Systems that support business performance and enable employees to grow
In the long arc of industrial enterprise, the question of how organizations welcome new members and measure their growth has always shaped whether a company merely functions or truly flourishes. KARAM Safety, a global occupational protection firm serving over 140 countries, has received dual silver honors at the ET Human Capital Awards 2026 for the thoughtfulness with which it answers that question — designing onboarding that orients people swiftly and a performance system that keeps accountability human and continuous. The recognition affirms what organizational wisdom has long suggested: that how a company treats its people is inseparable from how well it serves the world.
- Managing 4,500 employees across global manufacturing operations creates real risk of misalignment, confusion, and turnover if people systems are left to chance.
- KARAM Safety's HR team responded by engineering an onboarding process that moves new hires into role clarity and colleague connection faster than conventional approaches allow.
- Their performance management framework disrupts the old model of annual reviews by embedding continuous feedback, measurable targets, and clear accountability into everyday work life.
- Two silver awards at a major industry competition signal that peers and HR professionals recognize the framework as genuinely innovative, not merely procedural.
- The company is now positioned to scale these people practices as a competitive advantage, treating HR not as a support function but as a driver of operational excellence.
KARAM Safety, the occupational protection company whose certified products reach more than 140 countries, has taken home two silver awards at the ET Human Capital Awards 2026 — one for employee onboarding, one for performance management — with recognition going to its Manufacturing and Operations HR team.
The onboarding system was built to close the gap between a new hire's first day and the moment they feel genuinely useful: moving people quickly into alignment with organizational goals, giving them role clarity early, and creating early opportunities to connect with colleagues and the company's mission. The performance management framework takes a similarly deliberate approach, replacing infrequent evaluations with continuous feedback conversations, precise job descriptions, and targets employees can track for themselves.
Chief Human Resources Officer Kavita Nigam described the awards as a reflection of the company's conviction that people systems are not peripheral to business performance — they are central to it. The goal, she noted, is to build conditions where employees can grow their skills and contribute meaningfully, not simply meet targets.
For a company operating at the scale of 4,500 employees and more than 3,800 certified products in personal protective equipment and fall protection, the stakes of getting these systems right are high. Organizations that onboard poorly or manage performance inconsistently tend to pay for it in turnover and drift. KARAM's dual recognition suggests it has found an approach worth watching — and, for its global workforce, worth working within.
KARAM Safety, the occupational protection company that supplies safety equipment to more than 140 countries, has won two silver awards at the ET Human Capital Awards 2026 for the way it brings new employees into the organization and manages how workers perform their jobs.
The recognition came to KARAM's HR team in the Manufacturing and Operations division. The company designed its onboarding process to move new hires quickly into alignment with what the organization needs while giving them clarity about their roles and early chances to engage with colleagues and the mission. The second award recognized the company's performance management system, which builds in regular feedback conversations, clear job descriptions, and measurable targets that employees can track and understand.
Kavita Nigam, the chief human resources officer at KARAM Safety, said the awards reflect how seriously the company takes its people systems. She noted that the goal is not just to support business results but to create conditions where employees can develop their skills and make meaningful contributions to the work.
The performance management framework that won recognition is built around the idea of creating a workforce that can move quickly when business needs change, with each person clear about what they are accountable for and receiving regular input on how they are doing. The system ties individual work to the company's evolving priorities.
KARAM Safety operates globally with a portfolio of more than 3,800 certified products in personal protective equipment, fall protection, and fixed-line systems. The company employs more than 4,500 people across its operations. The dual awards underscore a strategy of weaving human resource practices directly into how the company runs its manufacturing and operations—treating people systems not as a separate function but as central to how the business performs.
The recognition at a major industry awards program signals that other companies and HR professionals see value in what KARAM has built. For a company managing thousands of employees across global operations, having systems that help new people get up to speed quickly and that give everyone regular feedback on their performance can mean the difference between an organization that grows smoothly and one that struggles with turnover, confusion, or misalignment.
Notable Quotes
This recognition reflects the importance we place on building strong, scalable people practices across our operations. Our focus remains on creating systems that not only support business performance but also enable our employees to grow and contribute meaningfully.— Kavita Nigam, Chief Human Resources Officer, KARAM Safety
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter how a company brings new people on board? Isn't that just paperwork and orientation?
It's actually the first real moment a new employee forms an impression of the place. If onboarding is rushed or unclear, people start behind. KARAM designed theirs to get people aligned with goals fast but also to make them feel engaged early. That matters for retention and performance.
And the performance management piece—that sounds like it could be the opposite of what employees want. Constant evaluation, constant measurement.
It could be, but KARAM's approach is built around continuous feedback, not surprise reviews. People know what they're being measured on. They get regular input. That clarity actually reduces anxiety and helps people adjust course before things go wrong.
So these aren't just HR initiatives. They're operational.
Exactly. When you have 4,500 people spread across global operations, how you onboard and how you manage performance directly affects whether the business can scale, whether people stay, whether decisions get made quickly. KARAM is saying these are business systems, not HR extras.
Why would a safety equipment company win awards for this specifically?
Because in manufacturing and operations, you need people who understand their role precisely and can adapt when conditions change. Safety work especially demands clarity. If someone doesn't know what they're responsible for or doesn't get feedback on how they're doing, that's a risk.