Genpact bets big on graduation talent, mulls hiring 100 from top B-schools

Global professional services firm Genpact is taking big bets on talent by hiring graduates from top business schools (B-schools) off campus in key roles as part of its leadership direct programme.

High performers from within the company would also be hired for senior positions as part of the same programme.

The thinking for the programme began in the fourth quarter of last year. The firm plans to hire 100 people in these roles this year, said Piyush Mehta, chief human resource officer, Genpact.

So far, Genpact has hired 65 of the 100 people planned for this year. Broadly, the company has planned for half the candidates to be internal; the other half, external.

For instance, Hailey Eichner, an external candidate from New York, is now vice-president and chief of staff to the chief executive officer of a company that employs over 90,000 people. Similarly, Priyanka Priyadarshini, an internal candidate from Hyderabad, is going to be site leader for an operations team of 800 employees, for one of Genpact's key clients.

"The exposure has been phenomenal — from leading conversations with senior client stakeholders, to receiving a customised learning path for innovation, and one-on-one mentorship from the company's leaders," said Priyadarshini.

 

Many of these candidates were chosen from the top B-schools such as Cambridge and Oxford in the UK, Ivy League schools in the US, and top B-schools in Spain and India.

About 10 senior Genpact executives had 'conversations' with candidates after a rigorous selection process to decide on the new hires. 

The candidates had gone through technology-backed recruitment tests, which had been gamified. "They played a game on an app they had downloaded. This gave us some insight into the people. And then there was a video interview. This gave us further insights through an artificial intelligence engine seated at the back of that interview," said Mehta.

After a conversation in an informal setting with the senior teams after this selection process, there is a 'yes' or 'no' decision at the end of it from the candidate and the organisation.

Would having younger and less experienced candidates affect the morale of other Genpact employees?

Mehta said Genpact has always worked on the principle of being a meritocracy, and "that's why it's very important to allow internal candidates as well to apply. So if you're good, and you are internal, you are getting the same opportunity. Some of the brightest and the smartest people are from inside the organisation. It's about opportunity, rather than about exclusion".

The way these recruits will be evaluated is also going to be different. They will also undergo training to tutor them in leadership and other qualities required for running big teams.