“I strive to infuse innovative practices in the business environment to take it to the next level where an employee takes ownership of work and delivers highest industry standards. This helps to build great businesses. I always believe that we have to ‘Do small things in a big way, common things in an uncommon way to perfect imperfections”, says, Ashita Prabhu Gaonkar, Head HR of GAF Landscaping, while talking about her view on being a pioneering HR leader. Her business acumen and HR expertise have allowed her to build a unique HR framework for GAF Landscaping that has helped the company to strive for greater heights in the Indian corporate realm.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur, Ashita talks more about her professional journey and her life as a leading HR figure in the Indian corporate realm.

1. Take us through your prior educational and professional background. Also, throw some light on your leadership style?

I have completed my Bachelors (B.Sc.) and Masters (MSc) in Botany with specialization in Genetic Engineering, research in Mycology and MBA in Human Resources. After that, I wanted to be a research scientist and to pursue Ph.D. in Mycology and Genetics I headed to the UK way back in 1999 and secured admission for Ph.D. in the prestigious University of Exeter which is well-known for research in Mycology. But fate had it that I should be dealing with Humans rather than chromosomes and genes, and so, I ended studying MBA with specialization in Human resources instead of Ph.D. in Genetics and Mycology. And now, I have been working in the HR domain for the past 16 plus years which has been an exciting learning curve for me.

As far as my leadership style goes, I would say that I am quite a flexible leader when it comes to leading HR and believe that one leadership style cannot meritoriously work for all. I have always been quite an accommodating and participative leader, welcoming everyone’s views while designing policies which align with the organization’s vision and mission and at the same time implement cultural transformation and change management programs in the organization.

25JUNE2021and genes, and so, I ended studying MBA with specialization in Human resources instead of Ph.D. in Genetics and Mycology. And now, I have been working in the HR domain for the past 16 plus years which has been an exciting learning curve for me. As far as my leadership style goes, I would say that I am quite a flexible leader when it comes to leading HR and believe that one leadership style cannot meritoriously work for all. I have always been quite an accommodating and participative leader, welcoming everyone’s views while designing policies which align with the organization’s vision and mission and at the same time implement cultural transformation and change management programs in the organization.

“Recruiting and onboarding the right candidate may not always be possible as there are many limitations to it although I as an hr leader ensure that the talent acquisition team recruits the right fit for the right position”

2. Give us a brief overview of your roles & responsibilities at Gaf landscaping?

Currently, I am heading the Human Resources department of GAF Landscaping LLC. I believe that dealing with humans with varied cultural backgrounds and beliefs, family upbringing, thought process and response to situations, emotions, and behavioral patterns are more complex than operating machines. Also, handling manpower from various countries and making them work as a team with linguistic, ethnic and cultural differences is a tough balancing act that most businesses face. But with an able HR team and supportive management, I am able to manage the end-to-end HR functions of GAF Landscaping across geographies through corporate plans for a variety of HR processes like Employee engagement & Retention, Employee Relations, HR Operations, and Health & Safety.

Apart from this, I am responsible to create and manage talent strategies for performance management, and staffing and career progression. I also design and monitor adherence and adoption of internal policies and HR systems as well. I am solely responsible for HR Budget creation and utilization linked to outcomes and I design effective communication network across the organization for employee grievance redressal.

3. What strategies have you adopted at Gaf landscaping to onboard the right candidates and create a motivated workforce?

Recruiting and onboarding the right candidate may not always be possible as there are many limitations to it although I as an HR leader ensure that the talent acquisition team recruits the right fit for the right position. To make this job easier, we have recently implemented an assessment center, which helps to assess a shortlisted candidate in a much better way in the shortest possible time.

To ensure that we have a highly motivated work-force, we have robust compensation and benefits structure for our employees apart from reward and recognition programs, and well-equipped training team that motivate individual employees to undergo mandatory hours of in-house training programs. More importantly, our team collectively ensures that every one of our employees has work life balance and I take great pride in the fact that we have a very low percentage of employee turnovers.

4. What is the roadmap ahead for you as the hr leader at Gaf landscaping? Are you looking to add any new capabilities or areas of expertise in the days to come?

GAF Landscaping LLC is slated to be an industry leader with allied business plans in pipeline and we are at the helm of the logistic growth curve. Legal knowledge and understanding of international labor laws and cultural assimilation across the borders is one area that I am going to prioritize in the coming years and I believe that mastering these concepts will be beneficial in the long run.

We as an organization also have plans to take up planting millions of trees across the globe to reduce carbon footprint, and implement projects that will reduce air and water pollution. We want to set examples for the rest to follow and we are also onboarding a CSR team and are training existing employees to be environmentally conscious.

Ashita Prabhu Gaonkar, Head HR, Gaf Landscaping

Ashita has been recognized as a pioneering HR contributor and employee of the year consecutively in all the various organizations that she has been a part of. And this acts as a testament that showcases the quality of her HR operations.