Startups & Entrepreneurs — Startups obsess over product-market fit, funding, technology, and growth. But behind every ambitious business sits a question that can determine whether that growth survives: Can the organisation build and retain the right people?
This is where Sonali Srivastava, HR professional at Bridgepoint, is carving out her distinctive space.
Her approach challenges the traditional perception of Human Resources as an administrative function. For Sonali, HR is fundamentally about building an environment where employees and businesses can thrive together.
Her philosophy begins with a deceptively simple idea: hiring should not be about finding the most impressive resume. It should be about recognising the person capable of becoming the right fit for the organisation’s future.
That requires looking beyond qualifications.
Sonali focuses on attitude, potential, cultural fit, adaptability, and long-term capability—qualities that may never appear on a conventional CV but can ultimately determine whether an employee becomes a contributor, a leader, or a catalyst for organisational change.
This perspective becomes particularly valuable in startup environments, where roles evolve rapidly and organisations need people capable of learning, adapting, and taking ownership.
For Sonali, one of HR’s most important responsibilities is also often its most difficult: standing between two sides that do not always understand each other.
When employees feel unheard and management feels misunderstood, HR can either become another layer of bureaucracy—or become the bridge.
Sonali chooses the latter.
Her work reflects a broader shift taking place across modern workplaces: from hiring people for what they have already achieved to investing in what they can become.
The objective is not simply to fill positions. It is to cultivate a workforce and workplace where people feel valued, organisations become stronger, and potential is given room to develop.
In an industry increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and data-driven decision-making, Sonali’s perspective offers an important reminder:
The future of work may be powered by technology—but it will still be built by people.
Media Partner – Hi Fuel Media
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