How I Cleared The Interview Round At XLRI | Nikhil PGDM (HRM)

XLRI HRM GDWAT-PI
02.03.30, Delhi

GD/WAT
"Motivating employees is nothing but manipulating them to achieve the company's targets." Spoke against the motion, focused my arguments on the obvious equivocation fallacy and showing the two in separate lights.

PI
*Three panelist: M1 (45-ish), M2 (35-ish) and M3 (45-ish). M1 was generally affable if somewhat of a 'griller', M2 kept typing away on his laptop for the entire duration of the interview except to ask me a question at the very end, M3 was rather condescending and seemed like he wanted to walk over every candidate.

M1: So what school did you go to? (leafing through my application form)
N(Nikhil): Delhi Public School, Bokaro. (it's about a 3-3½ drive from Jamshedpur)
M1: Oh, okay. That's a good school. But then you went all the way to Gwalior?
N: Talked about my various screw-ups in high school.
M1: (looking at the marks section in the form and laughing) Oh, 12th. What happened?
N: Explained.
M1: Were you also involved in a lot of extra-curriculars as well?
N: Answered in the affirmative.
M1: And then in college as well? What if it happens at XLRI too?
N: Told about the various hobbies and interests I picked up. Explained about design a bit. Talked about realising the errors in my ways, and the consequent course-correction.
M3: How do we believe you? Give us some proof.
N: Talked about final year grades (was interrupted in between).
M3: Everybody gets good grades in final year, we're engineers too. What else?
N: Talked about scoring well in the aptitude tests. Reiterated about realising my mistakes and what lessons I'd learnt.
M3: (quipping) To wit.
N: Yes, sir. (smiling)
M1: You talked about design, and minimalism. Do you embrace that concept in life also?
N: Talked about minimalistic design, and how I try to imbibe the concept in my creatives. (some cross-questioning here)
M1: I wanted to ask you something about service charge. What is the difference between service charge and bribe? Aren't those the same thing? Is service charge wrong?
N: Explained the best I could, talked about the legalities and modus operandi of the levying thereof.
M1: Take the example of a railway booking counter. Say you pay a certain service charge for getting the ticket. And someone pays a tout some cash as bribe to get his ticket. Is there any difference between the two?
N: Talked about ethics, how service charge is predefined by the organisation, and bribes are just taken by middlemen. (some cross-questioning here)
M3: You're talking about ethics, but you're going in another direction. Suppose I'm building a house. Is it illegal?
N: No, sir.
M3: And then I obtain a permit. Is that illegal?
N: No sir, but it depends on how you obtain the permit.
M3: Now I pay the environmental inspector a bribe to get my permit. Is that illegal?
N: Yes, sir. (talked about how it leads to negligence of duty etc.)
M3: Let's say he did his work completely, I just paid to have it fast-tracked. Is it still illegal?
N: Yes sir, because it's unfair to the other people who have also applied for permits.
M3: Haan, now you bring up unfairness. Now answer his question (pointing to M1)
N: (realising what  was being asked of me) Answered.
M1: You talked about doing design in college. How do you think that figures here? (pointing at my marksheets) How does it help you with XLRI?
N: Explained about the significance of curiosity and learning new things, and my ability to grasp novel concepts quickly.
M3: Do you have any work-ex?
N: No, sir.
M3: So you have taken a gap year?
N: Explained about how I graduated in 2019 and have been studying for the exams ever since.
M1: So didn't you sit for placements?
N: No, sir.
M1: Why not? Didn't you think that getting a job was a safer option?
N: Talked about my firm choice of pursuing management.
M1: And what if you don't get into any college this year? What will you do then?
N: (slightly stumped) Talked about my options of preparing again while working simultaneously; but also expressed confidence in myself and my capabilities to get admission this year itself.
M2: (stepping in with a case study of sorts) Suppose you're a manager at a company, and your company is in a legal hassle. So you go and talk to a politician/mediator who can solve it for you, and they assure you that your issue will be resolved. In return, the politician's relatives will stay in the township area of the city under you until the legal hassle is resolved. This might hamper the profitability of the company. What will you do?
N: Can I take a few seconds?
M2: Sure.
N: (after a few seconds) Sir, I'll try to extend a more personal favour - one that I can fulfill in my personal capacity - instead of the one they're asking for now, as it will cost the company.
M2: Who are the stakeholders in this scenario? List them.
N: (listed the stakeholders)
M2: So how will your decision affect them, whatever that might be?
N: Reiterated my answer about personal favour instead of the one currently on the table.
M2: What personal favours, exactly? He's a politician, how are you gonna help him?
N: Talked about a future possibility where I can maybe help him out. Veered towards not handing out accomodation for free in an extreme case.
M2: So you'll cause harm to company right now? This decision will cause the company to remain in the legal hassle.
N: Talked about pursuing more conventional avenues for the resolution of the problem (some cross-questioning here)
M3: (suddenly) Do you care about people?
N: (slightly bewildered) Yes, sir. I'd certainly like to think so.
M3: I don't think so. How long have I been observing you?
N: For about 10 minutes, sir.
M3: Even before that, in the GD; the person sitting next to you didn't speak. And yet you did nothing.
N: Tried to explain. Talked about first 10 minutes of the GD when everybody was raw and nobody was comfortable yet to speak freely themselves, let alone offer that chance to someone else.
M3: (interrupting again) So it's the group's fault?
N: Cleared the air about what I really meant. Talked about a possible oversight on my part, and that I should've taken initiative.
M3: So justifiable oversight..? Yes or no?
N: Sir, I'm not trying to justify anything..
M3:(interrupts again) Justifiable oversight. Yes or no?
N: Reiterated about not trying to justify, rather owning up as much as I could.
M3: (smiling) Okay, I think we're done.