Sky’s dedication to creating a truly exceptional candidate experience has been recognised with the prestigious Lorien Candidate Experience Award at the 2024 TIARA Talent Acquisition Awards. Their innovative use of technology, paired with a strong focus on inclusivity and personalised support, has helped Sky stand out as a leader in recruitment. To learn more about the strategies behind their success, we spoke with the team responsible for their award-winning recruitment process.
AB: How has Sky leveraged technology to deliver a standout candidate experience?
Sky has embraced technology in a way that enhances the candidate experience without losing sight of the human element. They offer several digital tools that assist candidates throughout their recruitment journey. One of the standout features is the Programme Matcher, which helps candidates assess role fit, ensuring that they are matched with the right positions based on their skills and interests. Sky also offers the Preparation Hub, a tool designed to help candidates get ready for the assessment process.
“We leverage technology to deliver a standout candidate experience with tools like the Programme Matcher for assessing role fit and the Preparation Hub for pre-assessment preparation, both accessible to anyone interested in our programmes via our website.”
This accessibility is key, allowing any potential applicant to engage with Sky’s recruitment process well before they submit an application. Once candidates begin the assessment process, they are guided through highly branded, immersive assessments that provide them with a realistic preview of life at Sky. Following each digital assessment, candidates receive “automated feedback, highlighting strengths, development areas and reflection points,” providing valuable insights throughout the journey.
AB: What innovations have been central to improving your recruitment process?
Sky has made significant strides in improving their recruitment process, particularly through their innovative assessments. These assessments are immersive and tailored to give candidates a true sense of what it’s like to work at Sky. The assessments use realistic scenarios and videos filmed on campus, providing candidates with a visual and interactive experience.
“We’ve improved our recruitment process through our assessment innovations. The assessments are highly immersive, bringing to life what it’s like to work at Sky through realistic scenarios and engaging videos filmed on campus.”
In addition to the immersive assessments, Sky has streamlined their recruitment process by eliminating unnecessary stages and creating fast-track pathways for in-demand roles. “We’ve created streamlined candidate journeys by eliminating unnecessary stages and creating new fast-track pathways for in-demand roles.” This approach has improved efficiency and allows candidates to experience a quicker, more direct path to the roles they are interested in. Sky also offers tailored pathways for different business areas, ensuring that candidates get a closer, more relevant insight into the team they could potentially join. To further support inclusivity, Sky provides wraparound support and bespoke alternative assessments for candidates requiring reasonable adjustments, ensuring that all candidates are supported throughout their application journey.
AB: How do you balance technological advancements with maintaining a human touch in candidate experience?
Sky’s ability to balance technology with personal interaction is a key part of what makes their candidate experience stand out. The team places a strong emphasis on keeping the human touch at the heart of the process, even as they use technology to maximise efficiency. By involving their people in the technological tools and assessment centres, Sky ensures that candidates are always connected with real people throughout their journey.
As they explain, “It’s important to us to keep the human touch at the heart of our candidate experience, while also using technology to maximise efficiency.” For example, the Preparation Hub features videos from graduates and apprentices, offering personalised advice and insights from people who have already gone through the process. In the earlier stages, where candidate volumes can be high, Sky uses highly immersive digital assessments and automated feedback reports, which provide efficiency without compromising quality.
Once candidates reach the assessment centre, Sky brings their people into the process. Assessors are from the department that candidates are applying to, and the candidates have a chance to meet with current graduates and apprentices during a Q&A session. After the assessment, every candidate receives a one-to-one call from the team to discuss the outcome and provide personalised feedback. The team notes, “By leveraging the benefits of technology and keeping the human touch where it matters most, we aim to give all our candidates an excellent experience.” This combination of technology and personal interaction ensures that candidates feel supported and valued at every stage of the process.