A HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR EARLY CAREERS

What is ECO? The Early Careers Optimiser (ECO) is a diagnostic tool, designed to provide an objective, evidence-based framework for Early Careers leaders to assess current performance and identify opportunities for future optimisation. ECO has been built on extensive research and experience by The Smarty Train for over fifteen years.

HOW IT WORKS ➔

NEW RELEASE:

2025 EARLY CAREERS TRENDS REPORT

Backed by never-before-released ECO data, the 2025 Early Careers Trends Report provides a forward-looking analysis of key trends and opportunities impacting Early Careers functions in 2025 and beyond.

Read the report now to dive into the full data, explore the recommendations, and discover how best-practice organisations are rethinking their Early Careers strategies over the coming year.

GET YOUR COPY ➔

“ECO is helping us to deepen our focus on Early Careers at J&J by allowing us to challenge if what we’re doing is best-in-class, validating our place in the market, telling us where we stand, and helping us discover where to go next”

Damon Albano, Global Head of Early in Career - TA, J&J

READ THE CASE STUDY

YOUR ECO PROFILE

Your ECO Profile is determined along the six performance vectors of early careers: Strategy, Attraction, Recruitment, Development & Management, Retention, and the Early Careers Function itself.

Your profile establishes a baseline profile that shows how your Early Careers organisation is currently performing. The results are an aggregate of perception and quantitative metrics, and will help you efficiently bridge the gap between your as-is and to-be.

HOW WE BUILD YOUR PROFILE ➔

A HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR EARLY CAREERS

TESTIMONIALS:

“ECO is helping us to deepen our focus on Early Careers at J&J by allowing us to challenge if what we’re doing is best-in-class, validating our place in the market, telling us where we stand, and helping us discover where to go next”

"ECO is helping us join up separate Customer Service Units, who each undertake recruiting graduates autonomously. We want to join up and reap all the rewards in a competitive Labour Market"

"Getting an insight as to where we stand, compared to mature and established Early Careers Functions has helped us guide our activity at an important time in our growth"

Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations
London School of Economics and Political Science

A HEALTH CHECK FOR YOUR EARLY CAREERS

TESTIMONIALS:

“ECO is helping us to deepen our focus on Early Careers at J&J by allowing us to challenge if what we’re doing is best-in-class, validating our place in the market, telling us where we stand, and helping us discover where to go next”

"ECO is helping us join up separate Customer Service Units, who each undertake recruiting graduates autonomously. We want to join up and reap all the rewards in a competitive Labour Market"

"Getting an insight as to where we stand, compared to mature and established Early Careers Functions has helped us guide our activity at an important time in our growth"

Emeritus Professor of Industrial RelationsLondon School of Economics and Political Science

Emeritus Professor of Industrial Relations
London School of Economics and Political Science