They say the way a child sees his parents shapes his older self. And the CHRO of SRKay Consulting strongly believes in it. Son of a senior general manager at the Steel Authority of India, this is the story of Prosenjit Mukherjee, who leads his life with the foundation of ethics, integrity and zero tolerance for class divisions.

Delhiite, raised in Kolkata, Prosenjit’s struggle to success was anything but easy. He was not always an HR fanatic, per say, but communicating with people on a deep level came naturally to him.

This took him to the field of marketing, from where he moved into sales. When the Indian government launched the MSME benefits program, Prosenjit did not shy away from venturing into entrepreneurship. However, he did not stop at it. Working 3 shifts a day, the now-globally acclaimed HR professional paid due heed to his sales executive role in the morning, spent the afternoon running his business and ended the day tutoring students.

A strong advocate of ‘No work is small,’ Prosenjit’s career started with a Rs 5000 salary in 2002-2003. As a graduation student, he worked at Aircel when the company was testing the Indian waters. Later, he moved to Infosys and joined the tech giant as a Management Trainee.

Fast track to 2006, Aegis Limited was running an HR program, employing people who were getting rejected. Prosenjit was selected for grooming and training these candidates. To move up the ladder, he then tried his hand at IJP. Not once, not twice, but 13 times. His 13th attempt was life-altering. He said he could achieve all that he did in everything in life through pure passion; and no one can beat you until you are passionate about what you do.

His ability to strike up a conversation with anyone, deliver impactful speeches, and his immaculate communication skills did not go unnoticed. The top management put him in charge of recruitment, where his talent acquisition journey began illuminating its path.

This led him to taking up the role of a CHRO, handling domains beyond geographical limitations. Managing multiple companies, including the US, UK, Europe and more helped him engage, understand, learn, reflect and practice international strategies better.

Over the last two decades, Prosenjit has earned the most coveted job roles in HR, having been handpicked by leaders without any formal interviews. And when asked for his advice for inspiring, budding and established HR professionals, he had this to say:

• “No degree alone has ever brought me a job”- Prosenjit Mukherjee. You need not complete an MBA to be successful in HR. A mere degree will not do the trick. The secret lies in gathering knowledge from the world- To grow, groom and get ready for real-world problems.
• The first question you ask at job interviews should not be related to what you can get, but rather what you can give. Ask interviewers how you can add value to the organization and what your role can bring to the table.
• Having a solution mindset is vital. See yourself as a solution enabler. Ensuring the business achieves excellence and multiplies by folds should be your priority, not ticking things off a checklist. Unique problems require handcrafted solutions. Going by the books and following a bookish methodology will not help here.
• Be an active listener and imbibe the attributes of a humble and grounded person.
• Observation is key. People’s mindsets, leadership styles and behaviors are important areas to observe and learn from.
• Research and development can take you a long way in succeeding at HR. Be a thorough analytical person with solid pointers backed with numbers, not just content in the form of an essay.
• Don’t just drive HR processes, ensure business functions are smooth. Ensure business multifolds.

Prosenjit calls HR a department with strategic partners and strong enablers of the business. This includes ensuring the highest level of employee experience, satisfaction, a positive environment and fostering a growth-focused culture. He considers HR a front-end job, unlike critics. “It is a people-oriented job, requiring an HR professional to be the people, working with them, for them,” he says. And sitting behind a desk to work does not get included, Prosenjit adds. Over everything, he highlighted the connection between one’s personal and professional life. Underlining the contribution of supportive life partners, Prosenjit says they are the strong pillars of one’s life with whose support professional success follows.