My Role Had Stretched Beyond Normal HR Function: Quatela's Head HR

A disruptor on his duty made sure to reframe the structures and strategies matching the pace of the advancements, Kapil Takkalapally moved from the traditional view of HR and reset relationships with employees, customers and partners. This meant that his HR team had a strong role in ensuring that operations succeed and employees are well supported. It also meant that there were multiple hats that the HR team had to play in using their strengths such as relationship building, client management, project management to support the overall direction of the organisation. The HR team including his role had stretched beyond the normal HR function and we took various decisions, building new business and employee working models to support the new reality.” Claims Takkalapally

“This meant that I and my HR team had a strong role in ensuring that our operations succeed and our employees are well supported. We had moved from the traditional view of HR and reset our relationships with our employees, customers and partners. It also meant that there were multiple hats that the HR team had to play in using their strengths such as relationship building, client management, project management to support the overall direction of the organisation. The HR team including my role had stretched beyond the normal HR function and we took various decisions, building new business and employee working models to support the new reality.

Around the world, COVID-19 has forced organisations, enterprises and entire industries to regroup and reassess how they do business. As leaders look for guidance on navigating today’s uncharted waters, they are also looking ahead and adjusting their strategies to thrive in a post-COVID world.

At Quantela too, things are no different. With all the governments across the globe focusing on containing the pandemic and making sense of what regulations can work, what can improve the overall health of a city or country, there was a sudden slowdown in the market space. 

“My tenure at Quantela enabled me to implement a robust HR framework ranging from hiring to exits,” states Kapil Takkalapally, Head-HR, Quantela. To name a few, some noteworthy steps include –

·         EVP focused on strong global talent attraction 

·         A pay for performance philosophy centred performance management

·         Talent management framework for building deep leadership expertise and critical talent

·         Career framework with market-linked pay practices

·         Implement an integrated global HRIS for seamless workflows across corporate functions

He as the leader, initially focused on the short term to keep the employees safe and sustain essential services without any disruption which in the end made him win this tag of BW HR 40 under 40. Further, Quantels’s HR head quickly moved on to stabilising the organisation to the new reality and adapting their work culture to scale activities. Presently, they are engaged in building long term strategies, drawing on their past experiences during the pandemic and scaling up to provide value to their customers in the new normal world. 

There is a lot Quantela to be achieved in the name of goals but the impact created so far includes; Building a culture of hiring talent with purpose. We have been able to build expertise in engineering, product management, UX and sales functions especially at the middle to senior talent segments. Expanded globally in the US, Europe regions and established a strong leadership team and a strategic acquisition to build capabilities and access to wider market opportunities.