HBS Career & Professional Development (CPD) appreciates the effort organizations put into recruiting at HBS and has developed the following recruiting standards of conduct to provide the foundation for a fair and ethical recruiting process. By using the HBS recruiting platform 12twenty to post jobs, host events, or access resume databases, you are considered a recruiting partner and are asked to uphold these standards. Deviations from these standards may be noted on 12twenty to keep students informed.

Organizations are asked to keep job offers open for a minimum of two weeks from the date the student receives the written offer.

• Thursday, October 2, 2025: Direct outreach and event advertising may begin.
• Monday, October 6, 2025: Recruiting events may begin.
• Monday, January 5, 2026: Organizations may begin interviewing students. Interviews for international positions may begin on December 20 after the exam period ends on Friday, December 19.
• Friday, February 6, 2026: Organizations are asked to keep job offers open until this date or a minimum of two weeks from the date the student receives the written offer, whichever date is later.

HBS Resume Databases

Organizations may only use the HBS Resume Databases for targeted outreach; not to email an entire class of students.

Events & Interviews

1. Events, regardless of sponsor (including events for clubs and sections), must be approved by CPD.
2. To maintain focus on the academic mission of the School, events and interviews must be scheduled around student class time.
3. Organizations with CPD-assigned interview dates are not required to offer date flexibility for first-round interviews.
4. Second-round interviews held January 5-16, 2026, must not conflict with a student’s first-round interview commitments.
5. Organizations are encouraged to inform students if they are no longer being considered in the interview process.

Learn more about events and interviews.

Job Offers

1. Organizations may offer incentives to students to accept offers early. The base offer (base salary, guaranteed compensation, job function, and location) is expected to remain open until the decision dates noted above. For former full-time employees (including sponsored students), students and organizations may determine a mutually agreeable decision date.
2. Recruiters may not pursue a student who has already accepted a job offer from another organization, as this behavior can damage relationships with students, other recruiters, and the School.
3. Withdrawing job offers, whether verbal or written, violates professional standards and HBS recruiting standards of conduct. If you are considering retracting an offer for any reason, please contact CPD immediately.

Harvard Business School makes its facilities and resources available to recruiting organizations whose practices are consistent with the HBS Non-Discrimination & Anti-Bullying Policy.

CPD has created and implemented a set of standards for student behavior throughout the recruiting process. These standards include procedures for late interview cancellations, no-shows, reneging on accepted offers, and other violations of professional standards. Please refer to the Student Recruiting Standards of Conduct (available summer 2025) for more information.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) applies to any school that receives federal funding, including Harvard Business School. Students consent to make their resumes available to recruiters through the Resume Database. However, the Resume Database is intended for the use of recruiters only; it is not available to every requester outside the School. FERPA applies to Resume Database users also.