Should we standardise the PhD recruitment process?
Competition for graduate jobs is tough with around 85 people competing for each position. When it comes to recruitment, graduate schemes typically include a written application, Psychometric tests and several interviews. Taken alone, it's easy to be critical. Applications are often read by s oftware, Psychometric tests and Assessment Centres are closed source and interviews are a mixed bag at best . Nevertheless, they can be effective when combined. No method is perfect, so it makes sense to use more than one methodology when attempting to draw solid conclusions about an applicants suitability for a specific role. But what about PhD recruitment and retention? It seems odd that a fresh faced graduate can be awarded funding to complete a PhD or even accepted onto a masters degree with very little pre-screening. A funded PhD is comparable to a graduate job because it pays roughly the same and involves a huge amount of work and dedication. So h...