No place for Jack Ma at Alibaba: The founder opines on finding the right candidate.
“People like me, today, if I tried to apply (for a) job in Alibaba, it’s almost impossible,” said Alibaba founder Jack Ma at a Forbes conference in Singapore recently. “People judge you by your diploma. They would think ’hey, we’ve got a group of people from Harvard, we’ve got people from Stanford, and you are from nowhere.”
Ma believes that if he and most of the other founders had to apply for a job today at the e-commerce giant, they would struggle to get past the initial screening.
So what is Alibaba looking for?
Optimism, personality and smarts
During an interaction at Davos earlier this year, Ma gave a hint into the type of employee Alibaba is looking for.
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“When I hire people, I hire those who are smarter than I am. People who, four, five years later, could be my boss. I like people who are positive and who never give up. Personality is also a vital factor,” said Ma.
“You should like their personality. [Look for] someone who is positive and who doesn’t give up easily. I look for simple characteristics. I don’t ask for a diploma to see which university they graduated from. That is not that important.”
Don’t Chase Brand Names
According to Ma, the secret to a good employee isn’t their past companies or positions but readiness to work hard and learn. “Don’t think ‘Wow that guy used to work in Google or Alibaba or Facebook – he must be good’. Not necessarily…”
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“None of us (the Alibaba founders) graduated from some great university,” said Ma. “Honestly, most of us could not find jobs in our early days. But the thing is, we are ready to learn. We believed in the future and if we learned and worked together, and improved, we would get there [sic].”
Corporate Leaders Who Have Anand Mahindra, Jeff Bezos & Kishore Biyani On Speed Dial
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We asked a few corporate leaders — if there was one person you could call for work or personal advice, who would that be? And this is what they had to say.
We asked a few corporate leaders — if there was one person you could call for work or personal advice, who would that be? And this is what they had to say.
“I think it would be Ireena Vittal (inset) [for professional advice]. She has mentored me and I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know her. I don’t speak to her often but when I do, they are valuable exchanges. For personal advice, it would be my family.”
“I think it would be Ireena Vittal (inset) [for professional advice]. She has mentored me and I’ve had the good fortune of getting to know her. I don’t speak to her often but when I do, they are val..
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“I would like Uday Kotak (inset) on my speed dial [for professional advice]. He's smart and blunt. For personal matters, I’d call my mother-inlaw (laughs). If most of my issues are with my partner, then to make sure I have the politically correct answer, I better call my mother-in-law.”
“I would like Uday Kotak (inset) on my speed dial [for professional advice]. He's smart and blunt. For personal matters, I’d call my mother-inlaw (laughs). If most of my issues are with my partner, t..
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“I would like to have Jeff Bezos (inset) on my speed dial. He’s done fabulous work over the past few years and he makes it look so simple. It’s crazy. And for personal advice, it would be my wife.”
“I would like to have Jeff Bezos (inset) on my speed dial. He’s done fabulous work over the past few years and he makes it look so simple. It’s crazy. And for personal advice, it would be my wife.”
“I would like Cristiano Ronaldo (inset) on my speed dial. He's talented, has perseverance, has been through the craziest ups and downs and is still the world’s best player. Also, I'm a Man U fan. For personal matters, my wife is my go-to. Plus, she’s already on my speed dial.”
“I would like Cristiano Ronaldo (inset) on my speed dial. He's talented, has perseverance, has been through the craziest ups and downs and is still the world’s best player. Also, I'm a Man U fan. For..
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“Anand Mahindra (inset). I respect the way he’s grown the Mahindra empire after he took over from his father. For what I want to do with JSW, he would be a great person to speak to and [I would like to] pick his brains on how he managed to transform the group. For personal advice, I would call my cousin in London. He knows me the best and knows my history too.”
“Anand Mahindra (inset). I respect the way he’s grown the Mahindra empire after he took over from his father. For what I want to do with JSW, he would be a great person to speak to and [I would like ..
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“I am lucky to have multiple people on speed dial. Obviously, the list begins with my father [Kishore Biyani - inset] and husband [Viraj Didwania]. Apart from the two of them, there is Ireena Vittal who I speak to for professional advice.”
“I am lucky to have multiple people on speed dial. Obviously, the list begins with my father [Kishore Biyani - inset] and husband [Viraj Didwania]. Apart from the two of them, there is Ireena Vittal ..
