Most companies have campus hiring strategies in place

The good news is that number of organisations with a dedicated campus hiring strategy has increased by a whopping 25 per cent since 2013. The bad news, however, is that we are still where we were in terms of roadblocks

Apeksha Kaushik, TimesJobs.com

In a recent survey by TimesJobs nearly 65 per cent of the organisations claimed to have a comprehensive and ingenious campus recruitment programme in place. There has been an increment of 25 per cent in the number of organisations with an inclusive campus placement strategy since 2013, according to the study which saw participation of over 600 employers.

With so many organisations investing in building a campus hiring programme, it is imperative for institutes and students to leverage the opportunity. The 2016 Campus Recruitment Survey by TimesJobs suggests that with respect to industry focus on campus hiring, organisations are better off than what they were two years ago. The industry is focussed on quality talent and thus 60 per cent organisations are open to going to lesser known and upcoming institutes for placements. However, 40 per cent organisations still won’t go beyond top B-schools to search for talent.

Why campus recruitment

Campus recruitment is a great tool to get fresh, innovative minds on board to fill large number of positions at a comparatively lower cost. The new graduates often provide valuable insights to strengthen and grow as they have different perspective than those who are already in the business.

One of the biggest advantages of campus hiring is its cost-effectiveness, as mentioned by nearly 40 per cent of the surveyed organisations. About 35 per cent organisations said it’s a great brand building tool and 20 per cent felt it is effective in improving retention.

What are the gaps

While campus recruitment is picking pace, there are challenges that need to be addressed to make it a success in the Indian job market. One of the biggest roadblock lies in the lack of employability of candidates. About 40 per cent organisations feel employability is a major issue while hiring through campuses. Another major concern is the dropout rates, as pointed out by 30 per cent organisations.

According to the study, 55 per cent organisations said they interview nearly 100-200 candidates during campus placements. Of the total number of candidates interviewed, 5-10 per cent receive offer letters while only 5 per cent actually accept the offers and join the organisations, finds the study.

Contrary to popular notion, salary was not the primary reason for rejecting a job offer but high competition leading to multiple job offers to a single candidate has been cited as the key reason for large number of dropouts. Brand preference and relocation are the other major reasons for not taking up a job offer.

source: techgig.com