Be it recruitment, employee engagement, training, talent management, employee relations, campus recruitment or organizational development Gaurav Tripathi has tested the waters of Human Resources in almost every capacity. An alumnus of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida’s PGDM Class 2007-2009, Gaurav has worked for four renowned organizations before joining LOTS Wholesale Solutions as Senior Manager, HR in September 2017. 

The man is absolutely charming. Beside the decade long experience that he brings to the table, Gaurav has an air of integrity around him and the first few minutes of conversation is enough to make you realize that you are talking to a man who is extremely passionate about the work he does. And in the words of his colleague Mr. Vaibhav Goyal, Head – Retail Ops – People at Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Limited, “Gaurav as a professional has his ears to the ground always and this habit of his has helped him to gain respect amongst the front end employees of the organization. He always approaches things with a solution in mind.” Aren’t those exactly the Must Have’s for a successful Human Resources professional! 

Gaurav Tripathi joined Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida in the year 2007 and by the time he was wrapping his PGDM he was already hired by Godfrey Philips India Ltd. as a HR Executive. Since then, his professional journey had no looking back. Having spent 1 year and 5 months at Godfrey, Gaurav made a strategic move to Madura Fashion & Lifestyle. He joined as a Regional HR (North) in 2010 and handled MFL brands like Louis Philippe, Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Peter England, Planet Fashion & People. A promotion awaited and within 2.5 years, he was made the Asst. Manager HR. Gaurav spent 4 years at the organization and in the year 2014, interviewed with Pantaloons and was instantaneously absorbed by the company in the office as Deputy Manager HR before Gionee India happened in 2016. Needless to say, by the time Gaurav was looking for his next big move- he already had experiences gathered from three major sectors- Hospitality, FMCG and the Retail. Of course, you cannot stop talents like Gaurav Tripathi from shining bright in whatever they do! 

But how did Jaipuria Institute of Management really helped this HR professional make his mark in the domain? “Well, while my BBA taught me the theories, my PGDM helped me with an active and experiential learning ecosystem. The Jaipuria pedagogy is full of with Live projects, group works, case studies, simulations, business games, internships and exchange programs. We were taught by some of the best minds in the world of management- both inside and outside the classrooms. Every bit of my 2 years at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida had me broaden my horizon of knowledge and understanding.” 

Having said that, is college life all serious and no fun? As Gaurav would say, “I keep returning back to my B-school almost every second month. I interact with the juniors, meet my faculty, explore possibilities of alumni engagement, yet amidst all that, every time I pass those corridors or the residential blocks, I think of the nights we have spent in groups prepping for last minute assignments, drinking tea, fighting over extra rasgullas over dinner and what not! Those were definitely the best days of my life!”

 So what would the alumni suggest to other aspiring professionals trying to find their feet in the competitive sector of Human Resources? “Push yourself to go beyond the textbooks. If you want to survive in HR, you got to be highly sensitive about cultures and learn to adjust and respect diversity. Also, it is essential that you learn t understand the organization first before you start to zig things in it. And of course, just 2 months summer internship is not enough to prepare you for the corporate milieu. Take up Live projects and real life case studies- beyond what is being taught in the classroom. Your ‘extra’ will decide where you land in life!”