When you need to tighten up your talent strategy and get the right people on board to achieve your goals, sometimes you need a helping hand that works with you flexibly to address your needs.

That’s exactly what a Project RPO can do for you.

As a flexible recruitment solution, Project RPO offers many of the benefits of outsourcing all your recruitment to a resourcing partner, but without the long-term commitment. It can be delivered as a “one off” engagement, working as an extension of your in-house talent team to source, screen and deliver the right candidates or teams as and when you need them. Basically, acting as a helping hand, saving time for you to navigate the day-to-day BAU.

And this is what the Sanderson team are experts in and is something we recently implemented for a leading workplace pensions provider who needed to bolster and upskill their customer service teams.

Our team thrives on absorbing each client’s culture and acting as an extension of their brand, designing and delivering bespoke solutions that successfully meets client challenges and objectives, so read on to find out how we did just that….

What was the challenge?

The client approached Sanderson as they were looking for a partner that could deliver a bespoke solution to address two of their resourcing challenges.

Getting the right candidates 

Firstly, they needed to attract and select high-quality customer service professionals across various UK regions. Having embedded ourselves with the talent teams, we quickly ascertained that they were struggling with candidate calibre. With customer service and telephony roles crucial to their business operations, they were facing issues attracting candidates that had experience here as well as in a financial services environment.

Demand was increasing and they needed to recruit approximately 120 customer service candidates in only 12 months.

Hiring manager knowledge gaps 

Secondly, they needed to design a capability improvement programme to upskill their hiring manager and talent team community on interview best practices and decision making so they can better promote their brand, while also selecting high quality candidates.

What was our solution? 

Our Project RPO team quickly set to work to address both of these challenges, breaking it down into two flexible workstreams:

Attraction and selection

Within the 12-month timeline, we successfully recruited 12-15 candidates that reached the desired quality benchmarks every month for 12 months. This was achieved by designing bespoke attraction channels such as proactive sourcing, talent mapping, social media accounts and targeted advertisements (which were run by our teams) and geo-marketing campaigns.

We then implemented a fluid but structured selection process that both delivers an outstanding candidate and hiring manager experience. The selection process was broken down into multiple stages including pre-defined candidate qualification criteria for recruiters to work towards, a quality assurance call with the Sanderson team before an interview with the client team following a new structure implemented by us.

Hiring manager training

We also collaborated with their internal hiring manager and talent teams to design and develop an interview training programme that was delivered via multiple workshops. This was to ensure the hiring manager community identify and select appropriate skill sets and behaviours that will add significant value to the organisation, as well as ensuring they adequately promote the organisations brand when selecting candidates.

As this was a Project RPO and so the client still retains overall control of their recruitment strategies, we ensured this training was future-proofed so that upon completion of the Project, the internal teams are well placed to train each other on the tools, process and techniques we’ve set them up with.

Speaking with the client’s Director of Customer Engagement, they said:

“Sanderson quickly recognised our resource challenges and invested real time and energy in understanding our needs. Through their commitment and collaboration, they’ve built a strong working relationship with us and have become a trusted and valued partner.”

What we achieved together

Following the completion of the first stages of this Project RPO, the client has already seen incredible results like:

• 85%+ fulfilment of intakes within the first 6 months of the service
• 80 started or future starters
• 60+ head count filled
• 83% interview to offer ratio
• 90% score on candidate satisfaction surveys
• Reduced hiring manager touch time on interviews
• Hiring manager training complete
• The right candidates hired with the necessary experience
• Candidates feel listened to and supported throughout the process

Could we help you achieve similar results? 

Our Project RPO solutions are designed for businesses who need access to talent acquisition expertise but are not looking to outsource everything. Our solution can be delivered as a “one off” engagement as an extension of your teams to source, screen and deliver the right people as and when you need them. As your resourcing partner, Sanderson will act as a helping hand, saving time for you to navigate your people strategies.

If you’re interested to find out more, head over to our Project RPO page here.

Get in touch

We’re always open to a chat to discuss how we may be able to help you achieve similar results, so please do reach out.

Cyber-attacks are no longer just an IT concern; they’re a strategic business issue that can impact any organisation.

In fact, recent surveys by The Guardian found that more than 25% of UK businesses have already been hit by a cyber-attack during 2025, and 73% of surveyed business leaders believe a cyber-security incident will disrupt their business in the next 12 to 24 months…!

These sobering statistics are now prompting many businesses to take action. Fast.

With this increased demand for cyber-security professionals a critical talent gap is emerging leaving businesses exposed if not addressed. And that’s where we come in.

How we help build your cyber resilience

The Sanderson Projects team works with you to ensure your organisation is set up to defend itself. And we’re pleased to have helped multiple business improve their capability by:

• Providing niche technical skillsets through our full selection service to reduce client overhead time
• Provide candidates with the right cultural fit thanks to our experienced SMEs
• Shared the financial risk ensuring value beyond delivery

All at a highly competitive price point thanks to not passing on any overheads to clients.

Why cyber resilience should be a priority in your hiring strategy

Safeguarding Critical Data

Businesses now handle vast amounts of sensitive information. Whether it’s customer data, intellectual property, or financial records, a breach can have devastating consequences.

Skilled cyber security teams are vital for:

• Identifying vulnerabilities before attackers exploit them.
• Implementing robust data protection protocols.
• Ensuring compliance with regulations such as the UK GDPR.

Mitigating Financial Risks with AI

The financial impact of cyber-attacks extends beyond immediate recovery costs. Downtime, lost revenue, legal liabilities, and regulatory fines can all add up.

Strengthening Customer Trust

A strong cyber security team isn’t just about defence; it’s a competitive advantage. Consumers are increasingly scrutinising how companies handle their data, and so investing in cyber resilience builds trust and helps protect your brand’s reputation.

Navigating Emerging Threats

The rise of AI-driven cyber-attacks requires a new level of expertise. Cyber security professionals with skills in AI and machine learning can:

• Develop predictive analytics to identify threats before they materialise.
• Create automated defence mechanisms to counter evolving attacks.

Next steps

As cyber threats continue to rise, the question is no longer whether to invest in cyber security teams, but how quickly organisations can scale up their defences.

For businesses aiming to remain competitive, resilient, and trusted in an increasingly digital world, the answer lies in prioritising the recruitment of top-tier cybersecurity talent.

Do you fancy a chat about how we can help get you the skills on board to safeguard your own business against cyber threats?

Get in touch with Victoria King today and let’s get started.

[email protected]

We’re excited to officially launch our 2026 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Calendar – a free, practical resource designed to help organisations move beyond awareness and towards real, measurable culture change.

A DE&I calendar designed for real workplaces

Many Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Calendars focus on highlighting awareness days. And while these dates are important, organisations are often left asking:

“What should we actually do to make an impact?”

Our 2026 DE&I Calendar is designed to answer that question.

Rather than simply listing dates, this calendar provides practical, action-led activities that help organisations embed inclusion into everyday working life. It supports leaders, managers and teams to move away from tick-box approaches and towards meaningful, long-term inclusion.

Inside the 2026 calendar, you’ll find:

• Key Diversity, Equity & Inclusion awareness dates for 2026.
• Practical activities that support inclusion, wellbeing and belonging.
• A strong focus on impact over performative action.
• Clear impact areas outlining what each activity is designed to improve.
• A suggested format to make implementation straightforward and scalable.

This structure helps organisations turn good intentions into consistent, achievable action.

Supporting meaningful inclusion and culture change

The activities included in the 2026 DE&I Calendar are designed to help organisations:

• Strengthen inclusion and belonging across teams.
• Support employee wellbeing in meaningful, human ways.
• Build cultural awareness and confidence at all levels.
• Drive long-term cultural improvement, not one-off moments.

You don’t need to do everything at once. In fact, we encourage organisations to start small – by one activity or one focus area – and build momentum over time. Consistent action creates sustainable change.

Who is the DE&I Calendar for?

The calendar is designed for organisations of all sizes and sectors, particularly those who want to:

• Improve workplace culture.
• Embed DE&I into everyday business practices.
• Support inclusive leadership and people management.
• Move beyond awareness into action.

Whether you’re continuing the journey from our 2025 calendar or discovering it for the first time, this resource is designed to support practical progress.

Get your free 2026 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Calendar

Our 2026 DE&I Calendar is completely free and available as a digital resource. We hope this year’s calendar helps you take confident, meaningful steps towards building a more inclusive workplace in 2026 and beyond.

Download your copy in the short form below.

It is with great sadness to share that Keith Dawe, founder of Sanderson, passed away on New Year’s Eve.

Keith was a visionary entrepreneur who helped to shape the recruitment industry. In the 1970s, he launched Tamar DP, one of the country’s first IT contract recruitment businesses, and in 1982, he founded Sanderson, taking it from a small Bristol based company to the global talent solutions business it is today with over 500 employees in locations across the UK, Ireland, India, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Keith was passionate about creating opportunities for talented individuals, and his values of fairness, compassion, and loyalty remain central to Sanderson’s culture today. Many careers were built thanks to his belief in developing people and sharing knowledge.

“Keith’s influence will continue to guide us,” said Jon Ball (Sanderson CEO) “His principles are embedded in everything we do. As we look to the future, we are committed to honouring his legacy by building on the success he created and continuing to grow Sanderson into the market-leading recruitment and talent solutions company he envisioned.”

Keith is also remembered for his time as Chairman of Bristol City Football Club from 2012 to 2019, overseeing a historic period that included winning the League One title and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in the 2014/15 season.

Sanderson extends its deepest condolences to Keith’s family, friends and colleagues.

November 2025 marked another busy period in the UK Financial Services industry. We saw a market open with renewed activity across the insurance and banking landscape which reflected that the sector is adjusting to rising regulatory pressure, evolving risk profiles and rapid advances in the ever-present world of AI.

This period also saw a sharp rise in Actuarial hiring across the industry with the profession appearing to shift rather than diminish. But will the growth of machine learning signal the emergence of higher-value and more strategic roles within this function?

At Sanderson we always have our finger on the pulse of the latest changes in the market so that we can help you better understand how new trends might impact your hiring plans and then support you to turn these into opportunities when it comes to your financial services recruitment.

So, with that in mind, we’re pleased to have produced this new Report with VacancySoft that sums up the latest trends we’ve been seeing in the UK Financial Services market during November.

Have a sneak peek at some of the highlights below and scroll down to grab your copy!

London Market Trend Highlights

• Credit risk recruitment is accelerating rapidly with volumes on track to rise by 117% year on year.
• Vacancies in the London insurance sector rose by 15.1% month on month by mid-November supported by stronger underwriting conditions.
• IT management is a standout growth area with hiring volumes on track to rise by about 20% year on year.

Scotland Market Trend Highlights

• There are mounting cybersecurity pressures as financial institutions increase their reliance on cloud platforms, hybrid IT frameworks and digital services.
• Cybersecurity professionals are remaining in high demand and competition for this talent is continuing to push compensation upwards across the Scottish market.
• Regulatory frameworks such as GDPR and NIS2 are reinforcing the requirements across firms in the industry for stronger incident reporting and security governance.

North West Market Trend Highlights

• There was sustained growth across the financial services sector in the North, particularly in fintech and insurance.
• Fintech remains the regions standout success story with vacancies here on track to be 55% higher than last year.
• The insurance sector in the North continues to strengthen with vacancies rising by 7% month on month.

If you would like a more detailed overview of these trends, including the latest market data, monthly vacancy totals and insight into the top job roles by sector, then please do download a copy of the full Report via the form below.

Have any further questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, we’re well placed to help.

Sanderson is delighted to announce that we have been awarded the Fast Payer Award for 2025 from Good Business Pays CIC.

We are thrilled to be awarded this prestigious award, and even more proud to have earned this for the 4^th year in a row.

The accreditation means that we are in the top 10% of large companies that have consistently paid their suppliers in 27 days or less, demonstrating our commitment to our business values and our communities.

Commenting on this achievement, our CEO Jon Ball said:

“Sanderson is proud to be leading the way as a large UK company helping to ensure our suppliers are paid on time. This not only demonstrates our commitment to our communities, but also to our financial stability in what has been a challenging few years in the market. To be recognised for doing this consistently and year after year is a fantastic achievement.”

On Wednesday 7^th January Sanderson will also be pleased to attend the Good Business Pays Awards Ceremony in London at the House of Lords to receive our award in person.

You can find out more about the awards here: https://goodbusinesspays.com/fast-payer-awards-2025/

October 2025 marked a decisive period for hiring across the UK financial services sector, with regional and functional trends revealing how digital transformation, regulation, and geopolitics continue to reshape workforce priorities.

From London’s insurers to Scotland’s fintech ecosystem and the North West’s risk and compliance hubs, recruitment momentum is shifting towards technical, data-driven and regulatory disciplines that underpin the sector’s long-term stability.

Then looking ahead, will the interplay between regulation, AI adoption and geopolitical risk continue to drive recruitment patterns into 2026?

Well here at Sanderson, we always have our finger on the pulse of the latest changes in the market so that we can help you better understand how new trends might impact your hiring plans and then support you to turn these into opportunities when it comes to your financial services recruitment.

So, with that in mind, we’re pleased to have produced this new Report with VacancySoft that sums up the latest trends we’ve been seeing in the UK Financial Services market during October.

Have a sneak peek at some of the highlights below and scroll down to grab your copy!

London Market Trend Highlights

• IT vacancies have risen 11% year on year reflecting renewed investment in digital transformation.
• Insurers are prioritising digital resilience, automation and data-centric decision making rather than cyclical hiring.
• IT management roles encompassing change, projects and transformation have overtaken traditional broking vacancies for the first time with IT security vacancies projected to be 20.9% higher than 2024.

North West Market Trend Highlights

• Hiring has gathered significant pace banking.
• Demand for credit risk specialists is spiking with vacancies here now 42% above 2024 levels.
• Operational roles have risen by 21% during the first 9 months of 2025 with financial crime vacancies already exceeding last years total.

Scotland Market Trend Highlights

• Fintech hiring has accelerated dramatically with vacancies already 84.8% higher than 2024.
• Banking is accounting for around 75-80% of Scotland’s total financial services vacancies.
• Total fintech vacancies in Scotland are up 50% year on year, with the country’s share of UK fintech hiring rising from 2.7% in 2023 to 4.4% in 2025.

If you would like a more detailed overview of these trends, including the latest market data, monthly vacancy totals and insight into the top job roles by sector, then please do download a copy of the full Report via the form below.

Have any further questions? Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us, we’re well placed to help.

In case you missed it, we recently launched a new Spotlight Report focusing in on the world of Actuaries.

With Actuary talent in the financial services industry experiencing steady growth over the last 12 months (a 3% rise compared to the previous year according to data from LinkedIn), this is clearly a job role that is only going to remain in high demand.

But will Actuary career paths start feeling the effects of factors like artificial intelligence (AI), or even the rapid expansion of the UK Bulk Purchase Annuity (BPA) market?

In this short blog we’ll get stuck into what a typical Actuary career path looks like and discuss the potential impacts of AI and BPA on this role.

Let’s get stuck in!

What does a typical career path look like for an Actuary?

When it comes to career paths, these can vary between sectors. Most Actuaries start their careers straight out of university, and normally have a strong background in maths, statistics or finance. In their first graduate jobs they’ll be spending time getting stuck in with training and undertaking the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) exams, before moving into more independent analyst type positions.

With Actuaries, career progression is very much tied to the completion of the IFoA exams, which can take up to 8 years to fully pass all the stages. Once fully qualified, many Actuaries tend to follow a more specialist track and move into areas within the financial services industry like pensions, general insurance, investments or risk management.

Does the rise of BPA shape what Actuaries specialise in?

The UK BPA (Bulk Purchase Annuity) Market is currently going through a rapid expansion, alongside regulatory developments like the Solvency UK reforms. And this is impacting Actuarial recruitment across key sectors like the life insurance sector and may even be shaping what an Actuarial candidate decides to specialise in as they travel along their career paths.

For example, our data is showing that demand is the strongest for an Actuary candidate (qualified or mid-career) that has BPA experience in areas like pricing, transaction support, longevity risk modelling and capital optimisation with employers increasingly seeking candidates who can combine traditional technical skills with data science and digital capability.

So, with this evolution of demand, we might expect Actuary candidates to seek out specific experience on their road to qualification to ensure they stand out from the crowd with their ability to support BPA transactions.

What impact will AI have on an Actuary career path?

Our Horsefly Analytics research is suggesting that on an ‘AI Impact Scale’, Actuarial roles have a score of 49, meaning this is a role that’s set to be “moderately” affected by AI.

While the rise of artificial intelligence brings with it opportunities to move some tasks over to automation, it is certainly not set to replace the traditional Actuary.

Instead, it’s set to transform the profession and prompt the need for Actuaries on their road to qualification to upskill themselves in data science and AI technologies, which they may not previously have considered.

Looking to find out more?

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Actuary market, and want to dive a little deeper into these career path trends and how they may align to your talent strategies, then why not check out our full Report which is chockers full of market-leading salary data and industry trends. Just fill out the short form below.

If you have any further questions on this topic or are looking for a bit of help in expanding your team then please do get in touch with George Mohan on [email protected]

If you’re in the market to deliver real business value from your contingent workforce and are exploring the world of Managed Service Programmes (MSPs), you might be looking for a resource to help guide you through the process and to answer any questions on if this is the solution for you?

We hear you!

We recently sat down with Sanderson client Karl Whelpdale, a Strategic Procurement Lead with over 30 years’ experience in external workforce management and delivery of global MSP and contractor solutions to get his insights into first-time MSP deployment, why an MSP could be a good option to manage your contractors and advice on starting an MSP journey of your own.

Let’s dive in…

What challenges might arise if you’re managing a contingent workforce without an MSP?

Without an MSP in place, organisations may struggle with fragmented processes and limited visibility on their contractor population. You might face issues like different departments using their own suppliers, inconsistent rates, poor compliance and even a risk around IR35. Not to mention onboarding delays, a significant manual effort for HR, Finance, and Procurement and then ultimately find it difficult to control costs, manage risk, or plan strategically thanks to the lack of a unified solution.

What might trigger a business to consider implementing an MSP for the first time?

Typically, this can be a combination of pain points. Think spiralling contractor costs, audit or compliance issues, and overworked internal teams. Or sometimes it’s as simple as needing access to talent at speed, especially in competitive markets. A well-designed MSP can introduce the control, transparency and agility that’s needed when you want to scale your business.

What are the key stages in successfully deploying an MSP?

You can break this down into four simple steps. First up, start with discovery. Understand the current state of your contingent workforce, map your stakeholders and gather data. Secondly, look at design. Define what success looks like to your business, choose your supplier model and build a governance framework. Thirdly, build and test. Look at how you can integrate systems, train users and prepare for go-live. And fourth and finally you’re at post-launch. Here it’s all about adoption and continuous improvement based on metrics and feedback.

What should you consider when selecting an MSP partner?

As well as having experience in delivering first-generation Managed Service Programmes, other key factors to consider in a talent partner are: a supplier who understands your business culture and industry, someone who’s happy to introduce you to current clients and invite you to meet their teams, whether the provider can offer the level of support you require and if the provider has the tech stacks you’re hoping to use.

Why is stakeholder engagement critical for MSP success?

Stakeholder engagement is critical for a smooth MSP implementation process. If you have early and ongoing buy-in from teams like HR, Legal, Finance (and especially your Hiring Managers) and you ensure they all understand “why” an MSP is critical for your business operations, you’re going to experience a far smoother implementation process.

What makes a first-time MSP deployment uniquely challenging?

When you’re starting from scratch it can be overwhelming when faced with no baseline data or established processes, let alone trying to piece together a raft of legacy suppliers. But if you set your expectations early and formulate a structured roll out plan, you’ll be on your way to smoothly deploying your first MSP with ease.

How can you measure the success of your MSP programme?

To effectively measure the success of your MSP programme, start with leading indicators like time-to-fill, shortlist ratios, and hiring manager satisfaction. Then move on to things like cost savings, compliance rates, tenure of contractors, and redeployment levels. Remember that success isn’t just about cost, it’s about quality, control, and speed to productivity.

What are the long-term benefits of implementing an MSP properly?

A properly implemented MSP will bring with it a whole range of benefits. From gaining full visibility and control of your external workforce, to reducing your risk, increasing your agility and positioning your business to being able to quickly adapt to market changes. You’ll also find that your organisation becomes more strategic, not just reactive as you’ll have built yourself a foundation for total talent strategies and the blending of your permanent, temporary and freelance workers.

Ready to get started? 

Sanderson are specialists in MSP deployment, so please do reach out to Karen Alexander, Sanderson Solutions Managing Director or contact our expert team if you would like a discussion around your MSP ambitions.

We’ve also created a video guide 

To help bring the world of MSP deployment to life, we’ve created an exclusive video guide so you can explore the practice of MSP in action.

Click here to watch the videos.

Since its launch in 2020, the Strive Internship Programme has opened doors for over 130 young people from underrepresented backgrounds, connecting them with meaningful opportunities across 35+ organisations in the South West. Now under the leadership of Sanderson, Strive is more than just a summer internship — it’s a movement for equity, inclusion, and real-world impact.

Why Strive Matters

Strive isn’t just about work experience. It’s about belonging, mentorship, and representation. It’s about helping young people see their potential — and giving employers the chance to discover untapped talent that can transform their teams and culture.

This year, we’re celebrating the success of Strive 2025 and looking ahead to an even bigger 2026. And we want you to be part of it.

You’re Invited: Strive 2026 Launch Event

📍 Ashton Gate, Bristol
📅Wednesday 21st January 2026
🍸 Drinks, canapés, and inspiring conversations

Join us for an evening of connection and inspiration. Hear from past interns and employers, meet Bristol Bears special guest Gabriel Ibitoye and explore how your organisation can get involved.

Register your interest here

What You’ll Take Away

Our panel will explore powerful questions like:

• What does opportunity really mean?
• How does mentorship unlock potential?
• Why does representation matter in the workplace?
• What barriers still exist — and how can we break them down?

Expect some inspiring stories you can take back to your organisation.

Let’s Build a More Inclusive Future — Together

Strive is your chance to be part of something bigger; to invest in the next generation and to create a workplace where everyone feels they belong.