A survey of recruitment for 2027 graduates found that withdrawals had increased at around 30% of companies, the applicant pool was divided into roughly three equal groups, in-person offer ceremonies were the norm, and post-offer follow-up often focused on interaction.
In a survey covering new graduate recruitment, companies were almost evenly divided among those reporting that the size of their applicant pool had decreased from usual, increased, or remained unchanged. In response, around 30% of companies said withdrawals from the selection process had increased, while more than half said there had been no change in withdrawals.
In-person offer ceremonies were the most common format, at 70.2%, while 22.6% of companies said they would not hold one. The leading forms of post-ceremony follow-up focused on interaction, including regular contact, social gatherings and opportunities to interact with employees. By contrast, only around 20% of companies provided training or learning opportunities.
The survey indicates that changes in withdrawal trends vary by company. While in-person offer ceremonies remain the prevailing format, companies are increasingly focusing on psychological connections in their pre-employment follow-up.
The survey was conducted from 1 to 3 September 2026 and received 305 valid responses.