All work with no play makes dull managers

Recruiters’ focus is turning from academic to extra-curricular activities

To Shobhit Tyagi, head of human resources (denim & corporate) at Arvind Ltd, the hobbies of a B-school candidate matter more than his curriculum vitae.

This, Tyagi says, makes him understand what are a student’s attributes and what non-academic activities he or she excels in.

“In my career, I have hardly picked a top scorer, because scores may not necessarily reflect the true traits of a candidate we may be looking for,” says Tyagi.

Advertising, marketing and public relations agency Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) must have been thinking on the same lines when it decided to pick Ravi Kumar, from Chennai-based Loyola Institute of Business and Administration (LIBA) last placement season, solely for his rowing skills.

With recruiters increasingly focusing on a diverse profile of students, the scale between extra-curricular achievements and academic excellence has tilted more towards the former.

So, when O&M asked Kumar to talk about anything other than his routine, his being involved in rowing came to his rescue. “It gave them an insight into my interpersonal skills and the ability to work as a team member,” says Kumar.

At B-schools, where almost all students have similar profiles, being involved in extra-curricular activities gives recruiters an option to look at a candidate differently. Pursuing hobbies and excelling in extra-curricular activities give a candidate an edge over others.

“Modern managers have to look at things differently and, for that, one must have done something other than the academics,” says Kumar.

In fact, head hunters have already differentiated B-schools on the basis of their level of activities. For instance, head hunters say, companies that want students good in academics recruit from Mumbai-based Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) and Xavier Labour Relations Institute are said to be heavily activity-oriented institutes.

“Extra curricular activities are increasingly becoming a set parameter. It is a differentiating factor for job aspirants,” says Arun Goyal, a LIBA student who was selected by Citibank for having won a national-level case study competition at the Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta (IIM-C).

Even Wipro Technologies, India’s third-largest IT company, looks for students who can display the ‘Spirit of Wipro’, when looking for potential recruits.

“Besides domain-specific knowledge and skills, we look at the softer skills of individuals and their ability to work in a fluid environment, manage change, think out of the box and lead teams. We look at attributes in individuals that are in consonance with the ‘Spirit of Wipro’,” says Priti Rajora, VP and global head for talent acquisition at Wipro.

Even the premier IIM-A, therefore, has laid emphasis on extra-curricular achievements. This is seen in the way placement participants’ resumes are presented to recruiters.

“Such achievements have become an integral part of candidates’ curriculum vitae because recruiters look for a well-rounded personality,” says IIM-A Chairperson (placements) Saral Mukherjee.

The belief at the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay (IIT-B) is similar to Mukherjee’s. “Recruiters are hesitant in picking bookworms. However, it is largely the nature of job that is paid attention to, by both recruiters and students,” says IIT-B’s placement coordinator.

This explains why Tyagi of Arvind Ltd looks beyond the classroom, when he has to look for recruits with managerial as well as leadership skills.

“So, when we were once looking for a student with a sound decision-making ability, we recruited a student who handled the canteen department of his institute. It talked about his ability of taking initiatives,” says Tyagi.