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1. Reflect upon a time when you had a negative recruiting experience. What were the
signs that the interview was not going well?

The signs are as follows: -

 New hire started to ask for special consideration, incentives, and flexible hours
 Always tried to waste time in non-productive activities and took more time in lunch
break
 Always tried to get easy work and left the difficult work for others
 Poor attitude towards other co-workers
 Lack of interest in work
 There was attendance issue.
 Arrive late and leave early
 Using social sites and listening personal phone calls during office timings

2. What are the key decision points used by S.G Cowen in making a hiring decision?
What is your evaluation of the process used by the firm?

Following key decision points used by S.G Cowen in making hiring decision:- Which
schools should be targeted as core schools? How many positions are available to be filled?
How many of the positions need to fill from summer interns, promotions and college hires?
How many rounds of interviews should be done? Who all will the interviewers be? Is the
candidate interested in the company? Is the candidate a self starter? Does the candidate have
the required skill set for the job? Is there a cultural fit between the company and the
candidate? Do they demonstrate a pattern of success in their past life? Will they be
committed and be loyal to the company? Do have they good interpersonal skills? Are they
technically sound Are they flexible and versatile?

EVALUATION OF THE PROCESS

SG Cowen hires three kinds of candidates for Associate positions:

1. Analysts who have completed their three years at firm and do not have any business school
education

2. Summer interns with the firm

3. New outside hires from business schools

I believe that this is a wide talent pool and gives SG Cowen the opportunity to select the best
candidates for the associate positions. Hiring from the analysts makes the recruitment easier
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process because candidates have been with the firm for three years. They have a better
understanding about the firm and have proven their cultural fit.

They went for Informal Interviews, Campus Round and Super Saturday for the best
recruitment. Under the following points I am going to explain Evaluation of the process.
They hold their interviewers responsible for the quality of candidates they bring thus
ensuring that only the best candidates come to the firm It was made sure that the bankers
were not partial in their selection process and favoring candidates from their own alma
maters through its not mentioned how They looked for the right people with attitude to work
at SG Cowen and were willing to go the extra mile to create jobs for them if required.
Writing down comments and making extensive notes about candidates made it easier to
recollect and discuss about their abilities. Making sure that candidates are relaxed and
comfortable before super Saturday

3. What is your evaluation of process used by this organization in making hiring

decision?

Candidates are being judged on the basis of following parameters: Commitment to firm
Judgment/Maturity, Interpersonal skills, Leadership, Technical skills, Work Ethic.

All firms without exception would want to recruit for the long term because it is very costly
process and especially in the current situation firms are fighting for talent and talent must
have high level of communication skills. According to Rae “long term success…came from
loving the work, loving to teach and sell”. Candidates would need to have very good
interpersonal skills to be able to sell well.

The firm needed people who could take initiatives without being given instruction on what to
do. This can be gauged by the past leadership experiences of the candidates. According to
Schoenberg’s “Wall Street does not give enough time to people to”. Candidates also must
have the technical skills like Finance & Accounting, creativity and ability to prioritize is
what helped one deliver his duties. As SG Cowen is a boutique firm because of its small size,
its associates usually work very closely with firms and they need to demonstrate good team
abilities and flexibility.

4. Which two candidates would you select if you were a member of the recruiting
committee?

In case I was a member of the recruiting committee then I would have selected Natalya
Godlewska and Andy Sanchez since they are superior to others in criteria.

REASON FOR SELECTING NATALYA GODLEWSKA

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Natalya Godlewska owns distinctive advantages. Her cultural background, being polish and
moving to the U.S. at the age of 22, coined her as an open-minded character and mature
personality. Due to this she offers a great knowledge of languages even though her English
skills might be improvable. Also, her approach to the hiring process was great. She presented
herself as a ‘self starter’; as she took the initiative of her own, to manage the informational
interviews with the banker.

 Ambitious and ready to work hard

 Speaker of fluent Russian, Polish, German and some French
 Having worked in the industry for 4 years, she showed an in depth knowledge of the
sector
 She will be a hit with the clients due to her positive energy
 Was highly recommended by her referee and she displayed a “can-do” attitude. She is
so confident about herself
 Worked for 4 years in firm which developed modeling software for M&A firm
 Secured the highest GPA in the finance department and served as graduate teaching
assistant in finance program at Cornel

REASONS FOR SELECTING ANDY SANCHEZ

Andy Sanchez is an active and qualified candidate. His main characteristics are: the facility
to get in touch with people and to make contacts and responsibility together project done. He
shows respect and leadership for the plan of SG Cowen enterprise even if he has his own
business.

 Having served for 4 year in the military, he was expected to show a high maturity
level
 Dynamic Personality
 Confident and articulate
 Having served in the military and he led a rescue operation in Bosnia
 He was involved in a number of activities as diverse as marathon racing
 He is a team player because he served in military