"Massive acceleration in digitization across sectors."-Sharmeen Khalid-CHRO- Info Edge India Ltd.

Meet Sharmeen Khalid, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Info Edge India Ltd, a premiere internet company with headquarters in India and offices across the Gulf :

Please share your professional journey with us and how did you reach where you are.

Thanks to my parents, I got excellent education and I was the first girl to go for a professional MBA degree in my family.

Along my professional journey, I was fortunate to gain good exposure in all facets of HR viz talent management, performance management, recruitment, learning and OD, mainly in IT services and Product companies.

I reached where I am today because I was at the right place at the right time and of course, I really worked hard for it. Being part of the success story of Info Edge has been a very exhilarating and rewarding experience.

Not all this of course would have been possible without trustworthy mentors, an amazing team and family members who always supported me.

Which aspect of your role do you enjoy the most?

Being in HR has been very fulfilling for me because I get to know who my employees are as human beings, what makes them happy and what their personal and career aspirations are. Having meaningful conversations with them and matching their aspirations with organizational objectives is something that I enjoy the most.

What is the best part about working in your company?

As an employee you get to learn and grow a lot since Info Edge is a successful company with years of experience in consumer internet, an inspiring leadership team, very talented colleagues and a culture that promotes meritocracy.

And to top it all, Info Edge is an inclusive workplace for everyone irrespective of race, gender, or nationality.

What is your favorite way to de-stress after a long day at work?

If the weather is pleasant, then going for a walk makes me feel good after a long day at work. Else listening to Sufi Songs or melodious Bollywood songs is definitely a stress buster.

Please share your favorite books or authors with our audience.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari and Unburden by Nithyashanti are books that I have liked in the recent past. I also like books by Elif Safak, especially Forty Rules of Love.

Do you live by any particular motto?

There is no single motto that I live by.. spiritual quotes from Rumi, Thich Nhat Hanh and words of wisdom from many men and women are my guiding principles in life.

What advice would you like to give to the jobseekers who are struggling to find a job during these times ?

The good news is that most industries are back to hiring people. In some industries there is a huge rush to hire as well…try to understand how the employment landscape has changed with respect to your skills and qualifications. If it means that, you need to acquire new skills then go ahead and invest in yourself. If you need to realign your expectations with the changed environment, do consider that. Register yourself on careersites and jobsites, and be open to experiment.

Any suggestions for jobsites to help them become more relevant in the post Covid -19 world?

Covid has led to many changes in the employment landscape, for example there is massive acceleration in digitization across sectors. Jobsites need to ensure that their offerings quickly adapt to this change. There could be skills or roles whose demand has gone up and vice versa. Advisory on upskilling, reskilling and expectation management of jobseekers is something that can be looked at.

On the recruiters side, there is a huge demand of skilled workforce after  the lull period of Covid. Jobsites should have a consultative approach with clients and help them discover newer ways of hiring and fulfilling these requirements.