Technological transformation and human resource development of early career talent: Insights from accounting, banking, and finance

This paper provides insights into the opportunities and risks that the technological transformation of Human Resource Development (HRD) presents in the context of early career talent in the accounting, banking, and finance sector. Three research questions are explored. (1) What opportunities exist for organizations investing in technology as a talent management strategy for recruiting early career talent? (2) What are the risks or threats to organizations from investing in technology as a strategy for recruiting early career talent? (3) What role do meso-level actors play in recruiting early career talent? More specifically, to what extent do the views of graduate recruiters and career advisors as agents of organizations and higher education institutions align or diverge? Thirty-six semi-structured interviews were conducted with graduate recruiters and career advisors. Thematic analysis was subsequently applied, identifying three themes (i) employer branding, (ii) virtual recruitment, and (iii) diversity and social inclusion agendas, each presented opportunities and risks. The theoretical contribution comes from advancing career ecosystems and the new psychological contract as a theoretical framework by focusing on technological transformation and capturing the dyadic relationship between the meso-level actors. Our paper integrates three topic clusters of HRD interventions and outcomes, national HRD, and career development, while manifesting the role and importance of under-represented career actors. Practical implications aim to help shape talent management strategies for recruiting early career talent. Capturing the views of career advisors in this study can help organizations identify blind spots and inform policy.