HerKey founder and CEO Neha Bagaria started the company from her Bengaluru balcony in 2015. HerKey offers a returning program to enable women who have taken a career pause due to marriage, motherhood, or other reasons regain momentum…
Neha Bagaria started her bootstrapped firm JobsForHer in 2015 in Bengaluru, a tech hub. It eventually became HerKey in 2023.
HerKey founder and CEO Neha, 42, had a challenge on her first day.
“Our five-woman team launched our website from ‘Social’ at Church Street, Bengaluru, on March 5, 2015. We walked to Starbucks, but the internet was down, so the same situation persisted, Neha recalls the unexpected start.
“So I drove to my terrace, connected to Wi-Fi, and launched the website.”
HerKey has made its debut in Indian business with an outstanding Rs 8.87 crore turnover.
HerKey’s vision was clear from the start. Neha wanted to design a returning program for women who had taken a career break due to marriage, parenthood, or other reasons to boost their careers.
Neha explains the platform’s features, “If a woman is looking for a job, she can go to the HerKey website, go to the jobs section, search for a job on her parameters, and apply directly to the company that suits her qualification and the company will contact you.”
HerKey does not charge women; firms pay HerKey to hire women.
Neha’s path to establishing HerKey was not easy.
As Neha explains, HerKey isn’t just a hub, “HerKey is another platform on the likes of Naukri.com or LinkedIn, but the biggest difference is that HerKey is not only a connecting program, it is in fact a medium to provide whatever women require in their professional journey – right from training, connecting, teaching and mentorship.”
Stereotypes and biases were the biggest obstacles to HerKey’s success. “A recruiter told me he doesn’t hire ‘kitty party women'” says Neha.
Another firm leader said that recruiting young women right out of college was best because married women may quickly start a family and mothers may contemplate having a second child.
Neha believes “fighting mental demons was the biggest challenge”. Aside from the professional risks, it took me years to overcome my anxiety, doubt, and guilt of being a bad wife and mother at the notion of a comeback.
Neha persisted, “People still look startled when I pick up my kids from the bus stop. People ask me if I manage an NGO or work in impact “smiles Neha.
Neha stresses time management. She tries to follow Google calendar rigidly.
Company subscription packages from HerKey start at Rs. 1 lakh and go up to Rs. 15 lakhs. These packages vary in price depending on the number of employees a company wants to hire and HerKey promotions they want.
Three-month, six-month, and one-year packages are available to companies. These compelling solutions have helped HerKey partner with over 10,000 enterprises.
HerKey uses multiple promotions to boost these partner companies’ visibility. The webpage highlights partner companies.
HerKey collects payments from corporations, not job seekers.
They also employ social media and email marketing to expand their reach. These companies can also promote themselves through HerKey’s specific groups.
It raised Rs. 32 crore ($4 million) from Kalaari and 360 ONE Asset (formerly IIFL Asset Management) after being self-funded until 2022.
Neha, from Mumbai, was a gifted student. Neha was regularly at the top of her class and got into the Wharton School at Penn.
After graduating, she joined the family business in India. This laid the framework for her entrepreneurship.
HerKey was formed from Neha’s reluctance to return to work after maternity leave.
Neha shares her experience: “Restarting my job after my second child was difficult. I realized then that women needed a platform to empower and promote their careers.”
Since its founding, HerKey has helped thousands of women.
It has grown from a job portal to a platform with training, coaching, networking, and job placements. We support women returning to work after a professional gap.
Neha relied on her husband, Anurag, and brother, Harsh, for entrepreneurial help.
My biggest support is Anurag. A person who listens to your struggles is a blessing. “He is my real life partner and an equal parent to our children,” Neha adds of her supportive husband.
Neha says her brother “Harsh” pushed her to start a business. I was non-technical yet created this company on tech with his help.”
HerKey has grown beyond its basic origins. The company operates online from a rented 5000-square-foot space in Queen’s Road, Bengaluru.
HerKey is revolutionizing women’s role in the workplace with over 100 workers, most of whom are women, and clients including Amazon, Accenture, Capgemini, TVS Motors, Myntra, Dell, and PWC.
Neha is a mother of two athletic boys, 13 and 10. Besides reading and dancing, she loves to travel and scuba dive. The Lean Startup by Eric Ries, which illuminates numerous startup types, is one of her favorites.
She advises startup founders to have courage, perseverance, and a never-say-die mindset.
“It’s important to distance yourself from people who are judging you, instead surround yourself with positive people who will support you when you need them most.”
Conclusion
HerKey founder and CEO Neha Bagaria started the company from her Bengaluru balcony in 2015. HerKey offers a returning program to enable women who have taken a career pause due to marriage, motherhood, or other reasons regain momentum. Companies can subscribe to HerKey for Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 15 lakhs, depending on the number of employees they want to hire and the number of promotions they want. HerKey promotes via social media, email, and partnerships with over 10,000 companies. Kalaari and 360 ONE Asset invested Rs. 32 crore ($4 million) in the company. HerKey is revolutionizing women’s role in the workplace with over 100 workers and clients including Amazon, Accenture, Capgemini, TVS Motors, Myntra, Dell, and PWC.
