PANJIM: The new investment policy which is expected to lift the state out of its economic morass has been passed and the process to select the CEO of the Investment Promotion Board has commenced.
The policy aims to generate 50,000 jobs in five years by encouraging industries to invest approximately Rs 25,000 crore. More specifically it mandates a percentage of employees will have to be recruited from the local population. This however brings to the fore the sensitive subject of the quality and ability of Goan students to manage expectations in corporate life.
For the various institutes involved in higher education in the state the view is that it is a matter of exposure. Vithal Sukhathankar, Associate Professor –IT at the Goa Institute of Management felt that Goan students were generally better communicators due to their better command over the English language and they were as motivated as any student coming here from other parts of the country. The institute was doing its bit to ensure that students from the state found their way.
The institute has approximately 100 students from the state in a total student strength of 480. At the time of admission Goan students were given a leeway of 15% which meant that of if students from outside Goa had to be interviewed they would have to score atleast 80% where as Goan students would have to score 65%. However at the time of the test and the interview they would have to score substantially more than students from the rest of the country. This would mean they have to really work to get in and it would give them an idea of the pressures and expectations of life in the corporate world. This tough approach was working with Goan students snagging the best students award for two years. Many of the students he said left the state without hesitation and perhaps just 2% of the Gaon students stayed back with a majority of them being girls who had majored in HR.
Smitha Vijay of a executive search firm in the state felt that Goan candidates were equally hardworking as any other candidate in the country.
She said “It is all on matching skill sets with the demand of the company. If everything falls into place then there is no issue. The problem arises when they are required to work late. Many of them do not have transport of their own. So if they miss a bus at 5.30 in the evening then possibly they will not be able to get that connecting bus from Mapusa or Margoa.This is a recurring problem”
Another consultant said that it is always a time of stress when the day of the interview approaches because it was not unusual for Gaon candidates to not turn up for interviews after promising to be present.
Noel Noronha, HR GSM Transition Lead Asia Pacific Syngenta India Limited said that Goan students were very articulate but could be deficient in terms of technical knowledge. He said as one who was not directly involved in direct recruitment but as one who trained those who were involved in the process he impression was that Goan students were as talented as any.
Exposure however was a problem. Any student after 12th standard in Mumbai or Delhi or the other cities would have more exposure to the world as compared to a student from Goa. Those who got out of the state usually adapted very fast and according to him very motivated to make the most of this opportunity.
Like him another alumni of GIM Dhiresh Britto who is a senior executive at IBM India felt that it all boiled down to the condition at home. He said “If the parents motivate the children to move ahead then they will go really far. The motivation the drive essentially all starts from there”.
Kirit Maganlal of Magson’s however felt that Goan students atleast the one’s who stayed back in Goa usually lacked the drive to move ahead which was a serious problem.
He said ”The deliverables outside are so much higher. Here in Goa the bar is so low and everyone just coasts along. A kid outside the state is talking about developments in the economy, technology but over here they talk about parties.”
Another businessman involved in the hospitality industry said “I do not generally like to employ people from my state. They are unprofessional, lack the work ethic and interested in staying at home rather than working”.
The new investment policy he said was very good but he did not foresee new business aggressively recruiting Goans because they would either not find smart aggressive candidates or they would be put off by the general attitude of the candidate”.
Time will tell who will be right cause if the present situation continues it could have a serious affect on the demography of the state.
