With the combined threat of a shrinking EU graduate talent pool and a digital skills crisis in the UK, we look at three ways to bridge the graduate tech talent gap in 2017:-
‘Mind reading’
Royal Bank Of Scotland has taken the innovative step of attaching sensors to the heads of graduate talent[1] to assess 'attention spans and brain activity'. Based on their reactions to what they watch while monitored, students are presented with a personality assessment and a recommendation of the type of role they are most suited for. RBS’s intention is to use both gamification and online simulation to improve candidate assessment and at the same time improve feedback.
7% of new banking hires are sourced from the tech sector yet it faces strong competition from fintech companies. London Business School reported a 52% decline in MBA students considering investment banking as a career between 2008-2014. The banking sector has been forced to respond to protect its talent pool. In addition to software engineering and coding skills, machine learning and cybersecurity skills are also in high demand.
Online simulation and gamification can be incorporated by every graduate employer during the screening process through your recruitment software.
The rise of the hackathon
A growing number of banks now run hackathons at Universities to attract top talent. Skills in machine learning, data analysis and AI are the target for these hackathons. A hackathon brings together talented individuals for several days at a time in an intensive brainstorming session. Hackathons attract talented and innovative people with creative minds and provide banks with a way of providing insight into their culture.
Hackathons aren’t limited to the banking sector, however. Every industry will be affected by digital skills and tech shortages and more companies are taking advantage of the innovation they offer. Be sure to track the source of your top graduate talent through your recruitment metrics within your HR software.
Prepare for Facebook jobs
For employers still in search of new ways to expand their reach and connect with graduate tech talent, Facebook offer a new social recruiting tool in 2017. First reported by TechCrunch last month, Facebook revealed that it is testing a ‘Jobs’ feature, in the form of a new tab on a standard page which will allow employers to post job openings and receive applications. While it is still in the testing phase, this will have a significant impact on graduate recruitment. Two years ago, we noted the poor ability of LinkedIn to attract millennials as ‘Facebook is the website of choice so joining a separate networking site for career progression opportunities simply doesn’t make sense to them’. Facebook also offers the rapid interaction that millennials seek. With the prospect of a vast online talent community and the ability to target job adverts to an exact candidate profile, a Facebook jobs feature may be the final piece in your graduate recruitment strategy for tech talent.
Prepare for innovation in your 2017 graduate recruitment strategy with recruitment software used by some of the world’s leading organisations. Contact Advorto today.
You might also like to read:-
7 Graduate Recruitment Lessons Of 2016
10 Ways To Attract More Women Into Tech Jobs
For an in-depth look at the topics covered by our blog during 2016 download our essential Graduate Recruitment Guide.
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[1] Source : https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-12-15/banks-turn-to-mind-reading-to-source-top-tech-graduates
