In conversation with an HR-Technical Recruiter at Fibonalabs

“A great company puts its employees first, who in turn put forth their best efforts to ensure client satisfaction.”

Palak Bhatnagar

HR- Technical Recruiter at Fibonalabs

We at Fibonalabs believe that our employees are our biggest strength. We may reach great heights concerning technology and design, but the success stems from our dedicated HR team. We keep the communication hierarchy simple, targets achievable, work culture engaging, and approach innovative. Be it a formal event or our Friday fun interaction session, we trust our Human Resource team to make it a grand success. Also, the team deserves due credit for bringing in skilled and creative people for our design, development, sales, and marketing teams.

Palak Bhatnagar is our HR-Technical Recruiter who started as an HR intern at Fibonalabs and is now a full-time employee. Palak is a B.Tech graduate who has worked as a software engineer for a year and a half. She has been a part of the HR Team in Fibonalabs since March 2021. She is a warm, down-to-earth, and jovial person who has contributed a lot to our management. We had a small conversation with her and here are a few excerpts.

What made you choose Human Resources Management as a career path because you were previously a software engineer?

I have always been a person who loves to interact with people. I prefer working with people in a team rather than working alone. During my work period as a developer, I was intrigued by the functioning of the management sector in the company. This inspired me to change a path in my career.

How was the transition from being an intern to becoming a full-time employee at Fibonalabs?

While I was an intern, my job responsibilities were almost the same as how it is currently. I had a good rapport with all my colleagues and mentors. I gained a lot of practical knowledge about human resources management. Once I became a full-time employee, I was able to practice what I learned in a full-fledged manner. My job responsibilities increased and so did my sense of belonging to the company. As a full-time employee, I became more responsible, and I always give my fullest. I feel more dedicated to my job, keeping in mind that I should always contribute to the success of the company.

What do you think are the perks of your job?

Being an HR, I get to interact with many people daily. The Friday interactive sessions where we organize and play games, win vouchers, etc are my favorite. Since interviewing is one of my job responsibilities, I get to learn a lot from the interviewees also. Understanding another person’s thought processes is thrilling for me. To top it all, an HR is a person who offers a job to deserving people. I think that is the best part of my job.

What are a few myths about HRs that you would like to debunk?

There are many, but let's talk about three myths for now:

HRs do not bother sending rejection mails as they are impolite!

I think understanding HR’s perspective on this would help in debunking this myth. As an HR-Technical Recruiter, initially, I reach out to at least 20-30 people, out of which only 2-3 people would be shortlisted for the next round. In this case, it is highly taxing for HR to send out rejection emails to each of them, but we do send rejection emails after to candidates who do not make it past the second round.

HRs are only party organizers and Rangoli makers(literally!)

Many people think that HR’s sole responsibility is to organize celebrations held in the company. Trolls are surfacing the internet that HRs are only rangoli makers. The truth is, even if we are actively involved in event management, there are more responsibilities for HR. This includes hiring, documentation, candidate verification, onboarding, query resolving, conflict resolution, gathering feedback, etc. At Fibonalabs, I schedule the training and development sessions as per the employees’ calendar. Regarding HR’s responsibilities, there is more than what meets the eye.

There is a hidden agenda behind the “Any more questions?” section of an interview.

From my perspective, it is not true. I usually ask that even in a normal call with the employees. The agenda behind the question is to make sure that the person on the other end is not confused or unaware about something which they ought to know.

Which part of your job do you feel gets highly monotonous?

I usually have pre-designed questionnaires for each job profile, which I may slightly modify depending upon the candidate’s responses. I also need to give an overview of the company on the first call. Asking the same pattern of questions and introducing the company many times to at least 20 candidates does get monotonous at times. On a humorous note, even my parents know what services our company provides and what’s the next question that I’ll be asking in an interview!

Under what criteria do you feel that a candidate is worth the offer, apart from the eligibility criteria?

Beyond the candidate’s education, skills, and experience, their communication skills matter the most to me. A candidate who can express himself/herself well would be my choice for the next round.

How has Fibonalabs helped you gain experience as both an interviewer and an interviewee?

As an interviewer, I am now better at asking the right questions to gain insights into the candidate’s interests and willingness to work. This helps me to judge the candidate easily, without fully depending on the resume. Apart from the initial calls, I also conduct the HR rounds now. My experience with technology is a feather to my cap, as I can shortlist candidates better.

As an interviewee, I feel more confident than before. I am now better at answering questions. I can structure my answers better and I also know what kind of information to share and what not to share.

How do you feel about your first interview now that you are an HR?

During my B.Tech days I used to speak well about my projects, skill sets, etc. But I always found the “Tell me about yourself” question challenging. I used to get stuck beyond a certain point, as to what to say further. Now when I am an HR recruiter, I get a clear idea of what I could’ve said back then.

If given a chance, which role would you switch to for a day at Fibonalabs, and why?

I would love to be a designer for a day. I have always marveled at their creativity and expertise with the tools. On a funny note, I'd love to become invisible, visit them in their homes and observe how their design thinking shapes up!

Being a person from a technical background also, do you continue to explore new tools and technologies despite shifting to the management side?

Yes, of course, I do. Since I am from a technical background and I handle technical recruitments now, I still explore the latest technology trends and tools. I often extend a helping hand to my previous workplace on request. I feel that even if someone isn't from a technical background, they should be aware of the latest tech trends in the market, just to stay updated.

Mention the skills which you’ve gained at Fibonalabs and skills which you’d like to improve.

I have gained my full-on experience as an HR from Fibonalabs only. This includes interviewing, event organizing, documentation, conflict resolution, query management, onboarding, offboarding, feedback generation, and much more. I would like to improve my skills in payroll. That is something which I’m planning to achieve in the upcoming days.

From an HR perspective, how comfortable and progressive do you think Fibonalabs is, to their employees or job applicants?

In comparison with my previous workplace which consisted of 1000+ employees, the management system in Fibonalabs is highly commendable. The communication hierarchy is not complicated, which results in faster query resolutions. From my point of view, we as employees do not work 24/7 to exert ourselves, as there are many recreational methods available. This includes the Friday interactive sessions, training and development sessions, webinars, and short breaks to recharge ourselves. In-office, we have a Foosball court, where the employees can play a game to relieve their work stress. The company takes good care of their employees be it granting leaves for important personal events or helping out during days of hardships in work.  We are also planning to launch certification courses for tech and design enthusiasts. I think that Fibonalabs is growing at a good pace, and would surely reach great heights in the future.

How do you manage to stay connected with your colleagues through the current WFH mode at Fibonalabs?

There are an ample number of interactive sessions training and development sessions and quarterly Townhall meetings which keep us connected always. We also celebrate the birthdays of our employees virtually by sending them a surprise birthday cake and connecting on teams meet. I feel like I know everyone for a long time. I often forget that I am working from home as it feels like working at the office always.

How do Fibonalabs contribute to your mental health?

At Fibonalabs, there is a constructive goal-setting system. We aren’t forced to achieve unrealistic targets, but we are more inclined towards smart work and innovation. I usually start my work early and try to complete it by evening, and within this time frame, I feel that my work-life balance is maintained. Work does get hectic at times, but it is challenging and interesting but never overbearing or stressful. For example, all the job positions may not be filled within the given time. The directors do understand the nuances of the hiring platforms and shortlisting processes, and do not pressure us to achieve the targets in an unhealthy manner. I feel that all of this improves my job satisfaction and provides plenty of room for learning and innovation.