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MBA Recruiting Dynamics
Maiden, Stephen E.; Julien, Christie; Zenner, Jenny; Watson, Mary Shea; Leliveld, S. Kellogg Case S-0394 / Published March 27, 2024 / 7 pages. Collection: Darden School of Business
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Product Overview

These caselets feature fictionalized protagonists compiled from interviews with numerous Darden first- and second-year students. They were written to surface real tensions in the MBA recruiting process and facilitate discussion around three different representative student recruiting episodes, helping students build understanding and empathy for others’ journeys and creating a more cohesive and supportive classroom culture and a better MBA experience. Caselet 1 features Gerritt Jenkins, a philosophy major and former marketer at American Express who came to Darden considering a career change. After settling on investment banking, Jenkins struggles to balance his career ambitions with his busy family life. During a Zoom networking event led by a Darden alumnus and the Darden Finance Club, Jenkins gives a long-winded, unprofessional introduction and his son climbs onto his lap. An email sent by the alumnus to the Finance Club and forwarded to Jenkins confirms his worry that he’s messed up an important networking opportunity. Students are asked to consider whether and how Jenkins comes back from this setback. Caselet 2 revolves around Diya Bhargava, a former economics major at Delhi University with a master of economics degree from the University of Chicago who worked for nine years as a private banker in Asia with Goldman Sachs before coming to Darden. Bhargava wants to transition to a job in business development for a technology company, but realizes that many companies won’t sponsor a work visa. Networking is also a challenge for Bhargava because she doesn’t like alcohol and has trouble making small talk with native English speakers about US cultural touchpoints. Moreover, Bhargava wonders whether some recruiters might be less willing to hire her because she is 32—older than the typical MBA student. After the Darden tech career coach suggests that Bhargava widen her internship search to consulting or investment banking to get work experience so she can pivot to a technology job in her second year, Bhargava is discouraged. Students are asked to consider what Bhargava should do. Caselet 3 follows Monica Hance, a Black student who graduated magna cum laude from Columbia as an English major while singing in the theater group and starting as a goalie on the soccer team. After working for four years at American Airlines, Hance starts her MBA recruiting journey in the spring before her first year at Darden. Hance applies for and joins Consortium, a nonprofit educational organization that works with its member universities and their full-time MBA programs, including Darden, to recruit potential MBA students who are either African American, Hispanic American, or Native American, or any students who share the Consortium’s commitment to principles of diversity and inclusiveness in corporate management. As a Consortium fellow, Hance is invited to a June orientation program that includes the ability to interview with leading companies. Hance receives seven offers and accepts an internship with Goldman Sachs. At Darden, Hance is on a learning team with Bhargava and Jenkins. Jenkins is struggling in his job search and is frustrated and envious that Hance has gotten his dream job. Hance and Bhargava overhear Jenkins on a phone call with his second-year coach expressing frustration that both Hance and Bhargava are having an easier time with recruiting than he is at least in part because they are non-white women. When Jenkins ends the call and rounds the corner, he comes face to face with Hance and Bhargava. Students are asked to consider what Hance, Bhargava, and Jenkins are feeling and what each should say and do now. These caselets are suitable for use in graduate-level leadership and organizational behavior courses; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging pedagogy; and executive education programs. They are used at Darden during first-year MBA orientation and in the second-year coaching class.



Learning Objectives

- Foster discussion about recruiting dynamics in the MBA community - Provide a forum for students to share information on cultural and other identity differences, especially in the realm of career, to build community for each other - Create opportunities to practice conflict resolution and difficult conversations - Explore available resources for supporting students and what barriers (e.g., external, personal, school) stand in the way - Examine the behavioral practice of coaching through difficult situations


  • Videos List

  • Overview

    These caselets feature fictionalized protagonists compiled from interviews with numerous Darden first- and second-year students. They were written to surface real tensions in the MBA recruiting process and facilitate discussion around three different representative student recruiting episodes, helping students build understanding and empathy for others’ journeys and creating a more cohesive and supportive classroom culture and a better MBA experience. Caselet 1 features Gerritt Jenkins, a philosophy major and former marketer at American Express who came to Darden considering a career change. After settling on investment banking, Jenkins struggles to balance his career ambitions with his busy family life. During a Zoom networking event led by a Darden alumnus and the Darden Finance Club, Jenkins gives a long-winded, unprofessional introduction and his son climbs onto his lap. An email sent by the alumnus to the Finance Club and forwarded to Jenkins confirms his worry that he’s messed up an important networking opportunity. Students are asked to consider whether and how Jenkins comes back from this setback. Caselet 2 revolves around Diya Bhargava, a former economics major at Delhi University with a master of economics degree from the University of Chicago who worked for nine years as a private banker in Asia with Goldman Sachs before coming to Darden. Bhargava wants to transition to a job in business development for a technology company, but realizes that many companies won’t sponsor a work visa. Networking is also a challenge for Bhargava because she doesn’t like alcohol and has trouble making small talk with native English speakers about US cultural touchpoints. Moreover, Bhargava wonders whether some recruiters might be less willing to hire her because she is 32—older than the typical MBA student. After the Darden tech career coach suggests that Bhargava widen her internship search to consulting or investment banking to get work experience so she can pivot to a technology job in her second year, Bhargava is discouraged. Students are asked to consider what Bhargava should do. Caselet 3 follows Monica Hance, a Black student who graduated magna cum laude from Columbia as an English major while singing in the theater group and starting as a goalie on the soccer team. After working for four years at American Airlines, Hance starts her MBA recruiting journey in the spring before her first year at Darden. Hance applies for and joins Consortium, a nonprofit educational organization that works with its member universities and their full-time MBA programs, including Darden, to recruit potential MBA students who are either African American, Hispanic American, or Native American, or any students who share the Consortium’s commitment to principles of diversity and inclusiveness in corporate management. As a Consortium fellow, Hance is invited to a June orientation program that includes the ability to interview with leading companies. Hance receives seven offers and accepts an internship with Goldman Sachs. At Darden, Hance is on a learning team with Bhargava and Jenkins. Jenkins is struggling in his job search and is frustrated and envious that Hance has gotten his dream job. Hance and Bhargava overhear Jenkins on a phone call with his second-year coach expressing frustration that both Hance and Bhargava are having an easier time with recruiting than he is at least in part because they are non-white women. When Jenkins ends the call and rounds the corner, he comes face to face with Hance and Bhargava. Students are asked to consider what Hance, Bhargava, and Jenkins are feeling and what each should say and do now. These caselets are suitable for use in graduate-level leadership and organizational behavior courses; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging pedagogy; and executive education programs. They are used at Darden during first-year MBA orientation and in the second-year coaching class.

  • Learning Objectives

    Learning Objectives

    - Foster discussion about recruiting dynamics in the MBA community - Provide a forum for students to share information on cultural and other identity differences, especially in the realm of career, to build community for each other - Create opportunities to practice conflict resolution and difficult conversations - Explore available resources for supporting students and what barriers (e.g., external, personal, school) stand in the way - Examine the behavioral practice of coaching through difficult situations