Recruitment processes for Irish employers

According to the gradireland Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey, our annual survey of graduate recruiters, the breakdown of companies pre-selection criteria when screening applications were as follows; 46% use telephone interview, 42% opt for online ability/technical tests, 39% used online psychometric tests while 37% now conduct video interviews.

Current research points to the continuing importance amongst employers (at 65%) of core competencies and employability skills for the particular job which the applicant is applying for. This must be coupled with an appropriate degree, with an expected 2:1 result or better, which 54% of employers are looking for. In terms of what employers consider to be the most important attraction factors for recruiting graduates (multiple choice), 87% pointed to career development, 59% cited employer brand perception with 35% pointing to starting salaries as being vital and 32% saying work/life balance was very important

Recruitment deadlines

The traditional view of graduate recruitment is that of the milk-round, where companies run their campaigns in the first academic term, with an application deadline generally before the Christmas break. But according to our survey, this tradition is no longer a reality in the annual recruitment cycle.

There is still activity around careers fairs and employer presentations during the first academic term but this is now more important for companies to engage with finalists as they begin to decide which sectors and employers they would like to work for. It is less important when it comes to recruitment closing dates.

Our survey shows that the majority of companies in Ireland do not have a specific deadline and will accept applications for most or all of the year. This is a continuation of the trend over the last three years and reflects the current uncertainty in the economy, with companies recruiting on a year-round basis rather than committing to their graduate recruitment requirement (and budget) in the traditional pre-Christmas period. This is good news for finalists and graduates, who get more than one chance during the year to apply for jobs with graduate recruiters.