In this instalment of Shortlister Spotlights (a Q&A series to get to know some of our team members) meet Gunjan Talreja, Talent Consultant from our Mumbai office!
At Shortlist, we love building our team almost as much as we love building yours!
We have some pretty amazing people across our three offices who have a real passion for what they do and for the Shortlist mission.
Read to know more about Gunjan’s Shortlist journey.
So, Gunjan. Tell us about your life at Shortlist.
I work as a Talent Consultant with the Operations Team. I work on mid-executive level searches for clients across different industries such as FMCG, Education, Financial Services, etc.
At a given point of time, I usually run about 4-6 search-based roles for our clients. This is always an exciting process as I get to work with new clients across different industries and sometimes even different geographies.
When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up?
As a child, I always envisioned myself in the role of a nurse. 👩⚕ I loved helping people and caring for them. However, each year my “career choices” would keep changing and I would be comfortable with allowing that to happen. I have always been ‘multi-passionate’ and hence the changing nature.
What is your professional background, and what were you looking for in your next career step when you found Shortlist?
Shortlist is my first full-time role after university. After graduating in Psychology, I was not very sure about what I wanted to do next. I was passionate about the social impact space and wanted to explore it further. I had done quite a few internships and volunteering work with NGOs too. I went for my post graduation in Social Innovation Management, did a fellowship with Ashoka, met with a lot of social entrepreneurs, and learnt about their visions. After my fellowship, while I was figuring out ‘what next’ I met Mehndi Shivdasani who is a Team Lead at Shortlist and got to learn about her work and what Shortlist does.
Recruitment was not a field I had initially planned working in. But after learning more about Shortlist, I realised that I was always interested in “unlocking human potential” be it through my interest in psychology, yoga, or meditation. And looking at Shortlist’s mission “unlocking professional potential” made me realize this was nothing but a perfect alignment! I decided to take a leap of faith and joined Shortlist as a Talent analyst.
How has your current role impacted you?
My current role as a Talent Consultant has impacted me – personally and professionally. I speak with individuals from different sectors, each interaction gives me an opportunity to grow. In my role, I build relationships with founders and CEOs who are extremely driven and passionate about the work that they do. Understanding human nature has always been a core passion, and this role allows me to do that in a multitude of ways. It has been a great learning curve that never stops, grows with each new role, company, and industry. Personally, it leaves me fulfilled knowing that I get a chance to work with leaders who are creating massive impact out there.
Tell us about a candidate that inspired you.
This is tricky as I can think of so many candidates. But if I had to think of one, it had to be a candidate who I was interviewing for a role in an education-based NGO. He was extremely passionate about working with children and empowering them to become leaders in their lives. This passion drove him every single day in his long career. Our call went on for about 40 minutes as we kept digging deeper into his work and understanding his personal as well as professional journey with each role that he held. That intricacy which included a mix between the two, made me understand how deeply connected our individual passions are to our careers.
What’s your professional superpower?
Keeping an open mind. I am always open to new ideas, thoughts and allow myself to think beyond what something actually looks like. This allows me to come up with creative questions and ideas to challenge existing notions. 💡
What’s your favourite Shortlist memory?
My favourite Shortlist memory is hands down the April 2019 retreat in Lonavala. It was so memorable interacting with members of our tech team, which is based in Hyderabad. We had lots of discussions on tech vs ops and all had a great time getting to know one another! 😎
What are three words or phrases you would use to describe Team Shortlist?
• Hustle + Heart ❤️
• #OneTeam
• Ambitious and driven both in their personal and professional lives
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work I love listening to podcasts, reading, doing some yoga 🧘 or breathwork. I like to catch up with friends and family on weekends.
I also like participating in online workshops and interacting with new people.
What are you currently reading, watching, or listening to?
• Reading: ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and ‘A New Earth’ by Eckhart Tolle
• Watching: Just finished ‘Sweet Magnolias’ on Netflix
• Listening to: ‘The Lime Tree’ by Trevor Hall
Why is the Shortlist mission important to you?
I resonate with the Shortlist mission on a very personal level. I truly believe that we all have infinite potential within ourselves and it just requires either us or someone else to see it. At Shortlist, we help candidates navigate the confusing spectrum of applying for a job and looking beyond their credentials. It is like being a best friend who can see beyond the surface level when interacting with you. This allows us to truly help companies find people who won’t just have the necessary skills but also bring in traits and characteristics that would allow them to excel in the company. It is a perfect synchronous match between a candidate and the company.
At Shortlist, we also help candidates understand themselves through introspection by using tools like Career Success and Deeper Signals on our platform. This is especially useful for individuals just starting their career.
How is Shortlist different from other companies?
At Shortlist, everyone is encouraged to bring their whole selves at work and express their thoughts openly. This brings in a diversity of thought, which allows us to constantly learn from each other. The leadership team is always known to bring in an element of fun during team meetings and this helps in encouraging a great team culture.
We value our candidates and clients alike, and you can always see us trying our best to provide most value that we can.
People are also encouraged to put on an “intrapreneurial hat” from time to time as the team brainstorms on ideas affecting the whole company.
We like to give (virtual) high fives to recognize our team members when they do something awesome. Now is your chance to make a public high five to a fellow Shortlister:
To be honest, a huge high-five to everyone single person at Shortlist. 🙌 We have seamlessly gotten through an unprecedented time during the pandemic and have fostered team spirit! #OneTeam
Any final words:
I would just say that my journey at Shortlist has been great so far, both personally as well as professionally.
Thank you, Gunjan! We’re so glad to hear your experiences on Team Shortlist.
Did reading about Gunjan’s experiences make you want to check out the rest of our squad? Check out the rest of our crew here.
If you would like help building your team, let us help you. Shortlist offers a wide range of recruitment solutions that help companies build great teams.
