Earlier, Ather Energy, the Indian electric vehicle company, lacked a proper campus hiring strategy. However, it soon realised that the only way it could hope to differentiate itself from other companies and attract quality talent, was through a robust hiring strategy.
This led to the birth of the ‘Nothing but crazy’ campaign for campus hiring last year. The success of the first edition has encouraged the Company to continue the same this year as well.
Under this campaign, representatives of Ather Energy explain the culture of the Company to the students and tell them what the Company expects from them. The Company‘s authentic, and vibrant culture, which is always geared to take up challenges, is presented to the candidates.
Ather seeks people who are crazy about finding something new.
According to Sunitha Lal, CHRO, Ather Energy, the Company looks out for people who are curious, bold, passionate, and collaborative and possess the zeal to find and do something new.
These are the essential qualities required for a Company to survive in these times. The fact that the Company manufactures high-performance electric scooters itself speaks volumes of its innovativeness.
“We promote a culture, which requires people to build something from scratch,” says Lal.
Sunitha Lal
“When campuses invite us, they refer to this campaign and the students are also able to connect to this campaign very well”
The Company holds presentations to explain the culture at Ather Energy to the students and shares with them the kind of opportunities they offer.
“We very clearly define what we are and what we are not,” mentions Sunitha.
“The interviewers and members of the panel live the spirit of the campaign throughout the campus hiring process,” she adds.
People who make it to the interview round are given real-time problems to check their abilities and personalities. Interviewers also check the candidates’ emotional quotient (EQ) level in the process.
Lal explains that it is not as if the candidates who do not make the cut are incapable. It just means that they do not fit the requirements of the role.
Ather Energy has visited the top institutes of the nation for campus hiring, including the IITs and NITs. The Company is very particular and selective about which institute it targets. It requires specific talent in mechanical engineering and technology.
The ‘Nothing but crazy’ campaign has helped the Company in many ways.
• It has helped attract and hire good-quality people. “Though we hire in very less numbers, I am satisfied that through this campaign, we got what we wanted,” shares Lal.
• The Company was able to communicate its culture to the students very clearly, which differentiated it from other high-paying MNCs.
• Ather has been able to build an employer brand through this campaign.
“Now, when campuses invite us, they refer to this campaign and the students are also able to connect to this campaign very well,” concludes Lal.
A mass communication graduate Kartikay is a quick learner. A fresh bake, yet a prolific writer, he is always keen to learn and discover new things. He is an easy going gallivanted and just likes to chill out when he is not chasing news. He loves watching movies as well.
