Shell Recruitment Day

Hello! For this entry, I would like to share my experience going through the SRD with you. I was shortlisted under Commercial IT stream. After the phone interview with Shell, they will get back to you (email) in order for you to confirm your attendance for SRD. The SRD was held in two days:

1. Day 1: Pre-SRD Briefing (in the afternoon; 1400H-1630H)
2. Day 2: SRD (from 0730H up to 1700H)

The travel arrangements will be made by Shell. Your stay at the Cyberview Lodge Resort & Spa will be fully paid by Shell (muahahahah). If you are staying outside of Klang Valley, you are entitled for the accommodation. It was very near with Shell Business Service Centre. All of the info (hotel booking, travel claims, briefing about the SRD, etc.) regarding SRD are in the Cyberjaya_SRD_Pack which is available in their site.

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Day One: Pre-SRD Briefing

On the day one (upon your arrival at Cyberjaya), you should be able to check in into your hotel first. But then, it is upon availability of your room. Our room was not ready by that time, so we left our luggage at the hotel lobby and went to Shell Business Service Centre for the pre-SRD. Attendance is compulsory. You need to come 1 hour earlier for a (Health, Safety, Security and Environment) HSSE briefing. The HSSE briefing will be done in 13 minutes (plainly by a video). After that, we went for solat. The Pre-SRD Briefing started at 2.00 pm. For the first hour, the briefing was about knowing the other candidates (6 of us for the SRD) and briefing about what is going to happen on the next day.

From left: Fadhli, Hae Jin (Korean), me, Doo Ho (Korean) and Rex (UTP, just graduated, same class with me, he took BIS) and one more which is not in the picture, Anif (UTP, just graduated, also in the same batch with me, he took BIS) -- first time aku pendek! hahahah (credit to Fadhli for the picture and Anep!)

Then, for the next hour, is for us to try and familiarize with the case study. The coordinators will give a 10-pages case study and we will try to extract the information, present the key issues, propose solutions for a short and medium-term. We did that in two teams (3 people in one team). After we have presented, the coordinator will shoot questions to each of us and after that she will comment on how we presented the case and how should we improve. Then she gave some survival tips for SRD. Then, a background information about the case study that you will face on the next day will be given to you so that you will be able to have some ideas what you will deal on the next day.

How do I feel after the briefing? It was great to have that kind of practice. But it was exhausting after the practice. Rasa cam kena pukul; mentally. Tu baru 10 pages punya case study. Belum 21 pages lagi. Hahah. Rasa down sikit lepas briefing tu because I'm anxious about tomorrow's outcome, but I need to be resilient! Think positive that you will do just fine :)

Did some preparation on the night before.

 

SRD Schedule will be given to you during the briefing. (Start awal, habis awal, yay!)

Shell Recruitment Day (D-Day!)

Workstation for the preparation.

Breakfast at 6.30 at the hotel, checked out from hotel at 7.15, went straight to Shell. I was in the first group (with Rex), which started at 7.30am. SRD was conducted in 3 sessions:

• Case Study (individual)
  For this part u will be given 90 minutes of preparation (the time was not enough actually). A 21-pages case study will be given to you. Given your role as a regional business development manager (I'm not so sure about this role, can't really remember) you need to figure out the key issues, plan for short and medium term actions to mitigate the key issues and also the key strategic planning for future. It consists of a stack of information from various people: emails, letters, newspaper clippings, graphs, telephone messages, maps, financial and performance data, etc.
  
  The challenge is that, there was A LOT of information to be digested, then you have to think on how can you LINK the information together so that it makes sense. My advice is that you need to prioritize your idea. If you are not comfortable with the key issue, put it at the end. If you are so firm and confident with the key issues, put it at the beginning to be presented. This will save you a lot.
  
  Then you will face the assessors, there will be two assessors for each candidate. 5 minutes (uninterrupted) will be given to you to present the key issues, short and medium term action plans and key strategic plan for future. Strictly 5 minutes. Then the assessors will stop you. Then, a 20 minutes of question and answer session on what have you presented to them. They will try to clarify the points you have given to them, ask on how can you make the action plans happen, ask for MORE and MORE points ("Is there anything else?", "What else?"). Here, they are actually trying to test for your think-on-the-spot skill, on how you deal with critical thinking and how broad and creative is your ideas to make things happen.
  
• Group Discussion (Press conference, agreeing to an investment proposal)
  You assume the role of Community Representative for a specific committee. The committees form a Review Board responsible for making recommendations to Shell about the allocation of funds for social investments.
  
  Then, you will be assigned with a partner for a team of two, representing either local, district or national team. I was teamed up with Doo Ho Park in the local team. The goal of this group discussion is to investigate how your team works together, how you manage a meeting to achieve desired objective. I think it also assesses on how you make decision considering the social performance and sustainable development factors.
  
  Structure of exercise:
  
  • Individual preparation time (5 minutes)
  • Individual Committee Meeting -- with your partner, decide only two proposals (from 4 proposals) to be presented at the Review Board Meeting (15 minutes)
  • Review Board Meeting -- National, District and Local team meet up and decide on one proposal from 6 proposals shortlisted during the meeting (anticipate a sudden event occurrence, whereby we got a request from the government to aid for an earthquake -- 1billion needed immediately) (25-30 minutes)
  • Press Conference -- the assessors act as the media, asking questions about the chosen proposal to each of the candidates (10 minutes)
  
  My advice: Do not dominate the Review Board Meeting, talk when you should, be diplomatic, do not argue too much, alert with the time left to make decision.
• Business Scenario (Role Play) & Competence Based Interview (different 2 assessors from the first part)
  
  
  1. Business Scenario (Role Play)
     Candidates have a choice of 5 situations representing different functions (HR, IT, Finance, Procurement or Marketing & Sales). Once you have decided, a case study will be given to you (don't worry, this one only ½ page :D)
     • I chose Marketing & Sales. It is about a petrol station underperforming for the past 6 months in an area. I need to plan actions on how to gain profit again. Assess all the risks, possibilities, challenges. Make sure you know step by step of each actions you proposed. You also need to anticipate effect and consequences (broader implication) that will happen.
     • Preparation Time (15 minutes)
       Analysis of issues & consequences, actions & discussions, key people & strategic impacts
     • Assessors' questions (20 minutes)
       
       • As usual, they will provoke you with: "What else?", "Is there anything else?"
       • If you need time to think, just tell them. It is allowed: "Give me some time to think.."
          
       My advice: Prepare as many points as you can! Be careful with what you will propose to them (make sure tak backfire lah, kalau propose solution tapi tak tahu details macam mana tu memang masak lah kan). Think outside the box (this one is indefinite, it depends on how the assessors see your points), senang nak cakap, be creative lah kan. Take your time in explaining your ideas to them, explain one by one, make it clear to them.
     
     
  2. Competence Based Questions (20 minutes)
     
     • Teamwork -- have you been working in a team? how do you manage?
       For this one, how I manage my story is: background of the project/task, what is your role, goal of the project/task, with whom do you work with, challenges/difficulties, lessons learned.
       One of the questions from the assessors: If you were given the opportunity to do it again, how would you like to do differently?
     • Learning & Adaptability -- From a zero knowledge, how do you learn a particular thing until you are able to do it?
       I told them about my journey of participation for ESTCON2012, my challenges and difficulties dealing with it, what have been sacrificed along the way, what I believed in; in order to go through the adversities, what have I learned, and how it has changed me to become a better person.
       The assessors also asked about how people accepting the presentation and the works that I have done.

At the end, the assessors will ask if there is any questions that you would like to ask. You better ask! Show your interest and eagerness to join the organization :)

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Sorry for the super lengthy entry! Nak buat macam mana, SRD tu sehari suntuk kot. The result will be out in two weeks time. Oh yes. One more thing, during the intervals of the SRD, there will be a career preference interview done by the coordinators. If you are successful for the application, what are the divisions you would like to join (I asked for: project management, HR and planning), where are the vacancies available related to your preferences, do you have any bonds with any organizations, do you have any other offers/interviews you have to consider in the meantime, those sorts of questions. You can also ask the coordinators if there is any other concerns. She/he will gladly answer all of your questions.

I gained A LOT through this SRD. I have learned on how to sharpen my assessing skills, presentation skills, on how to organize my ideas. I made new Korean friends! They are very friendly and open. We did exchanged thoughts and stories from across the world. It was a lifetime experience attending the SRD. Alhamdulillah, praise be to Allah, dengan rezekiNya I was given this kind of opportunity. Thank you to all, for all of the positive energy you guys have given to me through the social networks, and also any other mediums. Thanks for all of the wishes, really appreciate that. And also to some of my colleagues that went to the SRD before, Syahmi and Shanggar, they have provided me with a lot of guidance, tips and motivations for me to go through the SRD. Anep and Rex also were very helpful during the SRD. Not to forget, my parents, they are my source of inspiration to move forward; sampai bila-bila :)

There were also a lot of help in the internet available for the preparation of SRD. Just google away. If there is any questions, feel free to ask me here or you can also contact me directly. I am more than happy to address your questions, or to explain any of your doubts or your concerns :D

p/s: Lepas habis SRD, takde perasaan. I'm not sure how I feel actually .__.

update: I did not pass the Interview but some of my friends did it! So, do try your best if you got the chance!