This article is the fourth in a short series discussing the results of Nature’s 2024 global survey of hiring managers in science. The survey, created in partnership with Thinks Insights & Strategy, a research consultancy in London, launched in June and was advertised on nature.com, in Springer Nature digital products and through e-mail campaigns. It received 1,134 self-selecting respondents from 77 countries, based in academia, industry and other sectors, including industry responses provided in partnership with Walr, a market-research panel. The full survey data sets are available at go.nature.com/3bgpazn.