Still, many companies are building from the outside in, investing in systems, chasing metrics, tweaking structures, while neglecting the human core. Strategy meetings echo with buzzwords, but the everyday employee experience remains flat. DEI efforts start strong and stall quietly. Career growth promises dissolve into static job descriptions. And amid all the digital transformation and policy revamps, the heart of the workplace—the people—often end up as an afterthought rather than the anchor. 

Then there are professionals like Sapna Sharma, those who flip the equation. She doesn’t treat HR as a function. She sees it as a force. With an approach rooted in strategy, compassion, and real-world grit, she has built a practice that helps businesses center what truly matters: their people.