The Talent War 2015

Stephen IsherwoodChief Executive

The Metro

Fewer 18 yr olds for the next 5 years

Employers invest more in graduates

• 13.2% increase in graduate vacancies• 3.7% increase in median starting salaries• 3.3% rise in intern salaries to £321 a week• 72.6% of employers offered internships• Growth across the board – large & small firms

Top five high growth sectors

IT/Telecoms 27%

Public 23%

Construction22%

Engineering/Industry 16% Investment Banking

12%

Vacancies unfilled – in a recession!

Percentage of graduate recruiters with unfilled vacanciesSource: AGR Winter Surveys

%

Unfilled vacancies by sector

All employers

Energy, water or utility company

Consulting or business services firm

Insurance company

Public sector

FMCG company

Banking or financial services

Other

5.4%11.8%

11.1%7.7%

7.3%5.9%5.9%

4.8%3.9%

3.4%2.8%2.7%

1.4%1.4%

3.7%

Why?

Did you know…

75% of AGR employer members

don’t stipulate a degree discipline

What do employers want?

• An ability to work collaboratively with teams of people • Excellent communication skills: both speaking and listening • A high degree of drive and resilience • An understanding of the political, economic, commercial issues affecting

an organisation• An ability to embrace multiple perspectives and challenge thinking • A capacity to develop new skills and behaviours according to role

requirements • A high degree of self-awareness • An ability to form professional networks• An openness to and respect for a range of perspectives• A willingness to play an active role in society at a local, national and

sometimes international level.

Or put more simply…

• Can work with and get things done with other people• Practical intelligence to think through problems

clearly and deliver solutions• A passion for your chosen industry/career• The resilience to do difficult – sometimes dull – work

in challenging, changing circumstances

The win/win of work experience

• Students with relevant work experience are more likely to get a job

• Internship students are more likely to accept and offer, stay longer and outperform peers

Future employees could be less work-ready

Source: UKCES 2015 “The Death of the Saturday Job”.

The right work experience

Vacancies and interns by sector

23.0%

14.6%

12.1%

10.1% 9.6% 9.1%

5.1% 5.4%

1.9%1.0%

18.8%

6.1%

14.5%

2.5%

16.2%

1.8%

20.8%

3.3% 3.1% 2.9%

Share of graduate vacancies (2014-15)

Share of intern vacancies (2013-14)

Know thyself

“The unexamined

life is not worth living”

Socrates

Break a few eggs

3 in 5 firms are addressing diversity

None

Other

Socio-economic background

Sexuality

Disability

Ethnicity

Gender

21.6%

1.4%

36.5%

23.0%

29.1%

43.9%

62.8%

11.3%

3.8%

25.8%

31.4%

47.2%

68.6%

88.1%

MonitorStrategy to address

41.6% of graduate hires are female

Source: AGR 2015 Annual Survey, 2010 Winter Survey

Engineering or Industrial company

Construction company or consultancy

IT/Telecoms company

Energy, water or utility company

Banking or financial services

Accountancy or professional services firm

Public sector

FMCG companies

Retail

Law firms

Overall

23.8%

27.5%

34.8%

30.3%

40.9%

40.0%

59.4%

53.2%

56.8%

53.8%

41.6%

15.8%

26.7%

28.4%

34.7%

35.2%

38.3%

49.6%

50.0%

53.5%

54.6%

38.7%

2009-102013-14

58.7% in talent pool

The skills gap

Sources: CBI Education and Skills Survey 2014; Prospects and Work Ready Graduates, 2015. Exact wording of categories varies between surveys e.g. top green bar is “self-management/resilience” in CBI survey.

The future…