TDK-dolgozat (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) is the world’s biggest student organization, which has more than 60 000

TDK-dolgozat

Varga Anikó

Nemzetközi Gazdálkodás

2011

Be a Change Agent! – Jelentkezés és szelekció az AIESEC Magyarország

helyi bizottságaiban

Be a Change Agent! – Application and Selection in the Local Committees of

AIESEC Hungary

Kézirat lezárása: …………………...

Varga Anikó

Be a Change Agent! – Jelentkezés és szelekció az AIESEC Magyarország helyi

bizottságaiban

Az AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques

et Commerciales) a világ legnagyobb diákszervezete, amely több mint hatvanezer tagot

tudhat magáénak a világ 110 országában. Főbb profijai közé tartozik a nemzetközi

szakmai gyakorlati programok lebonyolítása, az önfejlesztés professzionálisan és

személyesen, és a vezetőfejlesztés. Minden évben több tízezer jelentkezési lap érkezik be

a szervezethez, mind a gyakorlati, mind a hosszú távú tagság, mind a vezetőségi pozíciók

miatt.

A szelekció már a promóciós üzenetek megírásakor elkezdődik: az üzenetek,

felhívások és toborzó levelek mind több, meghatározott karakterisztikákra irányulnak,

amelyek alapján az embereknek a szelekciója a későbbiekben megtörténhet. Míg a

szakmai gyakorlatra erős, higgadt, de egyedülálló, önmagát feltaláló embereket lehet csak

kiengedni, addig a tagságnak nem feltétlenül ezekkel a tulajdonságokkal kell

rendelkezniük. Ugyanez igaz a vezetőségi jelentkezőkre is: akár tagok közül kerülnek ki,

akár kifejezetten vezetőknek jelentkeznek az egyetemi diákok, olyan személyiségi

jegyekkel kell rendelkezniük, amelyek nem feltétlenül esnek bele a fentebbi két

kategóriába – természetesen átfedések mindig vannak, viszont általában ezek csekélyek.

Természetesen a promóciós üzenetek csak a kezdetet jelentik.

Magyarországon ebben a szemeszterben összesen több mint 500 jelentkezési lap

érkezett be csak tagságra jelentkezőktől, a gyakornoki programra való jelentkezés még el

sem kezdődött, de Miskolcon már 16 diák érdeklődne külföld iránt. A 12 helyi

bizottságban mindenhol a mérthez és humán erőforráshoz megfelelő számú jelentkező

érkezett (egy-két extrém eset kivételével – BGF Külkereskedelmi Kar: 76 jelentkezési

lap; Pécs: 36 db), így a Tehetségmenedzsmentes alelnököknek a szelekciónál eléggé

szigorúnak kell lennie, hogy a megfelelő emberek kerüljenek be a szervezetbe. Ügyelniük

kell, hogy ne pazaroljanak a helyi bizottságok tagjai, vezetői felesleges energiát olyan

emberekbe, akiknek a profiljába egyáltalán nem illik be a szervezet.

Dolgozatomban szeretném részletesen bemutatni mindhárom fentebb említett

irányzat jelentkezési feltételeit, szelekciós pontjait, illetve elemzését.

Anikó Varga

Be a Change Agent! – Application and Selection in the Local Committees of

AIESEC Hungary

AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et

Commerciales) is the world’s biggest student organization, which has more than 60 000

members in 110+ countries in the world. Its main profile contains the international

internship programs, and delivering and organizing them to the students. There is an other

direction which AIESEC leads: personal and professional development. In every year

more than 10 000 application forms are received worldwide, both for internship, long

term membership and leadership positions.

The selection already starts when we are writing our promotional messages: the

articles, shout outs and Neptun-messages are written about given characteristic, which

helps us in the selection. While the interns need toughness, patience, stableness and self-

confidence, the long term members (from now on: LT members) does not really need

these skills. It is the same case for the ones who apply for Leadership position: either they

are already members or applying among the university students, they need to have such

characteristics which do not really the same as for the other two – of course there are

always similarities, but usually not so much of them. Naturally the promotion messages

are just the beginning.

In Hungary only this semester more than 500 LT member application forms has

been received, the internship program promotion have not even started, but only in

Miskolc we have around 16-20 applicants who would like to go to an internship abroad.

In the 12 Local Committees there are applicant numbers fitting to the size and the HR

capacity (there are some extremities as well: in BGF KKK they received 76 application

forms). Because of this huge amount of number the Vice Presidents responsible for Talent

Management have to be really strict regarding of the selection to decide who can be

members of the committee. They have to consider the Human resource usage despite the

fact that it may occur that the new members will quit because they will not get the

experience that they wanted, so the local committee members and leaders do not need to

invest so much energy in the members who will not be in the organization furthermore.

Table of Content

I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 1

I. INTRODUCTION OF AIESEC ............................................................................................... 2

1. What is AIESEC? ................................................................................................................. 2

2. History .................................................................................................................................. 3

3. Structure ............................................................................................................................... 7

a) AIESEC International (AI) ............................................................................................... 8

b) Growth Networks (GNs) .................................................................................................. 8

c) AIESEC Hungary ............................................................................................................. 8

ii. Talent Management Department (TM Department) ..................................................... 9

iii. Finance Department (F Department) ....................................................................... 9

iv. Outgoing Exchange Department (OGX Department) .............................................. 9

v. Incoming Exchange Department (ICX Department) .................................................... 9

vi. Local Committee Development Department (LCD Department) ........................... 10

vii. External Relations Department (ER Department) .................................................. 10

viii. Communication Department (Comm Department) ................................................ 10

d) Local Committee of University of Miskolc (LC Miskolc) ............................................. 11

i. Local Committee President (LCP) ............................................................................. 11

ii. Local Committee Vice President for Talent Management (VP TM) ........................... 11

iii. Local Committee Vice President for Finances (VP F) ........................................... 11

iv. Local Committee Vice President for Outgoing Exchange (VP OGX) .................... 12

v. Local Committee Vice President for Incoming Exchange (VP ICX) .......................... 12

vi. Local Committee Vice President for Communication and External Relations (VP

Comm & ER) ...................................................................................................................... 12

vii. My Expansion Coordinator (ME Coord) ................................................................ 12

viii. Corporate Coordinator (Corp Coord) ................................................................... 12

II. PROGRAMS AIESEC OFFERS............................................................................................ 14

1. The old AIESEC Experience model ................................................................................... 14

2. The new AIESEC Experience model ................................................................................. 16

3. Comparison of the Experiences .......................................................................................... 17

4. The Programs...................................................................................................................... 18

a) Team Member Programs ................................................................................................ 18

i. Entrepreneurial Program ........................................................................................... 18

ii. Professional Development Program .......................................................................... 19

b) Team Leader Programs .................................................................................................. 19

i. CEED International Leadership Program ................................................................. 19

ii. Functional Leader – Middle Manager ....................................................................... 19

iii. Executive Board ...................................................................................................... 19

c) Exchange ........................................................................................................................ 19

i. GIP – Global Internship Program .............................................................................. 19

ii. GCDP – Global Community Development Program ................................................. 19

III. THE AUTHORITY OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR TALENT MANAGEMENT, THE

TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS ........................................................................................ 20

1. Talent Management Systems .............................................................................................. 20

a) Talent Planning .............................................................................................................. 20

b) Talent Marketing ............................................................................................................ 20

c) Selection ......................................................................................................................... 21

d) Induction ......................................................................................................................... 21

e) Allocation ....................................................................................................................... 21

f) Goal setting and orientation ........................................................................................... 21

g) Education & Training ..................................................................................................... 22

h) Coaching......................................................................................................................... 22

i) Fast Track ....................................................................................................................... 22

j) Succession....................................................................................................................... 22

k) Transition ....................................................................................................................... 22

l) Talent tracking and pipeline management ..................................................................... 23

m) Motivation, Reward & Recognition (R&R) ................................................................ 23

n) Performance Appraisal .................................................................................................. 23

o) Talent Review ................................................................................................................. 23

p) Heading for the Future/ Exit Interview/ Career planning .............................................. 23

2. Learning Environment ........................................................................................................ 24

a) Individual discovery and reflection ................................................................................ 24

b) Team experiences ........................................................................................................... 24

c) Learning circles .............................................................................................................. 24

d) Conferences and seminars .............................................................................................. 25

e) Mentoring ....................................................................................................................... 25

f) Virtual spaces, forums, blogs and resource sharing ...................................................... 25

3. Needed preparations – What is important to get during transition ..................................... 25

IV. THE APPLICATION PROCESS IN AIESEC HUNGARY (FROM THE SIDE OF THE

LCS) 27

1. Application generally in the books ..................................................................................... 27

2. Application in AIESEC ...................................................................................................... 28

a) Talent Planning .............................................................................................................. 28

i. Country Competency Model (CCM) based recruitment ............................................. 28

a. Team member program .......................................................................................... 29

b. Team leader program .............................................................................................. 31

c. Exchange ................................................................................................................. 32

ii. Job Description based recruitment ............................................................................. 33

b) Talent Marketing, Promotion ......................................................................................... 33

c) Application Form ............................................................................................................ 34

V. THE SELECTION OF THE APPLICANTS .......................................................................... 36

1. Selection generally in the books ......................................................................................... 36

2. Selection in AIESEC .......................................................................................................... 37

a) Application Form ............................................................................................................ 37

b) Interview for Team members .......................................................................................... 37

c) Interview with Exchange Participants ............................................................................ 38

d) Get to know AIESEC events............................................................................................ 39

i. Induction Camp .......................................................................................................... 39

ii. Central Newie Education Weekend (CNEW) ............................................................. 41

e) First weeks ...................................................................................................................... 42

i. Allocation ................................................................................................................... 42

ii. Motivation to participate at team events .................................................................... 42

iii. Performance ........................................................................................................... 43

f) Training and Educational AIESEC Conference in Hungary (TEACH): ........................ 43

VI. Conclusion .......................................................................................................................... 44

Table of Tables

1.Table: Transition flow of an elected VPTM .......................................................................... 26

2.Table: Needed competencies for Entrepreneurial Programs ............................................... 29

3.Table: Needed competencies for Professional Programs ..................................................... 30

4.Table: Needed competencies for Team Leader Programs .................................................... 33

5.Table: Needed competencies for Exchange .......................................................................... 33

6.Table: Agenda of AIESEC Debrecen-Gödöllő-Miskolc Camp, 2011 Autumn ..................... 41

7.Table: CNEW Agenda, 2011 Autumn ................................................................................... 42

Table of Pictures

1. Official definition and picture of "What is AIESEC?" ......................................................... 2

2. AIESEC in the year of establishment, 1948 ......................................................................... 3

3. AIESEC in the year 1969 ..................................................................................................... 4



6. Structure of AIESEC ............................................................................................................ 7

7. The Growth Networks ......................................................................................................... 8

8. AIESEC Hungary Structure ................................................................................................. 11

9. AIESEC Miskolc Structure ................................................................................................... 13

10. The old AIESEC Experience model (till 2011) .................................................................. 14

11. The new AIESEC Experience Model .................................................................................. 16

12. Application flow (in books) ................................................................................................ 27

13.Change in number of members .......................................................................................... 35

14. Selection flow (in books) .................................................................................................... 36

15. The Role of TEACH .......................................................................................................... 44

1

I. INTRODUCTION

Starting my first university year I got into contact with the organization called

AIESEC. I applied to them and I became a member. I have tried myself in almost every

area which can be found in the Local Committee of Miskolc and I truly became an

AIESECer. After 6 months there came the opportunity to apply for Executive board

member and I decided to catch the chance. I knew since my joint that I want to be the

Vice President responsible for Talent Management – I wanted to work with people, to

help them, to develop them. I knew instantly that HR is my new interest, and I can frankly

say that I can imagine myself as being a top HR manager by some global organizations.

So I applied for the position and I got elected.

The last months starting from July concerned about the processes I will write

about in this paper. Since then I have experienced a lot and spent more time with these

thing than anything. I have experienced the hard process of planning, the brainstorming

regarding the promotion and the joy of making an Application Form and then see it fill

out – by 28 brave applicants, who wanted to change their university year, who wanted to

have some experience besides their studies. I have prepared and delegated around 30

interviews, concerned about the applicants and their motivation, and organized

Assessment Centre games, and a wonderful AIESEC Induction Camp together with the

Local Committees of Debrecen and Gödöllő. I have chaired a Central Newie Education

Weekend and trained and educated the enthusiastic new members of the local committee.

With these experiences I wanted to share my opinion about these processes,

because I made some conclusions, and have some development points to be made. As my

best hope, this paper will be the written acknowledgement of the experiences AIESEC

has provided me with my special area in the local committee and also it can provide an

inside look for the external people about the whole process of the application and

selection in the organization.

After getting through these months I have a really complex opinion about the

processes, I have seen the best and the worst parts of it, but mainly I would like to

emphasise the bad things, which are really need to be developed and need to be thought

through again by the Vice Presidents for Talent Management.

2

I. INTRODUCTION OF AIESEC

1. What is AIESEC?

14. Official definition and picture of "What is AIESEC?"

Source: http://blog.aiesec-suceava.ro/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/image008.gif

AIESEC has 63 years of experience in developing high potential youth into

globally - minded responsible leaders. Present in over 110 countries and territories and

with over 64,000 members, AIESEC is the world’s largest student-run organization.

Focused on providing a platform for youth leadership development, AIESEC offers

young people the opportunity to participate in international internships, experience

leadership and a global learning environment. What makes AIESEC unique is the youth-

driven impactful experience that it offers to its members. AIESEC is run by young people

for young people.

Our members are part of an exciting, driven global network. They are able to

contribute to societal change while exploring their own vision for a positive impact on

society. We are supported by thousands of partner organizations around the globe who

look to AIESEC to support the development of youth and to access top talent through our

global internship program. Our alumni are leaders within their organizations and

3

communities. They use the experience, skills and inspiration AIESEC has provided them

to be agents of positive change within today’s society.

2. History

In the beginning years of the Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences

Economiques et Commerciales (AIESEC), activities as exchange were usually

traineeships, study tours and the exchange of information on studies. Local Committees

were organizing the Traineeships during the months of November or December through

careful selections and training occurred during the following summer. The receiving

committee members played an important role: they completed the whole experience by

serving as a point of contact for trainees with the economic and cultural life of the

locality. The efforts to become the association for better organization could also be seen

after the congress in Copenhagen (1952) addressing uniform procedures and employment

contracts for exchange.

The annual growth of exchange was 22%, it was progressing well but there was a

huge concern for the quality of exchanges and thus the AIESEC Summer School Training

Programmes (SSTP) were introduced in 1966. It was a step of expansion from the

‘traditional' traineeship exchange programmes and gave more impactful experiences to

the exchange participant. SSTPs engaged a limited amount of selected trainees, each

undergoing unique training and education but in a common field or topic on a project.

Every week they took time off from their firms to meet for lectures and group discussions

15. AIESEC in the year of establishment, 1948

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=humx5nbzdqc

4

and at the end of their traineeship period, joint and individual reports were produced. By

the end of 1969, 22 SSTPs were successfully carried out in eleven different countries.

In 1967, work began on a program called Student Traineeship Exchange System

(STRES) for an effective and fair approach to help flow and standardization of

information. Exchange numbers have already reached the 4500 mark and matching that

large group of students to the diverse purpose of traineeships was stretching the capacity

of AIESEC.

To meet this need, an international committee of Electronic Data Processing (EDP) made

up of AIESEC members was put together to create and implement a new computer

matching program. STRES was developed by students from the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology with the help of IBM donated computers. They applied for a great task of

translating forms into something the computer could understand while letting exchange

controllers to familiarize with the codes and procedures involved. The Paris International

Congress in 1969 saw people for the first time, anxiously waiting until the early hours of

the morning for matching by the mainframe computer with punch cards in deciles.

A shift of focus to member education and talent development occurred in the

1970's to prepare AIESEC members for a future in the business environment. The new

structure of the global association as a whole led to the emergence of International Theme

Programmes (ITP). Eventually, these became a formal part of AIESEC.

Pioneers to this new initiative were the programs; “Management Education in the

80's” (1976-1978) and “International Trade” (1978-1980). Under the idea of the

16. AIESEC in the year 1969


5

international theme, projects were run independently in a local, national and regional

level in recognition of the rapidly changing world. There was not a really international

theme with involvement of all committees including those involved in researching the

theme. Nevertheless, awareness across nations was attained through the engagement of

students, business people, academia and the community.

AIESEC Global Seminar Series (AGSS) was initiated in 1988, in the attempt to

meet the challenges of tomorrow head on and become a change agent. AGSS then

became World Theme Conference (WTC) event. This series of seminars was

communicated with the objective of educating youth and gathering their opinions on

issues related to sustainable development, such that they would be able to have an impact

on society through their combined voice, and later in life as leaders.

At the end of this the 80s, AGSS and ITP merged to become the Global Theme

Programme (GTP). GTP had a similar aim to AGSS, but with a more proactive approach,

an example of a GTP theme being “Entrepreneurship and Corporate Responsibility: New

Opportunities for Global Development”. The program at a point was functioning almost

as a separate organization within AIESEC itself.

Improving in Information technology in the 1990's saw the ongoing development

of communication and exchange tools. The emergence of the AIESEC Global

Information Systems (AGIS) contained new internet technology to connect operations

across the globe. Further developments included the use of file type protocol (FTP) to



6

retrieve materials, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to run real-time online meetings, and open

access to the international website www.aiesec.org to 70 countries. Such changes meant

that the International Traineeship Exchange Program (ITEP) was managed online, and

also a large portion of local committee budgets were now freed up from the costs of

physical communications. AGIS would later become known as "Insight".

The advantage of using the internet to send data, and continuous matching was

able to take place, (previously matching was done at specified times) meant a huge

development during the history of the organization. Unfortunately the successes of Insight

were outnumbered by issues with the system, so it became clear that a new version was

required. Insight II was born, and ended up being used for several years until the initiation

of Insight XP in 2004.

The introduction of Issue-Based Experiences (IBXPs) began as a way to ensure

that young people who have identified an interest for a particular issue have the

opportunity to live an experience that not only enables them to gain general leadership

skills, but also expertise on a particular issue. This process represents what AIESEC

offers to its members; experiences to support them in developing needed competencies to

lead positive change and a strong interest and knowledge in one of the key topics of the

world that needs positive leadership.

AIESEC Learning Networks (LNs) are part of IBXPs, consisting of: Finance,

Education, HIV/ AIDS, Corporate Responsibility, and Entrepreneurship. AIESEC

members get the chance to lead teams and go on international internships, while

organizations benefit from access to AIESEC's membership base.

In the 2000's, the organization saw an increase in exchange numbers with over

5000 students sent on internship in 2008. The introduction of development internships, as

a new innovative pool of exchanges, added to the diversity of experiences offered. During

this period of time the introduction of further management and measurement tools for

exchange have supported countries to increase the number of exchange experiences they

are providing.

7

AIESEC International

Western Europe - North

America

Central-Eastern Europe

AIESEC Hungary

Miskolc Local Committee

Middle East - North Africa

Africa Iberoamerica Asia Pacific

The 60th anniversary celebrations of 2008 saw AIESEC celebrating the history

and achievements of 60 years of activating youth leadership in over 100 countries and

territories.

3. Structure

Being the 3rd

biggest Non-Governmental organization in the world AIESEC has a

kind of complicated and multi-levelled structure, which has been formed during the years

and some positions are still changing from year to year. It moves on three levels:

international, national and local level.



19. Structure of AIESEC

Source: Own Compilation

8

a) AIESEC International (AI): As the main leader of the whole organization

AIESEC International has a diverse and wide-spread structure. Because of being

the international leadership body of the whole organization they have leaders of

wide-choices of areas and teams as well: they are taking care of the countries and

the international initiatives, they are the ones who follow-up the countries and

help the national leaders understand and implement the new ideas.

b) Growth Networks (GNs): The world of AIESEC is divided into areas, so called

Growth Networks. Every growth network has a responsible from AIESEC

international, usually a person who is from the given region. The regions are:

20. The Growth Networks

Source: Own compilation

c) AIESEC Hungary: The national level is divided into two groups: the Member

Committee (MC) of AIESEC Hungary is the leadership body of the whole

country. They are the ones who plan the up-coming year of the country during

their transition period, they make the changes in the systems, they decide on the

initiatives and projects which can be implemented in the local committees in the

next term. The other group is the National Support Team which members are the

supporters of the local committees, the connection between the MC and the local

committees.

Western Europe -

North America

Central-Eastern Europe

Africa

Middle East - North Africa

Asia Pacific Iberoamerica

9

Positions and departments:

i. The leader of AIESEC Hungary is the Member Committee President

(MCP). He is the final responsible for all of the work done by the Member

Committee Vice Presidents (MC VPs). He represents the country and he

makes the final decisions. He has to coordinate the Member Committee

Vice Presidents together and has to lead them with responsible decisions.

He represents the country to AI.

ii. Talent Management Department (TM Department) – The leader of the

department is the Member Committee Vice President for Talent

Management (MC VP TM). She is the one who is responsible for HR

(Talent Management) systems and processes, for membership and

leadership development. To the TM department also belong two TM

coordinators who help to make the functional meetings, communicate the

initiatives and the opportunities and also coach the VP TMs in the local

committees and help them implementing the plans and initiatives.

iii. Finance Department (F Department) – The leader of the department is the

Member Committee Vice President for Finances (MC VP F). He is the

responsible for financial and legal operations and compliance in AIESEC

Hungary. He has one other member in the Finance department who helps

him to deal with the VP Fs from the local committees and their financial

situation.

iv. Outgoing Exchange Department (OGX Department) – The leader of the

department is the Member Committee Vice President for Outgoing

Exchange (MC VP OGX). He is the one responsible for planning and

controlling the flow of sending Hungarian students to internships around

the AIESEC countries. He has to control the action of the VP OGXs from

the local committees, with the help of the OGX coordinators from the

department.

v. Incoming Exchange Department (ICX Department) – The leader of the

department is the Member Committee Vice President for Incoming

Exchanges (MC VP ICX). She is responsible for planning and controlling

the flow of international students coming to Hungary and having places to

work for. She leads two Incoming Exchange Coordinators (ICX

10

Coordinators) (and an Incoming Exchange Manager (ICX Manager)1) to

provide the needed help for every local committee VP ICXs.

vi. Local Committee Development Department (LCD Department) – The

leader of the department is the Member Committee Vice President for

Local Committee Development (MC VP LCD). She is the responsible for

the operations in the local committees of AIESEC Hungary. She leads the

team of Local Committee Coaches (LC Coaches) who help directly to the

local committees to be as developed as possible.

vii. External Relations Department (ER Department) – The leader of the

department is the Member Committee Vice President for External

Relations (MC VP ER). He is responsible for the business and

governmental relations of AIESEC Hungary, he is the one who (together

with the External Relations Managers (ER Managers)) networks with the

new and existing partners.

viii. Communication Department (Comm Department) – The leader of the

department is the Member Committee Vice President for Communication

(MC VP Comm). She is the responsible for the external image and the

appearance of the organization. Along with the Communication

Coordinators, she is the one who make the plans and initials for the

promotions and coordinates the marketing activities of the local

committees.

The department members who are not MC members called the National Support

Team (NST). They are the helping body of AIESEC Hungary, they are the ones

who mainly in contact with the local committee VPs.

1 The main difference between Coordinators and Managers is that the Managers do not deal with local

committees.

11

d) Local Committee of University of Miskolc (LC Miskolc): The 8th

Local

Committee (LC) in Hungary, established in 1987 (just like the Faculty of

Economics). The LC is well-known for being the outstanding one, to go against

the flow not fearing the consequences. The leadership body always changes,

trying to fit to the number of members.

Positions and teams:

i. Local Committee President (LCP) – She is the responsible for the

decisions and work of the Vice Presidents (VPs) in the local committee.

She is the representative of the LC in the national events and for the

external partners (e.g. university) as well. She coordinates the Leadership

body of the LC together.

ii. Local Committee Vice President for Talent Management (VP TM) – She is

the responsible for the HR/TM systems in the local committee, the

development and motivation of the members and the learning cycle. She

provides the needed educations and trainings (cooperating with the

national level) and controls the operations related to the membership.

iii. Local Committee Vice President for Finances (VP F) – She is the one

responsible for the financial and legal operations in the local committee.

MCP

MC VP TM

TM Coordinator

TM Coordinator

MC VP F

Finance Coordinator

Finance Coordinator

MC VP OGX

OGX Coordinator

OGX Coordinator

MC VP ICX

ICX Coordinator

ICX Coordinator

ICX Manager

MC VP LCD

LC Coach

LC Coach

LC Coach

MC VP ER

ER Manager

ER Manager

ER Manager

MC VP Comm

Comm Coordinator

Comm Coordinator

21. AIESEC Hungary Structure

Source: own compilation

12

She makes the contracts, the compendium of the local committee, she

handles the accounting and make the official quarterly closing

iv. Local Committee Vice President for Outgoing Exchange (VP OGX) – She

is the responsible for the students who go to internships abroad: she makes

the promotion together with the VP Comm and her team, and she controls

the flow of the preparation as well. She is the one who is in contact with

the international co-operators and the local committee.

v. Local Committee Vice President for Incoming Exchange (VP ICX) – She is

the responsible for the international students who willing to come to

Miskolc for an internship. She leads a project called My World project

with a team (MW team); this project is dealing with higher educational

institutes to accept voluntary interns.

vi. Local Committee Vice President for Communication and External

Relations (VP Comm & ER) – She is the one responsible for the

appearance, promotions, marketing activities, external relations and event

organizing in Miskolc. She leads the Communication team who help her a

lot and together they fulfil the initiatives from the Comm department.

Middle Management (MM):

vii. My Expansion Coordinator (ME Coord) – She is the one leading the My

Expansion Project and team. Their work is similar like the My World

team, but they are dealing with lower educational institutes and non-

governmental organizations to accept voluntary interns.

viii. Corporate Coordinator (Corp Coord) – She is the one leading the

Corporate team whose work is to deal with organizations and companies to

accept professional interns for a longer time-period.

13

22. AIESEC Miskolc Structure

Source: Own Compilation

LCP

VPTM VP F VP OGX

OGX team

VP ICX

MW team ME coord

ME team

Corp coord

Corp team

VP Comm & ER

Comm team

14

II. PROGRAMS AIESEC OFFERS

The organization itself stands for 2 reasons: to grant people an international

learning platform and to help them develop personally. For this it is a great help to have

some kind of a structure to tell about the experiences, the flow of the membership or just

the flow of the systems, which comes after which.

That is the reason AIESEC has the “AIESEC Experience” model. It is a complex

model, with steps connected to each other and this way the people who connected to us

can have some kind of an idea what steps leads to where in this experience. The

organization tries to stay as refreshed and as up-to-date as it can be, but still there are

some gaps which should be filled, thought again.

1. The old AIESEC Experience model

AIESEC has recently changed their Experience model, since they wanted to

give people opportunity to get to know the organization without being in it. The

old model had a real flow, which contained most of the states written below. It

was kind of an unfortunate structure, even though if someone stayed at all of the

stages he/she got the true AIESEC Experience.

23. The old AIESEC Experience model (till 2011)

Source: http://aiesec.ch/about/xp/

15

Step 1. Introduction to AIESEC: This is the step where the newly inducted

members get a view about the organization; they get some idea about what we do,

what are our main priorities, main drivers. This is mostly during the interviews

where they hear about us and start to visualize what they will do in the

organization, what is interesting for them. This step also contains the Induction

camp, where they have their first AIESEC conference-experience with all the

global mindsets and discussions about world issues. Basically they get introduced

to the organization, just like the name of the stage says it. And here we can

mention the Induction Day and CNEW (Central Newie Education Weekend) as

well.

Step 2. Taking Responsibility: At this stage the members are fully inducted into

AIESEC: they have the needed educations and trainings to take part actively in the

life of the local committee. They are allocated into teams and have regular team

meetings, working day and working hours. They are organizing together informal

events and go to conferences. They have admission to the official systems

(Myaiesec.net, CRM, etc.) and have the life of an average team member in

AIESEC.

Step 3/1. Leadership Role: After taking the responsibility for enough time - during

the member gain the necessary skills and mindset – AIESEC gives the opportunity

to be a leader. The organization is set to activate the leadership potential in each of

its members and it is ready to give the wide choice of opportunities to make it

come true. There are several type of leadership positions: Task force leader,

Organizing Committee President (OCP), Project manager, Middle manager,

Executive Board member, Member Committee member, etc.

Step 3/2. Exchange: Even if someone arrives from the TR stage or the LR stage it

is important to them to live fully the AIESEC Experience – which is not complete

without going to exchange. Some people takes the opportunity and goes to

exchange as much times as possible and they always come back the good

memories, the experiences and the personal development. Because of the wide

choice of exchange opportunities – not just in countries, but profiles- it is really

16

easy for everyone to find his/her dream place with the dream job. With these

experience, the exchange work experience they are really prepared to get the job

which they want to have, because they have some advantages opposite to the

applicants who had their traineeship in Hungary.

Step 4. Heading for the Future: Unfortunately AIESECer years cannot last forever

and the members who participated at all stages have to leave the organization and

start their life with the gained experiences. At the exit interview we prepare

everyone with a career planning and a summarization of their experience to give

them more and more motivation to make their future as good as they can. With the

gained experiences and networks it is not a hard thing to get to the company they

want to work for and they have already the needed skills to do the best as they

can.

2. The new AIESEC Experience model

I have mentioned in the previous paragraph that the Experience model has

changed during the last year. Right now is the first year to use it in the practice: to

make the selection and induction based on this model is really easy, and people

who want to join have more opportunities. The only problem is to integrate it into

the local committees, to have it shown to the oldies, and have them understand it.

24. The new AIESEC Experience Model

Source: http://aiesecupm.blogspot.com/2011/07/aiesec-experiences.html

17

Phase 1. Engagement with AIESEC: In this phase the outsiders are introduced to

the world of AIESEC and the different programs they can be part of in order to

gain an integrated international leadership experience. They learn about the WHY,

HOW and WHAT of AIESEC and it will empower them to pick their

path/program to kick start the AIESEC Experience. It can be a class visit, an

information session, a chat by the information desk or other events where

AIESEC and its motives mentioned.

Phase 2. Experiential Leadership Development: The main programs of the

organization are run here. We provide team and international internship

experiences. This is the core service center where the members can learn and gain

everything from the global leadership network of AIESEC.

Phase 3. Life-long Connection: A lifelong connection will ensure the essence of

positive change throughout an AIESEC member’s life. In this way, AIESEC

presents each of its alumni a platform for continuous growth thus enabling them to

make a constant positive impact on society.

3. Comparison of the Experiences

The main difference between the two experience models is the flexibility. It

means that while in the old model it was unimaginable for someone to be a leader

right when he/she joins AIESEC, right now this opportunity is given (LC BME

and LC KVIK are already gave that opportunity to cca. 10 new leaders.) A

member can come in and out of the different type of groups easily and have a wide

choice of opportunities.

Now people do not necessarily need to be a member of AIESEC to get to

know it, to get some engagement to the organization. I have already mentioned if

someone just only heard a presentation about the organization, or a class visit

where any of our activities been mentioned it means that the person is somehow

engaged to us.

Also the programs the organization is offering get into one big label, the

Experimental Leadership Development. Every activity a person can do in AIESEC

18

is providing him/her getting a better leader, getting closer to have a leadership

opportunity.

The Heading for the Future stage morphed into the Life-long Connection

stage. It has more positive sounding, because it means that the ex-members, the

alumni stay connected to the organization for a life-time and not just quits the

organization without a trace. Also the people, the organizations and the partners

we have good relationship with are in this stage: we count on them in the up-

coming years, count on their support and that they want to stay in touch with us to

have a common benefit from each other’s activities.

Because of the change in the Experience there came a change in the

structure as well. There are full-time members, part-time members and volunteers

as well. These labels of the membership came from the type of the teams they can

join into.

The name of the exchanges changed as well. While in the past years we

counted the internships in one group and four little groups, in the new structure we

divide them into Global Internship Program and Global Community Development

Program. The second one is the volunteer program (in the old model it was the

Development Traineeship), and they decided to divide it from the other programs

people can apply for, because the main cause of this program is to bring cultural

understanding among the people of the world.

Summarizing the change between the two models we can say that we have

some main changes, which can be useful but hurtful as well. The main goals and

the main profiles of the AIESEC Experience have not changed though. Its main

goal and main challenge is to give the members the fullest experience they can

gain during the time they are participating the organization’s everyday life.

4. The Programs

a) Team Member Programs

i. Entrepreneurial Program: The program which members are

directly contribute to the exchange numbers of the local committee.

Under this program the three complex groups belong. The

19

members of these teams has to contribute to all of the steps needed

in the given area, they are the general membership.

ii. Professional Development Program: The members in this program

mostly contribute to only one step, one segment at the given areas.

The positions in this program mainly are for a short time period.

b) Team Leader Programs

i. CEED International Leadership Program: The aim of the program

is to provide an international and a Leadership experience for the

participants at the same time. It creates an opportunity for personal

and professional development, and makes it possible for the LC to

collect and share Good Case Practices from other LCs.

ii. Functional Leader – Middle Manager: The goal of the program is

to support functions, other Team Leaders and Members working on

GIP and GCDP programs within the LC. The program ensures the

proper preparation, selection, education and follow-up members of

the Leadership Program as Functional Leaders (coordinators,

managers, etc.)

iii. Executive Board: Maintain the sustainability of the Local

Committee by electing a final responsible Executive Board for its

one year strategic management and program execution.

c) Exchange

i. GIP – Global Internship Program: It contains three types of

professional internships: Technical Traineeship for the students of

the Mechanical Engineering and Informatics faculty, Management

Traineeship for the students of the Faculty of Economics and

Educational Traineeship for the students who study to be teachers.

ii. GCDP – Global Community Development Program: This

internship basically is a voluntary one which means that the

applicants go to a country from the existing 110+ AIESECer

countries and they receive accommodation and food for their

work. It is commonly a 6-8 week long journey.

20

III. THE AUTHORITY OF VICE PRESIDENT FOR TALENT

MANAGEMENT, THE TALENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

In every leadership level in the structure (even local, national or international

level) there is a Vice President responsible for Talent Management. He/She is one of the

most important leaders who can always be found. Some local committees have a whole

team for the Talent management, but in Hungary this area is a one-man work. He/She has

to be very up-to-date related to the trends in Hungary: needs to be in contact weekly with

the National TM department to have the latest information. Most important to have these

information in the application and selection period.

But they have other obligations to have, other knowledge to possess. They have to

build their whole work around the Talent Management systems: they all connected to

each other, and their network is the insurance to a working local committee. They have to

be clear on the level of working by the time they are getting into their terms: they are

having heavy situations and handle the systems in the last month of their elected being.

1. Talent Management Systems

a) Talent Planning: This is a process that identifies current and future human resources

needs for an organization to achieve its goals. It means forecasting an organization's

future demand and supply for employees, based on its business needs. Talent

planning, then, has two dimensions: planning for the required numbers of qualified

and competent members and planning for the people management practices that will

enable the organization to meet its business goals, i.e. more AIESEC experiences,

more issue based experiences, more people on leadership roles etc. better. Goals:

Membership numbers, Leadership numbers, Outgoing Exchange numbers, Leadership

& Exchange numbers, pipeline for the year.

b) Talent Marketing: It is about ensuring that we attract proper people into the

organization. It is also about promoting opportunities to the non-AIESECers and

among current members. The talent marketing is happening with the Vice President

for Communication; VP TMs define the needed characteristics in the needed human

resource and together with the VP Comm they write the messages with the punctual

content that will attract the right people. The opportunities that been promoted:

internship, long-term membership, leadership opportunity (both for new and current

members), and conferences. Goals: right people doing the right activity, motivation &

21

engagement alignment, filled positions, (inter)national opportunities: conferences,

internship, CEED. (CEED= opportunity to visit another local committee and teach

them something in which the CEEDer is good (development CEED) or learn

something in which the other local committee is good (learning CEED).)

c) Selection: We have to ensure to have right people in organization and on different

positions. First of all we need to know the profile of people that we are looking for.

That is way we can define selection on different stages in AIESEC. Selection into

Organization, Selection for Leadership Role as also Selection for Exchange. We are

assessing competencies, skills of people, checking their motivation and aspiration.

Goals: right people doing the right activity, higher retention, effective teams,

competent people.

d) Induction: This is the time when we are providing basic information about AIESEC,

supporting new members to begin exploring their own role in the world. Moreover

helping them understand the specific opportunities AIESEC offers to an individual.

Also motivating new members to take on responsibility and move forward in

AIESEC. Providing needed knowledge which will be used during next steps. Goals:

integrated members, engagement and motivation of members, right person doing the

right activity, effective and successful people, results on the areas

e) Allocation: This is the time when you should have right people on right place at right

time. Our role is to create such Job Descriptions which will be challenging for

members. It is about matching competency development and functional needs as well

as topics (issues and strategies) interests. Goals: effective teams, results on the area,

position, fulfilled goals, plans.

f) Goal setting and orientation: This is the process when members are planning their

future and set goals which they want to achieve thanks to being in AIESEC. It

happens mostly at coaching meetings, and they follow-up the goal setting in every

month to see where the member get to during this time period. Goals: conscious

development (personal, professional), ensured pipeline - fulfilled positions, result

oriented people, motivation in the organization.

22

g) Education & Training: They increase the skills and knowledge of our membership

through a mix of theoretical and experience-based learning. Continual education and

training is important for members to perform their roles effectively, to get the most

personal development out of their AIESEC experience, for an organization to move

towards the achievement of our goals and results. It works best when it is based on

needs of members. Goals: effectiveness, plan realizations, knowledge, credibility.

h) Coaching: Coaching is a relation between two people to set and achieve common

goal, support each other and create a synergy effect between their personalities,

knowledge and attitudes. Coaching is a tool to stimulate and measure development of

both coach and coachee. If we have a coach to help us achieve our goals, we can

accomplish much more. We are held accountable to the goals we create and are

motivated along the way to complete what we set out to do and find our own solutions

to any challenges in our way. Overall, it is a method to see great results, but with the

added benefit of personal learning and motivation along the way. Goals: competency

development, team dynamics, self sufficiency, results personally, on area.

i) Fast Track: Fast Track is a process in which you define stars and your talent pool in

local committee and provide them with special opportunities and responsibilities

according to their competencies, interests and potential. It also includes the shorter

cycles for members who are on their exchange stage or leadership position just within

less than 6 months after they have been recruited. Goals: quick adaptability,

integration, competent to deal with responsibility, practice in specific area, able to

fulfill leadership position or functional area.

j) Succession: To build a successful organization - the key element is to have good and

talented leaders who are capable to lead the organization through all the ups and

downs, challenges and little win to success. We have to identify our positions, review

our Membership, Develop potential candidates and empower the Talents. Goals: filled

positions, areas, leadership numbers.

k) Transition: Transition is the process through which we assure the transfer of the

strategic direction, knowledge, information and experience, from the current decision

makers to the elects. We need to pass over all the information so that the incoming

23

leaders are able to perform at their best in their responsibilities. Goals: prepared

elected members, sustainable knowledge, effective and self confident leaders,

members.

l) Talent tracking and pipeline management: The process is how our members flow

from one role to another during their AIESEC Experience with the objective of

increasing their development. The goal of Talent Pipeline Management is to make

sure we have the right people in the right roles (efficient allocation) at the right time

(effective flow). Goals: fulfilled positions - leaders, Exchange, leadership and

exchange numbers, enough capacity on the needed areas, continuity and

sustainability, right person doing the right activity.

m) Motivation, Reward & Recognition (R&R): The process is an organizational process

to ensure that members/local committees/countries are recognized and rewarded for

having a great performance. For the organization it ensures that right things get done

in right way and that the goals are achieved. It also ensures competition and quality

for those who strive to achieve excellence. Goals: individual and organizational goals

alignment, retention, pipeline is ensured, leadership positions filled, every area is

perspective.

n) Performance Appraisal: Performance appraisal is a process of assessing, summarizing

and developing the work performance and competency development of members. It

ensures that we track, guide and develop performance of our members regularly. It

provides constant feedback and new opportunities for every member to reach his

goals and development full potential. Goals: clear picture about own performance and

development, input for R&R, plan fulfillment.

o) Talent Review: The tool that enables you to measure the state of development of your

people. At the end these results will reflect the kind of experiences that you are

offering in your local committee/ member committee and improvement that you can

make. Goals: move people to stages, areas, positions, leadership, leadership and

exchange numbers.

p) Heading for the Future/ Exit Interview/ Career planning: The stages for members

who are planning not to take any further active LC/MC responsibilities in AIESEC

24

until they decide on their future (after AIESEC) steps in moving into Alumnus stage.

Heading for the Future stage might differ in time for different individuals. During this

time members are capturing their experience and plan the next steps. Goals:

individual career in society, closed AIESEC experience, right people in the

organization, professional and personal development, motivation and engagement,

leadership, leadership and exchange pipeline, numbers fulfilled.

2. Learning Environment

Every organization or institution has its own learning environment. The learning

environment consists of different elements, practices & learning methodologies, all of

them supporting personal and organizational development and growth. Learning

Environment in AIESEC supports the development and personal growth of our members

throughout their AIESEC Experience. Development of our members has a direct impact

on the development and growth of the whole organization. Our learning environment

consists of six elements described below.

a) Individual discovery and reflection: During every day there are so many

experiences we live. Sometimes we have to think about these experiences and rate

them, over-think them to gain learning points from them. Personal reflection –

either by ourselves, led by a leader or in a team- can be really good, because

sometimes unexpected results can come out. It is the task of VP TM and the team

leaders to provide space for individual discovery and reflection.

b) Team experiences: One of the main experiences in AIESEC are the team

experiences. It is easy to work on your own, but to achieve success with a group

of bonded people is a challenge. Each person in a team is different and special.

Each leader has to make steps to provide as good team experience for his

members as possible. First of all, it is important to make a selection of the

members that should be in your team. Not all personalities fit together. Team

building is the next step, then vision building, creating team rules and principles.

c) Learning circles: Gaining and deepening knowledge in a specific topic in order to

increasing the holistic world view is one of the goals in AIESEC. When member

discuss or work on a certain topic for several times in a row, you can call this a

learning cycle. The topic for it should be selected according to the interests of the

members in the LC and the needs of the environment (partners etc.). As TM and

25

EB in the local committee, you should encourage members to start a learning

circle and provide them with the resources needed for that.

d) Conferences and seminars: When people think of their AIESEC experience and

the good time that they had in AIESEC, many of them think of conferences and

seminars that they attend within AIESEC. At conferences and seminars, members

gain functional and soft skill knowledge, network and live the AIESEC culture. It

is the task of TM to offer the right workshops to their members and guide them on

their way.

e) Mentoring: Personal discovery and reflection can be guided by a mentor. When a

mentor asks the right questions, a mentee can gain new insights and different

perspectives on her/his life. It is important that the mentor and the mentee have a

personal connection to each other.

f) Virtual spaces, forums, blogs and resource sharing: AIESEC is the international

platform. With myAIESEC.net our members all over the world can connect and

exchange knowledge easily and 24/7. TM and all team leaders have the

responsibility to make their members active members on this international

platform. Here can be found a lot of interesting and useful forum topic, documents

and educations which helps the members (and also the leaders) in their area in the

upcoming challenges.

3. Needed preparations – What is important to get during transition?

I have already written about the process of transition. The word itself means in

progress, being in the process from one condition to the other. It is the time period for all

of the leaders to get the information, the experiences and the GCPs (good case practice)

from their predecessors. Here they learn about the future-to-dos, the ideas and the state of

the areas. In one side it is really important to know these steps, to get to know the

country’s profile and to get to know the status of the other local committees in the

country, but the other important role of this process, this system is to understand the

context and get to the point when someone has to start planning his/her upcoming period,

to get new, innovative ideas for their term – even if it is only for 6 months, or a year.

For a VP TM the most important thing is to get the clear status of the local

committee. It is not just about the status of the members, their knowledge, their skills,

their already held trainings and educations, but also their relationship among each other

and they future goals. Besides the members the VP TM has to see the organization as a

26

whole; he/she has to have the clear picture about the connections between the areas, the

processes and the people as well. They need to know the systems – not just the TM

systems, but the others which are used every single day in the organization. It is also

needed to know how to cooperate and with whom from the fellow VPs and the President.

Right know a transition for a VP TM in Miskolc lasts appr. 15 hours. It contains

average 6 meetings, but it is only just the education part; after that comes the part called

“On the Job” transition. It may contain already an allocation task or agenda managing and

even if it needed session preparation for working days or educations.

Transition flow of an elected VPTM

1. table

Date Parts of the Transition Details

First

meeting Role of the TM General Role and understanding

History

Stakeholdres

People management part1 AIESEC XP packaging

TM processes-overview

Second

meeting TM planning+ Plan management

People management part2 systems

Third

meeting People management part3-Systems 17 processes-planning

Fourth

meeting

Learning Environment

Talent Development

L, M, L&X management with our

tools

Fifth

meeting

Adminitration, information and

follow-up systems

Tools for ppl management

Myaiesec.net

CAT

Press

BSC, KPI,PI

Sixth

meeting Others Competencies-GCP,CCP

Cross functionalities

AIESEC Way and XP

Refreshing

Summarizing Source: Own Compilation

27

IV. THE APPLICATION PROCESS IN AIESEC HUNGARY

(FROM THE SIDE OF THE LCS)

1. Application generally in the books

25. Application flow (in books)


In the literature the application process has a specific flow, the flow which

is followed by the organizations, with less or more similarities to the given model.

The basic steps are the same – we can name them anyway we want to – the

meaning of them is the same.

“Human resource planning assists organizations to recruit, retain, and

optimize the deployment of the personnel needed to meet business objectives and

to respond to changes in the external environment. The process involves carrying

out a skills analysis of the existing workforce, carrying out manpower forecasting,

and taking action to ensure that supply meets demand.” (Csordás [2009] p.14.)

Job Analysis is not just the identification of the major job requirements,

where we define the most important duties and responsibilities of the position, but

also is the identification of knowledge, skills and abilities. We are collecting

information of the job requirements in order to identify the experiences and other

qualifications of the possible candidates.

HR Planning

Job Analysis

Person Specification

Job Description

Job Advertisement

Application Form, CV

28

Person specification has the special property that it contains the required

and desired performable profiles and characteristics of the applicants to work

satisfactorily. Nowadays a person’s specification is based on so called

“competencies”.

Job Description is the document where the employer clarifies the

expectations towards the employee, it defines the measures of the job performance

and helps both the employer and the employee an easier way to follow-up the

activities needed be done.

“The Job Advertisement is selling the job and the company to the reader.”

(Csordás [2009] p.21) Basically it means an advertisement in a newspaper, on the

internet, etc.

Application Form is made by the company to be filled out by the

applicants who are interested in the given job. It mainly contains the datas of the

applicant and questions their motivation to join the company. The CV is almost

everywhere needed to be attached, because the companies get the information

from the applicants’ background from this document.

2. Application in AIESEC

a) Talent Planning

In AIESEC it is really important to know the demand for the needed HR.

That is why it is compulsory to gather inputs from the team leaders, and discuss

the needed characteristics, the needed people to the given positions, team

memberships. In the beginning it is mainly a work best to be done alone, and

when the VP TMs have finished the planning, the brainstorming and make the first

version of the plan it is brought to feedback to the leadership body of the LC.

They decide on whether the VPTM should improve some things, think them again,

or it is ready to be the base of the promotion during the up-coming weeks.

This year two type of recruitment are the national level initiatives:

i. Country Competency Model (CCM) based recruitment: During the

planning for CCM based recruitment it is must to be aware of the national

level model, the Country Competency Model. In this model there can be

found 5 main types of competencies, which can be divided into 5-5 more.

From this model it is easier to choose the needed characteristics to the

29

given teams, because in the Job Descriptions can already been found the

characteristics which are necessary.

This type of recruitment is commonly used during the Autumn and Spring

promotion, which are organized every year in the mentioned time periods.

The type of programs which we recruit people for:

a. Team member program

Needed competencies for Entrepreneurial Programs

1. table

Entrepreneurial Programs

GIP GCDP

Profile of the member

General:

o Entrepreneurial outlook

o Global mindset

o Proactive Learner

o Emotional Intelligence

o Social Responsibility

General:

o Entrepreneurial outlook

o Global mindset

o Proactive Learner

o Emotional intelligence

o Social Responsibility

ICX:

o External Approach

o Effectiveness

o Relationship Management.

o Ambitious Performance

o Pro-activity

o Creative Problem Solving

o Communication Skills

o Interested in sales

ICX:

o External approach

o Pro-activity

o Creative problem solving

o Effectiveness

OGX:

o Ambitious Performance

o Empowering

o Openness

o Networking

OGX:

o Networking

o Openness

o Developing others

o Interpersonal development

30

o Interested in HR,

international relations

o Interested in HR,

international relations


Needed competencies for Professional Programs

2. table

Professional Programs

Name of Program Profile of the member

Trainee Buddy program Openness, networking, problem solving,

empathy

Sales program Pro-activity, creative problem solving,

ambitious performance, relationship

management, Selling and negotiation

skills, Confidence, Handling objections,

AIESEC knowledge

International Cooperation - Matching Ambitious performance, active listening,

team work, empathy, relationship,

Knowledge on myaiesec.net and other

tools for matching, English knowledge,

Communication skills

EP interviewers - Selection Active listening, empathy, responsible

decision making, ability to use

knowledge, Communication skills, Basic

AIESEC knowledge, exchange,

Availability – flexibility

Cultural preparation for EPs -

Exchange Preparation Day

Integrity, Openness, Team Work,

Developing others, Communication

skills, Knowledge on

exchange/international experience,

Exchange or other international

experience

Event Organising Creative problem solving, proactivity,

ambitious performance, flexibility,

31

Multitasking

Promotion - marketing Ability to use knowledge, Analytical

thinking, Driving commitment, External

approach, Innovative, crazy ideas,

marketing knowledge

IT development Creative problem solving, team work,

flexibility, ability to use knowledge, IT

knowledge, knowing what attracts people

- in case of promotion materials

Inkind Pro-activity, creative problem solving,

ambitious performance, Selling skills,

Selling training

Logistic – Organizing Committee

Member

Effectiveness, flexibility, analytical

thinking, Looking through the processes,

Precise, can coordinate can drive

Bidding - alternative sources Ambitious performance, creative problem

solving, driving commitment, pro-

activity, Writing and communication

skills, Being up-to-date in the issue

Trainings Self-driven learning, self-awareness, pro-

activity

Administration Analytical thinking, effectiveness,

creative problem solving, IT knowledge,

working in the background

Career management - mentoring Self-awareness, self-driven learning,

driving commitment, effective listening


b. Team leader program

Needed competencies for Team Leader Programs

3. table

32

Team Leader Programs

Name of Program Profile of the member

CEED - International Leadership

program

Competencies that are required to

participate in the Team Leader program

and CEED

Project leader: MM-entrepreneurial Global Mindset: Team work,

Adaptability, Entrepreneurial Outlook:

Effectiveness, Relationship Management,

Emotional Intelligence: Empowering,

Proactive Learner: Self-awarenes, Ability

to use knowledge, ICX GIP: sales skills,

OGX: GIP, GCDP: HR knowledge

Executive Board all 5 core competencies, High level of

AIESEC understanding and knowledge

on the functional areas, management and

leadership, TM: experience on HR, F:

financial&accounting knowledge, Sales:

sales skills, Comm: marketing studies, P:

team management


c. Exchange

Needed competencies for Exchange

4. table

Exchange

Profile of Exchange Participants

Entrepreneurial Outlook Creative problem solving, Effectiveness

Emotional Intelligence Integrity, Effective listening

Global Mindset Openness, Networking, Team work,

Flexibility, Adaptability

Social Responsibility External approach

Proactive Learning Self-awareness, Ability to use knowledge

33

Source: Own compilation

Disadvantages of the method: In my opinion it is really hard to know what

characteristics are really needed in a person to be successful, to be at the right place in

AIESEC. The given profiles are not guarantee that the person will be able to fulfil other

behavioural expectations, even if he/she has the perfect profile to be an AIESECer at the

given area.

Also a problem is to make the promotional messages based on the characteristics

understandable, to think with the head of the targets to make them interested. Most of the

people do not really get the messages, they not interested and they do not even know they

have these characteristics, just after they spend some time in the organization. To attract

them is really hard and unfortunately we have the only shots with the Neptun-messages

and the class visits – only the experts can give the right messages to the given targets.

ii. Job Description based recruitment: The JD based recruitment is somehow easier

to make, to plan and to realize. The leaders write the Job Descriptions for the

promotion, with these JDs we can promote the opportunities, so the students can

get a materialized advertisement, a materialized document to themselves what

they can do and what they have to do in how many hours. It is better, because it

not says the fluffy things but the strict facts connected to the works.

Disadvantages of the method: It is possible that some things are change during the

weeks of promotion and when the applicants get into the organization they have to face

the fact that maybe they have more things to do than they were expecting.

Other problem could be the variety of opportunities. It is really hard to reduce the

JDs (and the recruitment) just for the really needed teams, and the leaders have to cancel

their plans if their team is not among the important ones who contribute to the ultimate

success of the LC.

b) Talent Marketing, Promotion

The Talent Marketing and Promotion is the key factor of the success of the

recruitment. In this period the VP TM and VP Comm works together to define the

target groups for each and every characteristic to each and every faculty they are

34

interested in. They discuss the opportunities, the messages, the content of the

promotion and the key points to mention to each target group.

After the discussion the VP Comm with her team plans the whole promotion.

They are defining the on and offline channels, where-what-how and the time of the

acts during the promotion. They are solving the needed things, like classroom

reservation, contacting teachers because of class visits, AC games, etc. They make

trainings, preparations based on the promotion, where they prepare the LC members

with the needed information and the messages.

Disadvantages of the method: At first it is really hard to define the messages based on

the competencies. They take hours, days to discuss and to make them understandable for

the outsiders as well.

The promotion part is really a risk-factor. Even though the members get

educations and trainings based on the promotion, how to promote, what messages do we

mediate to whom and what not to mention, the newies who make promotion for the first

time cannot participate with full knowledge and it is really a handicap. They cannot ask

people randomly, they cannot answer the questions and cannot speak in front of lot of

people. If they are left alone in the information desk just for 5 minutes they can eject

beneficial applicants.

c) Application Form

Application forms (AF) are one of the most important milestones in the

recruitment, the measure of success of the promotion. It is the document which

questions can measure the interest and the mindset of someone. Basically the role of

it to help the decision of the VP TM whether the applicant is worth to be interviewed

or AIESEC just is not the organization for them.

Do not misunderstand it is not always a KO criteria, but there are some

applicants whom statements already tell about the personality of him/her and if the

answers are really against the AIESEC norms it is easier to check. Also the language

skills are measured too – even though the language knowledge is no compulsory to

be an AIESECer, it is better if someone has at least base language knowledge.

Disadvantages: People do not really like to fill out hundred miles long questionnaires

and it is the same for an application form as well. If they see that it is more than 2 pages

35

long and they have to write a lot they lose their motivation to fill it and they give up on

application – except for some really motivated ones.

The above mentioned is the reason that it is really hard to make quality

Application Forms which can truly measure the applicants interest, mindset and

personality. Only the really poorly written Application Forms do not lead to a personal

interview.

Also when people fill the AF they do not really know the organization just heard

some words about it. So at first it is really hard to check whether their answers contain

something which can show the things which are interesting for them in the organization.

26. Change in number of members

Source: Own Compilation based on AIESEC Hungary Annual Report 2010-2011

320

470 461 500

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011

Membership

36

V. THE SELECTION OF THE APPLICANTS

1. Selection generally in the books

27. Selection flow (in books)


The upcoming parts of the selection also similar to the ones the

organizations use – the changes of course are optional; they are based on the

culture of the organization and the position of the applicants.

“Screening (or Shortlisting) is a process of eliminating from further

consideration applicants who lack appropriate qualifications, or who are too

highly qualified, based upon data from application forms (CV-s), references,

psychological tests, etc (predictors). The screening process may be extended over

several stages, eliminating further applicants at each stage.” (Csordás [2009]

p.24.)

References and test are the optional steps, the optional opportunities. They

are depending on the position again.

Interviews have the purpose to see whether the candidate is suitable for the

job and has an accurate picture of the job. During the interview the interviewer

and the applicant exchange their information, mostly about the applicant – his

"Shortlisting"

References

Tests for SL candidates

Interview

Assessment Centres

37

background, his life overall (at least the part which has relevance connected to the

organization, to the job.)

Assessment Centres are a more days long event where the applicants has to

fulfil tasks in different situations – working alone, working in a team, solving case

studies, stress interviews, etc. During the AC the real personality of the applicants

can be observed and based on this information it is easier to decide about them.

2. Selection in AIESEC

Selection in AIESEC is a manifold process with 5 (or 6, depends on LC)

checkpoints. It is really important to only leave the applicants who are totally in

the profile of AIESEC and vica versa. The members who cannot behave as the

organization requires but is not selected can cause big problems in the upcoming

periods both internally and externally. That is why the checkpoints are spread into

almost 1,5 months time period, so the VP TM along with the leaders can observe

the applicants.

a) Application Form: The first selection point which is already mentioned in the

Application chapter is the Application Form. The basic definitions and means are

already written there.

Also a written selection form is the motivational letter. It is mainly used during

the Professional programs where it is not needed to be a full-time member of the

organization. For them mainly it is about the work, the area they want to work on,

and with their motivation written it is easier to decide whether they can attend an

interview or not.

b) Interview for Team members: Both for entrepreneurial and professional programs

it is based on the CCM and the CCM Selection guide. The CCM selection guide is

a document where the TM department and the TM Working Group members

collected useful questions connected to the given competencies.

The Flow of the interview: At first the VP TM arranges on time and place with the

applicant vie telephone (or rarely in e-mail). She prepares the applicant with a brief

explanation of the interview: why it is important, what inputs do we need during it, how

we can get to know the applicant.

38

At the interview it is easier to start with a short ice-breaker: how the applicant feels

themselves, how was their day, what they had to lunch – just to ease them up a bit. After

that a short pre-summarization of the interview: what will happen? why it is important?

etc – the same as in the phone, maybe a bit further explaining.

The first thing is the introduction of the organization, telling about the areas, the teams

and the opportunities to get to the interest of the applicants, to make them already wander

about their possible success.

The interviewee always asked about the 5 core competencies, with various questions. At

first talking about their self-awareness, some easier question where we can measure their

mindset about themselves and their behaviour. After that the questions are about the

previous experiences – work, team, international experiences. This leads to the working

behaviour of the applicant the adaptability, flexibility and at the goal orientation. In the

end come some questions about self-effectiveness and a simulation task – based on the

answer given to the question which teams are they interested in.

Disadvantages: Generally we get the needed information about people based on the

answers but some of their hidden behaviours, bad nature just come out during the camp,

the work or worse after some months.

Also a problem is the under-qualification of the interviewers. Generally the VPTM

teams up with one of her leader peers and they make together the interviews, but at first

neither of them is an expert and because of the rotation of the helpers the VP TM always

has to be the one who is the stable one interviewer.

The interviewees during the interviews are really shy and try to answer as good as

they can so sometimes they make up things. It could be a problem during the allocation in

the induction camp, because if the interviewee in real life a harsh, leader type and he gets

into a team with another leader type it can occur problems in the team.

c) Interview with Exchange Participants: For exchange participants the VP OGX

arranges the meetings because she is the one in connection with the applicants.

The interview for them has a same flow, but here the questions mainly aim the required

competencies defined in the previous chapters. The interview here – opposite to the TMP

interviews – are fully in English, so the English knowledge of the participant here can be

observed. For GCDP EPs it is the point where they knowledge is decided and based on

39

this results they are uploaded with the “good” or “excellent” English knowledge label.

For the GIP EPs it is only a selection point as well.

Here during the interview an observation sheet must be filled where the interviewees are

evaluated based on their answers and due to this sheet it is decided whether the applicant

can go to an internship or not.

Disadvantages: Similarities with the previous one: the applicants are shy, try to be as

perfect as possible and they can say unreliable things.

Also the English language is hardening it because they cannot express themselves

as good as in Hungarian. They can get disturbed and confused around the interviewers

questions and because of it fail the whole interview, defeating the chance to go abroad.

d) Get to know AIESEC events: These events main goals are the same: to observe,

evaluate and decide on the applicants – whether they should stay and get in to

given teams, or have them exited.

i. Induction Camp: This is a 3 days long event where the applicants have the

opportunity to already start the networking with other LCs’ new members and to

get to know the whole concept of AIESEC. These 3 days contain educations and

simulations based on the heard information, to observe the capabilities of the

newies, and to get some information connected to them.

During these days they are allocated into home groups with 2-2 facilitators (facis)

to observe and help them, and they get through the tasks and discussions together

with the team.

It is the first conference experience, and the first international experience, because

there is always a foreigner chair, the sessions are in English and there are party

delegates for the Saturday night party who are interns.

The agenda is well-built, over-thought and every session is building on each other

in order to their continuing. Every session has a Session outline made by the

responsible facilitators, and handed to the other facis to get them to know the

session flows.

40

Agenda of AIESEC Debrecen-Gödöllő-Miskolc Camp, 2011 Autumn

5. table


Agenda

Friday Saturday Sunday

8:00 8:30

Getting to the site

Breakfast Sleep-in

8:30 9:00 Breakfast

9:00 9:30 Morning Plenary

9:30 10:00 Morning Plenary

10:00 10:30

Structure XP Talks 10:30 11:00

11:00 11:30

11:30 12:00

Program simulations Career planning

12:00 12:30 Check-in

12:30 13:00 Lunch break

13:00 13:30 Opening plenary Lunch Closing Plenary

13:30 14:00

14:00 14:30

Team Building Program simulations

Travelling home

14:30 15:00

15:00 15:30

15:30 16:00

16:00 16:30 AC

16:30 17:00 Homegroup time

17:00 17:30 Break

17:30 18:00

Get to know AIESEC

Break

18:00 18:30 LC Time

18:30 19:00

19:00 19:30 Dinner

19:30 20:00 Dinner

20:00 20:30 Evening plenary

20:30 21:00 LC Time

Preparation for evening fun 21:00 21:30

21:30 22:00 Evening plenary Evening fun

22:00 22:30 Evening fun

22:30 23:00

Party - Boat race 23:00 23:30 Party

23:30 0:00

41

Disadvantages: The main disadvantage is the fact that even though the facilitators get a

training how to be a good faci, but it still not guarantee the fact that someone could get

the newies to the mindset they should be or he/she could ask the right questions – which

is needed for a good faci. Also an unexperienced, not prepared faci can really harden their

pairs work, because the only one who is right as a faci has to lead all of the conversations

and has to act like he/she has a homegroup with one more person (his/her faci pair)

In the camp people can get really engaged, even the ones who turn out to be not

the best material to be an AIESECer. Also a good relationship can form between the

newies and the facis and it is really hard to say to get someone out. This is why the

facilitators need to get to know the applicants but cannot really befriend them, because it

makes everything harder.

The newies can get attracted to an area but after some days they can easily change

their minds and it is hard to make the allocation to get them satisfied and to get them in

the right area.

ii. Central Newie Education Weekend (CNEW): The CNEW is a stricter, more

operative event in the life of the newie AIESECers. There are some things to be

repeated but also a lot of operative things to get to know. They get legal

education, education about the LC, the TM systems and also training regarding the

area where they are allocated.

Here the simulations are not as easy as in the Induction Camp, because they have

to get the fact that they can have harder tasks, harder partners to be convinced.

This team is engaging the teams and the members and already education and train

them usefully, so they can get to the work with the knowledge they have to have

to be successful.

The agenda is decided by the LCP and VP TM, but of course the leadership body

has chance to feedback it as well.

42

CNEW Agenda, 2011 Autumn

6. table

Friday

9:00 9:30 Opening 9:00 9:30

9:30 10:00 Team Building 9:30 10:00

10:00 10:30 Quiz 10:00 10:30

10:30 11:00

Our LC

10:30 11:00

11:00 11:30 11:00 11:30

11:30 12:00 11:30 12:00

12:00 12:30 Lunch

12:00 12:30

12:30 13:00 12:30 13:00

13:00 13:30 Legal 13:00 13:30

13:30 14:00 Branding

13:30 14:00

14:00 14:30 14:00 14:30

14:30 15:00 Sales training 14:30 15:00

15:00 15:30

Training+Simulation

15:00 15:30

15:30 16:00 15:30 16:00

16:00 16:30 16:00 16:30

16:30 17:00 16:30 17:00

17:00 17:30 Closing 17:00 17:30


Disadvantages: Some members just get the idea on this day during the simulations that

they are not really interested in the area they are allocated to and want to change. They

make the whole structure and allocation collapse and the leaders have to re-think the

whole allocation of the LC.

e) First weeks

i. Allocation: The newies are allocated into teams after the Induction Camp

so they can get their first team meetings and get to know each other and

the team leaders as well. They can experiment the area and start to

simulate with the leader so they can get feedbacks and can be prepared to

the CNEW and the most important to the TEACH conference (further

details of it can be found lower).

ii. Motivation to participate at team events: At first it is really hard to engage

the team members and get them understand that the team meetings and the

working days are important and it is advised to participate on them. The

team leaders have the responsibility and the challenge to get the members

43

Soft skills

development

• Team Identity Creation:

• Personal Responsibilty

• Collective Responsibility

• Adaptability

• Feedback Manage

ment skills

development

• Analysis

• Planning

• Controlling

• Accountability

• Team Managent

Practical skills

development

• Negotiation

• Networking

• Marketing

• Matching

used to the fact that they have to appear in order to get the expected

AIESEC experience.

iii. Performance: The teams start to work with the newly motivated members

and they start to gain their first successes and failures. There are teams

whose work is shown in a shorter time-period but also there are ones

whose work show in longer time-periods. For the newies it can decline the

motivation to see the other team success so it is really important to have

the team leaders sane and get the teams motivated.

f) Training and Educational AIESEC Conference in Hungary (TEACH):

The TEACH conference is one of the biggest conferences in AIESEC

Hungary, made for the newies mainly. It is the platform where every newly

inducted members of AIESEC Hungary participates and get the conference

experience which most of the time engages them finally to the organization.

The main goal of TEACH is to teach the newies through practical and

tangible experiences, to give them the experimentation of the national and

international sense of AIESEC. They are networking with each other in their home

groups, their facilitator and also with the international and national participants

outside the homegroup.

They gain intense practical knowledge and experiences through games,

simulations and reflections. Basically they are simulating the year of a Local

Committee while getting team experience.

28. The Role of TEACH


44

VI. Conclusion

As I have experienced already two regular recruitment & induction processes (one

as a promotion team member, the other as a VPTM) I have a lot of experience regarding

this issue. I have seen the positive and the negative sides as well, I have heard the

feedbacks and I have lived through the integration and education of the new members.

Everyone in the LC had participated actively and tried to help the oldies and the newies as

well to get used to the situation of being in AIESEC.

The most important things that I have experienced are that planning can happen all

the time as exactly as it can, but there are always occurring problems which for the people

are not prepared. Also it is really important to have a number in front of us, so we can

have the measurement of our successes and we know what we are striving for. I have

learnt it is not an option to give up and let things happen: everyone must strive for the

goals they set for themselves.

And I have learnt the things that should be developed regarding application and

selection and induction as well. Just like the fact that we cannot really define the target

groups we want to attract with our messages because each and every people are different,

they have different goals, different interest. So it is not obligatory that an International

Business student only can be interested in being an ICX member, because they have to

negotiate in their future probably. We have to have worst case scenarios planned as well

and we have to have plans from a to (at least) z. We also have to really consider the

planned messages, what we want to advertise, and what characteristics we are require for

the applicants.

We need to prepare shorter Application Forms which unfortunately cannot really

measure the KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) of the applicants, because the longer the

application form the better the quality of it. We need to have interviewer trainings and

simulations regarding to it, because no one is really an expert interviewer in the

beginning: at first help by the TM Department is needed to have quality interviews. We

have to consider the language of the interviews, and have to count with the consequences

that the interviewees are not that shy someone who they show themselves.

As for the induction period, the get to know AIESEC period in the Induction camp

it is really needed to have expert facilitators, because they are the ones who decide the

final applicants who can be members of the organization, of the local committee. So it is

not enough to have a Facilitator training, but it is also needed to have the ability to

facilitate someone by nature. It is really rare and if someone do not have this than they

45

have to develop it and use it, because without it the applicants can slip into the

organization without real observation and seeing their true personality, their true minds

and their true behaviour.

Also the evaluation and the allocation have to be really consequent and throughout,

because we have to count with the sympathy of the homegroup facis and we have to count

with the mind-changing of the applicant. Also there is a part where they are writing their

sequence of the desired areas and keeping it in mind is really important, because of the

retention we need to fulfil their wishes – based on the personalities we got to know.

So we can say that there are a lot of crucial points we need to pay attention for and

there are a lot of decisions which are needed to be made by the responsible persons.

These decisions are not always the best ones, but everyone is trying to get the most out of

it, so we need to be prepared and need to be persistent to get through this 4 months long

period. Fortunately there is another round starting from January.

46

VII. ATTACHMENTS

The below attached files, documents are really good examples for the wide-spread

areas of only just the application and selection process. These documents mostly born

from experience, I created them, or part of the national initials from the TM department.

These are really useful documents because during the needed periods they are not needed

to be made again, but maybe just developed a bit. So it is quite good and useful to have

some of the predecessors’ files. It is also part of the transition to transfer the most

important documents.

The Attached Files, Documents:

1. Country Competency Model

2. Competency Assessment Tools (based on CCM)

3. Application Form Autumn 2011, Miskolc

4. Job Descriptions for Recruitment

5. Member Interview Guide

47

VIII. SOURCES

1. Tamás Csordás MBA PhD – Human Resource Management Course Material,

2009, University of Miskolc

2. AIESEC History video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=humx5nbzdqc

3. AIESEC Hungary Annual Report 2010-2011

4. Own documents