When employee experience platform Keka participated for the first time in TechHR in 2017, it was without much expectation from the event. Vijay Yalamanchili, founder of Keka, recalls, “When TechHR as a platform was presented to us, we did not have much expectation. We went along just because it was named as an HR event. We participated in other events before but we didn’t find it of much use, as most of the HR events in India are promotion driven. However, we didn’t find TechHR to be one of those clumsy events. Keka believes in solving real-life HR problems and we needed a platform which openly discussed these problems. The audience we found in TechHR was not only open minded in discussing HR problems but they were also very positive when a solution was presented to them. This was exactly what we needed.”

And over the years, Keka’s journey with TechHR has only become better as benefits became clearly visible. Started in 2015 by Vijay, the cloud-based HR and payroll management software has not only gained crucial insights about the pain points in HR through its participation in TechHR, but more importantly, the new perspectives derived from TechHR has helped Keka to further better its product and services.

No wonder, over the last three years, Keka decided to deepen its participation and is opting for the Gold Sponsor slot this year in order to amp up the real value add and increase the visibility of the solutions it had under its sleeves. 

What were the tangible and intangible benefits that drove Keka to deepen its association with TechHR?

From exposure to brand value, all in one platform

Vijay mentions that there are three ways in which Keka especially benefitted from this association. The first benefit was that through TechHR, Keka received exposure to innovation, technology, intellectuals’ prowess and as he sums it, “As a whole it’s like an aura of brilliance coupled with feasibility in learning.”

The second benefit was the much-needed brand value. The visibility that People Matters has given Keka has helped it drive profitability. Lastly, as a platform for direct networking, it helped Keka to directly understand the problems faced by HR. 

Adds Vijay, “At Keka, knowing the real pain points and building new solutions is at the heart of our business. Knowing what their customer needs and helping them is crucial for any company because it is why the business runs. At TechHR, you build great trust and relationships that establish you in the market.” 

 300 direct connects and more!

While intangible benefits help in the long run, it’s tangible benefits that power the near future. For Keka, the tangible benefits of participating in TechHR are solid- the startup got nearly 300 direct connects from TechHR itself. Of these 300 connects, Keka has been able to convert 25% of them into its clients.

As far as the distribution of clients goes, about 5-6% belong to the manufacturing industry, IT/ITES constitutes 25%, Pharma and Automobile firms make up 18%, while the rest hail from various sectors such as consultancies, finance, travels, food & beverages, etc. On an average, the employee count of the organizations falls between 250 to 300.

So in addition to the value add to the brand, Keka reiterates that the leads it has obtained through TechHR are quite qualitative and on par with the expectations we had. While the investment it has made in TechHR has garnered profits of around 35%, however, Vijay believes that the real benefit has been the brand value and exposure to create enough interest among the target audience which helps it in influencing and building up authenticity. And that can’t be expressed in figures!

And that’s why Keka decided to take this step further, moving from exhibitor to the Gold Sponsor slot in TechHR 2019. Keka endeavors to continue this partnership in the coming years as it believes the event delivers the desired upshots.

Vijay aptly concludes, “Keka believes in making a positive impact in the HR fraternity and People Matter’s TechHR is the right ammunition for reaching out to them.”

(Don’t miss out the opportunity to participate in TechHR 2019, happening from 1st-2nd August  2019 at The Leela Ambience, Gurugram. Register now.)