Mumbai's Lodha group to offer its own global management programme

Under the programme, the company will hire students under general management for the first five years

Moving away from its conventional method of function-based hiring, Mumbai-based realty major Lodha Group is planning to recruit students for its global management programme for the first five years before helping them choose functions and roles in the organisation.

Under the Lodha Global Management Programme, the company will hire students under general management for the first five years. According to Shaleen Madan, President HR, Lodha Group, after the end of first five years, the employees will be assisted in moving into right functions based on several parameters.

Offering a rationale behind such a step, Shaleen Madan, President HR, Lodha Group said, "Early on in our organisation's evolution, we realised that we need a professional core to run the company, Be it design, construction or accounts, people should be able to engage in professional strategy for faster outcomes. While we used to ensure that in various ways, this year we have changed our hiring. From this year, we are introducing Lodha Global Management Programme which will focus on core areas like strategy and management, among others. Later, the employees will be assisted in choosing and moving into desired functions. It is going to be really participative."

The company intends to hire around 15-20 every year under the programme.

Laying emphasis on strategy, the company is also hiring from outside the real estate sector.

"Real estate sector over the last few years has become corporatised. At Lodha, we have been hiring outside real estate. Over the last five years we have become beyond real estate brand to become preferred company to work with. We have had robust campus hiring programme including IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, ISB and XLRI, to name a few," Madan added.

Meanwhile, talking about the overall hiring scenario, Madan said that if campus hiring are any indicator then the scenario looks positive.

"Companies are hiring in large numbers, willing to invest more. Hiring is going to go up. Though, we hire outside real estate too, we offer salaries at par with major FMCG's and consultancy firms and this year we are looking at a 10 per cent hike," Madan said.

Depending on experience, the group has been offering packages in the range of Rs 20-23 lakh. "We don't mind loosening our purse strings for the right people," Madan added.