Young Graduate Recruitment

Young Graduate programmes in Belgian organisations

60% of the organisations that participated in our survey said that they specifically aim to recruit Young Graduates and hire an average of 6 or 7 Young Graduates yearly.

Selection processes for Young Graduates have an average turnaround time of three months. During such processes, a wide range of HR tools are used: personality questionnaires, reasoning tests, simulation exercises, etc. These tools have proven to make selection processes more reliable, and they allow the HRDs involved to make efficiency gains (e.g. shortlisting applicants).

90% of the organisations that hire Young Graduates use specific training programmes for the onboarding, training & follow-up of Young Graduates. Moreover, these Young Graduates are guided (by a coach, mentor, HR, business leader, etc.) more intensively than other new hires.

Organisations invest in new talent through Young Graduate programmes for many reasons. For example, 14% of organisations hire Young Graduates with a view to preparing them for future management, while 27% expect newly recruited Young Graduates to bring new ideas into the business. However, the most often given reason (41%) is that organisations want their Young Graduates to fit in and learn the job.

Most valued competencies for Young Graduates

Our extensive research shows that, regardless of organisational or job-related elements, successful Young Graduates distinguish themselves in four key domains that remain relevant throughout the entire Young Graduate life cycle. Hudson Research & Development has further specified these key elements for both Master- and Bachelor-level graduates.

1. Think: Offering innovative and original ideas that do not stem from existing processes and finding less evident models or original combinations.

2. Act: Efficiently assessing and managing time as well as material, human and financial resources, including regular follow-ups and corrective interventions in accordance with the objectives to be reached.

3. Connect: Establishing and maintaining formal and informal relationships within and outside the organization, with peers and across various organizational levels.

4. Engage: Fully dedicating oneself to one's work by always giving the best of oneself and by striving for quality. Showing perseverance even when confronted with frustration, opposition, pressure or the need for attention to detail.

Get insights into the potential of your Young Graduates

To allow the potential of Young Graduates to be assessed quickly, Hudson has developed an easy‑to‑use online assessment that provides greater insight into the four key domains identified by our research.

Young Graduates are asked to complete both an online personality questionnaire and an abstract reasoning test. The results are automatically integrated in a report and linked to the four key elements:

• Abstract reasoning ability tests have been proven to be the most valuable predictor of future success, as they measure a person’s ability to absorb and apply new information in a previously unfamiliar context.
• The personality questionnaire, which is based on the Big Five Model, provides insights into a person’s professional preferences and attitudes. Character traits influence people's professional behaviour and their ability to integrate themselves in a company or organisation.
• Using a combination of both these tools provides clear insights into a Young Graduate's potential to Think, Act, Connect and Engage.

Different versions of the Young Graduates report can be generated depending on the context in which it is to be used (selection, coaching or development process). For example, interview questions that provide support during an interview, advice pointers for those who will coach Young Graduates or development tips for Young Graduates to facilitate their smoother onboarding and self-reflection can all be generated automatically.

The Young Graduate tests and reports are available in four languages (Dutch, English, French and German) at both Master and Bachelor level. Demos are available on request.

All tests and reports can be purchased and easily used in-house by your HR Team and therefore can substantially reduce your HR department's workload. The results are generated automatically and can quickly provide more reliable insights than can be obtained through extra interviews.