BHUBANESWAR: Over recent years, the placement process for students in the city institutes and colleges has undergone major changes. The latest method, adapted by a few multinational companies, is based on virtual reality. Gone are the days of written tests as companies are now introducing advanced technologies to the on-campus recruitment drives.
Though bigger brands have not opted for virtual reality-based recruitment tests for students in the city institutes, tech start-ups and digital marketing firms have tried experimenting with the process in the past year.
“Companies put students in certain situations, set in a virtual world, to ascertain their way of responding to a crisis,” said IIT Bhubaneswar director, Professor RV Rajakumar.
Analysing the current recruitment trends, the director predicted that soon artificial intelligence will be introduced for campus recruitment drives.
“Artificial intelligence can be used for the recruitment process by gathering data about the job market, skills set trend and available vacancies.
Moreover, the recruitment tests can be designed using AI using the previous test results of a candidate,” he added.
For engineering students, general aptitude and subject knowledge aren’t the only aspects being tested by the companies. According to the placement cells of various engineering colleges in the city, companies are testing coding skills—regardless of a student's stream. Besides, behavioural features hold the key to success. “Companies are keen on hiring candidates who are willing to learn, stick to ethics and maintain integrity,” said SOA placement cell head, Sujit Das.
What worries candidates the most is the pay package on offer. But, as per institutes in the city, 2019 has been an exception. “Students have grown more conscious towards the career and not pay packages,” added Rajakumar.
The minimum package offered for students in reputed city-based engineering institutes is worth Rs 6 lakh per annum.
As per the placement trends, students have shown interest in joining core companies, unlike previous years. In business schools, companies have designed their recruitment tests based on case studies. “In recent years, case-study based tests have been a hit among recruiters. Though companies coming to Bhubaneswar campuses haven't tried, the game-based tests are also being adopted by the recruiters,” said Kirti, a student of XIMB.
Hackathons have also become a platform for campus recruitment. "Some start-ups hunt for trainees at hackathons and college fests," said Abhishek Anmol of IIIT Bhubaneswar.