Companies plan to hire through campus placement more than last year: GMAC Survey

Companies working directly with business schools plan to hire more MBAs this year than they hired in 2015 according to a global survey report released today by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). Some 88 percent of corporate recruiters who work directly with graduate business schools plan to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, up eight percentage points from last year and 33 percentage points higher than 2010, the lowest point of the Great Recession.

MBA aspirants today more focused in career planning: GMAC survey

GMAC conducted the 15^th annual Corporate Recruiters Survey in February and March together with survey partners EFMD and MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance (MBA CSEA), in association with 109 participating graduate business schools. The survey findings are based on responses from 842 employers representing more than 530 companies in 40 countries worldwide who recruit directly from participating business schools.

Official guide for NMAT by GMAC Review 2016 launched

This report highlights the value that on-campus recruiting brings to job-seeking business school graduates. The survey which yielded responses from 1,282 companies located in the six largest markets for graduate management education — China, France, Germany, India, the United Kingdom and the United States, shows overall that half of the respondent companies have plans to hire an MBA in 2016 — ranging from 35 percent of companies in Germany to 70 percent of companies in China.

All about NMAT by GMAC 2016

“The difference in hiring projections between the two surveys highlights the value business schools provide to students in connecting them with employers that want to hire them,” said Bob Alig, GMAC’s executive vice president for school products. “These results are compelling evidence for admissions professionals to demonstrate the value of a graduate business degree to prospective applicants.”

“This survey brings to light the enhanced opportunities our member school career services offices bring to graduate business students,” said Damian Zikakis, MBA CSEA president and director, Career Services, at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. “Nearly 9 in 10 employers that work with career services plan to conduct on-campus recruitment this year, giving students a tremendous advantage in finding job opportunities that are a great match for their talent and aspirations.”

Here are the highlights of the findings:

• A greater share of companies in the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America plan to hire Master in Management and Master of Finance graduates in 2016 compared with 2015.

• A greater share of companies in Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America plan to hire Master of Accounting graduates in 2016 compared with 2015.

• Graduates from supply chain management programs are in greatest demand among companies in the manufacturing, technology, and products and services sectors, whereas graduates of master’s-level programs in data analytics are in greatest demand in the technology sector, sought by 43 percent of companies — nearly twice as many companies as in other industries.

 

• These MBA salary projections for 2016 are similar to those projected for new hires with non-MBA business master’s degrees, with one exception: 67 percent of companies that plan to hire graduates with Master in Supply Chain Management degrees expect to increase their starting salaries either at the rate of inflation (46 percent) or above (20 percent).
   
• US-based companies plan to offer recent MBA graduates a median starting base salary of US$105,000 in 2016, up from a median of US$100,000 in 2015. 
• The median starting base salary of US$85,000 that US employers will pay to graduates of both Master of Data Analytics and Master of Marketing programs is expected to exceed the median salary they will offer to graduates of Master in Management and Master of Accounting programs.

• Overall, 52 percent of corporate recruiters report that their companies either have plans to hire (24 percent) or are willing to consider hiring (28 percent) recent business school graduates who require additional legal documentation, such as work permits or visas.

• Nearly a third (30 percent) of companies that plan to hire business school graduates in 2016 will place these candidates in multiple world regions.

• In total, 84 percent of Asia-Pacific employers plan to hire recent MBA graduates in 2016, up from 73 percent in 2015.

• Seventy-five percent of Asia-Pacific employers plan to hire Master in Management graduates (up from 71 percent), 54 percent plan to hire Master of Finance graduates (up from 48 percent), and 49 percent plan to hire Master of Accounting graduates (up from 39 percent).