ABGLP Woo Me | SCMHRD | A Chat With Ms. Aditi Merchant

We took the opportunity to interact with our alumni who are currently working at Aditya Birla Group, to get inspired from their side of the stories. We took interviews of people who are at managerial positions within the organization. This initiative helped us to understand their journey and how they have tackled various situations in their career.

We connected with our alumna, Ms. Aditi Merchant, who is from the batch of 2015. She is currently working as Assistant Manager at Aditya Birla Management Corporation Private Ltd. She is working in Talent Staffing for niche roles in Aditya Birla’s Head Office and ensuring new joiners have a wonderful induction experience. The following is the interview of their journey at Aditya Birla Group.

Interviewer - How did your life at SCMHRD prepare you for the corporate journey?

Aditi - There are a lot of aspects SCMHRD prepares a student for things. Be it through case studies, or through the competitions that we had, the entire platform that SCMHRD provided, holistically to develop as an effective manager, gave an edge in the corporate world and helped me succeed in life.

Interviewer- Do you think there is a particular set of skills that a student should inculcate during MBA which can help him/her excel in the corporate journey?

Aditi - Most of the new-age subjects will be covered in the MBA program. In our time, it was more of HR Analytics. The curriculum and the college start preparing you for the new-age subjects that are required. Beyond that, it is more in terms of attitude. One needs to keep moving in his/her career. More than what one has learnt, it is more about how it is taken ahead individually. It varies from person to person and depends on the commitment levels to what he/she is doing.

Interviewer - How would you say that your life is different now after you have done your MBA and been in the industry for so many years?

Aditi - SCMHRD gives you that platform to succeed and it is one of the premier institutes. The kind of opportunity that one gets at the start of a career is amazing. Many great companies come on campus to hire. With that, the learning journey and the corporate journey starts, post which it depends on how one excels in his/her journey and keeps moving forward.

Interviewer - Lately, ABG has been using “Big In Your Life” on their website and for their marketing. Do you have any views regarding this concept?

Aditi - It is more of being there in all aspects, being true to yourself and succeeding in the entire journey. Giving 100 % in every aspect of execution is important.

Interviewer - People at ABG often talk on “think about tomorrow”. How is sustainable development incorporated in the culture and the work that you do at ABG?

Aditi - It is very important to be relevant at all times because only then, you will succeed in life and shelf life is improved. It is important to continuously upgrade your skills, continuously learn and develop the new-age aspects of life. You are constantly relevant in the market and no longer redundant, for the promises that you provide. It is all about being agile.

Interviewer - What do you like the most about the culture and your time at ABG?

Aditi - I think the policies and processes at ABG are employee-friendly. It is a pleasure to work for such a company where employees are always given a chance to achieve. Moreover, most often, ABG does not just offer you a job but offers you a career, because once you start working with peers in your current role, you have an opportunity to learn and move to other roles too. They are very open to giving you a chance to enhance yourself as an individual in your career line.

Interviewer - You have been with ABG for quite a long time now. Have you seen any specific changes in ABG because of the leadership program that is currently going on? Do you think there is a specific set of values that it is adding to the new recruits joining the company?

Aditi - It is the on-the-job learning that ABG provides and the kind of people one works with, that shape an employee’s life at ABG. One works with individuals who are top-notch, there are a lot of discussions, a lot of arguments, a lot of new ideas and every individual’s opinion is always counted. That is what makes ABG a great place to work.

Interviewer - Any last piece of advice for the current students at SCMHRD?