Our mission is to improve the lives of people across the UK through investment. Hence, it is critical that we are truly representative of the whole of the UK and the communities we serve.
Our commitment is strongly aligned with our values of openness and respectfulness in embracing people's differences and valuing each member of our team and partners for what they bring. Your unique experience, background and perspective is what allows us to truly make change.
We encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds
While embracing diversity, we promote equality of opportunity and eliminate unlawful discrimination. We particularly welcome applications from disabled, black, indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC), LGBT+ and non-binary candidates and those with disabilities.
We are a Disability Confident employer
We want every colleague to be able to deliver their work with dignity, equality, comfort and independence. Our office is fully accessible with step-free access and an open-plan set up. We are open to accommodation requests regarding assistive technologies, accessibility tools, flexible working or any other reasonable adjustments that will make working or visiting here more accessible for you. As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for all candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Find out more about our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion work.
Our hiring process
We want to give all candidates the opportunity to perform at their best when applying for a role. To avoid any surprises, here is an overview of our hiring process to help you prepare for your application and interview. This process acts as a guide but does not apply directly to all roles.
-
Assessment
Applied application
We use the software platform, Applied to assess candidates. Rather than making decisions based on traditional CVs, Applied is designed to minimise unconscious bias in recruitment. You will be asked workbased questions which are then reviewed anonymously by our internal hiring panel.
-
Round one interview
Values and competency interview
One hour interview for the panel to explore how your motivations, values, experience and competencies would be suited to the role you have applied for. You can familiarise yourself with our five values (don’t worry, we don’t ask you to memorise them!).
-
Practical exercise
Presentation or case study
One to two hour interview including a presentation or exercise, directly related to the role you are interviewing for, to test your approach, ability to do the job and/or presentation style. This will either be sent to you to prepare in advance, or completed on the day for 30 minutes to one hour before meeting with the panel.
-
Final interview
Further values and competency interview
Up to one hour with the panel for a further values and competency based interview and an opportunity to ask any remaining questions you have on the role, organisation or process.
Top Interview Tips
Whether you’re interviewing for a role with us or elsewhere, here’s a few tips that might be helpful to consider.
Preparing for interview
- Do your research: look at the company website, find out what they do, their values, their mission and vision so that you can demonstrate how it might align with your interests. Read up on the team members you’ll be meeting.
- Re-read the job description and think about examples of how you meet the criteria outlined in the person specification
- Read your invite in detail – make sure you have double checked the time, location and format of your interview so that you don’t miss out!
- Practice a few interview questions with your friends or family
- Check your tech! For virtual interviews, test that your microphone and camera works in advance
- Think about some good questions to ask about the role, company and people you’re meeting
- Ask for reasonable adjustments – if you require any adjustments from the company to make the interview process more accessible for you, make sure you reach out to request this in advance
During interview
- Turn up on time – make sure you aim to show up 5 minutes before you’re allotted time, whether in person or virtual, in case of any disruptions
- It’s OK to bring along a few notes – you don’t want to be looking down at notes throughout your interview but having a few notes and questions jotted down shows you’ve done your prep and might put you at ease
- If needed, ask to repeat or re-word a question so you’re clear before jumping into your answer
- Remember interviews work both ways: it’s as much about working out if this is the right role for you, as it is you being assessed by the panel. Make sure you come away understanding about what it’s like to work there, what a day in the life of this role would look like and what the company culture is like
Get in touch with the People and Talent team
If you require any support to assist you through the recruitment process or questions about our recruitment approach, please get in touch with Ruth Davidson.
