Big Traits for Big Blue

Michael Riegel is the director of express services for IBM Global Services (IBM ), a division of the technology giant that builds and markets business and information technology services to small and midsize business clients from Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Before joining IBM's Global Services division in April, 2004, Riegel led the marketing of IBM's Net Generation business unit for about two years. He previously worked in the new product startup division at InterAmerica Technologies, a privately held software concern in McLean, Va. For a brief time, Riegel also was an economic adviser in the U.S. Congress.

To make it at IBM, Riegel says, new MBAs have to deliver great work and respect to their co-workers. Riegel recently spoke with BusinessWeek Online reporter Jeffrey Gangemi about working at Big Blue. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:

Q: What makes IBM a great place to work?
A: There are three things that make IBM a standout place to work: The high level of skill and experience of the people we employ, our commitment to being the leader in every market we serve, as well as our focus on doing things that matter to the world.

We have supercomputers that are working on genetic mapping; we're working to better equip emergency medical personnel after 9/11; we've got Nobel-prize-winning scientists doing cancer research, among other initiatives.

Q: What roles do MBAs fill within IBM?
A: We hire MBAs into a variety of different functions in business consulting services, strategy and change, and IT consulting practices. We hire finance majors into a rotational program, and strong marketing MBAs get the opportunity to complete a leadership-development program in their function. We also find that MBAs make good business-development professionals.

Q: Where do you do most of your recruiting?
A: We recruit heavily from the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business. We also hire MBAs from Emory University Goizueta Business School, MIT Sloan School of Management, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Thunderbird Garvin School of International Management, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and a bunch of others.

Q: What do you look for in an MBA?
A: We look for MBAs that come from a school with a good reputation. We look at their past history to see if they can survive in a complex company. Then, we try to determine if the applicant has the communication and softer skills to be able to navigate a place as big as IBM successfully.

We look for students who are comfortable entering an environment where an MBA is the bottom rung of the ladder. Because many of the positions within the company require a high level of both technical and communication skills, most of our people have come to IBM with outside experience. MBAs entering a Global Services strategy job, for example, aren't supervising others but doing real work.

Q: If new hires aren't managing others, how important are leadership skills?
A: We look for people who have the leadership to work with peers in a collaborative environment, as opposed to a more traditional hierarchical model. We've been flattening IBM for years.

MBAs who come into the Global Services department will enter the company four levels below our chairman. Therefore, we look for people who can thrive in an environment where they're given the opportunity to manage their own projects, as opposed to a more traditional hierarchy.

Q: What's the recruiting process like?
A: The ideal recruiting model is for MBAs to intern with us before we hire them. An internship gives them the chance to show they can thrive in our environment and decide whether it's a good fit.

When recruiting for full-time positions, we go to campus in the fall. We visit campus two or three times, and students go through one or two rounds of interviews. From there, we evaluate and select candidates for more focused interviews within specific business units. Business line leaders do the third and fourth rounds of interviews and make placements within their individual business unit.

Q: Any tips for having a good interview?
A: We look for great communication skills and a track record of success. We also look for clarity in what an applicant wants to achieve. You can always tell when a student isn't quite sure what he or she wants in an interview.

The greatest differentiator is company and industry knowledge. We're looking to see if students have done their research on the industry dynamics and what's going on in our company.

Q: What skills do MBAs need to improve?
A: New MBAs have the reputation of being hot shots. They need to come in and live up to that expectation while simultaneously earning the respect of people who weren't necessarily able to enter the organization at such a high level. It's that intangible mix of humility, respect, and wisdom that they need to show while delivering high-quality work.

MBAs are typically placed in high-profile positions at IBM, and they're often surrounded by people with more seniority. Establishing credibility and attaining influence is critical.

Q: How important is global perspective?
A: It's critically important. The economy we live in is changing faster than we can keep up. The hardest thing to teach is cultural sensitivity and awareness. You can only get that by being in countries and traveling to them frequently.

IBM is clearly a global business, and we need MBAs that can thrive in that environment and understand and analyze complex international issues. It's just part of our day-to-day work.

Q: How much technical knowledge should MBAs have?
A: Though technical knowledge is highly important, those skills can be taught on the job. We place more of a premium on the soft skills like leadership and interpersonal capabilities that will make a person successful in the world.