The changing face of employer engagement Employers perspective: corporate and SME Innovation, disruption and trends Target lists Rebecca Fielding Managing Director, Gradconsult 2 nd September 2015

Employers perspective: corporates Vacancies up 11.9% Resources and budget recovering but still tight 46% unfilled vacancies, due to skills shortages 26.5% grad roles filled by people who had previously worked for the same employer (internship or placement) Turn down rates, 14% average, up to 22% Hard data driven and asked to prove ROI Other key drivers: Regions, skills shortages, social mobility, strengths, mindset early engagement *AGR winter survey Feb 2015

Employers perspective: corporates

Employers perspective corporates Marketing spend per vacancy Marketing spend per application Law£5,382£90 IT/Telecoms£2,676£31 Energy, Water or utility company£2,622£27 Engineering or industrial company£1,458£26 Accountancy/professional services £813£23 Public£833£20 Banking/financial services£1,839£17 FMCG£2,331£16 Retail£893£13

Employers perspective: corporates

Employers perspective: SMEs Key destination for 39% graduates and will grow Core reason to contact a Uni = recruitment needs Can lack knowledge of HE CIPD/FSB/CBI ‘Too many graduates’ ‘Graduates not work ready’ Can find Unis complex, frustrating and slow Funding, internships and ‘agency like’ services have changed expectations e.g. ‘free’ graduates! Some have become DLHE timing savvy

Employers’ perspective: SMEs How to recruit your students Home page Google search Just 1 click? How easy is it from your page?

Current practice Standard advertising, fairs, presentations, sponsorship, social media Graduate/agency recruiters moving into EE Branded employer info e.g. website, packs ‘Sexy’ spaces WBL projects, mentoring, work shadowing, curriculum design, awards, employer advisory boards…(more academic-led activity) Internships and placements (more demand, funding and variety), now from 1 st year CRM e.g. Career Hub KPIs and measurement

Innovative, disruptive and emergent practice Brand, marketing and jobs board experts moving into EE Marketing e.g. AGR trade show, advertising and sponsorship, media packs Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Award University of Chester Work Experience Programme Award University of Nottingham

Innovative, disruptive and emergent practice Employer targets and pro-active marketing e.g. sales calls, media packs, tailored stats Account management and tiered offering Leveraging alumni ‘Bookending’ EE activity with social mobility development/aspiration raising work International EE activity in country Merging teams/departments e.g. ‘partnership’ teams Academic development & engagement in EE (fellows) Strategic partnerships e.g. schools, corporate degrees Selection services e.g. pre-screening, assessment centres Emp. engagement weeks/months

Turning the tables on target lists

What are your strategic targets and criteria? DLHE targets Salaries Geography - local, national, global Sponsorship for internationals Subjects Income/partnerships - research or corporate progs Value add e.g. boards, lectures, Student interest Civic duty Number of roles/hires UCAS point requirements Strategic partner Key account Valued employer

MOT your employer engagement experience

Summary Unprecedented market change Divergent responses No easy answers - every institution is different View yourself from the employers perspective ‘Improve by 1% a day, and in just 70 days, you’re twice as good’ Alan Weiss

The changing face of employer engagement Rebecca Fielding Managing Director, Gradconsult 2 nd September or