We had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Rafat Tanveer, Global Director of MRT Info Tech HR Consultancies LLC. MRT Infotech is a Recruitment & Staffing Firm that specializes in providing the right career opportunities across all levels and sectors. It has a Global presence with a stronghold in India and the Middle East region, with regional offices in India, UAE (Dubai), and the USA.
Let’s hear about the organization from Mr. Rafat himself.
- How did you start your business?
I think every entrepreneur has a different path. If I look back on my career, I probably started a business around 20 years ago. Prior to it I was working in Singapore for a reputed organization, experience working in private multinational and multi-cultural companies as well as industrial production facilities and was part of a few start-up companies handling most of the build-out of the technology infrastructure and was doing pretty well in my job, but at the personal front, there was a situation where we have to set up business, that’s when we transformed an idea from theory into reality
We started our journey in this into recruitment services while I was supporting and executing ideas the team was into delivery and the commitment and determination of the team followed by my strategy within a short span of time, the business grew up and we started expanding our wings to various other countries,
- What are your goals?
Being in the service industry our goal is very simple and straightforward; we wish to keep our clients happy through the nest services and we want to build MRT brand recognition across the globe and provide our professional quality services globally both in contingent and permanent staffing.
We want to constantly upgrade ourselves in recruitment, recruiting does not stand for intelligent hiring anymore rather, it is an acronym. That stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Reasonable, and Time-Based goals for the organization.
- What is your and your company’s biggest strength?
Business is a sport for gladiators – but building a business takes more than grit and determination. Recognize that you have both business strengths and weaknesses that can make or break your success. A lot of hard work is put in to transform those weaknesses into opportunities while using your strengths to the fullest.
My greatest strength is the ability to take risks and decision-making.
Companies’ biggest strength is integrity, Customer service, and on-time delivery. In the recruitment business, if the person works on these things’ success is guaranteed.
- What experiences and steps led you to the place where you are today?
Having worked in the APAC region at the time when it was transforming really inspired me with a lot of things and the most important thing that I learned from Singapore was to act fast and on time.
If you have had to excel then one has to take decisions even if it requires to take tough decisions. Sometimes your decisions would be right and sometimes they will be wrong but one has to own them in both scenarios.
- Why did this industry interest you and how did you get started?
While working in my corporate job, I realized that the company was always struggling to hire the right resources at the right time. And during that phase Singapore as a country was also growing at a very fast pace, there were a lot of new industries and companies coming up and there was a huge requirement for manpower and very few organized consultancies were available who were catering to the manpower requirement. That’s how we thought we could get into the recruitment business as it was the right time as there was a huge demand in hiring across industries.
- Describe the biggest challenge you have had to tackle in running your business.
Starting a business is a significant achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is a bigger challenge. However, there are many common challenges every business faces, whether large or small. These include hiring the right people, building a brand, developing a customer base, and so on. A few of the other challenges were establishing ourselves among big clients while balancing growth and quality. Apart from this one of the most important challenges small business owners face is the rotation of money, which has to be managed good time and again to keep the business moving and growing.
- Tell us something about yourself that many people you work with don’t know.
Being around passionate people. They are always contagious for me and they come from all walks of life. Making change and empowering people. I’m a big believer in the power that one person, one action, can have a ripple effect that can make a difference.
- What is the typical day like for you?
I am inspired by the fact that every day is a new day. I really think that there is an opportunity in every day, especially when you’re building a business.
- What strategy did you follow when you are choosing a new location?
There are many benefits that business expansion brings to the business owner. It can increase the market share and customer base of a business but with all these advantages they also face the problem of managing business expansion or development as it also brings along geographical challenges, new laws, and huge set-up costs.
Ultimately, Business expansion is a phase of a business’s life, which is fraught with perils and opportunities, and if not managed properly, this expansion can spell doom for a struggling business.
The country’s current situation, laws of the country, and market research followed by a very strong gut feeling is some of the key factors which help me evaluate new locations for my business.
- What values have helped you overcome challenges in your career?
Some of the key values that MRT as an organization follows are Integrity, perseverance, determination, innovation, respect, passion, and fair-mindedness. These values help us to be fair in our business and growth.
- What distinguishes your company’s service from those of its competitors?
Trusted Network: Highly skilled set of talent that is built on referral and successful partnerships.
Experienced Recruiters: Our recruiters are exceptionally skilled in identifying top talent around the globe and matching them with the client’s needs.
85% Track Record: We have an 85% fill ratio for every open position we partner for.
- How do you handle rapid growth and scale effectively?
The motto of MRT is very simple: Our team grows and that leads MRT as an organization to grow. We do not follow the fundamental law of corporate that the company will grow first and then the employees will grow. Here we help our employees to grow and adapt new hiring skills and keep them motivated a happy employee helps in the growth of an organization much faster than any other tool.
Rapid growth and scale are only possible if you keep pace with the changing world and keep updating yourself and we always are eager to grow and adapt new skills and technologies.