What Do Employers Look For In A Candidate? Shares Head HR - Technology, Uber India

In this episode of the Unstoppable Podcast, Smitha Subhas, Head HR for Technology at Uber India, highlights the evolving landscape of HR and the significance of continuous learning and adaptability. She stresses the importance of embracing new trends, such as digitization, which provides predictive analytics for proactive hiring strategies. Smitha advises recruiters to focus on candidates' problem-solving approach, learning agility, and ability to adapt across business needs.

For students, Smitha emphasizes the need for self-investment beyond academic achievements. She advocates for participation in competitions, courses, and other learning opportunities to enhance skills and showcase one's voice.

This innovation and professional growth culture makes Uber ideal for those looking to advance their careers in a forward-thinking organization.

Insights for Recruiters

• Focus on Approach, Not Just Skills: In IT/ITeS organizations, it's less about specific technical skills and more about how candidates approach problems. Look for candidates who can dive deep into technical issues, ask critical questions, and demonstrate learning agility.
• Critical Aspects to Evaluate: Assess candidates on their ability to adapt across business needs, their technical depth, and their questioning ability during interviews.
• Evolving HR Landscape: The HR landscape is changing with trends like digitization, which offers predictive analytics for hiring, leading to more proactive strategies and clarity on Employer Value Propositions (EVPs).
• Inclusion and Diversity: Ensure stakeholder involvement at the right times. Uber's Inclusion Day is an example, bringing tech employees together with NGOs, underrepresented groups, industry experts, and riders to enhance platform inclusivity.
• Bias Busting: Train managers to be bias busters during talent reviews and link cultural values throughout the employee lifecycle.
• Communicate in Candidates' Language: For instance, Smitha says, "We have Uber Engineering Blog to attract talent by showcasing the scale and complexity of work. Other projects like "The Golden Pen" encourage employees to publish internal accomplishments."

"Organizing tech meetups on campus allows us to engage with and get to know potential talent. Events such as Uber HackTag (our hackathon) and Uber She++ are some initiatives that help us connect with a diverse range of talented individuals."

Insights for Students

• Key Candidate Qualities: Uber looks for speed and agility, teamwork (One Uber concept), and the ability to collaborate across geographies while bringing individual strengths to the team.
• Opportunities at Uber: Uber offers the chance to make an impact on a large scale. As the India tech story grows, employees get to use their skills to contribute to community building and connect with amazing colleagues.
• Invest in Yourself: Beyond your institution or current organization, invest in competitions, courses, and other learning opportunities. Show your thirst for learning and ability to adapt quickly.

"Demonstrate how you effectively express your opinions and how you actively participate in learning and development activities."

About The Guest

A seasoned HR leader with 17+ years of experience, Smitha Subhas has made significant strides in global companies, including her current role at Uber, where she leads HR for all technology teams in India and EMEA.  Over her career, Smitha has held significant roles at major firms like Dell, Wipro, and Cisco, where she led transformative projects and drove strategic initiatives. Her career is marked by her expertise in driving large-scale change, design thinking, organizational structure, and talent strategy.  

Her ability to work across functional and geographic boundaries has cemented her reputation as a key figure in building best-in-class cultures and achieving business excellence.

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