The Graduate Market in 2015
Graduate Recruitment Promotions in 2014-2015 Employers have used a very wide variety of different promotions to publicise their graduate programmes during the 2014-2015 recruitment season (see Table 5.5 ). Most organisations have promoted their opportunities through graduate recruitment websites (such as Milkround and Prospects) or have used commercial or university email services to contact individual students and over half of recruiters confirmed they had stepped-up use of social media this year. Although considerably fewer recruiters chose to advertise in printed local careers guides or specific sector guides this year, there has been a sharp rise in the number of employers using graduate directories to promote their graduate vacancies, compared with the 2013-2014 recruitment season. On campus, virtually all the leading graduate recruiters are working with university careers services this year and there has been a noticeable increase in employers taking part in local recruitment events. Ninety individual organisations hosted their own recruitment presentations across the UK, with many opting to host more events than last year, and record numbers of employers have been using careers fairs and skills training events to publicise their graduate opportunities. Half of recruiters have also used some form of business game to promote their organisation and three-fifths have sponsored student societies this year. Two thirds of employers now have their own network of campus brand managers – local students or postgraduates who are recruited to help publicise an employer’s university events, to remind fellow students about application deadlines, and assist recruiters with identifying potential local promotional opportunities. Over a quarter of employers confirmed they had made more use of campus brand managers this year. Up to half of recruiters have opted to host special one-off campus promotions around the UK – such as a roadshow event, campus vending machines and photo booths – and a quarter have held national or inter-university student competitions to engage with potential graduate recruits. So far during the 2014-2015 recruitment season, many employers have had a significant increase in the attendance by students at their campus events (see Chart 5.4 ) – more than half
Chart 5.4 Number of Students taking part in Employers’ Campus Events in 2014-2015
26%
Considerably more students than last year
30%
A few more students than last year
34%
About the same number as last year
9%
A few less students than last year
1%
Considerably fewer students than last year
0
10
20
40
50
30
Percentage of top graduate employers
Source - The Graduate Market in 2015
30
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