Shilpa Vaid, an HR manager at Aviva Life Insurance Company, used to interact with managing director Stuart Purdy practically every day in the course of her job. But since end April, their relationship hasn't quite been the same. That was when they met for a mentor-mentee interaction lasting two-and-a-half hours. The two spent the time getting to know each other and their families. Since then they have had three such sessions, apart from regular interactions over the phone. "For me, it is excellent as I feel there is a great deal I can learn from Stuart. Despite official beginnings, I am sure we will continue to have this relationship through life," says Vaid.The mentoring programme may be part of Aviva's global policies, but many of the HR initiatives in India are local. "At least 50% of Aviva's policies are homegrown," says the big-built and bluff Purdy.

Purdy came to India in January 2000. His arrival coincided with the painfully slow prising open of the insurance sector. Since then he has been shaping the organisation with his unique brand of people-focus.

"We have been lobbying Irda (Insurance Regulatory Authority of India) to allow us to treat our agents as employees who can get benefits, not just commissions," says Purdy. He and his HR head, Anuradha Purbey, believe that their agents are as much full-timers as Aviva's sales managers and actuaries. This is communicated to the rank and file through actions.

Aviva has involved all employees in the start-up right from the word go. In October 2001, even before it was selling insurance in India, the company held a visioning programme called Navkriti. Its 100 employees went through workshops and conferences to decide two things: what should their objective be and what should their behaviour be like.

Aviva is also trying to chart a clear career path for its agents. Navneet Chauhan, who joined as a financial planning advisor (FPA), is treading it right now. After working in the field for a year, he was taken on the rolls as a sales manager. "I have had almost five years of experience working in the field in the pharmaceutical and the financial sectors. Despite being a high performer, I saw no opportunity to grow," he says.

With 17 offices and 800 FPAs, growth is very much on Aviva's mind. But underlying the expansion is the compelling need to keep its employees productive and happy. Attrition rates are as high as 30% in insurance.

Aviva realises that compensation may be just a hygiene factor. So the company is doing its best to emphasise culture, values and emotional ties.

Each month Purdy addresses everybody through a meeting called 'Town Hall' and he takes at least 12 questions related to Aviva. Navkriti made every employee and agent a stakeholder in Aviva's vision. Similarly, there is no differentiation on the communication with FPAs; they are given full support by the corporate office. The mentor-mentee programme has now been extended to the FPAs.

"The quality of people here is as good as in other parts of the world. It was clear that we had to get people who had the potential to be top performers. My job is simply to help them realise their potential," says Purdy.