Leaders

International, multilingual teams are becoming more common since they can enter new markets and compete globally. Despite the benefits, organizations wishing to employ international talent encounter many difficulties before enjoying the perks of a diverse workforce. International recruiting is complicated. Global recruiters that specialize in foreign talent acquisition say they have a hard time locating high-quality prospects from external sources. To address all of these challenges and aid Indian-based businesses operating in Western countries in finding qualified employees Gayatri Shah created Tamarind Executive Search.

Before she established Tamarind, Gayatri worked as a Principal at BSG Team Ventures, where her primary emphasis was on meeting the human capital requirements of venture capitalist-backed biotechnology startups, mostly in cross-border jobs between the US and the European Union. In addition, she serves on the board of Plugin Recruiter, a Cambridge, United Kingdom-based video recruiting platform startup.

In an exclusive interview with Women Entrepreneur magazine, Gayatri discussed her entrepreneurial journey and the obstacles she encountered on the path to success.

What Motivated You To Establish Tamarind Executive Search? Tell Us About The Underlying Idea Behind The Company & Its Most Unique Features.

Working in the UK's recruitment business, I saw that many Indian companies operating in western nations like Europe or the US had difficulty finding and retaining qualified employees. I reached out to my connections as well as conducted research on this concept, and discovered that there is a need to be addressed; hence, I decided to establish Tamarind Executive Search to fill this gap.

At the same time, I had children and wanted to be able to work from home with a degree of flexibility. A woman's first concern when deciding on a business or job is how it will affect her family. In addition, I've always been the kind of person who wanted to start a business, but I didn't want to leave my family. Fortunately, my profession allowed me to spend time with my children while at work. When Tamarind was first established, I mostly worked with Indian-based pharmaceutical businesses and recruited for them in the West, or brought Western talent to India, which was also a critical need at the time.

What Are Some Of The Most Pressing Business Challenges That You Face In The Role Of A Recruiter & As An Entrepreneur?

Like other executives, I had to cope with similar business difficulties, such as the buoyant nature of the executive search market we operate in. It's more specific in terms of the direction the market is now heading in as well as the size of the company. Furthermore, when it comes to our clients, we're proud of how we go about acquiring new ones. Offering excellent services to a modest number of customers is far more essential to us than taking on too many projects. Rather than diverting our attention to a variety of projects, Tamarind Executive Search prefers to concentrate only on a single set of clients and ensure their complete satisfaction.

In Your Opinion What Are Some Of The Most Significant Milestones That You Have Achieved Throughout Your Professional Journey?

Initially launching my firm while having two kids and ensuring I am a good mother and entrepreneur is a personal milestone. I can say I have established this company single-handedly. In my first assignment, I placed my kid in front of the TV because I expected the client discussion to last 30 minutes. I double-checked that he was busy, but the conversation lasted an hour. It was difficult since I could hear my son crying, but I had to hold the meeting in a quiet spot because I didn't want to look like a mother running a company from home and yet seem extremely professional.

"A woman's first concern when deciding on a business or job is how it will affect her family"

However, the customer was satisfied at the end of the meeting, but I was left with mixed emotions in my head. From that point on, we have grown Tamarind into a worldwide company today. Furthermore, I can confidently state that no one has done more work for Indian-owned enterprises operating in the West than we have. That's a remarkable achievement for a small boutique business like ours.

From Your Experience As A Successful Business Leader, What Advice Would You Give Young Women & Girls Who Want To Be Business Leaders & Entrepreneurs?

Women nowadays are far more intelligent than they were 20 years ago. This generation has a defined goal and several possibilities to reach it. Therefore, I encourage women who want to establish their businesses to take advantage of learning possibilities, because you never know when it may prove to be very helpful. Do not waste time researching how a new skill set will benefit your firm while gaining it. In entrepreneurship, challenges can arise at any time, so be prepared.

Gayatri M Shah, Founder, Tamarind Executive Search

Gayatri is a graduate of Delhi University with a BA (Hons) in Economics and Lancaster University with an MSc in Economics. Gayatri Shah has worked in the search business for almost two decades in the United Kingdom, the United States, and India. She began her search career at Egon Zehnder in India, where she worked for the top 25 Indian pharmaceutical businesses, before specializing in finance jobs inside FTSE 250 companies for three years with Michael Page in the United Kingdom.