On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, our guest is Mrinal Kumar, Founder & CEO at Navriti Technologies offering technology solutions for learning and assessments.
Having been in the industry for more than six years, Mrinal has worked across varied technology stacks and possesses hands-on knowledge of contemporary web technologies.
Before founding Navriti, he was leading a team at Actiance India Pvt Ltd to deliver a product, focused on compliance and auditing of data traffic over various email networks.
In this episode, we discuss with Mrinal:
Attrition
One of the biggest challenges that people managers are facing at this hour is Attrition. Mrinal Kumar, Founder & CEO, Navriti Technologies, while sharing his thoughts on what companies and managers can do to reduce Attrition, says, “The only solution is to increase retention.”
“Managers play a very crucial role. We need to understand if the individuals’ strengths and weaknesses are in sync with the organization’s. Not just that, but we need to see if they are doing what they want to do,” he goes on to say and mentions an example of an individual who likes to talk but is working in the operations team.
Employee Referrals
Hiring the right individual is another big decision that managers are required to make. The trend of employee referrals is one of the most trusted and accepted ways of getting a trusted resource onboard.
Sharing his set of reasons for banking on employee referrals, Mrinal says, “With employee referrals, there is a promise that there is someone who can vouch for the new hire. You can’t completely rely on the one-day interview process. Because that might not be a very good day for the interviewee.”
“However, with employee referral, you are sorted with the background check and most of the other things. All that needs to be done in evaluating the attitude and see if the person can be a good fit within the team or not.” Kumar goes on to say.
Showing a contrast between startups and established companies, Kumar says, “For established firms, the process might include various other things, but for startups, employee referral is the best way. For any requirement, spread the word internally, trust your employees and send a value proposition.”
Underrated Leadership Skills
While leadership is a skill not everyone can learn, Mrinal Kumar believes that “Unlearning” has always been an underrated leader skill.
While supporting his remark, he says, “The most harmful thing for leaders is their ‘Know It all’ attitude. Leaders should unlearn their past experiences and create room for new ideas. They should not stop trying out new things because of their past experiences.”
To narrate further, he says, “Life is all about learning new things every day, from zero. Unlearning comes naturally, and all that needs to be done is give room to new ideas, solutions.”
“Many-a-times leaders rule out new ideas based upon their past experiences when they end up with not-so-pleasing outcomes. But the same idea might do wonders if applied in a different scenario and with a fresh approach,” shares Mrinal.
Not only the corporate sector and job market, but Mrinal has a strong point of view about the current education system.
Follow Mrinal on LinkedIn
Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Lokesh Gautam