Marvelous leaders in_hr-

JANUARY 2020 EDITION
Business APAC 2020MARVELOUS LEADERS IN HR,
Marvelous
LEADERSINHR
NISHUNISHU
MIGLANIMIGLANIFounder & Managing Director
Modern HR Tool
Recruitment Marketing: An Effective Tool Bridging
The Candidate Gap Before Recruitment And Hiring
Vital HR Practices
Investing In The Best Human Resource Practices
Is On High Priority For The Companies

Finding and retaining talent is not just a priority job for HR professionals today.According to the , moreHireRight’s report
than one-third (34%) of HR professionals surveyed in APAC cited this as one of their top three challenges, while maintaining
a competitive edge (21%) and growing revenues (19%) came in as second and third respectively. Also, the number one
common challenge identiﬁed was creating an employment brand that attracts talent (25%), before seeking eligible job
candidates (20%) and decreasing in the turnover of employees (19%). This showcases that HR executives have yet to assume
a complete leadership role through its approaches in achieving business objectives.
Furthermore, in the APAC region, organizations are looking to expand their footprint by increasing their manpower. As a
result, the old and new players of the HR industry are developing HR solutions and services by leveraging the latest trends
and technologies that overcome the aforesaid issues. They are also helping HR professionals to break the barriers and tackle
any issues. Moreover, the solutions and services offered by them cover almost all aspects of HR. Because of this, HR
executives are able to contribute more to the organization’s growth.
We, the team of Business APAC, have piled a list of leading HR frontrunners in our new magazine issue, “The Business
APAC Marvelous Leaders in HR, 2020”. The featured marvelous leaders are providing customized, affordable, and reliable
solutions and services. By integrating best-in-class technologies, they are staying relevant with the changing HR landscape.
Our cover star, Nishu Miglani (Founder & Managing Director of Search Quest Consultants) is a veteran in the executive
search and selection industry with more than two decades of experience. Using her experience coupled with technology, she
is helping companies by reducing costs, streamlining operations and growing their revenues. Unrolling the next pages, we
have written the inspirational tales of featured marvelous leaders in HR. Even though these leaders hail from different
backgrounds, but their key aim is to assist HR professionals to handle their varied responsibilities efﬁciently.
We have included amazing articles in the ’Modern HR Tool’ and ’HR Best Practices’ sections for our voracious readers and
magazine subscribers.
Deepali Sarwade
Editorial Coordinator
BREAKING BARRIERS BY LEAVERGING
TECHNOLOGY
EDITOR’S
LETTER
2020
Marvelous
in

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Publisher :
Editor-in-Chief :
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Editorial Coordinator :
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ARTICLES
MODERN HR TOOL
Recruitment Marketing: An Effective Tool
Bridging The Candidate Gap Before
Recruitment And Hiring
Investing In The Best Human Resource
Practices Is On High Priority For The
Companies
VITAL HR PRACTICES
C O N T E N T S
MIGLANI
NISHU
Pg No. 36 Pg No. 26
Pg No. 10

Girish
Nair
Manpreet
Kaur
Natasha
Makhijani
Pooja Bajaj
Chadha:
Rohit
Lohia:
Pg No. 20
Pg No. 24
Pg No. 30 Pg No. 34
Pg No. 18

ur journey start here
AKE CHANGE
MONASH
Adopt as your fundamental creed that
you will equip yourself for life, not
solely for your own beneﬁt but for the
beneﬁt of the whole community.

NISHUNISHU
MIGLANIMIGLANI
January 2020 businessapac.com
Founder & Managing Director
Search Quest Consultants
MARVELOUS LEADERS IN HR

I take work as part
of my life, like blood
in my veins, so I
organize myself
proactively that
there has never
been a situation
wherein I felt that
work is a burden,
hence I am able to
enjoy work
continuously.
businessapac.com
Additional Roles & Responsibilities
Acting as Head HR of Search Quest
CXO level end-to-end recruitment
Managing charitable trust for the
education of needy children
Consulting clients for future HR
challenges and how to face it
Consulting candidates on how to
pick the right job at the right time
Motivation and morale-building
sessions with college students
Glimpse Into The Leader’s Life
Belongs to a family of professionals
Holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering
Spent 7 years in Indian navy as a
lieutenant in logistics cadre
Belonged to Indian navy’s ﬁrst batch of
women ofﬁcers
Follows Kiran Bedi for her knowledge,
maturity, and passion to do things
differently in life and being a trendsetter
’’
January 2020

O
ver the past decade, the
workplace has changed
drastically and so the role of
HR. Since the 2008 recession to major
technological advances, the events
over the past decade have shaped how
we work today. These new trends have
fundamentally changed how HR
practitioners approach the strategic
implementation of people processes.
Society of Human Resource
Management (SHRM), a leading
international HR association, reported
that 10 years ago, companies said their
top future challenges were succession
planning and providing leaders with
the skills needed to be successful. A
2017 study report found that HR’s top
challenge, in the increasingly
competitive market for skilled talent,
Search Quest Consultants is a full
continuum recruitment services
Every business has its own Human
Resource (HR) segment to handle the
recruitment process. Yet, presently
there is a massive rise in the demand
for professional recruitment services
across many businesses for different
reasons. Recruitment services are the
best option for businesses that are in
need of a full-time workforce or need
a part-time employee. This is the
reason that recruitment services have
gained popularity amongst businesses
to find the perfect talent within the
stipulated timeframe.
will be finding and retaining
employees.
We are the preferred
Recruitment Partner of
industry leaders.
’’
A Veteran In the
HR INDUSTRY
AN INSPIRATIONAL
ENTREPRENEUR
&
’’
Search Quest provides customized
recruitment, sourcing and support
solutions to SMEs as well as large
firms across the country. The firm also
serves as consultants to the clients on
all matters affecting the human capital
needs, including succession planning,
compensation assessment, recruitment
strategies, and competitive analyses.
The offerings of Search Quest are
designed to help companies convert
Search Quest understands that there is
a need to leverage both industry-
specific expertise and functional skills.
Despite the rising competition, the
firm has an edge over the competitors
due to its Best Practices, Quality &
Dependability, Customised Solution,
Domain Expertise and Partnership
Approach. With the tailored approach
towards recruitment, the firm has
delivered significant advantages to
companies by helping to reduce costs,
streamline operations and grow their
revenues.
Delivering Quality Talent &
Services “On Time, Every Time”
company catering to the diverse
workforce needs across industry
verticals with special focus on
Technology and BFSI stream .
Established in 2008, Search Quest
Consultants is a dedicated team of
professional recruitment consultants
offering specialized talent acquisition
services for the strategic human
capital programs of several top-tier
enterprises. In a short span of time, the
company has established itself as the
preferred recruitment partner for
marquee clients and career
professionals.
businessapac.comJanuary 2020

the acquisition of top talent into a
competitive advantage. It assists
businesses to analyze their assessment
and selection strategies to improve the
organizational effectiveness and
deliver the best results. The firm can
add value to the existing recruiting
resources with the right blend of
people, processes, and technologies to
bring the necessary convergence
between talent management and
business strategy. The aforementioned
is possible because the company is
uniquely positioned to leverage
market knowledge, which provides
exceptional executive search, talent
Nishu Miglani is a veteran in the
executive search and selection
industry with more than two decades
of experience. She is the Founder and
Managing Director of Search Quest
Consultants. Today, due to her
contributions and efforts the company
is one of the leading HR consulting
firms. Throughout her journey, she
has been able to build excellent
A Result-Driven Talent Acquisition
Professional
management, and market intelligence
services.
Since her childhood, Nishu wanted to
do something that would bring out a
positive change in society. Following
the footsteps of her role models, Indira
Gandhi and Kiran Bedi she educated
herself and became self-reliant. Nishu
holds a Master’s in Civil Engineering.
She has also served in the Indian Navy
for 7 years. Besides, she belonged to
the first woman batch of officers in
which only 22 were women out of
industry contacts and has been
successful in establishing deep and
abiding relationships with corporates
and industry leaders.
We together as a team are on
a mission to remain the
preferred partner for our clients
by enjoying the highest mindshare
and market share in the realm of
recruitment.
’’
businessapac.com January 2020

40000 male colleagues. She did set
out an excellent example for many
other aspiring officers.
Post serving for the Navy and civil life
experience of 15 years Nishu
established Search Quest with a vision
of “Happy employees make happy
customers and to grow leaders within
the organizations who can contribute
society and industry at large.” Being a
leader
is not easy, as the title comes with
varied responsibilities to handle.
Besides being a leader, Nishu also
manages several roles like business
development, sales funnel
management, people development,
and training, strategy, and formulation
of policies at the corporate level. She
has a proven record of
accomplishment in improving and
establishing effective recruiting and
sourcing processes.
Tackling the Inexhaustible
Challenges
Daily upgrading technology has built
many roadblocks for emerging
companies. Keeping the competition
in mind, Search Quest has been
actively focusing on the two
industries—Technology and BFSI—in
a dedicated way. In the last decade,
both these industries have gone
through lots of vicissitudes, which led
to a sudden slowdown of key clients
especially in the banking industry. In
addition, there was a layoff of
employees, slow process in closing
positions, internal recruitment team,
drastic lowering down of
commercials, fewer salary hikes and
so on.
Apart from the aforementioned
challenges, the biggest competition
the client has created is the reference
portal. In the first 15 days through this
reference portal, all the demands are
posted for the referral so that the
employees can share CVs of
candidates know to them. Hence, by
the time the
demand is distributed to external
partners half the market is tapped.
At times, there are clients who choose
small recruitment service providers,
because they are cost-effective. Due to
this cost margin, the clients choose
these service providers over the
seasoned and structured service
providers like Search Quest. Nishu
also explained that due to the
technological gap many clients tend to
choose the companies with a bigger
database.
Practicing “No Idea Is A Bad Idea”
Policy
Search Quest rewards innovative
habits, as it believes that nothing kills
creativity faster than the fear of
failure. Therefore, it rewards
experimentation, even failures.
Along with encouraging the team to
experiment, the company also
encourages its employees to do their
own research as well, which includes
looking into recruiting professionals
new technologies, reading articles and
writing reports for the company. Nishu
adds, “There’s no better way to get the
employees thinking outside the box
than to assign them new projects
outside the scope of their daily
activities. While some employees may
Candidates placed by Search Quest stay more
than 3 years in the organisation
Key members placed, VP and above, stay more
than 6 years
Candidates placed by Search Quest have been
rated as HIPOs
Business heads placed by Search Quest have
grown to CEO level
90%
100%
60%
12%
We provide the right fit! Our track record proves it
businessapac.comJanuary 2020

As a Team Member, one needs to be initiative
and creative, this will, therefore, bring out the
best result and can help to repeat the results
all over again. To be a leader, one needs to
think as a Team Member but not as an
employee. If you decided to take initiative at
work, then think about yourself as a team.
This will give you the knowledge and
conﬁdence to show more.
Suggestions for
the Professionals:
search uest
The year 2020 looks more
promising for Search Quest as the
company aims to expand its
operations globally. Updating with
time is vital for the industries, thus
the company plans to diversify into
the new age industries and also
consolidate focus in CXO
positions. Apart from this, Search
Quest is looking forward to
starting an HR consulting practice.
Diversifying the New Age
Industries
Since the year of inception, the
core team of Search Quest has
been standing tall. Nishu believes
that the culture Search Quest
practices is one of the main
reasons behind its strong team. The
team embraces change and makes
the most of the healthy
competition. The open and
transparent culture where the “No
idea is a bad idea” policy is highly
promoted has become a
differentiator for Search Quest.
Search Quest has a progressive
leadership approach to encourage
innovation in the company.
Innovation starts at the top so all
the leaders (core team) are role
models for workplace passion,
positive outlook, clear direction,
and vision. The ﬁrm believes “no
idea is a bad idea” policy and
encourages intrapreneurship.
Employees are encouraged to try
out their new ideas and are allowed
to pitch the same to the decision-
makers of the company.
initially react with a fear of failure,
ultimately they will be engaged by
the chance to try something new in
your supportive.”
businessapac.com January 2020

The Future of
Payments is Here

This versatile leader believes that his leadership acumen,
combined with his credentials and certifications,
encapsulates virtually every business imperative of the
As a multi-faceted leader with vast experience, Girish has
been directly involved in the creation and implementation
of various HR strategies and policies for organizations, both
globally and pan-India. He started his career by serving the
Indian Army as a short service commissioned Officer. After
leaving the army in 1995, he moved through numerous key
roles such as General Manager-Human Resources (Satyam
Computers now Tech Mahindra), Sr. Vice President Global
Human Resources (Aztec soft now Mind tree Consulting),
and Corporate Vice President & Head HR (Aircel).
Girish’s Entrepreneurial Journey
With over two decades of HR experience, Founder and
CEO, Girish Nair is one of the leading forces behind
PACE Global HR Consulting Services. He believes that HR
outsourcing has the potential to streamline significant HR
activities such as compliance, payroll and employee
administration. Over the years, this industry has undergone
a dramatic shift leading to newer dimensions in the field.
He has observed that hiring is now based on talent and
skills. Companies started outsourcing their HR operations
and its delivery through HR Shared services. HR analytics
is also being adapted by many organizations. There has also
been a surge of gigs economy.
The HR industry has experienced dramatic changes
in its roles and responsibilities in shaping the
organizations in the last couple of years. The role of
a HR professional has evolved from administrative,
mundane work to more strategic and business-driven
processes. In such a scenario, HR Outsourcing has gained
popularity as it handles the HR issues in a company in an
effective manner and helps organizations focus on their
core business.
Specializing in People (P), Acquisition (A), Culture
Building(C) and Talent Engagement (E), PACE is an
innovative HR consulting firm providing end-to-end HR
solutions. The company’s mission is to partner with its
customers to facilitate them to be a ‘Preferred Employer of
choice’. To achieve this, PACE provides customized
solutions for every client covering the entire HR lifecycle.
These streamlined processes are integrated with talent
acquisition strategy, global recruiting resources,
competency-based methodologies, and a flexible service
delivery model thereby enabling clients to identify, attract,
and retain talents. It also helps companies optimize each
employee’s ability to promote business growth and in the
process align the HR strategy with the organizational
strategy. More importantly, PACE assists companies in
effectively managing the ever-evolving complexities in the
HR domain thereby utilizing their own resources in the best
possible way. To further enhance their clients’ business
growth, PACE has partnered with prominent corporations
across various industry verticals.
Unique Approach for Delivering Innovative HR Services
A Global Business with Global Talent
Girish has an MBA with specialization in HR and is also a
graduate in Law. He has a variety of HR certifications and
has also earned an Executive Education Program
accreditation from the Harvard Business School. He is also
a guest lecturer in various Management schools and has
been on the panel of various HR forums.
organization-people-process-technology nexus associated
with running and managing a global business delivery
outfit. As a result, he has been building, shaping, and
providing innovative HR strategies to multiple
organizations.
PACE’s primary business revolves around HR on an
outsourced model. Hence, it offers complete and
comprehensive HR services to the client. These services
include , ,HR outsourcing HR consulting People
Acquisition Learning & Culture E-HRMIS Legal, , ,
consulting, LMS & Online Assessment,Outbound Training,
and CHRO Services. As a growth partner, PACE helps
organizations drive innovation by implementing the unique
model called ACE (Accelerate, Capable and Enduring).
This model helps in sustaining performance & productivity
in the organizations. Based on experiential learning and
global benchmarks Girish and his team have defined a
creative and unique growth model. They map their client
Girish Nair:
Creating A New Era Of Enriched
Hr Services Through Outsourcing
18 businessapac.com

organizations into this model to assess their current maturity levels in each and every HR
process.
The PACE team plays a vital role in the organizations growth and success in the
industry. Girish has created a culture where every member is responsible for their
assigned tasks and accountable for their deliverables. The work environment of PACE
is conducive to learning, transparent and team-oriented. All the employees hail from
different domains and industry verticals which allow them to bring in innovative HR
approaches and tackle every issue. As a result of this they can understand the clients’
requirements and ideas better. “Our code of business ethics believes in working
together in close collaboration with our customers, business partners and associate
communities. We believe in a relationship based on integrity, fairness and a mutual
win-win,” says founder Girish.
Talented Team, Constructive Culture
PACE prides itself on maintaining a talented and highly
competent workforce. For the year 2020, the company aims at
becoming one of the most preferred HR Outsourcing Partners.
The Changing Role of HR Leaders
Every leader faces a mountain of challenges while
establishing and running their business. Like any other
role, the HR leader’s role and its nuances keep
changing in line with business dynamics but the
ultimate aim of the HR leader is to create an
effective functional workforce and a healthy
organization. Being an endeavoring strategic
HR professional, Girish believes the role of
HR in developing and driving strategic
growth is as important as technology or
business leadership. In the current scenario
with increased competition, better
awareness among individuals, higher
expectations and advanced technology the
role of the HR leader has become quite
challenging.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Pursue your passion and make it
your career!!
Founder & CEO
PACE Global HR
Consulting Services
January 2020 19

Considering all of them under one pillar of
compliance, and balancing them with the
other pillar of performance, is the key
objective for HR
There have been continuous changes in the work culture as
well as multiple modifications to the work regulations. For
example, there is new gender identification (non-binary),
new kinds of benefits (paid paternal leave), new kinds of
social arrangements (a domestic partner who is on
employee's insurance benefit), etc. Different generations of
employees are commonly working in one place. Further,
there is the emergence of the gig economy.
HR is one of the most dynamic departments in an
organization. This is especially true in the APAC
region, considering the wide diversity of
industries, working cultures, and rules and regulations. A
key change in recent years is that the HR is rapidly
becoming the company culture setter and is now
increasingly being tasked with issues like operational
efficiency and strategic competitive advantage. Earlier, it
was a very compliance heavy word. Now, compliance still
remains to be a key part of HR, but there is a whole lot
more that HR is involved with.
Every business leader has numerous responsibilities. Being
a leader in the HR industry is even more interesting at this
stage, as the entire work culture is itself going through
immense transformation. Human Capital Management
(HCM) includes recruiting, developing, managing and
optimizing the human resources in the organizations.
Looking at the current scenario, Manpreet Kaur, Director of
Customer Success, APAC region at asserts,BizMerlinHR
“If you are a business leader from a HCM system
perspective, the onus and the expectation is for you to be an
expert on all things related to work.”
Dropping the Barriers of Stereotypes in HR Industry
HR plays a critical role in creating a conducive
environment to drop down the barriers of the stereotypes
that exist in modern society. Manpreet is a firm believer that
all individuals regardless of background, gender, age, and
ethnicity flourish within organizations. Further, sharing her
experience, she states, “I have come to realise a
fundamental truth which is that there have to be right
leaders leading in the right way. So, that's the kind of
impact I sought to create. I think I have been lucky to work
for a company that believes in the possibilities for its
people. I love doing what I am doing at BizMerlinHR and I
am thrilled by the possibilities in the future.”
Offering the Best Human Capital Management
Being the Director of Customer Success in the APAC
region, Manpreet has a singular mission: providing each
customer with the absolute best human capital management
that is possible, using the full combination of people,
processes and underlying software capabilities. Whether it
is to help the customer set up time off policies that are
compliant with appropriate jurisdiction, or career pathways
or retention risk factors, it is her responsibility to help the
customer get set up correctly, and ultimately, have a highly
successful HR department. That is the true nature of
customer success and her charter at BizMerlinHR.
A key ingredient of this, is the next generation, AI-powered
Human Capital Management system that enables the
“Datafication of HR”. Whether it is using the amazingly
accurate and automated competency matrix, the
®
ContextualML ATS that gives smart recommendations
about candidates, the employee flight risk calculator, or the
irreplaceable Expertise Evolution Pathways, BizMerlinHR
is fundamentally different from traditional HR software.
Manpreet
Kaur:
A Passionate Leader in All Aspects
of the Customer Journey
20 businessapac.com

Manpreet is passionate about all aspects of the customer journey:
pre-sales, customer success, and professional services. She is
instrumental in driving customer success through translating
product knowledge into actionable solutions that enable the
customers and their teams to leverage the latest technology
trends thereby affecting overall business growth in the APAC.
Talking about the company's success, she says, “Our product and
services affect the lives of our users - management, the HR
department, and other employees - in profound ways.”
Considering the growth of the company she feels blessed about
2019 and is also excited about the years 2020 and beyond!
All Set for the Year 2020
BizMerlinHR is a rapidly growing organization and allows
everyone a fair bit of autonomy, especially for self-driven
individuals who are highly successful in the company. It also has
a rich culture of mentoring and constant learning and training
with no micromanagement. Micromanagement is highly
discouraged because the individual's freedom of expression is
endangered. Considering all these, the individuals in the
company are self-driven and motivated allowing them to grow
within the company. Considering the new opportunities in the
future, the company wants to grow at a constant pace. The
company is hiring on all fronts and remains highly selective
about the workforce it is hiring.
A Perfect Place for Growth
Director of Customer
Success, APAC Region
BizMerlinHR
WORDS OF WISDOM
This is the zenith of the
information era. Let the
magic of BizMerlinHR allow
your organization to achieve
exceptional human capital
management, and thrive!
21January 2020

In the last decade, the employment arena has witnessed
a massive change, resulting the rise in the millennial
workforce, which has raised the bar for the HR. This
millennial workforce demands not just salary and benefits
expectations, but also work-life balance requests that need a
much more flexible approach. The traditional rules of the
HR department were thrown out due to the incorporation of
diversity and BAME in the workplace. Despite all the
changes, there are HR services still lagging behind with the
traditional rules and policies.
To overcome this lag, Natasha Makhijani, the Founder
and CEO of , is offeringOliver Sanderson Group PLC
end-to-end recruitment and consultancy solutions. Her aim
is to strengthen organizations by identifying and recruiting
the very best individuals, as well as supporting their
progression into accomplished leaders. She is very
committed to achieving the desired outcome.
Channeling Boundless Energy And Experience
Natasha had close contact with the business community and
had exposure to entrepreneurial ventures from an early age.
This experience shaped her into a vibrant and passionate
person with the zest for life coupled with a determined
ambition to succeed. In her professional journey, she
worked with many renowned companies in a leadership
position but was not quite fulfilled with her role. A need to
channel her boundless energy and experience led her to
consider setting up her own business. An idea generated
from a one-bedroomed flat and has turned into a worldwide
successful company today— Oliver Sanderson Group PLC.
Responsibilities and Challenges as a Founder
Being the CEO of Oliver Sanderson Group, Natasha is
responsible for developing plans and executing its business
strategy, managing the myriad of information and
paperwork generated by their accountants, NED’s, business
consultants, and board. Moreover, being its public face; the
dynamic leader interacts with her clients and candidates,
listens to their feedback and always tries to add value to
their relationships. In the regular team meetings, she closely
works with her team to fortify and enhance the Oliver
Sanderson Group’s core values and ethos.
Furthermore, Natasha and her seasoned team are trying to
develop strategies to ensure incorporation of BAME,
diversity, and inclusion are embedded in the business. This
is the biggest challenge the company is facing right now.
“In the UK we also have a landmark piece of legislation
coming into force in April 2020, IR35. This is having an
immense effect on both our clients and candidates,” says
CEO Natasha. Now, the versatile leader emphasis is to
support clients and candidates as well as provide not only
stress-free solutions but also sound advice. Additionally,
she is planning to run several client events this year to
underpin the work they have already done.
Candidates and Clients Are Key to Success
Oliver Sanderson Group’s mission is to deliver the perfect
recruitment solution and add value to your talent agenda
globally. It is a highly successful Executive Search
company providing executive search and select for
permanent and interim assignments offering its clients a
consultative and flexible approach. Its professional and
experienced consultants offer bespoke and custom-made
services to solving all their recruitment and consultancy
requirements. They pride themselves on attention to detail
and successful delivery to FTSE100 and FTSE 250
companies. “Knowing our clients and knowing our
candidates are key to our success. Keeping abreast of
digital innovations, we have developed our own digital
recruitment solutions through our sister company Snapp
CV Group PLC. We are now able to provide a new level of
delivery,” says Natasha.
Natasha
Makhijani:
An Empathy Leader Connecting
Candidates With Organizations
24 businessapac.com

Having Family-Oriented Culture
“We are blessed to have a team who are a tight-knit group, more like an extended family,”
says Natasha. The highly professional team of Oliver Sanderson always inspires and
supports each other and share common goals. This team consists of highly motivated
consultants who have a passion for providing the very best recruitment and
consultancy services. They always strive to maintain a diverse, inclusive and
supportive culture in their workplace. Through open channels of communication and
regularly meeting both in the working days and at recreational venues, Natasha
ensures that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same common
goals.
Development plans for 2020
Natasha believes that this year is going to a huge year for them to grow and
expand. She with her expert team is targeting growth for their interim and
permanent divisions both in the UK and globally. They will continue to
build brand awareness in the marketplace. Moreover, she is excited about
developing their digital offering to the next level to encompass Artiﬁcial
Intelligence (AI). These new products are due to be launched by Q2 2020
via their sister company Snapp CV Group PLC.
Multitude of Responsibilities
Being a prominent ﬁgure in the HR industry, Natasha’s responsibility
does not limit to hiring talented candidates only. Instead, she has to
deliver high levels of service and delivery as well as to offer
legislative support around identity theft, data protection and
ensure stringent standards are maintained properly. “Increasingly,
we are becoming involved with worldwide acceptance of re-
location of employees as the norm as clients wake up to the
mobility requirements of the available talent pool,” shares
Natasha.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Believe in yourself and don't let anyone
tell you 'you can't'. If you are determined
enough you can!
Founder & CEO
Oliver Sanderson
Group PLC
January 2020 25

In the Best Human Resource Practices Is On
High for the
020 has welcomed new changes and industrial
2revolutions. The workplace has changed a lot in
recent years. This change also has a similar effect on
the hiring and retaining of talent for the organization.
Human resources have a tough time recruiting the best
talent. Digitization has somehow helped the process, as the
data can be stored and evaluated easily. But these rapid
changes are also demanding a rapid change in the human
resource practices.
The Society of Human Resource Management, the US
Bureau of Labor Statistics and Payscale have shed light on
the enthralling results, related to Human resource issues
including pay raise, employee retention, and turnover.
Reports suggested that around 57% of organizations viewed
employee retention as a problem, and 22% of new hires
leave their jobs within 45 days of being hired. The reasons
majorly include poor performance and temperament issues.
Within 18 months 46% of new hires fail and leave the job.
Majority times the reason is due to lack of motivation and
lack of ’coachability’ and only 11% is due to lack of skills.
HR Management Policies and Practices Are Vital
Businesses should not just focus on the latest technology
trends but also strategize creative HR ideas to engage
employees. 9-5 jobs with the weekend off and a personal
desk at the corner were traditionally considered as perks.
Today, the workforce demands better office perks, which is
globally making companies fight hard to hire and retain top
talent. These issues need to be addressed with an upgraded
Human Resource management policies and practices are
important not just for the employees but also for the
company growth. Often times the HR practices and HR
activities are intermingled due to lack of understanding.
Both are equally responsible for optimizing the
organization’s human capital investment and for the HR
department to reach its full potential. Human resource
practices are mostly strategic that assist the organization’s
business plan and forms the foundation and guidance for
managing the employees. If HR practices describe what an
organization wants to do and why, then HR activities
address how. By practicing both HR best practices and
activities together, Human Resource management has the
ability to thrive the company benefits.
Best Human Resource Management Practices
There has been a long debate on the HR best practices
which are utilized by companies to boost the performance.
Many of the traditional HR strategies have found their place
in the “HR best practices”, despite lacking in delivering the
desired company goal or performance. The HR practices
cannot be categorized as one-size-fits-all, as these practices
need to be aligned with the company goals. However, there
are few practices that can be labeled as the universal HR
human resource practice. The best human resource practices
benefit the company with multiple opportunities like hiring
employees efficiently, onboarding them enthusiastically,
training them strategically and engaging all employees
thoughtfully.
26 businessapac.com
VITAL HR PRACTICES

practices which offer companies with the finest business performance, regardless of the organization or industry it is applied
to. These practices, when combined with the company goals, can turn into the best fit for the organization. Combining the
universal practices with the company goals is termed as strategic human resource management.
By implementing the further mentioned universal best Human Resource practices, the organizations can expect an increase in
employee productivity, and a well-balanced corporate culture.
· Recruitment and Selection
For the HR associates responsible for recruitment and hiring, employee retention is one of the key success factors.
Therefore, the hiring process must be easy to understand and implement. At the same time, how these associates
efficiently find and hire remarkable employees is important for the success of the company. So,
making a mistake in the recruitment needs to be very low. By using other tools such as
interviews, personality assessments, or reference checks, they can further
streamline their process or make it more selective.
· Training and Development
With the evolving business landscape, organizations need
employees who are keeping pace with it. Learning has
become a way for workforces to invest in enhancing
their skills, which is in the form of training.
Moreover, according to the Economist’s Lifelong
Learning special report, the number of on-
demand courses has grown exponentially. This
leads employees to seek online courses to
upskill so that they can contribute to the
organization’s growth. For HR
professionals, it is HR best practice to
invest in the training and
development of the employees.
· Rewards and recognition
Every employee is a
valuable member of the
January 2020 27

organization and should be treated as such. By recognizing
their talent, employees will feel appreciated. So, HR
professionals should focus on rewarding employees with
some gifts and public appreciation.
· 360-degree performance management
HR department implementing 360-degree
performance management will push employees to
give their best shot. Under this performance
management, information related to the employee
will be gathered. Moreover, relevant feedbacks are
taken from a selection of an employee’s contacts,
including their manager, colleagues, subordinates,
and external contacts.
· The Open book management style
Implementing transparency in the business ensures
that organizations are sharing its vision and
keeping everyone on the same page. This
motivates employees towards archiving business
goals because they will have a long-term vision as
to where and for what they are working. As a
result, business productivity will be increased.
Innovative Human Resource Practices
Best practices in Human Resource Management boost
company productivity, but it is also necessary to
plan and implement creative HR ideas. In order to
help employees be heartily involved in the
workplace. Creative HR strategies can be original
or drawn from the ideas of others. The goal is to
ensure the enhanced productivity and performance
of the employees. With the proper execution and
dedication of these innovative HR practices, it can
make a difference to fill the organization with the
right people.
Some of the best Innovative HR practices implemented
globally by the companies are listed below,
· S.M.A.R.T Feedback evaluation for the
employees
The traditional evaluation sheet for the employees
is not effective today. Anonymous feedback
certainly leads to criticism which is not
constructive and would be better if left unsaid. The
traditional method is sure of no help leading to
feedback discussion. While in the discussion one
should provide feedback that is Specific,
Measurable, Actionable, Relevant and Timely.
This technique will help the teammates to provide
constructive feedback for the members that can be
helpful and inspiring. The discussions will filter
unnecessary opinions and actually beneficial in
improving employee productivity.
· Treat the Employees as Customers
Employees should feel that they are an important
part of the company. For instance, the way brand
ambassadors are treated which makes them love
the company enough to promote the product. The
same behavior must be practiced in the workplace.
The effort taken into appreciating and validating
the employees is going to foster employee who
loves their workplace. An employee is likely to be
a part of the company for the long term if he is
supported, trusted and is a part of a meaningful
team.
By creating an environment where employees are
highly valued will make the team appreciate the
company’s work environment. A happy employee
will be more motivated to promote the company in
the outside world.
· Unlimited Paid offs
Many companies and startups have adopted
unlimited paid offs in the workplace policy. To the
surprise, these unlimited paid offs have decreased
the number of holidays taken by the employees.
Not just the punctuality but creativity and
productivity have also improved. This approach
helps to maintain a lower risk of burnout. The
benefits of paid off lead to a happier workforce,
which are more motivated to contribute to the
company growth. A rested workforce ends up
doing better at work.
28 businessapac.com
VITAL HR PRACTICES

Employee engagement is one of the significant
factors that influences the productivity of the
employees. Having good employee engagement not
only ensures the organization’s growth and success but also
gives employees a sense of belonging and a sense of
purpose. The key driver behind this engagement is the
human resources (HR) department of organizations. HR
professionals have to find ways to improve employee
engagement in the workplace. Also, they have to keep in
mind that the methods need to be personalized according to
the unique needs of each individual employee. This is a
tedious task for these HR professionals - to find such
programs or activities that are suitable for all.
This is where Pooja Bajaj Chadha, the Founder and CEO
of , steps in to help HR and business heads ofExtraMile
corporates to create a sustainable and engaging work
culture for their workforces. Since the inception of
ExtraMile, Pooja has helped over 75+ clients by providing
solutions that focus on keeping employees engaged and
happy at the workplace. It takes a compassionate, open-
minded individual to succeed in this role and she
encompasses the heart and soul necessary for success.
The Notion behind ExtraMile
Pooja believes that every experience, both negative and
positive, has given her the opportunity to see the world
differently and helped her be a better manager. For her, the
journey to establish ExtraMile was not a walk in the park.
This entrepreneurial journey started on a tropical island in a
moment of epiphany. Once quitting her corporate job she
never looked back and paved her way in the HR industry.
Recalling her memories, Pooja says, “It was the
disengagement at work that led me to take this step and
when I found a similar disconnect amongst my peers, I
made it my mission to bring a change in the way employers
engage with employees.” This was the moment where the
notion to establish ExtraMile came to her. Since then, the
passionate leader with her team has been working to
achieve its mission which is to build engaging experiences
that foster a happy and healthy work culture.
Focusing On Building an Engaging Work Culture
With a wide range of unique ideas and concepts for
employee engagement, ExtraMile is helping organizations
improve talent retention, performance, and profitability. The
company’s tagline “Building happy workplaces” pushes all
employees to create a productive and happy environment
where people from different backgrounds, cultures and age
groups come together to work towards a single objective.
The competent leader, with her team, has compiled over
250 customizable programs that are conducted on-site and
on mobile. Because of their innovative and offbeat
programs and engagement events, they are often dubbed as
the “Mary Poppins” of Engagement. Pooja proudly asserts,
“Being a one-stop-shop for HR professionals to build an
engaging work culture from pre-hire to retire is what sets us
apart.” Being a prominent leader in the HR industry, Pooja
knows that her responsibility has increased to innovate, be
future-ready and agile to match the pace with ever-evolving
HR landscape.
Passionate for Employees’ Happiness
Team building’s most significant benefit is that it creates
more workplace relationships and guarantees the
engagement of workers, which is necessary for business
success and growth. Therefore, the environment at
ExtraMile fosters a culture to learn every day. Pooja ensures
that all employees are motivated, inspired, learning and
growing every day. She focuses on their wellness and
growth because keeping employees happy means they will
also keep customers content. The passionate leader always
tries to organize offbeat, fun, quirky activities for the team
to identify gaps, overcome challenges, seek opportunities
and collaborate to celebrate wins and appreciate each
other’s work. Pooja further shares, “A typical month at work
is filled with Monday morning huddle meets, mid-week
engagements, Thursday rewards, Friday peer-to-peer
appreciations, occasional pizza parties and of course, chai
and coffee breaks!”
Pooja Bajaj
Chadha:
A Passionate Leader With A Drive
To A Build Happy And Engaged
Work Culture
30 businessapac.com

The role of HR leaders increases as they have to guide their organizations through the storms of
continuous change. They also need to stay top of their game, constantly adding value and building
the long-term capabilities of their workforces. Pooja has perceived that while the demand for
building employee experiences has grown, the budgets have seen a fall. To
tackle this, ExtraMile offers economical engagements in a DIY format
and digitally. Furthermore, the CEO, with her team, is planning to focus
on growing their tech vertical in 2020.
Over the years, new approaches/methods are adopted by
organizations to create a healthy work culture. Pooja has observed
that some of these changes are the shift from closed conference
room training to outbound experiential programs, one-time
Diwali parties to monthly wellness and learning engagements,
ad-hoc events to annual strategic engagement calendars. The
biggest change, however, was the the adoption of a digital
engagement strategy to communicate with workers across
the country collectively and systematically as opposed to
a fragmented approach. To cope up with this, ExtraMile
offers customized solutions and packages tailored to
the organizations’ objectives.
HR Industry Scenario
Facing Challenges Head-on
Roadmap for the Year 2020
Pooja has devised a strategic plan for ExtraMile’s
growth and success. She believes that the year 2020
is going to be the year of innovation and growth of
ExtraMile’s digital business to reach a target of
100+ clients in the new ﬁnancial year. Moreover,
there is an upsurge in the demand for engagements
on mobile due to its ubiquitous nature and
affordability. And, the dynamic leader is going to
turn this demand into an opportunity to deliver
world-class solutions.
WORDS OF WISDOM
You spend more than half your day at work.
Find a second home that keeps you happy
and healthy. And if your current one doesn't,
call us!
Founder & CEO
ExtraMile
31January 2020

When you look at the landscape today, businesses are going
global earlier than ever. The rapid global growth comes
with tedious but critical requirements to keep on track with
employment law regulations around the world. Europe has
made it mandatory to keep the working time of employees.
Such records need to be kept for eight years. APAC is also
coming out with similar laws. And non-compliance attracts
a severe penalty. Even small things – for example issuing a
S
uccessful business leaders often have a knack of
finding “disruptive” ideas. Global Upside’s
Managing Director Rohit Lohia is a poster child of
disruption. Having always chosen the unorthodox path, he
has been at the forefront of innovation at Global Upside
especially in the field of HR technology. Rohit has helped
Global Upside grow from a small accounting firm to a
global conglomerate that offers the most comprehensive
range of accounting, human resources, payroll, professional
employer, and staffing services in 150+ countries.
In this interview with Business APAC, Rohit shares his
views on how business and HR technology have evolved
over the years.
Over the past years, what changes in the HR industry
have you observed?
The advent of modern technologies and the rise in
globalization have changed the way industries function
today; and the HR industry is no exception. Today the
world of HR is shaped by cutting-edge technological
advancements in the field and a new generation of
employees who have a very different idea of what “being an
employee” should look like. HR today is also much more
than managing day-to-day leaves, on-boarding, and other
logistics – it is a function that takes the lead in
understanding what makes people engaged, what makes a
productive culture… it is no longer a reactive department
but one that drives strategic business value.
We are an extremely talented group of people whose mantra
is “impossible is not in our vocabulary”. It is this spirit of
innovation and an innate need to always do right by our
clients and our people that has helped us grow
exponentially. When one of our clients needed an HR
system to manage their workforce after a spin-off, we
stepped in and built software for them. The same system
has today become our hugely popular global HCM called
Mihi.
How do you define Global Upside?
However, as our Chief Innovation Officer, I also spearhead
the continuous development of our proprietary human
capital management software and other technologicalMihi
needs of our company. Back when the notion was
conceived, taking on the development of Mihi was a
seemingly impossible challenge. But today, Mihi is the only
HCM software in the market that is compliance-ready out
of the box and is localized in all major languages. Mihi can
support companies in 150+ countries so it’s scale and scope
is both massive.
Honestly, I love to roll up my sleeves and get down in the
details of complex problems. I have always been
empowered to execute decisions that are truly out of the
box. This thrill of solving seemingly impossible challenges
is what got me here and continues to inspire me today.
Initially, I joined Global Upside as a manager and have
become Managing Director and Co-Founder in the
subsequent business ventures of the company thus the areas
of focus have also changed. Now, my key focus areas are
keeping our clients happy, productive and safe from global
regulation risks; and taking care of our employees in APAC,
which is our largest service delivery center.
As a business leader, how do you deal with the complex
situations? Which roles and responsibilities require your
utmost attention?
US offer letter to an employee overseas – often costs
companies dearly.
A positive company culture creates an environment where
everyone has freedom, new ideas are open for discussion,
According to you, how important is a healthy company
culture? How does your company culture differentiate you
from the others?
Today, I’m proud to state that Global Upside operates in
150+ countries and provides the most comprehensive range
of human resources, payroll, accounting, global expansion,
and compliance solutions on the market.
Rohit
Lohia:
A Maverick Hooked on Solving
Complex Business Challenges
34 businessapac.com

and there are regular meetings to keep everyone on the same page and encouraged to share thoughts.
At Global Upside, we are a culture that demands innovation – we appreciate and encourage new ideas
all the time. We are a company that thrives on innovation. What truly differentiates us is our can-do
attitude and ability to think out of the box.
We are like a big family – collaborative and supportive. Spread across the world in 12 ofﬁces, we
are empowered to make decisions and grow personally. We work together, play together and
give back to the community together.
What are the challenges that Global Upside is facing? How do you plan to
overcome them?
A rapid growth phase means rapid hiring. For Global Upside, the biggest
challenge is to keep hiring fast enough to match our growth pace. We are
fortunate to have a very talented team and among the few services-based
companies that have evolved to add a formidable software offering to our
mix.
We offer our clients the most complete set of solutions for their HR
needs and we want to capitalize on this opportunity to the
maximum. We are also building robust systems and processes
to cope with the global changes in employment law, data
privacy, etc.
What do you have in mind for Global Upside this year?
For future development, Global Upside and its sister
companies ,Global PEO Services Gava Talent Solutions
and Mihi all have plans to expand our global footprint
and we are on track to disrupt the global HCM space
with our unique software Mihi. Stay tuned!
If you could what message would you like to give to
the employees around the world?
To the entire global workforce, you are solving bigger
challenges than you think. Each invoice you process,
beneﬁts package you review, employee you onboard has
an impact. Our ability to help clients achieve their goals
is only thanks to your hard work. Thank you for your
dedication to moving mountains for our clients.
WORDS OF WISDOM
Build the future you want. We’re here
to help and guide you along the
journey.
Managing Director
Global Upside
January 2020 35

An Effective Tool Bridging the Candidate Gap before
RECRUITMENT MARKETING
36 businessapac.com
MODERN HR TOOL

In the last years, the HR arena has witnessed a massive
transformation. The rise in the job openings along with
employees having access to information about
employers are some of the aftermaths of this
transformation. Thanks to the internet, candidates can now
research various aspects of the company such as ratings
from former and current employees’ comments, company
culture, benefits packages, and other crucial aspects before
applying. Naturally, this wealth of knowledge coupled with
a surplus of job openings makes job seekers fussy and
indecisive about their choice. As a result, it is no longer
suffice to post jobs and hope for the right candidates to
apply.
Today, recruiters need to be proactive, creative, deliberate,
and coordinated to attract and cultivate skilled and
enthusiastic applicants. That is to say, they have to
think like advertisers and marketers. This is where
the concept of ’recruitment marketing’ comes
into the picture. Recruitment marketing is
not just a fad, but a completely new
style of pulling qualified
a
Need of the Hour
According to the , 7.1 millionBureau of Labor Statistics
openings were available in February 2019, but only 5.7
million hires were made. This showcases that there will be
an upsurge in job openings and candidates seeking
employment will be attracted to big brand’s names. This
new concept of recruitment is further divided into four
segments: increase awareness, generate interest, nurture
the decision, and drive action. These four segments assist
the recruiter to attract new candidates and retain the
employees. It may happen that job seekers decided not to
apply due to various reasons. Then, a recruiter should look
for other options such as increasing the candidate pool so
that they can tap into it when there are positions open
up.
Recruitment marketing’s key
elements mostly come from
traditional marketing which
includes employer brand,
employee value proposition,
candidate personas, competitor
analysis, and candidate
experience. These elements are
kept as core points for
developing any strategies.
pplicants in with creative messaging, personalization, and
targeting. It is the process of promoting the employer’s
brand with the use of marketing methodologies throughout
the recruitment life cycle to attract, engage, and nurture
relationships with qualified talent. Its key objective is to
drive individuals to apply to the open positions companies
have available.
Fundamentals Elements
January 2020 37

Define Roles
To stand out from
their market
competitors,
businesses need to
make their brand
recognizable and
memorable.
According to the
Linkedin article, 75%
of job seekers research
an organization’s
reputation before
applying for a job. That’s why it is crucial to be consistent
in the employer brand messaging.
Defining roles prior to
hiring will refine the
strategy as well as
help in creating those
ever-frustrating job
descriptions. It is
crucial that everyone
involved in the hiring
process is in
agreement upon the
finalized role because
they will affect
candidates’ experience
with the company as a prospective employer. Specific
criteria help applicants assess their qualification level and
understand the requirements for the position before
applying, thus saving time for recruiters to work through
Build a solid brand
Tips for Developing Strategies for 2020
There are many
parameters need to be
checked before
developing the
recruitment marketing
plan. Once these
parameters are
fulfilled, then
companies can start
creating their plan
with the following six
tips:
Locate Target Candidates
applications and candidates to apply for jobs for which they
are actually qualified.
Enhance Candidate Experience
To attract talented
candidates,
organizations need
to focus on making
the candidate
experience better.
If any job seeker
has a negative
experience, then
she/he might do
bad publicity
resulting in greater
Irrespective of size
and experience,
recruiters have
limited resources,
especially when it
comes to recruitment
marketing campaigns.
In this, the marketing
team can provide
some insight into
where their marketing
efforts are successful,
whether they can be paid or organic and if they utilized
more in-house or out-of-house resources.
The next step after
defining the roles is
about considered the
ideal candidate
persona the company
needs to fill the role
and add to its team
dynamic. In the
application process,
the entire recruiting
committee and team
members who will
work directly with the applicant should be consulted on
who is their ideal candidate and what qualities to look for.
Use Available Resources
38 businessapac.com
MODERN HR TOOL

financial losses. Therefore, organizations should take a
candidate experience lightly.
Organizations use
various tools and
technologies to make
their presence in the
online world better.
However, it is not
enough to attract
relevant traffic,
generate leads, and
ultimately, convert
them into applicants.
Therefore, they should focus on making their brand better
than their rivals make. By using SEO, they can reach wider
audiences to create a pool of candidates.
Create an employee referral program
Increase the visibility of the website
Use social recruiting tactic
Many companies
started using
’employee referral
programs’ to attract
more candidates.
Through this program,
organizations can have
multiple benefits for
your hiring process,
including lower
turnover rates,
According to smart
insights, there are
almost 3.5 billion
active social media
users worldwide.
Moreover, the
LinkedIn survey says
that 49% of
professionals are
following relevant
organizations on
social networks to
keep pace with their recruitment processes. This shows that
social media is emerging as a tool for recruiters to search
for good candidates.
For the year 2020, the smart recruiter needs to be a pioneer
in the transition to move from manual-mechanical
recruiting practices to smart-predictive recruitment
approaches that have company goals and objectives in
mind.
Recruiter as a Pioneer
spending less time in the recruiting process and onboarding,
and minimizing cost per hire. For example, Intel provides
referral bonuses to their employees. Moreover, when an
employee recommends women or minorities, their bonus
doubles hosts so-called Recruitment Happy. Salesforce
Hours, meetings where their staff members can invite
people they want to refer.
January 2020 39

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