GTI offices, Wallingford

Early talent insights

Welcome to our Insights page – a handy resource for employers, schools and universities, where we share our thoughts, opinions and advice on all aspects of early talent careers.

Eight things we learned from the Breakfast News higher education special

Thursday, December 12, 2019

Our latest Breakfast News ‘Higher Education Special’ delved into the positives and negatives of past, current and future higher education practices and asked employers to think about how they can work with universities to improve the higher education process. We heard from multiple higher education experts from journalism, UCAS, AGCAS, and the conservative government. Here are our 8 key takeaways from the event:

Behind the camera- Why video should be a key part of your attraction campaign

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Video is quite clearly leading the way for customer engagement and interaction and it is only getting more influential as time goes by. But, what can you take from this and apply to your recruitment process?

You can’t keep a woman down: how our TARGETjobs data shows that female graduates are seeking to even the STEM playing field

Thursday, November 28, 2019

It is generally understood that sectors such as construction, engineering and technology are still largely male-dominated, but are times changing?

Artificial (lack of) Intelligence: A revolutionary future, but is it an intelligent choice for the recruitment industry?

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

As we advance into a new age of technological evolution, ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (AI) is at the forefront of looming radical changes headed our way. But what about the recruitment industry, how will it affect us? And, is this idea really as intelligent as it sounds?

Women in Tech- Technology for all, but created only by men?

Monday, November 11, 2019

The beauty of technology is that it does not see people according to their gender, colour or ethnicity; yet, this is not reflected in gender diversity in the tech workplace. Sky's Early Careers Partner, Asha Kumaran, looks at why...

Top five ways to increase the number of graduates clicking on your job vacancies

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

The 2019 TARGETjobs Graduate Insights Report revealed the top factors which make our members apply for a vacancy on our website.

What qualities to look for when hiring the leaders of tomorrow

Monday, November 4, 2019

With Eddie Jones almost pulling off the seemingly impossible as coach of the England men’s rugby team, making it to the final of the Rugby World Cup, we thought we’d look at how employers can optimise their chances of hiring their own equivalent winning coaches, captains, or innovative leaders of tomorrow.

Great minds don’t think alike- Why encouraging neurodiversity in companies is important

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

At their recent ‘Neurodiversity at Work’ event, company founders Henry Davies (Communications Agency, 106 Communications) and Daniel Aherne (Inclusive Recruitment Company, Adjust) shared their thoughts on how employers and colleagues can increase their confidence in recruiting and supporting a neurodiverse workforce. TARGETrecruit’s Charlotte Hek shares her key takeaways from this insightful session.

‘Know me for my abilities, not my disability’: How can we support candidates with disabilities in the recruitment process?

Monday, October 28, 2019

We decided to delve further into the recruitment of people with disabilities in order to determine the main issues and worries that they face, the support that currently is and should be available and how GTI as a company has tailored ourselves to support anyone with a disability, as well as offering help to other companies who may require help implementing care strategies for disabled applicants

What can employers take away from the ‘Out & Proud’ research survey?

Monday, October 21, 2019

Clifford Chance partnered with National Student Pride, the University of York and Deutsche Bank to commission Trendence to provide ground-breaking bespoke research into LGBT+ welfare. In the largest study of its kind, 4,139 young people at university and in the workplace were reached in carrying out Trendence UK and Ireland’s LGBTQ+ survey across 122 universities and 30 areas of study. But what has it taught employers that we didn’t already know?

Female Leadership. Is it enough to keep turning the dial or do we need to turn up the heat?

Monday, September 30, 2019

Every organisation is focused on high performance and there is clear evidence that gender diversity at a senior level delivers results. We know that many organisations are trying to turn the dial on gender balance but is progress being made fast enough? Do we need to take more fundamental action?

The Rise of Gen Z: How a technologically advanced generation want to view online content

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Recently, Liz conducted focus groups with young people of ‘Generation Z’ to discover what really matters to them when consuming web content. The main point that came across was that they wanted to ‘access information directly and quickly’; however, here are the specific pointers that Liz gathered.

The Rise of Gen Z: Four Ways You Can Get Gen Z to Engage with Your Emails

Thursday, September 19, 2019

In an era of the internet’s increasing influence, students and members of ‘Generation Z’ are receiving more emails than ever before. But how do you make sure your emails stand out from the crowd? Group GTI’s Head of Email Marketing, Simon Bannister, gives us his top tips to achieve this.

The Rise of Gen Z: How to successfully communicate with a social media generation

Friday, September 13, 2019

Our digital marketing manager Jack Hawkins provides you with the key takeaways for careers services looking to enhance social media engagement with students.

Is it time to assess and select a new ATS?

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Managing early careers recruitment without the right tools is impossible. Our Select ATS could be just the right tool for you.

The Rise of Gen Z: How to Get a New Generation to Engage at Your Student Fairs

Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Careers fairs are important in connecting students with employers and broadening horizons as to the different roles, internships, and schemes available to them before and after graduation. Leila Siassipour, Student Marketing Manager at Group GTI, tells us how to engage with students at freshers’ and careers fairs.

Dear Employers, find out how our revolutionary SMART emails can take your candidate engagement to new heights. Many thanks, TARGETjobs

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

TARGETjobs has created a new SMARTER way to help employers engage our student members.

Is your recruitment process a help or hinderance to social mobility?

Friday, August 9, 2019

There’s no doubt that many organisations are doing a lot to encourage more applications from students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. But is your recruitment process helping or hindering your social mobility strategy?

Five ways a good ATS can transform the candidate experience

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Never underestimate the transformative powers of a good Application Tracking System (ATS) when it comes to promoting a positive candidate experience.

Candidates still can’t get enough satisfaction

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Technology, speed and human interaction. Students have plenty to say on these topics, and not always positive things. Although candidate satisfaction has seen a slight increase in our survey this year, there’s still a lot of work to be done to win the hearts as well as minds of students.

How can we inspire and support the next generation of female tech talent?

Friday, June 21, 2019

To celebrate International Women in Engineering Day, we’ve spoken with Sky to find out how they are inspiring and supporting the next generation of female tech talent.

How much do we really know about challenges candidates with disabilities face during the application process?

Wednesday, June 5, 2019

The latest statistics from the Office for National Statistics show that people with disabilities have to apply for 60% more jobs than those without and people with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed as those without: facts that in 2019 are hard to comprehend.

What will recent trends and changes in the recruitment industry mean for students and careers services?

Friday, May 31, 2019

Hannah Harrison, Director of GTI’s Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) business gives us her predictions about the future of the recruitment industry and what this means for students and careers services.

What impact does the application process and starting a new job have on students’ mental health?

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Applying for jobs can be stressful at the best of times, but what impact does the application process have on students’ mental health? We're examining the chief causes of anxiety for students when applying for and starting a new job, and some ways in which recruiters can help mitigate these issues.

TARGETconnect Steering Group - May 2019

Friday, May 17, 2019

Round up of the TARGETconnect Steering Group meeting on Tuesday 14th May 2019.

How can careers services use TARGETjobs to enrich a student’s career journey?

Wednesday, May 1, 2019

For careers services, bridging the gap between employers and students is an important factor when supporting the employability of students and graduates. We explore how the resources available on the TARGETjobs can help careers services enrich their students’ career journeys.

The employee benefits that graduates really care about

Wednesday, April 24, 2019

As the graduate job scrabble is a challenge for both employers and graduates to grapple with, we’ve used the results from a recent Trendence UK survey to identify the employee benefits that graduates really care about to keep you ahead of the game.

How are students engaging with their careers services?

Friday, March 29, 2019

Are your students engaging with your careers service? We’ve used responses from the 2019 Trendence UK Graduate Survey to show what students really think of their careers services and how they are engaging with the resources provided to them.

Key Takeaways from Breakfast News 2019: The Brexit Edition

Friday, March 15, 2019

This first Breakfast News event of 2019 focused on Brexit, the agenda being the impact of this important international moment on graduates and employers...

The importance of school leaver events in raising awareness of apprenticeship opportunities

Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Google partnered with TARGETcareers FUTUREWISE to showcase the exciting apprenticeship opportunities that are available to school leavers and to raise awareness of careers in STEM.

How to get your apprenticeship scheme noticed by school leavers

Monday, March 4, 2019

We report on some of the key findings from the 2018 School Study conducted by trendence UK and suggest how to best get your apprenticeship scheme(s) noticed and applied to by school leavers.

The importance of engaging first year students at freshers’ fairs to encourage them to start thinking about careers

Wednesday, February 20, 2019

At each university freshers' fair, the stage is set for charged engagement. Powered by its own buzz, such events attract a high volume of first years – and this is your opportunity to catch their attention.

Why upskilling needs to be a visible part of your company culture

Thursday, February 14, 2019

Here's why your organisation should promote its upskilling opportunities to attract graduate and school leaver candidates.

What influence do parents have over children’s university choice and employment options?

Monday, February 4, 2019

To go or not to go? At the career crossroads, one of the most important decisions school leavers face is whether to hop aboard the university train or detour straight into the world of work.

6 ways to get your emails noticed by students and graduates

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

When you're up against a crowded inbox, be the flamingo in a flock of pigeons. We've rounded up our top 6 pointers for upping the click rate of your next student and graduate email campaign...

Insider tips: how to keep candidates engaged in your recruitment process

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

We interviewed Will Hartley, business development manager at TARGETrecruit, to get insider knowledge on how to keep candidates engaged in the recruitment process.

How to improve the diversity of your applicants through targeted activity

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

TARGETrecruit’s Lauren Davies talks about how she increased female applicants by 25% for her client and helped secure gender parity with their hires.

TARGETrecruit’s five top tips for maximum impact using social media

Monday, June 25, 2018

Candidate engagement needs to be happening all year around. TARGETrecruit’s Tania Noble takes you through our five top tips for engagement using social media.

Five top tips for completing video interviews

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

As we say goodbye to Holly after 5 fantastic years at TARGETrecruit, she leaves you with her five top tips for completing video interviews.

GTI soundbite from… Jennifer Wishart, Client Manager, TARGETrecruit

Friday, May 4, 2018

We know using data effectively can significantly enhance our recruitment efforts. Jennifer shares some key areas to look at to enhance ROI.

GTI interview with.....Holly Weaver, Account Director, TARGETrecruit

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

The second interview in our series and our last for 2017 is with TARGETrecruit Account Director Holly Weaver. Here she talks about the importance of candidate engagement, why she enjoys her job and what she has asked Santa for this Christmas.

GTI interview with.....Hannah Harrison, Business Director, TARGETrecruit

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

We chat with Hannah Harrison, Business Director at TARGETrecruit on graduate recruitment technology, Christmas wish lists, and what 2018 has in store.

Candidates – the forgotten stakeholder in a fast-changing world

Monday, December 4, 2017

Has technology improved engagement? Simon Katchay, Recruitment and Business Development Manager at TARGETrecruit offers his thoughts on the game-changing innovations in recruitment, and shares research into what candidates actually think about these latest developments.

Seven strategies universities should embrace to attract postgraduate students

Tuesday, November 21, 2017

An increasing number of final year students are turning to postgraduate study – but with so many institutions offering excellent courses, how do you make your university stand out from the crowd?

Should you use social media to give your applicants background checks?

Monday, November 6, 2017

Social media has become an increasingly efficient recruitment tool in recent years, making it easier for recruiters to connect with potential job candidates. But has it got a place further along in the recruitment process?

Candidate feedback: five reasons why it’s important

Monday, October 30, 2017

Interview feedback is crucial in many ways for both the candidate and the employer. No interview should be a waste of time for either party; here are five key reasons why you should provide it.

Six top tips to optimise your job description online

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Follow our six top tips to optimise your job description in order to prevent it getting skim-read and then forgotten.

Is enough being done to raise awareness of alternative career paths?

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

A recent study conducted by leading student-focused research company Trendence UK has revealed that school students are still far less likely to consider an apprenticeship over university. This raises the question of whether schools are doing enough to effectively advise their students about the increased range of opportunities available.

An employer’s guide to the new GCSE grading system

Friday, August 4, 2017

Students anticipating their GCSE results in a matter of weeks will be the first to have their English literature, English language and maths results graded from 9–1. Yet, despite coming into imminent effect, recent research has shown that over a third of UK employers are unaware of this change, while only 28% understood the grading system.