Which is the most important asset of your company? If I were to ask this question to 100 CEOs today, I am sure I would get at least 20 answers which say “our people”. Of course the brands are important assets. Of course the technology and R&D are very important assets. Even the physical infrastructure is important. But, all of this runs because of the people. If you have the right set of people, they simply take over and get things done. If you have the wrong set of people, you simply cannot get anything done even if you have the best of the technology and the ideas.

To me, the people who work for me come first. I know that if I have the right person in the job, I can forget about that particular job and concentrate my energies elsewhere. That is why when I brief my recruitment agency, I always brief for three things. One, the right attitude. Two, the right aptitude. Three, the ability to take initiative and risk. I sit with the agency and look for evidence on all these. I ensure that I get only a filtered number of applications which I personally sit through for the interviews. The filtering process is done through a written test which checks for quick thinking and basic attitude towards life and work.

The recruitment agency has been working with me for the last 10 years so they know exactly what I am looking for. They are actually partners in the progress of my company.