Indian information technology companies are now pampering college placement officers by taking them on domestic and foreign trips as they seek to hire the best talent from Indian campuses ahead of competition. This is a part of the effort to get the best interview slots when hiring from colleges. For instance, Infosys has started Samvaad where the company hosts placement officers in Mysore, Pune, Hyderabad and other cities and seek to impart skills including negotiation skill to help the placement officers in their current roles. Like Infosys, HCL Technologies too started a similar event last year, organizing placement officer meets in Bangalore, Delhi and Chennai. They used the opportunity to share performance feedback of students with their respective colleges, share joining dates etc.; so as to build long lasting relationships.

Interestingly, these events too witness participation from senior company executives, sometimes including the CEOs and heads of HR who explain the company's performance, new initiatives and opportunities for students. In essence these tactical initiatives are oriented towards building endearing and sustainable relationships.

Source: The Economic Times