Indian Institute of Management Indore

Human Resource Management

Case Analysis- SG Cowen: New Recruits

Submitted to: Prof. Nishit Kumar Sinha

Submitted By: Group Number - 12

Muskaan Kalra 2022PGP244

Neha Kumari 2022PGP518

Vignesh Kumar S 2022PGP446

John Paul 2022PGP179

Kadam Piyush Dilip 2022PGP577

The key decision points used by SG Cowen in making hiring decisions are:

 Is the candidate interested in the company: According to Chip Rae, this step helped identify
candidates who were genuinely interested in the company. He thought students who wanted to
make an effort and go to the office would be better prepared for the first round of interviews.
 Is the candidate culturally fit: SG Cowen believes that there were many personalities, across the
world, in the firm. So, knowing the diverse culture will help their employees to fit easily in the
organization.
 Is the candidate a self-starter: SG Cowen was a boutique firm with less bureaucracy than at the
larger banks. And they also promote entrepreneurship. The majority of the associates were
given duties and authority over decisions. Because of this, having experience as an entrepreneur
will aids in.
 Does the candidate have the technical skills: The associates and senior associates evaluated the
applicant to determine whether they were qualified to work with SG Cowen. This was a crucial
requirement because the banking industry demanded particular talents.
 Does the candidate has interpersonal skills: The work involved interacting with clients who
were seeking someone enthusiastic. Interpersonal abilities consequently become a necessary
parameter for the firm.

Evaluation of the criteria used by the organization in hiring decisions

They used to hire from the top 10 business schools, but now they have decided to go for the next 15
business schools. The procedure is as follows: A company presentation is scheduled first, where they tell
everything about the organization.

On-Campus round: Team captains hold an informational interview to gauge the interest of the
candidates, and after that interview is held, candidates are selected for Super Saturday. Team captains
might help candidates, which will give them an unfair advantage over other candidates who do not go
for an informational interview, and based on performance reviews, this will lead to their year-end
bonus.

Super Saturday round: On Saturday, senior bankers have one-on-one, five half-hour sessions with the
candidates, with short breaks. And after lunch is over, the bankers share their views on the interviews
conducted. And after a collective decision, a candidate is hired. Bankers might be partial to choosing
candidates from their alma mater.

Our recommendation for the two members would be:

1. Natalya Godlewska
 Having technical skills as she secured the highest GPA in the finance department and Served as a
graduate teaching assistant in the finance program at Cornell's business school
 Knowledge of the sector as she has worked for 4 years for CommScan
 Communication skills: Exposed to many languages including Russian, German, and French.
 Team player: Got good references from her referee. And she was one of the leading candidates
for Super Saturday
 Leadership skill: She was highly recommended by her referee and she also displays a “can-do”
attitude
 2. Andy Sanchez
 Technical skill: 3.1 GPA in the second year of an MBA program at the University of South
California and a 2.8 GPA in his undergraduate degree in economics at UCLA
 Leadership skills: started his own business and well managed the responsibility of business as
well as study
 Communication skills: Always send follow-up e-mails and notes to everyone he spoke to
 Interpersonal skills: Friendly to the other candidates at Super Saturday and was great at making
people relax

Evaluating on different skills that includes interpersonal, Communication, Leadership skills, technical
skills, work ethics, commitment to the firm we recommend Natalya Godlewska and Andy Sanchez.