Key Themes in Graduate Recruitment and Development

Talent Solutions recently held graduate community roundtables in Wellington and Auckland to give early talent professionals the opportunity to connect, share ideas, and discuss common challenges in the industry.

Talent Solutions facilitates these roundtable discussions periodically throughout the year. These recent roundtables were kindly hosted by Stats NZ (Wellington) and CAANZ (Auckland).

Discussion was robust and wide ranging. Understandably, different organisations have varying challenges depending on the size of their graduate programmes and industry, but five common key themes were identified across the board.

Attraction, fostering diversity, selection challenges, providing training and support for managers, and navigating post-COVID challenges.

Attraction:

The discussion on attracting the best candidates focused on multiple aspects. Firstly, employers noted mixed trends in application numbers, with some experiencing an increase while others observed a decrease. Campus careers fairs were seen as effective brand-building tools rather than specific recruitment strategies, attracting more first and second-year students than final-year students. The use of social media, particularly TikTok, often posed challenges in aligning corporate brands with the platform's culture. Traditional forms of advertising and marketing, such as flyers and in-person events, were considered to cut through the digital communications overload experienced by graduate audiences.

Fostering Diversity:

Promoting diversity and inclusivity within organisations has become a top priority. Employers recognised the importance of increasing representation among Māori, Pacific, female, Neurodiverse, LGBTQIA+, and young people. To address this, targeted marketing efforts were discussed, including engagement with specific student clubs and organisations. Employers also explored initiatives such as whānau interviews for Māori candidates and ensuring realistic representation of diversity within the organisation. Furthermore, partnerships with external organisations like TupuToa were seen as valuable for supporting diversity strategies.

Selection:

Many organisations have recognised the importance of incorporating in-person assessments into their selection processes. The rationale behind this approach includes enabling candidates to experience the working environment, building relationships, meeting previous graduates, and enhancing the overall candidate experience. Additionally, both assessors and candidates have expressed concerns about "zoom fatigue" resulting from excessive online interactions. As a result, some organisations have opted for traditional assessment centres, while others have implemented "experience days" followed by one-on-one interviews to accommodate large volumes of applicants.

The selection processes commonly employed by organisations typically involve an initial application screening, consisting of eligibility questions, long answer questions, and in some cases, a CV review. One-way video interviews have gained popularity as a tool for assessing candidates. Approximately 50% of the organisations in the discussions utilise psychometric testing to manage the influx of applications.

Smaller graduate programmes tend to have more personalised recruitment processes, facilitating greater interaction between candidates and organisations. This approach allows for a better assessment of organisational fit, resulting in lower renege rates.

The motivation of candidates in relation to the organisation, and/or industry was identified as a crucial aspect of the selection process. This attribute is often evaluated through written or video assessments. Employers now seek specific personal examples in written questions and inform candidates that further details will be discussed during in-person interviews.

Training and Support for Managers:

Discussions emphasised the need to provide resources and guidance to help managers effectively engage with and support diverse candidates. This included implementing culturally sensitive training and mentorship programs. Managers were also encouraged to create an inclusive environment where candidates from diverse backgrounds feel welcome. Some employers shared their early-stage implementation of whānau interviews, where they have allowed Māori candidates to showcase their achievements through their families.

Gen Z is not afraid to ask for what they want, which can be intimidating for managers from older generations. This is where the concept of reverse mentoring becomes relevant. There has been a notable shift in mindset from the traditional notion of putting in long hours and striving relentlessly to a focus on working smarter.

Challenges Post-COVID:

The post-COVID era has posed challenges to graduate recruitment. The difficulty in retaining graduates increased as travel restrictions lifted, making overseas opportunities more appealing. Organisations have highlighted the need to adapt graduate programs to address these changing dynamics and provide attractive career paths. The duration of programmes varied, with a trend towards shorter programmes of 12 months, allowing graduates to progress faster within the organisation.

The focus on mental health and work-life balance post-COVID was discussed, along with the importance of developing professional skills that may have been impacted by limited customer-facing job opportunities during the pandemic. It was felt that Covid had also given graduates permission to request working from home. Many employers have adopted a hybrid approach to this with graduates allowed to work from home 2-3 days a week. However, both graduates and employers were fully cognisant of the benefits of learning by osmosis by being present in the office, and how it benefited a faster progression.

It was also noted that several organisations were either establishing new graduate programmes, formalising existing programmes, or redesigning their selection processes after a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. These adjustments reflect the evolving landscape and the need to adapt to the changing times.

At Talent Solutions, we are committed to supporting our graduate community and our graduate industry roundtables provide us with the opportunity to facilitate conversations for our clients to build networks, share ideas and support one another. 

If you would like to chat about how we support clients with attraction strategies, marketing campaigns, creating inclusive environments, adapting to the changing graduate landscape, virtual internship programmes, or keep warm activities, please reach out.

Keep an eye on our email newsletters and LinkedIn page for details on how to register for our next graduate roundtable.