Lessons and Insights on Becoming a Top HR Influencer

Welcome to the Vantage HR Influencers Podcast. This podcast is sponsored by Vantage Circle, the simple and AI-powered rewards and recognition platform for employee engagement. The journey of every HR influencer requires dedication, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the industry. Today, we have a truly inspiring story to share with you. It is about an HR influencer who has made a significant impact in the field of HR. Join us as we delve into her story, the valuable lessons that she has learnt, and the insightful perspectives that she has gained along the way to success.

Susmita Sarma: Hello, listeners. This is Vantage Influencers Podcast. I'm your host, Susmita Sarma. Please join me to welcome my guest today, Shikha Gupta, the Senior Director, Talent Acquisition at Birlasoft. Welcome to the show, Shikha.

Shikha Gupta: Thank you, Susmita. Thank you for having me.

Susmita Sarma: You're welcome. We are thrilled to have you here today to share your story and discuss the valuable lessons and insights that you have gained throughout your journey. Your expertise in the field of HR is so renowned, and we are excited to delve deeper into your experiences and perspectives today. So welcome once again.

Shikha Gupta: Thank you. Thank you for all those kind words. I really appreciate it.

Susmita Sarma: Yeah, so moving forward, first of all, Shikha, we want to know about that specific moment that sparked your interest in HR, like what inspired you to pursue a career in HR, and how has that moment influenced your approach to your work as an HR influencer?

Shikha Gupta: Wow, you're taking me down memory lane. This is my graduation, a little bit during my 12th standard. HR, I did know is all about people, human interaction, a little bit of policies, procedures. It's a people function. So during my graduation, I started reading a little about HR, and that sparked my interest even further, got to know about different fields of HR. You have L&D, you have Comp & Ben, then you have OD, Employee Relations, and there is so much, right? And it's all about looking after people or taking care of people, right from the entry point in an organization to the exit point. So I kept on reading, and that interest went on and on, I read some articles, read some HR magazines, and I was pursuing a graduation that had absolutely no specialization. And that's when I decided, I said, you know, I enjoy reading it, how would it be if I start working in this field somewhere down the line? Parents have been great career guides for me, and they said, you know what, you are good with people, you are good with your interaction, stuff like that, you are a people's person, so either you should do marketing or you should do HR. Numbers are, you know, two plus two is five for me, so maybe numbers is not my field. And that's how the thought process became even stronger. And I continued reading about HR. After I finished my graduation, I went on to do my Master's in HR, and that's how I started my career. But yes, this is my graduation love, which is now my profession. And that's my tagline, Susmita, HR is my passion, HR is my profession.

Susmita Sarma: So definitely, Shikha, we are curious to know more about your journey, and the specific steps that you took to establish yourself, to become what you are today in the HR industry. Can you walk us through the process of how you became a top HR influencer? What were some of the key steps, the decisions, the processes that helped you get to where you are today?

Shikha Gupta: There is nothing scientific about it, Susmita. I mean, when I started my career, like a lot of other HR folks, right, you start as a recruiter. You start with recruiting, that's the first thing most of the HR folks in my fraternity, in my network, have also done. So you start recruiting, you learn how to hire, and then you start doing a little bit of onboarding. These functions, when I started, were not as bifurcated as much as they are today, with individual departments and units on their own. I started as a recruiter, then I learned onboarding and stuff like that. So what happened during my journey, one thing I was very clear about, is that I was going to experiment with every aspect of HR. So I have done L&D, I have done OD, Employee Relations, Business Partnering, Comp & Ben, Recruiting across Campus Recruiting, Lateral Recruiting, Leadership Hiring, I've explored all areas of HR, right? So when you work so deeply, so thoroughly, you start to gain subject matter expertise. You have deep knowledge, you understand the subject, you get command over it. You follow the industry's trends, you start reading about it, you start networking with people to say, okay, I have an intervention, or I have a performance management system to be built or designed for an organization, or I'm running this performance management system, can we discuss the pros and cons, how effective is it for you, how effective is it for me? So you start strengthening your knowledge, deepening your subject knowledge. By trying all these aspects in HR, you tend to go deeper and deeper. Then, over a period of time, you get command, you know what's happening in the industry, you know what the current trend is, in which direction HR leaders are moving. Say, for example, COVID was a big disruptor, how did we, in the HR function, move from doing everything face to face, in person, to the virtual or the online world, right from recruiting, onboard to exit? Everything used to happen in offices, but everything moved online. So there is no single process, but one thing I have made very clear to myself is that I am going to explore every area of HR, work, grow, understand, and then see where my flair is, where I want to dedicate more time. So recruiting is something I really enjoy, business partnering or employee relations is something I really enjoy, training is something I really enjoy. So then you pick up those aspects where you enjoy them, and plus I have been in IT throughout my career, I've worked with product companies as well as IT services companies, which gives me a flavor of both, how HR functions in a product company environment and how HR functions in a large IT services environment. So you should be open to learning, open to experimenting, open to doing everything. You can't say I don't want to do this, try it out, give it a shot, see how you fare. So when you acquire subject matter expertise, people start respecting you for that, you get command over it, you have the industry knowledge, and then if somebody asks me what's happening in this particular area, I know what's happening, and I'm able to give the right guidance to my students, to young professionals, to my fellow colleagues, to anybody who approaches me. And that's how you build that followership, or that viewership, or that audience, because they know that she knows her subject, she will be able to give the right guidance, she's done it. So you're not talking at a superficial level, you've worked on all these areas in HR, and hence you have the subject matter expertise and the command over it.

Susmita Sarma: Right, truly said, Shikha, having a command over overall HR knowledge is critical for any HR professional to be effective in their roles, and to contribute to the success of the organization. So in that case, as you mentioned, continuous learning, experimentation, and development are key to maintaining and enhancing their knowledge over time, isn't it?

Shikha Gupta: Absolutely, I mean, there is nothing you should say no to. There are areas I'd never explored, and I started as a kid, I was just 23 when I landed my first job, just finished my MBA and got placed. My first job was abroad, it was not in India, it was in Mauritius, and I knew French, I grew up in Mauritius. So I started as an HR executive hiring for a large learning and development center, and I was also selling education courses in French. I was hiring, I was also doing onboarding of new joiners, plus I was also marketing or selling courses to students at that point in time. And this kid who was just 23 was working 12, 16, 18 hours, and it was fun. Your first few years of anybody's career, whether you're in HR or marketing or any other domain, are the formative years, where you are open to everything, you have enthusiasm, you have passion, you want to learn, you want to grow, so I was doing every bit of it. My first job actually taught me a lot of HR stuff. And plus I love to read a lot. Whatever HR material was available online at the time was very little compared to what you have today, with multiple sites, platforms, websites, and forums you can be a part of. That was not the case back then. Whatever material was available, HR reviews, I would read and see how HR functions, how HR people behave, what different roles they play. So you're learning, experimenting, and understanding the subject, and gradually, over a number of years, gaining command over the HR subject becomes very important. That's how it works, you don't intend to become an influencer or a leader, you gradually become one, if you're serious and passionate about what you're doing.

Susmita Sarma: You know, Shikha, I really appreciate your eagerness to learn. You mentioned earlier that you got excited about this whole field of HR by reading about it. And here you are today, an influencer in the field with so many followers on LinkedIn, approximately 58,000 now. For many of us who strive to gain followers on LinkedIn through organic means, this is like a dream come true. But at the same time, I'm sure being an HR influencer involves more than just having a large social media following, because people have some key responsibilities, some key roles to play in shaping their industry. Would you like to say more about that?

Shikha Gupta: Absolutely, I'm so glad you asked this. In HR or any other field, when people follow you, when people read what you write, when people follow or read or comment or approach you individually, via phone calls, emails, or DMs, they do it for a reason. They see you as a subject matter expert. They see you as a person who is going to give them the right guidance. So I think the biggest responsibility any leader has, any thought leader or any HR leader has, is being true to what he or she is doing. Knowing what the industry trends are, being updated with the current knowledge on whatever area of HR they are pursuing, that's the big thing. If you're outdated, if you're not well read, if you're not well practiced, if you don't know what's happening, you will not be able to provide that value to your audience. Your audience can be on LinkedIn, and your audience can be your followers or a WhatsApp group. When people see value, that's how they follow you, or that's how they approach you, or that's how they depend on you for guidance, for advice, or for anything for that matter. So in my mind, two or three things: the biggest responsibility is being true to what you're doing, your field, your work. Second is being updated about the current industry trends. Third is being able to adapt and adopt to different situations. Like I said, HR has walked along a journey, like all other functions, pre-COVID, during COVID, and now post-COVID. Now getting people back to work is a problem, because everybody's got used to working from home. So looking at business growth and market conditions, how do you fine-tune your policies, how do you fine-tune your processes, how do you walk hand in hand with the business? When I say the business, it is the revenue generators, it could be different functions, sales, pre-sales, delivery, product management, and so on. So how HR leaders, or HR as a function, can adopt and adapt to various changes, adapt to the way the organization is moving in a particular direction, everything has to be aligned to that. It's one organization, one goal, one mission, one team, no matter whether the organization is 5,000 in size or 500,000 in size, it doesn't matter. So that's another very important point for an HR person: how agile, how flexible, how adaptable the person is, because any HR leader is running a function. So if they understand the business, and if they have these qualities, that's how they can drive the team to deliver results for the organization.

Susmita Sarma: Shikha, we don't want to miss this chance to ask you about your experiences with networking. I think it's a very important part of the HR industry to build and maintain a professional network. So what are some of the most effective strategies that you have used to expand your network, and how do you stay in touch with industry colleagues and peers?

Shikha Gupta: Yeah, you know, you wouldn't believe it, I did have a LinkedIn account which I created many years back. But frankly speaking, what really brought me to LinkedIn was COVID. When we were all siloed, confined to our own homes, you couldn't move out, you couldn't travel, you couldn't go to any seminars or conferences. That's how I got hooked on to LinkedIn and said, okay, let's start reading what's happening on LinkedIn as well, apart from whatever reading I do. And that's how I started writing a little. I wasn't writing until about two years back. People started liking what I was sharing, whether it was HR or inspiration. So I said, let's write because I love writing. And then I started writing, people started liking my content. That's how people started approaching me, saying, can I become a connection? Can we connect? Can we talk? I need some help, I need some guidance. So I think LinkedIn that way has been a great platform in terms of getting me the right people in my network, and that happened through the kind of content sharing that I did. There was absolutely no strategy, I just kept writing. You would have heard people say consistency is the key. I had about 2,000 followers about two, two and a half years back. And about two years back, I started writing content on LinkedIn, mostly HR, and then I mixed it with a little bit of inspiration and motivation, because I saw people going through a lot of trouble, brooding over it. Nothing makes me happier than making somebody else smile. So that's how I started building an audience and people started approaching me. I did get a few assignments as well through LinkedIn, people asking if I could design something for them in the space of HR, like an agile recruitment model, because maybe I had posted a lot about it. So when you have that subject command, the right people will approach you, they would want to be a part of your network, they would want to be connected. The way to be connected is, yes, you cannot share your phone number with everyone, but DMs are a great way. Some people you choose to share your phone number with, so WhatsApp is a great way to keep in touch. Plus, online webinars and forums are a good way to connect with industry colleagues, and I keep meeting some of them at various roundtables, and it's good to see them every time I participate.

Susmita Sarma: So have there been any particular challenges or obstacles or difficulties that you have faced in your journey as an influencer till date?

Shikha Gupta: I wouldn't put it as difficulties, it's a journey. I used to be in HR, I want to be in HR, and I probably will die also as an HR person, that's where I belong. Like I said, the industry keeps going through changes. Sometimes recruiting has been very tough because it was a candidate's market, sometimes doing a compensation review in an organization has been very tough, because the budgets are limited. As an influencer, not really, because LinkedIn is my platform, it's my account, I choose to write whatever I want, good, bad, ugly, it's my voice. It is something that resonates with me, something that I believe in is what I share. And from 2,000 to 58,000, the journey has been great. People are liking what I'm writing, and I will continue to write maybe for some more time. But no challenges. Yes, there have been cases where people have said through DM that my world is perfect, and a perfect world doesn't exist, or that the process I've highlighted is a perfect HR process and that doesn't exist. And I say that's my world, that's the way I see it, that's my opinion. I strive to be there, all of us strive to be there, so why not talk about it? Only when you start thinking or talking about something do you achieve it, it has to be there in the mind, it all starts with the mind. If I want a perfect recruitment model, or a perfect employee engagement activity, I have drawn down the steps I want to follow to achieve what I want. But if it doesn't happen in the real world, at least I'm thinking in that direction. So there are people who say this is too perfect, too good to be true. That's the way it is, and that's the way I want it to be, and that's the way I am striving to get there. Some people agree, some people don't, because everybody's definition of perfection is different.

Susmita Sarma: Moving forward, Shikha, when we talk about new technologies and changing workforce demographics, the future of HR is likely to look very different than it does today. So as an HR influencer, we are curious to know your thoughts on what the future holds for the industry, and how HR professionals can stay ahead of the curve.

Shikha Gupta: That's a brilliant question, Susmita, I'm so glad you asked. The biggest fear that all of us have is that either ChatGPT or AI will replace our jobs, that we'll all be out of the job market, sitting at home twiddling our thumbs. No matter what conversation I'm having in this HR podcast, ChatGPT always comes in. So my message to anyone who's in HR would be to say, AI or ChatGPT or any sort of digitalization can't probably replace my job, but it cannot replace me. You cannot replace humans, you cannot replace emotions. Say, for example, tomorrow there is an employee grievance, somebody wants to talk to an HR person, voice out their problem, look for a solution, no tool or technology can do that. You need a human, a human-to-human interaction, a human-to-human talk. And that is why we're called human resources, we are a people function. So no digitalization, no amount of AI or ChatGPT can replace our jobs. The way forward would be, like I said a little while back, to keep reading, to keep upgrading, to see what the new practices are, to also look at how we can do things differently. When I say differently, not reinvent the wheel, but probably with more speed, with more agility, because technology is evolving. AI wasn't even there some years back. How can these tools be an enabler for HR rather than a disruptor? How can they enable us to do our work in a faster, better, and more efficient manner? How do you use the tools to your advantage rather than thinking of them as a disruptor, or as obstructing humankind from the workplace? You cannot replace humans, you will always need people to deal with people, because emotions are something a human has, a robot cannot have emotions, a laptop cannot have emotions. Yes, they can help you do your work faster, that agility, that speed, that accuracy can be very different, can be miles ahead of what we do today. But a human-to-human interaction happens through humans. So my message to anybody would be: keep reading, keep learning, keep yourself updated and upgraded. What are the new practices, what are the new industry trends, that's very important. Even HR is evolving, it's no longer the same as it was a few years back. Before COVID, HR used to run in a very different fashion compared to how it's running today. So all of us are evolving with time. It's also difficult to imagine exactly what the future holds, the future is unpredictable, so I don't know what the future holds. I am a glass-half-full kind of person, optimistic, I always look at the brighter side of things. Even if tomorrow something untoward happens, so many people lost their jobs, to be honest, but what happened? There are so many startups now, so many freelancers, so many CEOs, founders, so many people doing different things in life compared to their nine-to-five job. So there is an opportunity in every difficulty. Life is not a straight line, a straight line would mean we are all dead. So even in the HR field, there are so many opportunities, you have your corporate job, you have freelancing, you have so many coaches and consultants. There are multiple different kinds of professions within HR. So AI is not going to replace us tomorrow. If, God forbid, that's the fear an HR person has, that they may not have their job, my friend, there are too many opportunities in HR. Platforms like Upwork and other freelance sites have opened up more opportunities for all of us to explore. We just have to put our minds to it. There's an opportunity in every difficulty, that's what I believe.

Susmita Sarma: Thank you for sharing that, Shikha. That was a very lovely conversation with you. I can't thank you enough for being a guest on our podcast and for sharing your journey to becoming a top HR influencer. Your insights and experiences were truly eye-opening, and I'm sure our listeners will talk about this episode for a long time, and many might express interest in connecting with you further. So kindly, would you like to tell us how our listeners can reach out to you?

Shikha Gupta: Sure. First of all, thank you so much for having me on Vantage Circle. You guys are amazing, keep doing the amazing work, and my best wishes to you and your entire team. My listeners can reach out to me through LinkedIn, that's a great platform. Send me a DM, send me a connection request, tell me how I can help you in your career and your journey. I'll be more than happy to do that.

Susmita Sarma: Yeah, I also want to thank you for being such a wonderful guest today. Your enthusiasm and energy made the conversation so engaging from the beginning, and it was a pleasure to chat with you. So again, thank you for being a part of our podcast, and we can't wait to see where your journey takes you next, and we hope to have you back as a guest in the future.

Shikha Gupta: Thank you so much, Susmita. I look forward to being there again. Thank you, and my best wishes to the entire team at Vantage Circle. Thank you so much.

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