A Level results 2024: Employers value soft skills 'more than grades or qualifications', jobs expert says

• A new survey by job-finding platform Indeed found perception and reality don’t quite match up when it comes to the qualifications employers want to see.
• More than two thirds of employers say soft skills are more important than educational qualifications in hiring.
• Less than 1 in 10 workers believe if they had better A Level results they would have a better career or earn more.
• Less than 1% of job postings on Indeed mention A Levels or similar requirements.

Those pesky D and E grades marring their results papers might not hold back this year’s school leavers as much as they think.

Students who sat their A Level exams throughout May and June now have their final results in hand. The number of top grades awarded increased this year, although the overall pass rate did fall a little. Of those who had already applied to a university, four out of five students also managed to immediately land a spot in their university of choice. 

But a new survey of UK workers and employers by the world’s biggest job site, Indeed, suggests that students’ actual A Level grades might not be as big a deal as many believe - and many employers don’t ever ask prospective employees for them.

Instead, many say they prioritise ‘soft skills’ gained by students throughout the course of their studies. But what exactly are these, and what else does the data say? Here’s what Indeed has found:

The rise of ‘soft skills’

Indeed’s UK head of talent intelligence, Danny Stacy, said that whether young people who sat their A levels over the summer were planning on going on to further study or entering the workforce, many were “anxious about how their results will shape their futures”.

But their research suggested actual A Level grades might not matter as much to recruiters as they think. “Our research shows that while top grades can lead to greater job satisfaction, educational achievements are not the only path to a fulfilling career,” he continued.

“Less than 1% of Indeed job postings require A-levels or equivalent qualifications, and nearly a third of UK workers have never been asked to provide their results when applying for jobs. For those who don’t achieve the grades they hoped for, this won’t hinder their career prospects.”

Stacy said that students should remember that their studies have equipped them with valuable ‘soft skills’, which the survey showed employers were increasingly prioritising. Key examples workers said their A Levels had helped them develop in the survey include writing; problem solving, time management, critical thinking, and research skills.

“My advice... take a breath, be proud, and know there are many opportunities ahead, regardless of your grades.”

What did the survey find?

Indeed’s survey, carried out by market research company Censuswide, spoke to 1,001 employees who had taken either their A Levels or BTEC qualifications, as well as 509 employers during late July and early August.

Two thirds of employers (67%) said that soft skills were more important than educational qualifications when it came to hiring. Despite this, just over half (58%) of them said they did look at A Level or BTEC results when screening candidates - although nearly one-in-three employees said they had never been asked to provide their results when applying for a job.

But it’s good news for young people worried that the grades they received last week would hold them back from future opportunities. Just 15% of workers surveyed believe their A Level results had helped them secure their position.

However, the survey suggests good grades do seem to have a link to job satisfaction later on. Three quarters (75%) of those who received mostly A* or A grades said they were satisfied with their career. The overall average was 68%, but job satisfaction decreased the lower the grades.

Despite this, less than 1 in 10 employees believed that if they had got better A Level results then they would have had a better career, or earned more money. Only 12% of all people surveyed had a job related to any of the subjects they took for their A Levels or BTECs.

How important do you think grades are when it comes to the job market, or are the skills students learn along the way more important? Have your say and make your voice heard by leaving a comment below.