Desi and you know it...

Crazy ride in a bicycle rickshaw with Jasmin.

My time here is really starting to go by so quickly! It has now been three weeks, and here goes my fourth installment. Per usual, most of the week was pretty standard. [See last week's post for the routine] I am spending most of my day mentoring Prachi and the rest of it I assist AJ designing classroom materials. The new batch hits the floor this week, so there is a lot to do to prepare.

It is surprising how quickly the week flies by. There is so much energy and excitement in the office that time just seems to warp. One of the nights this week, I called Suresh to pick me up, it was 4:00 AM and I needed to head back to the apartment. On our way he tried to make conversation by saying, "Have you really been at the office for 12 hours?" I had to think about it a minute before I realized that it was true, and the sad part about it--I wasn't really that bothered. In fact, I was planning to review a few more items from home. It's what everyone signs up for when they come--but it is worth it. Everyone here works hard, but plays hard too!

Cvent Recruitment

Cvent recruitment drive

We cancelled our plans to go to the Taj when we found out that Cvent was hosting recruitment drives this weekend and needed our help. Similar to sending representatives to find talented people on college campuses in the US, Cvent places ads in the paper and employment websites asking job-seekers to come interview with us at an open call. In an attempt to get some rest for a long day ahead, I left work on Friday at 12AM IST [2:30PM ET]. As hard as I tried to fall asleep during what my body thought was mid-afternoon, I tossed and turned until I finally dozed off at 6:30AM IST [8PM ET] --just in time for my alarm to go off at 7:30AM IST [9PM ET] to get ready to go.

Julide, Jasmin and I participated in the drive at Essex Farms, a meeting facility in South Delhi. Because most of the recruiting efforts rely on the advertisements in the local papers, you never know what type of crowd you are going to get when you arrive. Unfortunately, this particular drive was not as successful as some others have been in the past, but it was great to experience the whole process for hiring in India. I have always known that our department is made up of a smart, talented and diligent group of people--but my appreciation for our team rose even higher when I met with the other people looking to get in with one of Gurgaon's hot companies.

The whole process was a fascinating day to observe and partake in. The space was configured with a reception area and two large rooms with desks and chairs. Candidates would check-in with a member of HR and make their way to one of the rooms to begin filling out their application. At the surrounding desks, current team members waited to meet with the candidates. Because the flow of candidates was more like a trickle, I was able to conduct most of my interviews by pairing up with a teammate.This worked well because Ross, Gautam, Abhilash, Baldeep, Tenzin, Mansi or Piyush could spot the candidates from top schools or companies, and I could judge their communication skills from an American perspective. A candidate who finished their application would be sorted to one of the "Level 1" tables. This level was mostly for communication skills and screening--if they were good--we would pass them to a manager at "Level 2" and a decision would be made on whether or not to invite this person to the office for further rounds of interviews.

I sat at the level 1 tables for most of the day. We would be handed an application to review and then call the candidate for a 5 minute interview. The application was surprisingly detailed. It asked for your grades from high-school to college and your rankings/ratings and your previous employer. Even age in years was a data point on the application and played a part in many decisions--that would never fly in the US! After introductions and the nervous realization that they had been called to the table with the American, the first question was typically "Walk me through your resume"--a typical introduction to get the ball rolling--and the conversation continued from there. It wasn't hard to tell within the first 30 seconds the people that should move on and the people that just weren't cut out for it, but we gave everyone the respect of an interview for their effort. See some questions and typical answers below:

• So, tell me about yourself.
• My name is sldkfjlskdjf, from the town of adslfkjlkjadf in the middle of lakdjsflkjasdlkfj. I traveled today from algfkljlkasdlalskd and am staying in lkajsdlkjasld.
• I see that your last job was in 2010, what have you been doing since then?
• I went home to akjflkjskldfj to start a business with my father. The business failed due to a land dispute so now I am looking for a new job.
• I fell ill and was unable to work.
• What have you heard about Cvent?
• Nothing much.
• I heard they are a paymaster [pays well] and has high retention.
• They design events and websites for the client and when the client has a requirement they build the softwares. [Not really...]

After speaking to a candidate for a few minutes, my interview partner and I would make a decision on whether to move them on. We assessed their speech/grammar and if they were a good fit for the team and the company. We typically hire people who have prior experience working on the phone with callers from the USA, Australia or Great Britain. Additionally, they need to demonstrate a strength in logic and the ability to lead a client through unscripted situations.

I met with all sorts of people, from young professionals who showed a lot of potential to unqualified job-seekers who were desperate for a break. While it was unfortunate to turn someone a way with the "We'll get back to you" it was satisfying to know that we ended the day with a few high-potential candidates too.

The two BEST parts of the day were the lunch (DELICIOUS rice, roasted Mutton and Dal) and the chance to get to know more of my colleagues that were at the drive. Between interviews we had a few minutes to chat and get to know each other which I really appreciated.

...and the Fun Stuff

Shopping in Hauz Khas Village

After the drive ended, Julide, Jasmin and I asked Suresh to take us to Hauz Khas Village where we met up with Sid for some exploration and shopping. I have come to find out that India gives me a total adrenaline high--do I even need sleep?--and I was able to make it through the day and into the night.We meandered our way through the narrow streets lined with levels upon levels of shopping, dining and living space. The store fronts displayed some of the most beautiful saris, suits and dresses that I have seen and the quality of workmanship was exquisite. Some of the items were absolutely breathtaking, but my practicality won over, as I knew there would be little occasion for me to wear a bedazzled sari once I returned home.Though we all admired the beautiful attire, we stuck to the jewelry arena and made some friends at a silver store where each of us purchased a few beautiful pieces. I also walked away with a scarf and a leather wallet.

It was getting late and the sun was setting so Sid lead us to the best sunset spot in town, Boheme, for a unbelievable view of the neighboring park in the evening. It was a wonderful setting for a coffee and a delicious Italian meal. We relaxed and enjoyed the ambiance for a few hours until we decided to pump it up a bit and head out to Turquoise Cottage for some rock music and dancing. It was Cinco de Mayo, so the group decided to celebrate by ordering margaritas. It ended up being a bad choice, as they came out as basically tequila on the rocks--which we readliy improved with an order of fresh lime juice. We met up with quite a group and it didn't take us long to start the party. The song selection was amazing [all American of course] and everyone enjoyed moving to the music.

After a few more rounds and a free bottle of champagne, we called Suresh and asked him to transport us to Angi, where the folks who had not gone recruiting in Essex were gathered. By this time it was 3AM IST [5:30 PM ET] and I had basically been awake (minus 1 hr of sleep) for 36 hours. We kept it going and partied with the full crowd. A local singer/DJ was playing live and a popular song [no joke] was a remix of the preschool classic. "If you're Desi and you know it clap your hands..." Desi basically means "Indian" and the song immediately caught on to all of us--I am sure it wont be the last time I hear that chorus.

We eventually made our way back to Essel Towers, but continued the fun till the early morning hours. I think I finally went to bed around 6AM IST [8:30 PM ET], with plans to wake up for brunch at the Westin. Needless to say, brunch didn't happen. I finally woke up at 3:00 PM IST [5:30 AM IST] and appreciated the ability to catch up on sleep. Jasmin and I decided to head down the block to explore a bit and get a nice meal. Much to our convenient surprise, we walked out of Essel towers and happened to find a Westin auto-rickshaw driver who was on his way back--so we hopped in. The complex would be a short walk away from the apartment, but the mid-day heat was quite exhausting--not to mention the busy roads lined with ruthless beggars.

Enjoying the Westin pool

We ordered a scrumptious pasta lunch and capped it off with an Oreo ice cream pie. The manicured lawns and swimming pool was a Delhi oasis for a few minutes. Jasmin needed to stop at an ATM, so we walked out of the gated complex to find one and were immediately surrounded by a gaggle of girls who thought they had hit the gold mine--they followed us chanting "money-money-money-money" until we finally shooed them off and made the snap decision to flag down a bicycle rickshaw. We didn't think about the conditions until we were already on our way, and the five minute trip was terrifying as our driver pedaled through traffic an eventually needed to cross 8 lanes before turning into our gate. We thanked him for keeping us alive and paid the 50 Rupee fare--that's about $1.

Glad to be alive, we rounded up the troops and decided to ask Suresh to take us to the grocery store. I already stockpiled last week, so I only needed a few things to add to my inventory--a set of Tupperware being one!

We unpacked our loot and loaded the fridge. The group of 8 all sat together for a family dinner thanks to Puni. It is rare that we are all eating at the same time and it is always enjoyable to gather for an Indian meal. Puni made a delicious chicken tikka and fried rice dinner. We stayed up for a few more hours and watched a movie. Everyone was using their ipad or iphone to load pictures etc.--its funny how connected everyone can be!

Family Dinner from Puni

After everyone called it a night, I came to my room to spill this out. This week is going to be busy and then I actually think we are going to make it to Agra next weekend! Check back next week for another post and leave your comments!

Check out more photos here.