TT Diversification Technical Background guide

Diversification. TT Recruitment Package -TMU 08.09

Diversification Package –
D iversifi
cation
Technical Backgrounds
(IT & Engineering)
Current Bottlenecks:
- Promotion & induction
approaches are not adjusted

- Allocation is not achieving
Recruitment good individual-organizational
fit, reducing retention
What are the specific benefits of recruiting students with
technical backgrounds?

We need to recruit members with technical backgrounds because they bring critical benefits to
our LCs and MCs:
• To enhance our internal capacity with a different set of skills and approaches
o If they are being given a certain project or task they'll make sure that there will be a
concrete result out of it
o They can help in positioning us in the society, especially around these issues and
positioning
organizations who are mainly interested in technical topics & backgrounds.
o They are good at managing other technical students, which can help in retaining
those technical students,
o They understand the technical market and the needs of technical companies, which
rstand
means they can help in planning of TN raising and managing projects related to our
IT partners.
o Employ their understanding of technology; In terms of using different tools, that
can be helpful in making things moving more efficiently and they can give as well
education on them
o They can take on the slower pace moving processes that others might not be so
excited about taking.
o They can be able to analyze processes and find reasons for why certain things are
happening in a problem solving approach.
o They can come up with new ideas of doing things.
• To benefit from the huge growth and potential in TT exchange pools (A technical
traineeship once entered into MYAIESEC.NET is intended to receive a match to an Intern
receive
with academic background, interest and/or work experience in information technology and
engineering)

Planning

Where do we get students or graduates with these backgrounds?

From university departments with courses as follows

IT: Engineering:
o Computing o Industrial Engineering
o Computer Animation o Mechanical Engineering
cal
o Computer Engineering o Creative Design Technology
o Computer Technology o Architecture


o Computer Science o Electrical Engineering
Web Technologies Electronic Engineering

D
o o
o Software Engineering o Design
o Information Systems o Civil Engineering
iversifi
o Business Information o Chemical Engineering
cation Systems o “___” Engineering
o “___” Technology o
o Information “___”

The easiest thing to do is look for subjects that have the words “systems”, “engineering”,
“technology”, “computers” or “information”. There are usually specific faculties for IT and
Engineering and they can also sometimes be found as part of Natural Sciences or Business.

The majorities of our TN forms are based on the ones in bold characters, so those are the
backgrounds that will be easiest to match quickly.

You can also find technical students here:

• Faculty student societies of any of the above mentioned courses
• Volunteer organizations in the University for example: IASTE etc
• IEEE University chapters
• Technical Colleges and Polytechnics

^ To capitalize on the growth in the TT pool, recruit for specific TT country

partnerships. For more information about our global supply & demand in the pool and
managing CY partnerships, check the „TechNext – Global Technical Exchange
Project” wiki http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewwiki.do?contentid=10010436
Promotion

To attract technical students most effectively, our standard approach needs to be adjusted a
bit to their communication preferences. While our overall approach for promotion works here
as well, technical students generally prefer different ways of expressing our key messages
about the AIESEC brand and also prefer online/digital channels over „off-line channels“ such as
posters and classroom presentations.

Please always keep in mind though that these recommendations are simplified (over-
)generalizations about technical students, so individual students might differ from the
picture described here ☺ Before you design your specific recruitment campaign, check with
somebody who is familiar with the technical students in your university if it makes sense for
them.

Adjusting our key messages to attract technical students

Words like "leadership", "Intercultural experiences" "management" "soft skills" „personal


development“ genereally do not create a strong positive emotional reaction in the minds of
technical students, especially „pure” IT students without business courses. So our general

D iversifi
cation
mesages should be complemented by words that technical students connect more strongly. (This
does not mean though you should not use our overall approach like I am an AIESECer and the
brand experience, just adopt it in a way that they can relate to more easily!)

^ Some words that technical students generally connect more strongly
to that are related to our brand experience
Leadership
• solving complex problems that have not been solved before
• projects & project management
• excellence
• innovation
• professionalism & competence
• leading in technical trends such as Web 2.0

Global learning environment
• building global networks (esp. through virtual channels!)
• knowledge & information management
• learning new skills in their field
• leading in IT & engineering trends such as Web 2.0 or supply chain management
• learning from & working with IT experts worldwide

For example: Instead of mentioning the opportunity to develop leadership skills, describe
opportunities where they could be showing leadership through innovation, excellence and
solving complex problems and how the opportunities in AIESEC would help them do that better.
IT students and generally technical students also have a very strong preference for specific,
immediate opportunities so rather than highlighting the process & programms of the AIESEC XP,
promote specific relevant opportunities they can participate now or within the next few months.

Using the most effective channels

• "offline" channels are not very effective, so posters, classroom presentations, flyers etc. can
only play a supporting role
• focus on online/digital channels: Campus & department websites, asking permission to
change the background image in the computer lab of the IT/Engineering department,
campus & department e-mail newsletters/mailing lists, social networking tools, AIESEC
website etc.

Recommended tactics & approaches for promotion campaigns

o Generally, technical students feel most comfortable with and give a lot more trust and
credibility to other technical students.
use other technical students for "I am an AIESECer" to deliver messages
-enable technical students to use their own words about how the activities they
have been doing have contributed to their career etc.


o Technical students students generally value their career over their social life & personal
development

D iversifi
cation
For visuals, show students in surroundings that are representing the professional
enviromnent of a technical worker, e.g. for IT students computer labs, server
rooms, offices, ...
Mentioning leading global (or regional) IT & engineering companies that partner
with AIESEC (Microsoft, TCS, HP, Google, Alcatel Lucent, Electrolux, Vale, DHL
(logistics),...) and how AIESEC gives students opportunity to connect to them will be
extremely effective
The majority of our TT TNs are in emerging IT markets such as China, India, Poland,
Turkey. When promoting internships, especially outside of WENA, give examples
from returnees, our global partner companies (why do they prefer AIESECers?),
career/professional magazine articles etc. that shows the professional value of
experience in emerging IT markets (BRIC, CEE etc.) and generally intercultural
experience, of having experience in the trend of global IT service outsourcing etc.
When promoting internships, emphasize opportunities that cannot be found easily
in your country, e.g. in global technical companies, working with emerging trends
like web 2.0 (e.g. MindValley) but also non-standard opportunities such as working
as a technical volunteer in an NGO in a developing country. Example: Youtube
video from Meike at Kuala Lumpur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avr61Occduk

Utilize the technical lecturers at the unversity to champion the AIESEC Internship
program as valid work experience or industrial attachment opportunities for their
students
• Arrange for an information session in the form of a technological workshop or
seminar. Utilize technical industry partners and key speakers at the seminar or
workshop
Offer specific job descriptions and examples from the opportunities (in all stages –
from TR, LR, X etc.) with both concrete benefits for them and a clear contribution
from them to the organisation (AIESEC or TN) where they can apply their skills.
These should not be only technical positions, e.g. include general LC EB and team
positions, but the roles, benefits and contribution should be clear

o While technical students all value their career strongly, different students have different
goals for their career. Since the career is such a strong part of their emotional identity, it is
important to reflect the different types of careers in the messages in order to attract a
wider audience. E.g.
A person who wants to work in the internal technology department of a big
cooperation (e.g. in a bank, or a logistics company, or a major IT cooperation like
TCS, Microsoft)
A person who wnats to be an technical enpreneur, starting their own business
Somebody who wants to be a researcher or inventor
Somebody who cares about using technology for social development (e.g. proving
access to groups of society where internet is not available, empowering social
movements through communciation tools, ...)

o Technical students generally have a high work load from university and part-time jobs and
are very ambitious/serious about them, so they could easily get scared off by seemingly
high demands on their time.
Emphasize opportunities to get started with only a few hours per week. If they like
what AIESEC is offering to them, they will be willing to invest more time later.


Promote long-term (1 year or more) high-quality technical internships to them for
the time after they graduated (or even recruit them as graduates) that do not

D iversifi
cation Induction
require them to take of time during their studies

• Engage them immediately, get them working
• Newly recruited technical students will frequently not take an active role to include
themselves in a team, so some guidance is needed for them

o Offer them clear job descriptions and help them select a suitable team
o Include them in teams by asking them for inputs, asking them to take responsibility
for specific tasks etc. to get them used to be more engaged within the team

• IT students strongly value all forms of online communication & knowledge management
tools, so connect them as fast as possible to MyAIESEC.net, mailing lists etc, and show them
where to find the most important information

• Since concepts of organizational management & personal development are alien to many
of them (unless they have a degree with both technical and business studies, such as
information systems or industrial engineering), expect to spend more time on their
education on the basics of AIESEC’s operations, strategy, the AIESEC way, their learning plan
etc.
• Put them in situations that will strengthen their soft skills and provide them a diverse social
experience, the parts that their academic backgrounds do not cater for

• Due to their analytical nature these people enjoy the ability to give feedback to systems and
processes and they should be given this opportunity

Selection
• Technical students should generally be selected like any other AIESECer according to the
standard selection procedures (competency selection and individual-organizational
alignment). Please refer to the „TMU Talent Selection wiki” for more details
http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewwiki.do?contentid=10017142

• If you recruit for short-term AIESEC XPs with a focus on X and especially for country
partnerships with well-known partners, include the relevant criteria in the selection already.

Allocation & Retention
Immediately after the selection of technical students, how do we retain them?
The most important approaches to retaining members of these backgrounds are:
o roles and AIESEC activities
o promoting opportunities


D
Due to the general characteristics of technical students, they are actually perfect for some roles
in AIESEC, and much better than any other profile.
iversifi
cation
Their expert characteristics: The perfect matches for roles:

• Analyzing • Project management
• Organized • IS System
• Introverted • Exchange delivery
• Patience/ persistent • OGX Processes
• Understanding technology • ICX Processes
• Result oriented • Matching
• Creativity • OC’s
• Planning and strategy review and formation
• Internal auditing

They would appreciate development in these areas:

o Engage in short-term activities where the results are seen immediately, such as
OCs, ad-hoc committees etc.
o They can be engaged in understanding processes, analysis and strategy
o Their development in the areas
Leading teams to develop interpersonal skills, communication
Intern buddies/ EP managers - communication, cultural understanding
Internal Audit team – To learn about fiancé
Facilitating- Public speaking, communication etc.

And they would not appreciate at all if you…

o Give boring roles that do not offer much learning
o Have vague job descriptions
o Don’t give space to work, think and innovate by putting to much pressure on them
to adapt to the LC culture and current processes
o Don’t allow for gradual development
o Don’t give precise beginning and an end to roles or projects
o Over-task them (as this might be scary since their school work & part-time work is
generally quite heavy)

IT students will naturally gravitate towards familiar roles and fellow technical students, therefore a
lot of them will want to take on roles in IM/IT.
However, your LC will most likely not offer enough positions for all of them in IM and also IM might
not offer the best learning challenge for all of them based on their objectives.


Therefore they may need to be directed towards other teams as well, making them see how
these will give them relevant experience and give them opportunities to connect to other technical

D iversifi
cation
students who are in the same team.


Technical Diversification Resources

D iversifi
cation
• „People in motion – Technical Students” wiki: All ressources for managing your talent
pipeline with a specific focus for technical students
•
• Promoting technical internships: Example video from Meike at MindValley in Kuala Lumpur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avr61Occduk
• I am an AIESECer story for IT profiles: Brett Gibson from Australia, geared at IT students
interested in a corporate caree
o Poster http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewfile.do?contentid=100010866
o Case study (flyer)
http://www.myaiesec.net/content/viewfile.do?contentid=10001083

• Example communication plan for Recruitment using „I am an AIESECer”

• TechNext Global Technical Exchange Project Wiki: Ressource & GCP wiki about recruitment,
matching and developing country pairtnerships in the TT pool
• TMU talent selection wiki:

• TMU campaign overview wiki (includes links to all ressources on talent planning,
induction, recruitment, allocation, retention etc.)

TT Diversification Technical Background guide

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