Welcome to another inspiring episode of AdvantageClub.ai’s “Inspiring Leaders & Leadership” podcast! In Season 2, Episode 3, your host Smiti Bhatt Deorah, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of AdvantageClub.ai, sits down with Girija Shetty, the Associate Director for People Excellence at Amagi Corp. Join us as we explore Girija’s remarkable journey, tracing her unconventional career path from a small town to a pivotal role in a leading technology company. This conversation promises to unveil invaluable insights into navigating diverse industries, fostering resilience, and redefining success in the ever-evolving landscape of Human Resources.
A Chat with Girija Shetty
Smiti
Hi everyone, and welcome to yet another episode of Inspiring Leaders and Leadership, Season 2, Episode 3 by AdvantageClub.ai. I am your host, Smiti Bhatt Deorah, and I’m the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of AdvantageClub.ai. And today we have with us an amazing person, we have Girija Shetty, who is the Associate Director for People Excellence at Amagi Corp.
Welcome, Girija, to the show.
Girija
Thank you so much, Smiti, for having me here. It’s my pleasure to be here and share my experience.
Smiti
We’re super excited to have you. And let’s get this kickstarted. To start off with, of course, we know a lot about you, but can you tell our viewers a little bit about your background, what you do, and what has been your journey into reaching this position where you are today?
Girija
OK, so I hail from a small town called Belgaum, and I spent most of my life there, including my studies and a major part of my career. After my graduation, I had a few career options to pursue higher education. So I decided to go the management route and did my MBA in Belgaum itself.
And I think, thankfully, I had a great start in my career with Thermax Limited, which gave me a good base or foundation. Two years of Thermax taught me a lot more in HR than I would have studied in my MBA. And then after my stint with Thermax, I moved back to my hometown because of personal reasons. I was going to get married, and a lot of other things in life were happening.
So I came back here. I had a short stint with a local manufacturing company initially, and then I took a six-month break to help my husband in his business and also taught undergrad courses for some time. And then, a major turnaround in my career happened with Quest Global, where I spent 11 years of my career. And probably the best thing that happened to me in my career was my role there.
I just grabbed the opportunity as soon as I got it and started as the HR business partner for Belgaum Center. And soon enough, I just started getting one opportunity after the other. After Belgaum Center, HRBP, they allotted a few more centers to me.
Then I got to move to Trivandrum for one and a half years. I left my husband behind in Belgaum. I went to Trivandrum all by myself for a post-acquisition integration role.
And that kind of turned things around for me in my career, where I moved out of HR business partnering and got to do large-scale projects for the organization. I could see the impact my role was having on the business throughout my journey at Quest. And then moving to performance and rewards for a bit, then with the kind of opportunities Quest provides, I got an international stint in the US for one year, did a regional HR role for Quest in North America, and came back to India.
And then I moved completely into the rewards role while on the side doing sales HRBP for some time. And then I also got to do HR M&A projects for a bit. So, I think with Quest, double-hatting roles was one good thing.
You could do your regular role and then take on special assignments as you grow. So that kind of helped me probably reach the stage. I mean, my career learning with various roles that I came across.
Smiti
That’s great. And you mentioned a very important point around learning various roles and doing multiple stints across your career, which not only helps you learn and understand more things but also grows you as an individual. So it’s really interesting because a lot of people feel otherwise.
They feel that you pick a specialization and you stick to that domain and you don’t waver from it. Otherwise, it’s like a horizontal switch instead of a vertical switch. But in your case, the horizontal piece has actually been beneficial for you.
Girija
Yes, that kind of helped me get my future roles. I did a short stint with Medline. Then I took up the role in Amagi, which kind of helped me step up as a leader in the organization. I lead two departments here, as compensation and lead the rewards and the HR operations team here. So the foundation of this horizontal experience is what prepared me to step up the ladder.
Smiti
And not just in terms of roles, I also feel in terms of industries. You were first in manufacturing, and then Quest was kind of a cusp between industrial and technology, and then to Amagi, which is purely technology.
It’s also been a very interesting switch for you. So, did you see that from an HR professional’s perspective, there is a difference in the way you manage people or the way you get things done in an industrial setup versus a technology setup?
Girija
There will definitely be some level of difference that you experience because Quest was purely a services company where the agility and scale were very different. Now, switch to Amagi, a product company where the kind of people, the skill sets that we have, and the expectations of the leadership are very different from what I experienced in Quest. So that definitely adds a different flavor to your experience altogether, while your core HR principles or your fundamental concepts remain the same.
But how I think and apply it to an organization like Amagi versus how I applied it at Quest is very different.
Smiti
Absolutely. And doing so many things at the same time and kind of changing so many industries, changing geographies, must have been pretty challenging. And what I want to understand is how you, as an individual, navigate challenges when the going gets tough, and any examples of failures you’d like to give us that you experienced, which you overcame, and what did you learn from them?
Girija
One thing that I have realized is that setbacks and failures are inherent to anyone’s journey towards success. Success just doesn’t come easily. You will have to, you will at some point experience setbacks, failures, and you’ll feel lost.
And I’m no exception to it. And, you know, what matters in all this is how we are actually learning from this experience, adapting and then just moving ahead, right, rather than staying stuck in the past. For me, if I had to really look at one example of failure is, like I told you, when I moved from various roles. Then you end up becoming like a top, like you are on the top performer’s role, and then you suddenly go through a stage of burnout, and then you start experiencing a downward spiral. For me, that happened in my career in 2016-17. And I suddenly started feeling lost and that I was a good-for-nothing person. I couldn’t perform in my roles and everything.
But then I also knew I had to take control of my life. No one can come and solve things for me, or no one can come and tell me that, “OK, give me your hand and I’ll pull you out of it”. So that is when I realized that if I have to overcome this, I have to first just do something about it.
And that is when I realized this thing about asking for help or just talking to people about it. And this is what I’m going to do. So I approached, I found mentors, I spoke to people, and started working towards it. And one thing that probably has always helped me whenever I have faced a setback, personally or professionally, is the resilience of not giving up at any time. So I think that has definitely happened. So perseverance and that resilience towards things. And I probably have to thank my mother for that one.
Smiti
So that’s true. And burnout is real; it’s not just one fancy buzzword; it is real. And when you are kind of overexerting, and you’re going through things super fast, and you’re kind of at the peak of your career where you want to grab opportunities, a lot of times you don’t realize that you’ve actually burnt yourself out.
There are different coping mechanisms, different ways in which people try to rejuvenate themselves. And I’m glad it worked out for you. And you mentioned that you also spoke to a few mentors.
And of course, while the most important thing was the grit and the resilience that got you through, I want to understand who the mentors you have looked up to over the course of your career are, or who your supporters are. Like you mentioned, your mother. Can you talk a little bit about that?
Girija
So I think personally, if I had to say my cheerleaders for my career have been three key people from my family, my mother, because I think I remember growing up, or when I’m talking to my niece about it, and keep telling her she’s in her teens. So I keep talking to her about various things and life skills and stuff. And I remember my mother always told me, and I come from a small town where my parents or their generation have probably been from the rural side and have moved to a city.
They have been the first generation to come to a city. And I’m from a family where I don’t think anyone in my parents’ generation, the women, has been career-oriented.
But my mother’s always been imbibing these values equally between my brother, my sister, and me, that you have to have an education that will help you be independent in your life. Come what may, life throws at you, you should be able to face it alone. So I remember that specifically from my mother.
And I think I’m so thankful for her to just bring that resilience in me, just to be that fiercely independent. And if I could sail through anything was because of that thing that she imbibed in me, so that definitely helped me.
And then my husband and my brother-in-law. My husband has always told me that you need to focus on your career. Don’t worry about household things alone; it’s not your responsibility alone. So we talk about sharing the load and other things, we go back right from the time we’ve been married. I’ve seen my husband be an equal partner in anything we do at home. So if I’m not in Belgaum today, he manages the household and keeps it spick and span even better than me.
So I think that matters a lot. And thirdly, my brother-in-law has been my sounding board if I have to make a decision or anything.
So these three people from my family and professionally, if I do speak about people who have been associated with me during my work journey, I’ve been very lucky to have amazing mentors at every stage in my career. Be it my manager in Thermax, Shivangi Pagi, or my CEO from the company I worked in Belgaum, Mr. Vinayak Lokur, everyone has contributed. But like I told you, Quest has been like the turning point for me.
And I had four people who really helped me turn things around, influenced me or shaped me as a professional. One is Sonia Kutti; she’s the global HR Head. And with her, I did various assignments in Quest.
Customer Carwards, M&A, the Trivandrum assignment that I spoke about. Even when I was in North America, I worked very closely with her. And she’s been so inspiring for me. She’s influenced that ability to be a leader, being humble and just being there fiercely as a woman standing up there in this world. I’ve always been inspired by her.
And second is Ashish Kolwalkar, who was my manager at Quest. We got to work together in Amagi. And so he influenced a lot in my mindset, having come from a small town, not having had exposure to larger teams.
He helped me shape my mindset, get in that collaborative mindset, have the growth mindset, and everything. So he influenced me a lot there. And then Mr. Kapil Bakshi is the sales leader Quest had at one point. But then we continue to be in touch. If I have any confusion today, without a blink of an eye, I reach out to Kapil and say, this is what I want. And then he helps me. Beyond HR, he’s influenced a lot of my thinking process, how I need to be confident and stand out among the rest. And then I think, last but not least, is Gopi Krishna. He’s been my manager for six years.
And I think whatever I’ve learned, I’ve been able to grow, think, develop that strong work ethic and strong values, and the courage to speak up or the courage to stand up for the right thing, I owe a lot to him. These are four people who have influenced me heavily in my career among all the other people.
There are many people I keep learning from, but four people whom I owe a lot in my career, for sure.
Smiti
And that’s amazing. They always say that a successful woman always has one, a fierce mother who wants her to grow and get an education and not be any less than a man. They also have supportive partners who are always standing by them in the journey and supporting their growth.
And of course, great mentors and great managers, many thanks to all the people you mentioned, Shivangi, Kapil, and Gopi Krishna, for being there with you in their journey.
Girija
I’m definitely grateful to all these people who have influenced me in my life. As you said, it takes a fierce mother to influence you. Like for me in my professional journey, Sonia was that person who would always make me speak up, stand up, and who could also get me out of that people-pleasing aspect of my personality.
Smiti
And since we’re talking about leadership in general, the landscape is constantly changing. When you’re looking at HR in general, we had the great resignation. We had the great layoff, and now we’re having the great stay.
So employee needs, and even the landscape itself, are invariably changing. What, according to you, are the steps that HR leaders can take or should take to address these changing needs of their employees?
Girija
As HR leaders, one thing that we need to remember is that we are like the conscience keepers for the organization. We have to ensure that we’re doing the right things for the organization as well as for the employees. We are that balancing factor.
So, having said that, the first and foremost role I see for any HR leader is to ensure that they are the sounding board of the employees who can take the message to the management and vice versa. So, focus on people has to be there always.
As HR leaders, staying focused on people goes unsaid. We have to because our people dynamics keep changing, like, we spoke about Generation X, Y, and then there’s Millennials and then Gen Z, then we talk about Zillennials, the generation between Millennials and Gen Z.
So the workforce dynamics keep changing. The priority, probably what I had, I don’t see my younger colleagues having that. So that definitely is changing.
And with that comes an important element of maintaining or fostering work culture, which encourages open and transparent communication, psychological safety where employees are comfortable expressing what they feel are their concerns and ideas, where there is no scope or fear for them to think or to be themselves. And whatever is said and done, we need to know that work is no longer going to be in the office. Flexibility in work arrangements is going to be there.
People are going to have their needs, where probably you’ll have to look at flexible work arrangements, remote work, alternative work schedules, just make it happen for people, because when they are engaged and when they know their needs are being met, I’m sure everyone is going to be productive and then give back to the organization the same way. And appreciating and acknowledging that your employees are contributing to the growth of the organization and achievements of the organization equally as much as the founders or the senior leadership is doing. And foster that positive work environment where there is empowerment, where people look at the organization, where they look at themselves being a part of the organization’s growth, which drives ownership rather than just a feeling of entitlement. We want to drive ownership, but not entitlement, because otherwise what will happen is employees tend to become very entitled in a culture where it’s more like a give-and-take thing.
So that’s something I really feel HR leaders could definitely start looking at because there will be challenges, great resignations, these are all phases the industry goes through.
Smiti
I totally agree with you on the fact that there needs to be a psychological safety associated with employees when they’re working, in whatever set they’re working in, and whatever environment they’re working in, for them to actually be more comfortable and feel that the company is actually supporting them. Second is primarily around a positive work environment where people take ownership, and hence, the more ownership you have, the more productive you eventually become.
And I love your point of appreciation, where it’s important to constantly recognize and appreciate employees for all the good work that they do. So, talking about appreciation itself, we’d love to understand what your innovative ideas have been around recognition or engagement programs in your past roles or your current role to drive better employee experiences?
Girija
Employee recognition is like an unsaid rule. You have to see that recognition as human beings has been a motivating factor for us, even getting a simple compliment or a good job. I remember, even today, when I’m talking to my nephew on the phone, and he gets a star in school, or he gets two stars, that’s the first thing he wants to come and show us, and he tells us that he got two stars.
So imagine the amount of joy that brings in. So there is that, acknowledgement for what they have been doing. There is this inherent need to feel recognized; not everyone is beyond that phase where they say, I don’t care about recognition.
And, when I know I’m appreciated, I’m recognized for the efforts I’m putting in, I would probably strive more for the organization. For me, there are three key pillars of engagement, or three things that drive engagement is say, stay, and strive. How much positively I’m saying, what are the positive things I say about the organization?
How much I’m willing to stay with the organization, and how much I’m willing to strive for the organization. So for me, these three things are what speak about engagement, about an employee in the organization. And, throughout my career, we have seen how rewards and recognition programs are being innovated and changed as we’ve carried on.
And one element that we’ve tried to take care of is not to make these programs an overkill. When you make sure they’re not there just for the sake of it being there. If I look to probably share one very innovative thing that we’ve tried to do in the past, it is personalizing rewards.
So, rather than just give someone a voucher or just cash in their payroll, we’ve also tried to see how we can make it special for someone. I remember when we were running a special program in our organization, we ensured that we got the employees something they were very fond of.
It was an employee quarter program that we were running, but anyone who got that award would probably get something that they were very fond of, like, I remember one of our colleagues was into collecting trains, or was very fond of trains. So there was a very classical train set that was gifted to him. And then there was another colleague who was very fond of gaming. And so we got a gaming chair for him. So we try personalizing rewards, or bringing in experiences in rewards rather than just making it all about money.
And second is, apart from the reward associated, how much you elevate the entire experience of being rewarded. How does my organization see me, how much I’m celebrating it, and where is that instant gratification happening for my work?
So then all of these things have to come together and be done right. And to do it right, I think apart from HR, the managers play a huge role in it.
So one thing that we have always strived to do is to educate managers and empower them to recognize their dreams. So the moment you make your reward programs very bureaucratic, saying that if I have to give this person one award, okay, I’ll have to take 10 approvals, then you’re again killing the purpose. So, how much are we encouraging managers to give instant rewards, where they can make decisions? How are we empowering our HR BPs to make their decisions? So all these elements have to go well; they all have to come together in the right way to have a good employee recognition program in place. And only then will it drive engagement. Otherwise, it kind of just becomes a tick in the box.
Smiti
Yes, personalization is really essential when you’re looking at providing reward structures, because ideally, if you’re providing that level of customization for a consumer, then they are not only happy about what they’re getting, but they also feel that this company has taken some effort to care about them. And, it’s not something which is just what everybody else is getting; it’s something off the beat.
And I think one of the things which we’ve also tried to do internally on AdvantageClub.ai is to try to use AI and ML more to identify more personalized suggestions for users, because how people behave, typically, is not only individually unique to them, but also organization-wise unique to them. So, most people in the same organization kind of behave in a similar manner. So identifying that pulse, and also leveraging that, is, I think, amazing.
And as you mentioned, how you’re celebrating it, I think that is super important. If I’m just giving a reward to someone, and just saying, good job to everybody else. And it’s just the same citation; it just doesn’t add to any excitement. You have to create a wow factor for the person getting the reward as well.
And manager empowerment, extremely important. Too many approval matrices kind of kill the flow of the rewarding itself. And by the time the person actually gets the reward, the excitement of completing something or getting something kind of goes away.
So, love your points around recognition and how we can drive it in a better manner. Lastly, we’re going to wrap up. This is my last question to you. You’ve been in the industry for 16 years or more, so it’s been a long journey. And a lot of people who are probably new, and they’re looking at, or aspiring to be leaders in their lives. This is something for them. So what is the one thing you wish somebody had told you early on during your career journey, which you’d like to tell all the young people who are inspired and want to kind of grow in their lives further?
Girija
So, something I wish I had learned very much earlier in my career, not something that I wish someone had probably hammered in my head, was asking for help. Ask for help, you don’t have to struggle all by yourself, that is not the measure of your success, that if you ask for help, you’re a failure. Ask for help; don’t stay stuck where you are.
And then I think the second thing I remember is when I was having a conversation with Sonia last year, and I was telling her something, and then we discussed that success will come and go. And that’s okay, you don’t have to always be successful; there will be ups and downs in life. That’s okay, don’t go by the definition of success the world has created, define your own success criteria, and just go by that.
And then I think, and for all the women leaders and aspiring women leaders out there, what I’ve typically seen is a very different behavioral difference. I think as women, we tend to want to be very perfect for a job we want to apply for. So even if you’re not meeting one criterion of the 10 listed, we are very hesitant to apply for those roles. So my message there goes, just don’t be afraid to apply for something you feel you would enjoy doing, even if you don’t meet all the criteria, I’m sure you will learn along the process.
I think that’s the best career advice I’ve gotten very recently, and that’s amazing.
Smiti
So first is primarily just to summarize, ask for help, don’t assume, you assume the more you get stuck, and the more you get stuck, the less you perform. And then it’s just like a vicious cycle, which is in a really bad shape eventually. And as you said, define your own success, don’t go by the stereotype of success that society has created, because what is visible on the outside might not be true on the inside.
Don’t wait to be perfect; just take the plunge, take more risks, find more ways to get what you want without waiting to be perfect for that particular opportunity.
Amazing advice, Girija. With that, we are at the end of our podcast session. I am sure our viewers will love to hear you and learn a lot from you. We are really privileged to have you with us. Thank you!
Girija
Thank you so much. It was great interacting with you. Thanks to you, I got to do my first podcast.
Concluding Thoughts
Girija Shetty’s journey, from her roots in Belgaum to her impactful leadership role at Amagi Corp, is a powerful testament to the significance of adaptability, continuous learning, and unwavering resilience. Her insights into fostering psychological safety, empowering managers for recognition, and the critical need for personalized employee experiences offer a profound roadmap for HR professionals navigating today’s dynamic workplace. As we conclude, Girija leaves us with a compelling message: don’t be afraid to ask for help, define your own success, and, for aspiring women leaders, dare to apply for roles even if you don’t tick every box. Thank you, Girija, for sharing your inspiring story and invaluable wisdom.
**This podcast was recorded during Girija Shetty’s tenure at Amagi Corp and published on YouTube on Aug 27, 2023.
