Delivering a Human Graduate Recruitment Process

In light of the recent Guardian article “Like throwing myself at a wall” highlighting the challenges faced by UK graduates in securing their first jobs, we at Connectr Talent Acquisition feel compelled to share our perspective on graduate recruitment. As a talent acquisition team dedicated to providing an exceptional candidate experience, we believe it’s time for a paradigm shift in how companies approach hiring fresh talent.

The Current Landscape

The article paints a sobering picture of the graduate job market:

• Graduates with top-tier degrees struggling to secure interviews
• Impersonal and often opaque application processes
• Over-reliance on AI and automated screening tools
• Lack of feedback and communication from employers

These issues not only frustrate talented graduates but also prevent companies from identifying and nurturing the best talent for their organisations.

The Paradox of Graduate Recruitment

Interestingly, the article also highlights a paradox in the current job market. While employers are receiving a higher number of applications than ever before, 54% of them still find it difficult to recruit for at least one of their graduate roles – an 11% increase from previous years. This suggests an oversupply of graduate workers who seemingly lack relevant skills.

However, we believe this is a misinterpretation of the situation. The real issue lies in the expectations of hiring managers who often want entry-level candidates to “hit the ground running” – an unrealistic and counterproductive approach to graduate recruitment.

Our Commitment to a Better Way

At Connectr Talent Acquisition, we’ve never lost our human-centric approach to graduate recruitment that prioritises transparency, communication, and genuine engagement with candidates. At times, this has felt out of step with current trends, but it works for us, and reading articles like this vindicates our approach.

Communication – Ghosting is single handedly the most soul-destroying dark side of any application process which is totally unnecessary.
We’ve ditched the one-size-fits-all approach. Every candidate receives tailored rejection emails when unsuccessful, explaining why they weren’t selected and offering constructive feedback for future applications.

Human-Led Screening
While AI has its place, and we do have AI in our tech stack – e.g. for booking telephone interviews and taking interview notes we believe nothing beats human judgment in identifying potential. Our team personally reviews applications, looking beyond just qualifications to spot unique talents, experiences and transferrable skills

Telephone Interviews
There have been times when we comtemplated video interviews but we have stayed with good old-fashioned phone calls. This allows candidates to express themselves more naturally and build a real connection with our team. As experienced interviewers we are able to adjust our style to manage possible candidate use of AI at this stage.

Feedback on Request
Any candidate who wants to understand more about our decision if they are unsuccessful at the telephone interview or assessment centre stage can request verbal feedback. We’re committed to helping all applicants grow,

Pre-Assessment Coaching
For candidates progressing to assessment days, we provide coaching sessions to ensure they understand what to expect and how to showcase their best selves.

The Results Speak for Themselves

– We make high quality hires for our clients who are better aligned with their company culture
– Increased diversity
– Improved employer brand and reputation among graduates
– Better long-term retention of graduate hires

Changing the Hiring Mindset

A crucial part of our work involves partnering with clients to transform their approach to hiring. We encourage hiring managers to:

• Look beyond direct experience and focus on potential
• Recognise and value transferable skills from academic projects, part-time jobs, or extracurricular activities
• Invest in training and development programmes to bridge skill gaps
• Create internship or apprenticeship programs to cultivate talent from the ground up
• Embrace diversity of thought and experience, which often leads to innovation and problem-solving

By adopting this mindset, companies can tap into a rich pool of graduate talent that might otherwise be overlooked. It’s not about lowering standards; it’s about recognizing that the skills needed for success can be developed with the right support and environment.

The future of our industries depends on how we treat the next generation of talent. Let’s commit to making the recruitment process a more human, empathetic, and rewarding experience for all involved, while also broadening our perspective on what makes a candidate “qualified.”