The Innovation in Recruitment rewards initiatives and strategies that boost the talent pipeline and strengthen retention and candidate experience. In this tightly contested category, the judges crowned Barratt Redrow in partnership with The School Outreach Company, because of the strides the company had made in addressing the construction industry’s skills shortage through innovative outreach. We look at their winning entry and those of our other outstanding finalists. The category is sponsored by EY.
WINNER
Barratt Redrow, in partnership with The School Outreach Company
Housebuilder Barratt Redrow aims to create a diverse and inclusive workforce that mirrors the communities it serves. Facing a severe skills shortage in the construction industry, BR recognises the need to attract and retain young talent while addressing recruitment challenges and industry misconceptions. To tackle these issues, BR partnered with The School Outreach Company (TSOC) to engage students across the UK and raise awareness of careers in construction.
Launched in 2021, the initiative targeted primary and secondary schools, aiming to inspire students, challenge perceptions of the industry, and highlight various career paths. The programme included practical workshops, mentorship, and clear routes into employment, including apprenticeships. BR and TSOC focused on reaching underrepresented groups, including female students, those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and ethnic minorities.
By 2023, the outreach had expanded to over 1,750 schools, engaging more than one million students. In-person sessions were delivered by BR employees, offering insights and employability training. The programme successfully increased female and ethnic minority applications to BR’s apprenticeship roles.
The initiative also extended to primary schools, introducing STEM-related themes. Overall, the project has promoted diversity, enhanced educational opportunities, and strengthened BR’s community partnerships, demonstrating the housebuilder’s commitment to tackling the industry’s skills shortage while fulfilling its social responsibility.
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RUNNERS-UP
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust
‘You can’t recruit your way out of a retention crisis,’ said RCN general secretary and chief executive Pat Cullen in mid-2023. The statement is highly prescient because when the crisis is resourcing the solution needs to tackle recruitment and retention as one.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Trust has historically faced high levels of vacancies, high turnover and poor morale. To meet these challenges a Fresh Start initiative was spearheaded by a multidisciplinary team comprising HR, resourcing and communications leaders to drive a revolution by partnering with colleagues, business leaders and the local community.
This team set out a 12-month strategic workforce Flight Plan to navigate the organisation’s high-volume recruitment journey. It also set up a Trust Corporate Induction programme and landing, making new colleagues feel included from day one. A Trac digital applicant management system and This Is Your Place campaign were also initiated.
Moving to Trac delivered immediate results and the revamped Trust induction, thanks to Fresh Start, has attracted more than 1,000 new colleagues, a number that comfortably outstrips the reduced number of staff leaving.
Employing a holistic approach to recruitment and retention, supported by modern technology, has been transformative for BWC – which hopes to share its approach with other NHS trusts so that they too can gain similar benefits.
Grant Thornton UK in partnership with Neurosight
Grant Thornton, in partnership with Neurosight, aims to address bias in online assessments that disadvantages minority groups. Traditional assessments often fail to account for heightened anxiety, especially among these groups, which affects performance. This anxiety is more than just nerves; it stems from societal pressures and stereotype threats, creating unfair barriers.
To address this, Grant Thornton uses advanced AI technology that detects anxiety in real time during assessments and adjusts the process to allow each candidate to perform at their best. This innovation does not simplify the tests but ensures they are fairer, giving everyone an equal chance.
The AI analyses candidate decisions, identifying factors like confidence and hesitation. It adjusts the scoring to ensure anxiety does not unfairly affect outcomes. This approach represents a significant step in making hiring more inclusive.
The results from 2023 to 2024 show remarkable improvements. The proportion of female candidates achieving top scores rose by 30%, and the scores of candidates from ethnic minorities improved by 65%. Candidates from lower socioeconomic backgrounds saw an 80% increase, and disabled candidates’ scores almost doubled. The AI-driven system has been successful in reducing bias and ensuring fairer outcomes across diverse groups, demonstrating how innovation can lead to more inclusive hiring practices.
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) has a long history of successfully recruiting graduates into banking. However, with a national shortage of tech and data skills, it has become harder to fill vacancies. As Lloyds undergoes the UK’s largest-ever tech transformation in financial services, it needs to attract tech talent. To do this, it has launched a unique, immersive experience to change how students view careers in banking and promote itself as a top employer in tech.
The solution is an innovative, interactive installation called the LBG ‘motherboard’, where students explore Lloyds’ culture and opportunities by interacting with seven AI characters. This experience allows students to match their skills and passions with Lloyds’ tech career paths. It uses cutting-edge technology, including AI and digital platforms, to engage students and demonstrate Lloyds’ investment in innovation.
The initiative has been a great success, increasing engagement at campus events and boosting applications for its tech graduate programmes. It has also improved Lloyds’ image as a tech employer, especially among STEM students. The number of participants and tech programme applicants grew significantly, and Lloyds’ ranking as an attractive employer rose sharply. The campaign’s accessibility and futuristic design have positioned Lloyds as a leader in tech innovation, further enhancing its reputation in the competitive market for tech talent.
LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare in partnership with AudienceLink
LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare (LPCH) has always focused on delivering high-quality home and community care, easing pressure on the NHS by providing treatments directly to patients. However, in early 2023, LPCH faced a significant challenge with over 60 vacant nursing positions. Each unfilled role hindered service delivery and caused a major financial loss, amounting to over £10 million in potential revenue. To tackle this, LPCH partnered with AudienceLink in February 2023 to overhaul its recruitment processes, especially for nursing roles.
The partnership introduced a new employee value proposition, a dedicated career site, and virtual recruitment events. AudienceLink also applied programmatic advertising, which led to a significant increase in applications and hires. LPCH further enhanced candidate experience by streamlining its recruitment system and offering a transparent selection process. A focus on branding, with video content and testimonials, attracted more candidates, and a comprehensive onboarding and professional development programme supported retention.
By December 2023, LPCH had successfully reduced its nursing vacancies from over 60 to just two, generating over £10m in additional revenue. The quality of candidates improved, and nurse attrition dropped by 9%. The success of this initiative boosted LPCH’s reputation as a desirable employer in healthcare, with stronger engagement and satisfaction among both candidates and staff.
Robert Walters Advisory
The ESG for Hiring Practice at Robert Walters Advisory helps companies integrate sustainability and responsible innovation into their recruitment processes and employer brand. It is led by experts who combine postgraduate academic knowledge with industry best practices. The practice introduced an ‘ESG for Hiring Diagnostic,’ which evaluates a company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets and hiring policies. This helps businesses improve their employee sustainability propositions and attract talent aligned with their values.
Research shows that candidates increasingly seek employers with strong ESG credentials, with 67% wanting to work for companies that make a positive impact. The diagnostic assesses how well companies communicate their ESG goals and offers recommendations for improvement. The process includes analysing hiring materials, comparing findings with a research-based framework, and presenting actionable insights to clients.
One company that used the diagnostic, a European ethical bank, successfully used the tool to enhance its recruitment strategy, better reflect its ESG commitments, and improve employee engagement.
The bank praised the diagnostic for providing clear recommendations that aligned its employee value proposition with its ESG principles.
Research suggests that candidates with the most in-demand skills are disproportionately interested in sustainability and keen to work for sustainable employers. The RWA practice’s diagnostic is an end-to-end tool that successfully attracts the talent of the future.
South Western Railway
The Covid-19 pandemic caused long-term changes in public transport use, with many adopting hybrid working and alternative transport modes due to industrial action. This shift meant off-peak leisure travel became more important, increasing the need for resourcing during evenings and weekends. As the rail industry relies on taxpayer money and overtime to meet demand, reforms and job role changes were introduced, leading to a nine-month recruitment freeze.
Recruiting became more challenging due to a tight labour market, with unemployment at 3.8% by late 2023. South Western Railway (SWR) needed to attract large numbers of applicants while also focusing on creating a more diverse workforce.
SWR’s recruitment team restructured to better align with business needs, improving response times, collaboration with managers, and the candidate experience. They removed irrelevant assessments and introduced telephone screening, speeding up the process and increasing diversity. The ‘We are SWR’ campaign was launched, using geofencing and multimedia content to attract candidates, especially women, to engineering roles. The campaign was successful, increasing job alert subscriptions by 74%.
SWR also targeted veterans, hosting events and supporting military transition courses, leading to the creation of an Armed Forces Network. These efforts were recognised by the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, earning SWR a silver award for supporting ex-service personnel. SWR also saw a record number of apprenticeship applications.
Witherslack Group
Witherslack Group, a leading provider of specialist education and care for young people with special educational needs, has developed an innovative recruitment strategy, inspired by B-Corp principles, to build sustainable pipelines of diverse talent while promoting social mobility. The strategy focuses on three main areas: social value, equality, diversity, and inclusion, and early talent. These aspects work together to meet challenges in the sector, such as the shortage of skilled candidates.
One of the key achievements is the redesign of the employer brand, which now reflects the realities of working with young people in special education. The Huge Small Victories brand highlights both the challenges and joys of the job, using colourful and engaging graphics. This approach moves away from stock images, creating a genuine and transparent representation of the company.
Witherslack Group also launched a degree apprenticeship scheme for speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, providing structured training and career development. Additionally, the Futures Programme offers work experience opportunities for young people, with partners such as John Lewis and RoadChef. This initiative encourages both young people and current employees to pursue career growth within the company.
The results have been impressive, with a significant increase in social media engagement, applications, and internal involvement. The apprenticeship pathway and the Futures Programme have strengthened Witherslack Group’s reputation as an innovative and supportive employer, offering real career opportunities.
With the launch of its new clinical voice as well as various series such as its Power of a Great Teacher series and Support Worker series, the Group has given its employees a greater voice to showcase why it is a great place to work.
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