New research from global talent management firm Talogy indicates a significant disparity between the expectations of early career professionals and the immediate hiring needs of organizations.
The study, Hiring Future-Ready Early Talent, surveyed over 1,200 managers, recent employees and job seekers worldwide. It found that organizations are primarily focused on filling immediate gaps, while candidates are increasingly seeking higher salaries and opportunities for learning and development — areas that have been deprioritized following the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.
Early career professionals view learning agility as an important competency, yet it did not appear in the top 10 capabilities required by hiring managers. Instead, employers favoured candidates who are an overall good fit for the skills and competencies of the role, as well as how they integrate within a team and the organizational culture, suggesting a preference for those who can “hit the ground running.”
Loss of personal touch
This mismatch can lead candidates to feel that the recruitment process has lost its personal touch due to an over-reliance on assessments and less emphasis on personal connection. As a result, there is little opportunity for them to demonstrate transferable skills, such as interpersonal abilities, or to gain a better understanding of the company and its long-term offerings. This is particularly important for early career professionals who may lack practical experience, especially if they were unable to find work during pandemic lockdowns.
“Following the Great Resignation, there is a lot of competition for new talent and pressure on existing managers to quickly fill the gap,” said Alanna Harrington, managing consultant at Talogy and co-author of the research. “Hiring managers need to think more strategically about what they want from candidates, the long-term goals of the organization and how to be more engaging throughout the recruitment process.”
“Early career professionals need the opportunity to shine,” Harrington said. “Many new entrants to the marketplace have transferable skills, from side hustles to being very technology-savvy. They need the opportunity to show what skills and competencies they bring to the table.”
“The research provides hiring managers with insight into what it’s like to be a young person embarking on their career and some of the barriers they face, so that hopefully the expectations of both candidate and employer align better,” she added.
Top 3 desired competencies
Other key findings from the research include that communication, teamwork and problem-solving are the top three desired competencies across regions and among both hiring managers and early career professionals.
Factors that deter candidates from applying for a role include hearing about others’ bad experiences with a company (73%), lack of information about salary (70%), lack of information about the job role (64%), lack of flexibility in work arrangements (51%), negative publicity about the organization (48%) and too many stages in the application process (45%).
Twenty per cent of early career professionals and job seekers reported completing more than five assessments when looking for a new job, with many citing that they take too much time and questioning whether they were worth the effort.
The most important factors when applying for a job were salary and benefits (91%), fit between interests and the role (77%) and opportunities for development (63%).
Regarding work arrangements, 55% of respondents considered location an important factor, 54% favoured flexible working and 34% looked for remote working. Generation Z prioritized remote working less than millennials and placed more emphasis on opportunities for development.
Hiring managers find it challenging to evaluate and compare candidates with no prior job history. With limited resources, they feel unable to meet the salary and benefits expectations of candidates. Many managers also find it difficult to onboard new recruits who require a high level of training and mentoring, in addition to managing day-to-day work demands.
