Graduates want clear career prospects, according to research

Graduates are more drawn to companies that offer clear career prospects, according to research from GTI.

The study surveyed 949 students and recent graduates and questioned them about career expectations and what they look for in an employer. The results found more than 50 per cent favour employers that offer career progression opportunities.

Opportunity

Graduates were also found to want to work for an employer that offers the opportunity to learn more about different job roles and departments within the company. This was cited by 20 per cent of respondents.

The majority of respondents want to work for an employer that offers career progression opportunities within the company, with most looking to progress to a higher role. Other respondents stated they wish to explore different job roles.

Gaining skills and experience they can use in another job role was found to be important to graduates and students, with more than 20 per cent citing this as the most important career prospect.

More than 35 per cent of graduates said they would be encouraged to stay with an employer that supports their professional development, with 56 per cent expecting training to be provided within the company.

Evident

Commenting on the research, GTI Director Chloe Burgess stated that it is evident that the current ideal is for a graduate job to be long term and employers should have practices in place in order to facilitate progression.

She added: “This highlights the importance for the graduate recruiter to not just hire the best people for the current position(s), but also for future positions in the company, across departments. The effort that takes place at the beginning of that employee-employer relationship therefore needs to be sustained and nurtured to ensure top talent stays within the business.”