Conversations with the Career Doctor
This in-depth conversation between Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder, Avtar Group, and Moumita Kurup, Vice President and Global Head of HR at Sasken Technologies dives into Moumita’s phenomenal journey, her challenges and the wisdom she has gained through her years. Having learnt 16 regional languages throughout her life, work and travel, Moumita found immense value in being able to interact with people in their mother tongue. A truly diverse, diversity advocate, women’s motivator and polyglot, Moumita shares her deep insights in candid conversation.
Leveraging Language and HR Processes
Moumita remarks on the language adjacency principle: How knowing one language facilitates learning neighboring states’ languages, and how she leveraged this in her workplace, playing to her unique strength. Her multilingual abilities enabled an easy connection with multiple, diverse individuals as an HR professional. Her innovation doesn’t stop there. Moumita recalls patenting some of her HR processes focusing on talent quality during the 2008-2009 economic slowdown in the U.S. She also created the Talent Quality Group at Wipro, that still exists in the company, that did background checks before sending out offer letters. Her innovation has been long lasting and influential.
Challenges, Risks and Transitions
Kurup recalls championing many causes, including transition to email-based recruitment in 2003, to conducting rigorous data-backed research to support her insights and change the industry for the better. She recalls present data-backed pushback to hiring managers when at Helett-Packard, she demonstrated proof of a limited candidate pool for new technology, challenging unrealistic hiring standards.
Kurup stresses upon adaptability as a useful supporting value in one’s career journey. She transitioned into HR processes with no prior knowledge of the field based solely on her confidence in process-building abilities, and her agility. Her hiring philosophy is unique, and draws upon her personal experiences: She never hires HR business partners with existing experience, and prefers those with diverse backgrounds that can learn anew, with fresh perspective.
Leadership and Women in Technology
Moumita highlights how women naturally possess the ability to learn multiple skills, and quickly, making them wonderful candidate for tech fields. She encourages women to seek out mentors and male allies, emphasizing that supportive ecosystems do exist. She encourages taking risks and emphasizes the importance of viewing setbacks as opportunities – for growth and excellence.
To her, one’s primary obstacles are mental. She believes that organizations should support career pivots, encourage flexibility and train graduates that desire to pivot. She also believes that hiring must prioritize a good attitude and aptitude to learn over existing knowledge and certifications.
Work – Life Integration and the Way Forward
Moumita enthusiastically states that the future of work is hybrid. To her, work-life integration means being a 100% present on the current activity, be it at work or at home. Literally, taking it moment by moment. She also, insightfully stresses upon removing personal conflicts from workplace equations, by focusing on problem-solving rather than personalities.
With a hopeful glint in her eye, Moumita signed off by urging those who are successful to always helps others, and by encouraging older generations to nurture and mentor younger ones, encouraging exploration of new domains.
She speaks many languages, and innovation is one of them. Listen to Moumita’s story. Click Here
