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The Pillars of an Award-Winning Program
National Grid was selected as a 2024 Campus Forward Award Winner for their unwavering commitment to seeking out and hiring early career talent and investments in nurturing and retaining the next generation of diverse talent. Please see below for the highlights of their approach to early career recruitment.
Standout Candidate Experience
National Grid recognizes that a stellar candidate experience is critical to set the company apart in today’s competitive early careers recruiting landscape. Candidate experience starts even before the application, with events focused on setting talent up for success in the application and recruitment process. After application, candidates receive touchpoints at every step in their journey which details the timeline, expectations, news about the company, and tips for success. All candidates are notified of their progression or that they are no longer being considered in a timely fashion. Experience doesn’t just stop at offer – National Grid has a robust post-offer engagement plan inclusive of newsletters, virtual events, and detailed onboarding instructions. Candidate sentiment is reviewed annually using surveys in order to continuously improve the hiring process.
Innovative Use of Technology
National Grid has embraced technology as part of the early careers recruiting process to effectively and efficiently source candidates, host events, and conduct initial virtual interviews. Sourcing and event tools have allowed National Grid to strategically engage with talent across the country through personalized messaging and tailored events, embracing a school-agnostic approach to driving applications, and enabling consistent post-event engagement with participants. Digital video interview technology has allowed the early careers recruitment team to include more candidates in the initial candidate assessment process while also removing bias and allowing candidates to participate at a time and in a place that best suits their schedule.
Growth and Development of the Next Generation of Talent
Early Careers hires join the company in a structured Graduate Development Program which provides 18 months of development while undertaking their full-time roles. Participants complete a four-week induction where they engage with senior leaders, customers, communities, & peers in order to form in-depth knowledge of the organization. Following orientation, Graduates participate in ongoing development to learn more about National Grid, build leadership capability, and network across the teams. At the conclusion of the program, participants work on in-depth business cases to broaden their operational knowledge. All participants are also paired with an alumni mentor for an additional layer of support. GDP participants progress more quickly and are retained for longer at National Grid when compared to non-Early Careers hires.