SURABHI SARMA
Manager - People Practice
Bangalore
Summary
Accomplished HR Leader with over 13 years of experience specializing in Onboarding, Background Verification (BGV), HR Operations, Employee Engagement, and Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A). Currently serving as Associate Manager - People Practice at Happiest Minds Technology Limited, I bring a results-driven approach to HR leadership, consistently optimizing processes, driving organizational efficiencies, and elevating the employee experience across diverse, fast-paced environments.
Results-driven management professional with proven ability to lead teams to success. Strong focus on team collaboration, operational efficiency, and achieving measurable outcomes. Adept at strategic planning, process improvement, and fostering culture of accountability and excellence. Known for adaptability and consistently meeting changing organizational needs.
Strong leader and problem-solver dedicated to streamlining operations to decrease costs and promote organizational efficiency. Uses independent decision-making skills and sound judgment to positively impact company success.
Multi-tasking Manager well-known for creating positive workplace culture and high-performing teams. Demonstrated [Product or Service] expertise, including competitive offerings, pricing, and market positioning.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
4
4
Certifications
2
2
Languages
Work History
Manager - People Practice
Happiest Minds Technology Limited
01.2023 - Current
- Lead and manage a team of 7 onboarding specialists and background verification coordinators, ensuring high performance, continuous development, and adherence to deadlines.
- Provided mentorship, training, and guidance to team members, fostering a collaborative environment that promoted knowledge sharing and best practices.
- Set team goals, tracked performance, and conducted regular performance reviews, driving improvements in both individual and team productivity.
- Designed and implemented team workflows to improve efficiency, reduce manual errors, and streamline the onboarding and BGV processes.
- Directed the end-to-end onboarding process for new hires, ensuring a seamless and positive experience from offer acceptance to their first day at work.
- Coordinated cross-functional efforts with HR, IT, and department heads to ensure new hires received the appropriate resources, training, and introductions.
- Developed and refined onboarding materials (welcome packets, inhouse games) to enhance the new hire experience and accelerate time-to-productivity.
- Supervised orientation sessions delivery, covering company culture, benefits, policies, and job-specific training, fostering employee engagement from day one.
- Led the background verification process for new hires, ensuring compliance with internal policies, industry standards, and relevant legal regulations.
- Managed relationships with third-party background check vendors, ensuring timely and accurate completion of criminal, employment, education, and reference checks.
- Implemented process improvements that reduced verification timelines, resulting in faster hires and a smoother overall candidate experience.
- Ensuring timely completion of dual employment check monthly and annually for all the employees.
- Monthly analysis and release of BGV risk dashboards to the leaders.
- Conducted in-depth analysis of onboarding and BGV workflows to identify inefficiencies, leading to a reduction in onboarding cycle time and a increase in candidate satisfaction.
- Spearheaded the design and implementation of automated systems for document collection, data entry, and background verification, streamlining processes and enhancing operational accuracy. Defined, tracked, and reported key performance indicators (KPIs) for onboarding and BGV activities, providing actionable insights that informed continuous process improvements and optimized resource allocation.
- Led the migration from the existing HRMS to Darwinbox, executing all levels of testing to enhance team collaboration and project tracking efficiency.
- Utilized agile methodologies for a seamless transition, achieving zero non-conformities in audits and ensuring employee data accuracy.
- Process Optimization: Analyze existing operational processes within acquired entities and identify opportunities for improvement and efficiency.
- Collaborate with various departments (HR, finance, IT) to align operational practices and streamline integration efforts.
- Lead change management initiatives to facilitate employee adaptation and minimize disruption during the merger process.
- Actively participated in internal and external audits, ensuring that all onboarding and BGV processes adhered to regulatory and compliance standards.
- Worked closely with the audit team to address any non-conformities, streamline documentation, and ensure alignment with organizational policies.
- Successfully ensured compliance with data protection regulations and company policies during audit reviews, achieving zero non-conformities in recent audits.
- Initiated process improvements based on thorough analysis of internal operations data resulting in enhanced productivity levels.
- Managed cross-functional projects, ensuring timely completion and alignment with company objectives.
- Led team meetings regularly to discuss progress updates, identify challenges or roadblocks, and provide guidance towards successful project completion.
- Collaborated closely with senior management on strategic planning efforts, aligning departmental goals with overarching company objectives.
- Successfully managed multiple high-priority tasks simultaneously while maintaining strict deadlines ensuring optimal resource allocation.
- Established strong relationships with key stakeholders, fostering collaboration and mutual support.
- Optimized workflow processes to reduce bottlenecks and increase overall effectiveness.
- Oversaw training and onboarding process for all newly hired employees within [Name of Department]Globally.
- Conducted regular performance evaluations of staff members, providing constructive feedback and identifying areas for growth.
HR – Facilitator and On Boarding Success Partner
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
06.2015 - 12.2022
- Managing HR Operations; analyzing HR processes and streamlining systems, focusing on improving processes, promoting reliability, increasing simplicity and enabling scalable growth.
- Organizing, streamlining and overseeing the onboarding process for new hires into IBM through communicating company and job details to newly hired employees; scheduling the initial days of employees and gathering necessary paperwork.
- Working towards enhancing the new joiner connect with the teams through continuous engagements, acting as a SPOC between the new joiner and the other internal stake holders.
- Entrusting with responsibilities of ensuring smooth onboarding of new joiners via structured induction & buddy programs with high volume of joiners and conducting F2F Induction and virtual sessions for executive leaders.
- Leading the employee engagement initiatives (conducting town halls), facilitating continuous improvement at Circle, conducting employee counselling and establishing the employee connect.
- Collaborating with executive leadership and training team to develop and improve new hire on-boarding process resulting in improved new hire satisfaction and retention, and significant cost savings to the group, undertaking leadership recruitment drive to fill top line of the organization with high quality management.
- Identifying training needs and devising need-based training modules for the people to develop a multi-skilled workforce.
HR Executive
Wipro Technologies (A Division of Wipro Limited)
07.2011 - 08.2012
Associate HR (HR Generalist)
Glopore Infrastructure Management Service Pvt. Ltd.
04.2010 - 04.2011
Education
MBA - HR & Marketing
Institute of Business Management and Research
Bangalore01.2010
B.Sc. - Biotechnology
CMR Institute of Management Studies
Bangalore01.2008
Skills
HR Partnering
On boarding and Background verification
Joining & Exit Formalities
Policy Formulation
Tool integration and data migration
Employee Engagement / Relations
Payroll & Statutory Compliance
Mergers and Acquisition
Team Building & Leadership
Change Agent
Team leadership
Operations management
Strategic planning
Decision-making
Performance management
Time management
Staff development
Customer service
Cross-functional teamwork
Project planning
Goal setting
Coaching and mentoring
Data analysis
Vendor management
Change management
Problem-solving abilities
MS office
Multitasking
Positive attitude
Certification
Strategic Business Partner
Timeline
Manager - People Practice
Happiest Minds Technology Limited
01.2023 - Current
HR – Facilitator and On Boarding Success Partner
IBM India Pvt. Ltd.
06.2015 - 12.2022
HR Executive
Wipro Technologies (A Division of Wipro Limited)
07.2011 - 08.2012
Associate HR (HR Generalist)
Glopore Infrastructure Management Service Pvt. Ltd.
04.2010 - 04.2011
B.Sc. - Biotechnology
CMR Institute of Management Studies
MBA - HR & Marketing
Institute of Business Management and Research