In France in 2023, the private sector had an average of 615,000 vacant jobs, a situation that is particularly marked in the smallest companies. In fact, 40% of these vacant positions were in companies with 1 to 9 employees.
However, at the start of 2024, a decrease in this number was observed, suggesting a reduction in recruitment tensions. In the first quarter of this year, the number of vacancies in the private sector had fallen to 535,000.
Although we might think that this drop benefits new entrants to the labor market, vacant jobs actually concern all types of profiles, whether junior or senior.
In a constantly changing job market, sometimes tense but increasingly competitive, recruiting juniors can represent a real challenge.
These young graduates could, however, be a solution to recruitment problems in certain sectors. However, they often require ongoing training after taking the position, and their expectations may not always match companies’ resources.
Sometimes more graduates than available positions, or the opposite…
We often talk about competitive labor market, or, on the contrary, in tension. And juniors know this even before they graduate. Indeed, certain sectors are renowned for being “clogged”, while others are lacking in labor, and are seeking to recruit above all else. So, recruitment challenges of a junior profile are different depending on the sector.
In a field where many graduates complete their studies each year, it is much easier to find the rare gem among these young entrants to the market. If junior profiles are, as the name suggests, profiles with no or little experience, some of them nevertheless benefit from a few years of experience thanks to apprenticeships in particular. Thus, in sectors that are very popular with students, it is much simpler for a recruiter to find a junior who meets their expectations.
“Clogged” sectors
Marketing and communication are, for example, part of these sectors known as being “clogged”. What do we mean by that? Demand is higher than supply. In other words, there are many more students graduating each year than there are positions available. A boon for recruiters, who are then spoiled for choice when it comes to candidates, but one less negotiation lever for these young graduatesfaced with very tough competition right out of school.
Sectors in tension
Conversely, certain sectors seem to attract much less, thus creating a notable lack of labor and often critical for the profession. This is particularly the case for home help and carers, or roofers and bodybuilders for example. However, these professions require practical training, linked to professional experiences in the field alongside studies, which makes junior profiles good candidates, especially in sectors where physical fitness is essential. But the problem is precisely the low number of graduates in these sectors. The reasons are varied: arduousness of the job, amount of salary, place of work once in position, personal and professional balance…
Profiles to be trained, whose experience must be built
Another point that makes recruiting juniors a challenge: the lack of experience of this type of profile. Indeed, although some have benefited from a few years of apprenticeship and already know the world of work, most junior candidates have little experience. Once in position, they must therefore be allowed to continue training, to evolve towards complete autonomy and more varied missions. Thus, recruiters must juggle between recruitment in favor of the development of young graduates as well as training, and the need to recruit high-performance candidates to meet the needs of economic activity.
Match the demands of younger generations with the reality of the job market
Finally, it is not uncommon for young graduates leave school with specific expectationsin terms of life at work, benefits, balance, but above all salary.
Here again, the reality of these requirements depends greatly on the sector and its attractiveness. To return to the example of marketing, there are very many candidates, often more than the number of jobs to be filled, which does not allow them to negotiate high salaries, as the demand is high and the competition is fierce.
Nevertheless, the expectations of young Gen Z graduates concerning well-being at work constitute a lever of attractiveness for businessesand a way of make the world of work evolve for the better. Teleworking, flexible hours, policies in favor of equality and ecology… If Gen Z is moving the lines, they also bring their share of improvement and evolution with their office.
