Citation
(2005), "Work experience “effective for recruiting top graduates", Education + Training, Vol. 47 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2005.00447gab.004
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2005, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Work experience “effective for recruiting top graduates
The media that graduate recruiters really rate for attracting high-calibre graduates are revealed in the Association of Graduate Rrecruiters/Barkers National Graduate Media Audit. More than 120 graduate recruiters, who collectively employed over 11,000 graduates in the past 12 months, ranked the most effective media for recruiting graduates as:
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work experience/internships;
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vacancy listings – online;
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careers-service campus fairs;
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prospects directory;
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employer information;
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milk round;
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prospects online;
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sector-specific campus fairs;
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target by sector series; and
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e-mails to students.
The results show that recruiters recognize the importance of both traditional and online methods and are choosing to use a suite of integrated elements when it comes to attracting and recruiting graduates.
Phillip Lane, graduate-research specialist at Barkers and co-author of the report, said: “The continued use of so diverse a range of communication channels shows that the most effective graduate recruitment comes from a fully integrated approach. Today’s successful recruiters understand the role technology plays in facilitating face-to-face contact with potential employees, while ensuring candidates derive the maximum possible value from human interaction.”
In other notable results, for the third year, the University of Manchester careers advisory service was voted the best in the UK, with the University of Cambridge coming a close second. The careers services at the universities of Oxford and Warwick were ranked third and fourth, respectively.
Alison Hodgson, who chairs the Association of Graduate Recruiters, said: “University careers services play a vital role in preparing students for the transition from the world of education to the world of work and in helping graduates to start their working lives. The top careers services know that academic achievements alone will not be enough for students who are striving for graduate jobs in a competitive market and having a wider perspective is a key ingredient for success. Manchester and Cambridge provide great examples of the potential for effective business relationships between employers and university careers services.”