Member Article

Handshake launches in UK to boost diversity and democratise opportunity for graduates and employeers

Today, Handshake – the graduate careers platform that’s diversifying recruitment – announces its launch into the United Kingdom and partnerships with the University of Cambridge, University of York and University of Liverpool. This comes at a crucial time for graduates as recent research found that more than a quarter (27%) of businesses are reducing the number of graduates they recruit in 2020.

For enterprises and SMEs this launch demonstrates how companies can use technology to engage with the best talent. Even before the pandemic, Robert Walters research found that UK SMEs struggled to recruit due to losing out to big tech companies – digital recruitment can help bridge the gap. By lowering the barrier to entry, Handshake increases the number of job postings available to students at a university by 300% on average. As a result, students have the support they need to find a great job and kick-off a meaningful career regardless of which institution they attend, what they choose to study, and who they know. In turn, these companies no longer lose out on talent they might otherwise miss.

Handshake UK expects to have hundreds of thousands of student accounts created; already, it has had over 10,000 British students create profiles. Employers including the likes of Clifford Chance LLP and Google are already using Handshake to proactively engage students via messaging and host virtual events.

Garrett Lord, CEO at Handshake comments, “Across the UK, young people are facing the most challenging labour market for 75 years. Our mission is to make it as easy as possible for universities to help their students find jobs. By creating a level playing field for all graduates, employers of all sizes across industries will have their pick of the top talent in the UK, breaking down barriers to equal opportunity.”

Emma Moore, Director of Careers & Employability at University of Liverpool adds, “The class of 2020 will have faced severe disruption while completing their degrees, with final assessments altered and uncertainty suddenly the norm. As they look to take their next step, students graduating in 2020 are entering a vastly changed employment market than previous years. The economy is facing a long and uncertain road back to recovery. That’s why we are excited to partner with Handshake and give our students the best opportunities available. The system has been easy to implement and we are excited to help our students as they start their careers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Handshake .