Article: HCL's R. Anand on how students find right firms for their profiles

Campus Recruitment

HCL's R. Anand on how students find right firms for their profiles

People Matters spoke to R. Anand, HR Director - Organisational effectiveness in HCL about what is important to build a successful entry to the corporate world after MBA
 

We are in the knowledge services space, deliver this in teams, and deliver this to businesses (B2B), in a cross cultural context

 

You do not get straight feedback in work, you have to guess it. You have to make an educated guess on how it went

 

It is never too early to get ready for placements season. In People Matters we aim to connect the student community to the professional world. We have created this section to ask industry professionals about their opinions and tips on how to get the best from your management studies. We spoke to R Anand, HR Director – Organizational Effectiveness in HCL, to give us his views on what does he feel is important to build a successful entry to the corporate world after MBA.

Q. Anand, what are the attitude and soft skills you look for when hiring in campuses?

Genuine vis-à-vis “put on”; Open minded; exploratory; tolerance for ambiguity; result oriented; a positive self image. We are in the knowledge services space, deliver this in teams, and deliver this to businesses (B2B), in a cross cultural context. I would urge students to always look at adjective lists vis-à-vis the business context. This will help assimilate the orientation deep inside. An ounce of such assimilation is better than loads of focus on each soft skill in isolation.

Q. What curriculum and extra curriculum activities students should focus on during their MBAs to develop those?

There is no substitute to the real world. Having said this let me outline a few transitions to a working professional that B Schoolers often find it difficult to make.

  • Work is a marathon, not a sprint
  • Bosses are not professors. Professors are paid to field your questions, you are paid in work to realize boss’ agenda
  • You work in heterogeneous groups, unlike in a classroom
  • You do not get straight feedback in work, you have to guess it. You have to make an educated guess on how it went
  • What you produce is not output, it is Work in progress till it becomes results for the organization
  • You have to make an educated guess in work, how wide and how deep to go. Scope definition and management is an art to be mastered

Any activity that calls for these qualities to be tested is a good one. Typically, project work for someone else, and where that someone else pays – either for output, or basis results got or pays by opportunity cost is a good one.
If this is present in voluntary or social work, then excellent.

Q. How much weight you normally give to pre-MBA experience when the candidate wants a career shift? What will be your advice to those students that are looking at career shifts?

My general “bias” is that beyond 2 years, it has decreasing utility to next employer. This is my reason. The sharpest learning occurs in the first year as you learn how to understand, operate in a workplace itself. The second, you are usually doing the second cycle of your first role; hence there is the “If I were to do it all over again” kind of learning. Now when you clock more years and perform a second role, then you are accumulating industry and organizational learning and depending on where you apply, may not translate 1:1.
I would recommend that students place their Pre-MBA experience before the recruiter, but do not count day by day.
The motive for career shift at different experience levels is different. At less than 3 years, it is to become rounded, so go ahead. At 5+ years, it is to switch sectors, switch gears, and so be prepared to write off some of that experience. If you are 15 years, then it must be – either to start on your own or to dip into the sheer joy of management body of knowledge.

Q. What should students do to find the right fit of organization for their profiles and how do companies assess this cultural and organizational background of the candidate during placements?

It is not difficult, if you are systematic about it. Firstly, sector understanding. Each industry has certain constructs – customer expectation, cost structure, revenue model, cost-revenue alignment, nature of competition, and approach to business development. Once, this is understood as a mental map, it is easy to visualize the life of a manager in that industry. Students in the same class can systematically split themselves and pool their understanding and validate the same through seniors, friends working there.
The next, is to look at organization track record or success in deploying business school talent. Ask the recruiter to give names, places, examples, and numbers.
Now culture is a big word. To grapple with it, some of our colleagues say, visualize a 2-by-2, the level of challenge in one axis and the level of support in another. Another 2-by-2 could be the level of clarity and structure on one axis and the tolerance for mistakes on another. Ask yourself, what I know about this organization on this 2-by-2’s, and if you feel comfortable, take that leap.

Q. How important are non-technical qualities like leadership skills, teamwork and ability to take on tough challenges as compared to the technical knowledge?

In fact, they are all that is, especially in management education. In specific areas of finance, yes there may be some weight to the so called “technical” knowledge. We would certainly want to know what the student did with her time at B School. She attended a course, alright. Is there a perspective, an opinion, the digestion of bare essentials?

Q. What role does internships and experiential projects done during the MBA course play in the final placement of the student?

My answer may not be universal. I would look at quality of assimilation of the challenge, the approach taken, clear learning and reflection. I would look less at industry sector or organization.

Q. Eventually, how useful are all management terms and jargons when it comes to performing well during in your first job?

A few concepts well learnt, can help you approach a job well. You would not make the obvious mistakes. You have a tool kit to reflect every day. I would not be that dismissive!

Q. What qualities should the candidate highlight in his/her resume?

Again, it must be approached holistic, not piecemeal. Does your resume give a picture? Is this picture confirmable during a face-to-face meeting? Are there basic agreements between world views, work approaches and organizational asks? There is no need to make qualities harder than the intensity to which they are present. We all know that you are forming your styles and impressions!

Q. How much do grades matter during the placement selection?

I wish I knew!
To the colleagues I have asked, it seems as follows:
Top End (10%) – We are positively curious. We go with assumption that something is working and merely ensuring there are no handicaps.
Middle (15% to 50%) – What in you, has a nice fit with the organization.
Lower Middle (60% to 85%) – You’ve to explain. Was this dramatically different from what you thought about yourself? How have you responded to this fact?
Bottom 15% - There is more (negative) than meets the eye, so take a good look again even if the person before is convincing.

Q. What is your word of advice for a successful entry in the corporate world?

  1. Someone said it beautifully
  2. Easy does it at first; know, understand before you splash.
  3. Respect what works, before wanting to transform it
  4. Remind yourself of the six things that characterize a workplace
  5. Participate creatively
     

 

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Topics: Campus Recruitment

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