Giving opportunities to learn- becoming a domain expert and a promising leader…
Yojana Prasad Desai is a number cruncher. She is the arithmetic behind the accounts team, supporting the finance, and safeguarding the buck at Pay1.
With an experience spanning over a decade in managing finance and accounts, Yojana has built her name as a brand of trust, reliability, and integrity at Pay1. And this is the same principle on which she is building her team of 7 people as a team leader who has been in the trenches. Part of the reason why Yojana has blossomed as a professional and a potential leader is the nurturing and mentoring she has received at Pay1 during her initial years.
Yojana joined Pay1 in 2014 as an accounts executive. At that stage, Pay1 was at an inflection point, where the organisation was growing in terms of the number of products, revenue, and employees. This presented a perfect opportunity for Yojana who was hungry to learn and never shrugging off hard work. Thus began her journey of wading through all aspects of finance and accounts, like salaries, expenses, payroll, tax, tally, vendor payment, reconciliation, product payment etc. – and all of this in a lean team of one.
Yojana explains that her previous organisation was a place run by procedure books. There were stringent rules, boundaries, and seniority. “I couldn’t have ever asked for more challenge than what my designation defined or for flexibility to readjust my way of working”, explains Yojana about her reasons for the shift.
Yojana was looking for an organisation which was more custodial for its employees than its procedures. Pay1, a start-up found by young, dynamic and people-centric leaders is built with a vision to be inclusive- internally and externally.
As observed that performance more often comes down to cultural challenge rather than simply a technical one. On joining Pay1, Yojana nose-dived into learning advanced skills, new functions and a domain which was an ocean waiting to be explored. “I was the same person learning and doing a lot more than before”, beams Yojana as she explains how she has grown as a professional and as an individual.
A lot of this learning, enthusiasm, and skyrocketing performance exhibited by Yojana can be attributed to the friendly and collaborative culture at Pay1. The open door policy is not just an item of checklist but something followed in spirit at Pay1. Yojana explains that her manager Ashok Yadav is not only her senior at work but also her professional mentor. “He has bred leadership into me by trusting me and giving me opportunities to shine,” says Yojana proud at being surrounded by people who let their team grow.
“I was pursuing CA, but I had to drop midway due to personal problems,” says Yojana. After a year into Pay1 she got married which put her plans to complete studies to rout. But her circumstances notwithstanding, her seniors motivated her to complete her education. “I have not heard of many CFO level people to bother about a junior employee’s education,” tells Yojana, who has been encouraged to upgrade herself under the UPSKILL program.
An effective organisation knows that its success depends upon not just the vision or the product but the people who carry forward the vision and build the product- their people. Thus investing in people as a person and not just as process executer is what sets Pay1 apart from many start-ups in its space.
For Yojana, and many like her, their workplace is a perfect blend of professional satisfaction and personal happiness. Focus on team building activities, career growth, opportunity to upgrade skills (UPSKILL program), celebrations, cheerful environment and flexibility in schedule makes Pay1 an employer close to the heart of many people who are willing to give their aspirations a fair chance to fulfillment.
