Another round of employees at Cisco Systems reportedly got pink slips Thursday, as the company laid off several hundred employees as part of its plan to cut costs and realign its business.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that between 600 and 700 Cisco employees were laid off at the company’s headquarters in San Jose, Calif. The company also cut jobs at branch offices in other parts of the U.S. The Wall Street Journal cited sources close to the company.

A spokesman for the company told the Wall Street Journal that Cisco was “doing everything possible to minimize the impact on employees affected by the limited restructuring.”

Like all companies, Cisco, which makes networking equipment that runs the Internet and provides communications for large companies, has seen sales slump as a result of the global recession. The company said earlier this year that it would likely cut between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs as it realigned its business to focus on newer more profitable business segments. The cuts were expected to be completed at the end of the company’s fiscal year, which ends this month.

In February, Cisco said it cut about 250 jobs at its San Jose headquarters. Cisco had 66,558 employees at the end of April. Despite the cuts, Cisco’s CEO John Chambers has said publicly that he believes the worst of the recession is over. But he noted that it could take some time before spending returns to high levels. Wall Street will be watching the company’s next earnings call very carefully to see signs that the bottom has been reached. Cisco will report fiscal fourth quarter and end of year earnings on August 5 after the market closes.

Source : news.cnet.com

Hewitt Associates, in its sixth ‘Best Employer in India Study 2009′ in partnership with magazine Outlook Business, has enlisted the country’s 25 companies which provide the best working environment for employees.

The study stated that despite wide variance in industries and company profiles, the firms share some common winning traits such as — alignment of people practices to the overall business strategy of the firm and an environment which creates a positive employment experience even in challenging times.

The companies were judged on the various criterion including — organisation score on a combination of the overall engagement and alignment scores, scores on leadership, diversity and development. The criterion also included ethics score for an organisation and impact of economic crisis and how the company is handling the situation.

Here we bring to you the IT companies which according to the survey qualify as Best Employers in India.

HCL Technologies

Topping the list of Hewitt’s Best Employers in India survey is the country’s fourth-largest IT services provider HCL Technologies.

Software major HCL Technologies is the country’s best employer for creating a positive work experience for employees and its long-term approach amid challenging conditions, says the study by global HR consultancy. The company follows a Five-Fold Path to individual enlightenment which includes Support, Knowledge, Recognition, Empowerment, and Transformation.

However, the company seems to be feeling the pinch of global economic slowdown. To mitigate pressures on its operating margins, the company has reportedly announced a salary freeze through 2009-10.

The company has also cut retainer bonus, which averages 10 per cent of an employee’s salary, from April 1. HCL is also reportedly looking at suspending matching contributions to employee retirement plans.

Cisco Systems

The second IT company on the list is Cisco Systems India, ranked at no. four on the over all list. The worldwide leader in networking for the Internet has sales and marketing operations spread across key cities in India and a software development centre in Bangalore.

Cisco Systems India started operations in 1995. India headcount is over 4000, including R&D, sales and business support staff. Cisco Global Development Center in Bangalore is the company’s largest outside the US.

Globally, the company claims to focus on collaborative efforts that give employees more say in decision-making. Flexibility, trust, and empowerment are touted as the hallmarks of the employee-employer relationship at Cisco. Flexi work time, telecommuting, parenting and work opportunities also go a long way in making the company an employee favourite.

LG Electronics India

At no. 8 on the list of Best Employers in India is another technology company LG Electronics.

What makes the company a part of this list are its array of employee-friendly programes. The company has a family ambassador programme where a dedicated mentor goes to the employee’s house and talks to his family, discuss their problems. According to another programme, employees are given a chance to visit Korea on completion of specific years of service.

LG Electronics India also believes in no demarcation between junior and senior employees. In February, the company reportedly gave a special 150% ‘teamwork’ bonus to employees who completed two years in the organisation. It has also announced cash awards of Rs 1.5 lakh for employee kin gifted in music and painting.

However, the economic turmoil has not left the company unscathed. The company aims to save about $384 million through cost cutting and efficiency-improvement measures in 2009. It claims to have renewed its focus on cutting overhead costs and on wastage elimination. For instance, it has reportedly made uniform shift timings for all employees, which reduces transportation costs. It is also making use of the video conferencing facility to cut travel costs.

NetApp India

Next technology company on the list is US-headquartered NetApp at no. 14. The company deals in storage and data management solutions.

In January 2009, NetApp (global operations) ranked at no. 1 on Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. This is the second year the company achieved a top-10 ranking and the third consecutive year it has been named in the top 15.

According to Fortune, NetApp’s egalitarian culture, salary, unique benefits, and a down-to-earth management style are attributes that helped catapult the company to the number-one spot for 2009.

Also, at a time when companies across the board are downsizing in a bid to rein in costs, NetApp is among the handful who haven’t still gone the pink slip route.

Founded in 1992, the company has over 130 offices worldwide, 7,999 employees and clocked in $3.3 billion revenue in (FY2008).

vCustomer Corporation

At no. 16 on the Hewitt Best Employers in India list is a leading third-party BPO, vCustomer Services.

The company’s services include multi-channel support, end-to-end customer management including loyalty programmes, pre- and post sales support, helpdesk and technical support.

With an employee base of over 3,000, the cornerstones of company’s work culture include an Open Door Policy and Fun@Work. Your Voice (a forum where in employees can communicate directly with the company’s CEO) is a big hit with the employees.

The company offers customized career development programmes fostering growth through promotion programmes based on performance.

Started in 1999, vCustomer Corporation is based out of Kirkland, Washington with global capability. The company caters to customers in the retail, technology, communications, media, travel and hospitality industries.

Paypal India

The next IT company on the list is global auction giant eBay-owned PayPal, ranked at no. 17th.

An online payment solution provider allows members to send money without sharing financial information, with the flexibility to pay using their account balances, bank accounts, credit cards or promotional financing.

The company set up a technology development centre in India last year. Globally, Paypal has over 70 million active accounts. The company is spread across 190 markets and deals in 19 currencies around the world.

Founded in 1998, the company was acquired by eBay in 2002.

Accenture Services

At no. 18 on the list is the Indian operations of the global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company Accenture.

Among the things that makes Accenture India a part of the Hewitt’s Best Employer list are programmes wherein every employee is assigned a career counsellor — and he or she then has thousands of courses to choose from. Average training is 78 hours a year per person.

Accenture also emerges as the employer of choice for women as it offers flexi-work timings, maternity returners programmes, women’s mentoring programmes and celebrates international women’s day. The company also figures in the list of 100 Best Companies for Working women.

As part of employee development, the company sponsor programmes which encourage understanding and tolerance to all, regardless of race, age, gender, sexual preference and faith. Accenture also runs 13 network groups for employees available in each of the 49 countries in which it operates.

The company was recently in news for laying off almost half its workforce in the Philippine capital due to the effects of the global financial crisis.

Intelenet Global Services

At no. 21 on the list is Mumbai-based Intelnet Global Services, a leading global third party BPO. The company has a ‘co-sourcing’ model with a 100% BPO focus. Its value-added services vary from customisation of processes for clients and knowledge management to the more complex, where technology becomes an enabler for enhanced performance on metrics, reporting tools and middleware.

One of the largest BPO employers in India with 30 delivery centres across the globe, the company has approximately 27,000 employees.

The company calls itself an Equal Opportunity Employer with its goal being to ensure that all employees are treated equally without bias to their race, religion, sex, color, age, nationality, or physical disability.

The company also claims to have open employee communication channels such as Town Hall meetings, Focus Group meetings, I-Scoop, to share important organisational and industry developments. Intelenet was acquired by PE firm, Blackstone Group.

Hewlett Packard India

At no. 23 on the list is the Indian subsidiary of the global IT giant Hewlett-Packard (HP). Established in 1988, India is one of the largest and most diverse sites for HP outside US.

As for work culture at HP, global virtual teams share resources and pool their brain power to solve business issues and meet personal goals. The company has a ‘Our Share Ownership Plan’ which enables employees to buy HP shares at discounted prices. The company also has special employee volunteering programmes where they can serve the community for various causes.

However, the company too is feeling tremors of the economic downturn. After recently reporting a 13 per cent drop in first-quarter profit, the world’s largest PC maker announced salary cuts at all levels as a part of its cost cutting drive.