HR operations

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.