Large US private equity firms have resumed graduate recruitment after delaying their traditional summer hiring cycle amid industry backlash over early recruiting practices, according to sources cited by the Financial Times.

Firms including Blackstone, Apollo, Carlyle, TPG, Silver Lake, General Atlantic, Hellman & Friedman, and Warburg Pincus held a rapid round of interviews, inviting candidates with less than 24 hours’ notice. Some offers were extended on the same day, while others continued into final-round interviews.

The reset followed public criticism from senior banking executives. JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon last year said the bank would fire junior analysts who accepted future-dated private equity roles within their first 18 months, calling the practice unethical. Apollo chief executive Marc Rowan later said he agreed with the criticism, prompting several firms to defer hiring for the 2027 associate class until 2026.

Private equity firms have historically recruited analysts after at least a year of banking experience. In recent years, however, competition for talent pushed some firms to recruit far earlier, triggering tension with banks.

Executives involved in the latest process said the approach was more restrained than previous on-cycle rounds, suggesting the industry is seeking a more sustainable recruitment model following the backlash.

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