Transforming Talent Pipelines through Inclusive Recruitment
2 Minutes Read450+ hires
over 5 years
Reduced time
to hire by
50%
32% from
ethnic minority
backgrounds
1,361.5
hours saved
Candidate NPS
73
Instant Impact are excellent. We trust them, they run our whole process and the relationships that they've created with our hiring managers are really special.
A global leader in market research, Ipsos employs over 10,000 people globally. In 2018 we were brought in by Ipsos to manage and run their Early Careers Recruitment and we continue to do so across various locations within the UK.
The
Challenge
Ipsos recognised the vital importance of early talent in building a pipeline of future leaders that would foster innovation and long-term organisational growth. However, the main challenge they faced was needing to improve diversity to reflect the aspirations of the business at large while also significantly reducing their time to hire. These challenges risked hindering their ability to position themselves as an employer of choice for emerging talent in an increasingly competitive market.
The
Solution
We conducted a three-month consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, from Managing Directors to recent graduates, to gather insights on the early careers function and identify areas for improvement. Using this data, we collaborated with HR to redesign the recruitment strategy, which included:
- Introducing blind recruitment by eliminating CVs at the application stage.
- Removing grade requirements.
- Implementing tech-enabled processes to promote diversity and social mobility.
- Advertising on major job boards and diversity-specific sites like Black Young Professional Network (BYP) and Colour of Research.
- Utilising programmatic social media advertising to broaden audience reach and inform about market research careers.
- Establishing school and university partnerships focused on institutions with diverse student bodies.
- Enhancing Ipsos's Employer Brand with an Early Careers-specific careers page featuring video content and candid photos to showcase inclusivity.
The
Results
- Reduced time to hire by 50% (3 months to 1.5 months).
- Conducted 2,723 first round interviews which saved the business 1,361.5 hours and gave hiring managers time back.
- 13% of hires would have been rejected under previous grade requirements, expanding the talent pool.
- 32% of all hires now come from ethnic minority backgrounds; a substantial improvement in diversity representation.
- 33% of all grad hires were the first generation in their families to attend university.
Our partnership's success has also garnered national recognition. Ipsos secured 3rd and 2nd place consecutively in the National Graduate Recruitment Award's Best D&I Strategy category. It also continues to thrive through ongoing innovation and iteration, keeping Ipsos at the forefront of inclusive and effective early careers recruitment.
