Have
you heard of a successful graduate recruitment program?
I am deliberately
not using words like "successfully-run" or
"successfully-implemented" - a graduate program that would produce
results positively impacting the bottom line of a company. I stopped by the
Moscow Shell office a few weeks ago to have
a cup of coffee with an old friend of mine. We tried to remember if any of the
graduates who joined the company together with me under the auspices of the Shell
Graduate Program were still working there. Fingers on one hand were
sufficient.
I have successfully
passed the Prudential Momentum Assessment on March 28th, 2011 (i.e. exactly
seven months ago), and you can check my notes on that experience in my earlier
posts:
To give them some
credit, Prudential were quite quick to call and congratulate me and assure that
a job was guaranteed. I nearly relaxed and started planning my summer vacation,
putting my job search on hold. Fatal mistake. Once a month we would swap e-mails
and one a month I would be reminded of how wonderful I am and that the job was
going to be signed off for me sharp-sharp. The only timeline I was given was
October 16th, the date for the global Prudential Momentum kick off. This date
did come and pass and only today I received an e-mail:
******
Dear Sergey
I
hope this email finds you well? Today is the day when we formally close the
role alignment process for Momentum 2011; it is a great shame that we have been
unable to find you a placement within the business but unfortunately we are
limited by the live vacancies in the business and this year the role alignment
process as been the most competitive yet. I would very much like to stay in
touch, you have been an excellent candidate and I would most definitely
encourage you to apply again next year if Momentum is still a viable option for
you.
The very best of luck for the future,
******
I understand that
the decision has been taken not to take me in, but maybe a phone call after
such a lengthy process and so many promises would have been more appropriate.
Moral: recruitment and dating are very much alike - don't
believe anything they say until you see a ring on your finger.
Why did I start
talking about American Idol? The principle hardly works: looking for talent
just for the sake of talent, with no imminent business need for it does not
yield worthy results. A high-potential program is only good when the business
is ready and there is a need and (most importantly) available resources
(positions, coaches, mentors) to take care of that incoming talent. When HR
goes out on a crusade to find bright and beautiful, they do find it but then
they are in a fix because the business has not asked for them or they have
asked for something else… it's all about communication.
I am not bitter.
After all, I am happily employed. Having Plans B, C and D does help a lot when
you are back in the marketplace fresh out of school. What left a negative
residue is the approach and the attitude… it's all about communication.
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