In 2013, the graduate market, like the economy, shows signs of optimism. The Association of Graduate Recruiters’ annual survey is the benchmark by which we and other graduate recruiters take stock of how the graduate recruitment arena is faring. I thought perhaps you might be interested in both the AGR\u2019s findings as well as our feedback from a Discovery Graduates perspective.<\/p>\n
Graduate Vacancies<\/b><\/p>\n
According to the\u00a0AGR\u00a0report:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 The AGR predicts a 3.9% decrease in vacancies for the 2012-2013 recruitment season<\/p>\n
Our experience:<\/b><\/p>\n
The numbers are up \u2013 we have definitely seen a rise in roles this year both from new and existing clients e.g.\u00a0Huf\u00a0recruiting 6 graduates across engineering and head office positions. The new microsite drove an attraction strategy that generated 1200 applications which were processed in 6 weeks<\/p>\n
Salaries<\/b><\/p>\n
According to the AGR report:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 The median graduate salary is predicted to stay static for 2012-2013 at \u00a326,500
\n\u2022 The sectors attracting the highest salaries are investment banking, law firms and financial services<\/p>\n
Our experience:<\/b><\/p>\n
The average salary as reported in the media is often misleading for both graduates and employers. It is important to consider where the salary sits within your company, industry and job role. We have found the average graduate salary across our clients is \u00a323,500 but we are seeing more companies offering benefits to support relocation or \u2018golden hellos\u2019.<\/p>\n
Attraction<\/b><\/p>\n
According to the AGR report:<\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 There has been an increase in the average number of applications per vacancy. AGR employers receive on average 85.3 applications per vacancy. This is an increase from 73.2 applications per vacancy in 2011-2012<\/p>\n
Our experience:<\/b><\/p>\n
We have been astounded by the volume of applications that we have received in the last few months. Across three companies we managed 7313 applications through application screening, telephone interviews, aptitude testing, and assessment centers.<\/p>\n
Recruitment<\/b><\/p>\n
I\u2019d like to share with you some interesting statistics on the application process that may encourage you to reflect on or help you benchmark your own process.<\/p>\n
Did you know:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Most recruiters (99%) report recruiting graduates via online applications
\n\u2022 Assessment centers and selection events are popular with 89.3% of employers using them
\n\u2022 Psychometric testing is used by 67.3% of employers
\n\u2022 Half of recruiters report that the application process takes 2 months or less
\n\u2022 26.5% report that it takes 3 months Development According to the AGR report
\n\u2022 Only 13.5% of AGR members did not offer placement and\/or industrial programs
\n\u2022 The majority (97.5%) of recruiters have formal induction programs and 89.3% have a graduate development program
\n\u2022 The majority of employers have a formal graduate induction program (97.5%)
\n\u2022 89.3% of AGR recruiters run or intend to run a graduate development scheme
\n\u2022 This is an increase from the 2011-2012 rate of 87.6%
\n\u2022 Most (61.1%) of these programs lasted between one and two years
\n\u2022 These programs commonly used on the job training (90.7%), training away from the job (84.2%) and training for professional qualifications (61.7%)
\n\u2022 An average of 175 days were spent undertaking on the job training
\n\u2022 The success of graduates was most frequently measured by retention rates (94%), followed by performance measures (86.7%), and formal feedback by managers and graduates (85.3%) \u2022 78.8% of employers operate rotational placements
\n\u2022 45.6% of these have 4 rotations, while 24% have 3 rotations
\n\u2022 24.4% of employers report that each rotation takes up to 4 months, while 52% of employers report that each placement lasts between 5 and 6 months<\/p>\n
Our experience:<\/b>
\nIndustrial Placements<\/b>
\nThe trend for industrial placements has increased this year with\u00a0ABP\u00a0offering a scholarship bursary and\u00a0Industrial Placements\u00a0to raise awareness of the graduate opportunities on campus and we have been pleased to partner with\u00a0Pernod Ricard\u00a0who considerably increased their numbers of IPs for 2013\/2014. \u00a0Samworth Brothers\u00a0have just signed up for the 4th year for Discovery to deliver a complete end to end campaign with\u00a0assessment centers\u00a0this winter.<\/p>\n
Graduate Development Programs<\/b>
\nThe\u00a0OPEN Program\u00a0for Graduates has seen an increase in numbers with 35 currently going through the program. Furthermore, many of our clients ask us what to do with their graduates once they have left the program.<\/p>\n