Capita Kickstart scheme boosts social mobility hires
Global consultancy Capita has announced the use of a new assessment procedure to help buoy diversity in the firm’s recruitment process. Using a behaviour-based process by Arctic Shores, Capita hopes to make objective people decisions, based solely on potential, which will help boost social mobility as well.
In recent times, outsourcing and consulting firm Capita has set out to enhance its reputation as a UK employer with a number of initiatives. The firm launched a new corporate brand in 2019, and announced it would pay all its 40,000 UK staff the real living wage as a minimum from April 2020.
As the firm looks to further build on these earlier attempts, the firm has announced that it has launched a new recruitment process to improve its intake from marginalised demographics. Using a behaviour-based assessment from Arctic Shores, Capita now deploys intuitive tasks to measure a candidates’ unique behaviour and natural strengths, rather than questions, Capita is hoping to spot potential in the young people applying to its government-backed Kickstart scheme.
Marisol Milsom, Head of Socially Responsible Resourcing at Capita, commented, “With the Kickstart scheme, we’ve ripped up the traditional assessment process that often favours higher socio-economic, white, male and neurotypical candidates. Arctic Shores’ levelling assessment helps us find the young people that share Capita’s values and have the cognitive ability to thrive in the role.”
The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment. Since its launch in 2014, Arctic Shores’ assessments have improved diversity and reduced time-to-hire and recruitment costs at organisations around the world, and according to a release from Capita, Arctic Shores’ work has helped offer places to a variety of people from different backgrounds.
So far, of all Capita’s Kickstart scheme, 41% of candidates offered a place on the scheme did not go to university, and around one-fifth relied on free schools during their time in education. Meanwhile, three-out-of-five came from an ethnic minority group, two-in-five were female, and one-fifth were neurodiverse.
Nisha Wasim, Business Psychologist and the Arctic Shores Solutions Lead, added, “Kickstart is more than just a scheme. It’s the foundation of a better future for young people of all backgrounds, all genders, ethnic groups, and abilities. That’s why the Arctic Shores team is so proud to support Capita’s ongoing programme. With our assessment and expertise, they’re truly set up to see beyond the CV, and give these incredible young people the opportunities they deserve.”
Social mobility remains a major short-coming in the recruitment of the UK professional services sector as a whole. According to research in 2020, of those working in London’s professional occupations, only 17% come from working class backgrounds. Meanwhile, professional occupations in London continue to employ a disproportionate number of workers from high income backgrounds, at 54%.
