What does Goldman Sachs look for in candidates when hiring? (2024)

At American multinational investment bank and financial services company Goldman Sachs, basic engineering skillsets are critical for not only programming and coding roles but also for several non-engineering roles as teams collaborate across both functions and businesses.

“Advancement in technology continues to have profound impacts on the workplace, and a technology-oriented skillset continues to be critical across industries,” Deepika Banerjee, head of human capital management at Goldman Sachs Services in India, told Moneycontol.

In a complex and evolving regulatory landscape, the firm sees potential demand from control functions such as finance, accounting and business operations.

Handling around 8,000 employees already, she added that the recruiting team at Goldman Sachs in India “plays a key role in elevating our employer brand and engaging with the potential talent to communicate and reflect on its value proposition”.

ALSO READ |Will SVB collapse impact the Indian talent market?

While engaging with prospective hires, Banerjee advises her team to have a clear understanding of the 4Ws of their recruiting strategy.

First, the recruitment team has to engage with the business stakeholders to answer ‘Why’ the role exists and how it fits into the business strategy and operating context. Second, they need to understand ‘What’ are the key competencies needed to succeed in the role and what tools and resources the team will need to attract top talent for the role.

Subsequently, the team needs to focus on ‘Where’ to optimise the sourcing process and build a diverse talent pipeline. Lastly, ‘When’ to understand timelines and maintain a balance between the current and future hiring needs of the firm.

KFCI model for managers

In 2021, Goldman Sachs established an employee listening framework, ‘GS People Pulse’, a biannual survey that it says helps the leadership and managers stay actively connected with the employee experiences at the workplace, which the company says helped enhance its EVP or employee value proposition.

Besides, the company said it is ensuring continued growth of its people through upskilling and internal mobility opportunities. Since 2021, the internal mobility programme has benefited more than 1,000 employees in India, the company said.

Here, managers play an important part. “Our managers play a key role in unlocking the potential of our people and shaping our current and future leaders. In addition, they have a profound impact on how our people experience the firm,” Banerjee said.

ALSO READ |Is a PhD still relevant when companies prefer a skill-first approach?

Through Goldman Sachs’ manager effectiveness framework, known as KFCI, the firm invests in the growth of managers as “coaches”.
“We believe that great managers at the firm ‘Know’ their team’s capabilities, ‘Focus’ their impact, ‘Care’ about them and their contributions, and ‘Inspire’ them,” Banerjee said.

To people who aspire to join Goldman Sachs, she advises candidates to invest time to actively upskill themselves and build deep functional expertise to stay ahead of the curve. “Be clear on your career objectives and understand how your role at the firm will enable you to get closer to your personal and professional goals.”

As a purpose-driven firm, Goldman Sachs looks for people who share its commitment to making things possible and positively impacting the clients, businesses and communities, she added.

In 2022, Goldmach Sachs received more than 1,75,000 applications through its Engineering Campus Hiring Program, resulting in over 300 offers with 50 percent women.

ALSO READ |Campus hiring becomes a hotspot for companies meeting their diversity goals

Abhishek Sahu covers HR and Careers at Moneycontrol.

first published: Mar 21, 2023 12:17 pm

Check Free Credit Score on Moneycontrol: Easily track your loans, get insights, and enjoy a ₹100 cashback on your first check!