Whether it’s favouritism that sees scions of the Trumps, Forbes and Hiltons all rise to positions of importance ahead of their time (and some might say ability), CEO-succession has a long history of seeing long-standing loyal talent lose out to family flesh and blood.
But while many grudgingly accept nepotism is commonplace at the very highest echelons, there’s long been the assumption that at least at the entry level, the playing field is flatter; with new talent at least picked on potential to shine rather than the social circle they inhabit.
All is not right here it seems. The standout statistic from Milkround’s 2020-ending Beyond the Buzzword research reveals a savage assessment by grads of the recruitment process – 81% believe nepotism is alive and well in the distribution of first job offers. By comparison, only 6% of HR decision-makers admitted nepotism is a factor.
Are we cherry-picking from the family tree when it comes to recruitment?
hrmagazine.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hrmagazine.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Are we cherry-picking from the family tree?
hrmagazine.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from hrmagazine.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Last modified on Mon 22 Feb 2021 05.25 EST
There are almost 600,000 postgraduate students in the UK, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, but how has the postgraduate job market fared during the pandemic and which sectors are still recruiting?
Prof Mary Vincent, interim vice-president for education at the University of Sheffield, says the economic climate has actually accelerated postgraduate applications. “Students are recognising the value of furthering their education against a challenging economic and employment backdrop,” she says.
“It’s still early in the 2021 applications cycle, but postgraduate numbers are higher than they were at the same time last year, a sign that the trend of remaining in education is set to continue.”
Last modified on Wed 17 Feb 2021 10.13 EST
You might think that postgraduate courses and pandemics don’t mix, but Tristram Hooley, chief research officer at the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), says that the demand for postgraduate study actually rises during periods of recession.
“Many graduates sensibly seek to delay their entry to the labour market and enhance their skills while they wait,” he says. “Obviously universities are taking advantage of this situation and pushing postgraduate degrees hard.”
Chris Rea, head of commercial services for graduate careers specialist Prospects at Jisc, which works with research and education partners to develop technologies for teaching, says that despite the government’s current financial constraints, it is business as usual when it comes to postgrad funding.