Sg Cowen Case Analysis

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unlike a paper and pencil test, there is no clear right or wrong answer in many cases. The results

are subject to interpretation by the interviewer and thus can have a huge potential for error,

depending on the questions asked, the answers given and the interviewer’s own personal bias

(Gusdorf, 2008, p. 10). Also, utilizing associates to conduct the first set of interviews was a

good method in the eyes of the author because usually associates focus on the daily interests of

the company while focusing on quality candidates for the firm. Rae said the firm usually wanted

associates or senior associates to conduct the first-round interviews: “We’re not aggressive about

sending our most senior people out; we want to downstream the identification of talent and

upstream the responsibility of closing on offers to senior people” (Delong & Vijayaraghavan,

2006, p. 5). Finally, the fact that Super Saturday began with an informal dinner and cocktails

made the whole experience what recruiters describe as “candidate-centric approach”. Focus the

process on the candidate’s needs, their job selection criteria, and the candidate experience. A

significant part of recruiting is “selling” the candidate on applying for and accepting the job

(Sullivan, 2008, p. 1). Although the overall hiring process was described as good and effective,

the author feels that SG Cowen focus too much on cultural fit and let cultural biases interject

with the hiring process.

Which two Candidates Would You Select if you Were a Member of the Recruiting Committee?

After evaluating the four candidates that SG Cowen considered for their last two job

openings, the author considered Natalya Godlewska and Andy Sanchez as the two right

candidates for the job. Not only Natalia Godlewska had the academic credentials for the job but

the right financial experience to make her the top candidate. Despite the fact that two

interviewers considered Natalia’s accent as a cultural barrier for the organization, the author

saw the cultural difference and the four language skill as an opportunity to expand and attract

new customers from other parts of the world. The ability to speak four languages could provide

customers with different cultural background the freedom to conduct business in their native

language making the whole financial negotiation an intimate customer experience. One banker

said he thought Godlewska would be a hit with clients because she was a go-getter, and radiated

positive energy and a “can-do attitude.” He said that though it might be an issue with inpatient

bankers on her team, her language skill would definitely not be an issue with clients because

“most of our clients think Wall Street types speak too fast anyways” (Delong & Vijayaraghavan,

2006, p. 8). Also, the concern of Natalie’s unwillingness to engage in general conversations

should be the less concern from the interviewers based on all the satisfactory marks from the

former supervisor. Evidently, Natalya attained her MBA from a well-known academic

institution demonstrating that she possesses the require qualitative and quantitative skills such

as proficiency in written and oral communications.

The second candidate the author would consider is Any Sanchez. Although his undergraduate

GPA was listed as 2.8, Andy had one of the most competitive SATs and highest GMAT score

which demonstrated his intellectual talent. Andy Sanchez was considered a successful

entrepreneur in business as he had the capacity to complete his undergraduate degree while

establishing a successful company which resulted in $2 million revenue. These actions

showed Andy’s ability to complete different projects at the same time. Between his enthusiastic,

personable skills and knowledge in business, the author considered Andy Sanchez to be a

valuable asset for the company.

References

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administrative to strategic contributors? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/

important-hr-management-transform-administrative-strategic-contributors-10236.html

Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., Valentine, S. R., & Meglich, P. A. (2017). Human Resource

Management (15th ed). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning

Ouye, J. A., (2011). Five trends that are dramatically changing work and the workplace.

Knoll Workplace Research. Retrieved from

https:///knoll.com/media/18/144/WP_FiveTrends.pdf

Wright, A. D., (2013, June). 5 trends changing the nature of work. Society for Human

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