Foreign Affairs
One entrepreneur's secret to winning the international talent war? Diverse opportunities.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Reena Gupta, CEO of Nashville, Tennessee-based IT services company Avankia, is the ultimate insider when it comes to outsourcing. As a 33-year-old Indian-born entrepreneur who has been in the U.S. for eight years, Gupta has a breadth of cross-cultural knowledge that gives her credibility to clients interested in making the overseas leap.
The challenge she faces, however, is not unlike the one other companies looking for talented programmers in her native country face: retention. Big-name outfits like Microsoft lure the best and brightest, requiring Gupta to boost incentives, training and assurances--not easy when operating half-way around the globe. Her strategy? Empowerment. "We've been successful in keeping people because they see a career path," says Gupta. "A developer with us is going to get better all-around. [So] they tend to stay and work very well." Her 25-person company had revenue of more than $2.5 million in 2006.
Continue reading this article — and all of our other premium content with Entrepreneur+
For just $5, you can get unlimited access to all Entrepreneur’s premium content. You’ll find:
- Digestible insight on how to be a better entrepreneur and leader
- Lessons for starting and growing a business from our expert network of CEOs and founders
- Meaningful content to help you make sharper decisions
- Business and life hacks to help you stay ahead of the curve
