66% of graduates value D,E&I over ‘dream job’

Young workers are vital because they provide companies an opportunity to fill skill gaps and develop talent for specific needs.

To understand how organizations can entice this key demographic, recruiting platform Untapped spoke to just under 800 early in career (EIC) candidates about their working wants.

Discussing the research, Adam Gefkovicz, co-founder and co-CEO of Untapped said: “Our goal with conducting this research was to provide companies who seek to attract a diverse pipeline of EIC talent with helpful insights to shape meaningful career experiences, from the initial impression and beyond.

“By better understanding EIC attitudes, companies can improve their talent strategy and outreach to candidates seeking out crucially-important foundational roles.”

51% of respondents have completed undergraduate education, while the remainder is pursuing an education. 53% of those surveyed had less than a year of experience in a field of interest.

Attracting potential candidates

Candidates want to interact with a company before they join. Notably, 70% of respondents would rather attend a recruiting event before applying for a company. On top of that, 80% would like to join a talent community to understand what kind of organization they would be joining.

However, it’s not only physical events that have an impact on applications. Social media has a key role in how younger generations apply for jobs and advertise their skills.

30% of young candidates used social media to find positions, and 25% used social platforms to research companies and promote their skills.

Despite living in the digital age, many young people value their privacy. 50% of respondents want to be selective about what companies know about them when they are applying for roles, and 74% want to self-report their information rather than rely on artificial intelligence.

Values for younger workers

Perhaps the most interesting finding of the study is the fact that young candidates are greatly influenced by how companies interact with social initiatives.

82% noted that a lack of diversity, equity, and inclusion (D,E&I) initiatives are important and 66% said that a difference in personal values would impact them taking a dream job.

Evidently, all companies need to evaluate what they offer young candidates and make an effort to be more inclusive and environmentally friendly.

Undertaking social and inclusivity programs is not enough for organizations, instead, companies need to promote their work and talent acquisition events far and wide in order to resonate with talent.

By offering an active social media strategy alongside D,E&I, and environmental initiatives companies can greatly improve their application rates.

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