Placement blues for B-schools

The global slump is rearing its head on B-school campuses, including the IIM-B

The tidings for the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), which will kick off the 2009 placement season on Friday, are not very good. If one is to go by the indications from other B-school campuses that are already into the process, it will be a tough placement season.

The swarm of headhunters with bulge-bracket pay cheques is missing this time round. Even though some institutes may be able report a few offers that match last year’s pay packets, the mood in general is downcast. According to a source in the know, IIM Bangalore (IIM-B) is expecting just 14-15 companies making only 35 offers for Slot 0 (day one). In contrast, last year companies visiting the campus had made 100 offers on the first day. “We are apprehensive this year as the news from other campuses is not very positive. The process will take slightly longer and average offers per company will come down,” said a source, who did not want to be named.

This is not surprising if one is to go by the experience of IIM-Calcutta (IIM-C), which concluded the first round of the placements on February 24. The institute saw just 207 offers being made to the post graduate diploma management (PGDM) and post graduate diploma in computer management (PGDCM) batch

of 2007-09.

In contrast, 350 offers in all (pre-placement, lateral and final offers) were made in 2008 that too at one go within four days. In another contrast, while all the companies flocked to the campus by themselves last year, this time around, the institute has had to go after them. The IIM-C has split the placement process into two phases with the final leg slated to kick off on March 2. This looks a strategy employed by the institute to buy time and wait for more firms to arrive on campus.

Shilpa Phadnis/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication