October 7, 2009 – Another novel experience as a part of my career, when being the campus ambassador of Mahindra for IIM Indore I was asked to be a part of the summer recruitment process at my alma mater. It has been an opportunity one doesn’t get so early in the career, that too when you not from an HR background and just 4 months into the system. For sure, makes me feel proud and responsible.
Four panelists in all, including me, were all geared up at an odd late night hour for the process. Mahindra gets a preferential treatment at IIM Indore owing to the rapport being developed over last two years, and thus the Placom of IIM Indore allowed us to conduct the process on the night before the full-fledged roll down of the summers.
The initial shortlist was given on the basis of their resume scores, based on the information provided by them in the forms. Out of over 200 forms, 30 were picked. A group round followed by interviews, was what we had scheduled for the shortlisted candidates. It was a Bingo round aiming at finding out the qualities of individuals from the public, wherein all the 30 were grouped together, and they had to speak about any other person in the group. The response was over whelming and the participants were also happy to hear about themselves.
8 made it through to the interview, and we split ourselves into two panels for the same.
Interviews are not 100% foolproof means of selection. But the process went nicely, making me realise those aspects of an interview which while I was the interviewee for so many years, did not understand that well. It is an altogether different ball game when you face questions and when you ask. So be it as interviewer, or an interviewee, stepping into the other person’s shoes is necessary for expectations matching and to make the interview a worthwhile selection process.
Eventually, the HRs boiled down to taking 3 people, but I staunchly argued to persuade and get one more person in, more because I had interviewed that candidate and found her knowledgeable. Probably the difference in opinion with my senior co-panellist, because of reasons I wrote about in “Openness and Transparency”, created the dilemma. But I knew the frame of mind in which a fresher is when just into the MBA program. And by god’s grace, I succeeded in convincing the HR.
9.00 PM at night to 4.30 AM in the morning – it was exhausting. But definitely, the pains were worth the experience.
Four panelists in all, including me, were all geared up at an odd late night hour for the process. Mahindra gets a preferential treatment at IIM Indore owing to the rapport being developed over last two years, and thus the Placom of IIM Indore allowed us to conduct the process on the night before the full-fledged roll down of the summers.
The initial shortlist was given on the basis of their resume scores, based on the information provided by them in the forms. Out of over 200 forms, 30 were picked. A group round followed by interviews, was what we had scheduled for the shortlisted candidates. It was a Bingo round aiming at finding out the qualities of individuals from the public, wherein all the 30 were grouped together, and they had to speak about any other person in the group. The response was over whelming and the participants were also happy to hear about themselves.
8 made it through to the interview, and we split ourselves into two panels for the same.
Interviews are not 100% foolproof means of selection. But the process went nicely, making me realise those aspects of an interview which while I was the interviewee for so many years, did not understand that well. It is an altogether different ball game when you face questions and when you ask. So be it as interviewer, or an interviewee, stepping into the other person’s shoes is necessary for expectations matching and to make the interview a worthwhile selection process.
Eventually, the HRs boiled down to taking 3 people, but I staunchly argued to persuade and get one more person in, more because I had interviewed that candidate and found her knowledgeable. Probably the difference in opinion with my senior co-panellist, because of reasons I wrote about in “Openness and Transparency”, created the dilemma. But I knew the frame of mind in which a fresher is when just into the MBA program. And by god’s grace, I succeeded in convincing the HR.
9.00 PM at night to 4.30 AM in the morning – it was exhausting. But definitely, the pains were worth the experience.
its really gr8 that u r experiencing gud things.... keep the good work on n also get ready to give me PI lessons ;)
ReplyDeletehey dats grt...u getting waddi waddi responsiblities...sounds gud..kp progressing in lyf:)
ReplyDelete