The Innovation in Recruitment Award is one of the most coveted prizes in the Personnel Today Awards. It rewards initiatives and strategies which have improved not only retention but also candidate experience and talent pipeline. The 2024 category sponsored by EY has a shortlist of candidates.
Barratt Developments partners with The School Outreach Company
Barratt Developments, a housebuilder in the UK, aims to build a workforce that is diverse and inclusive. This workforce will reflect the communities they serve. BD, which is facing a severe shortage of skills in the construction sector, recognizes the importance of attracting and retaining young talent. It also addresses recruitment challenges and industry myths. To address these issues, BD partnered up with The School Outreach Company to engage and educate students in the UK about careers in construction.
The initiative, launched in 2021, targeted primary and secondary school students. It aimed to inspire them, challenge their perceptions about the industry and highlight different career paths. The programme consisted of practical workshops, mentoring, and clear pathways into employment including apprenticeships. BD and TSOC targeted underrepresented groups such as female students, those with disadvantaged backgrounds and ethnic minorities.
By 2023, outreach will have reached over 1,750 schools and more than 1 million students. BD employees delivered in-person sessions, providing insights and training on employability. The programme was successful in increasing female and ethnic minorities’ applications to BD apprenticeship roles.
The initiative was also extended to primary school, where STEM-related topics were introduced. The project promoted diversity, improved educational opportunities and strengthened BD’s community partnerships. It also demonstrated the housebuilder’s commitment to tackling industry’s skills shortage, while fulfilling its social responsibilities.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust
Pat Cullen, RCN’s general secretary and chief operating officer in 2023, said: “You can’t hire your way out a retention crisis.” This statement was made in mid-2023 and is very prescient, as the solution to the resourcing crisis must include both recruitment and retention.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust was historically plagued by high vacancies, turnover and low morale. A multidisciplinary team of HR, resourcing, and communications leaders spearheaded a Fresh Start initiative to meet these challenges. The goal was to create a revolution through partnering with colleagues and business leaders in the community.
This team created a 12-month strategy workforce Flight Plan for the high-volume recruitment journey of this organisation. The team also created a Trust Corporate induction program and landing to make new employees feel welcome from the first day. Trac, a digital applicant management system, and the This Is Your Place Campaign were also launched.
Fresh Start’s revamped Trust Induction has brought in more than 1,000 new employees, which is a significant number compared to the number of departing staff.
BWC has seen a transformational change in its recruitment and retention efforts, thanks to the use of modern technology. It hopes to share this approach with other NHS Trusts to help them reap similar benefits.
Grant Thornton UK partners with Neurosight
Grant Thornton and Neurosight have partnered to combat bias in online assessments which disadvantages minorities. The traditional assessments fail to take into account the anxiety that is prevalent in these groups. This can affect performance. This anxiety stems not only from nerves, but also from stereotypes and societal pressures.
Grant Thornton has developed a technology that uses artificial intelligence to detect anxiety during assessment and to adjust the process so each candidate can perform to their full potential. This innovation doesn’t simplify the tests, but it ensures that they are more fair and give everyone an equal opportunity.
The AI analyzes candidate decisions and identifies factors such as confidence and hesitation. The AI adjusts the score to make sure anxiety doesn’t unfairly influence outcomes. This is a major step towards making hiring more inclusive.
The results between 2023 and 2024 are remarkable. The percentage of female candidates who achieved top scores increased by 30% and scores for candidates from ethnic minority groups improved by 65%. Scores for candidates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds increased by 80%, while scores for disabled candidates almost doubled. The AI-driven hiring system was successful in reducing discrimination and ensuring fair outcomes for diverse groups. It demonstrates how innovation can lead more inclusive hiring practices.
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Banking Group has had a successful history in recruiting graduates for banking. It is becoming harder to fill jobs due to a shortage of data and tech skills in the country. Lloyds is undergoing the UK’s biggest-ever tech transformation of financial services. It needs to attract tech talent. It has created a unique immersive experience that will change the way students perceive careers in banking, and help it become a leading employer in technology.
A new interactive installation, the LBG “motherboard”, allows students to explore Lloyds culture and career opportunities through interaction with seven AI characters. Students can match their passions and skills with the tech career paths offered by Lloyds. The experience uses the latest technology, such as AI and digital platforms to engage students and show Lloyds’ commitment to innovation.
The initiative was a huge success. It increased engagement on campus and encouraged applications for the tech graduate programs. The initiative has improved Lloyds’ reputation as a tech-employer, particularly among STEM students. The number of applicants and participants in the tech programmes increased significantly. Lloyds’ rating as a desirable employer also rose dramatically. The campaign’s futuristic design and accessibility have helped Lloyds to become a leader in technology innovation. This has further enhanced its reputation on the market for tech talent.
LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare partners with AudienceLink
LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare has always been focused on delivering high quality home and community care. This helps to relieve pressure on NHS by providing direct treatments to patients. LPCH was faced with a major challenge in early 2023 when it had over 60 nursing positions vacant. Each vacant role hampered service delivery and resulted in a significant financial loss of over PS10,000,000. In February 2023, LPCH partnered up with AudienceLink to revamp its recruitment process, particularly for nursing positions.
The partnership launched a new employee proposition, a career website dedicated to it, and virtual recruiting events. AudienceLink used programmatic advertising to increase applications and hirings. LPCH enhanced the candidate experience further by streamlining their recruitment system and providing a transparent selection procedure. Video content and testimonials helped to attract more candidates. A comprehensive onboarding programme and professional development program also supported retention.
LPCH reduced the number of nursing vacancies at its hospital from 60 to two by December 2023. This resulted in an additional income of over PS10m. The quality of the candidates improved and nurse attrition decreased by 9%. This initiative was a success, and LPCH gained a reputation for being able to attract and retain the best candidates in the healthcare industry. Staff and candidates were more engaged and satisfied.
Robert Walters Advisory
Robert Walters Advisory’s ESG for Hiring Practice helps companies integrate sustainability into their recruitment process and employer brand. The practice is led by industry experts with postgraduate academic experience and knowledge of best practices. The practice has introduced an “ESG for hiring diagnostic” which assesses a company’s environmental, socio-economic, and governance (ESG), targets, and hiring policies. The practice helps companies improve their employee sustainability offerings and attract talent that aligns with their values.
According to research, candidates are increasingly looking for employers who have strong ESG credentials. 67% of them want to work at companies that have a positive social impact. The diagnostic evaluates the effectiveness of companies in communicating their ESG goals, and makes recommendations to improve. The process involves analysing hiring material, comparing results with a framework based on research, and providing actionable insights to the client.
The diagnostic was used by a European ethical banking company to improve its recruitment strategy and better reflect their ESG commitments.
The bank was pleased with the clear recommendations provided by the diagnostic that helped align its employee value proposition to its ESG principles.
According to research, candidates with the highest-demanding skills are more interested in sustainability than other candidates. They also want to work for employers who value sustainability. The RWA practice’s diagnostic is a comprehensive tool that attracts future talent.
South Western Railway
Due to industrial action, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused long-term change in public transport. Many have adopted hybrid working methods and alternative modes of transport. Off-peak leisure travel was now more important and resourcing for evenings, weekends, and holidays became necessary. Reforms and changes in job roles were implemented as the rail industry relies heavily on overtime and taxpayer funds to meet demand. This led to a recruitment freeze of nine months.
Due to the tight labour market and unemployment of 3.8%, recruiting became a more difficult task. South Western Railways (SWR), needed to attract a large number of applicants, while also focusing its efforts on creating a diverse workforce.
SWR’s Recruitment team was restructured in order to better align itself with the business needs. This improved response times, collaboration between managers and candidates, as well as their experience. The team removed unnecessary assessments and implemented telephone screening to speed up the process while increasing diversity. Geofencing was used along with multimedia content in the ‘We Are SWR’ campaign to encourage women to apply for engineering roles. The campaign was a success, with 74% more job alert subscribers.
SWR targeted veterans by hosting events and supporting courses on military transition, which led to the creation an Armed Forces Network. The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme awarded SWR the silver award in recognition of its support for ex-service personnel. SWR saw a record-breaking number of applications for apprenticeships.
Witherslack Group
Witherslack Group is a leading provider in the field of education and care of young people with special needs. They have developed a recruitment strategy that was inspired by B-Corp Principles to create scalable pipelines of diverse talent, while also promoting social mobility. The strategy is based on three key areas: social values, equality, diversity and inclusion, as well as early talent. The three aspects are interconnected to address challenges within the sector such as the lack of qualified candidates.
The redesign of the employer branding, which now reflects reality of working with children in special education, is one of the most important achievements. Huge Small Victories uses colourful graphics to highlight both the challenges and the joys of working with young people in special education. This approach is a departure from stock photos, and creates a transparent and genuine representation of the business.
Witherslack Group has also launched a degree-level apprenticeship programme for occupational and speech therapists. This scheme provides structured training as well as career development. The Futures Programme also offers young people work experience with partners like John Lewis and RoadChef. This initiative encourages young people as well as current employees to pursue their career development within the company.
The results were impressive. There was a significant rise in the number of social media applications and engagement from within. The Futures Programme and the apprenticeship programme have helped Witherslack Group to build a reputation as a supportive and innovative employer that offers real career opportunities.
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The Group’s employees have a stronger voice with the launch of the new clinical voice, as well as the Power of a Great Teacher and Support Worker Series.
