Selections of professors from leading business schools

In the French academic landscape, leading business schools such as HEC Paris, ESSEC Business School, and ESCP Business School stand out for their excellence. Selecting the professors who join them is crucial to maintaining this high standard. In 2025, the market for professors is undergoing a profound transformation, with selection criteria becoming more refined and adapting to the demands of a constantly evolving educational environment. How are these institutions shaping their future professors? What challenges and opportunities do they face in the pursuit of academic excellence? Let’s explore these questions in detail.

Professor Selection Criteria at Leading Business Schools

Leading business schools implement rigorous selection criteria to ensure that only the best candidates join their teaching teams. In 2025, several key criteria stand out, significantly influencing the recruitment of professors. These criteria revolve around academic experience, research skills, and teaching abilities. Discover how our rigorous selection criteria for our business school faculty ensure top-tier expertise, fostering quality education and mentoring opportunities for our students.

One of the first criteria identified is academic experience. Schools generally look for candidates with a doctorate in their field of specialization, but this is not enough. Teaching at prestigious institutions, such as Paris-Dauphine University or Bocconi University, is a real asset. Furthermore, publishing articles in renowned scientific journals is often essential to pass the selection process.

French institutions such as KEDGE Business School and NEOMA Business School also assess faculty members’ ability to contribute to the advancement of knowledge through research. By 2025, a strong focus on the quality of publications and conferences will become an essential standard. Teaching Skills Beyond academic qualifications, teaching skills are a decisive factor. Business schools seek faculty members who can convey their knowledge in an engaging and effective manner. The ability to stimulate student interest and facilitate enriching discussions in a collaborative learning environment is essential.

Innovative teaching methods, such as the use of practical cases or management simulations, are increasingly valued. For example, at ESSEC Business School, candidates must demonstrate their mastery of these techniques and their ability to integrate new technologies into their courses.

Additional Criteria

Additional criteria, such as adaptability and community engagement, are gaining momentum. Schools are also interested in candidates who can bring a diversity of experiences and perspectives, thus strengthening the institution’s pedagogical richness. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is an increasingly important issue in curricula, and schools strive to integrate faculty who share these values.

Selection Criteria

Importance

Exemplary Schools

Academic Experience	High	HEC Paris, ESCP Business School
Research Qualifications	High	Grenoble Ecole de Management, Audencia Business School
Teaching Skills	Medium to High	NEOMA Business School, EMLYON Business School
Community Engagement	Medium	KEDGE Business School
The Challenges of Recruiting Professors at Grandes Écoles	The recruitment market for professors and researchers in 2025 presents considerable challenges for Grandes Écoles. The number of job openings and increased competition between institutions raise concerns about schools’ ability to attract and retain top-level teaching talent. This context represents both a challenge and an opportunity.	Discover how to select the best professors for your business school. Our guide offers effective strategies for assessing the academic and professional skills, as well as the cultural fit of candidates for your institution.

Increased Competition Between Institutions

With the rise of international rankings and the need to stand out, French institutions are intensifying their recruitment strategies. For example, during the 2024-2025 academic year, the government website Galaxie published more than 2,600 job descriptions for professors and researchers, according to a report by Le Monde. The increase in the volume of offers reflects a desire to attract the best teachers, but also the difficulty of filling these positions.

The expectations of students and businesses are evolving. Graduates are seeking practical skills that will be useful in the professional world. Therefore, schools must recruit not only researchers, but also practitioners capable of adding value to the programs offered. This is pushing institutions to seek out diverse profiles, ranging from research experts to seasoned industry professionals.

Speakers from the private sector Experts in new technologiesMentors from the business world

Adapting to new learning methods

At the same time, recruitment must adapt to new teaching methods. The increasing digitalization of education requires teachers to be comfortable with technological tools. Grandes écoles, such as Audencia Business School, are highlighting the need to integrate continuing education modules for their teachers to familiarize them with the latest pedagogical innovations.

• Recruitment Challenges
• Proposed Solutions
• Increased Competition

Strengthening the Institution’s Attractiveness

Changing Expectations

Developing a Network of Diverse Teachers	Adapting to Innovations
Continuing Teacher Training	Trends in Grandes écoles regarding Faculty Selection
As the educational landscape evolves, leading business schools are responding to these changes by adapting their faculty selection processes. This translates into a desire to diversify profiles while maintaining a high level of expertise. The trends observed in 2025 are both encouraging and indicative of the challenges ahead. Discover how to select the best faculties for your business school. Explore essential criteria, expert advice, and strategies for attracting top-tier faculty who will enrich the student learning experience.	Diversity of Candidate Profiles
Top schools like EMLYON Business School and KEDGE Business School invest in diversity while seeking to integrate faculty with diverse backgrounds. This includes candidates from international backgrounds, as well as specialists in emerging sectors. For example, ESSEC Business School has established partnerships with foreign institutions to attract recognized faculty in the field of sustainable finance.	Greater international exposure

The internationalization of programs is a major challenge. ESCP Business School and HEC Paris, for example, are making their programs more attractive by offering courses taught in English. This also requires a faculty capable of interacting in a multicultural environment. International exposure involves recruiting professors from renowned universities abroad, such as Bocconi University.

Interaction with the private sector

Workshops Led by Experts

Modules Developed with Partner Companies

Future Outlook for Faculty Recruitment

The coming years promise new challenges and opportunities for leading business schools in terms of faculty selection. With constantly evolving expectations and an evolving job market, schools are forced to reinvent their recruitment approaches.

Anticipating Future Needs

With the rise of digitalization and artificial intelligence, the skills required go far beyond traditional academic knowledge. Schools must anticipate these needs and target faculty capable of training the professionals of tomorrow. Teaching capacity around new technologies and the transfer of economic knowledge is on the agenda.

• Continuing Faculty Development
• The implementation of continuing education for teachers is becoming imperative. Similar to the initiatives taken by Audencia Business School, it is essential that teachers receive regular training in new teaching methods, evolving academic knowledge, and business needs. This will strengthen their expertise and performance as educators.
• Strengthening International Collaborations

Institutions will also be able to strengthen their international collaborations to attract talent. By 2025, the trend is emerging towards exchange and co-teaching programs, allowing professors to benefit from international exposure and enrich their teaching through multicultural experiences. Concrete examples, such as those highlighted by Mister Prépa, demonstrate the relevance of this approach.

Future Outlook

Planned Actions

Anticipation of Future Needs

Innovation-Focused Recruitment

Continuing Education

Professional Development Programs

International Collaboration Partnerships with Foreign Institutions