Our Life at FocusU
We help organisations turn learning into action. And we hold ourselves to
the same standard. This is a place for people who don’t just know good work;
they do it. Curious, driven, and serious about being better than yesterday.
Come be more with us.
“A place that gives you the safety to be yourself, while constantly challenging
you to become more than you thought you could be.”
— Antara Telore, Fractional CHRO
Do you have the CHOPS?
CHOPS is the heartbeat of FocusU. It’s what we hire for,
what we promote on, and what we hold each other to.
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C
CARE
How we treat people and create safety while getting work done
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H
HONESTY
How clearly and responsibly we speak the truth
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O
OWNERSHIP
How fully we take responsibility for outcomes
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P
PASSION
How deeply we care about the quality of what we deliver
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S
SPARK
How much energy and initiative we bring to making things better
“The culture of care is real – people check in on each other, step in when someone needs support, and genuinely want colleagues to succeed.”
— Ayushi Verma, Senior Manager, Client Advisory
“That shift from ‘doing tasks’ to ‘owning outcomes’ is probably the biggest thing FocusU has given me.”
— Shubham Kanjilal, Senior Associate, Client Advisory
You won’t build training. You’ll engineer behaviour change.
Anyone can run a good session. We’re measured on something harder: did people actually work differently on Monday?
That takes a particular kind of person, who needs to:
- Feel what others feel: Read people and situations with real empathy.
- Get why people do what they do: Stay curious about human behaviour.
- Try small, learn fast: Design little experiments instead of betting big.
- Build it with people, not at them: Co-create change rather than push it.
- Make it real: Turn the plan into something that actually works.
- Know what moved: Measure the impact, honestly.
If that sounds like how you already like to work, you’ll feel at home here.
“Hold a room. Before FocusU, I could present and influence, but facilitation is different. It requires letting go of your own agenda and working with what’s in the room. I can now design and facilitate complex, multi-day learning experiences, read group dynamics in real time, and coach participants in the moment. None of that was in my toolkit before.”
— Neeraj Baj, Associate Director, Client Advisory
What we believe
We are not the typical company – in many ways. We are collegial, we are informal,
we don’t believe in hierarchies, we laugh easily & yet we are intensely
passionate about our work. Here are a few elements of the FocusU Life —
AFC
We are 100% remote and we would be lying if we say we don't miss meeting each other in person. AFC (All Faces Call) is the weekly catch-up time for all our teams across the geographies to let their hair down and discuss matters - some important and some fun 🙂
Recognition
We take great joy in celebrating special days such as birthdays, work anniversaries of our people and their folks as well. We also take equal joy if not more to recognise the smallest of efforts and the biggest of wins. Always looking for excuses to celebrate and be together 🙂
Hygge
We are big believers in the Danish “Hygge.” For us it is about being with people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling that we are safe and shielded to let our guard down. It is about enjoying a cup of tea in silence with friends, while it rains outside.
FFL
It's 7am in the morning – and already one FocusU Whatsapp channel is buzzing. Someone does yoga, someone else has gone for a run, the more motivated folks are already in gyms! The FocusU Fitness League is our own way to motivate one another towards better health and fitness – the fun way.
Wellness & Mental Health
Gone are the days when mental wellness wasn't considered important. It is as normal to feel out of mental balance as it is to contract a physical ailment. We recognize that we may want to get professional help, by way of a psychologist or psychiatrist to help us get back in good shape. At FocusU we have policies that help our people connect with therapists to seek help and get reimbursed for it too
Peturnity leaves
“Knowing you’ll join a call without judgment, blame, or finger-pointing makes a huge difference. It’s amazing how much energy gets freed up when you’re solving problems instead of preparing your defence.”
— Simran Chibber, Sr. Associate, Product Design
How we grow
Growing here isn’t a perk bolted on the side; it’s built into how we operate.
Feed Forward
An obsession for Feedback on everything we do – we call it Feed Forward though! We do it after every workshop, we do it for everyone every year ….. and we don’t hold back, if we think it is needed in between too! Ouch!
Oops & Ouch
We love the way how Richard Bach, one of our favourite authors, frames this: "Learning is – not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we’ve changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.” The Oops and Ouch initiative is to share moments that did not quite go to plan, but taught us a lot.
Free Knowledge
We are big believers that books, audio books and online courses are the cheapest & easiest way for people and the organization to grow. So, anyone wanting to buy ANY book to learn can just go ahead without any prior approvals. All we ask is – do share the knowledge!
Learn & Earn
Every single person is encouraged to do his/her MBA – not to get a fancy degree – but because we believe it opens up one’s thinking about the world. That’s not all – you get a hefty bonus for doing that too! Yes, you can earn while you learn!
Put together, it means a year here changes what you’re capable of. That’s not a slogan – ask the people who’ve lived it:
“I received feedforward many times, but one piece has stayed with me for years: ‘Shera, you need to read more books and learn new words.’ I took it seriously. What began as a small improvement area gradually became a habit. That’s the beauty of honest feedforward – it doesn’t dwell on the past; it helps you build a better future.”
— Sanchit Verma, Senior Lead, Co-Facilitation & Inventory
“I’ve made peace with failure and difficult moments—even learned to laugh at them. Things don’t always go to plan, and holding that lightly has made me a better facilitator and a better human.”
— Neeraj Baj, Associate Director, Client Advisory
Who thrives here
FocusU is a brilliant place for some people and the wrong place for others.
YOU’LL THRIVE HERE IF…
- You’re curious, like to experiment, and don’t take yourself too seriously.
- You want to be stretched and made better, not left comfortable.
- You give and take honest feedback without flinching.
- You take ownership and don’t wait to be told.
- You can work without being micro-managed.
THIS PROBABLY ISN’T FOR YOU IF…
- You are used to a hierarchy and find it difficult to operate without one.
- Direct feedback feels like a threat rather than a gift.
- You are not comfortable being pushed towards uncomfortable challenges.
- You want the work to stay inside neat 9-to-5 boundaries every day.
- Our CHOPS values don’t resonate with you
“FocusU is best suited for people who enjoy taking initiative, embracing uncertainty, and continuously learning and evolving.”
— Samyukta Ramalingam, Senior Learning Associate
Someone looking for rigid structures, fixed job boundaries, constant direction, or a very formal workplace may find it challenging. FocusU is a great fit for people who enjoy ownership, continuous learning, adaptability, a sense of humour, and contributing beyond what’s written in their job description.
— Neeraj Baj | Assoc. Director, Client Advisory
In their words
Here’s what the team says - unedited, names attached.
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One of the things I value most about FocusU is the opportunity to wear multiple hats. When I wanted to build and lead a category, I was trusted with the Masterclass portfolio - where I got to interact with business leaders, athletes, and celebrities. When I wanted to lead a sales region, I was given the opportunity to become Alliance Manager for South India, contributing to a 190% revenue growth in Hyderabad.
Shubham Munjal
Senior Manager, Client Advisory -
Over the last 10 years I've been able to reinvent myself multiple times — from facilitator, to facilitator coach, to category manager. Each transition was hard because it required me to build on what I was good at while learning something new. Every new role meant becoming comfortable being a beginner again.
Akhilesh Desai
Category Lead, Engagement Design -
It's probably the most understanding workplace I've experienced — you can be human, you can be yourself, take time off when ill, or even just to enjoy life-outside-of-work, without guilt, as long as you take responsibility for your work.
Tarika Vaswani
Marketing Head -
At times, it feels like we're a group of teenagers — curious, energetic, and always ready to jump into a new ocean of opportunities. We don't cling to old ways of doing things simply because they've worked in the past. The willingness to experiment, fail fast, learn quickly, and move forward is what keeps us relevant.
Sanchit Verma
Senior Lead, Co-Facilitation & Inventory -
People are encouraged to take ownership, make decisions, and experiment without fear of blame if outcomes aren't perfect. That balance of accountability and psychological safety has been both refreshing and motivating.
Ayushi Verma
Senior Manager, Client Advisory -
The hardest phase was during COVID, when we moved to a fully remote setup. I was worried about how people would experience the culture FocusU is known for. But watching people who joined during that period not only understand our values but become ambassadors for them was incredibly rewarding. Culture is not built by proximity — it is built by consistency.
Antara Telore
Fractional CHRO -
FocusU has given me the freedom to learn by doing. I've been trusted with responsibility early on, encouraged to experiment, and supported through both successes and setbacks. That trust has accelerated my growth in ways I hadn't anticipated.
Samyukta Ramalingam
Senior Learning Associate -
Every year has brought new industries, new client challenges, new responsibilities, and new opportunities to stretch myself. The pace of learning has ensured that I continue to grow both professionally and personally.
Ayushi Verma
Senior Manager, Client Advisory,
Sounds like your kind of team?
If you’ve read this far and felt a pull, that’s a good sign.
Drop us your resume at jointheteam@focusu.com – tell us, in your own words, why FocusU.
“It’s a place where people genuinely show up for each other every day, where you’re trusted to do good work without someone constantly looking over your shoulder.”
— Shubham Kanjilal, Senior Associate, Client Advisory
