Apprenticeship initiative wins Recruitment Marketing Award

6 November 2020 — Global talent acquisition and management firm, Alexander Mann Solutions, has been named winner in the Apprenticeship Initiative category at the 2020 Recruitment Marketing Awards, for work on original social mobility apprenticeship programme.

The firm collaborated with Santander to develop an apprenticeship programme that was founded on diversity, inclusion and social mobility. The objective was to position the bank as a organisation where career progression was a tangible reality regardless of background.

To deliver the objective Alexander Mann Solutions provided Santander with a platform to share authentic social mobility stories from current apprentices and supported them on a new assessment approach.

The campaign included the development of a number of ‘Our Journey’ videos which brought to life the real-life stories of genuine Santander apprentices. Filmed on location in Santander offices, their homes and popular hangouts, the apprentices talk openly by their background, influences and experiences with the bank.

Far from just gathering positive testimony about Santander’s apprenticeship programme, the films act as a powerful conversation starter and positioned the topic of social mobility as central to the bank’s recruitment

The campaign included an revamped website with more support for candidates and more video content, supporting research findings that show video as a preferred medium over written material within Generation Z. It also had more support for Parents, Carers and Careers advisors to make sure they also have the support needed to develop their family, children etc.

Alexander Mann also helped Santander introduce changes to Digital Assessment Centres, Gamified testing, and move to a fully Virtual Assessment Centre during the Covid-19 Pandemic. These changes supported candidates in their first steps into their very first career and truly showcased Santander’s digital capabilities. Candidate feedback was exceptional (some examples captured in the video link).

Sondra Dryer, Global Head of Brand and Attraction at Alexander Mann Solutions, commented on the accolade:

“We’re extremely proud to see our work with Santander recognised in this prestigious award. This particular programme delivered fantastic results for our client, with the bank climbing into the top 20 businesses in the Social Mobility Employer Index and diverse applications increasing 10%. At Alexander Mann Solutions we are leaders in talent acquisition and management innovation, so to be recognised in the Recruitment Marketing Awards is testament to the fantastic collaboration that we are all involved in across the business.”