Building Connections and Shaping Futures: A Journey into HR Excellence with Kannan Periyasamy

You’ve had an impressive career in HR. Can you share a bit about your journey and what inspired you to pursue a career in human resources?

My journey in HR has been both exciting and deeply rewarding. Pursuing a career in HR was not accidental. I was initially drawn to HR because of my interest in understanding people, organizational behavior, and how teams work together to achieve common goals. Early on, I realized that people are at the heart of every successful organization, and I wanted to contribute to building environments where individuals could thrive while driving business success. I began my HR journey in a very junior position and have worked my way up to my current role as Assistant Manager – Corporate HR in Ascent Business Solutions.

Over the years, my experiences in talent acquisition, policy development, employee engagement, and HRIS management have taught me the critical balance between empathy and strategy in HR. Each role I’ve taken on has deepened my understanding of the dynamic relationship between employee satisfaction and organizational growth.

What truly inspires me is the opportunity to make a tangible difference in people’s professional lives, whether it’s helping someone find the right career path, implementing policies that promote work-life balance, or fostering a culture of continuous learning and development. Every challenge in HR is an opportunity to build stronger connections between people and their work.

What excites you the most about talent acquisition? Is there a particular moment or success story in your career that solidified your passion for this field?

Talent acquisition excites me because it’s about shaping the future of an organization by bringing in the right people who align with its goals and values. The process of identifying, engaging, and onboarding talent is not just about filling a position—it’s about unlocking potential and creating opportunities for both the individual and the company to grow together.

One of the most rewarding moments in my career was the opportunity to support, guide, and lead my team during a recruitment drive for a major client project at Ascent Business Solutions, with the support of my current CHRO. Within a short span of time during the transformation of the company, we identified candidates with the right skill sets for critical positions. Through strategic planning, collaboration, and innovative sourcing channels, we successfully advanced the recruitment process at Ascent.

Seeing those individuals integrate seamlessly into the organization, contribute to the project, and grow in their roles solidified my passion for talent acquisition. Moments like these remind me of the impact we have as talent acquisition professionals—not only on the success of the organization but also on the careers and lives of the individuals we hire. It is incredibly fulfilling to connect the right talent with the right opportunities.

How would you describe your leadership style, especially when it comes to leading the talent acquisition process and your HR team?

I would describe my leadership style as collaborative, empowering, and results driven. When leading the talent acquisition process and my HR team, I focus on fostering an environment where everyone feels motivated, valued, and aligned with our shared goals. I believe in setting a clear roadmap by outlining goals, priorities, and how each team member’s contributions fit into the bigger picture. This helps maintain focus and ensures we are all working toward a unified objective.

I trust my team and encourage them to take ownership of their responsibilities. By providing guidance, resources, and constructive feedback, I help them develop their skills and build the confidence to make decisions independently.

We foster a culture of open communication where ideas and feedback are welcomed. Collaboration is key, especially in talent acquisition, where collective insights lead to more effective hiring strategies. Recognizing the dynamic nature of HR, I ensure my leadership style remains flexible and aligned with the organization’s standards. Whether responding to market trends, shifting priorities, or addressing team challenges, I adapt and encourage my team to do the same.

Finally, I believe in recognizing achievements, no matter how small, as it boosts morale and reinforces a positive team culture. At the same time, I treat challenges as opportunities for learning and growth, both for myself and my team.

What innovative approaches have you taken to attract top talent in today’s competitive market?

In today’s competitive talent market, attracting top talent requires a combination of creativity, strategy, and leveraging technology. To enhance our employer branding, we recently initiated opportunities for employees to share their success stories, showcasing real experiences of growth, innovation, and inclusion within the organization. These stories resonate with potential candidates on platforms like LinkedIn, creating a strong connection and highlighting our culture.

We also leverage platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to humanize our brand by sharing behind-the-scenes content, employee testimonials, and day-in-the-life features. This approach helps showcase the authentic workplace environment and fosters engagement with a wider audience.

To make data-driven decisions, we use recruitment dashboards and analytics tools to identify where top talent is most active, tailoring our sourcing efforts to focus on those platforms or regions. Additionally, we utilize AI-powered tools to streamline resume screening and improve candidate matching, allowing recruiters to dedicate more time to meaningful personal interactions.

Building a talent community is another key focus, where we maintain connections with passive candidates through regular engagement such as newsletters, webinars, and industry insights. we have our ongoing internship and co-op programs, which help us develop a steady pipeline of future-ready talent, ensuring the organization remains competitive in the long run.

Bias in hiring is an ongoing challenge for many organizations. What proactive steps do you take to ensure your recruitment process is free of bias, and how do you instill this mindset within your HR team?

I don’t believe bias in hiring is a significant issue in any organization today. As the business becomes more competitive, leadership has a clear understanding of the kind of individuals needed to thrive in the market. With a high level of transparency and a keen focus on identifying the most suitable candidates, I am confident that bias is not a factor in our recruitment process. After all, hiring an incompetent person can have serious repercussions for the organization.

Even public sectors are gradually evolving to ensure they identify the right candidates for the positions. This shift reflects a growing awareness of the importance of unbiased recruitment across all sectors.

To answer your question based on my experience, we have an internal referral program at Ascent, and we always prioritize internal employees before considering external candidates. Additionally, we follow a structured hiring process that ensures the recruitment process remains as unbiased as possible, helping to instill this mindset within both the company and the team.

Finding candidates with the right skill set is important, but how do you make sure they’re a cultural fit at Ascent? How does diversity factor into your talent acquisition process?

Ensuring candidates are both a cultural fit and aligned with our diversity goals is crucial to building strong, cohesive, and innovative teams at Ascent Business Solutions. To achieve this, we take a comprehensive approach throughout the recruitment process.

At Ascent, we prioritize collaboration, adaptability, and innovation. We assess candidates’ alignment with these values by asking situational and behavioral questions, as well as exploring their work preferences, long-term goals, and approach to teamwork and problem-solving. Instead of merely looking for candidates who fit into existing norms, we focus on those who will add to our culture by bringing fresh perspectives.

Regarding diversity, we ensure our recruitment efforts are inclusive by advertising job postings on platforms that cater to underrepresented groups and partnering with universities, professional associations, and community organizations that emphasize diversity. Additionally, we implement objective assessments, such as skills-based testing and blind resume reviews, to reduce bias in candidate evaluation. Our interview panels are also diverse, which promotes fairer evaluations and mitigates unconscious bias.

We identified gaps in team diversity and adjusted our sourcing strategies, bringing in talent from underrepresented regions and backgrounds. This not only boosted team innovation but also improved client satisfaction, as the diverse team brought fresh ideas to solve complex challenges.

At Ascent, cultural fit and diversity go hand in hand, fostering a workplace where individuals thrive and contribute to the company’s success in meaningful ways.

Every HR professional face challenges—what have been some of the most difficult moments for you in talent acquisition, and how have you navigated those?

Challenges in talent acquisition are inevitable, but they also provide opportunities to innovate and grow. Throughout my experience in HR, I’ve encountered several difficult moments, each of which I navigated successfully by adopting strategic approaches and maintaining a solutions-oriented mindset.

In competitive markets, attracting talent for niche technical roles can be difficult, especially when competitors offer higher salaries. To stand out, we focused on enhancing our employer branding by promoting Ascent’s hybrid work model, career growth opportunities, and commitment to work-life balance. Through personalized engagement, we built relationships with passive candidates by aligning their long-term aspirations with our opportunities. Additionally, we emphasized non-monetary benefits, such as membership programs and internal mobility. This approach helped us attract high caliber candidates who appreciated the holistic value we offered beyond just compensation.

The importance of adaptability, collaboration, and leveraging data to make informed decisions cannot be overstated. By maintaining a solutions-oriented mindset, I’ve turned obstacles into opportunities, ultimately strengthening our talent acquisition process.

With recruitment constantly evolving, how do you keep up with the latest trends? What adjustments have you made to adapt to trends like remote work or skills-based hiring?

At Ascent, 70% to 80% of our workforce operates remotely, and I believe that our team’s dedication to maintaining operations and keeping the company thriving over the past couple of years is an amazing example compared to other organizations. I am proud to say that we’ve been able to give our best, balancing work, and family without compromising either. A key reason for this success is the trust and transparency that leadership and supervisors have in their teams, which serves as a tremendous advantage. On the flip side, employees’ commitment to meeting client deadlines has been remarkable.

This experience is new for me as well, as I am completing my first year at Ascent. During this time, I have been surprised by how challenging yet effective it is to balance both family and professional life while working 80% remotely. Adapting to remote work trends has certainly been essential for me.

In terms of recruitment, staying up to date with the latest trends is crucial in a dynamic field like talent acquisition. To ensure Ascent remains ahead of the curve, we combine continuous learning with proactive implementation. We stay informed by engaging in weekly calls, conducting research, attending webinars, and networking with other professionals in the field.

You’ve built a career centered around driving HR excellence. How do you personally define ‘HR excellence’?

For me, HR excellence is about creating a people centric environment that aligns the organization’s goals with employee aspirations, fostering a culture where both individuals and the business can thrive. It goes beyond traditional HR functions to drive strategic value, innovation, and inclusivity. At its core, HR excellence means aligning people strategies with business goals, creating a positive employee experience, and driving innovation and agility. It’s about fostering diversity, equity, enabling continuous learning and growth, delivering measurable outcomes, and acting as a trusted advisor to leadership.

Personally, for me ensuring that I create an environment where employees are empowered to perform at their best, foster trust through transparent and ethical practices, and contribute meaningfully to organizational success is the HR excellence.

One advice you would like to give. 

“Do not give up your uniqueness, your intention, your patience, and your perseverance.”

In the fast-evolving world of human resources, understanding the unique needs and experiences of individuals—whether they’re candidates, employees, or managers—is essential for building strong, trusting relationships. Empathy allows you to connect on a deeper level, helping you understand the true motivations and challenges that people face.

At the same time, adaptability is key. The business environment, technology, and employee expectations are constantly changing. The ability to adapt quickly—whether by embracing new tools, adjusting to remote work models, or revising HR strategies—ensures that you can continue to meet the needs of both the organization and its people.

When you combine these qualities, you not only create a supportive and thriving environment but also become a leader who drives meaningful, positive change within your organization.