Collective responsibility-sharing – that is how the right balance is formed
Published on : Thursday 10-03-2022
Deval Singh, VP and Business Head, Telecom, IT& ITes, Media and Government at TeamLease.
What was the inspiration that prompted you to pursue this career path?
“Putting India to work” is the reason why I joined TeamLease in the first place – I was 21 years old then, and that purpose is exactly what makes me want to keep working. It's a cause that I truly believe in; India has so much more untapped potential and the fact that my job holds an important responsibility to give jobs, motivates me to do better each day.
Can you recall your early days – say the first few days at work – and anything you would like to mention about that?
Imposter syndrome – there were times when I doubted if I was the right fit for the new job. Was I excited? Absolutely, but also nervous whether I would be able to live up to my own expectations, let alone anyone else's. I guess I must have done quite well, because today, I head a business in TeamLease, the very firm where I started as a recruiter. Therefore, consistency and determination indeed come a long way.
For a woman, it is a matter of finding the right balance between the jobs and managing the home – how do you manage this?
Unfortunately, the statement in the question is very true for most women around the world. It is important to understand that home management should be shared equally by both partners. In a true sense and to the fullest extent, only then the partnership at home works well, like the ones at work, too in a way lead to women empowerment. Collective responsibility-sharing – that is how the right balance is formed and I am fortunate to have a partner who agrees and works with me on it.
Tech is usually perceived as a male forte. How did you develop an interest in the tech field and perceive a career in that, tech should be considered a woman’s forte too – here are some of the skills that give women an edge up and have helped IT organisations think better:
• Networking Skills and Multitaskers: Women are masters in navigation and brilliantly put their ideas to work through their network. They intuitively are gracious and generous in building relationships and this helps to build strong professional relationships which is one of the most important ingredients to drive a profitable business. They can hold any business together like their household. Managing people, profits, and processes all together without batting an eye, because they know each of those buckets matters in the long run.
• Opportunity Identifiers: Women mostly see good in everything and everyone, even if it is their neighbours. This natural ability to seek opportunities to connect and grow is what helps them hunt for better strategic partners. They are natural leaders who approach easily, don't get easily distracted, and keep their egos down low.
• Natural Nurturers and Givers: Women seek to give back to their families, organisations, and communities. They feel indebted to do so – it's natural to them. It's ingrained in her to think about others first and then about her. This loyalty pays off for most organisations that promote women as their leaders. Any investment in her will give better RoI. They make great long-term strategic partners for any organisation. Their caring nature also makes them brilliant talent nurturers for once they see the talent they seek to grow it as much as possible which makes way for future leaders of those organisations.
I started my career in a startup and from the get, I enjoyed working on tech projects. I sincerely believe that the tech industry is all about optimism. It's about solving complex problems and increasing operational efficiency. Building for the future generations while having an impact on the current one is what pushed me to work for this sector.
As one rises up the hierarchy, the job involves odd hours and travel. How is that experience?
This comes down to streamlining priorities - being self-aware of what is important for you to handle yourself and what can be delegated. I would like to reiterate that having the right partner helping you balance responsibilities at home plays a very critical role in how efficiently you manage your work-life balance. Therefore, working odd hours or traveling doesn't faze me as long as my daughter’s well-being isn’t in jeopardy. A family too is your team and building a future together takes heart and work around the clock, so everyone should learn better time management.
Are workplaces today more sensitive to gender issues than say, a decade ago?
Absolutely, workplaces are much more open to issues related to gender now. We can't force-fit a woman in the man’s world – we shouldn't have to. Let's build a women’s world too. Organisations across the globe are trying to make their policies more welcoming to women and inclusive. Women make up 50% of the world population therefore, it is critical that we skill and build them up to stand at the same level as the men. Opportunities should be equal, never mind the gender.
At the height of the pandemic, a viral message talked about governments headed by women being more successful in managing the crisis. What is your opinion?
It doesn’t surprise me at all and I agree with it. Women are natural leaders, they are war-time CEOs. When all else fails, give the problem to a woman and she will solve it for you. They are caregivers and they will do whatever it takes to let no harm happen to their families, organisations, or country.
What would be your message to the youth who are just starting their career?
-Let your purpose drive you. Money is a by-product it will follow you once you master your skills and your will.
-Be enthusiastic, your positive energy is incredibly important to sustain big setbacks and to build resilience within you. Life ain't going to be all rainbows and roses so get strong.
-Be kind and give back to your team and community. We live in a very tumultuous time and every kind gesture has a lasting impact on the lives of people around us. Be your team’s biggest cheerleader.
Please describe yourself or your aspirations, dreams in 3 words.
Someday I want to look back at the work I did and be proud of my work and be content that I tried everything I could to make the world around me a better place. It makes me happy when I see people get their job offers – because that job is going to uplift a family and its future. I will keep working towards my mission of putting India to work.