Recruitment Drives at the IBA | P&G Pakistan
February 24, 2020: Team Procter & Gamble Pakistan conducted a Recruitment Drive at the IBA Karachi Main Campus.
The orientation session was initiated by the Country Head HR, Mr. Ali Allawala, who shared his experience of working in the company. CEO of P&G Pakistan and IBA Alumnus of 1998, Mr. Sami Ahmed, shared his story starting as a student at IBA and progressing to Chief Executive, inspiring participants with an interactive session. The audience were introduced to the core brands of P&G, which are categorized into Baby Care, Feminine Care, Fabric Care, Hair Care, Skin and Personal Care, and Personal Health Care. He discussed the purpose, values and principles of the company, and highlighted that the reason he joined and stayed here was mainly because of the core values.
Brand Manager of Skin and Personal Care, Ms. Amna Abbas, talked about the common mistakes that most university students and fresh graduates make, and discussed the lessons to be learnt from them. These mistakes included modesty, waiting to get what you want, not using lifelines, only working hard, and stressing out too much. For each one, she talked about the lessons, which were to own your success and take credit where its due, to have a go-getter attitude and working for your goals, to be okay with asking for help, and to enjoy each day as it comes with a work-life balance. "The stage may be big, but you are bigger," remarked Ms. Amna, in order to convey that all of this was as doable for the students as it was for her. Recruitment Lead and IBA Alumna of 2015, Ms. Moomal Chhabria, continued the session with some insights about the CSR activities carried out by P&G, and what the company promises to offer to its employees, including challenging and meaningful work since day 1, a professional and inclusive learning environment, sustainability and social responsibility.
The CFO of P&G Pakistan, and IBA Graduate of 2008, Ms. Maria Siddiqui, emphasized about the merit-based recruitment approach, learning experience and value system of P&G. "We walk in each day with our head held high, and we don't have to compromise on our personal values," she stated. "Be clear on what you want, and life will always be fluid." Ms. Maria discussed that P&G picks the best of the best from all schools, and healthy debates and discussions make everyday a learning experience for everyone. She further said, "The thing I can promise you is that, if you are amazing and you can be yourself, the company will take care of the rest." This proved that they accept and respect you for who you are, and that there's no discrimination in the organization.
The role of various functional departments that work together to bring brands to life was mentioned as well, and included Marketing, Human Resources, Finance & Accounting, Corporate Market Knowledge, Supply Chain, Sales and Product Supply. The Director Marketing, and IBA Alumnus of 2008, Mr. Arsalan Siddique, cleared some common misconceptions about the culture at P&G Pakistan. He informed them how P&G believes in being a team player and following your passions (rather than focusing on work only).
Director Sales, Mr. Danish Shah, talked about P&G's sales performance and highlighted that it was at its best during the last 8 quarters. He informed students about the increasing role of women in sales, with an equal proportion of men and women in the sales team of P&G Pakistan, which is representative of the population. Currently, the hiring ratio in sales is of 75% women. The Manager Sales, Ms. Tahleel Amin, elaborated upon the women empowerment opportunities and flexibility provided by P&G. She was the first female in sales when she joined about 9 years ago, and was given the opportunity to work remotely as well. To highlight this, she remarked, "You do your best and the company takes care of you."
Ms. Moomal ended the session by mentioning the application process, which consists of an online application, test and interview. The application is open to junior and senior students. Students were given a chance to interact and network with the representatives of P&G Pakistan in a Coffee Chat Session, in which they were given further insights about the company, tips and tricks for interviews and assessment centers, and all their queries were responded regarding the application process as well.
