This is a useful article for graduate students and alumni. It explains what innovative and successful companies like IBM look for in the potential candidate and How candidates should behave during interview.
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Source: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/mbapremium/jun2007/bs20070612_675237.htm
IBM’s vice-president of global talent discusses the kind of candidates the company is looking for—and mistakes to avoid in the interview
IBM calls itself “the world’s most forward-looking company,” according to its Web site. Its commitment to innovation appears even in its employee recruitment, say executives.
Recently, the company created a “power panel” at Texas A&M University, a move IBM (IBM) plans to repeat elsewhere. Similar to those at industry trade shows, the power panel brings together experts from local businesses, government, and IBM to talk with recruits about 21st century job opportunities and the skills they will require.
Those interested in working for IBM can also take to the virtual world and visit the company’s island in Second Life to ask questions of current employees and complete an online application (see BusinessWeek.com, 4/16/07, “I Was a Second Life B-School Student”).
THE INSIDE SCOOP
And while many other MBA employers are shying away from video résumés, IBM is saying, “bring ‘em on.” The company is pursuing all these new recruiting avenues because it wants to appeal to a diverse group, says Karen Calo, vice-president of global talent at the company headquarters in Armonk, N.Y. (see BusinessWeek.com, 5/2/07, ” Résumés in Motion”).
Calo, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, specializing in human resources, has spent her entire career at IBM. She says growing up in Endicott, N.Y., which was once IBM country, she was keenly aware of the company. Her father, a salesman, so admired IBM that he openly wished one of his children would work there. Calo fulfilled Dad’s wish and hasn’t looked back. She recently spoke with BusinessWeek reporter Francesca Di Meglio. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
What are you looking for in a candidate?
We want smart people who exude passion, who are willing to take risks and challenge conventional thinking, and who aspire to make a real difference in the company. When somebody walks in the door to interview at IBM, he has to be up to speed on our company and industry. If someone comes in and he is not well informed, he signals that he is not really that interested in the position.
What can a candidate do to impress you?
Clearly, we would expect people to have strong academic achievement. But it’s your delivery and the way that you talk about your aspirations that really make a difference and leave an impression with the interviewer. A candidate who impresses me is someone well spoken, who has a clear idea of what he wants to do. If someone comes in and says, “I want to do interesting, challenging work in this specific area,” it gives me an indication that he or she really is goal-oriented. I also like to hear folks who talk about the fact that they like to collaborate and continuously learn.
What is the biggest mistake MBA applicants make during the job search and how can they avoid that?
A little bit of arrogance or a lack of preparation would be a pretty significant faux pas on the part of an applicant. A person who comes to an interview with a bit of an attitude such as, “I know it all, and I expect to be the CEO in five years,” is making a mistake. The best way for people to leave a good impression is to be well prepared.
Do you think that business schools could improve their programs to better prepare students for the work world?
Any curriculum can be improved upon. Having folks from industry and business be part of the education process is one way to make a change. It’s always very important to understand theory and principles and be up to speed on the latest management trends and methodologies. But taking the applied approach and having people from industry get in there and talk about what it is like in the real world [is necessary]. Getting students grounded in the marketplace reality is a really, really important focus for business schools today.
What is the salary range for MBAs? What about benefits?
I believe that our total package in terms of pay and benefits is pretty varied and very attractive. We certainly pay competitively. We’re constantly looking at our benefits, which include the traditional staples such as vacation (15 days a year, 12 holidays). One of the things we pride ourselves on is the flexible work schedule. IBM is a company that is focused on the work/life balance issue.
About 40% of our employees don’t even work from a traditional office. We have a competitive performance bonus program and a leading edge 401(k) plan because young people today don’t necessarily join a company for life, and portability is important to them. We also still have a very attractive employee stock purchase plan because we want to give employees the ability to be true shareholders in the company.
We have tremendous focus on training. We spend over $600 million annually for internal training. Even though MBAs come with an advanced degree, they can, through our programs, get additional education externally if it’s aligned with our business strategy. We’ve also had a huge focus in the past few years on reinventing something internally called the IBM Club, a tremendous initiative that brings together current employees, retirees, and families for social events.
Where do you recruit?
We hit all the major, top-notch business schools. Obviously our recruiting is very much face to face on campus. We also host different events. I think you’re familiar with the Texas A&M Power Panel, which brought in other industry experts who shared a more complete experience with MBAs. I consider our recruiting to be an on-demand type of recruiting. We’re on campus in the spring and fall, and we post our schedules. The career centers have all that information.
But we are also constantly evaluating applications of people who just come online at any point in the year. We also get many, many referrals. There’s something [special] about a referral, particularly from an IBM employee. When an employee brings forward a friend, associate, or business colleague, we’re pretty confident that this is going to be a really good applicant to evaluate. After all, people are putting their reputation on the line by referring others.
Do you hire MBAs for internships, too?
Yes, we have both summer internships and co-op opportunities. Extreme Blue, launched in 1999, is one example of a summer program that lasts 8 to 12 weeks and takes place all around the world. We select from the very top schools’ computer science majors and MBAs. We put them in small teams, where they are challenged to come up with new technology that can be in the marketplace. The MBA plays a critically important role to bring that business perspective to the team.
Participants are mentored by some of our most senior technical leaders. These interns tend to work around the clock based on their own passion. They put together a deliverable that gets presented up through the business. We have an annual Extreme Blue Expo. Very often, Chairman Sam Palmisano comes and sees the demonstrations. It is one of the programs we continue to invest in heavily, and we are very proud of the quality of the work that the students do. We want to make sure these people have an offer in hand before they go back to finish their MBAs—and we have a high acceptance rate.
Do you hire international students?
The majority of our MBAs come with U.S. work authorization. They might be international students, but they have U.S. work authorization. We do MBA hiring around the world, and because we have locations in many countries, we have lots of opportunities for people to work internationally.
How would you describe the company’s culture?
Very fast-paced. We’re part of the IT industry so that’s a given. You often hear retirees, when they’re leaving after very long careers at IBM, talking about what they’ll miss most. What they miss most is their interaction with really smart colleagues. We have about 360,000 employees around the world. It’s not uncommon to start your day with a conference call with colleagues from other parts of the globe.
IBM is a large company with a variety of different businesses, which I believe give us the competitive advantage of opportunity. Based on our fairly low attrition, people enjoy the experience and know that if they choose to grow a full career here, they can. People start in one area and have the opportunity to do many different things. Within 18 months, you could be off working in our services business or corporate. Frankly, that’s why I’ve stayed with IBM for 27 years. I’ve had a great opportunity to work with many different units in many different locations, including two years in Asia. There is a wealth of opportunity.
What’s your best advice for candidates?
We’re hiring the next generation of leaders into the business today. Interviews are not a one-way street. The people who impress me personally are those who are clearly listening and engaging in the dialogue that I’m leading. But they’re also leading some of that dialogue. They’re not sitting there waiting for the next question. They’re asking provocative questions, and their intellectual curiosity is apprent.
How quickly do MBAs move up the ladder?
They move as quickly as their desire and results are viewed. It’s hard to put a timeline on it. It’s an individual thing.
