IESE Recruiting Policy
Career Development Center
This Recruitment Policy is designed to ensure that employers and students have the opportunity to explore all available options and make the best possible choices during the recruiting process. We appreciate your cooperation and ask that you share this Policy with all employees of your organization who are involved in recruiting at IESE Business School. All companies recruiting through the IESE Career Development Center are expected to comply with this Policy. If your company encounters any difficulties in implementing any provision of this Policy, please contact a member of the Career Development Center team.
1. Non-discrimination
IESE Business School is committed to providing equal opportunities for its students irrespective of race, color, age, religion, political beliefs, gender, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, marital status, appearance, or disability. For this reason, this information is not permitted on student CV submissions.
We expect companies recruiting at IESE Business School to adhere to this policy, and we will only work with employers whose practices are consistent with it.
2. Data protection and privacy
Please note that the use of recruitment systems is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679. Student CVs and the personal information therein are confidential and may only be used for recruitment purposes. They must not be shared with third parties unless authorized by IESE Business School or by the student concerned.
3. Candidate pool
In order to provide you with a diverse pool of top-quality candidates, all job postings will be accessible to students across all relevant degree programs, as well as full-time students from the previous graduating class who are still seeking opportunities, unless otherwise requested by your company.
4. Work authorizations / visas
Recruiters must be transparent regarding work authorization and visa requirements throughout the recruitment process and, wherever possible, state the relevant requirements in the job posting.
5. Student availability for employment
1. Full-time roles
MBA 2026 students will be available from Monday, May 25, 2026, onwards.
2. Internship roles
MBA 2027 students will be available for up to 12 weeks between June 1, 2026, and August 31, 2026, depending on the student’s academic commitments (e.g., intensive module, exchange program, language courses).
6. Recruitment events
To ensure that all IESE MBA students respect their academic commitments and can participate in recruitment events, we expect employers to liaise with the Career Development Center in advance to avoid conflicts with classes (8:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00), other recruiting events, examinations, or holiday periods. Employers must respect students’ academic obligations and should not request that students miss classes, group projects, or study groups for interviews, recruiting events, or related travel. Hosting an event or interview during exams, or within 24 hours prior to them, is a violation of policy.
1. Scheduling an event date
Presentation dates will be allocated based on availability, recruiter requests, and past recruitment history with IESE Business School. Please contact your Career Development Center representative to agree on a schedule.
2. Logistics
If catering is required, companies must submit both the menu selection and expected attendance numbers to the Career Development Center at least 5 working days before the event. If details are not received within this timeframe, the Career Development Center will order the standard catering menu for the number of students signed up, and recruiters will be charged accordingly.
7. Interviews
1. Allocation of interview dates and space
Interview dates will be allocated based on employer requests and past recruitment history with IESE Business School. Interviews can take place at company offices or on campus by prior request and arrangement. For internships, companies must not schedule interviews before January 7, 2026.
2. Scheduling interviews
If employers wish to interview on campus, they must coordinate with the Career Development Center. Employers are strongly advised to communicate with both the Career Development Center and the shortlisted students as early as possible, and at least 5 working days before the interview date. No changes to interview schedules may be made within 48 working hours of the interview.
The Career Development Center must receive all interview shortlists regardless of interview location or scheduling method. This allows us to monitor and mitigate potential clashes. As with other recruiting events, interviews should not be scheduled during classes (8:00–13:00 & 14:00–16:00), recruiting events, examinations, or holiday periods unless the Career Development Center has approved the schedule in advance.
3. Company visits or on-site interviews
Students invited to visit a company site located outside their place of residence should be reimbursed promptly for all expenses incurred. If more than one company is visited during a single trip, students will attempt to divide expenses proportionally. If a company does not reimburse travel expenses, students must be informed at the time of invitation.
8. Decisions and offers
1. Decisions
Timely communication from employers regarding recruitment status—whether successful or not—strongly shapes student perceptions and a company’s reputation on campus. Employers are expected to notify all applicants, as well as the Career Development Center, of outcomes at the application, interview, and offer stages.
To preserve the integrity of employer-student relationships and avoid complications, these communications must come directly from the employer, not through the Career Development Center. Companies must observe the earliest summer internship offer date: no offers (verbal or written) may be made before the Corporate Internship Interview Days starting January 7, 2026.
2. Offers
To allow students sufficient time to make thoughtful decisions, the following deadlines apply:
- Full-time positions: Offers must remain open until November 10, 2025, or for at least 3 weeks after a written offer is received, whichever is later.
- Summer internships/projects: Offers must remain open until February 4, 2026, or for at least 3 weeks after receipt, whichever is later. From April onwards, companies must allow no less than 1 week for a response.
Offers must remain valid in their entirety, without penalty, until the decision deadline.
Employers must inform the Career Development Center of students who accept offers so that they can be excluded from the scheduling system and discontinue their job search. Employers must not continue to recruit students who have accepted another offer.
A. Companies honour offers
Companies must not withdraw or alter offers once made. This includes changes to role, location, compensation, title, or internship/project duration. If withdrawal or alteration becomes unavoidable, please contact the Director of the Career Development Center.
Delayed start dates are not considered withdrawals if they do not exceed six months from the original start date for full-time positions (or eight months from the date of graduation if no start date was given). Beyond these limits, delays are considered withdrawn offers. Withdrawing or altering offers will damage your company’s reputation, and we reserve the right to share details of such breaches with students.
B. Students honour acceptances
Students are expected to honour all job acceptances. Reneging on an acceptance constitutes a breach of the Statement of Professional Standards for Students. Such breaches will be reported to the Dean and Academic Committee, and the student’s access to Career Development Center services (as a student or alumni) may be revoked. If a student who has accepted an offer expresses concern about their decision, please inform us so we can assist if possible.
All employment contracts must be between the employer and the student, not IESE Business School.
9. Disclosure of grades
IESE Business School admissions criteria involve a rigorous evaluation of each applicant’s educational background, intellectual capabilities, professional experience, and global outlook. Completion of an IESE program signifies academic success, management potential, and cultural awareness. The school treats student grades as confidential and has therefore adopted a strict policy of grade non-disclosure.
10. Peer evaluation
Recruiters must not ask students to comment on other students.
11. Breaches
Breaches of these Professional Standards may be communicated to the IESE Business School community and/or shared with other schools. They may also result in exclusion from future recruitment activities.
12. Headhunting / Recruitment firms
All headhunting and recruitment firms engaging with IESE Business School students must adhere to this policy as well as their own code of conduct (e.g., the Association of head-hunters). They must ensure honesty, accuracy, and candidate confidentiality at all stages, including sharing candidate data with clients only with prior consent. A candidate may only be presented to multiple clients if the candidate has explicitly agreed.
Further information
If you have any questions or require further information about these policies, please contact the Career Development Center team at +34 93 253 42 00 or email cdc@iese.edu.