A recent poll conducted by a business daily asked a question many business graduates have been mulling over: “Are start-ups losing credibility as a career option?” Surprisingly, in the age of start-ups, an overwhelming 75 per cent replied with a hard yes, clearly reflecting how the hiring landscape has changed drastically in the past five years. In the last few years, B-schools across the landscape have been facing placement issues not just from the start-ups, but also from regular brick-and-mortar companies, where too there is a clear slowdown.

As the season for campus placement nears, colleges as well as companies gear up for the process—sometimes for a day and sometimes stretching over weeks, to identify and employ talented individuals. The boom in the start-up sector in the past few years made it an evident choice for most MBA graduates to start their career.

But, this year, it is no longer the case because of mass failure of start-ups. The current slowdown and correction in the sector has, after several years, led to a situation where fewer companies are choosing to hire people directly from business schools. “Start-ups, especially in the e-commerce space, have evidently lost flavour this season,” says Pinaki Dasgupta, dean of placements at the International Management Institute, New Delhi. “Colleges are now looking elsewhere for placements because of a steep decline in the performance and accountability of such companies.”