She has been with Microsoft for the past eight-and-a-half years and has been responsible for setting up various support facilities since the inception of MSIDC.

Chitra Sood tells Shobha Warrier what MSIDC looks for in a prospective employee.

As the staffing director of Microsoft India Development Centre, what do you look for in students whom you want to recruit for the centre?

The core thing we look for is computer science fundamentals. Then we look at their passion for innovation and passion for using technology to see how it can be useful to people. We also look for the ability to work in ambiguous situations. That is because we try to solve customer problems and it is not necessary that you always know what the real problems are. They also should have the ability to take risks. These are some of the things that we want in any student who joins MSIDC.

How successful have you been so far when you interviewed students in India?

We have had a fairly high success rate. We have been going to campuses across India.

Which are the campuses you have visited so far? Only the IITs?

No, there is a wide spectrum of campuses. Other than the IITs, we have visited over 30 campuses across India. We go to most of the NITs, the Benares Hindu University, MNIT, the PSG institute, Coimbatore, Anna University, Jadavpur University, etc. It's a mixed bag. We are constantly adding new campuses to our list. We are searching for only talent. The entire campus intake is very important for the talent pool of the organisation. The talent in India is exceptional.

Is it based on interview alone that you take students? What is the recruitment process?

We have a written test on computer science fundamentals. If that is taken care of, there will be three one-on-one interviews which is basically to assess the skills of the person and what he can do in an organisation like ours. That's it!

Compared to the other IT companies who recruit in thousands, Microsoft recruits only a very few every year. How many do you recruit in a year?

Unlike the service providers, we are a product development company. So, we don't hire in those kind of numbers. We also encourage those in the company to move from one product to another. So, hiring depends on this also.  Roughly, we hire 150 people for the development centre every year.

Any plans to increase the intake?

Decision on intake depends on the product areas we are working on. The way we grow is very considered. So, I will not be able to tell you a number right now.

In order to recruit 150 people, how many do you interview? How tough is the process? Many students say Microsoft is very difficult to please? Are you?

I don't think we are difficult to please. But we know what we want. I would tell them to go beyond what they learn in their text books.  If you look at software as a means to solving problems of people, then, you are thinking like a person who can work in a company like Microsoft.
For example, an event like Shaastra at the IIT, Madras showcases innovative products. That is what we are looking for. And, that is why we are here at the IIT, Madras; to see innovation.

As far as talent is concerned, do you feel there is a big gap between the students who study in IITS, NITs and other engineering colleges?

No. I don't think there is any significant difference in the talent. That is why we are expanding our search to campuses other than IITs, NITs, etc.

Who are the people you generally recruit?

We recruit fresh graduates which may constitute 25% of our recruitment. The rest is from lateral hiring; those who have expertise in product development.

Photograph: Sreeram Selvaraj