Why the best graduate talent are self-ejecting from your selection process

In our last article we mentioned that, when it comes to attracting the best graduate talent in the market, the most successful strategies will focus on candidate engagement by creating a positive graduate experience. Well, the same can be said for the selection process. In fact, engagement is even more important during the selection process. After all, after having gone to all the effort of successfully piquing their interest, if you create too much friction or too many hurdles during your selection process, your best candidates will inevitably self-eject.

A missed opportunity you can’t afford given the current state of the graduate market.

If this post prompts you to reassess your graduate selection process, then we will have done what we set out to do. Far too many graduate employers lose their best candidates by creating such a convoluted recruitment process. Often, this is to create the impression that they only recruit the cream of the crop. In reality, the talent they hope to market themselves towards drops out simply because they can’t be bothered to jump through so many hoops.

First Impressions Count

Let’s cut to the chase. Whilst it may have been par for the course in days gone by to ask candidates to submit a written application which carefully addresses multiple key selection criteria, this is now far too old school and off-putting to graduates today.

Picture this scenario: The most qualified candidate is heading to her casual job after a full day at university and is standing on a crowded bus. She has one hand gripping the strap hanging down from the bar above her. In her other hand, she’s scrolling on her phone when she comes across your graduate recruitment ad. The employer brand positioning looks interesting, and the description of the program itself initially excites her. Then she reads please submit an updated resume along with a detailed cover letter carefully addressing the key selection criteria outlined above.

Without even thinking about it, she keeps scrolling in search of another opportunity. You’ve lost her and there’s no way of bringing her back.

Today, graduates expect to be able to submit their application in literally just a few clicks. Tailored lengthy cover letters and clunky application processes are (in their mind) a complete waste of time.

Research indicates that people will form a solid, lasting impression of who you are within seven seconds. The same goes for your selection process. If your application process takes longer than 8 minutes, be prepared for your application numbers to take a hit.

Think again about the graduate on this bus: if she sees an awesome opportunity, shouldn’t she be able to apply without even having to take her other hand off the strap hanging from the bar above her? Her resume and/or her LinkedIn profile are up to date, and offer a detailed snapshot of her skills and experience. And once she is invested in the process, she is much more receptive to completing a video interview or personality profile assessment later. The point is, the application process itself should be totally frictionless.

Sheep Dip vs Value Add Activities

In the past, graduates may have been prepared for a lengthy recruitment process – from the time they submitted their application, it was not uncommon for graduates to spend over a month waiting for a phone call. And after eventually hearing back from the graduate recruitment team to book in a phone screen, they were being asked to complete a video interview, perhaps a personality questionnaire, and even a technical written exercise which then determined whether they would be invited for an assessment centre. Once that process took place, the next stage would be another on-site interview (this time 1:1), which might then be followed by a ‘networking’ (observation) event, before reference checks were eventually conducted. If you felt like this paragraph was a lot to take in, spare a thought for the applicants going through it!

Those days are long gone.

The current generation of graduates don’t have to wait for anything. Everything is on-demand – from movies to meals to communicating with their friends. Going through a recruitment process filled with hurdles and roadblocks simply isn’t an option. If there are too many stages to work through, they won’t play the game. They’ll find another graduate opportunity with an easier selection process.

One thing the pandemic showed us is that there are several highly predictive AND highly efficient ways to sift through the volume of applicants for a graduate program. Today’s graduates are different to those of even 5 years ago. Many are studying full-time while simultaneously working full-time (sounds unrealistic but it’s true!). They’ve been able to work their schedules around online classes, recorded lectures, and flexible work options, but asking them to put aside a day for a series of role-plays and group activities often isn’t worth their effort.

The ‘old school’ graduate selection approach of bringing multiple candidates in for a 4 – 5-hour assessment centre is another sure-fire way to scare away the best talent. The Gen Z (and ‘late millennial’) graduate has different priorities, and a ‘culling style’ written task or assessment centre day isn’t one of them.

Having said that, be mindful of how much gamification or ‘funky’ online assessment you incorporate into your selection process, too. Whilst they might be perceived as an easy and perhaps even enjoyable user experience, are they realistically giving you the information that you need? Do they reflect the role, culture, organisation or day-to-day tasks? If graduates can’t see the connection (face validity) you risk creating the perception of a gimmicky or irrelevant process.

Similarly, the inclusive design of your selection process (i.e. use of certain technology or assessments) can have a profound impact on the engagement and participation of diversity within your graduate talent pool. Whilst asynchronous video interview technology has been a game changer for many organisations and departments – in many cases reducing graduate recruitment screening time by several weeks – it can also be a double-edged sword. Many highly qualified candidates from cultural backgrounds (i.e. First Nation peoples) will choose not to take part in a recorded video interview. This is different from taking part in a synchronous or live online interview. It’s the recorded nature of a video interview that brings about cultural sensitivity.

Contemporary research shows that when it comes to graduate recruitment, there is a clear correlation between the selection process and the quality of hire. It has also highlighted that while candidates are willing to accept graduate job offers without meeting their new boss in person, they are less likely to get too far into the process without at least a conversation with a real person.

It’s therefore also important to be mindful of how much automation you build into your process. A series of lengthy online applications, AI-based phone screens, asynchronous video interviews, gamified psych tests, and automated reference requests can also be off-putting for many graduates who crave at least some form of human interaction. They want to see some real-life representation of the brand, business, or department they are looking to start their career with.

As we mentioned earlier in this piece, if after reading this you’re feeling unsettled or a little uncomfortable with even a few aspects of your current graduate selection process, then this is a good thing. In our next article we’ll be sharing some tips on how to design a best-in-class selection strategy to ensure you secure the best graduate talent.

In the meantime, if you’re unsure on any of the above, or if you’re keen to understand how your graduate talent program stacks up to the market via our GP Diagnostic, or want to explore solutions, lets connect.