How Eureka Forbes is employing talent strategy to drive transformation

workforce strategy alongside changes in its business and operating model.

The company, best known for its water purification products, operates in categories including water purifiers, air purifiers, vacuum cleaners, sediment filters and water softeners, where market penetration remains relatively low compared to the size of the potential customer base.

The company employs about 2,700 full-time employees across nearly 140 locations pan-India.

It is also supported by an extended workforce of sales consultants and service technicians operating across India. The service ecosystem includes nearly 8,000 personnel in customer-facing operations.

Of the direct workforce, 2,654 employees are classified as white-collar professionals.

As the company seeks growth in underpenetrated categories, workforce decisions have become more closely aligned with business priorities, particularly in hiring, capability development, employee engagement and retention, says Mahnaz Shaikh, Chief Human Resources Officer, Eureka Forbes, in an exclusive interaction with .

Hiring and Retention

Eureka Forbes’ hiring strategy has shifted towards recruiting talent that can work in changing business environments and across functions, apart from focusing solely on domain expertise.

Management Trainee Programmes (MTP), Summer Internship Programmes (SIP) and Management Internship Programmes (MIP) make one channel for building this talent pipeline, alongside lateral hiring.

During the last FY, Eureka Forbes hired approximately 1,099 employees. In the current financial year, hiring has already crossed 900 employees.

The company is also attempting to position itself differently in the talent market, particularly among younger professionals who may be looking for broader roles and greater responsibility early in their careers, says Shaikh.

The average employee age at the company is around 36 years, and the average tenure of employment stands at 7 years and 3 months.

To strengthen employee ownership, the company has expanded its Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Around 350 employees across managerial grades currently participate in the programme.

The company has not disclosed participation by grade, but the programme extends beyond senior leadership and includes employees across managerial levels.

Retention remains a challenge, particularly in frontline functions. In addition to its direct workforce, the company depends on a large network of service technicians and sales consultants operating in customer-facing roles across the country.

Such roles typically experience higher turnover due to competition for talent, compensation pressures and the demands of field operations.

The company claims that frontline attrition remains broadly in line with industry benchmarks.

However, retaining trained technicians and sales personnel remains important in businesses where customer experience depends heavily on service quality and execution.

Employee engagement has also become a measurable management responsibility. Engagement and attrition metrics have been incorporated into leadership key result areas (KRAs).

The company uses employee surveys under its “Voice of EFL” programme, along with exit interviews, to track employee sentiment and understand reasons behind employee departures.

Capability Building, Mobility and Workforce Composition

Toward the end of 2025, Eureka Forbes launched the Eureka School of Learning (ESL), a digital learning platform for executives and managers.

The platform supplements classroom and field-based learning through self-paced modules. According to company data, learner adoption reached 55 per cent within its first year.

The digital platform forms part of a broader learning ecosystem that includes programmes focused on managerial effectiveness, leadership development and functional capabilities.

Around 250 employees have participated in programmes designed to strengthen managerial and team leadership skills through business simulations, activity-based learning and instructor-led sessions.

The company’s Excellence Framework, focused on team and managerial effectiveness, has covered approximately 300 employees, representing nearly 90 per cent of the identified talent pool.

The programme includes training in people management and change management, areas that have gained importance as organisations adapt to evolving business requirements.

Functional capability-building programmes have also been introduced across business teams. These cover areas such as data interpretation, reporting, store operations and people management.

At the leadership level, the company has implemented a 360-degree feedback process covering around 60 members of its Transformation Leadership Team.

The programme is intended to provide structured feedback and improve leadership effectiveness and organisational alignment.

During the past year, the organisation recorded 23 internal job postings and cross-functional transfers, providing employees opportunities to move into different roles and gain exposure to other parts of the business.

Workforce diversity continues to reflect challenges seen across many sales-led, service-intensive and industrial businesses.

Of the company’s 2,698 full-time employees, 166 are women and 2,532 are men.

At leadership levels, women occupy 14 of the 78 positions classified as M5 and above.

To support women employees, the company has introduced measures including work-from-home flexibility and childcare reimbursement benefits.

However, women remain underrepresented across both the broader workforce and leadership pipeline.

Eureka Forbes’ workforce strategy reflects a broader shift among legacy companies attempting to balance stability with transformation. While investments in hiring, learning and leadership development are evident, the bigger test is whether these interventions translate into stronger business performance, improved frontline retention and sustained growth in underpenetrated categories.