Diversity


Joanie Magill HEAR


Coordinator, Goldsmiths


What the HEAR can tell an


employer about a graduate


In the last five years, according to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, the percentage of students graduating with a first or a 2:1 has increased from 66% to almost three quarters, creating an increasing challenge for employers to differentiate between candidates and recruit the best graduates. Joanie Magill, HEAR Coordinator from Goldsmiths, University of London tells us how HEAR can help employers find suitable student talent.


The degree classification doesn’t adequately represent the knowledge, skills and experience a student acquires at university. The Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR), a nationally standardised transcript which provides verified evidence of both academic and co- curricular achievement at university, was introduced to address this issue.


Almost 100 higher education institutions have implemented or are in the process of implementing the HEAR. I undertook a piece of research over the course of 2016/17 to understand what employers knew and thought of the HEAR. Talking to a range of employers, from SMEs to large graduate recruiters, it appears that there is still very limited awareness of the HEAR. However, what also emerged was the value the HEAR can offer to support the recruitment process.


The HEAR aims to provide a richer, more holistic record of student achievement. It breaks the degree down into the individual modules that make it up (section 4) and the co-curricular activities a student


18 TheStudentEmployer ise.org.uk


has participated in and the skills and experience gained (section 6.1).


Section 4 is a warts and all presentation of academic achievement. It shows results of modules taken and includes retakes and failed attempts. There is nowhere to hide.


Feedback from employers suggests this can offer a range of insights. It can show areas where a graduate has achieved outstanding results and enables them to compare similar candidates. Individual modules can shed light on a graduates’ potential ‘niche value’, particularly in areas like computing and modules which might be relevant for the role or the sector, in marketing, for example.


Section 4 can also uncover a story of resilience and determination in a graduate who had a difficult year or semester and managed to turn their results around. It shows the capacity to learn, adapt and grow over time. It can also tell the story of a graduate who isn’t academically strong, but has valuable strengths and skills in other areas. This is where section 6.1 offers valuable information.


The co-curricular activities a graduate has participated in during their time at university, recorded in section 6.1 of their HEAR, can demonstrate not just the experience and the transferable skills they


have developed, it can also reveal the motivations, passions, interests and work ethic behind those choices. It can highlight potential and help to differentiate similar candidates.


These insights can benefit an employer in all kinds of ways. The standardised structure of the HEAR can help compare candidates in a like for like way. It can help develop interview questions. It can highlight soft skills that are not acquired through academic study.


Information presented on the HEAR is verified by the university, creating an additional benefit for companies and organisations with limited resource and capacity to check degree certificates and references; the HEAR can provide a trusted source of information. In future, employers are likely to find HEAR data increasingly accessible via digital media with the development of the HEAR digital badge.


The HEAR won’t change the graduate recruitment process, and it won’t replace a well-crafted application and a strong, articulate candidate, but it can help provide a nuanced insight into achievement and potential and tell the story of an individual student journey through three or more years of university education.


Visit www.hear.ac.uk to find out more.


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