How Recruiters Select Business Schools

What makes a corporate recruiter come to a business school to recruit students?

It’s more than just great graduates worth employing, according to new research by the Graduate Management Admission Council published today (May 18).

Sure, the number one reason, cited by 80% of 565 responding employers in 44 countries to GMAC’s 2014 Corporate Recruiters survey is the “quality of the students.” The reputation of the school, cited by 65% of the recruiters, is next, while “satisfaction with past interns” is next at 57%.

MBA RANKINGS ASSUME MAJOR IMPORTANCE IN RECRUITER DECISIONS

Business school rankings also loom large. Many companies will only recruit at highly ranked schools, with some cutting off schools that rank below a certain level. Indeed, the fourth most cited criteria used by employers to select business schools to recruit from are rankings. At 43%, rankings are tied with alumni performance as a major factor, even outpacing such things as “admission standards” or the “reputation of the faculty” (see table below).

The annual survey of recruiters, conducted in February and March of 2014, included 32 of the top 100 companies in the Financial Times 500 and 36 of the Fortune 100.