Employers Blogs and Advice
Graduates can be a key part of your succession planning strategy
Succession planning is not an easy thing to get right; whether it be planning ahead for a retirement, bringing an outsourced function in-house, or...
Internships: get important projects done without a permanent hire
Internships are a flexible way to tackle work your team may not have time or skills for (without committing to a permanent hire). Or if you just...
What do you get for your money?
There can be a misconception that all recruiters do for their money is go onto a database, pluck a few CVs out, send them and then move on to the...
Five key issues in the graduate recruitment and selection process – and how you can handle them
Over the years I have worked with hundreds of employers, and the number of candidates that I have placed is well into 4 figures, so I’ve learned a...
Employers: some key points to consider after interviews and when a graduate starts
This is a follow up to this blog about the recruitment and interview process. Hopefully it will have gone well, and you will have a preferred...
SMEs: don’t assume that graduates will have heard of you
Many employers will only look at graduates to apply directly to them; some feel that this shows proactivity and interest. But as I will explain,...
Are your job adverts turning graduates off before they even apply?
A recent study found that many students struggle to understand the language used in job adverts, and some are put off applying altogether. It’s a...
Can you rely on universities to deliver you candidates for your vacancies?
A recent study by a leading University showed that if you rely on university job boards to attract graduates, you may only reach a small percentage...
Use of AI in job applications: how are employers responding?
The use of AI by candidates in job applications is rising. And recent UK data shows over 90% of undergraduates are already using AI tools in some...
Are you checking academic credentials as part of your referencing process?
There has always been a risk that some graduates may try to fake qualifications, and the rise of AI will lead to more artificially generated...
Should questions be given to candidates before the interview?
This is something I first heard suggested several years ago, and at the time many saw it as a progressive move. Some businesses have since adopted...
When is the best time to recruit a graduate?
Many SMEs are unsure when the best time is to recruit a graduate. But while it is nice to be able to plan this, it will not always be possible for...
8 reasons why SMEs should consider using a specialist graduate recruitment agency
Getting the right staff is hugely important for a business, but there can be an feeling of ‘I’m not paying a recruiter to find me someone, I can do...
SMEs: you could be missing out if you aren’t employing graduates…
There are many reasons why SMEs can benefit from employing graduates. Here are a few: Graduates tend to be quick learners, and can generally pick up...
Smaller businesses: Graduates are for you too
Occasionally I speak with businesses who say ‘we don’t do that’ when asked about employing graduates. There can sometimes be good reasons for this,...
How (not) to attract graduates to your business
Not the best way to attract...
Employing international graduates is easier than you may think
International students and graduates come from a variety of countries, but mainly China, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan. They have come to the UK to...
Sandwich placements – you can have a university student working with you for a year
What is a Sandwich placement? Many businesses have used sandwich placements to great effect; they get a student in each year, and use them to do a...
Alternative career options for graduates, and how SME employers can benefit
The pandemic has restricted opportunities to progress with some career types, meaning that some graduates who have studied aligned degrees have had to adjust their career plans, resulting in other industries gaining the benefit of their skills.
The SME Graduate Employment market for 2022- some predictions
In January 2021, I predicted how the SME graduate employment market may develop over the coming year. There was great uncertainty at that stage, and...
The future of home working post-Covid
Working from home and the potential implications for graduates and other younger team-members I haven't measured it but there does seem to be more...
The SME student and graduate employment market 2021- an update
In January I wrote a blog with my views on the current and future graduate employment market with SMEs. You can read it here. I am pleased to say...
SME Graduate Employment race sponsorship at Nottingham racecourse
On Monday 5th July 2021 the first running of the SME Graduate Employment Handicap took place at Nottingham racecourse. Here I am presenting the...
Testimonial from Made in Britain member
SME Graduate Employment is a specialist student and graduate recruitment agency covering permanent jobs, placements, and internships across the UK....
SME Graduate Employment’s partnership with the Women’s Engineering Society
I am pleased to announce that SME Graduate Employment is now a partner of the Women's Engineering Society. At around 12%, there are not...
The SME student and graduate employment market- how is it looking for 2021?
I speak with many small to medium sized employers (an SME) across a range of industries, many of the businesses are related to engineering and...