New research into the wants and needs of early talent provides useful insight for recruiters. Simon Reichwald, ISE Fellow and Chief Progression Officer at Connectr, shares key findings.
As ever, there’s a lot going on in our world - economic growth, a changing labour market, apprenticeship reforms, future skills and skills-based talent models, work readiness, onboarding and progression, the evolution from early careers to emerging talent and, I will whisper it, AI in the hands of candidates and all that brings.
So, what does all this mean for candidates, their experience and expectations?
Despite all that is happening in our world, our central purpose is unchanged; how do we attract, hire, pre-board, develop and progress the very best talent?
Their understanding about different sectors and roles, what the world of work will be like and how they can thrive in that world is critical to us achieving our purpose.
There are some strong trends and messages we have seen about what candidates want and need in extensive research Connectr Talent Technology has completed and published in a free report – The State of Candidate Experience 2025.
Key findings
- Culture, mission and ethics matter twice as much as salary
- Competition for roles is causing candidates to hesitate ahead of applying, potentially leading to less of the types of candidates you want applying
- First hand experiences heard directly from existing employees is the most trusted source of ‘reality’
- Chatbots have a place but are perhaps not the full solution you might expect. Efficient for employers, but not giving candidates the authentic experience they seek
- The majority of the current generation are now seeking an ‘employer for life’, backing up research from Admiral Insurance
- Candidates spend much less time researching before applying than you might expect and want - making the most impact quickly is key
- Candidates understanding of the application process is not as important as them being able to confidently decide if they are a fit to a role
- Declines and reneges continue to be a challenge
How should employers respond?
- A focus on pre-skilling as part of the attraction strategy, not just in onboarding. Where skills can be a mix of technical and behavioural skills, they need to be served up in bite sized consumable chunks, which can be tracked for usage and value
- Linked to this is enabling candidates to self-assess their fit for roles
- Less focus on past experiences and qualifications and more on finding ways to showcase (for the candidate) and assess (for the employer) behavioural skills and appetite for learning
- Greater use of authentic influencers who are existing employees and make it real (not relying on just written testimonials or videos) by giving access to existing employees through technology or in person (fully safeguarded)
- Remember the role of teachers and parents, for all those hiring apprentices and school leavers
- Work hard to show how the values of this generation align to those of your business - don’t make this hard to find, it needs to be front and centre
- Up your game post offer - all the more where there is referencing, vetting and clearance hurdles. There are many unknowns and new, often intimidating experiences, for new starters, so supporting them at every step is critical to retaining the fantastic talent you have worked so hard to find, as well as ensuring day one is brimming with their excitement and desire to get started
There is much to keep us challenged, but the good news is there are solutions and actions we can take.