MBA Recruiter Interview: Rajesh Ahuja, Infosys

Last year, the global consulting and IT firm Infosys hired 170 MBAs for full-time roles, as well as 45 interns, as part of one of the largest recruitment drives in the history of the company. As part of this MBA hiring spree, Infosys shifted their strategy from Indian business schools to 70 business schools from around the world. To learn more about Infosys’ MBA hiring outlook and strategy, as well as what the company looks for in its recruits, we spoke to global talent acquisition leader Rajesh Ahuja.

How does Infosys’ MBA recruitment process work?

Our process begins with shortlisting the top schools across the world and then inviting applications for the various roles we have. Successful applicants are taken through two to three interviews, which are competency based and typically focus on problem solving in actual business scenarios.   

Our sales and consulting teams typically hire the most MBA candidates. We hired 170 MBAs for full time roles and about 45 for internships.

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

We look for combination of domain skills along with experience in an industry vertical, such as financial services or retail, or a function like finance or sales. Information technology skills are not mandatory for MBAs applying to work at Infosys.

What are some dos and don’ts for MBAs when it comes to approaching recruiters?

Do:

• Know your CV very well.  We look for a good mix of depth and breadth on projects listed on your CV. 
• Have a clear idea on what you want from your role and from the broader organization. 
• Research the organization, the role and the skills that will be required

Don’t:

• Assume everyone else in the organization is thinking about strategy
• Have a lack of focus on the direction of your career
• Misrepresent anything on your résumé/CV.    

What do you look for when evaluating a candidate’s international management skills? 

We look for the ability to communicate effectively, manage ambiguity and learn to see issues from a variety of perspectives. Lastly, we look for experiences like global internships, travel, and study abroad.  

Last year, Infosys announced its plans to hire 200 MBAs for jobs and internships as part of one of the largest hiring drives in the history of the company. What was behind this?

We decided to hire these graduates as a part of our ‘Sales Transformation’ program, where we initiated an entry level sales position designed specifically for MBAs. We plan to continue to invest in our sales workforce by adding about 100 people this year. In addition, we plan to hire about 30 to 40 additional MBA graduates for our consulting business

How do you foresee Infosys’ MBA hiring needs changing in the future?

We foresee a strong demand for MBA students at Infosys globally as we continue to focus on using technology to solve our clients’ business problems. We constantly need MBAs to come in with strong domain and functional knowledge and help us take the value proposition to our clients.

Which business schools do you recruit from and why?

We actively recruit from about 70 schools globally. We consider various schools based on our business and regional needs, in addition to the interactions we’ve had with faculty, students and how successful we are in attracting students from these schools.

What are the most common misconceptions that MBAs have about Infosys and the IT industry?

We see two common misconceptions. First, there’s the notion that everyone needs to be a technology graduate. We accept graduates from a range of backgrounds. Information technology skills are not mandatory for MBAs who want to come work at Infosys.

And secondly, some think there is not much room to grow for MBAs at our company. We believe MBA graduates can thrive at Infosys, especially in sales and consulting.

Is there anything else MBAs should know before applying for jobs at Infosys?

Historically, we have hired MBAs from top schools in India, and most of them have had very successful careers and are at senior positions.  We are now committed to developing a large and diverse MBA workforce, and we are confident that we can provide them a strong platform to perform and grow into senior and impactful roles.