Meet the SHEROES - Jayantika Dave

Today we speak to Jayantika Dave, the ex-Vice-President of Human Resources at Ingersoll Rand. She tells us a little about her professional journey and how she decided to take a break for several years before re-entering the corporate world.

What was it like as a returning professional for her – let’s get to know more.

Tell us a little about yourself 

I come from a family that has primarily worked in the government, so our childhood was spent in old bungalows, and large gardens. The decision to do an MBA and work in the private sector, was a break with tradition, as the normal expectation would be to try for the IAS.

I have worked for the last 35 years, out of which the first 15 were in marketing, manufacturing, and consulting, and the last 20 have been in Human Resources, with great organisations like Hewlett-Packard, Agilent Technologies, and Ingersoll Rand.

What line of work are you currently in?

I retired as the Vice-President Human Resources, Ingersoll Rand, and am now a Director on their Board. I am also a Director on the Board of four other companies, in the industrial and power sectors.

How has your past work experiences shaped you as a person?

I have learnt that there is no substitution for hard work, and that if you have grit, determination, a burning desire to excel, and a cheerful 'bring it on' approach, coupled with building and being part of a great team....the world is your oyster!

When it comes to work-life balance, as an HR professional, what key tips would you give young working mothers?

When I became a young mother, I made the choice to opt out of corporate life, and do part time work for 10 years, till the kids grew up a bit. I re-entered the corporate world after this break, started well below where I would have been if I had stayed, but caught up within 5 years. 

So my advice to young mothers would be to make a choice about what you want to do, and be comfortable with that choice. If you want to return to the workplace, know that it is possible to do that and be successful. What it will take will be finding the right organisation to support you, hard work, not giving up, staying positive, and believing that you will soon catch up with the colleagues who had moved ahead. 

In the corporate world, specific to India, where do the major challenges lie regards to people management?

I believe the top 3 human resource challenges we have in India today are Leadership, Engagement, and Business Partnership. Leadership - identify and develop leaders who have a strategic mindset, the ability to inspire a team, and execution capability. Engagement - build an organisation culture that helps employees achieve their aspirations while contributing to business success. Business Partnership - how can HR continue to reinvent themselves, to be great business partners, while continuing to be operationally effective.

Can you leave our readers with a few thoughts?

While I have to confess that my own career path has been pretty unplanned, when I reflect on what has contributed to my success and share that as advice, here are a few things I would say. 

Pick organisations with great leaders and great people practices; find a good mentor; look for opportunities to learn and stand out; never compromise on being Best in Class; be a great mentor, coach, team player yourself; and know that there is no substitute for hard work!