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🧑🔎 Survey: Entry-Level Hiring Will Hold Steady During 2024 Graduation Season

Thursday, 18 April 2024 02:25.PM

- 64 per cent of organizations plan to hire entry-level professionals in the first half of 2024.
- Research reveals hiring demand by profession and company size. -

Professionals newly joining the workforce in 2024 can anticipate an active hiring market, according to research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half. According to a recent survey, 64 per cent of companies said they plan to hire entry-level professionals, generally defined as individuals with 0-2 years of experience, in the first half of 2024.

The Outlook for Entry-Level Professionals

Hiring Plans by Profession / %
Administrative and customer support - 70 %
Legal - 67 %
Marketing and creative - 66 %
Human resources - 66 %
Technology - 57 %
Finance and accounting - 56 %

Hiring Plans by Company Size / %
Small (fewer than 100 employees) - 55 %
Midsize (100-999 employees) - 65 %
Large (1,000+ employees) - 65 %

"Onboarding early-career professionals to your organization can be a strategic hiring move", said Koula Vasilopoulos, Senior Managing Director of Robert Half Canada. "Recent grads and other entry-level professionals can bring new ideas and enthusiasm, different skills and perspectives, and have great potential to contribute to organizations in new and meaningful ways."

Lack of training and guidance creates challenges for entry-level hires

When asked in a separate Robert Half survey about what challenges they faced as entry-level hires, professionals reported not feeling well compensated (39 per cent), not having an assigned mentor (34 per cent), and a lack of training for key tasks (33 per cent), as the main obstacles.

"When searching for and starting a new job, workers should be researching appropriate salaries, making sure to ask questions about mentorship opportunities, focusing on building connections through networking, and advocating for the support they need during training", added Vasilopoulos.

High Paying Positions for Entry-Level Professionals

The 2024 Robert Half Salary Guide features employment trends and starting salaries for hundreds of positions. Below is a snapshot of some entry-level positions with strong starting salaries within the sectors Robert Half supports.

Position / Average Starting Salaries (25th – 50th Percentile)
Entry-level financial reporting accountant - $68,000 – $80,750
Marketing coordinator - $50,750 – $61,500
HR assistant - $49,000 – $55,000
Help Desk Support (Tier 1) - $47,000– $56,500
Entry-level administrative assistant - $45,500 – $49,500
Law clerk (0-3 years' experience) - $40,500 – $48,000

SOURCE: Robert Half Canada Inc.

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