The Average Entry-Level Salary and Intern Compensation of 2024
Nov 13, 2024
In 2024, early-career salary expectations are influenced by the competitive landscape and Gen Z’s priorities. According to the RippleMatch 2024 Salary Benchmarking Report (available to download for free here), competitive compensation is a top priority for Gen Z talent, many of whom value financial growth potential over other job attributes. This report provides a comprehensive breakdown of salary data across fields, industries, and job functions, with particular insights into the expectations and realities of entry-level roles and internships.
How to Write a Job Description That Appeals to Gen Z Candidates
Nov 07, 2024
Generation Z is now the dominant entry-level cohort, reshaping early career recruitment with new expectations and behaviors. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z candidates often rely solely on the job description to decide whether to apply, with limited additional research into the company beforehand. Recent data collected by RippleMatch shows that 69% of Gen Z candidates read the full job description before applying, but don't seek out further details on the organization until later stages. This makes job descriptions critical real estate for communicating essential information, as they’re often the only impression a candidate will get before deciding to apply.
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10 HBCUs With Strong Business Programs
If you’re looking for talented candidates to fill your business-focused roles, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are a great place to look. HBCUs make up around 20% of all degrees awarded to Black graduates every year, and are particularly helpful for preparing students for the workforce. One survey found that 55% of students who attended HBCUs felt they were adequately prepared for life after graduation, compared to 30% of students who attended non-HBCUs. For business preparedness specifically, HBCUs produce more African-American & Black CPAs and Wall Street associates than any other non-HBCU institutions. With all this considered, any company hoping to fill a role that requires business competencies should include HBCUs in their search. These 10 HBCUs have especially strong business programs and are a great place to look:
10 HBCUs With Excellent Liberal Arts Programs
Liberal arts cover a broad scope of disciplines, encompassing many programs such as English, social sciences, art, philosophy, or simply liberal arts studies. These interdisciplinary degrees prepare students for a wide variety of careers and provide them with a strong skill set in areas like communication, leadership, and problem-solving. Students pursuing liberal arts at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) experience a unique combination of strong community and challenging academics — readying them to be standout candidates in the job field. Liberal arts students at HBCUs will be prepared for a diverse set of roles across multiple industries, meaning they’re a great resource for any recruiting strategy. We’ve rounded up 10 top HBCUs for liberal arts for some inspiration on where to find excellent talent.
The Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Recruit Entry-Level Candidates From
If the goal of your recruiting strategy is to find the best entry-level and early-career talent at colleges across the country, it’s essential to include Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on your list of target schools. HBCUs were originally established with the goal of educating Black Americans who were denied access to higher education institutions prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but today, they still hold an important place in higher education. HBCUs combined enroll hundreds of thousands of college students – primarily Black college students, though 25% of HBCU students are either white, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, or Native American – and offer their own unique experience and culture. Additionally, around 25% of Black students earn science and engineering bachelor’s degrees at HBCUs and HBCUs account for approximately 20% of bachelor’s degrees awarded to Black graduates.
Measuring the ROI of Your Early Career Strategy
Having good data to power decision-making is more important now than ever — especially in the field of talent acquisition. That’s because even though top companies might be continuing to hire entry-level candidates and interns in 2023, the uncertain macroeconomy is causing early career recruitment teams to shift their priorities and refocus on high-impact efforts. And it takes data to understand what exactly those efforts should be. The benefit of collecting the right data to showcase the ROI of your team’s recruitment efforts is twofold; it will help you make the case to leadership for why early career is a good investment, and, with the pressure on leaner teams to do more with less, it will help you focus on the strategies that are actually working. But where do you begin?
50 Talent Professionals Share Why They Love Working in Early Career Recruitment
‘Tis the season — to recognize hard-working talent acquisition professionals and early career recruiters! That’s why RippleMatch has deemed this time of year ‘Talent Appreciation Season’, and is excited to celebrate those in the field that play an integral role in their organizations, and make a huge difference in students’ lives.
How to Navigate Early Career Hiring in a Recession
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, talent teams experienced a hot market with candidates in the drivers’ seat — one so competitive that it had been referred to as ‘the war on talent’. But an economic cooldown at the tail end of 2022 has shifted companies’ focus from fighting for top talent to planning for worst-case scenarios by tightening budgets and instituting hiring freezes and layoffs.
The Biggest Branding Challenges Companies Are Facing Today
Most companies are aware that building a strong employer brand is critical for educating potential employees on what their organization does and values, and for existing employees who are helping to shape the community they have built and are looking to grow. But as we’ve shifted from a hot market to one marked by economic uncertainty and tightening budgets, organizations today are questioning whether it's the right time to amplify their branding efforts, or pull back on related expenses.
Candidates’ Attitudes Toward Reneges Remain Unchanged Despite Economic Cooldown
Despite moving away from the candidate-driven market we experienced in 2021 and early 2022, candidates today are unwavering in their liberal attitude toward reneges. In fact, some may be even more likely to rescind their offers this year.
75% of Gen Z Candidates Consider Company D&I Efforts When Deciding Whether to Apply
In today’s professional landscape, most companies can agree: The future of work needs to reflect the future of the workforce. That means that as populations continue to become more and more diverse, representation at the professional level needs to rise as well. However, most workplaces are still behind on these goals, underscoring an urgency to progress on Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) initiatives, especially for the incoming generation of workers. In fact, that incoming generation is demanding it.
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