Here’s how Swiggy’s Campus Hiring team is nurturing and helping fresh talent grow through their future proofing strategy.
Our investment in the campus talent pool has remained anchored in one guiding principle – future proofing the organisation to build leaders for tomorrow.
At Swiggy, the campus recruitment strategy propelled over the years with our focus expanding from enabling the engineering org in 2018 to last mile strengthening our front line capabilities.
Our campus recruitment strategy was built essentially to find and retain early talent for our junior roles and key mid-management roles. This was because we saw a long-term opportunity to attract young talent and ultimately build a sustainable talent pyramid, both from a cost and skill standpoint. The various cohorts of students over the years came with diverse energies, experience sets and fresh skills that are helping us shape the future as an organisation. We have seen the on-ground impact of this through the contributions of our hires. Our campus recruits have demonstrated resilience, longevity and have even taken up leadership roles in the company.
Here is a look at the comprehensive plan that helped us revolutionise our campus hiring, through a threefold approach to tap into the vast talent pool across the nation.
Nurturing the Campus Community through Strong Relationships
First, we researched and identified campuses across cities to forge strong relationships. We then narrowed this down to the target colleges, deciding to concentrate on Tier 2, Tier 3, and non-tier colleges. By doing so, we aimed to reach students who were often overlooked by other companies. We formed active relationships with over 300 colleges from 25 campuses (when we started) spread across India (in early 2020), ensuring we had a wide-reaching network for hiring. We prioritised students who were graduating that year, aiming for immediate placement and rapid onboarding to meet the urgent talent needs. We also worked on consistently developing new relationships with more campuses, expanding our reach and influence.
Second, we emphasised the aspect of location focus, adhering to the principle of “Local for Local Talent.” We targeted regional colleges for roles in their specified areas, maximizing recruitment efficiency and effectiveness. This not only helped find candidates who were more likely to stay within the region but also helped us contribute to local economy development.
The third prong of this approach was to focus on target groups across streams and courses, casting a wide net, and ensuring there was a high volume of candidates across all streams to meet the demand. For postgraduates, specifically those pursuing a PGDM or an MBA, the engagement was more selective due to lower numbers, but at the same time held immense potential for specific, high-skill roles within the company.
This year, we have implemented a hybrid approach for our campus hiring process. Out of the 63 campuses we hired from, we visited 12 campuses and conducted virtual hiring for the remaining 51. These efforts have been fruitful, and we have successfully onboarded 92 campus hires from a host of prestigious institutions across India.
Spwaking about how this has helped the team, here’s what Swiggsters had to say.
Hiring talent locally has significantly shaped our growth and expansion at a high acceleration rate, reflecting the markets, regions, areas, and locations in which we operate.
Our focus on engaging with emerging talent through campus recruitment has proven to be an invaluable component of our hiring approach. I have seen the gears shift over the last 18 months for early/emerging talent at Swiggy, and this trend is only going to grow further.
Investing in campus hiring also allows us to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders and thinkers, ensuring that our organisation remains at the forefront of industry advancements. It’s an investment in talent that pays dividends for both Swiggy and the future of our industry.
Vinit Kumar, Assistant Vice President — Food Marketplace, Swiggy.
Over the last couple of years, we’ve made significant strides in scouting talent across diverse regions and territories, with a particular emphasis on expanding our presence in Tier 3 and Tier 4 campuses.
Our campus strategy has proven to be an immensely successful lever for accessing a broad and dynamic talent pool. In the past year alone, we’ve increased our investment in this channel tenfold, hiring over 800 individuals through internships and trainee programs. Our efforts have taken us to over 60 campuses, and we plan to extend this reach even further.
The vibrant energy and innovative ideas that these young professionals bring to the table are invaluable. Their fresh perspectives not only help us stay competitive but also ensure that we remain ahead of the market in the years to come. We are committed to continuing our investment in this channel, as it plays a crucial role in shaping our future success.
Manish Desai, Vice President — HR, Swiggy.
Glimpses of our campus visits
