Case Studies

The project

Engaged in 2006 and acting as an extension of the in-house HR team Graduate Solutions spent time understanding the needs of the recruitment team, the resources they had in place, who they were looking for and the areas that could be improved. We assisted in the production of a new website, implemented a new application system and designed a comprehensive marketing and events campaign to support the hiring needs across a variety of business areas.

The partnership

Our experienced assessors assumed responsibility for all screening and telephone interviewing against pre-agreed competency frameworks that fed candidates into the assessment centres. Attendance rates at assessment centres were exceptional as every candidate was called personally the day before the assessment centre to check they were still available and answer any last minute queries they may have had.

It is not just about getting the processes right. There are some things in recruitment that just can’t be planned. Graduate Solutions proved that they can react and deliver against a changing landscape with flexibility and ease. When internal requirements for an International Progamme in Hong Kong and Singapore emerged mid-season we advised and executed a plan in the UK and Asia to meet the hiring needs. As well as showing a real confidence in our abilities it also enabled us to show us the scalability of our model.

We continued to recruit for Nomura – as their hiring targets increased and became global – managing all aspects of campus marketing and the selection process up to assessment centre – until the Lehman acquisition was complete in early 2009.  In 2011 we resumed our relationship with Nomura, assigning an experienced Associate team to manage all UK university application screening and screening for Asia campus recruitment.

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The project

Renaissance Capital are a leading emerging markets bank.  Graduate Solutions were engaged in January 2007 to build and launch an international-standard graduate programme in Moscow, Kiev and Almaty including on campus marketing and attraction strategy, selection methodology and onboarding/training programme design.

The partnership

Graduate Solutions were involved at every stage of the campaign from helping Renaissance Capital to develop and execute an on-campus marketing campaign to screening and assessment centre design and delivery. We identified a third-party vendor to create a suite of marketing materials to support the on-campus activities – including a new careers microsite, a portfolio of advertisements, careers brochure and presentation materials for roadshow events. We advised on the format and programme of events and attended alongside Renaissance Capital representatives as a seamless extension of their team. We also looked towards the market of Russian students studying abroad and used our expertise in the UK, continental Europe and the US to market the opportunities to these students as well.

All applications (around 1500 in year 1, 2000 in year 2 and 4000+ in year 3) were screened by Graduate Solutions associates, tested online and then invited to attend a carefully crafted assessment centres which were rolled out on eight separate occasions in Moscow, Kiev, New York and London. Some 120 candidates were assessed by our team in the first year, alongside Renaissance Capital HR,  through a mixture of psychometric profiling, aptitude tests, group exercises and face to face interviews – in both Russian and English. The resulting shortlisted candidates were progressed to final round interviews in Moscow with the Investment Banking team.

Graduate Solutions advised and operationally assisted Renaissance Capital at every step of the attraction and selection process. In addition we also created the Front and Back office training programmes for incoming candidates to the Renaissance Academy.  Since then we have implemented an MBA recruitment programme from top business schools globally and are about to roll out an Africa Programme for hires in to Lagos and Nairobi.

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The project

Graduate Solutions successfully won the contract for the provision of on-site administrative staff supporting lateral and graduate recruitment.

The partnership

We currently have 4 staff on site,  working within graduate, lateral and global recruitment. Their roles cover all aspects of candidate management, Igrasp management, agency liaison, campus marketing for graduate recruitment, interview coordination, SHL test administration, and general recruitment administration.

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The project

In 2009, Fremantle Media, the organisation behind Talkback Thames (Britain’s Got Talent, X factor, The Bill etc) wished to start a Fast-Track Management Programme for high calibre graduates that would enter a rotation programme and potentially become leaders of the future.  The firm identified 8 roles across Europe (including France, Germany and the UK) and asked Graduate Solutions to begin a programme of attraction, marketing and selection.

The partnership

We created and built a careers website, application portal and market flyers and then worked with Fremantle to identify a number of top universities in the above countries – likely to produce media-focused graduates with a business/management bias.  Throughout February and March 2009, we executed a low level campaign to attract a small number of focused applications.  We utilised our existing networks with career services and societies and our affiliate organisation Student Board to spread the message virally to potentially strong candidates.

Candidates in the UK, France and Germany were screened, verbally and numerically tested and then telephone interviewed against competencies by our team and we designed an assessment centre – which we then facilitated with Fremantle staff – to finally select 6 top graduates.

The individuals then joined a rotational programme around 3 countries and are already thriving and displaying clear management potential within the firm.  Fremantle plans to repeat the programme every two years, with the next intake being in 2011.

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