Campus Recruiters play a vital role in MBA students’ careers. They are the ones who choose which candidates can make it into their company, essentially launching the selected candidate’s careers. We at InsideIIM want to recognize some of the top Campus Recruiters who have been doing some exceptional work in giving great launchpads to the careers of MBA students. With this in mind, we are excited to feature Ms. Soma Banik on our platform.
Ms. Soma Banik is the Lead of Campus Hiring and Engagement for Aditya Birla Group. She is a graduate of IIM Indore and IIT Mandi, having worked with the likes of Vodafone Idea Limited before taking on her role with ABG. We got the opportunity to speak with her regarding her experience of recruiting students, and how she views the future of Campus Recruitment in the country.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. How has being a campus recruiter enhanced your skills and experience?
I have learnt through my role that the dynamics of every campus is different and there is no one-size-fits-all hiring strategy that a recruiter can have. The offerings at every Tier 1 Campus, though being similar, needs to be positioned differently based on the expectations from a brand. With the competition for hiring the best in class talent on the rise, being rightly benchmarked as a brand in the market is very important to be an employer of choice.
Q. Tell us an innovation you have introduced in the campus recruitment space that you are very proud of.
We have rolled out an online recruitment module recently and so far run one successful hiring season for Summers and Final Placements. It has enabled us to manage data more efficiently and customize our campus hiring strategies for the future.
Q. What do you look for in a student when you hire from campus?
We primarily look for overall leadership presence when we hire for the Aditya Birla Group Leadership Programs. We have a competency framework around which we assess students. However, we also look at an overall fitment within the Group Values and Culture.
Q. What is your favourite question to ask a candidate during an interview?
My favourite question that I have heard so far on campus is “What do you do for fun?”. We get hilarious responses.
Q. Who makes an ideal campus recruiter?
An ideal campus recruiter is one who gets into the mindset of the students and understands exactly where they come from. Definitions are multifold but I think someone who connects the students well to the question “What’s in it for you?” and covers aspects of not only Total Rewards but beyond that. After all, performance at interviews by students is directly linked with self-motivation and the value/perspective they hold for a brand.
Q. What do you see as some of the emerging trends in the campus recruiting space?
With the increasing number of companies coming to recruit every year (> 50 in some of the Tier 1 Campuses), more transparency in the process to reduce recruiter and student anxiety levels is the next big trend. I also think it is important for the right set of interested candidates to apply for a job, rather than everyone applying to nearly every opening. More customized hiring approaches beyond the usual GD and PI is a promising space to make a difference.
