Whether the economy is booming or busting, one thing remains constant: employers bemoan the dearth of graduate talent. Declining standards and student apathy are often cited as reasons for unfilled graduate vacancies. The issue is complex, and no doubt all these factors contribute. But have recruiters genuinely considered how they go about spotting talent and assessing a candidate’s unique abilities?
At Ernst & Young we have concluded that current custom and practice – competency based recruitment – has become a mechanical process that neither recruiter nor candidate thinks truly assesses an individual’s talent and potential. In conjunction with the occupational psychologists, Work Positive and the Centre for Applied Positive Psychology (Capp), we have developed a “strengths” based approach for our UK graduate programmes.
