Bio: Mr. MM Banerji is the founder and CEO of Youbook, a company specializing in executive-level recruitment. He lives and breathes talent attraction, engagement and acquisition, and more specifically leveraging processes and technology for identifying and hiring the right talent. Over the last 18 years, he has worked closely with many leading IT firms globally and placed over 3000 IT professionals.
Questions:
1. How do you like living and working in your country of employment?
The United Arab Emirates has been my home for the last 17 years. Though this region, I feel, has a lot to improve in terms of professionalism, there exists a competitiveness in the retail arena, which is not dissimilar to that seen in Asia-Pacific, Europe and the USA for decades now.
2. What is your average day at work like?
I typically have a 12-hour work day at the office (which is four hours more than an average workday) and this has been standard for me for the last 26 years. I have a habit of keeping a clean inbox. So, irrespective of that fact if I am travelling, or what time-zone I am in, I like to make sure that my email correspondence is not left unanswered beyond 12 hours. This also applies to missed calls and incoming messages.
3. What is your biggest professional challenge?
The biggest challenge for me in my industry is to successfully identify a good candidate. I feel that there are preconceived notions held by some when acknowledging a candidate’s potential if he/she holds a degree from a certain part of the world. He/she is sometimes considered to not be at par with someone who holds an MBA from a university which is in a first world country.
4. What is the most important thing you look for in new hires?
I look for the right attitude or ‘fire in the belly’, and not mute obedience. I look for candidates who are confident when challenged. They also need to have good sportsmanship with the right technical background. I admire professionals who don’t mutely follow rules but rather make their own rules and have the world follow them.
5. What is the biggest challenge you face in hiring talent?
I have never faced any challenges. Earlier, a decade back, it used to be challenging luring talent to this region. Yet in the past decade, the business atmosphere in the UAE has worked wonderfully at making this region more attractive to professionals. I however also feel that the professional atmosphere could still improve as it is not at par to that seen in other leading business hubs of the world.
6. What is your favorite part of your role?
Creating a ‘family’ i.e. my team; I have never had to sack anyone during my career of 17 years in the UAE and as an employer for 10 years. In our organization, no employee has left us unless it was for personal/family reasons. I am glad to say that some of those I had the opportunity to mentor moved on to work wonders in the Silicon Valley (USA). We have always had a system of giving a chance to good performers to step into the management chair and take charge for a month, however not all take up this opportunity as they prefer working in their position rather than managing 50 other people.
7. What has been the highlight of your career in HR?
I would like to say that I am an executive search specialist. I find the right ‘fit’ for an organization, I ‘marry’ the right professional to an organization hoping that they live happily for long and that they positively contribute towards the organization''s values, ethics and revenue. I look to make this a win-win situation for both parties involved. My entire 16-year career in the UAE has been interesting, during which I moved from being an IT professional to an entrepreneur with my executive search company.
8. What do you read to keep abreast of industry developments?
Keeping track of industry developments is easy. Information is available on your tablet, every second, thanks to the internet. You cannot escape it! The issue rather is that I need to filter all this information as I can only absorb so much. I read up on industry news on LinkedIn.
9. What is your advice to someone looking to enter the field of HR?
I would advice this- look at a professional as akin to tangible capital. When starting your career look for personal development and knowledge – money will follow.
10. How do you see the Middle East evolve as a place to practice HR?
The Middle East right now is a hot spot of opportunities as there is a lot of untapped potential. Those with a talent in the field of human resources can make a lot of money.
11. If you could wave your magic stick and make a significant development in one specific area of HR practices worldwide, where would that fall?
If you look into the success stories of companies that are doing really well in the business arena, you will find that these companies made sure that their staff has values. They treat their employees as their partners. I would like all companies to do the same.
