Firms focus on cultural fit
17 November 2015
Firms focus on cultural fit
Thu, 19 Nov 2015 | By Sarah Marquet
Richard Waite, Grant Thornton’s head of student recruitment, told Recruiter that the firm dropped the requirements two years ago and has already seen an increase in diversity with more recruits likely to have gone to non-Russell Group universities, attended state school and to have received free school meals.
Last year, 12% of people the firm took on would not have previously made it through screening. That increased to 20% this year.
PwC dropped A-level results as a screening tool from May this year, though still requires applicants to have a 2:1 degree or higher. EY dropped all academic requirements from August.
While academic performance still “plays a part” in the recruitment of graduates and school leavers for the firms, it is balanced with other attributes including numerical reasoning and cultural fit.
But the reasons for making the change were varied.
Waite explained Grant Thornton’s motivation came from meeting students on campus visits and instinctively knowing they would be a good fit for the firm but then finding out their academic history did not match its existing standards.
Richard Irwin, PwC head of student recruitment, told Recruiter the firm had, after in-depth analysis, discovered its own online behavioural testing was just as effective in predicting success in professional examinations as the previous academic requirements.
EY managing partner for talent Maggie Stilwell told Recruiter her firm’s move was about a need to diversify and grow its workforce.. GRAHAM SIMONS
FROM DECEMBER 2015'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE
Dropping academic entry requirements for graduate and school leaver programmes is a growing trend, with professional services firms PwC and EY and accountancy firm Grant Thornton leading the way.Richard Waite, Grant Thornton’s head of student recruitment, told Recruiter that the firm dropped the requirements two years ago and has already seen an increase in diversity with more recruits likely to have gone to non-Russell Group universities, attended state school and to have received free school meals.
Last year, 12% of people the firm took on would not have previously made it through screening. That increased to 20% this year.
PwC dropped A-level results as a screening tool from May this year, though still requires applicants to have a 2:1 degree or higher. EY dropped all academic requirements from August.
While academic performance still “plays a part” in the recruitment of graduates and school leavers for the firms, it is balanced with other attributes including numerical reasoning and cultural fit.
But the reasons for making the change were varied.
Waite explained Grant Thornton’s motivation came from meeting students on campus visits and instinctively knowing they would be a good fit for the firm but then finding out their academic history did not match its existing standards.
Richard Irwin, PwC head of student recruitment, told Recruiter the firm had, after in-depth analysis, discovered its own online behavioural testing was just as effective in predicting success in professional examinations as the previous academic requirements.
EY managing partner for talent Maggie Stilwell told Recruiter her firm’s move was about a need to diversify and grow its workforce.. GRAHAM SIMONS
