Learning to signal graduate employability: an exploratory study of UK students’ experiences of online recruitment processes

Graduate employment programmes offer university students the prospect of a reasonable salary and development opportunities. For employers, such talent pipeline means to identify future leaders. The psychological contract which develops during recruitment processes creates high expectations on both sides bargain. A corollary is that graduate usually entail highly competitive, multi-stage selection processes, in applicants must repeatedly demonstrate their employability online psychometric tests computerised activities before progressing final stage. Drawing Foucauldian theories governmentality, this study uses interviews (n = 17) focus groups 2) explore how final-year at post-1992 English navigate learn signal what they believe employability. article shows students’ understanding formed not only through traditional channels as careers services or employer communications, but increasingly third-party (and often commercial) ‘helper’ apps offering test-practice sessions, templated advice, other methods for gaming process. These helper can have distorting effects, producing graduates focused performance rather than substance