SitusAMC Power Pro: Alpa Patel

Name: Alpa Patel  
Title: Head of Human Resources, India  
Location: Mumbai 

Day-to-day: I joined the organization in December 2020. The vision was to build the shared services team in India. We needed to have an HR presence to accommodate hiring in six different offices. As it was the pandemic, we were all working from home. When I joined, our head count was 500. Within five months we built the team to over 3,000 employees. I had to recruit, hire and on-ramp our new professionals, as well as standardize hiring procedures and create policies and processes within the HR domain. And then after all this, interest rates rose and we had to reduce our head count, which was tough. But now we are nearly back to where we started and still growing. It was a rollercoaster ride for me, honestly. From a framework standpoint a lot of my time is spent devising policies which can work well across the globe: as we say, “Think Global, Act Local.”  

Inspiration: Every day is different, so I never have a dull day. Whether I am working with the leadership team, the operations team, recruits, employees or my own HR team, we are partnering through new HR initiatives, recruitment efforts and good candidacy experiences via networking and strong employee advocacy. I’m inspired by creating a balance between what benefits the company and what works best for the employees. 

Most important mentor: My mother is my inspiration. She always pushed me to achieve something that was more aspirational. She wanted me to be independent and pursue my dreams. Crucially she never discouraged me from experimenting, but instead always told me it was okay to fail. She taught me that setbacks were learning experiences that will help me in the future. I am now trying to live her dream. She wanted to achieve a lot in her life, but circumstances prevented her from having a professional career. But she was proud that I could do it.  

Best advice: I strongly believe in three things: You should learn, unlearn and relearn. It’s fine if you make mistakes. What’s important is that you take the time to introspect on what’s going wrong and where. Don’t let failure be a barrier and demoralize you. It is not the end! In fact, it is the beginning of something new and great in your life. Be determined. And: If you want something new, you must stop doing something old. There comes a time when you need to let go of your baggage to make room for change. This will benefit whatever situation you are in, personally or professionally.  

Hometown: I have lived in Mumbai since I was a child. I am a Mumbaikar. And it’s a beautiful city. Mumbai is often referred to as the next New York, because it’s another city that never sleeps. At any time, night or day, you will see the city in action. It is always lively. Many aspiring professionals dream of making it to Mumbai where their careers can take off.  

Favorite recent read: One of my mentors suggested I read The Art of War by Sun Tzu. This book was written as a Chinese military treatise around the 5th century BC. It brilliantly analyzes strategies and diplomacy. In any space, work or personal, we must settle upon a strategic approach. And as humans we’re designed to react to anything and everything. This book is about sitting back and choosing your battle. Is there truly a need for you to get in the battlefield? The book encourages a more subtle approach: how to use your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses to your own advantage.  

Greatest strength: I am a risk taker. I simply love stress! I love to work under pressure. It’s strange but that is what it is. I just cannot operate if the situation is not challenging. I will deliver better results if I work under stringent timelines juggling a complex and demanding to-do list. I always try to pick the most daunting task to be completed first. I channel my energy to finish the harder work first because then I feel it’s a greater accomplishment.  

Downtime: Despite the fact that I work in HR, I am not a very social person. I love being in my own space. I enjoy reading a book alone at home, taking care of my pet or just sitting idle. When I have my leisure time I like to introspect and plan. I am a planner, so I really like to plan ahead for all the things I hope to accomplish in my life.