The view from Bangalore

Mala Bhat is over here from India on the government’s ‘highly skilled immigrants’ programme. (Well, with the lack of respect for good ideas in the UK, and fondness for lager, is it any surprise we need people like Mala?).

“In Bangalore, like most of India, the big companies tend to have everyone working in cubicles,” says Mala. “They’re the sort of places where you have to make an appointment to speak to the CEO.

“It’s much better where the CEO works in an open space alongside all the other employees. That way he sees how all the projects are actually being carried out.

Mala recommends the US company Thoughtworks as having “a totally unique approach”:

“They give employees the freedom to work from home (traffic is terrible in Bangalore) and, in the office, each team sits around the same table. Employees are encouraged to come up with innovative ideas and if you have a software project you want to develop and work on, you can do it.”

The head of HR (sorry, Chief People Officer) at Thoughtworks is called Matt. Mala is going to get me his contact details.