Multinational companies to 'groom' spouses

Nitin Padmanabham, who recently got inducted in an multinational consulting firm did not find it strange when he was asked to attend a four-day training session that included playing tennis, golf, eating noodles with noodle- sticks etc. However, to his surprise he was asked to call his wife on the last day for what his company calls 'wives' training session'.

This is what MNC consulting firms are doing to make sure that their sales and marketing people along with their wives are groomed enough to interact with the who's who of industry.
"I was surprised when called for the training session. I was being trained on how to host parties, and interact with my husband's potential clients," says Gayatri Nitin, wife of Padmanabham.

Spousal training is increasingly getting popular at consulting firms like Ernst & Young, Deloitte etc. From knowing how to host parties to how to tete-a-tete with the creme de la creme of the industry , the training aims to make the spouse comfortable when existing or potential clients meet come to their place or meet them in a restaurant .
"This is a common practice now. In this ea of competition, these firms know that one has to network beyond office premises, where spouses get involved not in decision making but in networking. Hence, it is necessary for spouses to feel comfortable in this environment," says Yogesh Saigal, independent HR consultant.

For a few consulting firms, it is also important for the spouse to have adequate knowledge of the industry. "I was given a two books to read which would give me some knowledge about the industry. In case of difficulty, I was assigned a buddy from the company whom I could call if I had doubts," says Heena Grover, whose husband joined a hospitality consulting firm in October last year.
Clearly these firms are ready to go an extra step to impress their clients. "It is not only about impressions. We know that a person feels comfortable when his or her spouse has some knowledge about what they are doing. These trainings help a wife or a husband to understand what their spouse are doing and hence be supportive," says director of a hospitality consulting firm.

For a few of them, these training sessions are a great platform to make friends. "We recently shifted to Bangalore from Mumbai. The training session helped me mingle with wives of my husband's colleagues. Today, we meet for shopping or get togethers etc.," says Ipsita Bains, a teacher.

Though Indian consulting firms are yet to start the practice, experts say that the day may not be far when companies in India start spousal training. "Indian firms are still little relaxed when it comes to involving spouse as many wives are not comfortable with the whole idea of 'grooming'. After all, how a person is a personal choice and should not matter if it is not directly linked to work," says Vinod P, who runs a consulting firm himself.