HR Systems Need to Be Human-Centric: Phenom's Cofounder Hari Bayireddi

As the world grapples with the complexities of a rapidly changing job market, Hari Bayireddi, President, COO, and Co-Founder of Phenom, is spearheading a revolution in the way companies approach talent acquisition and management. By harnessing the power of AI, automation, and user experience, Bayireddi and his team are creating a more human-centric approach to HR, one that prioritizes the needs of both employers and employees.

With a lofty goal of helping a billion people find the right work, the company currently has 40 clients in India and 700 clients globally, with 500 of them heavily utilizing AI-powered solutions. In terms of platform usage, there are 200,000-300,000 bot interactions weekly, serving 15-30 million users and generating billions of impressions globally. While India accounts for a smaller share of the business, as the company is still in its early stages of market entry, the distribution is as follows: 70% of business comes from the U.S., 20% from Europe, and 10% from Asia. Over the next three years, the company plans to significantly expand its presence in India, with plans to double its workforce, currently at 1,000 employees. Deloitte is their primary implementation partner, and they are also in talks with KPMG and Accenture to further broaden their partnerships in the region.

Here are the excerpts from the interview: 

Could you tell us what inspired you to start Phenom, what was the vision behind it, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?

The core purpose of Phenom has always been to help a billion people find the right work. From the very beginning, we identified this mission as the foundation of our company. Early on, we observed a disconnect in the HR space—while 80% of CEOs claim that people are their number one asset, HR systems and processes haven’t evolved to match this philosophy.

We saw a need for transformation in the HR domain, particularly with systems designed more like supply chain management tools rather than being human-centric. This realization led us to focus on creating an “experience layer” for HR processes, building solutions centered around intelligence, automation, and user experience.

Over the past decade, we’ve worked extensively with AI. While saying “AI” is easy, implementing it effectively is incredibly complex, primarily due to challenges around data flow and integration. We recognized this complexity early and committed to solving it. Now, with the advancements in generative AI, the pace of change has accelerated, but we’ve been deeply invested in this journey for years.

Our platform is designed to adapt to technological shifts while simplifying the user experience. This is critical, as most jobs are evolving, and those willing to learn and adapt will thrive. For us, it’s about enabling that transition and making Phenom a platform for talent intelligence and an exceptional experience.

How are you also helping HR professionals adapt to these changes?

We’re not just creating tools but also new job roles within HR. For instance, roles like Talent Marketers and Talent Analysts didn’t exist a decade ago. These are now becoming integral as companies adapt to new trends.

This evolution is similar to how inbound marketing and marketing automation created entirely new roles. A great example is IDFC, which has created “Phenom Talent Marketers” to align with these changes. We’re committed to helping HR professionals transition into these new roles by equipping them with the right tools and training.

What are the key technological advancements transforming the workplace and job market today?

When it comes to workplace transformation, we need to consider two segments: frontline workers and knowledge workers. In India, we’ve focused extensively on knowledge workers, but there hasn’t been enough innovation for frontline workers.

At Phenom, we realized both groups require unique solutions. For instance, while working with Microsoft, we focused on top engineers, but for clients like Lowe’s or IDFC, the hiring needs for frontline workers, like sales associates or tellers, are entirely different.

Our aim is to automate repetitive tasks so workers—whether on the frontline or in knowledge roles—can focus on more meaningful and intelligent work. This shift requires some training, and that’s where we step in, helping organizations deploy the right tools and strategies to upskill their workforce.