There is a noticeable surge of energy in the air on the third floor of Godrej One. As I walk in to office, I can see all around me that people are hustling – the excitement on their faces is palpable despite the face masks we don in this new normal. Godrej Housing Finance is in business.
As I enter my cabin, the mug on my desk almost beams at me – Employee #1 it proudly proclaims! I am instantly transported back to over a year ago, yet it only seems like yesterday when our Chairman, Mr. Pirojsha Godrej urged me to step in as CHRO at Godrej Housing Finance to launch a new business.
Entrusted with this responsibility and thrilled to take on a new challenge, I hung up my boots at Godrej Properties as the CHRO and set sail within the start-up space. After an action packed stint at Godrej Properties, I looked forward eagerly to building Godrej Housing Finance. How hard could it be, I had told myself! But I don’t think anything, not even my two decades of experience in the corporate world could have prepared me for the reality of this year gone by. As we draw close to the end of 2020, with all its ups and downs, I thought it best to capture this journey as we created GHF from scratch.
The descent before the climb
Going from an environment where you are speeding along at the pace of a race car to a slow trot, one has to be prepared to eat humble pie. The birth of a startup is synonymous for the absence of a team, lack of systems and most importantly office space. While it may seem glamorous to say something like “I built this up from nothing”, it does take a lot of elbow grease. Fortunately for us, we had the concrete backing of the Godrej Group and we received the resources to support our journey. However it made me realize that if you are not comfortable in your own skin and need external validation that comes from being a part of large scale organizations then a startup is not for you.
Seek and you shall find
Asking for help is not always easy, however here I had no choice, from asking for office space, interview locations, help with systems and processes, and travel arrangements, to resources for strategic work. And the beautiful part is how much people helped and very readily so. People from across the Godrej Group did everything to help me and the business. I have a lot of gratitude towards them all without whom my job would have been very challenging.
Back to school
A large part of my journey so far has been about being open to revisit the blackboard from time to time and relearn what it takes to work with an entrepreneurial mindset. I’ve worked in many industries and sectors in my career thus far. However with GHF, this was the first time I was experiencing the BFSI industry. I consciously spent time networking with HR professionals from this industry to understand key nuances of people management in this sector.
A unique experience I have witnessed at Godrej Housing Finance, has been switching between being “in the balcony (Strategic)” and “in the dance (execution)”, moments. There have been days where I have had to get involved in operational aspects like, how to fit in X number of cabins in the office floor plan to strategic big impact decisions like what our Long term Organisation structure should be, and all within the span of an hour. Whether we have been working virtually or in office, I can definitely say that my ability to zoom in and out in the blink of an eye has definitely sharpened.
Hiring great talent
I often get asked, what is the most important element to consider while laying down the foundation of a new organization? The answer is pretty straightforward – hire great talent! People who join you at the startup phase are no less than co-founders themselves. They contribute to building culture, defining the ethos and paving the path for success. We spent a disproportionate amount of time on each of our early hires.
Working alongside our MD, Manish Shah to assemble the people strategy, mould the work culture and onboard the co-founder team required constant collaboration, agility and most importantly, the belief that it’s our people who will make a difference. I recall how we had our first few meetings in the Godrej BKC office which was kindly let to us by our chairman Pirojsha and his insistence on discussing each person in great detail. Using all data points – Psychometric assessments, interview feedback and references plus considering the candidates own career aspirations is critical. To know that I have played a vital part in creating an ironclad team of co-founders has been a truly humbling experience.
What’s your reason for being?
One of the highpoints of my start-up voyage with Godrej Housing Finance was how we as a team defined our purpose statement and values. The sheer energy and enthusiasm of the two-day workshop the core team underwent to bring this to life, was a turning point in our existence. It brings me great joy to know that our ultimate reason to exist is a product of every co-founder’s belief system and past experiences. Our shared vision is the glue that binds us together on this journey.
You’re one of us!
Possessing the humility to fail fast, accept new ways of working and realign our goals are reflective qualities of the people at Godrej Housing Finance. A classic example of this was when our MD suggested involving employees who hadn’t formally joined us yet to help formulate our business plans. In fact, when I look back, I remember some of our early meetings having more non-employees than employees! Today, I can say with utmost conviction that the model of ‘highly engaged employees’ has truly paid off. Each of them assumed ownership of the business because they felt valued by the organization they were about to join.
Stay humble, hustle hard
Building a business from the ground up comes with a certain level of risk. Knowing that you might fail and still giving it your 100% despite the odds is what separates the good from the great. Over the course of this past one year, the resounding traits of agility and adaptability have made their way through the very fabric of Godrej Housing Finance. We were in the same boat as most companies when the pandemic struck but quickly found ways to incorporate what matters to us the most – Our six values that saw us through the lockdown, guided us through several initiatives and cemented the very purpose on which we are built – which is to provide fair, fast and flexible financing to our consumers.
And what greater way than this to build a workforce of individuals who view the company as their own?
The sheer drive and vigor that our teams brought to Godrej Housing Finance was evident in the way they collaborated seamlessly across functions, with every person going the extra mile to take on a task that was outside the realm of their job descriptions. The founders themselves rolled up their sleeves, showcased their unique personalities and brought a sense of entrepreneurship to the table. As CHRO, my biggest challenge was to curate the right mix of personal touch, Group values and a solid HR framework to form the pillars of the company. With over 50% of our teams hired virtually, our tech-led infrastructure made it possible to build an in-house ecosystem that empowers our people to deliver best-in-class solutions and superlative customer service. Right from shaping the future of work and enhancing our rewards and recognition program to prioritizing employee well-being at all costs, Godrej Housing Finance has come a long way.
Working along with people that thrive in ambiguity, welcome fresh challenges and view problem-solving from a creative angle made it easy to preserve the agility that any successful start-up demands. Candidly speaking, my experiences in HR prior to Godrej Housing Finance whether amidst a turnaround, a merger and acquisition or even a demerger were all a run-up to the toughest and most enriching experience thus far – Bringing Godrej Housing Finance to Life.
This past month, launching our business was a moment of sheer contentment for me. I felt an immense amount of gratitude towards all those who pitched in every step of the way. For each of us at Godrej Housing Finance, we view our customer’s journey through the same lens that we crafted our own story. A unique blend of strategy, design and a sustainable work culture is now an intricate part of the larger Godrej legacy.
And as we gear up for winning our customers and continue this journey on our strong start, I stand tall and feel equally humbled knowing that I was Employee #1.
Ruhie Pande 