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.

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.