Aon plc (NYSE: AON), a prominent global professional services firm, has unveiled the results of its Campus Study Report 2025-26, marking its fourteenth annual publication. The report indicates a significant rebound in campus hiring within India, focusing on strategic skill alignment and long-term employee retention. Based on feedback from over 220 organizations regarding their campus recruitment strategies, the report offers a comprehensive analysis of the changing landscape of campus hiring in India, addressing trends in compensation, recruitment processes, onboarding experiences for new hires, as well as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) and workplace culture. The findings reveal an optimistic shift in business sentiment, with 73 percent of organizations expecting moderate to high growth.
The sectors driving this positive outlook include financial institutions, life sciences, and consumer goods. This enhanced hiring intent marks a notable improvement compared to 2024, with sectors such as information technology, industrial and materials, and healthcare witnessing significant growth. More than 40 percent of surveyed companies plan to increase their workforce by over 10 percent in FY26, indicating a broader recovery in the job market and positioning India favorably amid global economic challenges. However, compensation growth remains modest across various tiers and qualifications. Organizations are concentrating on performance-based incentives through variable pay, typically ranging from 10 to 12 percent.
While MBA and engineering graduates have experienced slight increases in total cost to company (TCC), these increases are mainly attributable to variable pay and joining bonuses rather than fixed salaries. For example, 67 percent of organizations provide short-term incentives or variable pay to MBA graduates. Roopank Chaudhary, partner and head of data solutions for Aon in India, stated, “India’s campus hiring is evolving. Organizations are transitioning from mass recruitment to focusing on candidates with the appropriate skills, early engagement, and long-term retention.
By emphasizing skill alignment and developing talent via internships and workshops, companies can attract, nurture, and retain a workforce that aligns with their business needs and is prepared for the future.” The study also shows that organizations are increasingly valuing cultural alignment, acknowledging its vital role in employee retention and performance. Fifty-three percent of respondents noted a direct connection between performance and culture, underscoring the significance of cultural fit in enhancing performance. Nearly 90 percent of participating organizations evaluate cultural fit during the hiring process, often through HR interviews and behavioral assessments. Gender diversity has become a priority for nearly half of the surveyed organizations, with 50 percent establishing gender ratio targets across various talent groups.
This signifies an escalating focus on gender representation in the workplace. Furthermore, over 30 percent of organizations are exploring colleges outside their preferred lists to meet gender ratio goals, indicating that gender ratio targets are becoming a critical focus for firms. The report also highlights that internships are increasingly viewed as a strategic talent pipeline, with over 70 percent of organizations providing pre-placement interviews or offers to high-performing interns. Saachi Verma, associate director of Talent Solutions for India at Aon and the study’s lead author, remarked, “Campus hiring is no longer merely about filling positions—it’s about shaping the future of the organization.
While there is a clear emphasis on strategic hiring, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and managing early attrition, organizations must prioritize building robust learning and development programs that align with new role expectations. To attract and retain top talent, companies need to create compelling employee value propositions that extend beyond compensation and incorporate strong learning and development initiatives to prepare their workforce for the future.