Document Type

Article

Publication Date

11-2025

Abstract

Employers worldwide are increasingly seeking undergraduates who combine strong academic performance  with professional competencies developed through extracurricular and co-curricular activities. This  empirical investigation surveyed 651 U.S. and multinational hiring managers (HMs) to assess how these  factors influenced their internship and entry-level hiring decisions. Results indicate that while superior  academic performance (AP) remains paramount, HMs assigned well-rounded students engaged in relevant  ECAs and CCAs, higher perceived employability and compensation premiums (CPs). Candidates holding  leadership roles in activities directly related to their position of interest commanded the highest CPs.  Implications include early-career guidance for students, counselors, recruiters, and other higher education  institution (HEI) stakeholders.

Publication Title

Journal of Applied Business and Economics

DOI

10.33423

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