The recruitment sector has been growing at a rapid pace for the last 10 years. The startup revolution and establishment of various MNCs' offices in the country has resulted in huge demand for recruitment specialists on a native scale. However, there are a lot of problems candidates as well as companies face while availing services from a recruitment firm. First is the recruitment fraud that is being carried out on a massive scale by offenders who claim to provide the best jobs in return. It is impossible for candidates to understand the authenticity of a service provider. On the other hand, if a company suffers from the lack of workforce there can be huge disruptions in business activities which also require attention and correction. Keeping all the problems in mind, Hour Consulting has emerged as the perfect solution provider that is committed to offering clients and candidates an innovative and focused recruitment process to make sure they make the perfect match. WE magazine gets in touch with Pia Ganguli, Co-Founder, Hour Consulting to find out more about the company and what value it is adding to the recruitment industry as a whole.

Give us a brief overview of Hour Consulting. What are some important features about your expertise as a business leader that you want the world to know about?

Hour Consulting is a woman-owned and operated Human Resources and Recruitment Consulting Firm based out of Toronto, with clients located worldwide. We simplify and keep the Human in HR with the Human Intelligence approach using AI to strengthen further. Koel and I started the company as we wanted to do what we do best with a holistic purpose. Our company is built on the values we bring to the company, and that is what has been the core of helping us achieve our goals as a team.

We help employers get the best out of their workforce. We try to find answers for the 3Ws and 1H (what, where, when & how) for our clients in their team-building efforts. In most teams, the focus is on `what', but we believe that successful teams are built on the `Who' to build productive and robust teams. Our business also answers the `Why' as we aim to change people's lives, by building carers. And how do we do this? We do this simply by building strategies, helping people find the right job, making the right match between the employer and the employee.

We operate from Canada as well as from India. HouR offices are located in downtown Toronto and the other in Kolkata- which helps us to be able to support our clients globally and support Canadian companies looking to enter Indian markets and create teams there. Our mission is simple: To become a leading global recruitment and human resources organization that focuses on providing the maximum return on investment for all those involved while developing long-lasting effective relationships.

Who our clients we work with various growing companies in different capacities like increasing their team size, product and services increase or location wise. Our clients are mostly from new emerging growth start-ups, emerging industries, technologies, as well as start-ups that are ready to roll in the market.  We also support newcomers in Canada and help them to find a job in Canada.

How does Hour Consulting bridge the gap between employers and jobseekers? What is the underlying philosophy that guides the firm?

We take the time to evaluate the employer's needs and the jobseekers want to ensure there is a match; this is much more than just compensation etc. We believe the "A" Player for each team is different, hence we first build the A player persona of the candidate before we actually start sourcing to ensure we are able to make a better match.

We really strive on creating long-lasting relationships with our clients and focus heavily on the candidate experience, as everyone equally matters to us. Not only understanding our client needs and business culture but also finding out what candidates want and finding the perfect balance between the two- is the underlying philosophy.

What are the various roles and responsibilities that your current role as co-founder at Hour Consulting entails? What are some of the most challenging aspects of your job and how do you counter them?

As a co-founder or founder, you need to initially wear many hats while being able to create a balance. I try and divide and conquer to make sure all bases are covered. As we work on a global forum, there were some initial challenges but we have been able to create a dynamic team which has helped.  As a co-founder, I brought to the table what I excel in, management of relationships and leading the client development part of the business. When I say management of relationships that means I can play a source/recruiter one day and then focus on business development and making sure client needs are met the next day.

Challenging- I find being a mompreneur has been the most challenging aspect of my job. Running a household, a 4year old boy and trying to grow your business can make your plate full, more than you would like on most days- but in the end, the ability to be a mom and an entrepreneur simultaneously and making sure no leaf is left unturned is very rewarding.

How has your journey as a business leader in Canada been so far? What are some important leadership mantras that have helped you in the journey?

Canada always has been a land of opportunity and it generously helps anyone who wants to start a business in so many different ways- from access to business grants to free courses that upgrade your skills. It's been an exciting journey so far where I have been more aware of the resources available out there than I have before- I like letting people know about them all the time!

“We really strive on creating long-lasting relationships with our clients and focus heavily on the candidate experience, as everyone equally matters to us. Not only understanding our client needs and business culture but also finding out what candidates want and finding the perfect balance between the two- is the underlying philosophy”

My leadership mantras have been to be myself, every leadership style is unique. Be genuine; to always bring Empathy to the table, to be quick to praise/appreciate the effort, Honesty/transparency that leads to integrity, Equal respect for all and a touch of creativity in your work can bring a better version of yourself forward.

How do you keep yourself well aligned with the periodic evolutions occurring in the industry and the tech world?

We work with a lot of clients from the technical sector; therefore in order to deliver the best experience working with us, it's important that we are up to date with all kinds of new trends and technologies that hit the market.

For instance, one of the major factors of change in the industry is data and how it is being used today therefore we have created our internal processes to ensure we are able to use data to help us improve our productivity and placements. We believe flexibility in your technical plan and applications are important to ensure you are able to keep up with changes in technology. Lastly, we annually update our technical plan to ensure we provide our clients with the latest tools in hiring and HR management.

“We work with various growing companies in different capacities like increasing their team size, product and services increase or location wise”

For instance, post-pandemic, the way everyone communicates has changed very quickly, allowing us to pivot our expansion plans locally and go global very quickly since the distance is not as much of a concern as it used to be.

As a successful business leader what would your advice be to young women who aspire to become business leaders in the future?

Do not be afraid to move outside of your comfort zone; don't be afraid to make mistakes. Failure can often make people question themselves and their decisions, do not let it affect your confidence and stay positive. Many times, we do not receive support from everyone; this should not let you question yourself. Failure is an inevitable part of success, and we should all learn from it.  As Wayne Gretzky said - "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." So be proactive, and ask for what you need.

When you start your business you will go through various challenges/stages, you may need to ask, network and find the right resources and people to ask those questions but do ask. Minimize negative people in your life; you will come across many people who do not get what you are trying to do or why you are even doing it? Avoid these toxic conversations and voice people that do not inspire you or motivate you to move forward.

Take every negative experience and treat it like a learning curve- where you focus on the positive outcome of it. No matter how many hurdles you face, don't stop living the dream you have in your mind. Life has a way of unfolding exactly the way you want it to. Be patient.