The corporate world has never looked at women in the same manner as their male counterparts. A stigma that women would not deliver as well, be able to work long hours, or be completely immersed in their work has led to a very low number of women given key positions in corporate settings. The HR role is no exception! Kirti Raj, an HR professional with over 25 years of experience has been breaking stereotypes through her passion, persistence, and dedication towards her work. Having worked with some of the biggest companies and diversified industries, she is now working as HR Leader in a leading company in Power sector. Here are some highlights from our interaction with her.

What Are Some Important Features About Your Expertise As A Leader In Hr? Take Us Through Your Educational Journey & Prior Industry Experience.

I have over 25 years of experience working as HR professional. I completed my MBA specializing in HR fromBirla Institute of Management Technology. I have also completed two years of NIIT Diploma, and XLRI HRM, in addition to some other specific courses. Currently I am pursuing my PhD focused on HR. My career started with Talent Acquisition at Mastech, and I have handled up to 6000 employee size and developed strong expertise in Leadership, employee engagement, Global acquisitions, Organizational Development, internal assessment, Employee Communication, Talent Acquisition, empowering employees for sustainable development for them as well as the company, creating brand image, performance management, handling challenging situations, competency mapping, handling blue-collard employees, and enhancing work culture. All these skills were built in my various experiences spanning HCL Comnet, Adidas, Religare, Yebhi.com, FedEx, Brinks, and my current company which is a key power company in India.

Having Worked For Various Major Organizations What Are Some Of The Most Impactful Business Lessons That You Have Learnt Over The Years?

Firstly, it is crucial for HR to understand the business of the company, so that you can align all the targets, goals and objectives accordingly. For success of any program, it is important to have a good alignment. You need to discuss plans with the management before implementing new strategies. Communication is crucial. Further, accountability is a driving force in employee engagement.

Those who do not feel accountable perform much less than those that are engaged and feel accountable. Creating a supportive environment where managers communicate properly rather than losing emotional control on the team, valuing employees and providing opportunities to grow, engaging all employees and finding ways to ensure that employees look forward to coming to work is important. Reprimand should be one on one while; recognition should be given openly. These work ethics ensure employee loyalty and trust on leadership.

As An Hr Leader What Are Some Of The Most Pressing Challenges That You Encounter Often? How Do You Successfully Mitigate These Challenges?

Today, companies are promoting diversity and equality but still there are bottlenecks due to mindset of certain leaders. Transformational shift is required. There is still a stigma that women cannot take up demanding roles. In my experience, I have taken on Leadership role with diversified industries , including startups, managed work and family, stayed long hours if work required some deadlines, and relocated several times. There are many more who would be willing to do so. There are language barriers which prevent employers from hiring credible employees. Age is another factor. People in their 60s or 70s may want to work but companies want young professionals.

Companies should focus on the merit and knowledge of employees and not these superficial factors. Similarly, internal scalability needs to be focused on rather than hiring new people. Background verification gets ignored due to pressure of hiring but here HR need to be the gatekeeper to arrange right hiring for the benefit of the Organization. Hiring new people at higher packages causes existing employees to feel undervalued, thereby hampering their performance.

What Are Some Of The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved Throughout Your Professional Journey? What Has Been The Driving Force Behind Your Success?

My professional progression in last 25 years has brought significant change in Companies. The family support is very important, my father has been the driving force, motivating me never to compromise on my career. I was encouraged to give 100 percent to my career while my family took care of my newborn daughter back in 2009, there was tremendous support from the family and flexibility for certain period was provided by my employer. In 2009 the recession was at its peak and many people were losing jobs.

 How Do You Foresee The Indian Hr Industry Evolving In The Near Future?

The HR role is no longer just processing transactions. It involves so much more, infact HR is the backbone of a company. HRs are strategic policy makers and implementers and responsible for aligning employees vision with the company vision, focusing on transparency, employee engagement and developing loyalty for the company, deriving scalable business solutions, working on campaigns for employee and company sustainability, enabling a good work culture, and much more. It is thus important to learn group work and cultivate collaboration in companies now. Teamwork verses silos.

What Would Your Advice Be To Young Women & Girls Who Also Aspire To Become Business Leaders & Entrepreneurs In The Future?

My advice would be to maintain a work-life balance. There will be many naysayers passing negative remarks about a woman pursuing her career, but they must not be given heed to. Do not feel guilty about focusing on your career and it is not only a woman’s job to look after the house. Every member should be responsible and accountable to create a healthy environment.

Kirti Raj, Hr Professional, Leading Power Sector

Kirti has over two decades of experience in the HR industry. A proactive and dynamic individual, she has led various startups and led them to success. She completed her education in MBA from the Birla Institute of Management Technology and is now pursuing a PhD in HR as well.

Awards Of Recognitions:

FedEx certified her to be a Leadership Coach and awarded her with BravoZulu award for her contributions. Recognized as HR speaker by various media platforms.