The unexpected path
Latika Rao once dreamt of joining the Armed Forces. Instead, her career began in operations, moved to strategy and marketing, and explored various facets of business before she found her calling in human resources. A stint with the retail business for Metro Junction Mall in Mumbai deepened her understanding of what truly drives people and performance. After all, people are at the heart of it all.
She realised that her passion truly lay in HR. Why? “Because it allows her to do what she loves most, that is, help individuals and organisations bring out their best.”
Today, as associate director human resources (South) at Khaitan & Co., Rao leads with a philosophy forged from diverse experience. Her career advice reflects this journey: it is the people that make the career journey fun. They help you grow and come to your rescue in moments of need. She suggests youngsters focus on long-term growth because she has learnt from experience that short-term applause is like a one-hit wonder.
“It is the people that make the career journey fun. They help you grow and come to your rescue in moments of need.”
When self-doubt meets senior leadership
There have been times when self-doubt has crept in, even at senior levels. But Rao overcame the same relying on data, conviction, and passion. In doing so, she found her voice and stood out.
She has had to choose between doing what she felt comfortable with and what was necessary, when it came to decisions pertaining to people’s careers. But without letting the pressure get to her, she always did the right thing by people and believed in herself.
Her learning experience, she has always believed that putting two-layers together in a collaborative environment yields extraordinary results. That is precisely why she has always initiated in giving people a long rope—the space and autonomy to grow and take ownership. Over the years, her leadership style has evolved to centre even more on people, because she genuinely believes that they are at the heart of every organisation.
“Leading this way isn’t always easy, but the rewards—in growth, engagement and impact—are immeasurable.”
Quick Fire Round
Your mantra for difficult days?
Believe in yourself and the right thing by people—even when the pressure is on.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Focus on long-term growth because short-term applause is like a one-hit wonder.
One thing you wish people understood about being a woman in HR leadership?
That passion—not perfection—is what truly drives transformation.
Morning ritual that sets you up for success?
Starting my day with gratitude and clear priorities helps me stay focused on what matters most.
Turning resistance into engagement
Rao recalls a situation when she had to implement a strategic change in the way the company operated, and unsurprisingly, it was met with pushback—after all, change is personal for everyone. Rather than pushing it as a top-down directive, she focused on listening to team members, understanding their concerns, and communicating how the change would positively impact their work and growth.
By involving people in the process and showing empathy, she and her team were able to turn resistance into engagement and create shared ownership of the initiative. She even joked during a session: “If you hate this, at least you’ll have my face to blame.” Humour, according to Rao, can be a surprisingly effective bridge!
HR at the heart
“It is a high time we retire the mindset that HR is primarily administrative—focused on policies and compliances,” states Rao. At its core, HR is about managing talent, enabling potential, and shaping culture. What deserves more attention is building a culture of trust and empathy. When people feel heard, respected, and supported, performance naturally follows.
HR leadership must champion practices that create emotional safety, empower authentic dialogue, and treat employee experience as a strategic priority and not just a “nice to have.” The future of HR is deeply human, powered by technology but anchored in empathy.
Her advice to young women in HR? Focus on long-term growth rather than short-term applause. Learn from diverse experiences. When self-doubt creeps in—and it will—rely on data, conviction, and passion to find your voice. And remember: rethinking attraction, development, and retention of talent isn’t just an HR function—it’s the business itself.
