Capita, the consulting, transformation and digital services company, is using Arctic Shores’ behaviour-based assessment to uncover true potential in the young people applying to its government-backed Kickstart scheme.
Kickstart is built on the belief in human potential and aims to give young people, whatever their background, an opportunity to gain the skills they need to thrive in the modern workplace.
Capita
Supporting social mobility & diversity
Capita is using the Arctic Shores assessment in an attempt to fairly and accurately find young people with the natural strengths to benefit most from the scheme – regardless of gender, ethnicity, social background or neurotype. Capita and Arctic Shores began working together 18 months ago, and the partnership has since evolved to support Capita’s predominately entry level, hiring.
So far, of all Capita’s Kickstart candidates offered a place on the scheme, 41% didn’t go to university, and almost one fifth relied on free school meals. Additionally, three in every five came from an ethnic minority group, two in five were female, and one in ten was neurodiverse.
By using engaging, intuitive tasks to measure candidates’ unique behaviour and natural strengths, rather than questions, Arctic Shores’ behaviour-based assessment lets progressive employers like Capita make objective people decisions, based solely on potential. This way, Capita can continue to champion fairness in all its forms in its Kickstart scheme, as well as other areas of its business including apprentices, as it looks to leverage its successful partnership with Arctic Shores.
The assessment is at the heart of Arctic Shores’ mission to give every individual the opportunity to show their potential, and every employer the means to see it.
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. And, with our subsequent supported learning tasks and psychological contracting sessions, great candidates get a supportive journey of engaging self-discovery.”
Nisha Wasim, Business Psychologist and the Arctic Shores Solutions Lead, partnering with Capita, 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.”
A better candidate experience
Beyond accuracy and fairness, the assessment is also supporting a more engaged experience for Capita’s Kickstart candidates. 83% of all candidates have reported a better perception of Capita after the assessment, and 82% are now actively excited to work for Capita.
Capita’s engagement with Arctic Shores is just one example of its commitment to help young people get back into employment and provide them with the skills to succeed. Capita also conducts an apprenticeship programme and partners with TeachFirst and Young Enterprise to help support young people with employability and entrepreneurial skills.
Arctic Shores and Capita’s partnership recently featured on the BBC’s Technology TV programme, Click, with the programme exploring how the tech industry is addressing inbuilt biases in everyday technologies, and the importance of fairness in recruitment. During the show, a BBC Click presenter completes the Arctic Shores assessment, and one of Capita’s Kickstart candidates explains how it gave her the opportunity to show her true potential. Watch the full programme here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vl08