Interview with E. Abraham Mathew, CEO, Cyber India Online

How did CIOL come about; and how did it grow to become the leading website for IT in India?

CIOL is part of a larger IT media group called Cyber Media India ltd. Cyber Media came into being in December 1982. We have been the pioneers of IT computing magazines in India. As an IT group we have introduced several products over the years and so, in August 1996 we started Cyber India Online which is the IT arm of the parent group Cyber Media.

In 1996 when we started CIOL, we were amongst the first ten professionally managed sites in India. Since we started very early we definitely have the first mover advantage, which we are still leveraging today. Over the last five years we have gathered a very loyal community that has taken us to the number one position that we are in today. We have been evolving ever since, from just serving content to providing services in line with industry requirements. We have a clear knowledge of the industry and what the IT community requires from an IT Portal.

What are CIOL's main products and services?Traditionally we have been very strong as far as content is concerned. Starting about six months back we decided that to offer more than just content to our customers. CIOL Shop our online shopping mall for IT people is one of our new services. CIOL Jobs and Tech Expert are other popular services. Tech Expert provides online technical help and support to users within 24 hours. We have another service called Global IT Outsourcing. People who need to outsource IT projects can come to our outsourcing channel and register either as a buyer or as a provider. Similarly there are many other services also which we have introduced.

What is the recruitment process followed at CIOL?

The first thing we do is to very clearly outline the job role. Once that is identified, we look for prospective employees through online advertising, print advertising, consultants, and employee referrals. The prospective candidate then goes through a three-stage interview process. In the first stage we have a panel of two to three people who meet the candidate first to explain the job role and check his suitability for the role. If found to be reasonably good, he is short listed for the second round of interviews in which more senior people meet the candidate. We then select them after a final interview. It is a thorough process, which ensures that in more cases than not we get to hire the right candidate.

Give us an insight into the writing team behind CIOL. What is the training you provide to your employees?

We have a robust team of talented technical writers. Getting technical writers has always been a challenges and we have been fortunate enough to get talent -either talent which is already trained or we get very talented people and then we train them and very quickly they are able to deliver very good technical articles.

At CIOL we have made it mandatory that all employees should undergo at least a week's training every year. At appraisal times we elicit information from our employees about the kind of training they would like to undergo. Then, over the course of the year we try and make sure that the specific training they want is provided.

Tell us about the corporate culture in your organisation.?

Our organisation comprises young and energetic people. We have a completely open communication system. The levels of hierarchy in the company are few and this ensures free flow of communication. Whether it is problems or good ideas, employees are encouraged to come forward and express those ideas.

Can you tell us about your retention policies?

One of our retention policies is training. If we provide good training, then people feel that they are constantly learning things and that's a very good way of retaining. Second on the retention policy is the salaries we pay. As far as salaries are concerned, we are on par with the industry standards. The third aspect would be the kind of challenges we provide to our employees. We have a very proactive system of asking the employees what they would like to do in the next six to twelve months. At the end of that period we try and ensure that the kind of challenge they are looking for is provided. This applies to the entire Cyber Media group too. Since we are a very large media group we are able to offer our employees choice of roles, and jobs so the skills and interests are engaged and enhanced at all times.

What are the unique rewards that you give to the high performing staff?

We have a system called Fast Track at CIOL. Employees who are outstanding in their performance are put on to the fast track. Special attention is paid to the development of a person who is on the Fast Track. Since we like to retain that person, we pay special attention to them, prefer them whenever a new job opportunity comes up, and give them better increments.

There must be some downsides in your industry, can you comment on them?

Most Internet companies today are facing a difficult phase and there is no doubt about. However, companies that are well managed during this time will ultimately emerge winners. We are proud to say that the CIOL has been on the right track from day one. There will be downturns and upturns in every industry and the dotcom industry is no exception, and it has happened sooner than most people thought it would. People with good management teams and a good revenue model will definitely emerge winners.

ARCHANA JAYAKAR

archana.hyd@careercommunity.co.in