IIM-A changes recruitment process

GANDHINAGAR - The premier Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has decided to give recruiters more time to study, evaluate and interview students before handing them appointment letters.

The change in the appointment process was mooted by the institute to give students and their potential recruiters an option to choose the best talent so that both parties gain more in the long run.

The move essentially aims at a better match-making process, ensuring a better fit between the students and the firms, said Saral Mukherjee, faculty chairman at IIM-A, Wednesday.

The decision was a sequel to the first of its kind recruiter conclave held at Mumbai yesterday, the IIM-A placement committee invited recruiter feedback on the new process.

The system called the cohort-based placements process will go live from the coming placement season beginning the second week of February 2010.

According to Vivek Jain, a student member of the placement committee, the process would be conducted over continuous weekends. The cohort-based process is a longer placement process but with significant advantages.

Underlining the salient features of the cohort-based system as opposed to the day-based system that has been followed in the past, he said that this change is envisioned to provide a better platform for interaction between recruiters and students than the erstwhile day process.

The day process led to great pressure on firms to make offers early and on students to accept offers on the spot.

Given the ever-increasing batch size, we have deliberated over the ideal placement process for long. Though this may not be the ideal system, it is definitely a move towards one. We believe the process will ensure that decisions are not made hastily on either side.

The conclave was attended by representatives from more than 60 regular recruiting partners across sectors.