IE Spring Talent Forum: The Companies' Perspective by Francesco Paolo De Angelis

On May 21^st, IE welcomed representatives for the Industrial, Real Estate, FMCG, Tourism & Hospitality sectors. With over 400 student participants, and stands for 27 companies, Maria de Molina 31 bis was packed and ready at 3.00 PM for this unique meet and greet. On May 22^nd, concluding a three-day event, it was the moment the Startups, Tech, Marketing and Communications & Fintech companies.

The list for 2019’s lineup included household names such as Airbus, Avon, Carrefour, Grupo Cosentino, Essilor, Dow Chemical, Bricomart, Procter & Gamble, Sacyr, Maxam, Hilti, Hotelbeds, Savills, Palladium and Philip Morris. For the batch of May 22^nd, some of the most sought-after brands like Google, American Express, Huawei, Oracle, Amazon Web Services, Telefonica, and Cabify stepped onto the stage.

Side by side – or booth by booth – Master in Management, Master in Finance and bachelor students could join the IMBA candidates. Then again, the student body is just one half of the equation. The on-campus recruitment fair acts as a touch point for the employers, with many companies enjoying the career fair since at least a few years.

“We have had a close partnership with IE since 2015”, says Carmen Rodriguez Valverde (HR Business Partner at Kraft-Heinz), “and compared to traditional recruiting practices this is a significant opportunity for us. Meeting a prospective employee in person before a real interview gives us a chance to focus more on aspects like their past results, motivation, and their current ‘feel’ for the job”.

If the representatives from each company are here to grab hold of the most interesting profiles around, the relaxed atmosphere of the information booths give the more inquisitive students the opportunity to get insights in a friendly, informal setting. Yet, while old favorites like “when is it best to apply?”, “what competencies are you looking for?”, “am I a good fit?” are still commonly felt by job-seekers, the answers are changing according to the new industry trends.

“Compared to when I started I feel there is much more focus on digital skills” Carmen – an IE alumna herself – continues. “But there is another huge trend, and that is the creation of multicultural, interdisciplinary teams”. “With such a diverse pool of applicants, and the emphasis on teamwork, we know IE students will already have plenty of experience and be ready to tackle the multi-layered problems that global companies, like Kraft-Heinz, face on a daily basis”

If you did not have your CV ready, or you are still waiting to finish your degree? Don’t fret, the Talent Forum will be back in a few months! In the meanwhile, you can stay tuned and make the most out of the other networking events IE will offer. After all, if the career of your dreams won’t wait why should you?