Campus hiring in India has seen a strong resurgence in FY25, with companies increasing their hiring budgets by 15% and offering an average salary hike of 3.91% to fresh graduates.
According to Deloitte’s Campus Workforce Trends: Placement Cycle 2025, organizations are shifting towards skill-first hiring strategies, leveraging AI-driven assessments and early engagement programs to attract top talent.
This rebound in hiring reflects growing confidence in future-ready talent, with companies focusing on long-term retention and skill alignment rather than traditional hiring models.
The report highlights key trends shaping campus recruitment, including higher Pre-Placement Offer (PPO) conversions, reduced attrition rates, and evolving internship structures.
Skill-First Campus Hiring Strategies Gain Momentum
Employers are increasingly adopting skill-first hiring approaches, moving away from conventional credential-based recruitment.
Deloitte’s report reveals that 87% of engineering graduates are actively pursuing upskilling opportunities to stay competitive in the evolving tech landscape2
Key trends in skill-first hiring include:
- AI-enhanced screening processes to identify high-potential candidates.
- Behavioral and technical assessments integrated into internship programs.
- Cultural alignment and digital DNA evaluations for early-career development.
These strategies have led to a 24% surge in PPO conversions, indicating a more deliberate and skill-aligned approach to nurturing next-gen talent.
Campus Attrition Drops as Companies Focus on Retention
One of the most notable findings in Deloitte’s report is the 300 basis point drop in campus attrition rates in FY25.
This decline suggests that companies are better aligning talent potential with business needs, ensuring stronger retention and career growth opportunities.
Organizations are recalibrating their engagement strategies, focusing on:
- Minimizing the campus-to-corporate acclimatization period.
- Enhancing internship structures with learning agility and technical assessments.
- Embedding purpose, adaptability, and trust into early-career journeys.
Neelesh Gupta, Partner at Deloitte India, stressed the importance of building meaningful and sustainable careers, rather than just filling roles.
He emphasized that companies must focus on long-term talent retention to attract and nurture top professionals.
Top-Paying Skills and Preferred Work Locations
The report highlights cybersecurity and robotics as the highest-paying tech skills in campus placements, offering 10-20% pay premiums.
In management roles, social selling and agile skills command similar salary advantages.
Bangalore continues to be the top work location for graduates, maintaining its leading position for the fifth consecutive year.
In 2025, Hyderabad overtook Delhi NCR, emerging as the second most preferred destination for young professionals.
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