Banks ask students who they should hire

A survey called 'Ones to Watch' asks 10% of second years at top UK universities to say which of their fellow students have the most potential as employees.

The CVs of the 100 people mentioned most often at each university are then sold to investment banks and management consultancies by Fresh Minds, the company that set up the scheme last year.

Fresh Minds said last year two investment banks each paid 10,000 (€14,400) to receive the CVs. It declined to identify the banks.

Caroline Plumb, a 24-year-old Oxford University graduate who co-founded the company, said the idea was to identify natural leaders who might, for example, captivate their friends with interesting stories, or organise group holidays.

She said: 'We're looking for people with a certain spark that could be identified by their peers, but not necessarily by their CV.'

Alexander Slee, a graduate trainee in Citigroup's corporate finance division, was on the list for Oxford University in 2002. He admits to being surprised. 'The first thing I knew about it was an email saying I was on there. I'm not sure why I was nominated; it may be because I was quite business-minded and set up an internet company in 2000.'

Neil Mahapatra, a trainee at Morgan Stanley, was also on the Oxford list. He suspects it was because he was president of the Oxford Union: 'It helps to be involved in extra-curricular activities, and to be successful in what you do.'

Slee and Mahapatra said they were contacted by bulge bracket investment banks and management consultancies which had seen their names on the list.

Slee said: 'You get fast tracked through the recruitment system. I didn't have to apply: a bank contacted me and I was invited to attend a special assessment day for 'Ones to Watch' candidates.'

However, neither Slee nor Mahapatra found their current jobs as a result of 'Ones to Watch'. By the time the invitations to special recruitment days had arrived, both had secured offers already.

If banks want to hire natural leaders, perhaps they will have to start watching them earlier.

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