Engage, Train & Retain

At VNR, our most valuable assets are its people

“At the nucleus of VNR lies its values”

It’s VNR Values, which act as catalyst for its relentless progress. It’s VNR Values, which supports its vision and shape its culture. It’s VNR Values, which makes the organization run smoothly.

VNR Core Values, helps us in decision making process, in educating our farming community and recruiting & retaining our talents. VNR values guide us and help us grow with a sense of responsibility towards our stakeholders, farmers, associates, business partners and society.

“VNR culture gives it a sustainable competitive advantage”

Culture is the character and personality of an organization. What makes VNR unique is the sum of its values, traditions, beliefs, behaviours and attitudes. For VNR, culture is a shared way of innovation with a passion. The organization believes in building a constructive culture where employees freely interact and address issues of common interest.

Unparalleled blend of professionalism and Family environment

At the core of VNR, there’s a unique blend of professionalism and family environment. While handling work and delivery, employees are thorough professionals but at the same time, team shares a bond of family environment which is helpful during problem solving and developing talent within team.

Each employee is treated as one

Employee performance is evaluated only by their work and nothing else. All employees are treated at par and there’s no distinction in between them based on any favour or criteria. This helps in creation of healthy work environment and motivate employees to realize his/her full potential.

Employee friendly policies and practical guidelines

VNR team understands that discipline is important at workplace and decorum is to be maintained across the organization. Keeping this in perspective, policies devised are employee friendly and guidelines have flexible and practical approach.

Employee achievements and celebrations

Good work and contribution is well praised at VNR. Top performers and achievers are duly recognized in public forums. One such activity is celebrating the long association of employees in form of long service award.

“Ethical behaviour is intrinsic to VNR’s foundation and has been part of our legacy since inception. Our Founder Dr. Narayan Chawda believes that VNR must always operate and work in the interest of farmer. Respecting customer i.e. farmer rights will lead to benefits of every stakeholder and will create a strong value for society”

VNR’s Business Ethics

  • Always work in the interest of Fellow Farmers
  • Safeguard and protection of organizational intellectual property rights and respecting others
  • Establishing best practices related to the development, protection or enforcement of seed and seed technologies
  • Maintain highest level of integrity – act to establish the foremost standards of honesty and fairness
  • Follow fair trade practices with farmers, business partners, stakeholders, employees and associates
  • Working out the relationship between ethics and other business functions, and aligning company policies
  • Work towards sustainable agriculture model
  • Develop policies and procedures to conserve energy, protect natural resources and ensure that ecological balance is maintained
  • Follow the law of land—Adherence to law, regulatory compliance and applicable regulations

“VNR enjoys the confidence of the stakeholders which is the foundation for making our business successful. Trust of our stakeholders in based on highest level of ethics and integrity reflected in our acts and operations”

While conducting the business, VNR believes in protecting the rights and the interest of the stakeholders. We conduct our business in most responsible and ethical manner so as to ensure the well-being our customers and that of society. Our corporate governance policies follow healthy business practices and are based on the premise of following the law of land. We ensure fairness in our decisions, conduct and operations with our stakeholders, business partners, customers and employees.

To ensure highest standards of governance, VNR introduce and implements policies in regular course of business:

We follow a strict “No Child Labour” policy at all locations of organization. We as an organization firmly believe that children at tender age needs to focus on education and health. Our CSR initiative towards – education for all – is rooted from this belief.

Our equal opportunity policy eliminates discrimination of any kind, towards gender or race with respect to hiring, promotion and other employment related matters.

The Sexual Harassment policy ensures that female staff feel safe and secure to voice their concerns. No complaints or concerns go unheard and immediate steps are taken to resolve reported matters on priority.

Our organization is committed to conduct its operations with due regard for the environment and providing a safe and healthy workplace for its employees. The Safety policy ensures that organisational locations are well equipped for safety of all kinds and employees undergo regular safety drills.

The Road Safety policy emphasises on the safety of our employees and their families.

Our Corporate Social Responsibility policy has pre-defined objectives and conduct social programs creating major impact on all the sections of society.

Our organisational values are ingrained in daily operations, defining the process to conduct our business thereby serving our customers.

“Gone are the days, when building career – only meant elevation of designation for monetary gains.”

In current times, career has entirely different and contrary definition. Today, it’s also about acquiring new skills, adopting new technologies, going digital, being the change agent, being creative, freedom to implement new ideas thereby achieving meaningful growth and job satisfaction. VNR as a progressive mindset organization, provides an opportunity to explore new horizons and be part of a large family.

VNR understands its responsibility to ensure that its employees have the appropriate skills and knowledge to fulfil the organisation’s strategic and operational objectives. As per the requirement and work profile, VNR adopts many ways in which employees can be developed including induction, on the job training, internal and external courses and workshops, compliance training, supported external study, coaching and mentoring. VNR Management entails a commitment to learning and development by the organisation to ensure that skills and knowledge are maintained and developed to ensure ongoing competitiveness and adaptability.

VNR ensures that appropriate need analysis is undertaken to identify the learning and development needs of the organisation, business units, departments and individuals. These needs are prioritised in terms of their potential impact on organisational effectiveness and productivity. The programs are conducted internally or externally through expert trainers having the required domain knowledge.

The breeders and researchers leading the research and development initiative, keeps themselves abreast with latest technological advancements by participating in conferences, workshops, study courses, seminars and lectures held at various reputed agricultural institutes in India and overseas. Organization has membership of various forums and it subscribes to research papers, journals and magazines to keep themselves updated with latest happenings.

Similarly, all other leading functions – Product development, Production, Quality, Processing, Sales & Marketing too keep engaging in learning initiatives conducted across their verticals.

Some of the representative training programs attended and conducted at VNR are listed as under:

External Programs:

A. Institutional training program participation: Team members are nominated to the Management development programs and training Programs conducted by premier institutes like IIMs for skill development and University of California for advanced courses in research.

B. Participation in Seminars, Conferences, Symposiums, Study tours and Workshops: Participation in such events is to enhance domain knowledge and be aware of latest trends in industry

i) VNR team participated in Seed harvest training at The World Vegetable Center, Kasetsart University Campus, Kamphaeng Sean, Thailand to learn the latest agricultural practices in vegetable seeds.

ii) A VNR team represented by various department heads joined a Study Tour Program organized (September 2015) by the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA) with the help of Dutch Association PLANTUM with an aim at exposing the members to recent advances in technology for sustained seed quality assurance and seed handling processes.

Internal Programs:

The focus of internal programs is both on functional as well as soft skills.

The technical training programs conducted include product training, sales training, machine training, warehouse management, seed operations etc.

The soft skills programs include programs meant for improving the skills and competencies required to excel in job. Some of the training programs conducted includes Improving productivity & quality, Outbound training program for team building, Quality improvement program on 5S, Development center for Leadership team etc.

“VNR believes in and committed to the principle of Equal Opportunity for all”

VNR during the process of hiring and employment treats every individual equally without any discrimination based on gender, caste, creed, race, national origin, disability etc. It follows all the applicable laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination or harassment against any applicant or employee.

All the genders are treated with equality and respect. At VNR, Employee experiences a healthy atmosphere of reverence and appreciation.

Applicant deserving the job positions are selected through a well-defined and structured recruitment process.  Post selection, employee is assisted by his/her senior to train in their new role and responsibility.

Equal opportunities are provided to all the team members for showcasing their talent and to help them perform better and grow within the organization. Employees are encouraged to explore new ideas and build new skill sets. Regular sessions on skill development are conducted to help in growth of individuals and their respective department.

The process of performance evaluation is fair, transparent and designed to eliminate biases or preferences of any kind. The deliverable of work is judged purely by the quality and nature of task.

The appraisal cycle is a three-tier process involving different levels to make it fair and is evaluated based on overall performance of an employee. The higher management plays an active role in effectiveness of control checks during the process of appraisal.

The policy of equal opportunity applies to all personnel actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, separation, compensation, benefits, training, and education.

“VNR provides healthy and productive work environment”

At VNR, employees are considered integral part of growth process which fosters employee commitment towards the organization. Work environment at VNR, helps employees in extracting best out of themselves.

Positive work environment: Work place infrastructure are safety compliant, ensures good air quality, ventilation and no excessive noise levels. Office work stations are ergonomically designed to provide comfort and ease. Premises have recreational facilities and creative spaces for encouraging employee interactivity. Work places are designed with a balance of modernity and nature. Natural surroundings instill a sense of positivity among employees.

Binding employees together: To instill good relations with co-workers, employees are trained in team building disciplines through workshops, seminars and presentations which also help in upgrading their skills. Employees share a special bond of togetherness and empower them to face tough and odd challenges at workplace.

Freedom to express themselves: Work environment at VNR, ensures that employee can voice and express their views, concerns and suggestions freely. Employees are part of decision making process. This very nature of expression supports development of organizational productivity.

Relationship of mutual respect and appreciation for performance: The work environment at VNR is structured in such a way that members of a team shares relationship of mutual respect irrespective of their hierarchy and designation. Seniors act as facilitators, a guiding force who motivate and appreciate their subordinates to improvise their performance.

“VNR is like your big & happy joint family”

The moment you become part of VNR Family, you are greeted with an absolute pleasure of being at the right place. VNR, not only takes care of your professional needs but also takes care of your personal and social aspirations. VNR organizes events of various kinds and nature – family conference, sports championships, food carnivals, picnics, team events etc. all through-out the year.

Our team members are fondly referred as, VNRites – they are passionate in working together and involve as a family in employee engagement activities.

VNR’s Family conference held at various tourist destinations are talk of the industry. Every employee family looks forward to this event and are excited being with each other and enjoy this big family time in celebrations of their achievements.

The manpower of an organization is its backbone and has to be strong and capable enough – being in agriculture sector wherein seasonal fluctuation and cyclical ups & downs are second nature of business. VNR follows “People First” policy and puts its people higher up in value chain. When VNR hires, it believes in inviting the person as its family member. Therefore, VNR has a defined hiring process and it aims to seek the best talent suiting to challenging agriculture sector.

The hiring process of VNR comprises of different and complex levels of selection:

Identification of resource

It begins with identification of skill set required and potential sources to obtain such manpower. We use various sources like advertisements, talent acquistion agencies, internal sources, references, campus recruitment, manpower agencies, walk-ins, company website, job portals etc.

Applications review

The resumes of potent employees are carefully studied and based on the nature of the job they are selected and called for interview.

Interviewing and screening of selected candidates

Once a person is called for an interview, they undergo a robust interview process to confirm if they are proficient for the job role. This process involves four levels:

Level 1: Resume verification

Level 2: Aptitude / Psychometric test

Level 3: Interview panel discussion

Level 4: Reference check

The screened candidates are interviewed and assessed on factors influencing their behavior, stress, situations and finally for the role, they will be adapting in the organization.

Selection of the candidate

Post evaluation of performance of candidate in the interview process, the suiting candidate is selected. The qualified candidates are extended an offer letter and post acceptance of offer – appointment letter specifying the joining date.

Induction Program

On joining, the employees are to attend a detailed induction program that sheds light on the structure of the organization, code of conduct, department and facilities. Post induction they are trained on the job under the guidance of their superior.

Fraud Alert

  • Recruitment fraud is a sophisticated scam offering fictitious job opportunities.  This type of fraud is perpetrated through various mediums like bogus websites, unauthorized e-mails, fake advertisements/classifieds in newspapers/publications, telephonic calls, SMS, personal representation etc. Typical online frauds are done through bogus websites, unsolicited e-mails claiming to be from the company. These e-mails request that recipients provide personal information, and ultimately payments, to process applications for jobs that do not exist.
  • VNR Seeds does not ask, solicit and accept any monies or payments in any form (for e.g. application, registration, processing fee) from the candidates / job applicants / potential job seekers who have applied or wish to apply in our organization. If you come across any such persons or entities who is posing as part of VNR Seeds and fraudulently offering jobs online on certain websites or through telephone calls, soliciting prospective candidates for job with the identity (in form of a logo etc.) of VNR Seeds and thereby illegally proclaiming themselves that they are employees / representatives of VNR Seeds and are asking them to deposit some amount in certain bank accounts, please do not pay/deposit such money. These e-mails/communications must be ignored.
  • VNR Seeds will not be liable for any kind of loss or damage incurred as a result of dealing with such persons which solicits payments for jobs.
  • If you receive any such suspicious or fraudulent offers or interview call, you are requested to take necessary legal action against the perpetrators of fraud.
  • Official ID of Human Resource (HR) department of VNR Seeds is: careers @vnrseeds dot com. Any e-mail sent for communication related to jobs, from ID other than this, is not to be considered as official communication from the company.

Suggestive guidance how to identify fake e-mail job offers/interview call:

  • The e-mails come from a free, public domain email account (such as gmail.com – jobsvnr@gmail.com or yahoo.com or directjob.com etc.) and not a company e-mail id such as careers @vnrseeds dot com.
  • They would request a cash deposit in a bank account or payment in some form.
  • They may ask for personal details such as bank account, credit card number, personal address, Aadhar/PAN number. Many a times, to make the offer seem authentic, the e-mail will ask for submission of ‘qualification documents’, ‘experience certificate’, photographs, etc.
  • If the e-mail begins with “Dear Sir”, “Dear User” or “Dear Applicant” the sender of the e-mail does not know you by name. A legitimate source will address you with a proper salutation, which contains your last name. It will also not be sent as a mass mail.
  • Another way to identify fake job offers/interview call is when you spot several grammatical errors in the e-mail text. This would not usually happen in an e-mail from a legitimate and genuine company.
  • The interview details will have a proper venue with clear address and exact time given and not a general e-mail.

“VNR is an established brand in seed industry with remarkable achievements. It’s a great privilege for me to work in the organization which is led by good leadership, ethical practices, clear direction, well-defined objectives and which recognizes the efforts of an individual. Since joining VNR, I had been exposed to many opportunities to lead projects having varied learnings and challenges. Here, seniors are cooperative and keep motivating, which helps us to perform consistently. I started off with basics of breeding but now can apply my knowledge and experience in projects which gives me greater joy and it’s no more a simple routine work. I am thankful to my mentors and seniors who gave me this platform and opportunity which is helping me to establish myself as a breeder.”

Akhilesh Singh, Senior Breeder - Research & Development

“I joined VNR after completing Master’s degree in Biotechnology. While getting an opportunity to work for VNR, I came to know about difference between theory, practical and its further implications. VNR provided me the scope and place to learn practical utility of bio-technological research. Early adaptation and fast utilization of new techniques is an achievement booster for me. I am thankful to VNR for providing me the platform to work with.”

Deepankar Sarkar, Ast. Scientist - Biotechnology

“I have always got wonderful support from organization for my professional and personal growth. This company promotes talent. There is abundance encouragement and appreciation from company for any new innovations and ideas. I do observe healthy climate across the organisation and in the employees”.

Mahesh Babu, Area Technical Manager, Product Development

“I am working in VNR Seeds since last 3 years in Marketing department. Most unique thing about this organization is its working culture and environment, its so positive that it motivates the employees to learn, re-learn and deliver things efficiently and all this is possible because of open management practice. I work in a very positive & encouraging atmosphere, which not only adds value in professional career but also gives me personal growth. VNR gave me wings to fly. I explored my capabilities and enhanced my knowledge and skills through regular trainings. Being a R&D based company, VNR has long list of promising hybrids. Whenever I go to the market, dealers acknowledge products and farmers share their positive feedback, reinforcing my beliefs that I am associated with a right organization.”

Rahul Sahu, Sr. Marketing Executive

“At the time, I was hired, I was not much sure about working here but after joining here on 01st July 2013, I came to realize that this is an ocean of opportunities. I never feel complacent and bored with my role in the organization. My Job allows me the unique opportunity to work with diverse people, both locally and globally. It is a place to inspire and be inspired. I am glad to be associated with VNR.”

Ms. Pooja Rawat, Research Assistant

“Working at VNR is a great pleasure for me. The thing I appreciate the most about the company is that it has given me the opportunity to balance work and personal life by allowing flexibility in working. I manage to contribute to the company and still have time for my family. VNR also gives me the opportunity to work in a pleasant multicultural environment with supportive colleagues.”

Dushyant Sahu, Ast. Manager - Accounts

“Working with VNR is a great pleasure.  What I enjoy most is the fact that I’m constantly gaining new skills.  Each and every individual is given a chance to grow and expand their potential.  It is my privilege to work in a group of talented, motivated individuals who are ready to lend advice, share knowledge and help to perform best.”

Mrs. D. Rohini, Sr. Executive Admin

“Despite being professional in approach, the company showcases a culture of family. The learning culture, has boosted my career growth.  The personal and professional development has given me lot of confidence to do my work effectively & efficiently. The seniors & colleagues are very helping & supporting. “

Sushil Sahu, Sr. Executive - Logistics

“VNR has got one of the best working environment. During my seven years stint at R&D, I learned about various aspects of Molecular Biology. Post my transfer to QA function, I got an opportunity of setting up Molecular Biology lab, it’s been a great experience for me. In my earlier job role with previous employer, my role was restricted to only 1 crop whereas at VNR, I have been handling 22 crops which involves protocol standardization and genetic purity analysis of hybrid seed based on DNA molecular markers.”

Bhushan Kharkar, Ast Manager-Quality Assurance

“Before joining VNR, I heard that it’s a good place to work and I am not disappointed after joining. My job allows me to get involve in many process improvement activities. Here, we are given independence to work on variety of different projects. No two days are same for me. Our strength is VNR team. We are faced with many exciting challenges and we solve them happily with guidance and support from our senior. Before VNR, I had been working with a global MNC and at VNR, my suggestions are always well received. I am fortunate to work for VNR.”

Jagdeep Kumar, Deputy Manager - Deorjhal Plant

“I am working with VNR since its early days. I have seen many transitions and automation projects being implemented during the decade. Being part of seed arrival function at plant, we are coordinating with all the departments like Quality assurance. As part of our job role, we get continuous training on automation technology and process improvement. We are trained to understand handling, storage and quality of seed. Our management is always supportive and helpful. We as team VNR are always positive and ready to work.”

Ishwari Yadav, Executive Arrival (Deorjhal Plant)

“VNR में शामिल होने के बाद से, मैंने बीज प्रसंस्करण और गुणवत्ता विभाग से सम्बंधित विभिन्न गतिविधियों में काम किया है। संयंत्र में काम करने वाली एक महिला होने के नाते, मुझ पर कभी भी किसी प्रकार का प्रतिबंध नहीं लगाया गया है, यद्यपि मुझे हमेशा अपने वरिष्ठों द्वारा नए कौशल हासिल करने और हर कार्य में अनुभव प्राप्त करने के लिए प्रोत्साहित किया गया। प्रबंधन, संयंत्र में कर्मचारियों द्वारा उठाए गए समस्याओं और मुद्दों को सुनने और संबोधित करने में वास्तविक रुचि दिखाता है। वरिष्ठों और सहकर्मियों के बीच एक दोस्ताना माहौल है। वीएनआर संयंत्र में एक ऐसा वातावरण है, जहां मैं सदैव एक उच्च लक्ष्य प्राप्त करने के लिए प्रयासरत रहती हूँ और पेशेवर एवं व्यक्तिगत रूप से विकसित होने के लिए, पुरे जुनून से काम करती हूँ।”

टीना साहू , वरिष्ठ पर्यवेक्षक, सामग्री भंडार (देओरझाल संयंत्र)