CxO of The Week: Karan Jain, Executive Director, HR-ONE

Karan Jain is the Co-founder and CEO of HR-One. He looks after the product development and marketing of HR-One. He makes major corporate decisions and also acts as the main point of communication for the board of directors. He leads the devising of the company’s long-term strategy and also evaluates the performance of the team. He is also responsible for creating and implementing the vision and mission of the company.

CiOL has chosen Karan as the CxO of the Week for his contribution in the industry and expertise.

Your top priority while making decisions to improve tech infra in your organisation?

We're using many latest technologies to meet the business-critical needs of our 300+ customers and 3 lacs users. And, if I have to improve tech infra in my organization, I prefer to keep a close eye on market demand for that said technology. I’d also like to monitor what is the learning curve and how best that technology fits best in my IT landscape and business environment.

Alongside, I would also like to evaluate how my customers and end-users will respond to that technology and how mature that technology is with respect to sustainability, performance, ROI and scalability standpoint.

Challenges you face in driving digital transformation?

There are many but I’d like to focus on two specifically resource availability and openness to adopt new changes. With resource availability, I mean the expertise and talent to drive that digital transformation successfully in any organization.

And, openness to adopt new changes would mean stepping out from the legacy mode and embracing the new culture of innovation and willingly adapt and learn new technology for seamless tomorrow.

Do you feel that freshers in the industry come with only basic knowledge but don’t have the right skills to fulfil job requirements? If yes, your suggestion to students and colleges?

Freshers are energetic & brimming with new thoughts but they miss the holistic view of a company’s goal. When you hire a fresher, your organization has to spend the time to train them. Therefore, we follow the same principle and when we hire candidates, we take them through a 3-month transition journey so that they can understand the industry and our product. We have also created a structured curriculum to make them understand the business world to channelize their energy in the right direction.

What’s your mantra to become successful in life?

Patience, self-belief, and the ability to listen are my parameters of success. Besides that, I stay humble and grounded. I am a follower of ‘live and let live’ and freedom to sketch their own style of working to my co-workers is an extension of this thought process.

What would you like to give back to society?

We’re already associated with “Om Foundation”, a school for unprivileged children in India. The aim is to serve the society we live and contribute to the welfare of society. I believe we all should follow this principle to make this world a better place to live.

Your favourite book and what are you reading now?

‘Good to Great’ by Jim Collins is a lifetime memoir that I cherish every time. Currently, I am reading about UX/UI design intrigued with the great potential that this domain possesses.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I am a keen learner on new advancements in technology. Apart from that good time with friends over beer relaxes my nerves. These days, I am hooked to Netflix.

Achievements (Awards & Recognitions)

I am a hustler and I do not ponder into self-praise. If I have achieved anything, it is turning my belief in reality. My upcoming product version 5.0 is my belief that will get implemented in the coming few months.

Experience

With 7+ years of experience as a successful entrepreneur, I have proudly carved a niche for HR One. I am also open to people experimenting new ways with reverse-engineering and trying innovative methods to accomplish their goals.

Education - I am a Postgraduate (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts, Boston.

Take a look at the previous CxO of the Week