Graduate recruitment activity still resilient

While graduate jobs appear to be holding up much better than most other recruitment sectors, the level of interest in them from graduates has skyrocketed, according to leading graduate jobsite TARGETjobs.

At the most recent TARGETjobs Breakfast News session before Christmas, AGR chief executive Carl Gilleard reported that, despite the economic downturn, a third of AGR firms expected to recruit the same number of graduates as last year.  29% expected to recruit slightly fewer, 26% slightly more, and - perhaps most tellingly - none of them said they intended to stop recruiting graduates altogether.

These figures were backed up by the latest data from High Fliers Research, with a quarter of employers saying they planned to take on more graduates this year than last, half anticipating similar numbers and nearly all saying they were determined to recruit recruiting at least some graduates.

All this would seem to suggest that the majority of employers have learned the lessons of previous downturns.  By continuing to recruit graduates during a recession, organisations can ensure they maintain an uninterrupted supply of future management talent - essential if they're to take full advantage of the eventual recovery.  Crucially, they also get to maintain their brand presence, on campus and elsewhere.

That said, the flow of depressing job market data makes it seem inevitable that some of this year's more optimistic forecasts for graduate intakes will be revised downwards.  Yet many graduate recruiters remain coy about their numbers, keen not to dent the profile of their organisations as desirable career destinations.  One trend that's beginning to emerge is the increased promotion of internships - seen as a useful way of maintaining a positive profile at a time when there are fewer permanent positions on offer.

But while graduate jobs may be harder to find this year, student interest in them is stronger than ever.  At TARGETjobs student traffic has rocketed, with visits to the site's sector pages up by 182% compared to this time last year.  Graduate employers will also be gratified by the level of interest in this year's TARGETjobs' National Graduate Recruitment Awards.  As Chris Phillips (GTI Media's publishing director for the UK and Ireland) commented, "The fact that we received around 90,000 student votes - more than double last year's total - speaks volumes.  It says that, despite the deluge of bad news, students are just as engaged in the job-hunting process as they ever were."

So, despite everything, the market is still displaying a fair degree of resilience - and employers who remain committed to graduate recruitment this year stand to be rewarded with an unusually rich crop of talent.