Employers might be reporting ongoing influence of inflation and recession fears on their hiring decisions but recent business school graduates can remain optimistic about their career prospects, buoyed by the accelerating integration of AI across the landscape, the survey has found.
The annual survey of global corporate recruiters by GMAC has found that problem-solving and strategic thinking remain the top skills employers desire today.
In addition, new hires’ knowledge of using AI tools has risen measurably in its current importance in the average employer’s mind since last year, and it tops the list of the skills employers will value the most five years from now.
“As AI becomes more integral in a company’s decision-making and strategy development, employers continue to turn to business school graduates for their versatility and strategic thinking, along with growing appreciation for their ability to innovate and navigate the challenges and opportunities of technological disruption,” says Joy Jones, CEO at GMAC.
“I give kudos to business schools’ intentional cultivation of these relevant skills in their students, who stand out even more as valuable contributors and future leaders in the ever-evolving business world,” Jones added. This year’s survey was conducted with a total of 1,108 corporate recruiters and hiring managers – nearly two-thirds of them with Global Fortune 500 companies participating from organisations and staffing firms in 46 countries. According to the survey, an overwhelming 99 per cent of global employers express confidence in business schools’ ability to prepare graduates for success within their organisations.
Moreover, nearly two-thirds affirmed that the skills gained through a graduate business degree are more critical than ever, as companies increasingly adopt emerging tech.
“As flexibility in work and learning becomes a norm, business school graduates with degrees or credentials earned in-person or remotely should feel empowered that their employability continues to outperform those without an advanced management degree, especially when they understand and underscore how they are skilled in strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communications alongside technological savvy,” said Christine Murray, Associate Dean at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
For more than two decades, the Corporate Recruiters Survey has provided the world’s graduate business schools and employers with data and insights to understand current trends in skill demand, hiring, compensation and perceptions of MBA and business master’s graduates.
This year’s survey was in the field from January to March.
According to the findings, more than half of global employers cite the value of communication skills in their hiring decisions, with employers also valuing candidates’ emotional intelligence and adaptability in their current and future hiring decisions.
“56 per cent of global employers agree or strongly agree that the skills gained through a business degree are more important than before for businesses using remote or hybrid working arrangements and roughly the same percentage also agree or strongly agree that they value graduates of online or predominantly online and in-person programs equally,” the survey report said.