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Graduate report 'way off the mark' says Discovery MD

Jonathan Evans, MD of Discovery Graduates, has condemned The Graduate Market in 2009 report ¬as negative, misleading and potentially damaging for the graduate recruitment market.

The Graduate Market in 2009 report was released this week, following a survey of the top 100 graduate recruiters by High Fliers Research in December 2008. Jonathan Evans is concerned by the implications of the report, warning that it could mislead businesses, damage employer confidence, depress the graduate market and even discourage university applications.

The research claimed that “Britain’s leading graduate employers have reduced their recruitment targets for 2009 by 17 per cent since the latest graduate recruitment round began in September 2008”.  By focusing on the top 100 recruiters only, Evans believes the report only tells part of the story. Many of these recruiters reside within the financial sector, which is clearly more affected by the banking crisis, as he explains:

“Many of the top 100 are financial companies, so don’t represent UK businesses as a whole. Obviously financial institutions will be cutting recruitment, so this skews the figures massively. Plenty of companies are still recruiting graduates into 'real' jobs, as opposed to structured graduate schemes, and this is not reflected in the report.”

Evans also believes that businesses can actually use the current market conditions as a springboard for growth, citing the availability of previously unattainable graduates:

“SMEs and those outside the financial sector are facing totally different challenges and are actually bucking the perceived ‘trend’ in many areas, backed up by our own experience. In fact, companies outside the top 100 should be embracing this news as it represents an opportunity to snap-up some exceptional talent; normally the preserve of top recruiters.”

While he believes there is a clear opportunity for businesses to trade through the recession, Evans also recognises that the report may “instill fear in companies that are planning to recruit.” He is also alarmed at the long-term effects on the graduate market, and the impact on university applications.

As he sees it, “the reality is that many companies can’t afford ‘not to’ recruit graduates, as it will impact on their skill sets and succession planning too much.”  Evans is urging employers and graduates alike to see past the ‘doom and gloom’ and recognise what is really going on. “This negative reporting needs to stop before it truly becomes a reality.”

Evans is desperate to encourage others in the industry to speak out on this issue, in the interest of a fair debate. He sees this as the latest negative slur on the state of recruitment and wants people to speak up. Discovery Graduates is currently planning the launch of an online campaign, promoting positive news in the graduate sector.