“Leaders are the ones who inspire and motivate people; You can do that by “walking the talk” and setting an example for your team; Being self-disciplined and honest is a virtue,” says Manu Saigal, Director of Adecco India Pvt. Ltd.
Manu is a realistic optimist having strengths in dealing with people, building relationships, and maintaining authenticity with teams, organizations, and clients.
For her, Authentic leadership emphasizes transparent and ethical behavior. It allows people to share feedback or input, while still relying on experience, expertise, and data analytics, and it encourages 360-degree information flow and makes it feel safe. You should always hear from the team members & get their buy-in. Transparency has always been important for Manu and her organization, team, and customers.
The background needed to pursue the current career
Manu comes from a military background, and her father is a retired Army Colonel. Manu’s upbringing as a military child represents her experiencing frequent relocations and learning early lessons in adaptability and change. “I value qualities like discipline, integrity, and commitment, which I attribute to my upbringing,” says Manu.
She completed her Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication and was a campus recruit in Wipro Infotech.
Manu’s early days in Wipro created a strong foundation for planning and execution. Over the years, she was able to strengthen her skills through various learning platforms and guidance from her mentors. She started her career in the delivery team – and got early lessons on customer centricity, stakeholder, and people management. Throughout the years, Manu handled multiple roles, some of them have been very challenging turnarounds while others were greenfield projects. Each role has added value to her experience and learning.
The crucial moments for Manu to launch Adecco
Manu faced pivotal moments twice in her life. First, as she neared the end of her college journey, Manu had to choose between a career in the defense services or the corporate world. Manu has bounced back and forth between the possibilities of a military career and a corporate career, having demonstrated adaptability and a willingness to explore different opportunities. She Opted for the corporate path and joined Wipro Infotech.
Subsequently, after gaining diverse experience across various business roles at Wipro, Manu transitioned to leading staffing for a key business unit. While she found fulfillment in the people-centric aspects of staffing, Manu yearned to be more involved in business operations, including customer management and PnL responsibilities.
Second, she faced another crossroads, Manu had to decide between returning to a business role within Wipro or exploring opportunities in an organization where staffing was the primary focus. Ultimately, Manu embraced the latter path, which led her to Adecco.
Business idea and concept
The idea or concept for a business often arises from identifying a problem or a need in the market and devising a solution to address it. Business leaders draw inspiration from their own experiences, observations, or industry trends to conceptualize a new venture or product.
The mission of a business at the outset is usually centered around its purpose and the value it aims to deliver to its customers or stakeholders. This mission statement often encapsulates the company’s core values, goals, and objectives. It serves as a guiding principle that shapes the organization’s strategic decisions, operations, and culture.
“I believe in investing time in yourself to stay relevant. Learning should never end and this could be through the job role, mentors, team members, colleagues, family, or even a formal education. I recently completed PGPMax for Senior Executives from the Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad) with the intent to further enhance my skills in general management, strategic thinking, and cross-functional knowledge, and build a network of senior executives. I believe that ISB helps prepare senior executives for the next career goal in a much more structured framework,” says Manu.
Adecco India Pvt. Ltd.: Got the world of work covered
Adecco India Pvt. Ltd, established in 1996 with a vision to ensure that people across the globe are inspired, motivated, trained, and developed to embrace the future of work. To be in environments where they are empowered to thrive, stimulated to succeed, and given every chance to make their futures better and brighter than ever before. Embedding integrity and compliance consistently into how and why Adecco conducts its business enables it to deliver on its mission to be a driver of positive change and make the future work for everyone.
Adecco is a multinational human resources consulting and staffing company globally headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, and India headquartered in Bangalore. Adecco operates in over 60 countries and territories, connecting millions of people to job opportunities every year. The company serves a wide range of industries and sectors, including finance, IT, engineering, healthcare, and more. Adecco plays a significant role in matching qualified candidates with job openings across the globe, contributing to workforce development and employment opportunities worldwide.
Adecco’s suite of services
Adecco offers a range of services and solutions that are in line with current industry standards in the field of human resources and staffing. Some of its key services include Temporary Staffing, Permanent Placement, Talent Development, Career Transition, and Talent Management Solutions. Adecco provides comprehensive talent management solutions to help organizations optimize their workforce, improve employee engagement, and achieve business objectives.
“Adecco continually evolves its offerings to meet the changing needs of the market and its clients. At Adecco, we focus on innovations in technology, talent management practices, and workforce solutions to stay competitive in the industry. This involves advancements in digital recruitment platforms, the integration of artificial intelligence in candidate screening processes, and the development of customized workforce solutions tailored to specific industries or sectors,” assserts Manu.
Leadership Advice
When you face challenging situations and overcome them, you learn new perspectives and gain experience. Challenging experiences shape you as a leader. One becomes more solution-oriented, committed, and resilient. On the one hand, challenges help you stay humble; overcoming the challenges also gives you a sense of achievement.
In leadership, you need to respond to situations in a calm and well-thought-out manner. Taking a deep breath and assessing the situation with a clear mind is the best way to tackle the problem. Break it down into smaller parts & prioritize them. A true leader can envisage the problem early on.
Success Mantra
Manu’s three main success mantras are:
Be curious: Being curious means constantly posing queries, questioning established wisdom, and looking for solutions. It also supports your quest for lifelong learning and relevance.
Keep learning: Your learnings or your interest to stay relevant could be from anywhere.
Stay relevant: need not always be formal, from your seniors or industry leaders; it could also be from your team member or a fresher who has just joined your organization.
But above all is to remain humble!
Work-life Balance Funda, ‘being available where you are needed the most’
Manu’s ability to navigate different roles and her strength in interpersonal relationships highlight her versatility in both her personal and professional life.
Manu strongly believes that there is nothing like work-life balance, she acknowledged that being available where you are needed the most – like treating your work as your baby, and when the baby is not well, spend hours together by their side till they are feeling better. Celebrating the wins/good work is just like how we celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. At the same time, if there is attention required at home, let’s say someone is not well or your child’s exams, then that’s where your time is spent more.
“I can keep pace with it through my daughters. I have 2 daughters – 19 and 13 years old & it’s so interesting to engage in a conversation with them. Every time we discuss a controversial or sensitive topic; it amazes me on the way they think and being a different perspective on the table to think through. The more you engage with the young talent the more you can relate and appreciate their mindset,” says Manu.
“Weekends are for family and friends – Ankur and I both love entertaining and socializing; as well, I believe that a short break every 3-4 months is more effective than a long break every year. Spending time with Ankur and my girls, Khushi & Mehhar helps me regain my energy, reduce stress, and boost my productivity levels,” she continues.
“In my career, I have worked long hours, traveled a lot, and even studied management on weekends. Similarly, my mother is a cancer survivor and I was there for days, weeks, and even months when I was at the hospital. I am grateful to have a wonderful team to assist me,” she added.
Road to Future
“Every day the world of work is being reshaped by megatrends, and companies are rethinking how they build and optimize their workforces. In parallel, employees want to work in ways that align with their skills, interests, and personal goals. We are helping businesses and individuals embrace change and face the future with confidence. To support the same, we have a Future@work strategy. We also have a few other initiatives that focus on Diversity & Inclusion and veteran hiring,” assures Manu.
