Early Careers Trends Report

2025

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Key Early Careers trends for 2025

From addressing skills gaps and diversity and inclusion, to navigating attrition, retention, and overall organisational alignment, the importance of robust Early Careers functions has never been clearer going into 2025. But where to start?

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.

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#1 Return on investment →
#2 DE&I in Early Careers →
#3 Attrition →
#4 Strategic Misalignment →
#5 Line Managers →
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Three quarters of organisations are not able to confidently demonstrate Return on Investment (ROI) across Early Careers initiatives

The foundations for Early Careers ROI are missing.

Read the full report to discover the roadblocks preventing Early Careers functions from demonstrating the value of their initiatives, and targeted steps to take in 2025.

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A third of Early Careers leaders rank DE&I as their biggest challenge in Early Careers recruitment

DE&I remains the top recruitment challenge for most Early Careers leaders, despite their commitment to reduce bias. 

Read the full report to gain insight into the barriers organisations are overcoming to get ahead of this emerging trend in 2025.

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Trend 3

A third of Early Careers joiners leave within three years of joining an organisation

Early Careers functions are failing to combat attrition.  

Read the full report to learn the factors impacting Early Careers retention, and how best-practice organisations are addressing losing their Early Careers hires.

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"Lack of strategic alignment" cited as top challenge in developing Early Careers

The misalignment challenge can result in critical skills gaps, disconnection between career development programmes and career progression within the organisation, inefficient use of L&D resources and ultimately frustrated employees.

Read the full report to discover how best-practice organisations are overcoming global misalignment.

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Trend 5

Nearly half of organisations say their Line Managers need better support to train their graduates

A frequent concern expressed by ECO respondents was the appropriate level of support offered to Line Managers to train their Graduate and Apprentice line reports. 

Read the full report to discover how organisations are adopting strategies like mentorship or buddy systems to provide additional development support alongside Line Managers.

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Methodology:
Powered by ECO

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People represented by participating orgs
Participants
Early Careers Leaders
Global Organisations

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