Student development survey 2020Supporting the learning and development of entry level hires

Tristram HooleyChief Research Officer

Coronavirus survey

https://ise.org.uk/page/current-research

• Annual survey focused on what happens to hires once they join a firm.

• Data collected in January and February 2020.

• 133 valid responses. (47% of eligible members)

About the survey

Sample by sector

Sample by cohort

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

Typical team size = 6

79% of firms use external contractors (mainly to deliver training)

92% of firms train line managers to support graduates and 90% to support non-graduates.

Development teams

Budget

Evaluation

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

• 98% are running graduate programmes (most of these are ‘specialist’ programmes, but a minority are running ‘general’ programmes.

• 82% are running non-graduate programmes (on average running 13 standards).

• 26% are running school/college leaver programmes that aren’t apprenticeships

Programmes

58% of firms are developing apprentices to do work that previously would have been done by graduates.

Level of apprenticeships

• Programmes typically run for two years.

• On average they include 19 days training a year.

• The average induction programme lasts for 6 days.

Length of graduate programmes

Most popular approaches

Most impactful approaches

What are people using that they don’t rate as impactful?

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

What skills and attributes do employers say that they need?

88% agree that students with work experience arrive with better skills.

15% agree that students with postgraduate degrees arrive with better skills

What do students lack?

What are employers developing?

Demand for skills (graduates)

0102030405060708090

100

The proportion of employers recruiting for…, saying students have… and training in… different skills

Students have Employers recruit for Employers train for

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

Retention

Sectoral variations (graduates)

Sectoral variations (non-graduates)

Types of hire that firms find more difficult to retain

Why do staff leave?

024456

1313

151617

2427

3139

52

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

ETHICAL/POLITICAL CONCERNS ABOUT THE …PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES

DISSATISFIED WITH CULTUREWORK/LIFE BALANCE

SEEKING MORE MEANINGFUL/SOCIALLY VALUABLE …MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

FAMILY ISSUESOTHER

RETURNING TO LEARNINGJOB/COMPANY WASN’T WHAT THEY EXPECTED

PERFORMANCE ISSUESUNABLE TO SECURE THE RIGHT ROLE WITHIN THE …

DISSATISFIED WITH PAYDISSATISFIED WITH PROGRESSIONPOACHED BY ANOTHER COMPANY

CAREER CHANGE

Average pay increase in first three year at firm…Graduates + £11,000Non-graduates + £8,500

Salaries at hire and after 3 years

Managing development programmes

Development approaches

Skills

Retention and progression

Challenges

Overview

Challenges

111

33

66

89

111111

13141414

25

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

GEOGRAPHYORGANISATIONAL CHANGE

RETENTIONWORKLOAD

NONEMENTAL HEALTH

APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEMASPIRATIONS

TIMEBUDGET

ENGAGEMENT IN DEVELOPMENTCONTENT

PROGRAMME MANAGEMENTATTITUDE

LINE MANAGERSCANDIDATES

EXPECTATIONS

% of respondents who raised this issue

For more information

https://ise.org.uk/page/ISEPublications

• Development programmes remain as an important part of the practice of student employers.

• They are well resourced and well established in most firms. • Firms are using a wide range of techniques to deliver

development programmes, but are sometimes relying on approaches that they don’t believe are particularly impactful.

• There are some clear patterns in the skills that employer are looking for, that students have and that employers are training for.

• Retention is generally high, but there are some diversity issues to attend to.

• Managing candidate expectations is one of the biggest issues that firms face.

In summary

About meTristram HooleyChief Research Officer, Institute of Student Employers

Email: tristram@ise.org.uk

Twitter: @pigironjoe

Research@ISE: https://ise.org.uk/page/Research

Blog: https://adventuresincareerdevelopment.wordpress.com/

Coronavirus survey

https://ise.org.uk/page/current-research