its employees to carve the future for themselves and empower the nation.
