CEOs from diverse sectors discussed what management graduates need to do to up their chances of being a successful professional. Gauri Rane reports.
Students of SP Jain Institute of Management and Research were treated to a livewire discussion at a recently held CII-CEO Connect, a CEO-student interaction platform. A equally thumping welcome. The panel comprising of CEOs from diverse sectors (media, finance and automobiles) addressed students on what are employment trends, what is the senior management looking for in fresh graduates and advised them on what skills they need to ingrain to climb up the corporate ladder.
Speaking on current employment trends, Puneet Chaddha, CEO, HSBC, Asset Management, said, “Corporates are looking for solution oriented workforce. A consumer is looking for instant service/ responses. They are looking for instant solutions and hence, CEOs are on a look out for people who are empowered to take quick and right decisions.” Harshbeena Zaveri, President, NRB Bearings agrees with Chaddha. “CEOs have to deal with a lot of unexpected situations and are looking for people who can handle unexpected situations. That is how they build a team that is good at multi tasking, is innovative, is goal oriented and strives for to succeed,” she said.
The CEOs also asked management aspirants to imbibe the practice of self learning. “Companies are looking for professionals with specific skill sets. So apart from technical skills managers should acquire skills that the companies want in their prospective employees,” said Chaddha.
While CEOs were in agreement that there management industry aspirants need to be a step ahead and train themselves in soft skills and professional skills so that they stand a better chance when it comes to seeking employement, Chaddha brought to light a very important trend prevailent in the job market. “Today`s workforce is not persistent; not because they are not committed, but because they are looking for challenging jobs where they are appreciated. In constant search of job satisfaction.”
On a different note, Sunil Lulla, CEO, Times Televsision Network, urged students to work for the progress of the country. “India makes everything best, but we do it for overseas companies. We need to start treating our country as a corporation, and in the progress of the corporation lies the success of its employees,” he said. Zaveri agreed with Lulla, “One has to strive to make their market in the market. It was difficult at first, but today, our company provides technology driven and energy efficient friction solutions to consumers across the worldm,” she said,
“In today`s world the old adage stands changed. Its not the big fish that eat the small fish, its the faster fish that eat the slower fish. One has to learn to swim faster,” she said, going further to advise students that to make a mark in their professions, they have to be motivated, passionate about their work and innovate.
Ethics and values also was a common thread of connection for the CEOs. While Chaddha advised students to keep no difference between the company`s vision vis-a-vis their vision, Lulla said that an individual will always perform to the best of their capacities if his/ her vision is inline with the company`s. “Corporates are a part of the society, they are a part of the social ecosystem and hence are bound by values. There has to be consistency of values of your and the company`s,” concluded Chaddha.
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Ideal managers have
* speed of implementation
* can adjust to change
* have their goals aligned with organisational goals
* understand and implement company strategy
