Graduate Tactics Change Face of Recruitment Process

The UK’s major graduate employers are predicting a significant shift in the recruitment process due to the changing tactics of British graduates.

Many companies are preparing to encounter more late-in-the-process drop-outs this year. This is due to candidates now applying for multiple schemes to increase their chances of landing employment in the increasingly competitive jobs market.

In response to the graduates’ new approach, some of the top financial firms have said they are being put under undue pressure to cut down the recruitment process and make snap decisions on apparently talented graduates quickly, before competitors are able to ‘poach’ them.

The information was published in the annual winter survey of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), which patently showed that the prospect of candidates pulling out was a major worry for employers. The chief executive of the AGR, Carl Gilleard, said employers will need to keep on their toes if they are to successfully handle the changing tactics.

“Although it is currently an employers’ market, we would urge recruiters not to become complacent – particularly as things start to pick up and tuition fee increases take hold,” he said. “It will be essential for organisations to invest in graduate talent if they want to meet recruitment targets, prevent candidate dropout, meet increasing salary expectations and retain the most talented employees.”

The survey also showed that more of the top firms are looking beyond graduates for their annual staffing intakes, and going directly to school leavers who have just completed their A-levels.

Meanwhile industry expert Geoff Newman who works with online recruiter Recruitment Genius believes the graduate market is fundamentally changing due to tuition fees. “The increase in tuition fees is discouraging some very bright individuals from University. My concern is that candidates with the ability to do the job, but without a few letters after their name, are going to be overlooked unless graduate employers change their selection criteria.”