Handshake UK: Good news for grads - employers increasing number of new hires in the coming year

The Graduate Employer Priorities 2023 report presents an optimistic picture, with the main motivation given by employers for increasing the number of grads they intend to hire being company growth (37%), or grad hires representing good value (20%). Meanwhile, one in nine (11%) suggest pent-up demand post-pandemic is a factor. TheGraduate Employer Priorities 2023report presents an optimistic picture, with the main motivation given by employers for increasing the number of grads they intend...

LONDON, 01/07/2022 (informazione.news - comunicati stampa - istruzione e formazione)

The report presents an optimistic picture, with the main motivation given by employers for increasing the number of grads they intend to hire being company growth (37%), or grad hires representing good value (20%). Meanwhile, one in nine (11%) suggest pent-up demand post-pandemic is a factor.

When making hiring decisions in the coming year, the single top priority given by graduate employers is equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), with 97% of organisations indicating this will be a key factor. Meanwhile, 90% of employers say that connecting with good candidates more generally is a concern.

With this in mind, graduate employers will be looking at new ways to reach potential hires – and build on existing channels – in the year ahead. Half of those surveyed (50%) consider utilising new technology to help identify and hire the right candidates a key priority, while 65% indicate that they need to strengthen relationships with university careers services teams.

Similarly, finding graduates with job-specific skill sets will remain a top priority in the year ahead, as 63% of businesses report that it's a 'high priority' to hire candidates who are more sector-ready. 

However, there is an awareness that recent graduates have had less time and experience in the workplace than previous cohorts due to the pandemic, with 85% of employers saying as much. This has potential repercussions in terms of equality of opportunity too, and 68% of employers believe the impact of Covid-19 on graduate candidate skills is more likely to impact candidates from marginalised backgrounds.

As such, many businesses are encouraging graduate and student candidates to bridge that gap in experience and job-specific skills by reflecting more closely on their applications. The single top tip given by graduate employers was to research both the role and mission of the organisation (23%), while candidates were also urged to make more of the soft skills they do have (14%).

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For additional information, please visit joinhandshake.co.uk/gep