If you and your organisation are wanting to grow your headcount and enhance your permanent capability, you might be looking for a bit of a helping hand to get you started.

Perhaps you’ve gone through a rapid growth spike or an M&A and need to rapidly integrate new teams into your business structure?

Or maybe hiring niche skill sets for a brand new service line is making you want to pull your hair out?

Whatever challenge you’re facing, if you’re not looking to outsource everything and just want a bit of support or an extension of your team, then a Project RPO could be the key you’re looking for to unlock the start of a more streamlined recruitment process…

In our BRAND-NEW GUIDE we lay out the ins and outs of Project RPO. From what is does, the benefits to how to get started – it’s like having us in your back pocket whenever you have a Project RPO question!

Is momentum finally starting to build across the Change & Transformation market?

You might have seen that we recently launched our latest Change & Transformation Insights Report where we dipped into data suggesting that 2025 is showing signs of increased activity as more and more businesses are re-engaging with their transformation agendas thanks to budget approvals and team mobilisations.

In this blog we’ll explore the noticeable uptick in M&A activity within financial services and lay out the key insights you need to know on what this means for hiring in the Change & Transformation sector.

What does the M&A market currently look like?

Looking at our data as well as sources such as KPMG’s 2025 M&A Outlook, 2024 was somewhat of a turnaround year for M&A markets. By the back end of 2024 the value of domestic M&A reached a whopping £8.6 billion and thanks to this we are seeing a huge surge in M&A activity this year.

For example, in the financial services space we’ve seen the likes of Nationwide acquire Virgin Money, Coventry Building Society acquire Co-Op Bank, Barclays acquire Tesco Bank to name just a few. And it’s looking like this growth in activity is set to continue through the rest of 2025.

What is driving this high rate of M&A activity in the financial services sector?

It largely comes down to economies of scale. Smaller financial services firms are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with regulatory requirements, the increased need for digitalisation and wider competitive pressures.

M&A offers them the opportunity to become part of something larger and more resilient. We’re seeing strong evidence of the industry gravitating towards consolidation and a “safety in numbers” mentality as they prioritise stability over disruption.

What does all this M&A activity mean from a hiring perspective?

Well, when an M&A is initiated at a business, we usually then tend to see a significant spike in contract hiring at the beginning of this process.

Permanent roles are still important, but in our experience, we often see companies feel hesitant in committing to permanent positions while they navigate the start of such a fluid situation. Instead, hiring activity is initially focused on contractual positions and often there’s a preference for candidates who have a familiarity with “Part VII” of the Financial Services and Markets Act i.e. the legal framework for transferring assets and liabilities from one company to another. Businesses find themselves needing contractors who can fill positions like Business Analysts, Project Managers and HR professionals who can help guide them through the integration process.

With an initial focus on internal systems, as this stabilises resourcing then starts to look to permanent hires or consultancy services as they put their energy into filling customer facing roles.

What skills and attributes do employers look for when hiring for large transformation programmes like M&A?

In our experience, the skills employers look to hire for during a transformation project vary depending on the specific phase of the transformation project they’re at.

For example, if a business comes to us with a hard deadline such as getting their acquired company onto their payroll system, then delivery-focused candidates are a must.

But on the other hand, if their focus is on people and organisational change then soft skills like empathy, communication and stakeholder management become crucial.

What is the Top 5 industries for M&A talent right now?

According to data, we’re seeing a lot of activity in sectors like:

• Asset Management
• Banking
• Payments
• Fintech
• Insurance

How can you attract M&A talent to your organisation?

Looking at our data sources, while things like excellent compensation and benefits packages are still important, candidates are also favouring added benefits like flexible work arrangements, the opportunity to get stuck into impactful work and even things like collaboration in the company culture.

Are you looking to find out more?

If this blog has whetted your appetite to find out even more about the Change & Transformation market, then why not take a look at the full Report? Chockers full of industry-leading data (including salary benchmarking stats), it’s like having our expertise in your back pocket to set you up for hiring success.

And if you have any questions or would like to dig a little deeper into anything discussed in this blog, feel free to reach out to me on [email protected]

The 2025 Strategic Defence Review has made one thing clear: Procurement must evolve, FAST.

With the UK Defence sector shifting to warfighting readiness, the government is calling for radical procurement reform, a whole-of-society approach, and a new partnership with industry. The message? Speed, agility, and innovation are no longer optional, they’re mission critical.

At Sanderson Government & Defence, we’re already there.

We’re not just a supplier; we’re a disruptive force.

We reverse-engineer challenges, deploy consultancy teams at pace, and bring commercial sharpness to every engagement. Whether it’s scaling capability, navigating the new Procurement Act, or embedding agile teams, we deliver results, not red tape.

With £400 million allocated to the Defence Innovation Fund and a clear mandate to back UK businesses, now is the time to act. Let’s get the right people in place, on the ground, in the fight, and ahead of the curve.

In previous times slow moving, safety first, bureaucratic procurement was fit for purpose and supported government policy.  The world has changed.  Policy has changed. The safety-first old ways of doing it are no longer fit for purpose.  We need to focus on the outcomes – what suppliers can do for you and how innovatively – not how long have they been doing the same thing for.

Innovation means new approaches from new people.

Let’s make procurement a strategic advantage.

Talk to our team today!

So, you’re looking to grow your headcount?

Maybe you’re looking to hire a team of specialist job roles? For example, your company is being impacted by new regulatory changes, and you’re in need of an expert team of finance and actuarial experts, but nailing down these niche skill set is starting to feel like searching for a needle in a haystack?

Perhaps you’re going through a huge transformation programme, and you need to scale your project and change teams pretty quickly?

Or maybe you’ve recently seen a rapid spike in the growth of your business or have undergone a merger or acquisition and need to rapidly integrate new teams into your existing business structure?

Whatever your challenge, if your People team are stretched already with BAU and need a helping hand or an extension of their team that comes with a large network of resources that’s yours to use flexibly, then a Project RPO could be the key you’re looking for to unlock the start of a more streamlined recruitment process.

In this blog we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of a Project RPO. We’ll get stuck into what it is, the main benefits, how this solution can help get you set up for the future and how you can get started.

Let’s go!

What is a Project RPO?

First things first, what exactly is a Project RPO?

Well, a Project RPO is a flexible recruitment solution that offers many of the benefits of outsourcing all your recruitment to a resourcing partner, but without the long-term commitment.

This is a solution that can take the form of a “one off” engagement, working as an extension of your in-house talent acquisition 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 your people strategies and day to day BAU.

Benefits of a Project RPO

It’s sounding pretty good right? Let’s dive into exactly what some of the benefits are that you get when working with a recruitment partner via a Project RPO:

Flexibility & Scalability

With this model you can deploy talent quickly and scale rapidly to meet peaks in hiring demand or as your services evolve in line with your strategic goals. You’ll also get a dedicated team always at the end of the phone if you’ve got any questions or ever want to make any changes.

Improved Quality of Hire

By using the services of a recruitment partner via a Project RPO, you’re getting access to an incredible network of talent. Using the RPOs candidate attraction process and assessment tools, you’ll have access to the best active and passive talent available. We’re talking psychometric testing and technical assessments – really getting into the details to ensure the perfect candidate fit.

Employer Brand Amplification

With a Project RPO your employer brand will be actively promoted to help you stand out in a competitive market. Your Project RPO partner will amplify your company values and brand and use marketing expertise to put together a proposition that ensures candidates see you as a desirable place to work.

Enhanced Candidate Experience

Your delivery team will take the reins to provide an enhanced candidate experience. When you’re up to your ears in admin, sometimes those key candidate touch points can slip through the cracks but with a Project RPO solution, you’ll get a personalised experience for each candidate throughout the entire recruitment process – ultimately helping to keep them engaged.

Reporting & Talent Intelligence

You’ll have access to enhanced reporting capabilities and talent intelligence platforms, empowering you to make data-drive recruitment decisions. This could be for anything from the best location to open a new office, what salaries competitors are offering to where your chosen talent demographic is based.

Reduce Costs

By streamlining the recruitment process, a Project RPO will provide you with huge cost savings. Thanks to direct sourcing and a more targeted approach to your recruitment, you’ll have more control over your budget than you would with a traditional recruitment model.

Time Saving

As well as the rapid deployment of talent, don’t forget that one of the main benefits of this model is the huge savings in time your talent acquisition team will receive. With a Project RPO you’ll be getting an extension to your team to help share the load and take some admin tasks off your desk. Imagine having someone else to sift through applications and find candidates for you PLUS getting into the nitty gritty like dealing with video interviews and all that logistical admin you’d rather not do.

Support Future Workforce Planning

A Project RPO can help enhance and shape the future of your talent acquisition strategy. Taking what you’ve learnt at the start of the project, you can use this knowledge to facilitate future workforce planning and even support your planned DE&I initiatives, remote working strategies or career pathways.

What can a Project RPO be used for?

So, there’s obviously lots of benefits. But are you wondering whether it’s the right solution for you? Here’s just a few examples of how you could use a Project RPO to smash your business goals:

Deliver project-based recruitment campaigns

Maybe you’re launching a new product or service or going through transformation and need a project team to get this off the ground? Enter: The Project RPO.

Support spikes in recruitment activity or the needs of a specific department

Do you experience seasonal fluxes of business activity and need some extra hands-on deck? Whatever reason you have a spike in hiring for, a Project RPO can help.

Support diversity and inclusion programmes

A Project RPO can be used in a variety of ways to support your DE&I initiatives. Maybe you’re pushing your early careers programme or want to make sure you’re attracting the next generation of talent? This solution can really help you break through the noise.

How to get started with a Project RPO

If you’ve got to the end of this blog and a Project RPO is sounding like the answer to your prayers and you just want to get started, we’d recommend thinking about 3 key things:

1. Determine your hiring needs and goals. Have a think about how quickly you need this talent hired. Do you want to outsource everything or just need a few extra hands on deck? Laying out your requirements early on will help you make informed decisions when it comes to selecting a partner.
2. Decide which metrics you want to track. Are you wanting to dramatically reduce time to hire? More focused on the quality of the candidates? Or maybe you’re keen to tap into the market intelligence extras you’ll get from a Project RPO partner.
3. Choose your provider. Do your research into the providers out there, making sure they have experience in your field and industry, and can even offer the sort of technology you’re looking to take advantage of.

Are you ready to get started?

If you’d like to get the ball rolling with a Project RPO solution of your own, get in touch with our team today and let’s have a chat about your requirements and how we can help you reach your goals.

Yesterday afternoon, over 50 guests arrived at Sanderson’s Bristol HQ to celebrate the launch of this year’s Strive Internship Programme, including the 29 students who have worked extremely hard to be part of Strive this summer.

Sanderson’s Strive journey started back at the beginning of 2024, when we got in touch with our friends at Hargreaves Lansdown to ask if we could invite an intern to spend the summer in our Bristol office. We were duly joined by an intern who so impressed the whole team that we knew we wanted to keep being part of Strive for as long as it kept running.

Fast forward a few weeks, and we were in touch with Hargreaves Lansdown again – this time to hear that they were looking to pass Strive on to ensure it could keep running, and that they wanted us to do it.

It didn’t take a lot of discussion before we agreed. We believed wholeheartedly in the good work that Strive is doing.

The data shows again and again that students from underrepresented backgrounds face more difficulty getting into sustained employment after leaving university. This cohort can often face discrimination, and are more likely to lack a support system that can make connections with potential employers; arrange work experience; and advise on CV writing, interview technique, and everything else that helps you start a career post-university.

The goal of Strive is to become that support system – to create connections, offer paid work experience, and teach students some of the crucial skills they’ll need to find a long-term position post-university.

Yesterday afternoon let us see that in action.

After a brief introduction from our CEO Jon Ball, Business Enablement Director Steve Phillips and the Strive Programme Lead (me!), we stepped back and encouraged everyone to get talking.

Interns were given the chance to chat to each other, to all the employers and colleagues who came along, and to representatives from Strive’s partners DeepLearn HS and our friends at Not Impossible. In turn, employers and partners got to know each other and the interns, and pick up useful tips and tricks for improving inclusion and supporting their Strive interns to get the most from their work experience.

It demonstrated one of the other things we love so much about Strive: it’s not all about what the interns can take away. As employers, we get to invite more diversity into the heart of our organisations, improving our perspectives and exposing ourselves to new viewpoints and ways of working. Plus, we get the enviable opportunity of talking to a cohort of talented, highly motivated, and enthusiastic students who keep proving that the future of the workforce is in very good hands.

We had representatives from nearly all the employers taking part this year:

• ARAG
• Ashton Gate
• Bishop Fleming
• Bristol City Council
• BOM IT Solutions
• Carter Jonas
• Hargreaves Lansdown
• IntellectBooks
• Nucleus Financial
• Plimsoll Productions
• QinetiQ
• Squarcle
• University of West of England
• Willmott Dixon

In addition, we were pleased to welcome key Strive partners from UWE. UWE helped Hargreaves Lansdown set up Strive in the first place, and have been tireless champions of the scheme ever since. At least 80% of Strive candidates this year came from UWE, and they have taken on three interns themselves this year in their web and molecular biology teams.

It was great to see interns throwing themselves into the networking, talking to employers about potential career paths and opportunities within their industries. We overheard conversations about graduate schemes, special interests, experiences so far, and much more. Plus all the interns got the chance to talk to one another and start making connections that we hope will stay long after Strive is over.

Now that the event is over and Strive is officially launched, we’re focusing on running our weekly Life Skills sessions (supported by our fantastic employers and partners), prepping surveys to send out, and getting our ducks in a row for Strive 2026.

Speaking of which: if this article has piqued your interest, send an email to [email protected] to chat about whether Strive might be right for your business. There’s no obligation and no hard selling from us. Just a gentle hope that you can see its positives, and that you’d like to be part of it in the future.

We’re pleased to present our brand-new Change & Transformation Insights Report – Q2 Review 2025.

So, is there cause for optimism in this fast-paced market?

Our market-leading insights are hot off the press with data suggesting that 2025 is showing signs of increased momentum as more and more businesses are re-engaging with their transformation agendas thanks to budget approvals and team mobilisations.

With a focus on the uptick in merger and acquisition activity, the Report delves into the M&A market providing industry-leading data on talent pool location (did you know that London has over 50% of M&A change professionals?!) and talent growth as well as providing useful salary comparisons for this skilled talent.

We’ve also got an exclusive Q&A with our Managing Director of Recruitment Services William Boney giving us his take on the M&A market in the Financial Services Industry.

In this fast-paced environment businesses need candidates who can sit across multiple workstreams, and if the market continues to pick up, might you have to start paying premium rates to secure the best talent?

Get the knowledge you need right to your inbox – including a breakdown of key salary data for perm skill sets – by downloading your copy of this new report today!

In case you missed it, we recently launched a Spotlight Report focussing in on the world of Product Owners.

And with this role surging in popularity, can we take this to mean there is a growing demand for more Agile skill sets in general?

In this blog we get stuck into why our data is demonstrating a broader openness to Agile methodologies and job functions across the UK, as well as highlighting how Scotland in particular is becoming a hotspot for this talent pool.

Are you ready to take advantage of this surging demand? Let’s find out…

The rising demand for Agile skill sets

We’re now seeing that a lot of these skills are required for Product Owners (which we discussed in this blog), a job function that’s had undeniable growth. To put this into perspective, LinkedIn has reported a 2% nationwide increase in headcount for Product Owners, and as a role it’s now ranking in the Top 5 in VacancySoft’s 2024 Financial Services Review – a 30% year-on-year increase. Plus, Sanderson’s own data has shown that our hiring volume for Product Owners has gone up by a whopping 50%! This is clearly a hot market right now.

But it’s not just product focused roles that are surging. In Scotland (especially in tech hubs like Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen) we have found that Agile roles in general are picking up pace, particularly across the development, software engineering and testing space.

A distinct trend here is also how the candidates themselves are seeing the value of agile skills for their own self-development. We’re talking to candidates who want to be able to move seamlessly into different roles, “hit the ground running” and be an effective conduit between different business units and teams thanks to amassing an arsenal of agile skills.

Which industries are leading the way?

The Banking industry is leading the charge here with a 60% surge in demand for Agile roles like Product Owner, followed closely behind by the Information and Media industry where demand has risen by 52% and a 36% rise in demand in the Insurance sector.

This can be seen as a clear reflection of highly regulated industries showing a significant shift from favouring traditional project management skills and attributes to looking for more agile focused and diverse skill sets as they hope to become more efficient and capable in their future business operations.

Where is this agile talent based?

So, looking across the UK market, are there any hotspots for this Agile talent, and in particular Product Owners?

In a nutshell, yes.

London has a significant chunk boasting 33% of the total talent pool. A huge proportion as this is followed up by Manchester with 5%, then Edinburgh with 4%, Glasgow and Bristol with 3%, and Cardiff having just 2% of the total talent pool.

Changing trends in agile talent location

But while London does have the largest share of this agile talent, is there better hiring opportunity elsewhere in the UK?

We think so!

Other UK hubs, and especially in Scotland, are worth exploring for agile talent thanks to the high competition you’ll face in the capital making hiring extremely costly, not to mention the fight for talent amongst your competitors.

But which hubs in particular?

Data from LinkedIn Talent Insights identifies Northern hotspots such as Edinburgh and Leeds as the strongest opportunity markets for this talent pool.

While London has high demand for agile talent, both Edinburgh and Leeds are currently only experiencing medium to low demand. These cities have also experienced a recent growth in their agile talent populations by at least 4%, whereas our data has shown that growth in London is starting to stagnate. This means lots of candidates for you to choose from and little competition from other companies – good news for businesses wanting to expand their agile capabilities with their pick of the talent!

Combine this with the fact that there’s been an obvious push for growing agile skills across the Scottish digital and tech sectors shown by meet ups like Agile Scotland and Product Tank Edinburgh, we believe that Scotland isn’t just “adopting” agile as a fad, but have fully embraced it for now and the future – a positive sign for hiring for these skills here in 2025 and beyond.

Looking to find out more?

If you’re interested in ramping up the agile skillsets in your team, and want to dive a little deeper into these trends to make sure your offer stands out in the crowd, 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, want to find out more about agile skillsets and their prevalence in the Scottish market, or are looking for a bit of help in expanding your team then please do get in touch with me on [email protected]

Today Sanderson is excited to share that Highams is going to be officially taking on the Sanderson brand, merging with Sanderson to create a specialist Financial Services division.

We’ve been collaborating with Highams since 2021 having acquired them to work together on delivering permanent and contract recruitment solutions to the Financial Services and Insurance sectors.

We’ve worked together on everything from delivering MSPs to the largest UK insurance companies to global RPO solutions, and this move will only continue to strengthen our capability in the Insurance, Pensions & Wealth Management sectors thanks to the Highams team bringing 35 years of industry experience and unrivalled personal networks with them.

Commenting on this news, our CEO Jon Ball said:

“With our combined strength and experiences, we can accelerate our ability to develop offerings in the financial sector both in the UK and globally. Together we can help organisations across the world meet their most complex talent challenges.”

Click here to find out more about this exciting news.

The UK is facing a significant digital skills gap, with implications for economic competitiveness and national security. This gap is particularly acute in sectors requiring high levels of security clearance, such as Government & Defence.

However, could a ‘Skills First’ agenda offer a new approach to workforce development, by focusing on aptitude and potential rather than traditional credentials?

In this blog I explore why the digital skills shortage is a concern, the particular challenges faced by UK government, as well as why a ‘Skills First’ agenda can help.

The Digital Skills Challenge in the UK

The UK is facing a growing digital skills crisis that extends beyond economic productivity, it’s becoming a matter of national security. As digital transformation accelerates, the shortage of skilled professionals in data, cybersecurity, software engineering, and AI is leaving critical industries like Defence vulnerable.

The Strategic Defence Review (SDR) outlines a vision for a digitally enabled force, but without the talent to support it, this vision is at risk. The UK lags behind global leaders in STEM education, and the requirement for UK nationals with security clearance further narrows the talent pool. The clearance process itself, taking up to 52 weeks, creates a bottleneck that reduces agility and responsiveness.

This deficit impacts operational effectiveness. Projects stall, legacy systems persist, and innovation is stifled. The Defence sector struggles to compete with Big Tech for talent, and without a coordinated national strategy, the gap will only widen.

To address this, I believe that digital skills must be treated as critical infrastructure. Investment in education, training, and inclusive hiring practices is essential to reduce the impact on our national security.

What is the ‘Skills First’ Agenda and Why It Matters

The “Skills First” agenda is a transformative approach to workforce development that prioritises capability over credentials. Instead of focusing solely on degrees or past job titles, it emphasises what individuals can do, their aptitude, potential, and transferable skills.

This model is particularly relevant in sectors like Defence and Government, where traditional hiring practices often exclude capable candidates. The “recruit, train, deploy” model and “skills accelerators” offer scalable solutions. They identify talent from diverse backgrounds, provide targeted training, and deploy individuals into roles where they can make an immediate impact. This is a topic I’ve recently discussed on a podcast with WYWM, you can check this out here!

By adopting a skills-first mindset, organisations can tap into underutilised talent pools, including career changers, veterans, and individuals from underrepresented communities. It also supports agility, enabling faster onboarding and adaptability in rapidly evolving digital environments.

The UK has an opportunity to lead in this space. By embedding skills-first principles into procurement, education, and workforce planning, we can build a more inclusive, resilient, and future-ready digital workforce.

SMEs vs. Primes – Who Can Solve the Skills Crisis in Defence?

Both large firms (primes) and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) play critical roles in Defence, but they face different challenges when it comes to digital skills.

Primes have the scale, frameworks, and bid teams to win contracts, but they struggle with agility. They can’t afford large benches of unassigned staff, often rely on offshore delivery, and face challenges in rapidly reallocating skilled workers.

SMEs, on the other hand, are nimble and often possess deep technical expertise. But they lack the scale and financial resilience to navigate long procurement cycles. They’re frequently dependent on primes for access to contracts and struggle to invest in skills development at scale.

I believe the solution lies in collaboration. By fostering ecosystems that combine the strengths of both, and by reforming procurement to support innovation and inclusion, the Defence sector can build a more resilient and capable digital workforce.

Skills development must be a shared responsibility, embedded in contracts and supported by government policy.

Making Defence Tech Cool – Attracting the Next Generation

Defence faces unique challenges: long procurement cycles, legacy systems, and an ageing workforce. The Strategic Defence Review outlines ambitious digital goals, but without the right talent, these are at risk. The sector must address cultural and structural barriers to attract and retain digital professionals.

To compete with Big Tech for digital talent, the Defence sector must transform its image. While Defence offers purpose-driven work and cutting-edge technology, it often fails to communicate this effectively to younger generations.

Branding matters. Big Tech is seen as innovative, flexible, and exciting. Defence must adopt similar messaging, highlighting its mission, impact, and opportunities for growth. Outreach programs targeting schools, universities, and underrepresented communities are essential.

Initiatives like STEM engagement, early careers programs, and partnerships with tech hubs can help build awareness and interest. Showcasing real-world applications of Defence tech like AI, cyber, autonomous systems, can inspire the next generation.

Making Defence tech “cool” isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about telling a compelling story, creating inclusive pathways, and offering meaningful careers.

Central Government and the Skills First Opportunity

But the digital skills challenge isn’t limited to Defence. Central Government departments face similar issues like rigid hiring practices, pay disparities, and a lack of digital fluency.

The civil service often struggles to compete with the private sector for talent. Roles are narrowly defined, and hiring processes are slow. This limits the ability to respond to emerging challenges and deliver digital transformation.

A “Skills First” approach can help here as well. By focusing on aptitude and potential, government departments can access a broader talent pool. Training programs, secondments, and cross-sector partnerships can accelerate capability building.

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has made progress, but I think more is needed. A unified strategy that aligns Defence and Civil Service efforts can create shared talent pipelines and improve interoperability.

Digital transformation in government isn’t just about technology, it’s about people. Embracing skills-first principles is key to building a modern, responsive, and inclusive public sector.

Conclusion

The digital skills crisis really is a strategic risk for the UK. To address this crisis the UK Government & Defence sector needs a coordinated, long-term strategy with collaboration between government, industry, and education.

But by adopting a ‘Skills First’ approach and investing in inclusive, long-term solutions, I believe the UK can build a resilient digital workforce capable of leading our industry through this transformation and that supports both national security and the public service.

The time to act is now.

Would you like to discuss this more? I’m always keen to chat with anyone who has queries on the digital skills gap or how they can ensure their organisation can use talent to remain resilient against these challenges. So please do reach out on [email protected]

Sanderson Government & Defence‘s Managing Director Nick Walrond recently had the pleasure of joining WithYouWithMe on a podcast exploring why in today’s fast-moving economy, it’s not who has the biggest brand or the deepest pockets that wins — it’s who can mobilise the right skills, at the right time, to drive real outcomes – and how a skills-based RTD (Recruit Train Deploy) Model can help make this happen.

Nick chats about how in the government and defence sector specifically, a technical skills accelerator is vital to help organisations build their capability faster, increase speed to proficiency, and de-risk workforce decisions.

When needing a security clearance significantly reduces the availability of skilled talent, government clients can benefit from the principals of an RTD model by accessing talent that has the technical understanding required, but also with the potential to accelerate this – unlocking hidden potential to help them reach their goals.

Nick also dives into why looking at skills-based hiring over qualifications and experience can create a powerful advantage for businesses, and even help to remove unconscious bias from their recruitment processes. A subject that’s particularly important as we need to find a way to engage with people of all ages and at all differing stages of careers as our working population ages and so getting more people into organisations to build capability faster should be celebrated.

If you’re looking to future-proof your team then have a listen to the full podcast via the link below and make skills your greatest competitive edge!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5gDxTuTJ5fG7oqQXEifS14