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April - 2014 - issue > 50 Best Companies to Work For

Aconex: Where Happiness Equates with Productivity

Pankaj Kundwani
Friday, April 4, 2014
Pankaj Kundwani
Most organizations have clear set of policies defining what to do and what not to, what is right and what is not. In many companies, decisions are made by those who hold top positions, and questions are taken as a challenge to authority. Aconex practices a non-hierarchical, highly collaborative work culture, encouraging employees to 'challenge what's accepted', ask questions, and be empowered to make decisions that will help achieve the organizational objective. "We foster an open workplace where staff feels comfortable walking into the CEO's office to have a quick chat or even argue on a decision if they feel passionate enough about it," says Andy Lake, General Manager - Asia, Aconex.

With Bangalore as its India head office, Aconex provides the world's most widely used cloud-based online collaboration platform for construction and engineering projects. Founded in 2000, the company has over 12 years of experience working with top owners, construction and project managers, contractors, architects, and consultants on projects of all shapes and sizes. Over 400 employees working in more than 40 offices worldwide make Aconex a known brand when it comes to the construction project management software space. The Aconex platform has
more than 480,000 users in more than 45,000 organizations across the globe.

Aconex places great emphasis on mentorship and has formed a culture where team goals are always set above individual goals. It supports an environment where everybody is heard and decisions are made on team inputs rather than individual authority. Work is structured in such a way that it is highly visible to the team and managers in its alignment with the agreed objectives. Aconex is open to BYOD (bring your own device) to help employees be more proactive in responding to work situations on the go. "We'd prefer happy, productive employees who leave on time over grumpy, tired employees thinking that staying late gets them in the boss's good books. The quality of work from a happy employee is far better than the opposite," adds Lake.

Aconex has a break-out space, with a pool table, where staff can take breaks and socialize while in the office. There is a budget allocated to each team for offsite team activities, including canoeing, rock climbing, bowling, and other team-building endeavors. In addition to regular snacks and beverages, the company organizes a weekly lunch for the staff where they sit together and discuss their week over biryani.

The company sets aside a special training budget for the staff to enhance their skills. Engineers are sent to conferences in Australia, Goa, Bangalore, and other places to keep them abreast with the latest technologies. They follow the agile group of processes for developing software, which helps them produce more regular software releases and build innovation into the work culture. With a high rate of employee retention, Aconex really allows its staff to balance life and work.

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