In the world of business, where profitability often takes center stage, there’s a vital truth that’s often overlooked: businesses are fundamentally about people. Those companies that prioritize the well-being of their employees, recognize their talents, nurture their personal and professional growth, and contribute to fulfilling their aspirations are the ones destined for long-term success.
Empowered individuals are the cornerstone of a thriving and progressive society, where entrepreneurship plays a central role in its development. Regardless of the nature of a business, a robust focus on its people is the key to ensuring all other facets align seamlessly, ultimately leading to enduring success. This pivotal human resource component is epitomized in every organization’s Human Resource Management (HRM).
Approaching the HRM or People Management process can be tackled in two distinct ways. The first involves managing this function in-house, necessitating significant investments in terms of full-time resources and capital to adequately support an organization. However, this route demands extensive time, resources, and capital investments and, if not carefully considered, can prove to be costly, complex, and ultimately inefficient in the long run.
This is precisely where the second option comes into play: the possibility of partnering with Human Touch – an HR Consulting Firm–a highly skilled, experienced, trustworthy, and renowned human resource partner. The rationales behind Human Touch’s distinction as the premier HR Consulting Firm are manifold.
Human Touch, a distinguished HR firm, was established in 2013 within the dynamic cityscape of Navi Mumbai. Since its inception, the firm has undergone continuous growth and remarkable evolution, expanding its footprint to include another office in Mumbai and establishing a presence in Ranchi as well.
Firm’s Founder and CEO, KS Praveen reflects that as they approach the end of 2023, they are poised to celebrate a decade of delivering exemplary HR services to the industry. Their heartfelt appreciation extends to all their associates, friends, and well-wishers, whether through direct or indirect support, who have been integral to their entire journey.
Delving into the Business World
Over the course of a decade, Human Touch has expanded its HR services to encompass a wide spectrum of businesses, from multinational corporations (MNCs) to prominent Indian conglomerates, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and innovative startups spanning various industries. KS Praveen notes, ‘In the realm of HR consulting and outsourcing, our clientele spans diverse sectors, including manufacturing, retail, FMCG, IT, real estate, logistics, and services. We serve both traditional companies and emerging startups.’
Among Human Touch’s esteemed clients are renowned organizations such as Johnson Matthey, Eternis, BHEL, GE, Bombay Dying, Deepak Fertilisers, APM, CMS, BKT, Kalptaru, S Raheja, Jyothy Lab, GeeCee Venture, Hexagon, i-Chess, INARCO, Rx Infotech, Lykis, Quantum, and Choice Group in the large sector. In the SME sector, clients include Snell, Greenifit, Neotech, Lamba Infra, Yash Power Tech, MSA, and others.
KS Praveen emphasizes that as an HR firm, they firmly believe that the quality and competence of individuals represent the fundamental competitive advantage. There is nothing more critical than acquiring and nurturing talent through robust and effective HR practices.
Comprising a team of highly qualified industry professionals, Human Touch operates under the guiding philosophy that ‘the business of business is people,’ recognizing that individuals lie at the core of any enterprise. The firm’s management consultants are passionately dedicated to driving business outcomes while crafting client solutions for sustainable growth. Human Touch’s strength lies in its ability to harness the wealth of knowledge and resources accumulated over years of steadfast industry experience.
An Extraordinary Leadership
KS Praveen, a highly regarded senior HR professional hailing from Navi Mumbai, defines success beyond the mere completion of tasks. He pursues genuine business outcomes through collaborative efforts with clients, aiming to foster high-performance organizations. With nearly 25 years of diverse and extensive experience in the HR domain across various industry sectors, he has held leadership positions in both Indian and multinational corporations, including the Aditya Birla Group, Grasim, Hitachi, Siemens, Neoteric, and Writer Corporation.
KS Praveen completed his undergraduate studies in Arts at St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, followed by a full-time PGDM in HR from XISS, Ranchi. Throughout his career, he further enriched his knowledge with Management Development Programs (MDP) from IIM-Ahmedabad and a Senior Management Program (SMP) from IIM-Indore.
As the former Editor-in-Chief of ‘People Pulse,’ a distinguished HR quarterly magazine, KS Praveen has also authored a book titled ‘HR in a VUCA World,’ available on platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. His expertise as a corporate trainer and people coach encompasses a wide array of areas, including communication and interpersonal skills, team dynamics and goal setting, personal empowerment, managerial effectiveness, leadership, time management, and creativity.
In addition to his corporate endeavors, KS Praveen is actively involved with numerous reputable institutions and serves as a visiting professor for HR and OD subjects at esteemed B-Schools, including IIMs, where he also offers advisory services. Beyond his professional life, KS Praveen is a connoisseur of art, music, and literature, with a keen interest in spirituality. He is an ardent sports enthusiast, a nature lover, and a wildlife aficionado, finding joy in reading, traveling, and embarking on trekking adventures.
A Team of Accomplished Professionals
Pinky Kapoor, Co-founder and Director of Human Touch, presents the diverse range of value-added HR services offered by the company, stating that they are dedicated to fostering the growth and excellence of their clients by delivering the following services:
- Talent Acquisition Services spanning various functions and sectors.
- Human Resources Consulting tailored for large corporations and SMEs.
- HR Outsourcing, providing comprehensive end-to-end HR support to startups and SMEs.
- Culture Building and Organizational Development, primarily focusing on startups and SMEs.
- Business and Strategy Advisory, with a particular emphasis on startups and SMEs.
With 18 years of industry expertise in Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Learning and Development, and HR Consulting, Pinky Kapoor’s passion lies in these domains. In her previous role, she led Leadership Hiring at Fact HR Pvt Ltd, successfully handling industry mandates.
At Human Touch, Pinky Kapoor assumes a pivotal role in Business Development, offering proactive operational support. She is responsible for devising strategies and overseeing team management. Collaborating closely with professionals and business owners, she has made a positive impact on the industry. Her contributions have been recognized and praised by peers and professionals, earning her the ‘Women of Excellence Award’ from IAA (International Advertising Association) last year.
Pinky Kapoor actively participates in various business organizations and NGOs, including her role as a senior member of the BNI (Business Network International) – Exponential chapter in Mumbai. Additionally, she has served as Vice President of BNI – Exponential as part of the leadership team.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Pinky Kapoor has a deep love for reading, connecting with people from diverse backgrounds, attending seminars and conferences, dancing, running, and cycling. She has participated in numerous marathons across Mumbai, amassing an impressive collection of medals and certificates as a dedicated runner.
Her life philosophy centers on ‘Live and Let Live’ and the belief that ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ Pinky Kapoor is fervently dedicated to building winning teams, fostering business growth, and championing entrepreneurship.
Fulfilling Human Needs with a Personalized Approach
Describing Human Touch’s vision, Pinky Kapoor expresses, “Our aspiration is to emerge as a world-class and preeminent HR Consulting Firm within the industry. We aim to achieve this by providing a diverse range of high-quality services and solutions in the HR domain.”
Dr Shalini Sharma, PhD, who serves as the Chief Happiness Officer, defines Human Touch’s mission as follows: “We are committed to contributing to the growth and excellence of our client organizations by actively and empathetically addressing their personnel requirements with a personal touch.”
As the CHO of the organization, Dr Shalini supervises HR and Wellness, Finance, IT, Social Media, and CSR activities. She holds certifications as a Happiness Teacher and Yoga Teacher. On a personal note, she has a fondness for reading, music, gardening, social work, and is a skilled Mastercook.
Reflecting on his motivation to venture into the field of human resource consultancy, KS Praveen shares that it was the opportunity for freedom and the passion to create something meaningful from scratch, build it up, and make a genuine impact that drove his decision.
Strategic Human Touch Facets
*Proactive: We are extremely passionate about our approach and service delivery. We believe in delighting our clients.
*Strategic: We have a strong strategic orientation and firmly believe in adding value to our client’s business. A Vision without a Strategy remains an Illusion.
*Adaptable: We mould ourselves as per the needs and goals of our clients with utmost sincerity. Adaptability is wisdom in action.
*Innovative: We are extremely creative and imaginative in designing our HR Solutions for our clients. Creativity is intelligence having Fun,” he adds.
Core Values- DNA
Pinky Kapoor adds, “Our clients admire our Mission and Core Values with which we work. Our values are part of our DNA. They guide how we work with our business partners, within our communities and with each other.”
Touching Lives with Five Core Values
- Integrity: “We Act with Integrity, Respect and Trust.”
- Demonstrate a commitment to integrity and ethics.
- Show respect for and value all individuals’ diverse backgrounds, experiences, styles, approaches and ideas.
- Listen to others for understanding.
- Generate Trust
- Accountability: Pinky Kapoor states, “We are all accountable.”
- Take personal accountability for actions and results.
- Focus on finding solutions and achieving results
- Actively engage in discussions and commit to decisions once they are made.
- Keep promises and commitments made to others.
- Personally commit to the success and well-being of teammates.
- Humility: Dr Shalini informs, “We have the humility and desire to learn.”
- Value openness and curiosity to learn from anyone, anywhere.
- Seek and provide honest feedback.
- Be open to personal change and continuous improvement.
- Learn from mistakes and successes in equal measure.
- “We strive for simplicity,” she says.
- Passion: Pinky Kapoor says, “We are passionate about our business.”
- Show pride in work.
- Promote a positive, energizing, optimistic and fun environment.
- Promote and implement creative and innovative ideas and solutions.
- Value, promote, and fiercely protect Human Touch’s reputation.
- Client Sensitivity and Commitment: Dr Shalini furthers, “We are absolutely focused towards our Clients.”
- Extremely sensitive to client needs.
- Committed to long-term relationships with all their clients.
- Offer the best services and delight them.
- Value clients’ feedback and suggestions.
The Priceless Human Inventiveness
As a thought leader in the industry, KS Praveen shares insights on how the integration of modern technologies like AI and ML is impacting the HR consultancy landscape and discusses Human Touch’s approach to this transformation. The HR sector has witnessed a continuous evolution driven by technology, from the early days of the internet to the era of mobile devices and the cloud, with AI and machine learning being the latest additions.
According to him, the adoption of AI and ML in HR can enhance productivity, reduce operational expenses, and streamline the handling of repetitive, routine tasks. AI excels in tasks that involve data-driven processes and decision-making.
Nevertheless, he emphasizes that human intelligence and skills, such as creativity, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and complex problem-solving, remain invaluable and cannot be replaced by AI and ML.
Obstacles Outwitted
KS Praveen acknowledges that they encountered numerous obstacles along the way but overcame them as a resilient and cohesive team. He discloses, “During the pandemic, we encountered significant challenges as some of our clients decided to discontinue our HR services in an effort to reduce costs due to the prevailing uncertainties.”
Pinky Kapoor adds, “However, as we gradually emerged from the pandemic, we rebounded by acquiring new clients, and several previous clients also resumed their engagement with us. We are currently performing well, and we anticipate substantial growth for our firm as we move forward.”
Rekindling the People Strategy
When asked about the significance of human resource consulting services, the expected developments in the future, and how Human Touch is innovating in this regard, KS Praveen shares insights. He points out that the SME sector, encompassing industries such as manufacturing, infrastructure, services, food processing, packaging, chemicals, and IT, employs approximately 40% of the Indian workforce. However, its contribution to the GDP is just slightly over 6%. KS Praveen reveals, “We have identified the reason behind this disconnect: the absence of a comprehensive People Strategy.” He emphasizes the need for the sector to undergo transformation by adopting a forward-thinking mindset and involving HR for continued growth, and Human Touch is at the forefront of driving this transformation.
KS Praveen underscores an essential characteristic of Human Touch as a prominent HR consulting firm, stating, “Our reputation lies in our ability to quickly grasp our clients’ HR challenges and pain points and proactively offer tailored support to address them.”
The Vital Factor
When offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter the HR consulting solution industry, KS Praveen simplifies the key factors:
- Develop a strong desire to enhance organizations by creating and implementing effective HR practices.
- Build the competence to connect HR practices with the specific business needs of client organizations.
A Future of Human Brilliance
Regarding their plans for scaling Human Touch’s operations and services in the future, Pinky Kapoor explains that their growth will primarily come from acquiring additional clients, especially in the SME sector, to provide them with essential HR support.
KS Praveen emphasizes their belief that businesses cannot progress to the next level without a robust people strategy. He asserts that firms like Human Touch offer exceptional HR support, which is essential for businesses to scale up and empower themselves.
Clients Praise & Appreciations for Human Touch:
* “Human Touch has always been a key resource for Johnson Matthey. The team sounds optimistic, and hence the one can be relied upon when you give your commitments.” – Human Resources, Johnson Matthey Chemicals Ind. Pvt Ltd. – Ist Client of Human Touch
*”We have been partnered with Human Touch for the last several years, and they are providing Talent Acquisition solutions to us. They maintain very high quality while sourcing candidates for us. They have a very clear understanding of the client’s requirements. They are very much aligned with the client’s vision and provide very customized service.”- Amit Ranjan – Human Resources, Eternis Fine Chemical Ltd
*”The LnD Sessions conducted by KS Praveen for our officers/managers entitled ‘Business of Business is People’ were highly insightful and informative.” – Raju Advani, Chief Manager – LnD, Indian Oil.
*”We have closely involved Human Touch in our companyand they are doing a fabulous work for us in terms of building HR Structures,formulating & implementing HR Guidelines and defining and spreading Vision, Mission, Core Values, People Engagements etc.”-. Rajeev Sharoff, Founder & Director -YPTS.
* “Human Touch takes care of entire gamut of HR so nicely and seamlessly. They truly add Human Touch to an organization. I would like to strongly recommend its HR Services.”-Janaki Ramani, Founder of House of Happiness.
* “Human Touch is our trusted and reliable HR Partner.”-Nishit Shah,MD of Neotech.
* “Excellent! All the goals of the LnD Sessions by Human Touch Team were fully achieved. The contents of each session were very clear, and the participants found them very simple to understand and relate to. They rated you high in terms of your content delivery, best wishes.” – V P Mathur -Sr. VP HR, BKT Industries.
*”Engaged Human Touch for designing KRAs for our entire leadership team. Good quality job done by them.” Neha Jain, CHRO – Choice International Ltd.
*”Human Touch has proactively & sensibly supported my organization to go to the next level by designing and implementing good HR Processes and building people oriented culture.” – Manoj Dhanwani Founder & CEO of Snell – an e Commerce Company.
* “Human Touch has been nicely supporting us in transforming our organisation. Pinky Kapoor is an excellent change agent.”– Shyam Raheja, Owner & MD of S. Raheja Group.
* “Human Touch is an HR Firm I would like to recommend for HR advisory and related services basis our ongoing experience of working with them.” – Varun Talcherker, Director & Owner of Display House
* “Human Touch has been a great HR support to us since the beginning of our Start-up” –Hitesh Hiran, Co-founder & Director – Greenifit.
In addition to the core team and the extended team, Human Touch is having several senior industry professionals and prominent academicians on its panel for guidance & support and we are highly grateful to them.
- Vikram Parekh– Professor of Marketing & Strategy at SIESCOMS, Navi Mumbai
- Ranjeet Nambudiri – Dean at IIM Indore.
- Jaywant Amin – Independent HR & IR Consultant, Mumbai.
- Laksman Sundar – Veteran Ad & Media Person, Navi Mumbai.
- Kusumadhar -Senior HR Practitioner, NCR/UK.
“Last but not the least our gratitude and thanks to Ms Pranali Karanje for being instrumental in establishing and expanding the TA Vertical in our Firm with tremendous passion and involvement from 2013 to 2020.”
“And finally …. we are thankful to Mr. Agnel D’Souza – Founder ACEF Global for always honouring our Firm, Amrut & Neha of CreativFish also for beautifully designing our Logo, Website etc., and Mona Parekh/ASPA Digital for nice social media support.”
“We at Human Touch are committed to two social causes- Health n Wellness and Green Environment,” concludes KS Praveen.
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