"Working Alongside The Founders, Has Helped Me Institutionalise A Great Operating Rhythm”

For a relatively young organisation, Pepperfry boasts of a great human resources management system that not only allows for seamless record-keeping and communication but also an integrated performance management tool. 

And this is where Aditi Pareek, Head HR, Pepperfry has played a pivotal role in institutionalising this HRMS and the Performance Management process at Pepperfry, having run successfully for past 4 years. 

“I am lucky enough to have received the opportunity of defining the culture and setup of Human Resources in a Startup like Pepperfry. In the past 2 years, the human resources at Pepperfry have enabled training from entry-level frontline staff to leadership coaching. The program has reached 300 out of 500 people at Pepperfry, which was set up by me,” exclaims Pareek with happiness. 

Working alongside the founders and CXO’s of Pepperfry, she is also known to have helped in reducing cost and retaining talent in times when most organisations went through unprecedented times of economic slowdown. Pareek additionally took up the additional responsibility of running Customer Support, thereby, leading by example and fostering learning agility.

She has been a firm believer in the fact that “an e-commerce start-up is unique in the sense that it employs folks from diverse industries. An omnichannel business like Pepperfry has people from retail, technology, FMCG, Manufacturing and Supply Chain and therefore heading Human Resources here has allowed me to gain a diverse experience of people, industries and cultures.”

Having deep-rooted values of ethics, Pareek believes that unethical situations can do real harm to an org/employee involved; thus, it is of utmost importance to not make a hasty judgment basis a complaint. “I prefer to hear all involved parties, their argument and then consult the respective stakeholders. I think it is important to approach an unethical situation well informed, at the same time keep relevant stakeholders informed on developments,” asserts the Head HR of Pepperfry.

Pareek has set up and institutionalised training and development at Pepperfry from scratch. In her view, Pepperfry has the most comprehensive and all-encompassing training and development calendar. 

“Working alongside the founders, I have helped institutionalise a great operating rhythm at Pepperfry, this rhythm drives the communication across the company and includes programs like townhalls, all-hands review meets, annual offsites etc.” A great operating rhythm helps in clear and timely communication about business to all employees and goes a long way in getting the best out of our employees. 

With a steady goal in mind, “in the next 5 years I see myself as the CHRO Pepperfry,” claims Pareek.