Exclusive Interview: Transforming Employee Engagement Through Technology and Entrepreneurship with Mr. Anjan Pathak, CTO and Co-Founder, Vantage Circle

Can you share a bit about your personal background and journey into the field of technology and entrepreneurship? 

Being a technology leader based in Guwahati, Assam, with over two decades of experience in building and deploying cross-channel web applications, the progress of technology has always captivated me. For the first 17 years of my career, I developed, planned, and architected numerous e-commerce apps in the UK and other regions of Europe, igniting my curiosity about starting my own business. 

In 2003, I embarked on my entrepreneurial journey by launching an online real estate business for the UK market. This experience provided my initial exposure to entrepreneurship. However, due to my limited understanding of marketing and sales, the venture couldn’t achieve the desired results. Taking this as my learning point, I started to understand the market, which ultimately shaped my thoughts around the need for Indian corporate houses. 

In 2010, I became one of the early investors in Vantage Circle, a venture initiated by Partha, my co-founder. At that time, the company’s focus was on creating a platform for corporate discounts, which was the original concept behind Vantage Circle. 

I decided to join Vantage Circle full-time later in 2013, which is when we really started to develop into what we are now. Utilizing my technical expertise, I spearheaded the development of Vantage Fit in 2017, a product of Vantage Circle, which enabled us to promote further the idea of total employee well-being across all organizations globally.  

What inspired you to co-found Vantage Circle, and how did the idea for the company originate? 

The inspiration for Vantage Circle came from our desire to utilize our extensive IT and technology experience in creating our own venture. With our expertise and clear goals, we began this journey, leading to the successful development of Vantage Circle, driven by a blend of timely opportunities, valuable guidance, and fresh ideas.

Our initial focus was on developing a deals and discounts platform. However, we soon identified the intense competition in this area and pivoted towards a more specialized offering in corporate discounts. This strategic shift not only set us apart in the market but also paved the way for our growth into the realm of 'Employee Engagement Programmes.' We tapped into an unmet need within the Indian corporate culture for such programs, aiming to provide HR professionals with tools to manage employee experiences through a comprehensive rewards and recognition ecosystem.

How does Vantage Circle’s holistic approach to rewards and recognition, corporate discounts, employee feedback, and wellness drive employee engagement? 

We offer four products: Vantage Perks, Vantage Rewards, Vantage Fit, and Vantage Pulse, which create a comprehensive employee recognition platform.

Vantage Pulse takes precedence in our approach. Through comprehensive pulse surveys, we delve into the unique dynamics of each company, identifying specific areas where wellness, recognition, and rewards can be optimized. The anonymous feedback collected forms the basis for tailored solutions that address the specific needs and challenges employees face.

If we look at it from a broader perspective, we find that wellness challenges and initiatives support employees to boost employee health and general well-being. Similarly, an anonymous feedback platform facilitates ongoing progress and employee engagement. The rewards and recognition mechanism by peers keeps employees motivated and maximizes productivity.

Our strategy mainly aims to increase employee retention rates and construct a healthy and engaged work culture. Additionally, we also ensure that the remote teams are not left out by delivering seamless connectivity and inclusivity. Lastly, we offer easy global accessibility for redemption options across various brands. 

You spearheaded the development of Vantage Fit. How has this product contributed to promoting the overall well-being of employees globally? 

In 2017, the concept of comprehensive employee wellness sparked our initiative to lead the development of Vantage Fit, a Vantage Circle product designed to enhance total employee well-being in organizations worldwide.

Vantage Fit as a product has been able to cater to the needs of many corporate employees globally, especially in terms of reducing healthcare costs by encouraging a healthy lifestyle. 

A healthy and engaged workforce contributes to a positive work culture. An organization needs to encourage team collaboration and ensure friendly competition amongst all employees as it helps in fostering a workplace environment where employees feel supported and motivated. 

Additionally, we have also been promoting the overall well-being of employees across the globe by implementing challenges like- ‘Step It Up’ in the year 2022, ‘Cotiviti Virtual Walkathon,’ ‘Healthy Steps for Caring Hearts in the year 2021, and ‘Vantage Fit’s Global Corporate Virtual Walkathon’ which is conducted annually, to help boost brand awareness by providing a fantastic platform for businesses to foster a culture of well-being and encourage a healthy lifestyle among global corporate employees.  

Could you provide an overview of Vantage Circle's key products—Vantage Rewards, Vantage Fit, Vantage Perks, and Vantage Pulse—and how they cater to employee engagement? 

Vantage Circle is a global HR Tech company focused on elevating Employee Experience across various dimensions, including Rewards and Recognition, Wellness, Feedback, and Exclusive Perks. Our platform empowers organizations in four critical areas of employee engagement:

Vantage Rewards: We offer peer-to-peer appreciation, point-based rewards, and immediate recognition to boost timely recognition and motivation.

Vantage Fit: Our global corporate wellness solution enhances employee well-being and productivity.

Vantage Perks: We provide an employee discounts and benefits program with deals from leading brands.

Vantage Pulse: With our real-time employee feedback tool, Pulse, organizations can gather actionable data to enhance performance and satisfaction. 

Vantage Circle has seen significant growth since its inception. What were some of the challenges faced, and how did the company overcome them? 

The successful launch of Vantage Circle resulted from timely opportunities, invaluable guidance, and unwavering support and input from our clients and partners. They played a pivotal role in shaping our journey. With the array of solutions provided by Vantage Circle, our mission has always been to boost workforce productivity by delivering enriching employee experiences. 

One gap that had been identified in the sector was the need and importance of more personalized and meaningful means of recognition. Traditionally, employee recognition programs focus more on giving out generic gift cards. However, after relentless research, it was found that instant and personalized recognition tailored to an individual’s accomplishment and performance was more effective in boosting the employee's morale.  Additionally, another gap was related to how technology was integrated into the field of Human Resources. Many organizations sought more efficient ways to track and manage employee recognition efforts. Moreover, many tools and digital platforms were also developed to streamline the process, thus making it easier for HR leaders and management to give rewards and recognition in real-time. 

When Vantage Circle first started, we faced significant challenges due to limited funds. This made it difficult for us to quickly recruit, hire skilled staff, and find qualified candidates. Having been set up in a region that is lesser known for IT hubs, it was difficult to scale up a tech-focused product that requires investments in talent acquisition, technology infrastructure, and marketing initiatives. Attracting top technical talent can be more challenging than in metropolitan areas, often necessitating creative recruitment strategies and a strong company culture to retain employees. Another challenge we faced in the technical space was the need for continuous innovation in the HR tech landscape. Since this is a rapidly evolving industry, staying ahead of the curve requires constant innovation. This is particularly challenging for startups based in smaller cities as access to networking events, industry trends, and cutting-edge technologies might be limited. We tackled this challenge by fostering a culture of innovation within the organization and actively seeking collaborations with industry experts and thought leaders.

What are the future plans for Vantage Circle, especially regarding expansion to more countries and reaching mid-segment companies? 

We have come a long way from where we started. We launched our business with a strong start in Guwahati, establishing our headquarters in Delhi. These strategic locations remain fully operational and have been our stronghold. Guwahati serves as the powerhouse of our operations, driving most of our work. We have actively executed our growth plan to increase our footprint across India further while setting our sights on the global market. We have also opened up our North American headquarters in Calgary, Canada, which has helped us successfully expand our reach to become a global leader in delivering exceptional employee experience and cultivating stronger relationships with clients worldwide. The Calgary office serves as a strategic hub for Vantage Circle’s operations in the North American market, facilitating closer collaboration with existing clients and fostering new partnerships with organizations seeking to enhance their employee experience initiatives. 

Additionally, we have expanded to countries like Australia and the Middle Eastern markets to diversify the needs of our ever-expanding global clientele. 

Our holistic solution primarily caters to large-cap companies having over 500 employees. Understanding the unique needs of mid-segment companies is crucial for our growth strategy. These organizations often have distinct requirements that differ from large segment enterprises. Vantage Circle is continuously improving its technology to explore tailored solutions and services to address the specific challenges faced by mid-sized companies, ensuring that our platform remains accessible and beneficial across a wide spectrum of businesses. 

Vantage Circle has invested in creating a multi-lingual platform and has already incorporated some languages like Spanish, French, and German. Thus aiming to reduce the linguistic barrier and provide a holistic employee engagement solution globally. 

As a global technologist, what trends do you foresee in the HR technology and employee engagement space? 

In the dynamic world of HR technology and employee engagement, several key trends are shaping the industry. Some of them that are gaining prominence are artificial intelligence, automation, and employee experience platforms. These not only help revolutionize HR processes from candidate sourcing to employee onboarding but also contribute to fostering a holistic approach to workplace culture and well-being. 

We also find that more and more companies are now open to the culture of a hybrid work mode whereby technology is facilitating the support of distributed teams by providing virtual collaboration tools and employee monitoring solutions. 

Learning and development tech is evolving, focusing on personalized, immersive experiences integrating VR and AR.  

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, especially those venturing into the technology and HR sectors? 

Advice to all emerging leaders and entrepreneurs is to create a positive and engaging work culture crucial for any organization's success and sustainability. Embrace technology to facilitate collaboration and flexibility, and lead by example in promoting work-life balance. Recognize and reward employees as this will instill a sense of purpose within them and inspire and motivate them towards shared goals.  

Concluding Remarks:

Given our dedication and hard work for the past 12 years, we have been able to bag some of the most prestigious awards - I.D.E.A awards hosted by Entrepreneur India for best in-house content/brand studio, HRO Today’s Baker’s Dozen 2023 for Top Recognition Rewards Solution Provider 2023, ET Employee Experience Award for Best Employee Engagement Service Provider 2023 and many more. 

Vantage Circle also managed to secure the Top Position in G2 Grid® Reports for Employee Engagement and Recognition Software and we have bagged Great Place to Work®Certification for three consecutive years.