Interview | How Birlasoft’s Learning Culture Empowers First-Generation Talent

Aug 21, 2025

Corporate

| 6 min read

This article was originally published in All Things Talent - Source link

How Birlasoft’s Learning Culture Empowers First-Generation Talent - Deepak Arora, Head of L&D, shares his perspective.

Deepak Arora

VP-Head L&D, HR Tech & Transformation

Birlasoft

The move to corporate is one of the most significant transitions in a professional’s life. It is a time full of promise, but also of adjustment—where knowledge meets application, and potential begins to take shape. At Birlasoft, this journey is treated not as a one-time event but as a carefully designed, multi-year process that nurtures both technical expertise and human-centric skills.

In this conversation, we explore how Birlasoft’s Campus to Corporate (C2C) Program, along with initiatives like Early Edge and Career Compass, are enabling young professionals to build confidence, navigate complexity, and grow into future-ready consultants and leaders, equipped not just to start their careers, but to shape them meaningfully.

Q/ The campus-to-corporate transition has long been a grey area in talent development. In your experience, what are we still getting wrong about preparing young professionals for real-world roles, and where do structured programs like C2C succeed where others fall short?

The campus-to-corporate transition is a pivotal phase in a young professional’s journey, yet it’s often approached with an overreliance on academic preparedness. What’s frequently missed is the need for real-world exposure, contextual judgement, and the human-centric skills essential for success in today’s dynamic, tech-enabled workplaces.

At Birlasoft, our Campus to Corporate (C2C) Program bridges this gap through a multi-year, structured development journey. More than just technical onboarding, C2C blends emerging tech readiness - including Gen AI training- with critical behavioural competencies like communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Clients will value the contributions of consultants who are knowledgeable about their business. With the right foundational industry knowledge, new hires can ramp up more quickly on projects and become more productive. We use real-world case studies from various industries to illustrate how technology is applied to solve business challenges and ensure that Industry 101 and 201 are integrated into the learning journey.

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A key differentiator is the ‘Early Edge’ track, which introduces learning themes over three years focused on assimilation, relationship-building, ownership, curiosity, a growth mindset, and the development of agile skills. This sustained, well-rounded approach ensures that our young talent is not only equipped to start their careers - but also to thrive, adapt, and lead in an evolving digital world.

Q/ When you observe fresh hires in their first 6–12 months, what signals do you watch for as success indicators or red flags? How have these observations influenced your design of onboarding or early-career development frameworks?

The early months of a new hire’s journey offer critical insights into their potential and areas for growth. This period often reveals early indicators of success such as curiosity, proactive learning, adaptability, and a willingness to engage with platforms like Coursera or our TechXchange Series. Clear communication, collaboration, and ease with emerging technologies also stand out as essential capabilities in today’s AI-augmented workplace.

That said, limited engagement, resistance to feedback, and difficulty adapting to new tools or processes can signal deeper challenges that may affect long-term success.

Recognising the importance of this formative phase, we closely observe these early signals to inform and personalise our talent development strategies. By emphasising foundational skills, a growth mindset, and adaptability, we aim to nurture professionals who are not just equipped for today’s demands but are also prepared to grow, evolve, and lead in the future.

We believe there is no harm in making a mid-course correction and allowing fresh talent. Our programs are flexible and adaptive. We are committed to giving employees opportunities to explore the latest skills and demonstrate their capabilities.

Q/ Safe spaces for learning and feedback are often spoken about, but are less often built. How do you think organisations can create environments where younger employees, especially first-generation professionals, can unlearn hesitations and voice their learning needs honestly?

Creating safe learning spaces requires more than intent - it calls for consistent cultural reinforcement, empathetic leadership, and structured support systems.

One of the most effective ways to build this foundation is by equipping managers to lead with empathy through programs like Manager as a Coach, encouraging non-judgmental, growth-focused conversations. Mentorship initiatives connect campus joiners with senior leaders, while buddy programs provide peer-level support, especially valuable for first-generation professionals navigating unfamiliar corporate environments.

We also leverage AI-powered coaching tools that provide private, always-on guidance supporting those who may hesitate to seek feedback in live settings. Action Learning Projects (ALPs) reinforce psychological safety by encouraging experimentation, reflection, and learning from mistakes without fear of judgment.

Career Compass is Birlasoft’s flagship career transformation initiative designed to empower employees to take ownership of their professional growth. It acts as a centralised digital platform, guiding employees through structured career paths, skill development, and internal mobility opportunities. The initiative is anchored in the philosophy of “Own Your Career”.

Q/ We keep returning to the ‘employability’ narrative year after year. Do you think the responsibility of fixing this lies more with academia, or has the corporate sector simply not reimagined skilling at scale yet?

Employability is a shared responsibility rooted in collaboration between academia and the corporate sector. While educational institutions provide foundational knowledge, the pace of technological and industry change often outpaces what traditional curricula can address. This is where the corporate sector plays a critical role: by bridging the last-mile gap through agile, real-time skilling models.

Academia-Industry collaboration is essential to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Here are some best practices for fostering better synergy between academia and industry:

Institutions could establish industry advisory boards that provide input on curriculum design and highlight industry-relevant skills.
Integrate practical skills and industry-relevant tools into the academic curriculum.
Introduce industry-specific electives to provide specialised knowledge in sectors such as Manufacturing, Life Sciences, Energy and Utilities, BFSI, etc.
Offering gig work to campus freshers before they are placed can be a highly beneficial strategy for both students and organisations.

At Birlasoft, we have embraced this approach through platforms like Career Compass, SkillFolio, Role and skill-based Learning Journeys, GenAI Academy, enabling over 94% of our workforce to engage in unique, self-driven learning paths. When learning is seen as a lever for innovation and growth, not just employability, it creates a future-ready workforce and a stronger, more adaptable organisation.

Q/ What is the common thread running through your various initiatives like: Young Titans, BEmpowered, PMAspire, and more? Where do you draw the line between building leadership as a capability vs. as a career path?

Building future-ready leaders requires more than isolated initiatives- it calls for a cohesive, purpose-driven approach. Our leadership development portfolio, including Young Titans, BEmpowered, and PMAspire, is designed with this in mind. These programs are part of Birlasoft’s strategic Learning & Development ecosystem designed to build leadership capabilities across diverse talent pools. These programs align closely with organisational goals to prepare employees for future-ready roles, combining behavioural, technical, and strategic skill-building with real-world learning through Action Learning Projects and senior leadership mentorship. These programs align closely with our commitment to role-centric, impact-driven capability building, tailored to the evolving demands of our business and clients.

We distinguish clearly between leadership as a capability and as a career path. As a capability, leadership is for everyone - developing core skills like communication, influence, and problem-solving across all roles. Initiatives such as Behavioural Skills Training and Manager as a Coach help embed these qualities into our culture.

Leadership as a career path, on the other hand, focuses on identifying and nurturing high-potential individuals for formal leadership roles. Together, these dual approaches create a leadership pipeline that is deep, progressive, and aligned with our evolving business landscape. Our programs are not endpoints; they are launchpads for leaders who can shape the future of Birlasoft.

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