Gargi Potdar
Head of Marketing | SurePeople
Today, we’re delighted to feature Gargi Potdar who is known for her deep understanding of how emotional intelligence and behavioral science can be integrated into employee engagement strategies.
Gargi shares her insights on the integration of advanced psychometrics in the workplace and her journey through various high-impact roles that have shaped her approach to leadership and marketing in HR tech.
How does SurePeople approach the challenge of integrating emotional intelligence and behavioral science into employee engagement strategies, and what has been the most rewarding aspect of leading demand generation efforts for such a unique platform?
At SurePeople, we approach this by utilizing our PRISM self-assessment which measures 54 distinct traits for the individual. It gives you an output of what your personality is day to day but also what your personality is under pressure. Integrating this into employee engagement strategies is fascinating because it shows your personality day to day and then how you function under pressure. We use these insights to help employees understand their coworkers better—what motivates them, how they act on a day-to-day basis, and under pressure. We have integrated this tool within the flow of work.
Many companies use Slack, so we have developed a Slack integration that uses AI and pulls from your psychometric self-assessment results. If we started working together and I was drafting a post or a message to you, I would pull up our app integration, type in the message or the prompt like, Hey, how do I share that I’m missing my quarterly goal and how do I approach this with my manager? It would help craft that message using AI and the self-assessment. This method has improved how team members interact and collaborate, making it one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.
Your career journey spans multiple industries and impressive roles. What pivotal moments or decisions have shaped your path and led you to your current role at SurePeople?
The biggest pivotal moment for me was when I took a year off after I had my son and then went back to work. I had worked for large companies before and thought I’d find balance there. But I found myself not enjoying it, feeling stuck, wanting to make changes but finding it hard because large organizations are slow to change. Then a recruiter reached out with an opportunity based in the Bay Area for a startup, Open Gov. It moved incredibly fast, which made me anxious but excited at the same time. My dad encouraged me, saying opportunities only come once and you can always leave if it doesn’t work out, but it sounds like the right challenging opportunity you are looking for. That experience changed the trajectory of my career. I learned so much about managing and being a people manager but also about thinking differently, moving projects along, working smarter, and obviously working incredibly hard because we were a startup.
From there, I went to a fintech company where I built the entire demand gen function from the ground up. Then I took some time to be fractional to slow down a bit, be more present, which eventually led me to SurePeople. What drew me to SurePeople was, from all of my experiences, I enjoy working hard, being challenged, but also how everyone is different in how they function and work. This role allowed me to leverage all that I had learned in a way that was meaningful and impactful.
Reflecting on your career, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and how has it influenced your approach to leadership or demand generation?
I’m most proud of my ability to hire and mentor great people. Seeing team members I have hired succeed, like at Open Gov where a team member excelled and won awards, has been incredibly fulfilling. It’s rewarding to know that my guidance has helped others grow their careers. This accomplishment has greatly influenced my approach to leadership, making me focus more on transparency, empowerment, and fostering an environment where team members can thrive. It has taught me the importance of building teams that are not only skilled but also aligned with the company’s culture and values, which is crucial for successful demand generation.
You’ve been involved in demand generation in various capacities. How do you see the impact of fractional roles compared to full-time positions in demand gen, especially in fostering a cohesive culture and aligning with a company’s long-term goals?
While fractional roles offer flexibility and the opportunity to bring in fresh perspectives, full-time positions provide a deeper opportunity to really embed oneself within the company culture and directly influence its strategic direction. Being in a full-time role allows for a more sustained and impactful contribution to strategic planning and cultural integration, which is less feasible in fractional engagements due to their temporary nature. Full-time roles enable a deeper connection to the company’s mission and values, enhancing your ability to effect meaningful and lasting changes.
Fractional roles, though valuable for specific projects or during particular phases of a company’s growth, often lack the continuity needed to foster a cohesive culture or to fully align with and impact long-term strategic objectives.
As the Head of Marketing at SurePeople, how do you leverage AI-driven tools to transform workplace communication and collaboration?
We leverage AI extensively, particularly through our Sure Message tool that integrates with Slack. This tool dynamically adapts messaging based on the psychometric profiles of communication participants, ensuring that interactions are not only effective but also empathetic. This personalized approach helps prevent miscommunications and enhances team collaboration, making our workplace more efficient and harmonious.
Beyond Slack, I also use AI tools like ChatGPT to streamline content creation and gather data-driven insights, significantly boosting our marketing efficiency.
As someone with extensive experience in high-impact roles, how do you approach integrating into and influencing an organization’s culture when coming in as an external leader, whether fractional or full-time?
Integrating into and influencing an organization’s culture requires a thoughtful approach that combines respect for existing norms with strategic changes that reflect evolving business needs. Whether joining full-time or in a fractional capacity, I focus on building relationships and establishing trust from the outset. This involves listening actively to team members, understanding their challenges, and collaboratively developing solutions that align with the company’s goals. My approach emphasizes transparency, communication, and the fostering of an inclusive culture where every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute.
What advice would you give to marketing leaders in HR tech or similar industries about balancing creativity and analytics to drive meaningful results in demand generation?
Marketing leaders should maintain a balance where creativity is informed by analytics. It’s essential to use data-driven insights to guide creative campaigns and ensure that they resonate with the target audience. Additionally, staying abreast of industry trends and integrating them into your strategies can enhance relevance and impact, making your campaigns not only creative but also strategically sound.
We thank Gargi for her insights and for sharing her experiences with us. Her strategic mindset and innovative approaches continue to influence the field of HR tech profoundly.
If you’re interested in sharing your story and becoming part of our HR Connect series, please reach out to us at info@fip.agency.
Dilara Cossette
Founder
Dilara Cossette is the founder of Focus Image Pro, a boutique demand generation agency specializing in helping HR tech companies accelerate growth. With extensive experience in the industry, she partners with marketing leaders to craft strategies that drive demand, boost pipeline, and elevate brand presence. Dilara is passionate about fostering meaningful connections and sharing insights from HR tech innovators through the HR Connect interview series.
