Alpana Java

• Revamped Talent Acquisition: Overhauled the Talent Acquisition strategy and processes, reducing time-to-hire and improving candidate quality through structured workforce planning, improved sourcing channels, and enhanced onboarding experiences.
• Standardization of Policies and Contracts: Leading the review and standardization of employment contracts, HR policies, and SOPs to ensure consistency across business units and compliance with UAE & Africa labor laws and MOHRE guidelines.
• ERP Implementation: Partnering with IT to review and implement a new HRMS system, optimizing the end-to-end employee lifecycle and enabling data-driven workforce decisions.
• Board-Level HR Advisory: Advised the Board on key talent and organizational development strategies, while preparing board-level HR reports and updates.
• People Development: Curating a group-wide leadership development and coaching strategy to strengthen internal capabilities and succession pipelines. Driving compliance and capability-building through AML (Anti-Money Laundering) training programs, reinforcing organizational integrity and readiness.
• Talent Management/HR Operations: Leading the strategic revamp of HR Operations and Talent Management across the group, enhancing the end-to-end employee experience from onboarding through confirmation.
• Stakeholder Management: Designed and implemented “HR Connect” touchpoints with regional heads to foster alignment, engagement, and early talent risk mitigation.
• Compensation & Performance Management: Lead the annual performance appraisal cycle across business units and advise the board on increment and bonus strategies, ensuring performance-driven, market-aligned compensation decisions that support talent retention and strategic business goals.

• Revamped Performance Management: Led a comprehensive overhaul of performance systems, achieving a 25% increase in
employee satisfaction and a 20% boost in review accuracy, significantly enhancing productivity.
• Global Succession Planning: Developed a succession strategy identifying and nurturing 200 high-potential employees, projected to reduce talent gaps by 20% and strengthen organizational resilience.
• Leadership Development: Collaborated with the Talent Development Centre of Excellence to enhance learning platforms and create impactful leadership programs, addressing critical skill gaps.
• Talent Management Initiatives: Spearheaded group-wide efforts to improve internal mobility and employee development, fostering a thriving and engaged workforce.
• Strategic Planning: Contributed to strategic policy development for performance, talent management and quality improvement, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Ethical Compliance: Actively participated in the compliance committee, ensuring fair and transparent handling of employee concerns through Speak Up reports.

• Strategic Workforce Leadership: Enhanced recruitment efficiency by 30% and reduced time-to-fill for key positions by 25% as part of the executive
team.
• Cultural Transformation: Drove a 40% increase in employee satisfaction and improved cultural alignment by 20% through a robust people strategy
and Employee Value Proposition (EVP).
• Engagement and Performance: Boosted employee engagement scores by 15% with targeted initiatives and increased performance management
effectiveness, resulting in a 30% rise in engagement.
• Business Efficiency: Established a strategic business partnering model, improving cross-departmental project efficiency by 25%, while managing
the global HR budget to achieve a 10% cost reduction.
• HR Operations Excellence: Oversaw HR operations and implemented HRIS post-demerger, streamlining processes to reduce paperwork by 75%.
• Talent Retention and Development: Curated programs that increased retention by 25% and aligned high-potential employees with leadership
roles.
• Comprehensive Lifecycle Management: Managed the full employee lifecycle, ensuring a seamless experience from onboarding to exit.

Responsible for setting up the Talent Function locally and partnering with business during an explosive growth phase and aligning growth that balances business goals and employee needs.
Business Partnering:
• Partnering at Director and operative level to deliver strategic business intent, operational excellence, and people growth in varied environments. Integrated business needs with HR initiatives and guide leadership on the leading practices.
• Partnered closely with business managers to help with developing and growing their teams while keeping the JFrog codex.
• Integrated new employees into the organization by creating an engaging pre onboarding plan and a post onboarding plan.
• Regular one-on-ones with employees to understand their motivation levels (esp. through the pandemic phase), grievances and ensure resolution or intervention if required.
• Understand the existing competencies and talent needs of the various assigned groups and address talent gaps before they impact the business.
• Lead and participate in cross functional working teams on strategic and employee initiatives.
• Lead the benchmarking for the India site
Talent acquisition:
• Responsible for setting up the Talent Acquisition team and process.
• Led, developed, and drove sourcing strategies for positions to achieve quarter hiring targets within the prescribed SLA’s (skills sets hired - Java, golang, nodejs, support team, sales, salesforce, marketing etc). Grew the head count by 45 people within a quarter across various teams.
• Supervised and reported the sourcing metric to leadership. Ensured the team delivered against set parameter by providing consistent results and data backed progress.
• Responsible for positioning all new hires compensation and benefit basis parity across internal levels and external market
• Coach mentor and train team members.
• Implemented the social media branding campaign in India to raise awareness of the organization.
Performance Management & Talent Development:
• Responsible to guide the management for the merit increase for 2021.
• Coached leadership to handle low performers and provide counselling through a Performance Improvement Plan.
HR operations:
• Responsible to ensure excellent planning and implementation of key HR activities and implement the HR operations at the swamp.
• Executed all employee requirements pertaining to employee lifecycle (grievances, monthly payroll MIS etc.).
• Implemented firm’s Policies and Procedures and monitor adherence/exceptions to the processes with required empathy. Introduced locally aligned policies and benefits.
• Managed employee events like the Sales team Q4marathon, Back to the Swamp and team building activities as required.

Experience spanned across verticals like Forensic, Markets, Tax. Assurance and Advisory (TMT). Partnered with Business during a rapid growth phase for setting strategic talent priorities aligned to business growth with a disciplined and flexible problem- solving approach that balances business goals and employee needs.
Business Partnering:
• Integrated business needs with HR initiatives and guide leadership on leading practices in talent management.
• Designed manpower and succession plan along with Business and adapt the plan basis evolving needs.
• Enabled Employee Engagement through “Counselling Family” sessions to enhance proactive leadership connect.
• Worked closely with business to monitor talent cost and accordingly determine increments and variable pay-outs.
• Monitored the business / market pulse with its impact on talent and keep business leaders updated on emerging risks.
• Advice business as an SME on client projects relating to Talent management, organizational development & change management.
• Integrated employees into the organization from an acquisition by creating a seamless transition plan.
• Identify training needs of the business and collaborate with the training team to facilitate technical trainings (Miller Heiman for BDE, Growth Navigator, Barometer workshop, Design Thinking, Franklin Covey etc.).
Talent acquisition:
• Responsible for positioning all new hires compensation and benefit basis parity across internal and external levels.
• Responsible for monitoring manpower plan in terms of cost / margins and highlight risks to the leadership.
Performance Management & Talent Development:
• Responsible for Performance Management, Compensation, Increments & Benefits strategies in collaboration with Business adhering to the Firm’s guidelines.
• Supported BD leader in target setting, designed the sales incentive plan & administered incentive pay-out for USD 60 million of sales.
• Coached leadership to proactively identify low performers and provide counselling through a Performance Improvement Plan.
• Led the rollout of the new Performance Management System “LEAD” and partnered with business to ensure quality compliance.
• Initiated the 360 feedbacks for manager and above group. Use this as an additional input for internal promotion panels for Manager and above levels to help business make a more informed decision.
HR operations:
• Standardized the Talent dashboard to track key metrics and identify EWS which enable leadership to take timely action.
• Supervised execution of all employee requirements pertaining to employee lifecycle (grievances, monthly payroll MIS etc.).
• Oversee implementation of firm’s Policies & Procedures and monitor adherence/exceptions to the processes with required empathy.
• Monitored employee engagement events such as Townhall, Family Day, Sports Day and Offsites.
Additional Responsibilities at firm level:
• Facilitated the Global & Indian New Manager & Senior Consultant Development Program for the last 5 years as a certified trainer. Delivered the onboarding program and counsellor workshop for new managers for the last 8 years.
• Led the Women’s Network for EY Mumbai, invited senior women leaders from the industry to EY for a speaker session.
• Organized focus session with women employees to identify drivers for upskilling & supporting them professionally.
• Led the team for revamping the HR Intranet online portal & redesigning the Intern Handbook for onboarding new Interns.
• Conceptualized Tax Ninja & FIDS Ninja - a learning platform for consultants using simulated project scenarios.
• Part of the team contributing towards the branding and social media initiatives.

• Recruitment: Responsible for manpower planning at all levels and lead for campus hiring.
• HR Polices & Procedure: Custodian for key HR processes across the employee lifecycle.
• Employee Engagement: Implementation of HR Processes and responsible for handling employee issues.
• Rewards and recognitions: Facilitator for employee recognition through the rewards and recognition program.
• L&D - Designed a “Campus to Corporate” onboarding program and “Manager readiness” Training Program.

• Recruitment: Designed SOP for Talent Acquisition process across levels and SPOC for Campus hiring. HR Policies & Procedures: Designed the HR Policy Handbook including the digital version for the online employee portal. Learning & Development: design and implementation of a Senior Leadership Development Program. Compensation: Key member of the team responsible Survey. Recognition: Institutionalized a rewards

Managed a broad range of HR functions including Payroll, Personnel data management, HR policy development, employee recruitment and training programs. Instrumental in designing the Induction program guide, on-boarding formalities and HRIS system.

Instrumental in the setup and implementation of HR Process and overseeing HR operations for 6 regions (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Philippines
and Saudi Arabia

Human Resources
• Created a consensus around HR vision and developed sustainable HR processes and systems.
• Designed and deployed HR processes for EY Dubai office, shared HR leading practices with other EY Middle East offices.
• Implemented Performance Appraisal System and liaised with Business Leaders for completion of performance appraisals.
Business Advisory Services
• Set up an in-house database covering industry performance, markets & economic data used for proposals and client projects.
• Performed compensation benchmarking for a UAE based real-estate company using Decision Band & Hays Methodologies.
• Designed HR policies, JDs and employee handbook for a government university, large Tobacco company and a FMCG company.
• Performed financial due-diligence and business valuation of one of the largest UAE conglomerates.
• Designed Policies and SOPs for procurement, sales & marketing for a UAE based FMCG company & a real-estate company.
• Conducted corporate incorporation study for a five-star hotel chain setting up presence in UAE.
• Conducted a study for Non-oil revenue sources for the Ministry of Finance of a GCC country.
• Conducted market research to validate business plan for UAE based Retailer and a US restaurant chain.