Playing the role of an HR Business Partner is nothing short of hectic. From being the point-of-contact for various employee relation issues to steering business meetings, they form a critical pillar within our organization. A responsibility that Akshaya Shetty, who returned to Flipkart in 2014 enjoys, every single day.
“I am a part of Flipkart’s Marketplace, Returns and Trust & Safety team, and primarily take care of seller incidences. In addition, employee management also comes under my charter,” says the Senior HR partner. At Flipkart, an HR Business Partner’s [HRBP] role is well cut out. HR Business Partners form the bridge between Flipsters and the business, ensuring targets, roadmaps, policies and dependencies are aligned for smooth business operation. “The role of my team is to ensure that quality products are sold by sellers to customers, without hiccups,” says Akshaya about her work in the Trust & Safety team.
Approachable in nature and popular for her problem solving skills, Akshaya is a familiar face for Flipsters in her unit. But for her, the journey within Flipkart has been a unique one. One that started back in 2011 and another that restarted in 2014. Here’s the story in her own words.
Making a trip up and down memory lane – by Akshaya Shetty
To begin with, this is my second stint at Flipkart. I first joined the company in July 2011 where I was driving Flipkart’s campus hiring efforts. Back then, Flipkart was smaller and what a time that was! Today, we rarely get to see Sachin [Bansal] and Binny [Bansal]. But the story was quite different back then. I got an opportunity to work with some sharp, intelligent and most importantly, a fun bunch of people. I still remember my first call to a Campus Placement Officer, introducing myself and Flipkart. He asked me: “I am sorry, can you repeat the name of your company?” Back then, Flipkart was still evolving, and boy, have we come a long way from there!
From a one man army, we expanded to a three-member team. There was no looking back after that. At that time I knew everyone at Flipkart, in and out of my team. Back then there were only a few verticals to handle. Now we have grown so much — to an extent that knowing every Flipster by their faces alone, would take me three years. I was here for about 17 months post which I had to take a maternity break in December 2012. I really wish we had the awesome maternity policy that we have now back then, I would have been back much sooner.
The journey back to Flipkart
Nineteen months after I moved out of Flipkart, I joined back in July 2014. One can say that July is a lucky month for me. Today, I support the Marketplace, Returns, and Trust & Safety teams as an HR Business Partner. The best part of being a Flipster is that it allows you to explore beyond your defined role, just like I have. And what I’ve learnt here is ‘never say never.’ Anything is possible if you believe it’s possible, and go after it. I have loved being a part of this awesome organisation and cherish the relationships I have built here, its been an incredible journey this far. The best change I have seen in Flipkart is around the Employee Benefit Policies, especially for women employees. It just shows the extent Flipkart goes to take care of Flipsters. During the initial days, things were less structured and more fluid for employees, but I understand every big organisation undergoes such transformation as they grow.
Despite there being a certain level of control, Flipkart continues to carry forward an insane energy and it catches on to you somehow. I travel all the way from Krishnarajapuram, which is in another corner of the city and it takes me an hour or two to get to work. Some say I am crazy to travel this far, everyday, but as far as work is concerned, there is no other place I would rather be. I absolutely love what I do here. I would never trade this for anything in the world. I was, I am and I will always be a Flipster at heart.
A peep into the future for Akshaya Shetty
Ever since Akshaya Shetty joined in 2011, Flipkart has come a long way. She, like many others within Flipkart, has witnessed how the world of e-commerce has changed in India and how Flipkart has been the catalyst of that transformation.
“I truly believe that Flipkart is one of the few places where employees don’t have Monday blues, and in fact, they look forward to getting to work after a late Sunday night,” says Akshaya.
Coordinated by Katheren Asuntha
Read more about the dynamic people of Flipkart in FlipTales
