A global Insurance company recently came to Sanderson needing to address their change management delivery and capability.

They were looking to build a permanent Enterprise Change team in a short space of time, so the Sanderson team quickly stepped in to help source, screen and deliver multiple roles in this space. Working as a strategic partner, our team delivered at pace and in a way that would set this client up for the future, and the project saw success highlights such as:

• Over 5500 candidates approached
• Creation of a bespoke cognitive assessment process
• 196hrs of hiring manager time saved
• 100% offer acceptance rates

Read on to discover how.   

The Challenge

The client had recently appointed a new Head of Enterprise Change, and they made some key observations such as the need for the company to bring in more experienced staff to support their change capabilities and delivery.

A proposal was then put together for a more effective change delivery framework which would reduce contractor cost and build a permanent internal change team. This structure came under four pillars: Portfolio Management, Change Management, Project Management and Business Analysis.

With only a handful of permanent Business Analysis and Project Managers and no Change Managers within Enterprise Change, the client needed to resource the team with the right disciplines in a short space of time.

Introducing Sanderson as a Resourcing Partner

Upon realising they needed to scale at pace, the client needed the help of a talent resourcing partner and so invited three recruitment companies to present a solution that would:

• Take responsibility for the end-to-end hiring process
• Elevate the client as an employer of choice
• Provide access to specialist talent in the insurance sector
• Save hiring managers time

During this process, it was clear for the client who would be their recruitment partner of choice.

“Sanderson was our first choice, we were drawn to their ways of working and instinctively knew it was the right path. It wasn’t just a good communication discussion, they stood out because they offered a sense of partnership but also a sense of transparency, agility and flexibility. Right from the get-go, it was their partnership approach that won the show.”

An Agile and Flexible Solution

The solution wasn’t just a “one-size-fits-all”. Led by Sanderson Insurance Practice Lead Denise Morris, we took the time to listen and work in partnership with the client. Here’s some of the key factors that stood out for them during the process:

Commitment

“They did all the heavy lifting for us”.

Sanderson hit the ground running with weekly meetings and created a dedicated reporting cycle in an interactive approach to screening, interviewing and shortlisting candidates in a short space of time.

“What worked was that we iterated our way to getting the best candidates, and that happened so fast, for the first round of screening they were coming to us with recommendations. It didn’t feel like a numbers game, Sanderson presented individuals who were quality candidates”.

With confidence in the top candidates, Sanderson offered advice and consultation in the final stages and presented the strongest CVs. This was then supported by a bespoke cognitive assessment process that was specific and unique for these types of change and transformation hires.

Flexibility

The client’s team really felt like they had a voice throughout and were heard when things needed to change. Sanderson were quick to respond to the evolving needs of the programme.

“As the recruitment process progressed, we had a much clearer vision and criteria for the type of candidates we wanted to interview. We knew what we needed, as did Sanderson, they helped to fine tune that process, they came on that journey with us.

While the scope of our requirements had evolved, our new recruits have surpassed expectations. They quality of candidates has been commented on by people outside of our team in their first 1-2 months of working here”.

A Strategic Partnership

The client reflected on the partnership and how Sanderson took their time to understand not just their strategic goals, but also their culture:

“I think one of the biggest things was the effort the team put into understanding us, what we were looking for and what we were building out. They understood the nature of the projects that we would be likely to drive and equally the projects we weren’t going to drive.

It was great to see the camaraderie being built by the new cohort of recruits. As they joined at the same time, there was a real sense of being in it together and we have worked to cement this attitude by organising workshops with the existing teams. The Sanderson team played a strategic role in helping us to construct our team charter”.

An Extension of the Team, Enabling BAU for Talent Acquisition

The client’s Talent Acquisition Lead expressed how Talent Acquisition worked seamlessly with both the Enterprise Change team, the team at Sanderson and together they delivered the work “as a triad”. Everyone had their role to play, and it freed up time for the TA team to work on the day-to-day support for the rest of the business.

“It was the effectiveness of Sanderson and the way they worked to ensure that I could carry on with my BAU job for the other parts of the business I support. I pretty much handed it over to Sanderson and trusted them to expedite this. And that’s exactly what happened. I was only really needed for facilitating admin or interviews. There was no disruption to the rest of Talent Acquisition, it was all in hand.”

Summary and reflections

A Project RPO Success

The solution we delivered here is called a Project RPO. This is a flexible recruitment solution that offers many of the benefits of outsourcing recruitment to a resourcing partner, but without the long-term commitment. You can find out more about Project RPO here.

Here’s what we delivered in numbers: 

Find out more about our RPO solution and get in touch with the team here if you’d like to have a conversation.

Manchester is a city that thrives on innovation, ambition, and transformation. It’s no surprise that businesses here demand recruitment partners who understand the pace, complexity, and potential of the region.

That’s where Sanderson, now strengthened by the acquisition of Outsource, comes in.

A Powerful Partnership for Manchester

In 2024, Outsource officially joined the Sanderson Group, bringing together two highly respected recruitment brands. The result? A seamless, full-service talent solution for clients across the North West.
From one-off hires to fully managed MSPs and RPOs, our Manchester team delivers with precision, speed, and care. We work across industries including Financial Services, Logistics, Retail, and more offering permanent, contract, and enterprise hiring solutions tailored to each client’s needs whether that’s financial services, logistics and supply chain, retail, engineering, media or technology.

Let’s Talk Talent

Whether you’re hiring for a single role or launching a large-scale recruitment programme, Sanderson Manchester is ready to help.

Find out more by downloading the Manchester Office Brochure via the 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.

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/

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.

On Wednesday 15th October 2025 Sanderson’s Recruitment Services Managing Director Will Boney and Head of Operations & Organisational Change Anna Kramer sat down with PayStream CEO Tony Hodkinson to deliver a webinar discussing the upcoming tax legislation changes that are set to have an impact on many umbrella companies and across the whole recruitment industry.

Will, Karen and Tony chatted about what these changes mean and when they are due to come into force, how it affects you, and what we are doing here at Sanderson to ensure we’re compliant across the supply chain.

If you missed this webinar, you can still listen to the full recording where we cover the discussion points below, along with practical tips for businesses to navigate this period of change.

Watch the full recording of the Umbrella Reform Webinar here

The webinar covered key discussion points like:

• A clear overview of the tax legislation changes, including joint and several liability due in April 2026
• The impact of the Employment Rights Bill due in April 2027
• How this new legislation impacts you and how you can prepare for the change
• How you can protect yourself from liability and carry out appropriate due diligence, including insight into PaySteam’s own 6-Point Compliance Plan
• Exactly what we at Sanderson are doing to ensure compliance across the supply chain and to keep a smooth process for our clients and contractors
• An informative Q&A session with live and burning questions from attendees

You may have heard about the upcoming 2026 tax legislation changes that are set to have an impact on many umbrella companies and across the whole recruitment industry.

Please join us on a webinar where Sanderson and Paystream will share more about what these changes mean, how it affects you, and what we are doing here at Sanderson to ensure we’re compliant across the supply chain.

The webinar will provide:

• A clear overview of the tax legislation changes, including joint and several liability
• How this new legislation impacts you and how you can prepare for the change
• What we at Sanderson are doing to ensure compliance across the supply chain
• A dedicated Q&A session to answer your questions.

You’ll be hearing from Presenters: Tony Hodkinson (COO at Paystream), Will Boney (Recruitment Services Managing Director at Sanderson) and Anna Kramer (Head of Operations & Organisational Change at Sanderson)

The Details

• Date: Wednesday 15th October 2025
• Time: 12pm -12:45pm
• Location: Webinar via Microsoft Teams

Please click here to register your place.

Sanderson is pleased to announce that our CEO Jon Ball has been listed in the Staffing Industry Analysts (SIA) 2025 Staffing 100 Europe List.

This industry leading publication is now in its 12th year and recognises recruitment organisation leaders across Europe who are building the staffing and workforce solutions of the future.

This is an incredible effort for Jon and for Sanderson as the past year has seen the European staffing market face numerous challenges as leaders navigate rapid digital transformation, increased globalisation, changing legislation, and a greater focus on social responsibility.

The leaders named in this year’s SIA Staffing 100 Europe List, including Sanderson, have been called out for their accelerated digital innovation in their organisations, advancing business growth with operational excellence, leading strategic expansion, and fostering inclusive work cultures. Ranking is a true testament to Sanderson’s ‘One Team’ mentality, and we’re delighted to see that our work such as successfully positioning Sanderson as a premier provider of first-generation MSP solutions for the financial services sector and introducing initiatives that strengthen control, visibility and compliance across contingent workforces is recognised across our industry.

If you’d like to find out more about the SIA 2025 Staffing 100 Europe List as well as seeing a full list of honourees, please click here.

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.

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.