Anyone related to the job market of Bangladesh, be it job-seekers, employers, or merely followers, would notice a massive disparity in what the companies are looking for and what the candidate pool offers. That is why job-seekers complain that there aren't enough jobs in the market and employers are stressed that there aren't enough talented people.
If both jobs and candidates are available in the market, what seems to be the problem?
The supply of candidates from educational institutions has never been a problem. The issue is that most of the candidates don't have the relevant skills that the companies need. This article will dig deep to explore what exactly the top HR professionals in Bangladesh look for while hiring a fresh graduate.
The most dynamic skill of a fresher is being a goal-centric individual. Aminul Haque Pulak, group head of HR Strategy & Talent Management at Expo Group Bangladesh, says, "We see a candidate's interest in exploring their career goals by taking on new challenges and maintaining a positive mindset."
Aligning to the goal-centric trait, the candidate also must have the eagerness and enthusiasm to work and take the charge of tasks that are challenging but full of perks. "As an HR professional, I believe freshers must have the hunger to learn more. They must be proactive, initiative takers, and detail-oriented," says Shadman Shakib, assistant manager, HR at MGH Group.
On the other hand, Md Aminul Islam, human resources director at Avery Dennison, says, "I personally see a few things -- self-awareness to select a rational career path, motivation, social ability to mix with others, and culture fit with organisational culture."
One of the most underrated skills a fresher needs to secure a desirable job is having the right mindset. According to Umme Fatema, people & culture business partner, Bangladesh & Pakistan, Roche, "Mindset is basically an individual's beliefs or a collection of views that shapes the world around us. Moreover, if our freshers aspire to embrace the change to be successful then they should have a growth mindset, a digital mindset, a value creation mindset, an enabler mindset, and an entrepreneurial mindset."
Extra-curricular activities are also a crucial aspect that students need to focus on. "Previous charitable work with any organisation, membership in any university club, and any kind of project work experience will be a plus point for freshers," says Richard Baroi, manager, Learning and Organisational Development, Meghna Group of Industries.
Technical expertise has also emerged as a critical requirement. ISM Zakaria, HR manager, Nagad, points out, "Technical skills such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are focused on when we recruit freshers." This implies that students need to build up technical knowledge regarding basic software packages that most companies use. Hasan Taiab Imam, group head, Human Resources, Bengal Group Of Industries, reiterates, "Having intermediary command in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint is a must for everyone, regardless of other expertise. Thus, we expect a fresher to have some basic to intermediate technical skills in some specialisation arenas."
Interviews are still the dominant assessment tool that recruiters use to identify and onboard best-fit candidates. Interviews are challenging conversations that even good candidates struggle to ace. Shedding light on what is deemed valuable in the interview session, Md Ashibur Rahman, head of HR of a reputed group of companies, says, "Overall, what I see is on-spot intelligence, interest to work, honesty and sincerity, commitment, and future ambition." Yusuf Khan, general manager of Human Resources at Crown Cement, further states, "We look for good communication skills in fresh graduates. We want to see how well they can communicate with their respective interviewers and how confident they are while answering challenging questions. From a professional standpoint, communication sets the base for people to understand their colleagues at the workplace." Saad Hussain, HR manager, Abul Khair Steel, further emphasises, "Freshers need to focus on learning the ropes. And that requires connecting with people. Thus having the ability to approach, connect, and build relationships with stakeholders is an important skill set."
The importance of strong academic performance also serves as a key differentiator. Azaz Ahmed, superintendent of HR at Gildan, explains, "Many would say that CGPA does not matter. But in my opinion, a student's first duty is to study. And CGPA shows the level of intelligence and dedication candidates had when they were students. Though CGPA cannot measure the exact amount of intelligence in a candidate, it certainly gives a hint of a candidate's dedication."
In addition to desirable soft skills, potential candidates need to develop the invaluable trait of curiosity and a clear vision to see the bigger picture in complicated circumstances. Tawhid Imam, HR manager, Asia Pacific, Microsoft, states, "Regardless of the department, what I would look for in a fresher are as follows: Someone who is always open to learning new things, asks questions, positively takes challenges to serve the objective at hand and collaborates; someone with the right coordination skills and sheer willingness to connect with different stakeholders; someone who can look through the clutter and be focused on the goal; and how one reacts when one’s ideas are challenged.
Shibli H Ahmad, lead HR, Dan Cake Bangladesh, further states, "Attitude towards learning, adaptability for change, capacity to imagine big and being realistic are the crucial traits that I look for while hiring fishers."
Mastering on-demand hard and soft skills in this fast-paced competitive world are hardly enough. Candidates must have a knack to explore futuristic technologies that will have a dominant presence in the next few decades. Masud Rahman, head of Talent and People Management at Grameenphone, says, "In terms of functional capabilities, we focus on future skills in the likes of data analytics, cloud and virtualisation, cyber security, digital marketing, product management, partnerships, customer interaction, brands, 5G, etc. This list will be longer if we mention all."
Having the sense of knowing and filling up the gap with utter perseverance is also a skill itself that one attains in the process. Thus, it is sincerely advised to all the students out there to shape themselves in such a manner that makes them the best fit for jobs that they intend to pursue.
The writer is a lecturer in the Department of Management at North South University.
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