What kind of talent does one of India’s largest financial services conglomerates look for? What does it take to make it to the prestigious F.A.I.R. Management Trainee programme of Aditya Birla Capital? How can an MBA student like yourself get there?
To help you with answers to all these questions and more, InsideIIM interviewed four Management Trainees from Aditya Birla Capital’s F.A.I.R MT batch - Amala P, Vagisha Agarwal, Shikhar Arora and Vaishali Mathpal. While Amala and Shikhar work in the HR function of Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, Vagisha works as a Senior Product Manager at Aditya Birla Housing Finance and Vaishali works in the central HR team at Aditya Birla Capital.
In this article, they talk about the characteristics ABC looks for when hiring talent, the indicators of success for ABC employees, and how you can make it to one of India’s leading financial services conglomerates.
Read on to find out!
What characteristics does ABC look for when hiring talent?
Amala P: ABC’s focus is on hiring for potential and it looks forcandidates who can learn to take on complex and challenging roles. Key characteristics ABC looks for in a candidate include:
A. The ability to solve complex problems
B. The ability to push through obstacles to get things done
C. The ability to collaborate to deliver consistently superior results
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What are some must-haves to make it through ABC’s recruitment process?
Vaishali Mathpal: While preparing for the placement season, a lot of candidates go out of their way to impress the recruiters with their near-perfect answers. However, in reality, the recruiters are looking for simple personality traits. Be confident and honest in your interviews. Understand why you want to be a part of ABC. It is alright to admit that you are still exploring your options but being fake is a deal-breaker. Another underrated attribute is curiosity. A young Management Trainee is expected to bring new ideas and energy into the team. Be yourself and present your ideas with conviction. The aim should be to present your achievements and your personality in a short span of time rather than trying to impersonate someone else.
Shikhar Arora: Getting an opportunity to join Aditya Birla Capital via campus placements has been a huge learning experience with a steep learning curve. Being a fast-paced, nimble organisation with forthcoming leadership, ABC provides complete freedom to each and every member of the organisation to bring about a difference in the lives of our customers (ABC’s Purpose). When it comes to onboarding the right talent, candidates who have the knack to get into the tiniest of details, pertaining to products or processes and subsequently come up with innovative ways to resolve business challenges will have an edge. For ABC, a financial conglomerate, that is further a member of huge ABG family, collaboration is not only a skill, but a mindset. Adventurous minds with high learnability, who are comfortable in being a part of cross-functional teams, can do wonders in this place.
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What would you say are the indicators of success for someone working at ABC? What does it take for young MTs to succeed in the organization?
Vagisha Agarwal: At ABC, a MT is given the freedom and opportunity to get involved in a holistic manner in all aspects of managing a business. To be successful, one has to bring in fresh perspective and new dimensions to business problems. A sense of ownership and being proactive to voice your ideas will help in going the extra mile. The ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds across all functions is necessary and to have a steep learning curve, one has to go beyond the sphere of their work.
Vaishali Mathpal: A key indicator of a successful MT is the willingness to learn. While most candidates become complacent once they join their roles, some MTs shine brighter than others because they constantly push their boundaries. Being active at work, reaching out to people and getting things done, and working across diverse projects earns you visibility. The first few months at ABC should be utilized at having diverse experiences. Reach out to people who have interesting opportunities and volunteer to be a part of them. You might have to stretch your bandwidth at times, but the exposure is worth the hard work.
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What are some actionable steps that you think will help current MBA students make it to ABC?
Shikhar Arora: If you’re in the middle of an MBA Programme, my suggestions would be to step out of the comfort zone. For instance, if you are regarded as an “MS Excel Expert”, or “Power Presenter”, don’t start to rest in that domain, learn new skills. It could be a new tool, new hobby or a new softer skill like becoming a good listener or presenter. This will make you more conducive for a volatile industry that ABC is a part of. Secondly, whenever in a group setup – committee group, competition group or project group, aim to lead it. It may lead to additional work involving delegation, coordination and compilation; but the habit of taking end-to-end ownership, that will prevail will help you succeed at a young and growing organisation.
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What are some programs ABC offers to young talent to nurture their skills and offer them a platform to grow?
Amala P: ABC ensures enhancing the skills through a comprehensive leadership development program for young talent which enables them to scale up faster to leadership roles. There are also a plethora of options for role movement and growth across ABC for any young talent.
Personally, I have had the opportunity to work on key HR projects both within my business unit, ABC, and ABG. I have also had the opportunity to work across 2 roles in a span of 3 years with significant opportunities to expand in my current role and have observed similar journeys for other young talent in the organization.
If you’re someone who values personal growth and is looking for opportunities to accelerate your career trajectory, ABC is the place for you. With their Focus on Results, Accountability with Discipline, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, and Respect & Openness, ABC creates a culture ripe for the transformation of career to the next level.
Vaishali Mathpal: ABC takes pride in offering diverse experiences to its employees through its Talent management philosophy of 2*2*2 which translates to exploring diverse roles across 2 units, spread across 2 functions, across 2 geographies. Getting holistic experiences across these 3 diverse elements gets one ready for larger opportunities much sooner. Offering a world of opportunities, ABC encourages every individual to experiment with roles and functions and choose a career path that best suit them. With working becoming location agnostic and roles becoming more fluid, ABC encourages all its employees to venture into unchartered territories.. It comes as no surprise that most of the employees spend decades at this firm and plan their entire careers at ABC.
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Read experiences of Management Trainees at ABC, here.
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