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NewslettersFortune CHRO

Despite layoffs, the job market for entry-level workers remains competitive as employers fight for the same pool of talent

By
Amber Burton
Amber Burton
and
Paolo Confino
Paolo Confino
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By
Amber Burton
Amber Burton
and
Paolo Confino
Paolo Confino
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 12, 2023, 7:29 AM ET
Woman shaking hands with businessman at a conference
The job market for entry-level talent is competitive despite recent layoffs.Getty Images

Good morning!

Spring ushers in a new cohort of employees looking for full-time jobs. Soon-to-be college graduates are already knocking on employers’ doors for entry-level roles. Lucky for them, despite recent layoffs, employers are still seeking entry-level applicants to fill a number of roles across finance, technology, and health care, a new report from Indeed finds.

The hiring site defines entry-level roles as positions with an average annual salary above $40,000 and zero to three years of work experience. And if this year’s top ranking of entry-level jobs tells us anything, it will be a competitive year for employers hoping to attract young talent, says Scott Dobroski, a career trends expert at the company. Particularly in tech roles, employers across industries are fighting for the same pool as they strive to become more digitally savvy. 

“Virtually every company today is a technology company,” Dobroski tells Fortune. “They’re selling goods and services or a commodity in some way to customers, and HR needs to hire and build out new roles.”

Positions topping the list of in-demand entry-level roles include sales representatives, transportation coordinators, quality auditors, and accounting coordinators. Indeed also found that the most frequently listed entry-level roles specified coordination, sales, mental health, engineering, and technology skills. 

Enticing young talent requires companies to draw attention to their value proposition. “Younger workers are attracted to companies that offer career opportunities and advancements, strong leadership so they can learn, and pay transparency and fair pay,” Dobroski says. 

HR may also have to be more comfortable with generational differences in work style, such as “polyworking,” piecing together a diverse set of roles that fit their desired lifestyles and values.

“HR needs to think about how they are really combating this nontraditional view of work. This includes freelance work [and] gig work,” says Dobroski. “What’s also new that didn’t exist ten years ago is this influential resignation culture. We know that quit rates are still relatively high across the U.S.”

Retaining entry-level employees, then, will require leaders to meet their growing expectations and communicate a clear career path.

Amber Burton
amber.burton@fortune.com
@amberbburton

Reporter's Notebook

The most compelling data, quotes, and insights from the field.

More employees are taking social policies like voting rights and abortion access into consideration when deciding whether to relocate to a different state for a job, according to a recent survey by Morning Consult.

“Nearly all adults (89%) who accepted a professional opportunity in the past year that required them to relocate to a different state considered social policies in their decision to move. This indicates that employers need to consider state social policies as potential risks and opportunities for their workforce,” write the report's authors.

Around the Table

A round-up of the most important HR headlines, studies, podcasts, and long-reads.

- Amazon wants all employees in the office by May, but some offices won’t be ready until September. Insider

- Return-to-office consultants are helping executives overcome the logistical and psychological hurdles of getting employees back to in-person work. New York Times

- Some U.S. companies are outsourcing jobs overseas due to labor shortages and rising wages. Wall Street Journal

- After a U.K. trial of the four-day workweek, experts wonder if work-obsessed America would ever adopt the policy. Bloomberg

Watercooler

Everything you need to know from Fortune.

WFH career development. On average, employees who go into the office spend 25% more time on career development than remote employees, doing things like getting mentored and engaging in learning activities. —Jane Thier

A young firm’s game. Remote work is more prevalent at companies founded after the year 2000 than at older firms, according to a survey. —Alicia Adamcyzk 

Cisco lawsuit. The California Civil Rights Department dismissed a lawsuit alleging two Cisco managers discriminated against an employee based on caste. —Deepa Bharath

Elon Musk sued…again. Three former Twitter executives sued the company after Elon Musk reneged on legal fees they were due as part of their severance agreements. —Christiaan Hetzner

This is the web version of CHRO Daily, a newsletter focusing on helping HR executives navigate the needs of the workplace. Today’s edition was curated by Paolo Confino. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox.

About the Authors
By Amber Burton
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Paolo Confino
By Paolo ConfinoReporter

Paolo Confino is a former reporter on Fortune’s global news desk where he covers each day’s most important stories.

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