Leaders
Prajkta Patki: An Enabler Deriving Tremendous Results In The Field Of Recruitment And Career Management
Prajkta Patki
Founder, Progetters
The industry is currently witnessing the upsurge of numerous women entrepreneurs who are eager to break free of the barriers to embark on their role as the future leaders of the country. Realizing her dream to become an enabler, Prajkta Patki challenged the patriarchal norms to overcome numerous hurdles before establishing her brainchild - ProGetters. Leveraging her industry expertise and experience, Prajkta has been pragmatically involved in developing new business, Head Hunting, Executive Search, career management and many more activities through her innovative platform. Owing to her impeccable leadership skills, she has driven ProGetters to emerge as prominent recruitment and consultancy firm with a virtual PAN India presence under her guidance.
Women Entrepreneurs magazine engages in an exclusive interaction with Prajkta Patki who is regarded as one of the top-notch career consultants of the country by the virtue of her cohesive management style and industry-specific expertise.
Take Us Through Your Educational And Prior Industry Experience. What Factors Led You To The Route Of Entrepreneurship?
I graduated from Mumbai university with a degree in Advertising and Journalism. Fresh out of college, I told myself "10 years Prajkta, and you should be running your own Business". Big talk, for someone who is from a regular middle-class family and trained in Advertising & Journalism, engaged to be married in another city with no work experience. Even more scary, considering I had nothing in the bank to invest, no “next gen ideas”, zero risk-taking ability and no one to guide me.Thankfully, God has a plan... and the simple question "How can I be an enabler?" helped me realize that I had to get off the beaten path and create something of my own.
Take Us Through The Foundation Journey Of Progetters. What Motivated You To Establish A Recruitment Solution Provider Firm?
Women empower women, in my case two strong pillars, both my mother and mother-in-law stood strong in the pursuit of my dream. Before starting ProGetters, I worked with a leading production house and an outdoor advertising agency in Mumbai. While pregnant with my son, being at home full time, I witnessed the limited opportunities in a small town whose work culture and ethos didn't match mine. I wanted to start something that not only engaged me but also made a real-world difference in people's life. Being an enabler, motivating and helping people to make informed decisions has been my way of life, and recruitment consultancy seemed like the obvious choice for me.
As I was a complete newbie to this industry, it is never a good idea to jump into unknown waters. Therefore, to educate myself, I not only pursued a professional course in HR but also took up a job with a consultancy to understand the inside view of the industry. Armored with my passion and newly acquired knowledge I set out to begin this exhilarating journey.
Tell Us About The Various Recruitment Solutions That You Render To Companies Looking To Onboard Talented Individuals?
We have been constantly evolving in the past 7 years of our `search' journey, catering to the Pharma, Engineering, Automotive, IT and Fintech sectors and filling a variety of cross-functional roles as well. We empathize with several hiring managers who are eager to expand their teams but are also riddled with problems of losing people to counteroffers, inability to find passive candidates, unprepared candidates, low turnout, candidates not understanding the opportunity and provide solutions that save their time and valuable resources.
Throw Some Light On How Progetters Helps Professionals Looking Out For Job Changes? Tell Us About The Recruitment Platform Designed By The Progetters' Team And Its Various Functionalities.
I am passionate about connecting people with their chosen career, as I believe I am a vital liaison in the lives of people seeking a transition to more meaningful roles. While working with job seekers, we are always aware that we are dealing with one of the most dynamic resources on the planet. As a rule, we ensure the candidates we represent to be well prepared and informed about the opportunity, as the change has real-world implications for the candidates and their careers. We guide them through the interview process with applications, profile management, profile enhancement, resume building services, briefing and debriefing at regular intervals to understand if the opportunity is right for them. We also, support them through salary negotiations and resignation formalities giving them the boost and confidence that they need.
How Has The Company's Growth Journey Been So Far? How Has Your Corresponding Journey Been As An Entrepreneur? What Facets Of Your Personality Or Leadership Style Has Helped You In Taking The Company Forward?
I believe in leading the team from the front, accountability for the actions and its outcome is paramount. As a leader being an equal contributor to the team not only maintains a healthy atmosphere in the workplace but also builds mutual respect amongst the members which facilitates in shaping the ethos of the company.
“Resilience to failure and courage to continue will help you realize your dream in the entrepreneurial journey”
As in any business, we have seen our share of ups and downs along the way. Consistency and commitment will help you sail through some rough waters as an entrepreneur. Self-doubt, fear of failure and social pressures are inevitable, but the key is to relax and rely on your support system in times of distress. In my case, my husband, son and my family have been solid anchors in my life who held my ship through stormy weather giving me the boost and motivation I needed to sail with renewed confidence.
What Is The Roadmap Set For Progetters In The Days To Come? Also, How Do You Intend To Chart Your Future Journey As An Entrepreneur And Business Leader?
We want to ensure that we give the best of ourselves to the communities we serve and put our actions where our heart is. We hold our values high. Delivering the right talent in accordance with the employer's needs quickly and efficiently via professional and ethical dealings with both our clients and Job Seekers, we are committed to maintaining confidentiality in matters of the information relied upon us by the client and the candidates. At the start of 2021, we looked back at how many lives and businesses we had already helped and impacted through our work. In some cases, it's getting people their dream job and finding businesses the right talent for their requirements, and in some cases, it's reassuring people they are doing the right thing, helping people build confidence, sharing insights and advising people. Recruitment is so much more than just advertising jobs and arranging interviews. It's a powerful tool to facilitate career progression and changing lives. At ProGetters, we do what we do with passion because we realize the impact is has!
Prajkta Patki, Founder, Progetters
A first-generation entrepreneur, Prajkta has always been passionate about handling the most needed resource on earth Humans! Intending to add value in everything she does and drive a favorable situation to everyone, Prajkta has been helping aspirant professionals in the Industry achieve their professional milestones through her firm ProGetters. Leveraging this network of ProGetters to find career opportunities for top quartile performers, Prajkta currently focuses in recruiting key talent and business leaders for clients across the ITES industry. She aspires to be reckoned among the tier-1 search specialists who work to match and find jobs that could be career enhancing and rewarding to professionals aspiring for Leadership roles in the ITES & NON ITES industry.