From CHRO to Consultant: Why Malvika Jethmalani Believes People Strategy Is the Core of Business Strategy

In this insightful episode of Beyond the Offer, hosts Rosanna Snediker and Bill Gates sit down with Malvika Jethmalani, a former three-time CHRO turned strategic HR advisor and founder of At This Group. With over a decade of experience scaling PE-backed companies and shaping people-first cultures, Malvika offers clear-eyed, data-driven wisdom for companies that are ready to move beyond snacks, swag, and surface-level culture.

“To win in the marketplace, you must first win in the workplace. It’s basic—but so many leaders still don’t get it.”

From Accounting to HR: A Data-Driven Journey

Malvika began her career in finance, but made an early pivot to talent acquisition, and never looked back. That analytical foundation is now her superpower as she guides organizations in using people data to drive business results.

“I’m not your traditional HR leader. I see people strategy through the lens of analytics, outcomes, and long-term scale.”

She believes every aspiring CHRO should start in recruiting, as it builds both rigor and business acumen.

Building “At This Group”: Human Capital Strategy for Growth-Oriented Companies

This Group provides high-impact people strategy consulting to mostly PE-backed, mid-market tech companies (50–600 employees). The services span:

• People analytics & strategy
  
• Leadership development & manager effectiveness
  
• Org design and change management
  
• Fractional CHRO support
  
• Process redesign (minus comp/benefits or recruiting execution)
  

Her clients typically face inflection points: major scaling, leadership transitions, post-pandemic recalibrations, or AI-related transformations.

Three Universal Challenges for HR in 2025

Malvika outlines the three people challenges she sees most often:

1. Performance Management (Done Right)

• Many companies are now refocusing on performance, but they should have been all along.
  
• Accountability and feedback aren’t seasonal. They’re continuous and cultural.
  

2. Manager Effectiveness

• First-time managers are overwhelmed by hybrid complexity.
  
• Organizations continue to promote high-performing ICs without training them to lead.
  
• Whole-person management is essential but poorly understood.
  

3. AI Transformation (with Humans at the Center)

• Culture, change management, and psychological safety are the keys to making AI adoption work.
  
• Nearly 70% of transformations fail due to poor people planning, not tech.
  

The CHRO Lessons Every Executive Should Hear

Here are three core insights Malvika brings from her years in-house to her consulting clients:

1. HR Must Be a Business Function First.
   
   • If you don’t understand your company’s P&L, market, and operating model, you’re not ready for the table.
     
2. Growth for Growth’s Sake Is Dangerous.
   
   • Hiring sprees without strategic thinking lead to layoffs and chaos.
     
   • Understand who you need now and who you’ll need in 3 years.
     
3. Politics and Relationships Matter.
   
   • Influence, board alignment, and internal sponsorship often outweigh “working hard” alone.
     

“It’s not just about being right—it’s about getting things done. And that takes navigating people, not just processes.”

Hiring and Scaling Smartly

A common mistake Malvika sees: companies hire based on today’s problems, not tomorrow’s needs.

“Hire someone who can grow with you. Or better yet, hire a strategic consultant for short-term scale and wait to build the full-time team when it makes business sense.”

The Future of Work: Culture, Remote Models, and Board Alignment

On Company Culture:

Most leaders can’t define it accurately.

“Culture isn’t ping-pong and happy hours. It’s how you give feedback, how you make decisions, how you run meetings, and how you resolve conflict.”

On Return-to-Office Mandates:

She sees many leaders using office mandates to mask poor management practices.

“If your RTO plan isn’t paired with compensation shifts, asynchronous norms, and tools for hybrid work, it’s not a strategy—it’s a power play.”

On Board Partnerships:

Executives must educate boards on people topics and do it in the board’s language.

“The best CHROs build trust by speaking in data and aligning HR to shareholder value.”

Advice for Future Founders and Solopreneurs

Thinking of leaving corporate HR to start your own thing? Malvika recommends:

• Sort the essentials first (insurance, finances, legal/tax help)
  
• Network constantly (projects come from unexpected places)
  
• Focus on helping people, not selling to them
  

“I’ve won projects on vacation. The world is your funnel. Be curious, be kind, and solve real problems.”

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Key Takeaways:

• CHROs must be business operators first, not just people leaders.
  
• Performance, leadership, and AI change are the top HR trends to master.
  
• Don’t chase growth. Build for scale.
  
• Culture isn’t perks. It’s behavior, communication, and accountability.
  
• RTO isn’t a cure-all. Strategic flexibility wins.
  
• Consulting success = clarity, relationships, and genuine service.
  

Listen to the full episode of Beyond the Offer for more insights from Malvika Jethmalani on navigating organizational change, defining real culture, and building a people-first business strategy that actually works.