MBA Recruiter Interview: Brittany Palubiski, General Motors

When you think about MBA jobs that allow you to make a difference or work with technology, working at a large car company probably isn’t what comes to mind. Yet, at the North American automotive giant General Motors (GM), MBAs get to leave their mark on high tech products that impact millions of people around the world. Brittany Palubiski, GM’s manager of university relations, discusses the opportunities her company offers for MBAs and what they need to do to prove that they are a fit.

General Motors is ranked 86th on the Universum Top 100 Ideal MBA Employer list? Why do you think so many MBAs want to work for GM?

Quite honestly, I look for us to do even better than that, but I think we are really lucky that MBAs identify us as an opportunity that they want to look into.

A great deal of our recent success happens to do with the rotational opportunities that we provide for them. We have recently rolled out a program called Technical Rotation and Career Knowledge (aka TRACK) across the company in both engineering and business functions, both at the bachelor’s degree and MBA level. Our MBA programs are primarily in our finance, global marketing, supply chain management and global planning and program management organizations.  MBA TRACKs are intended to create functional leadership at an accelerated pace. So we bring MBAs in and they go through a series of rotations over two to three years, and if there is a fit within the organization, they usually end up in a managerial role. Not only does TRACK give MBAs cross-functional exposure, they also get a bit more of a flavor for their function in general. As a result, they do not get pigeonholed into one specific job.

For those people that don't want to get into consulting or banking, for example, GM offers the ability to immerse yourself in the financial side of one of the most global companies in the world. What I think attracts MBAs to GM is the opportunities that we provide within, regardless of industry.

Senior leadership for each function has identified the critical areas MBAs need exposure to in order to be successful in advancing into the company, or even in their role as an individual contributor. MBAs have access to senior leadership during rotations, along with additional opportunities for networking and career development and that, selfishly for GM, helps us create much more prepared leaders. So, we look for top MBA talent to come in and help be the future leaders of the organization, as we do with most of our new hires, but on an accelerated path.

One of the things we made sure of when we rolled out our program was that we had not only senior leader buy-in, but also engagement. I can tell you, without question, our senior leadership, all the way up to Mary Barra (GM’s CEO), is very engaged in creating rotational programs that allow this talent to be successful. Having the right managers at rotational level, the right projects, the right exposure, and the opportunities, of course, to build a network internally, all contribute to this success.

What are the common job roles for MBAs at GM?

The majority of opportunities for MBA grads are in our TRACK program. So, MBAs end up working in our finance operations, as well as the treasurer's office, in sales, service and marketing, and specifically global marketing for all our global brands, and planning and programming management, which gives them a lot of exposure to market research and competitive analysis.

Do you have an internship program for MBAs in addition to the TRACK program?

We absolutely do! Typically, interns get hired into the same functions I just mentioned. One thing that GM does is look at our intern pipeline as a feeder for full-time opportunities. It's a great way for us both to get a flavor for the candidates and for the candidates to get a flavor of what it would be like to work at GM. Strategically, we have enough assignments to be able to make full-time offers where there is a mutual fit.

What do you look for when you evaluate a candidate’s résumé and experience?

We are looking for people who want to come in and drive change and make a difference. Ideally, when we look at hiring an MBA, we want to see it as a value add. In no way, shape, or form do they need to come in with an engineering background. Although an engineering degree can be helpful for certain positions, it is certainly not necessary for all.

We are looking for people who have strong leadership capabilities; we interview around making sure candidates align with our culture and our leadership behaviors; people with drive, who have had a little taste of industry and said, “You know what? I really want to go back and hone my business acumen and understand that piece by going to get an MBA.” They should come in and want to use that knowledge and experience to drive change.

We want people who are serious about making an impact and a difference. I think our program allows them to do that because we give them varied assignments and leadership exposure. We will give you opportunities and an environment in which to be successful, but we need people to come in ready to make a difference with aptitude, drive, passion and that taste of industry.

How can you evaluate whether a job candidate is passionate and wants to make a difference?

Quite honestly, the current generation is heading into the workforce really wanting to make a difference. It is more about trying to understand where their passion is. Our MBA recruiting is very much relationship based. We want to understand what their needs are, what their interests are, and see if they align with what we have to offer. It doesn't make sense to hire someone who really wants to get into a consulting role, working 100 hours a week.

I think assessing the level of passion is about getting to know that person, getting to understand that they have an interest in working geographically where we’re based. There is an amazing, amazing shift and rejuvenation in the city of Detroit. A lot of these MBAs are located in our Renaissance Center at our global headquarters in downtown Detroit, and they have an opportunity to make some huge changes and be a part of that.

We look for people who are passionate about making a difference and effecting change in the same way GM is passionate about wanting to make a difference to Detroit. It is hard to gauge passion, but I think it’s based on building a relationship with people, getting to know them, getting a taste of what they are looking for, and making sure there’s a fit. It is also about giving them a very honest picture of what they are coming into and if they are excited and passionate about that then there is a match. As opposed to giving them a sappy presentation about who we are, we let them know about real people and their amazing stories, to say you can create and make your own story here, too! And you have the opportunity to do that right now. You can't just build relationships by posting a job and looking at a résumé.

What are some things that MBAs can do to make a good impression?

There is a lot that MBAs can do. They should be themselves; I've been in this role for 10 years now and I think the best thing I can say to any candidate is to just be authentic. I think companies need to be authentic as well and say honestly what they have to offer.

When students and graduates interview for jobs, I think that they sometimes fall victim to thinking, “I need to let them see what they need to see. If a company is looking for this, this and this, then I need to show them that I have this, this, and this,” rather than looking at recruiting as a two-way street. This is an opportunity for them to interview us as well. It's absolutely an MBA's market right now.

I am always impressed when someone comes up with confidence in their capabilities, in what they have done in the past, and with a vision of what they want to do, especially if they graduate with an MBA. Typically students have an undergraduate degree, they have test driven at some type of industry, and have gone back to get an MBA because of a shift in their interest and/or a desire to build on their business acumen and interests.

MBAs don’t have to come in having all the answers. That's a great thing about our rotational program: they don't have to know exactly where they want to fit, we will help them find the right fit within the organization. At the same time, not just say, “Give me a job, please!” What did you go back and do all that extra school for? You should be proud of the work that you did…now what do you want to do with it?

Does GM offer international work opportunities for MBAs?

Some of our MBA rotational programs have the potential for an international rotation.

Which business schools do you recruit from and why?

We recruit at some of the top MBA schools in the country. Within my organization, we have a university portfolio of diversity organizations, engineering organizations, MBA organizations, as well as about 20 universities that we partner with. We hire engineering and undergraduate business graduates as well as MBA from these school. In addition, there is some MBA-only activity at some universities outside of that portfolio.

In addition to going straight to campus and recruiting out of MBA programs, we also have strategic relationships with MBA organizations with which we partner at national level and at international conferences.

We don't like to use an approach where we just throw it out to anyone; we try and build strategic relationships with universities and organizations in our portfolio. It's just like how we recruit – we want to build a relationship, and understand if it’s the right fit.

What are some common misconceptions MBAs have about working at GM?

When I came here, people asked me if I had an interest in the automotive industry, and I didn't. But I think that it is a common misconception that North American automotive isn't very exciting. But it absolutely is!

Undergraduate or graduate, you can ask someone, “In your top industries, where is American automotive?” It isn’t always up there. Automotive has actually become very high tech. Vehicles have changed so much over the years; there is so much technology in our vehicles!

Another common misconception about GM is that you won't have a voice, because it’s so big. That is absolutely not true. Being relatively new to the organization myself, I feel like I have been able to drive change every day. The MBAs coming into these rotational programs are very visible. They have opportunities that not everyone has at their fingertips. These programs are new, but they are not being built in a vacuum – they are built on input from recent MBA hires and recent undergraduates from our undergraduate program. We will give you the tools to be successful and we have a lot of really cool things going on in this company.

I certainly wasn't a car person coming in, but it's unbelievable how many people the company touches, the amazing and exciting products that we are roll out, and the technology. I feel like I am in a global environment all the time, but I feel like I am in a small enough community that I can drive change. I know I work for a very big company, but the ability to make a difference is there and should be recognized. These rotational programs are going to enable people to do that even more.

At the end of the day, everyone at GM shows up and makes sure that we do the best for our customers. Regardless of whether what we do involves touching a car or not, we are all doing something to help get the best product out to our customers.

I think we all are doing a better job of letting everyone know, as people leaders how they impact the customer because we all make an impact. I don’t think you have to know North American automotive to love GM as a company to work for. Once you start to work for GM, I think you'll love it. I never had a GM vehicle prior to getting my job, but now I love every GM car I get, every single one of them. Working for GM gives you an opportunity to make a difference, not only in the company, but – when you realize what North American automotive can provide – as an advocate for the product.