Interview
iXceed Solutions, United Kingdom
Yogita Tulsiani is the Co-founder and Director of iXceed Solutions, and is a dedicated individual with a persistent pursuit of excellence in academics, extracurricular activities, and professional endeavors. Throughout her academic and career trajectory, she has garnered multiple awards and accolades.
1 | Please provide us with a brief bio of yourself.
I am a passionate individual from the beginning and always aspired to excel be it in academics, extracurriculars, or my jobs. I did win numerous awards and accolades throughout my academic and professional life. I did my schooling from Holy Child School and pursued engineering from the prestigious Delhi Institute of Technology, (now called NSIT). Thereafter I did my MBA from the very prestigious Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad). Being the first female to venture on an entrepreneurial journey in my family after spending more than a decade working in stable jobs, was not an easy move. I have more than a decade of experience in business development and consulting across various industries in the UK, USA, Europe, and APAC. I have been instrumental in creating a new line of business. My repertoire includes clientele in the Financial Services, Telecom, Retail, Information Technology, and Learning industries like Genpact Headstrong and HP. My current role as Director in IXCEED has been a culmination of various roles in my career. I have undertaken Global expansions with exponential revenue growth. One challenge I encountered was the fact that I did not really have a background in the recruitment industry nor did I know the business dynamics but I still chose this path as I wanted to make a difference in society. I started my journey in this industry because of the gaps and issues I observed. I realized that technology is reshaping the economy since major players in every industry bank heavily on technology for not only automation but also to introduce process efficiencies and create innovations. There was a massive gap in the technology skill market. People were not getting the right jobs as per their skillset and ability. Witnessing such a state of affairs, I decided to create valuable relationships for clients and candidates by providing efficient talent solutions. I have always believed that Women's entrepreneurship is very important. More the women step into the shoes of businesses, more value influence is created in the community. In this scenario, it is essential to encourage women more often to enter male-dominated sectors like businesses. This will not only change the mindset of the financial lenders but also add to the economic value of the world Female entrepreneurs can massively support the economy. Females getting into businesses create new jobs for themselves and others and also provide society with different solutions to management, organisation, and business complications. A new value is contrived.
2 | What is your role in the company?
My current role as Director in IXCEED has been a culmination of various roles in my career. I have undertaken Global expansions with exponential revenue growth.
3 | Please tell us more about your organization.
iXceed Solutions, is a well-established end–to–end Talent, Enterprise Services and Digital solutions provider to fortune 500 companies globally, where we truly believe in providing a service to our customers and candidates which exceeds their expectations every time. Our primary focus is providing Top Talent, Digital and Enterprise Solutions in Technology, IT Consulting, Engineering Consulting domains across a variety of industries. We have reinforced our position as a European Talent Solutions provider in the Digital Transformation space. Our Artificial Intelligence-based recruitment solutions create best-in-class experience for both our clients and candidates. We are a specialist provider of Talent Services, Managed Talent Solutions, Digital Marketing Solutions, and Enterprise Services. Enterprise Solutions expertise in AI, Machine learning, RPA, BPM, and Automation Testing solutions. Our Services consist of, Talent Services, Managed Talent Solutions, Digital Marketing Services and Enterprise Solutions.
4 | Describe the industry your organization is specialized in, as well as its main characteristics.
iXceed Solutions is a leading Talent and Digital Solutions provider to Fortune 500 companies globally, focussing on Technology, IT Consulting, and Engineering Consulting domains. We have reinforced our position as a European service provider in the Digital Transformation talent market. We are experts in Talent Services, Managed Talent Solutions, Digital Marketing Solutions, and Enterprise Services. We have decades of experience in supporting our clients on their Talent needs and Digital Transformation projects by complimenting their expertise. Over the past decade, iXceed’s services have helped 200 + organisations develop and launch 450+ projects, products and services across various Geographical segments. Our main market is UK & Europe. We have expanded our footprints in Middle East, Asia – pacific & US as well. As we continue to grow our client base, we have multiple delivery centres in India and expanded our base in Warsaw, Poland to help meet the needs of our ever-increasing client base, already having global footprints in Germany and the UAE along with our London, UK headquarters. We are continuously innovating ways to make our processes robust using cutting-edge technology and toolsets that will help us serve our clients better and faster. Our Artificial Intelligence-based recruitment solutions create a best-in-class experience for both our clients and candidates. We have been chosen by our clients to build and outsource best-in-class recruitment processes for their organizations. We believe in bringing Technology & Talent together which helps our clients to get a competitive advantage. Our Digital Marketing solutions help our clients enhance their Brand Equity to meet their business growth goals.
5 | Congratulations! As the winner of the TITAN Women In Business Awards, what does it mean for you and your team to receive this distinction?
Well, what a treat to hear about me winning the Gold Award, by one of the world's most prestigious awards, the TITAN Women in Business Awards in the category” Female Entrepreneur of the Year" from amongst many other notable global organizations & outstanding entrepreneurs in high-growth businesses from over 50 countries across US, UK, Europe, APAC & rest of the globe, which got nominated. Proud and honoured for the TITAN Women in Business Awards for empowering the recruitment industry with new AI technology to fulfill millions of dreams across the globe. This means a lot to us as a team. Thank you for recognizing our work across the world.
6 | How has winning an international award help promote your organization?
This has given us more confidence in our work and also the recognition of the services we are providing globally and exceeding expectations across the globe. We are one step ahead because of this global prestigious award. Thank you for choosing us & recognizing us globally.
7 | What are the challenges of developing / marketing your winning entry(ies)?
Thank you for introducing the Female Entrepreneur of the Year category to TITAN Women in Business Awards, when we got to know about the category, we thought to give our try as honestly, today whatever we are, it’s all hard work, dedication, efforts, and sleepless nights of mine & my team. I started my journey in this industry because of the gaps and issues I observed. I realized that technology is reshaping the economy since major players in every industry bank heavily on technology for not only automation but also to introduce process efficiencies and create innovations. There was a massive gap in the technology skill market. People were not getting the right jobs as per their skillset and ability. Witnessing such a state of affairs, I decided to create valuable relationships for clients and candidates by providing efficient talent solutions. Wanted to Create value for the ecosystem, generate employment and touch people's lives positively. We made sure that we justify your every question asked in the context of the work which we are doing & fulfilling the talent needs of our clients and the dreams of our candidates globally.
8 | As a business owner, please tell us more about your ideation process.
I started my journey in this industry because of the gaps and issues I observed. I realized that technology is reshaping the economy since major players in every industry bank heavily on technology for not only automation but also to introduce process efficiencies and create innovations. There was a massive gap in the technology skill market. People were not getting the right jobs as per their skill set and ability. Witnessing such a state of affairs, I decided to create valuable relationships for clients and candidates by providing efficient talent solutions. I've always wanted to work for my own self, as I like creativity, freedom and want to explore new things. I also love the challenges that come with entrepreneurship and the joy of success is high. I am interested in creating value to the ecosystem, generate employment and touch people’s lives positively I always wanted to make an impact. I have always been intrigued by success stories of all the successful entrepreneurs. You see – It’s fascinating how you build something from the scratch to build an empire. It takes a lot of courage, planning, perseverance, hard work, team work, combined with good strategy & execution skills.
9 | What is your own definition of a successful team / organization / business?
A Culture of Growth, Freedom, Fairness & Success Employees get exposure to global clients and the opportunity to work on a variety of opportunities. We take employees success seriously & want to do every bit to help them achieve their goals. At IXCEED, we have created an environment where employees can share their opinions and ideas. Open door policy has been implemented to ensure that every employee, irrespective of the designation, can approach the leadership without hesitation at any time. The company also offers numerous training opportunities and emphasis on upskilling and training of its employees. The atmosphere is very competitive and focuses on healthy competition, which results in everyone’s growth and development.
10 | What led you / your organization to become successful within the industry you are currently in?
Our vision is to create value for Human Ecosystem by providing innovative Talent Solutions and to help our clients get the best out of their brand using our best-in class AI technology recruitment tool to recruit talents globally. Our core values that support our vision are - Excellence, Integrity, Growth & giving back to the community. As a leading talent solution provider, we understand the need of the industry and offer cost-effective talent solutions of high quality. The key aim of these solutions is to connect talent with global opportunities. Customer centricity is at the core of our business. We understand our customer’s requirements/ pain areas / gain areas thoroughly and tweak our solutions as per their needs.
11 | How has the country, you are based in, helped move your industry forward?
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology has become a phenomenon on a worldwide scale. It is a great fortune for us to have our headquarters in the United Kingdom, which is not only one of the most innovative countries in the world but also the most progressive country in terms of artificial intelligence. Also, recently, the United Kingdom was ranked third in the world for private investment into AI companies, behind only the United States and China. We have been able to flourish because of the conducive atmosphere, and the government's enthusiastic support of the recruitment industry & AI has been a major factor in our ability to attract thousands of applicants from the United Kingdom, the European Union, and other parts of the world.
12 | What have you found to be a hindering factor, for your business, during the entire course of the pandemic, and how did you overcome that hinderance?
Every company has to face numerous challenges while building their reputation. Similarly, IXCEED has been confronting challenges such as managing global delivery and operations in different geographies in different time zones. The company has to stay ahead of other market competitors and focus on adapting the latest technology to gain a competitive edge. Moreover, no organization has been left untouched by the impact of Covid-19 today. Not only the organization, but the entire sectors have also been badly hit. Businesses are facing the wrath of the pandemic, and HR cannot stay unaffected as an organization is an ecosystem, and everything is interconnected and interdependent. Maintaining the culture of the organization, acquiring and retaining talent, engaging a remote workforce, rising of work from home culture, to name a few, have become pain points for HR professionals today. Strategies we adopted include: Investing in R&D: We have introduced new lines of business around Digital solutions. Use new age technology like AI and ML to build sustainable business. Using AI-based talent solutions, which are revolutionizing the way the industry looks at recruitment Streamlined processes & robust delivery Maintaining the culture of the organization, acquiring and retaining talent: engaging a remote workforce The culture of customer & employee centricity
13 | What are the current trends in the business industry that you are most excited about?
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digitization are all hot topics in the recruitment sector these days. We are a proud leading talent solutions, RPO, and digital services provider that has consistently increased our headcount across the globe and hired tech talent in accordance with client demand and specifications utilizing our best-in-class AI recruitment tool despite challenging market conditions.
14 | What resources would you recommend to someone who is searching to improve their business prospects and organizational success?
In this digital era, social media are a great example, also websites, supporting websites, documents, key metrics, data analytics, statistics etc and not to forget the employees, work culture, their experiences are the great example to improve the success.
15 | Where do you see the evolution of the overall business industry in the next 5-10 years?
We are continuously growing & exceeding. We believe in the present and plan as per the current scenario. Undoubtedly we were & we are thriving despite covid and always ready with the challenges ahead. a. For the next few years we have ambitious plans for IXCEED. We plan to expand in new geographies – the Middle East and the US as well as to enhance the growth of two new service lines – Digital Marketing and Enterprise services. b. We are also focusing on creating a better ecosystem for employees to boost their growth and add value to themselves. c. We plan to increase the revenue growth by 40% YOY and become the employer of choice across Europe & Asia Pacific. To conclude, it intends to grow its global customer base. d. To create valuable relationships for businesses & people by providing efficient talent solutions e. Connect talent with global opportunities f. Expand footprints in Americas & expand more in Asia Pacific. We recently started working in South-East Asian and Middle East markets as well.
16 | Who inspired you in your life, and why?
I draw a lot of inspiration from Indira Nooyi as she is my role model. Also, my mother has been my greatest source of inspiration. She had faced a lot of hardships in life bringing us up due to the circumstances we were in. She always motived us to be strong, believe in ourselves and the hard work we do and leave the rest to God. She taught me to work relentlessly towards my goals.
17 | What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
There is no age to be an entrepreneur. There is no too old or no too young. All you have to believe in the dream you dreamt off and do whatever it takes to make it happen. Believing in yourself when everybody thinks what we dream of is a fairy tale is the most important thing. This is what exactly I believe in. There should be freedom from prejudices, bias against anyone, fear & inhibitions. Giving back to society is very important. I would like to end with my favourite quote by Rumi (13th-century Persian poet) “It’s your road and yours alone, others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you “.
Entrant Company
iXceed Solutions
Category
Female Entrepreneur of the Year - Entrepreneur of the Year (Business 5 -10 Years)
Entrant Company
iXceed Solutions
Category
Female Entrepreneur of the Year - Entrepreneur of the Year (Business 5 -10 Years)