Meet The SHEROES: Shailja Dutt, Stellar Search

I come from a Marwari family, which moved from Rajasthan to Kolkata before India's Independence. My childhood in this environment was happy and full of stimulation. In 1971, my parents decided to leave Kolkata and moved to Delhi. 

I had always dreamt of becoming a doctor, and it was a great disappointment when I couldn’t get admission into a medical college in Delhi. However, with my score, I got admission in Lady Sri Ram College for Women in the University of Delhi and studied Economics. 

In 1992, I started work as a consultant with the Strategic Management Group with the McKinsey Knowledge Centre. While working as a consultant, I did a part-time management program at the International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi.

After completing the course at IMI, in 1993, I contacted Amrop, the leading worldwide executive search firm. Instead of finding a job for me, they offered me a position within Amrop, which I readily accepted as I felt that I had a flair for spotting talent and my personality suited this field. I worked with Amrop for three-and-a-half years and enjoyed the work immensely. I learnt a lot and rose in the organisation quickly.

However, after a time, I felt the need for a change. Having seen the executive search business from the inside, I believed that the search process could be improved in many ways. I took a few months off to introspect about future plans, before I went on to incorporate Stellar Search.

The plan, and how 17 ‘Stellar’ years went by.

I wanted to do this business differently and wanted it to be my own creation. With us, search would be more than placing the right person in the right job--it would be an opportunity to effect positive organisational change and forge lasting relationships. We would be partners and passionately involved in our client's businesses. 

When I was planning to establish Stellar Search in 1998, I had some upbeat ideas about the kind of company I would create. I thought I would employ bright management graduates who could interact comfortably with the senior executives of top-of-the-line corporate clients, and I would have a well-appointed office equipped with modern communication infrastructure from which Stellar would conduct an international executive search business.

But there were a few hitches. First, I had no money. Moreover, it was unlikely that any bright young management would join me in my start-up at a time when established well-paying companies were offering secure jobs; office accommodation was hard to find, and office equipment was expensive; top-of-the-line clients would hesitate to try out a new search firm for key appointments. So it seemed it would not be easy for me to create my dream company. Against all the odds, Stellar Search was born. 

Seventeen years and over a thousand clients later, Stellar Search stands tall, an epitome of what the talent acquisition business should be. Relentless passion, unimpeachable integrity, empathy, and courage are what Stellar is built on. With deeply ingrained values and processes of a big corporate and the soul of a startup, along with its global outlook with local expertise, is what makes Stellar one of the most well-recognised names in 25 countries across four continents. 

The challenges, and how we managed to stand tall

Establishing and running Stellar Search involved several challenges. An issue that often confronts women entrepreneurs is that people feel that women are not totally committed to their start-ups and would leave soon to devote time to home and family.

The first challenge was getting a team together. I thought of an innovative strategy: I began to teach at business schools, and I used the opportunity to educate students about careers in executive search as well as groom them for such careers. Stellar now has a powerful team of educated and trained professionals handpicked and coached by me.

My second baby in 2002 was a difficult delivery, as one of the expected twins had to be aborted. I was bedridden and distressed; considered quitting my business, but my husband persuaded me to carry on. I agreed to get back to work gradually. Stellar had been losing business because of my prolonged absence, and it was evident that I would need to spend time on organisational development. I encouraged my staff to be involved in social work. This helped raised the motivation, commitment and morale of the employees. Stellar’s corporate social responsibility efforts started with the education and vocational training of some of the company’s own employees from underprivileged backgrounds, and included coaching to improve computer literacy and English language capabilities of Stellar’s blue-collared staff as well as of the domestic help of the employees.

With respect to marketing, I admit that I was naïve in the early years. I presumed that once I made it known that I had started my own search firm, clients would come to me because of my well-known record. That did not happen. The very people who had been happy to deal with me when I was in Amrop thought twice before contacting me when I had established my own venture.

Later, I developed and implemented proactive marketing campaigns. I personally approached managers who I had placed in senior positions--and who remembered my skills. Slowly, they began to come to me with search requests and then stayed with Stellar as they moved from one company to another. I have always believed in building strong long-term relationships, and this belief played an important part in my personalised marketing campaign.

How are we different?

To differentiate Stellar from competitors, I also emphasised the use of modern information and communication technology. Stellar’s knowledge management systems capture data and process information regularly. 

The involvement with technology enabled Stellar to provide executive search services to clients in other countries. For instance, Stellar helps Chinese and South African firms locate and recruit managers, including local candidates.

One of the most inspiring moments for us at Stellar was being awarded ‘The World’s Greatest Brand’ for Executive Search in Asia/ GCC under the Service Sector category in 2015 at the ceremony held in Dubai.

From the rear-view mirror to the windshield.

Within two years, we plan to convert the figure that represents revenues into a figure that represents profits. When that happens, Stellar would have a valuation of about Rs. 200 crores. In the immediate future, the business focus is to expand its geographical footprint and build strong knowledge capabilities in certain verticals globally.

For me, life is really about giving back, and my greatest joy is to teach and mentor youngsters trying to build a career and helping the less fortunate find the better learning avenues and sustainable career options. In the very long term, I see myself devoting more time to this.

Keep innovating and changing.

I believe that the entrepreneurial path is not a bed of roses, but I brush aside the suggestion that ‘no great success is achieved without great sacrifice'. In my opinion, some compromises and a degree of adaptability are required, but these are certainly not ‘great sacrifices.'

For me, life is not about either-or, but ‘this as well as that and that’. I consider myself multi-spirited, multi-linguist, multi-talented, and a multi-tasker who believes in living my eulogy, not the resume.

I thrive on adventures--ones that make me connect with life and disconnect from the mundane. It is this bring-it-on attitude that has made me go deep-sea diving off the Indonesian coast, skiing down the breathtaking slopes of Gulmarg and chasing mavericks in Bali. I am also an avid fitness enthusiast who espouses healthy living but enjoys fine food--be it gourmet or popular street fare. 

My advice for budding entrepreneurs: ‘Have a clear goal and business plan. Keep the long-term objective in mind as you tweak the short-term plans by setting small, achievable, short-term goals. Prioritise well between board meetings, dentist appointments, sick toddlers, nagging moms-in-law, spouse’s boss at home for dinner, etc. Tackle each, one at a time. Be honest; do not compromise for short-term gains. Nurture relationships, respect people and build an emotional bank balance. Keep innovating and changing!’

Collated by Paroma Sen