If you’re wondering whether or not your next hire should be someone with an MBA degree, there are a number of business leaders who would support such a move. In a recent survey by MBA@UNC, 24 HR executives from a variety of industries were asked for their perspectives regarding the advantages they see in candidates who have an MBA.
“We find that MBA graduates joining Disney possess a passion for our company, brand and unique experiences, and they offer a wide range of business knowledge and intense enthusiasm for what is possible,” said Julie Hodges, senior vice president of human resources and diversity and inclusion for Disney Parks & Resorts. “Their ability to handle complex business situations and capacity to adapt and be nimble in a rapidly changing global environment has been an asset for us.”
Sandy Hynes, senior vice president of people at Opower, agrees. “Having an MBA is so much more than a few additional years of education,” she says. “Candidates with MBAs stand out because they are able to take theoretical knowledge and apply it to real business solutions, enabling them to get up to speed and deliver results more rapidly, which is what top companies need to compete globally.”
The global business theme also resonated with Katie Burke, director of talent and culture at Hubspot. “At Hubspot we give employees significant autonomy to create solutions for our customers and our company,” he says. “MBAs are incredibly valuable to our team because they drive data-driven decisions to impact change and lead cross-functional projects all while thinking like founders, and that’s a hybrid skill set we need in spades as we grow and scale globally.”
In addition to the benefit of a global perspective, the HR executives who were polled cited a variety of other reasons that fell into specific categories that may help your business. The following provides a bird’s-eye view.
Business Acumen
MBA candidates are fluent in the language of business, and have past exposure to real business challenges across many industries. This leads to an overall business acumen, which those surveyed said provides advantages in a competitive market. They understand the fundamentals of business, including basic financial and marketing principles, and view business in a holistic manner, which supports strategic and global perspectives. In addition, MBAs understand the “business behind the business”—which increases effectiveness both as consultants and internally.
Decision-Making Skills
A key factor in promoting the autonomy and leadership that innovative business environments need involves the ability to make data-driven decisions. The critical-thinking skills that MBAs possess are especially tuned into the financial context of the business environment. With the ability to apply theoretical knowledge, they can rapidly create real business solutions using an analytical lens to make the most of objective data for decisions that lead to sound business strategies. In addition, MBAs possess a “big picture” perspective that supports an innovative culture.
Agility
With the need to tackle an ever-changing array of business needs, organizations must adopt an agile enterprise approach. Since MBAs possess a wide variety of skills, they can do so in a comprehensive manner. They are able to handle complex business situations with agility, and possess a wide range of business knowledge. By understanding evolving business trends, they have a keen view of how such trends may impact changing business needs and are able to develop creative solutions to meet them.
Leadership
MBAs are committed to ongoing personal development including education and strong networks of professional relationships that can be beneficial long term. With a commitment to excellence, MBAs are their own leaders and able to combine critical thinking, creative problem-solving and optimal communication to do it. As such, they are more easily developed into organizational leaders who have the ability to hone quantitative capabilities along with critical-thinking skills.
If the next hire you need should be someone with a global perspective, a keen business acumen, sharp decision-making skills, agility and leadership capability—then perhaps someone with an MBA degree would be the perfect fit.
Alison Napolitano is the Community Relations Manager at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.
