Waheeda Begum | making work meaningful stories.
Waheeda Begum, vice president, Global Business Services
a workday with Waheeda
At Randstad Sourceright, no two days are the same for me. I am the vice president, Global Business Services, in Hyderabad, India. As the center head, I provide leadership to recruitment, administration, talent marketing, business and talent intelligence, market research and business improvement service lines. I partner with the client service delivery and operations leaders around the world to ensure the services provided are delivered consistently by experts with agility and scalability.
As I am in a global role, I get to work with colleagues around the world and learn new ways of working across different cultures. Despite the time differences, we all come together and discuss how we can partner to deliver better value to our clients. I love being part of huddles, interacting with employees and listening to their stories. I derive my energies by meeting people and being privy to their success stories and achievements.
In two decades of professional experience, I’d like to highlight that my experience here at Randstad Sourceright has already been the most enriching, thanks to our strong leadership team. I admire the colleagues I work with and the culture we have created. There’s a lot of trust, diversity of thought, love and respect. This is something that struck me during my interview process as well, and is one of the reasons I chose to work here.
making space for adventure
Randstad Sourceright has always been open to having a hybrid work model where people work together to deliver excellent results. Our leaders encourage us to have work-life balance at every level, irrespective of titles.
When I’m not working, I get busy experimenting in the kitchen and cooking different types of cuisines. I also love traveling: both to the sea and the mountains. Every quarter, I like to pack my bags and travel to a place with no network coverage. Adventure sports like scuba diving and paragliding help me re-energize and return to work feeling fresh and active. Developing hobbies, going out for walks, or doing something that sparks joy keeps me mentally and physically fit.
taking time out to recharge
It’s important to take time out for ourselves. I often find being close to nature, talking to a friend, or engaging in some sort of physical activity always helps. It’s also crucial to stay away from our screens, talk to people and share ideas.
For managers, it’s important to have a high level of empathy and listen better, rather than just focusing on data-driven decisions. Empower your team members to make the right decisions and if that means letting them fail so they learn faster, that’s fine too.
Emulate ideas shamelessly from people you admire, talk to experts and counselors, and try to be flexible and people-driven. But most importantly, remember to take a break once in a while. Even if that means making some popcorn, sitting with your feet up and calling a person you love.