UL Careers Early Careers Employer Survey 2026

Graduate recruitment processes remain structured and familiar, but this year’s data reveals a system quietly adapting to rising application volumes and increased efficiency pressures. While the core mechanics of graduate hiring remain stable, employers are gradually introducing earlier screening mechanisms and selective digital tools to manage scale. The CV and cover letter continue to dominate the application stage, required by 87% of employers, confirming that traditional application formats remain central to graduate hiring. However, the growing use of pre-screening questions, now at 61%, signals a more deliberate effort to filter candidates earlier in the process. With many employers receiving hundreds or even thousands of applications for a small number of roles, early-stage screening has become a practical necessity rather than a preference. The use of Applicant Tracking Systems has also increased to 37%, reinforcing a steady shift toward automated or semi-automated application management. Rather than replacing human judgment, these systems are increasingly being used to organise large candidate pools and streamline initial screening. Interestingly, more experimental assessment formats remain underused. Aptitude tests (18%) and personality questionnaires (14%) are still used selectively, while newer approaches such as realistic job previews (6%), one-way video introductions (5%), AI chatbots (3%), and gamified assessments (2%) remain on the margins. This suggests that while innovation is occurring, most employers remain cautious about overcomplicating the early stages of recruitment. At the selection stage, interviews remain the decisive component of graduate hiring. In-person interviews remain widely used at 82%, while virtual interviews are close behind at 77%. The near parity between these two formats highlights the emergence of hybrid recruitment models, where organisations balance efficiency with the perceived value of face-to-face interaction. Competency-based interviews have increased to 55%, reinforcing the importance employers place on structured evaluation of behaviours and real experiences rather than purely academic performance. Finally, pre-offer checks remain focused on verification and compliance. Reference checks and confirmation of visa status are used by 74% of employers each, while 63% verify academic qualifications. Digital reference checking tools are beginning to appear, used by 12% of organisations, suggesting that automation is gradually extending beyond the application stage into later phases of recruitment. Insight Taken together, the findings point to a recruitment process that is evolving incrementally rather than dramatically. Employers are adopting technology cautiously, prioritising efficiency at scale while still relying heavily on interviews and human judgment when making final hiring decisions. Graduate Recruitment – Application, Selection and Pre-Offer Processes

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