How Recruiters Ensure Their Pipeline Has the Right Skills

As recruiters, understanding the skills being prioritized in higher education can significantly enhance your ability to identify and attract top talent suited for the dynamic demands of today’s job market.

Universities, hackathons, bootcamps, and URGs are all constantly updating their curricula to better prepare their students for in-demand skills and jobs of the future. upskill is one platform that these talent pools utilize to ensure they’re guiding their members in the right direction and a tool you can utilize to get a peak behind the curtain.

In just the last 30 days, students on upskill have gained over 1,200+ new skills to prepare themselves for their first internship or full-time job.

Here are the top 5 most adopted skills (in order) that upskill members have developed broken down by the 6 universities with the most skills gained in that time period:

🐻 Brown University:

1. JavaScript
2. PowerPoint
3. Excel
4. Python
5. Canva

🐅 Princeton University:

1. Pytorch
2. React
3. JavaScript
4. TensorFlow
5. PowerPoint

🦔 University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities:

1. Hubspot
2. Excel
3. Canva
4. R Studio
5. SQL

🐶 Yale University:

1. Pytorch
2. React
3. JavaScript
4. TensorFlow
5. PowerPoint

🐻 UCLA:

1. JavaScript
2. Hubspot
3. PowerPoint
4. Excel
5. Python

Why These Skills Matter to Recruiters

The diverse skill sets being honed across these universities are not just academic exercises; they are directly tied to the skills students view as in-demand in modern workplaces. As you communicate with candidates in your pipeline ask yourself: “Are they learning the right skills to succeed here? When we hire, will the candidates I’m connecting with be in a place to shine?”

If your answer isn’t yes, then you may need to adjust your strategy. Here are a few things leading talent team are doing to enhance their early career programs:

1. Target Skills-Based Hiring: Focus on candidates on track to develop the specific skills that align with your organizational needs, then communicate them often with prospective hires (list them clearly in your job descriptions!). Finding time with your hiring managers to pin down the specific tools they use, the skillsets they require, and the expectations they have of new teams members will give you even better resources to equip prospective candidates with.
2. Engage with Skill-Development Organizations: Establish partnerships or participate in programs with students orgs, hackathons, bootcamps, or non-profits which help their communities develop the skillset they need to thrive at your company. These talent partners can help you identify and engage promising talent early as well as to build a strong relationship with them organically.
3. Highlight Continued Learning Opportunities: Attract top talent by emphasizing opportunities for ongoing professional development and learning within your organization, which is a critical factor for many new graduates.

Future Outlook for Recruiters:

As the landscape of work continues to evolve, so too will the skills needed to excel in various industries and in your various roles. Recruiters who stay informed about educational trends and align their strategies accordingly will not only enhance their talent acquisition but also support the strategic growth of their organizations by bringing in individuals who are equipped to handle future challenges and drive innovation.