SIBM Pune’s MBA admissions process goes Hitech & Humane – AI used in the admission process

Pune, 3rd March 2022: With admissions processes going online, it has become imperative for B Schools to be innovative, which can help them to select the right candidate. It must be ensured that the admission process is not only fool proof but is also inclusive. SIBM Pune is one of the premier Indian B-School which offers a two-year MBA program with specialization in Marketing, Human Resource, Operations, Finance, and Data Analytics specializations. The school also offers a unique two-year MBA Innovation and Entrepreneurship program for budding entrepreneurs.

The school is also known for its innovative admission process. For admission to the MBA programmes offered, the SNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test) percentile is given 50% weight and the balance 50% is given for the GEPIWAT (Group Exercise and Personal Interaction and Written Ability Test) process.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, SIBM Pune conducted the GEPIWAT process online. This school revamps its admission process almost every year to ensure that aspirants all over the country have an unparalleled and challenging experience and only the best make it to the B School. While deviating from the hackneyed and standardized process followed by many B-Schools, SIBM Pune ensures that all aspirants are on a level playing field and are encouraged to think on their feet.

This year, SIBM Pune has used insights from Artificial Intelligence gathered through video analytics, to help the interviewers in the GEPIWAT selection process. The AI insights were added to the candidates’ profiles and this helped the panelists in understanding the candidate better.

The AI based video analytics, gave the candidate’s competence in soft skills. The candidates were asked to record their answers for a few questions (before the GEPIWAT process) and were asked to upload the same.

Once the candidate uploaded the video file, the AI system derived information from various sources like the visuals, audio and the extracted text. AI analyzed this data to determine observable characteristics of a candidate, such as eye contact, emotional state, energy level, facial expressions and so on.

The AI system assessed the candidates’ soft skills through evaluation of key success factors identified by psychology heuristics and industry knowledge using natural language processing and audio analysis. These observable characteristics were converted into data points to assess the candidates’ most important success determinants.  Observable pieces of information were evaluated by narrow AIs that were built in the system to specifically measure observable features of a candidate such as eye iris movement, emotional stability,  etc. The suggestions given by the analysis done by the AI system was of great value to the interviewer. So that made the admissions process go hitech!

The other changes which were brought in this year’s GEPIWAT process was to make the process more ‘inclusive’ and  ‘humane’. In line with the motto of the university’s “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, a host of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion measures are being implemented in this year’s GEPIWAT process . Like every year, SIBM Pune’s Aspirant Relations Team (ART- SIBM Pune’s student driven team) provided constant support through the dedicated helpline for differently abled candidates.

In addition to it, this year, technology was used to give the thrill of receiving a call letter to attend the admission process of SIBM Pune to candidates alike, as the differently abled candidates got to hear the voice-recorded call letters by scanning a QR code.

The Aspirant Relations Team ensured that all introductory and onboarding videos were translated into Indian Sign Language, and helped aspirants with hearing disability to enjoy the admission process at par with other candidates. Closed captions were displayed on the screen to further aid understanding of the videos. All students of SIBM Pune volunteering for the admission process were sensitized towards the special needs of differently abled candidates while being empathetic and respectful.

“SIBM Pune GEPIWAT process was both  Hitech and Humane. We gave further importance to equity diversity & inclusion in our GEPIWAT process. Use of AI in the admission process gave a ‘stimulating challenge’, not barring the differently abled” stated Dr. Ramakrishnan Raman, Director, SIBM Pune and Dean of the Faculty of Management – Symbiosis International (Deemed university)