Employers are keen to recruit researchers both for their technical skills and for their ‘first class brains', according to responses to a new study into the experiences and attitudes of employers towards doctoral graduates.
Vitae, an organisation championing personal, professional and career development of researchers, surveyed over 100 employers who represent a diverse mix of sectors, organisation size and orientation towards doctoral graduates. It found that three quarters of the respondents have some interest in recruiting doctoral graduates and would welcome more applications from them.
Four groups of employers emerged from the analysis of responses. The groups describe organisations' orientation to doctoral graduates from those who actively target doctoral graduates to those with no current engagement with this group.
‘Over one-third of the employers surveyed are already actively targeting doctoral graduates and their approaches will be interesting for other employers who want to increase their recruitment of doctoral researchers,' said Dr Janet Metcalfe, Chair and Head of Vitae.
Employers who are recruiting doctoral graduates typically have a specific recruitment process as well as offering placement, internship schemes and enhanced salary. These employers are also more likely to develop closer links with universities.
Employers ranked doctoral graduates' competence highest in data analysis and problem solving. Next came their drive and motivation, project management and interpersonal skills. Leadership and commercial awareness were ranked lowest relative to the others.
A seminar later in the year will show case employer practice in recruiting doctoral researchers.
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Notes to editors
Download the full report titled ‘Recruiting researches: survey of employer practice 2009'
For media queries and interviews contact Maija Sirola (Vitae Communications Manager) tel. 01223 448510, mob. 07595 204228, email maija.sirola@vitae.ac.uk
This study builds on the work of a number of previous pieces of research which have examined employer attitudes to doctoral graduates:
- 'EMPRESS: Employers perceptions of recruiting research staff and students' (2005) by the University of Leeds based on a survey of employers and researchers. www.prospects.ac.uk/
- 'Survey of employer attitudes to postgraduate researchers' (2006) by the University of Sheffield presents the results of a survey of 104 employers. www.careers.dept.shef.ac.uk/pdf/employersurvey.pdf
- ‘Employers' views of researchers' skills' by the Rugby Team (a higher education sector body focusing on the impact of researcher development initiatives) (2007) www.vitae.ac.uk/rugbyteam
*About Vitae www.vitae.ac.uk
Vitae is an organisation championing the personal, professional and career development of postgraduate researchers and research staff in higher education institutions and research institutes. We play a major role in the drive for high-level skills and innovation and in the UK's goal to produce world class researchers. Our vision is for the UK to be world-class in supporting the personal, professional and career development of researchers. Vitae is supported by Research Councils UK (RCUK), managed by CRAC: The Career Development Organisation and delivered in partnership with regional Hub host universities. www.vitae.ac.uk
About CRAC: The Career Development Organisation www.crac.org.uk
CRAC: The Career Development Organisation is an independent, charitable organisation with a core aim to promote and encourage career development and active career-related learning. CRAC manages a number of innovative programmes within education and skills development sector. www.crac.org.uk
- icould - inspiring young people through career stories www.icould.com
- Vitae - realising the potential of researchers www.vitae.ac.uk
About Research Councils UK (RCUK) www.rcuk.ac.uk
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the strategic partnership of the UK's seven Research Councils, which invest annually around £3 billion in the UK research base, covering the full spectrum of academic disciplines. RCUK is committed to enhancing the quality and output of the UK research base through training the next generation of world-class researchers. Vitae is a key part of how the Research Councils seek to sustain and improve the contribution of researchers to the quantity, quality and impact of research, to the benefit of UK society and the economy. www.rcuk.ac.uk