Face up to elitism in graduate recruitment, debate hears
14 March 2014
Elitism in graduate recruitment is an issue that has been around for a number of years, but one that must be dealt with as soon as possible, a debate has heard.
Fri, 14 Mar 2014 | Matt Bodimeade
Elitism in graduate recruitment is an issue that has been around for a number of years, but one that must be dealt with as soon as possible, a debate has heard.
Speaking last night at the ‘Leicester Exchanges: social mobility – realising ambitions’ debate at Teach First’s London offices, Dr Henrietta O’Connor, a reader in employment studies at the University of Leicester’s School of Management, said: “A lot of recruiters tend to look at certain elitist universities, therefore we are constantly ending up with the same type of people in senior roles.
“It’s important to look outside of the top 10 and realise there’s lots of talent out there. Recruiters need to grasp the idea that many students, no matter their academic ability, tend to feel more comfortable at institutions outside of the top 10.”
However, Jane Clark, head of campus recruitment, Europe Middle East and Asia (EMEA) for Barclays, said it’s not always down to the recruiter to make that decision: “There’s constant pressure from stakeholders to go back and recruit where they studied, and I can see why. Certain skills are only available at certain institutions.”
A point which Wasim Khan, real estate lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright, agreed: “It’s a difficult idea to change. The majority of people in senior positions tend to be a lot older, so it could well be a generational problem.
“If employers are talking about diversity, then that means they’ve got to change the way they employ graduates.”
And the only way to practically achieve this, Clark says, is remove cut-off points. “Is the 2:1 cut-off point still fit for the recruitment process? Have UCAS points had their day?
“At Barclays we tend to go for more strength-based interviews, therefore we know a candidate is going to be good at the job they’re potentially going in to.”
• What are your views on graduate recruitment? Have you debated removing the degree cut-off point? The Comment box is at the bottom of the page. Sorry for the glitch but just scroll right down and share your opinions!
Elitism in graduate recruitment is an issue that has been around for a number of years, but one that must be dealt with as soon as possible, a debate has heard.
Speaking last night at the ‘Leicester Exchanges: social mobility – realising ambitions’ debate at Teach First’s London offices, Dr Henrietta O’Connor, a reader in employment studies at the University of Leicester’s School of Management, said: “A lot of recruiters tend to look at certain elitist universities, therefore we are constantly ending up with the same type of people in senior roles.
“It’s important to look outside of the top 10 and realise there’s lots of talent out there. Recruiters need to grasp the idea that many students, no matter their academic ability, tend to feel more comfortable at institutions outside of the top 10.”
However, Jane Clark, head of campus recruitment, Europe Middle East and Asia (EMEA) for Barclays, said it’s not always down to the recruiter to make that decision: “There’s constant pressure from stakeholders to go back and recruit where they studied, and I can see why. Certain skills are only available at certain institutions.”
A point which Wasim Khan, real estate lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright, agreed: “It’s a difficult idea to change. The majority of people in senior positions tend to be a lot older, so it could well be a generational problem.
“If employers are talking about diversity, then that means they’ve got to change the way they employ graduates.”
And the only way to practically achieve this, Clark says, is remove cut-off points. “Is the 2:1 cut-off point still fit for the recruitment process? Have UCAS points had their day?
“At Barclays we tend to go for more strength-based interviews, therefore we know a candidate is going to be good at the job they’re potentially going in to.”
• What are your views on graduate recruitment? Have you debated removing the degree cut-off point? The Comment box is at the bottom of the page. Sorry for the glitch but just scroll right down and share your opinions!
