If decades college recruiting are an indicator of anything, the indication would seem to be that employers do give credence to university pedigree. Ivy league MBA graduates are traditionally the most coveted, followed by graduates from schools with well known business programs. State university graduates normally seem to round out the bottom of the list. But…something’s changing.
Whether from paying more attention to the bottom line or devaluing pedigree, big business is starting to seek out students that have traditionally been all but ignored. From online MBA graduates to public college graduates, the corporate world is turning its attention to the mass of economically feasible MBA graduates and placing less importance on the hype (or lack of) that accompanies the institutions from which MBA’s are earned. In all likelihood, the changes are less a result of economics or pedigree and more a result of a change in the way talent is perceived.
In the past, decisions were seemingly made in preparation for campus recruiting efforts, with the assumption that the right person for the job was already at the best educational institution and simply needed to be convinced of which company to sign on with. Today, more recruiters are getting to know potential candidates from a larger number of colleges and universities as well as applying different criteria when judging an potential trainee’s talent.
From personality to perseverance, GPA to extra-curricular interest and all points in between, recruiters are starting to look at what were formerly considered intangibles. MBA graduates are just as likely to be asked about their personal acumen as their business philosophy, perhaps in an attempt to find the unknown managerial element that separates an ordinary manager of people from a leader.
If changes to the way fortune 500’s and other high profile companies recruit are economically based in whole or in part, it may be as much a reflection of college tuition as it is internal salary structures. Certainly, a state school MBA graduate can be had for a lot less than a Harvard grad, but Ivy League tuition may be responsible for keeping the best talent out of Ivy League schools. There are only so many scholarships to go around, yet not everyone receiving a business scholarship will be a suitable candidate for a career in business. That leaves many students who would be better choices for most companies to look at other educational options.
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