A look at industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates

JAYA SINGH PANDA,

chief learning, development and diversity officer, Tata Steel

B-schools help build the fundamentals. The critical success factor would be in the varied application of the learning in real-life industry scenarios. This is vital as the industry undergoes dynamic changes, and the ability to navigate these shifts is essential.

VIPIN SHARMA,

chief talent management and HRM delivery services, Tata Steel

Candidates intern with us and we make informed decisions regarding the right fit for our organisation. Nearly 50 to 60 per cent of management graduates join us through pre-placement offers, as many have already interned here, demonstrated their potential and align with our value proposition.

ANURAG SHRIVASTAVA,

CEO of HRNEXT, and former vice president (HR), Prudential ICICI and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund

Many management graduates want to join consultancy firms. Many CEOs also come from a consultancy background. But, consultancy jobs have reduced now as people were hired in excess during the pandemic; a lot of consultancy was build around re-imagining organisations because of the pandemic. Those jobs have gone now.

The industry is confident of getting well-trained, high quality people [from b-schools] to run businesses. However, the hiring criteria will be a lot stricter than it was in the past because the industry wants quick results, as today the change is not measured in terms of years or even on a quarterly basis, it is measured on a monthly basis. I look at the resilience of a candidate; how much they can grind, how many ups and downs they can handle. Employers look for resilience, strength, character and courage in handling situations.

SANGITA SOUNDADE,

head, human resources, StoxBox

When we hire a management school graduate, we lay a lot of emphasis on the attitude of that person, especially their willingness to learn and excel. We check whether the person is focused and receptive to feedback. We can gauge all this during the interview. Once we come to know that an MBA graduate can be groomed and trained further, we hire them. Communication is a critical aspect and one should have good soft skills as well. At the same time, we look at a fast learner who can grab fast and comprehend and understand what he or she is required to do.

SAYAN CHAKRABARTY,

chief human resource officer, Vector Consulting Group

Despite the fact that a majority of b-school graduates get into these schools with prior experience, we generally see them all get into a student syndrome in colleges. This would mean focusing efforts mainly with exams and CV points in mind. B-schools create a high pressure environment where peer behaviour and stimuli like deadlines and exams are major driving factors. When students come into organisations, they need to change this hat quickly. The sooner students can bring about this change in themselves, the easier this transition generally is.