HireVue has released its comprehensive report, The State of Global Early Career Hiring 2024.  Produced in partnership with The Institute of Student Employers, The National Association of Colleges and Employers, and The Australian Association of Graduate Employers, the report reveals key insights into the evolving landscape of early career recruitment across the globe.

Driven by the need to fill skill gaps in a rapidly changing job market, the report highlights a global shift towards skills-based hiring and away from traditional graduate screening proxies:

  • In the US less than 40 per cent of employers reported that they are screening candidates by GPA this year.
  • In the UK, 54 per cent of employers expect to move to a recruitment approach that focuses on evaluating candidates based on their skills, rather than education or past work experience alone.
  • In Australia, only 30 per cent of employers said they felt examination results were ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ to assess during the selection process, down from 38 per cent in 2022.

Dr. Nathan Mondragon, Chief IO Psychologist at HireVue, emphasised, “Employers need to hire based on the potential of candidates to adapt in a rapidly changing environment. IO psychologists have always recommended hiring based on a combination of skills, motivations, and individual characteristics, and it’s great to see wider acceptance of the methodology. This holistic approach is helping organisations unlock the true potential of early career talent.”

As recruitment teams face increased pressure with rising application numbers and ongoing budget constraints, the report underscores the importance of leveraging new technologies to improve efficiency while maintaining a personalised candidate experience. The adoption of AI in recruitment continues gathering pace, with notable increases in its use for psychometric assessments:

  • In the US, more than 40 per cent of career services professionals reported using AI for work tasks over the last year.
  • The UK saw AI usage jump from 9 per cent to 28 per cent in 2023.
  • Australian professionals reported significantly lower adoption of the technology with just 16 per cent of organisations currently using AI as part of their recruitment process.

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