Employability of Early-Career Researchers beyond Academia: Insights from Labour-Market Actors

What helps early-career researchers (ECRs) succeed beyond academia, and what holds them back?

Interviews with labour-market actors across 10 European countries conducted within the CROSS – Career Management Services for European Talents project provide answers and highlight where universities and labour-marker actors need to work more closely together. These insights offer an early view of findings that will be presented in more detail in a forthcoming report to be published as a CROSS deliverable.

Across interview responses, employability is seen as context-dependent rather than a fixed set of skills. ECRs are valued by the respondents for strong analytical thinking and subject-specific expertise, but the interviews also point to challenges in translating these competences into organisational contexts, particularly due to limited experience outside academia and difficulties in understanding organisational and business realities. At the same time, employability expectations vary across organisations and are shaped by organisational practices, with reported gaps understood not as deficits but as experience-based and diminishing through practical exposure. Respondents also emphasise that the ability to learn and develop in the role is a key factor shaping employability, with ECRs often assessed based on their potential to grow over time rather than immediate readiness.

One respondent working in a start-up accelerator described how PhD graduates often excel technical and analytical aspects of their work, such as deep subject expertise and problem‑solving, but struggle when moving from research to market-oriented environments. They noted that researchers may have “limited exposure to how innovations move from lab to market” and that understanding business dynamics and real-world application takes time and experience.

Interview responses highlight the importance of collaboration. Universities contribute most effectively by supporting exposure to organisational realities and enabling practical engagement through placements, projects and cooperation with labour-market actors. Respondents emphasise the need for more structured and continuous interaction between academia and labour-market actors.

What about ResearchComp?

ResearchComp, the European Competence Framework for Researchers, is described in the interviews as a flexible reference framework that helps make researchers’ competences visible across different contexts, while its relevance depends on organisational use and requires stronger links to real industry roles and practical applications.

And the ResearchComp Self-Assessment Tool?

The Self‑Assessment Tool, based on ResearchComp, is primarily seen by the respondents as a developmental instrument that supports reflection, career preparation and dialogue, rather than a tool for direct employability assessment. Respondents highlight the need to link competences more explicitly to organisational realities, so that researchers can better articulate their skills in ways that are meaningful beyond academia.

The key message

A central finding is that employability is not predetermined but emerges through the alignment between researcher preparation and organisational contexts. This highlights the importance of translating competences into practice and strengthening interaction between universities and labour‑market actors through applied learning opportunities.

Stay tuned for the complete report!

Publishing of the deliverable is planned for Spring 2027.