Talent management

Julie Barker

Julie has been entrenched in talent strategy, recruiting and people operations for technology and IT consulting businesses for 15 years. Her focus on helping leaders and managers build world-class teams and a culture that fosters and inspires those teams, has made her an invaluable part of many companies’ growth story. She has helped companies navigate growth at nearly every stage, from scaling sub 30 employee start-ups to supporting large global organizations of more than 100,000 employees. Prior to founding her own talent consulting business, she was the VP of Talent at Zylo and Senior Director of Recruiting and Talent at Appirio. Julie also chairs the Indianapolis chapter of DisruptHR, an information exchange designed to energize, inform and empower HR professionals.

Why are you so passionate about helping people-based businesses?

People are at the crux of any business. They are not only the majority of a company’s costs, but also its greatest source of sustainable competitive advantage. In services organizations, you get to work with so many smart, talented people who bring real value to their clients every day, and see first-hand the impact that their work has on a business. Being a part of that journey, and crafting the programs and processes that support these individuals as they build amazing careers, is incredibly rewarding.

You have worked with a number of founders and leaders throughout your career and through your work with DisruptHR. What do you think is one of the biggest talent-related challenges that founders face early in their growth journeys?

One of the biggest challenges company’s face early on is laying the foundation for an inspiring culture and making that foundation scale. Many early teams are built on leaders who have worked together before and have a shared vision, but how do you grow beyond that to something that everyone is a part of? CEOs and founders need to have a talent partner from the beginning who can help drive strategy from a people perspective and provide balance with other executives who are charged with driving revenue and customer growth.

What advice would you give to founders looking to establish a leadership development program?

Leaders directly impact how your team members view the company and that impacts the business more than you realize. Be intentional about developing your leaders, and craft a leadership program that matches your values. Don’t try to copy someone else’s successful program that has been fine tuned for their business strategy.

What advice would you give founders looking to scale their business and team quickly?

Give hiring the time and attention it needs. Hiring is a lot more than filling open reqs. It’s about creating a destination where people want to join and stay. Bring on leaders who are passionate about building teams and who are always recruiting, not just when there is an open role. If you’re intentional about your recruiting strategy – how to hire to your values, what’s unique about your company and how you will scale the process over time – you will be in the driver’s seat.

Purvi Mathur

Purvi has more than 18 years of experience helping technology and financial services companies establish their talent operations in India, from recruiting to retention and team development. She is currently the Global Head of Culture, DEIB & Organization Development, Mastek. And formerly led HR for General Atlantic’s Global Capability Center in India, which she built from the ground up in 2018. Prior to this, Purvi played a critical role building the India HR operations for Appirio (now a Wipro company), and has worked within other large international organizations such as Accenture, The Oberoi Hotel Group and Genpact.

Why are you so passionate about helping people-based businesses?

Seeing new ventures grow and flourish gives me the same level of energy and enthusiasm as seeing my own kids grow. I love being able to help shape careers and present great opportunities, especially for early-stage companies.

You were involved in scaling up Appirio’s operations in India from its start. What advice would you give founders on scaling up a services business in India?

There are few elements you need to get right to be able to scale in India. One, there has to be a strong conviction for laying a foundation in India. This includes making it a strategic focus and continued commitment from executive leadership. Two, India is culturally different than its global peers and diverse in itself. Hence, building the right culture that is appropriate to the region and infuses the culture of the larger organization is extremely important. Three, there needs to be a focus on building a strong learning foundation for employees, not only to scale faster but to help people grow as individuals but also to provide them great career opportunities.

What are the elements of an effective talent strategy?

An effective talent strategy consists of three facets. One, building an employer brand that can attract the right talent. Two, defining and articulating the right employee value proposition. Talent has evolved from a pure compensation and benefit mindset, to a mindset that is much broader. It’s not just about the money, but the quality of work, learning opportunities, client interaction, international assignments, recognition, organizational culture and much more. And last but certainly not least, creating an empowering and inclusive culture that is built on trust. All these put together will eventually help leaders to hire, retain and grow the right talent.