31 May 2013 | Views | By BioSpectrum Bureau
Preparing freshers through Young Professionals Program
Mr P Raju, head, HR, Reliance Life Sciences
Reliance Life Sciences (RLS) operates in a knowledge-based industry in high technology domains. RLS hires freshers through Young Professionals Program (YPP), for which emphasis is laid on consistently sound academic record, basic understanding of the subject, cultural fit in the organization and ability to work in a team. RLS finds enthusiastic people with a desire to learn, good interpersonal skills and strong integrity suitable for the organization.
Freshers are inducted as research fellows in R&D or as production executives in biopharma/pharma manufacturing. They are given steady career progression depending on their performance. From these levels, they can move onto the level of a research scientist, research leader, associate director in R&D or shift in-charge, plant manager, or plant head in biopharma or pharma manufacturing. The fresh graduates and post-graduates inducted in Young Professional Program and advance diploma programs are mostly candidates with life sciences and biotechnology background, who have completed either MSc, BPharm or BTech with specialization in biotechnology, applied sciences, pharmacology and microbiology.
Our focus is to bring in innovation in the form of new ideas and solutions from the young and talented workforce. RLS prefers freshers with competencies like assertiveness, enthusiasm, focus on quality and analytical ability. Equally important is their ability to communicate, customer focus, drive for results and team spirit. Also, candidates who have done projects, internship or field work in related areas make a positive difference since the candidate comes with hands-on experience. RLS directs significant efforts in training the new recruits through in-house competency development programs.
RLS aims to choose the best candidate who matches with the organization culture and value systems. RLS believes in diversity of talent hence freshers with diverse and wide-ranging interests are preferred since this improves their ability for continuous learning and develops better attitude.
Reliance Institute of Life Sciences (RILS) has rolled out YPP to address the dearth of human resources in the greenfield industry of life sciences and to enhance competencies in this particular field. Fresh graduates and post-graduates in life sciences or related fields are inducted in this program through national level test and interview. They undergo three months' classroom training and nine months' on-the-job training program at Dhirubhai Ambani Life Sciences (DALC) campus. On successful completion, they are absorbed in various business domains within RLS.
RILS also initiated advance diploma programs of one year and six-months duration, wherein fresh post-graduates or graduates are groomed by in-house faculties and are required to undergo classroom and on-the-job training. Depending upon the requirements at RLS, these students are by and large absorbed in various functions, through standard selection process. On an average RLS inducts around 20-25 freshers every year through these programs.
RLS has a defined career plan in each business function and offers excellent growth opportunities for cross functional movements. This is linked with performance of employee and the organizational requirement. RLS also has tie-ups with leading institutes like Stanford University, Deakin University, and Mumbai University to promote advanced career growth of its employees. Employees have the opportunity to become research fellows as well as complete PhD programs. These opportunities are available for high potential employees and helps groom them for leadership roles.