What do employers look for during the selection process of graduates from economic degrees of study? : results of a factorial survey

Abstract

"When employers hire a new staff member, the selection process is heavily characterised by uncertainty as the actual productivity of employees can only be estimated in advance. In particular, this affects the recruiting of entrants. In this respect, the article would like to tackle the question of which criteria the decision makers in companies take into consideration when recruiting university graduates. The assumption can be made based on human capital and signal theoretical considerations, that the applicant's individual skills are a deciding factor. Against the background of changing university structures in Germany that are particularly apparent with the new Bachelor and Master study courses and degrees, it will also be investigated whether the reputation of universities as a signal can also be included in the selection process to reduce the level of uncertainty. The investigation of the question took place with a factorial survey. The findings show that the applicant's individual qualifications have a decisive influence over the chances of success: Employers consider the final grades in their decision, although not in such an extent as with other individual criteria. In this way, practical experience in particular raises the likelihood of being invited to a job interview. Experience abroad and voluntary work also improve the chances of success. In this process, the reputation of the university is of almost no importance." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Neeß, C. (2015): Worauf achten Arbeitgeber im Auswahlprozess von Absolventen wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Studiengänge? Ergebnisse eines faktoriellen Surveys. In: Journal for labour market research, Vol. 48, No. 4, p. 305-323. DOI:10.1007/s12651-015-0179-4