Swapan Dholakia is an industry veteran with a career spanning three decades. A client servicing professional at core, his strategies have directed organizations towards its desired outcomes. He has witnessed the change in this industrial ecosystem since 1995. And compared the current virality trend to a time when the audience liked reading long-form advertisements.
“Technological aspects have primarily changed since I started my career (in 1995). It has made things much easier and faster. The platforms and nature of media have changed. Earlier, due to no internet, things used to happen in an old-fashioned way. This phenomenon or trend, called virality, was not there,” Dholakia tells Gujpreneur in an exclusive interview.
He currently serves as the Lead PR & Communications for Ahmedabad-based Hire4Higher Consulting and LegalWiz.in. In his storied career, he has worked closely with the Indo-American Chamber Of Commerce and Confederation Of Indian Industry (CII).
Dholakia believes the market ecosystem was much simpler before the emergence of the internet. With the breakout of multiple social media apps, client expectations have changed. It has subsequently brought a change in nature of teams along with the planning structure and execution.
“Now, there is a reduced attention span, which is a fallout of technology. The market is much more reactive. Earlier, we had the patience of going through a long-form advertisement (3-4 paragraphs). Now, we only have the patience for 30 or 15-second clips. Our attention span has gotten shorter,” he remarked.
In today’s world, credit to AI, content can be created with a click. But authenticity is hard to find. It is thus, that human element, empathy, and intuition have become more valuable than ever.
Emergence Of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has two sides of the coin in today’s ecosystem. While some businesses have created a positive impact with its usage; it is also making individuals dull.
Consider the case of LinkedIn posts: a number of individuals are posting similar AI-generated views. It has helped them gain engagement but in the hindsight; it has blocked a more human approach towards an agenda. Moreover, being overly reliant on AI is also making them dull as individuals are not generating their own perspective about a subject.
On this, Dholakia mentions, “Issues (in today’s market) are not limited to AI alone. There’s an old saying, excess of anything is bad. If properly used, AI can be a terrific tool. It can reduce the burden on resources, create automation, and help in reducing losses. But again, with reference to LinkedIn, you see replication of posts, somebody copying other posts, without giving them credit. Posts are lifeless; there is no human element.”
On Hiring The Right Candidate
Hiring the right candidate and placing them at the correct position is the key to building an organization. While many organizations hold a rigorous hiring process, Dholakia believes in showing empathy and building a friendly interaction with the candidates. He also believes that sitting on an interviewer’s chair doesn’t make them a god-like figure.
“I’m an easy interviewer. I don’t like giving people a hard time. What people will present to you will be their best version. But we don’t know what background they come from or if they had a quarrel with someone (before the interview). You’re not sitting on a judge’s chair. So greet them with a smile, offer them a glass of cold water, and make them comfortable,” Dholakia said.
“And the CV is just a part of what they’re professionally. The CV is just a part of what they’re professionally. When you’re hiring a person, you’re hiring someone who brings some degree of knowledge, culture, which their parents have imbibed in them. I ask them about their past, I ask about their learnings, their expectations, and try to see how much both align. I try to make it a discussion rather than an interview. I go by my gut feel and try to keep the human element alive,” he adds.
Instead of putting the interviewees on the spot, he prefers a light-hearted conversation which aligns. He ultimately prefers to go by his instincts while hiring the right candidate for a vacant role.
On Entrepreneurial Challenges And Gen-Z Ecosystem
India’s entrepreneurial landscape is increasing by the day. Let alone the experienced, even the youngsters are taking a leap of faith in building startups. And although Dholakia is not an entrepreneur. He understands the pros and cons of being an entrepreneur or a startup founder.
“A founder’s life is not for everybody. You should not only see the glamorous part of it. It means surviving on stress, coping with ambiguity, and uncertainty. You have to build on a particular segment, you’ve to focus on the relationship. It’s important not to get swayed away,” Dholakia observed.
“There is also a silent breed of startups that just keep their head down and focus on their work, product, and consumer segment. They focus on their clients. Perfect example of no fancy technologies, but if you look at Balaji, Haldiram, and Nirma. These companies have challenged Pepsi, McDonald’s, and more. These brands are not chasing valuation or venture capitalists. They’re quietly focusing on their brands,” he added.
Additionally, he also remarked that the more the startup ecosystem grows, the smaller it becomes. The school of thought comes to him as he has worked with entrepreneurs across India who have contacts in every sector. It makes it easier for an individual to navigate in the cramped space and build their business. Although the network remains tighter, competition becomes more direct, and differentiation is becoming increasingly difficult.
On Working With Gen-Z
Gen-Z’s are slowly capturing the work ecosystem. While many startup founders have claimed that handling them can be a challenge; Dholakia believes that it is all about connecting correctly with them. And if you do, then these youngsters will also sit beyond their usual work hours to solve a crisis situation for the organization.
“Most of my colleagues are 23-27. They’re (Gen Z) are very up front, they value experience and truth. It is better to tell them about the issues. I’ve found that they’re cooperative if you know how to communicate with them. It is all about vibing with them,” Dholakia said from his observation.
For Dholakia this generation brings a refreshing transparency to the workplace. It is something technology may have accelerated but not diminished.
Conclusion
From working in advertising to evolving to a time when AI is at the fore, his journey mirrors India’s evolution. With the growing technology; tools, platforms, formats and way of hiring might have changed. But his core value remains unchanged – something which has helped him become successful. Not only that, he is also an inspiring figure in today’s ecosystem – someone whom youngsters look up to.
Dholakia’s philosophy stands as both timeless and timely. This, at a time, when the world is faster and nosier than before. He reminds us that even at a time when virality is a key factor to drive an audience, the human element still matters the most.
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