Sanjay Harjai: A Visionary Leader Transforming Staffing In India
Sanjay Harjai
Managing Director
In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Sanjay shares his early experience, the challenges the firm has faced throughout the years, and much more.
Shed some light on your professional background and experience. What inspired you to venture into software solutions, IT staffing, and the recruitment industry and what drives you today?
The seed of becoming a Computer Engineer was sewn in me in the 80s, thanks to a Casio Watches Ad by the Casio Computer Company and I worked hard for it throughout my academics. After my 12th, Even though I got a seat at both IIT as well as at VJTI, as I didn't get a seat in Computer Science at IIT, I opted for VJTI. After completing my engineering in 1990, I joined Tata Consultancy Services and worked there for five and a half years, out of which two years were in the Silicon Valley in California, US. It was there that I had made up my mind to become an entrepreneur through the seeds that were sewn long ago by my father.
After returning from the US in 1995, I resigned from TCS and ventured into my own software solutions with my first project being from TELCO which is now called Tata Motors. At the same time, there were some US-
based companies, that were looking out for people from India. I tied up with these US companies as well as some UAE-based banks for their need for IT professionals. Fortunately both of these activities took off. As I moved further, I realized my own flair for interacting with people was greater than software solutions and that made me move from software solutions to IT staffing and recruiting. I realized that I get a lot of happiness in being instrumental in changing the lives of people through global career opportunities. At Harjai 'We don't make Careers, We make Lives'and that's been the driving force today as well.
How would you define Harjai Computers as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
Harjai Computers is well known in the IT talent market as one of the leading organizations that work for the single purpose of being a catalyst in making careers and lives of the global workforce by aligning them to theright opportunities for businesses world wide. We as an organization are functioning with the same purpose for the last 26 years. Our clients are the people who dream to be the leaders in their own chosen fields and we feel that we make their dreams come true by providing them with the right IT talent, which can then turn their dreams into reality.
Understanding what our clients need as well as what they dream for, and being able to provide the right IT talent is what I think is the unique proposition that we offer to our clients.
What are the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
Throughout the 26 years journey, we have faced many setbacks and roadblocks, how ever, we have always looked upon them as opportunities. We have been through the IT market crash in the US in 2000, the global banking and market crash in 2008, and now the COVID crisis in 2020. In all these three crashes, we've always had quantum jumps and our company has come out of all these three events with flying colours. We believe in thriving and learning from chaos. During a setback, we take time out, introspect, and then try to correct our selves.
At Harjai Computers, We don't make Careers, We make Lives
How would you define Harjai Computers as an organization and its position in the market? What is the unique proposition that your organization offers to clients?
Harjai Computers is well known in the IT talent market as one of the leading organizations that work for the single purpose of being a catalyst in making careers and lives of the global workforce by aligning them to theright opportunities for businesses world wide. We as an organization are functioning with the same purpose for the last 26 years. Our clients are the people who dream to be the leaders in their own chosen fields and we feel that we make their dreams come true by providing them with the right IT talent, which can then turn their dreams into reality.
Understanding what our clients need as well as what they dream for, and being able to provide the right IT talent is what I think is the unique proposition that we offer to our clients.
What are the major challenges you have experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
Throughout the 26 years journey, we have faced many setbacks and roadblocks, how ever, we have always looked upon them as opportunities. We have been through the IT market crash in the US in 2000, the global banking and market crash in 2008, and now the COVID crisis in 2020. In all these three crashes, we've always had quantum jumps and our company has come out of all these three events with flying colours. We believe in thriving and learning from chaos. During a setback, we take time out, introspect, and then try to correct our selves.
How do you maintain the perfect balance between your personal and professional life?What is your success mantra?
I believe in all the old age mantras for success, which are hard work, honesty, integrity, perseverance, commitment, and dedication. As an entrepreneur, you have to face a lot of stress. However, yoga and meditation kind of help relieve you. At the end of the day, when you've tried your best and have given your everything, you just have to relax as tomorrow's another day and we'll fight the battle once again in the morning, So that's I think what keeps me going.
Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate, and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
We are seeing something unprecedented in the IT market, which has never been seen in the last 26 years. But I feel that the market is going to settle down in the next six months. The Indian IT market will be growing exponentially and the demand will always be there. I feel that for the next three years, companies will be going into digitization as technologies like Crypto, Blockchain, AI and ML will rule the place. A lot of companies will start asking their employees to come to work from the office. And I feel that the hybrid model, which is so much talked about, will not become the new normal. There'll be a mix of both working from the office and, I would say, around 20-30 percent hybrid model will also coexist..
In the light of your strong experience across the industry, what advice would you give to the budding industry leaders?
My advice for budding entrepreneurs is to invest in their own people. At the end of the day, if you have the right team, you can accomplish anything. Go with your gut. You can use all the data and analytics available in the world. However, in case you are confused about the right decision, then go with your gut. When you're running your business, all you need to do is keep an eye on your cash flow as that's where many the leaders falter. It is also important to have leaders who believe in delayed self-gratification, which, I think, is the key.
Sanjay Harjai, Managing Director, Harjai Computers
Sanjay started his own Software solutions firm Harjai Computers in 1995 before moving into IT staffing and recruitment and is presently one of the leading IT Staffing companies in the country.
I believe in all the old age mantras for success, which are hard work, honesty, integrity, perseverance, commitment, and dedication. As an entrepreneur, you have to face a lot of stress. However, yoga and meditation kind of help relieve you. At the end of the day, when you've tried your best and have given your everything, you just have to relax as tomorrow's another day and we'll fight the battle once again in the morning, So that's I think what keeps me going.
Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate, and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
We are seeing something unprecedented in the IT market, which has never been seen in the last 26 years. But I feel that the market is going to settle down in the next six months. The Indian IT market will be growing exponentially and the demand will always be there. I feel that for the next three years, companies will be going into digitization as technologies like Crypto, Blockchain, AI and ML will rule the place. A lot of companies will start asking their employees to come to work from the office. And I feel that the hybrid model, which is so much talked about, will not become the new normal. There'll be a mix of both working from the office and, I would say, around 20-30 percent hybrid model will also coexist..
In the light of your strong experience across the industry, what advice would you give to the budding industry leaders?
My advice for budding entrepreneurs is to invest in their own people. At the end of the day, if you have the right team, you can accomplish anything. Go with your gut. You can use all the data and analytics available in the world. However, in case you are confused about the right decision, then go with your gut. When you're running your business, all you need to do is keep an eye on your cash flow as that's where many the leaders falter. It is also important to have leaders who believe in delayed self-gratification, which, I think, is the key.
Sanjay Harjai, Managing Director, Harjai Computers
Sanjay started his own Software solutions firm Harjai Computers in 1995 before moving into IT staffing and recruitment and is presently one of the leading IT Staffing companies in the country.