How young, dynamic talent makes an impact at Capgemini

Her experience in numerous projects has shown that diverse teams (diverse in experience level, gender, or age) deliver the best results. In her various roles, she has focused on attracting and advancing young dynamic talents. Being a role model herself, particularly to female graduates, she aims at inspiring young talent to pursue an IT career at Capgemini.

Our talent team spoke to Christiane Feder-Andres about Gradathon and the importance and impact of young talent at Capgemini in an ever-changing world and shares valuable tips for job beginners.

Why is Capgemini in need of young talent?

Digitalization drives innovation and continuously requires new technologic solutions – in the blink of an eye. The current generation of graduates is the first to be born into and grow up in a digital world: digital natives use and understand technology. And they are ready to approach agile working methods to expedite processes, helping our clients adapt to the changes quickly. As a global leader in digital transformation, we need this generation to innovate for new, better products and services, since it is they who best anticipate the technology needs and trends of the generations to come.

What kind of impact do graduates make at Capgemini?

Graduates have the desire to learn and grow. They usually bring flexibility, energy, and enthusiasm to the table, which benefits the dynamics and agility of our teams. Their strengths are their fresh minds, which add a new perspective to every project team – and we need this perspective, as every challenge is multi-dimensional. To create custom solutions for our clients, we must think outside the box.

Furthermore, I am convinced that hiring motivated graduates will increase our potential for attracting even more brilliant minds. By investing into relationships with universities, students, and alumni, we leverage our network and invest in Capgemini’s future.

What is your view on the role of universities and the industry regarding the education of young minds?

Universities and colleges teach leading-edge technology and usually closely collaborate with the industry for research projects, sponsorships, and even strategic alliances. In my opinion, this partnership is very important. Both universities and industries are interested in offering a common platform for exchange and interaction for students being the employees of tomorrow.

At Capgemini students gain a lot of insights into the way we work and our projects. For them it is a great opportunity to get industry experience. For us it is an important recruiting channel: we get to know the students and the students get to know Capgemini.

What can graduates expect from their job start at Capgemini?

When hiring graduates, we do not only look at their skillset, but rather make sure their mindset matches our seven values. We do not hire for a specific job description. Instead we are ready to form their positions to reflect their strengths and interests – and these may evolve over time! For example, someone may be hired as a software engineer at first, but later take on the role of a business analyst if the project allows.

Our juniors are full team members from day one and can take on responsibility beyond their own tasks if they want. While they learn from their experienced colleagues day to day, we encourage everybody to speak up and share their own ideas to find better solutions, be more efficient, and be more innovative. It matters what you say; it does not matter who says it.

How do young minds get acquainted with Capgemini’s company principles?

The process starts very early in the pre-hiring phase through all our HR marketing activities such as our social media channels, where Capgemini is active and visible. Furthermore, we communicate Capgemini’s values and way of working continuously and consistently throughout the application process and onboarding events – and finally in our daily approach to work. This is indeed the feedback we receive from new hires: “We experience exactly what has been promised.”

What kind of training and development opportunities does Capgemini offer for job beginners?

Starting at Capgemini means entering a flexible and collaborative work environment, where colleagues help and learn from each other. Lifelong, continuous learning and development is part of our culture. Job beginners benefit from opportunities such as mentoring as well as numerous courses, trainings, and digital learning tools. It is not a one-fits-all approach; creating individual learning paths is very important to us.

What are your top tips for graduates: how can they make an impact right from the start of their career?

I encourage graduates to be active and interested. Don’t be shy to bring forward your own ideas and become visible. If you stay curious and look beyond your own tasks, you can learn a lot from others. Assume responsibility for your work and beyond – and just do it! Don’t expect others to do things for you.

From your experience: do you have special advice for female graduates who would like to pursue a career in IT?

Be confident from day one, be visible! Make sure to show your business and/or technology skills: not only in your projects, but also in Capgemini’s communities, for example by means of internal or external publications. Start to build a network with female role models and develop your own draft of a career path. Capgemini supports you on this journey. If you are a graduate ready to take off on your IT career, please reach out. We can’t wait to meet you!