In today’s business landscape, organisations generate and collect vast amounts of data every day. Traditionally, this data was stored and managed on-site in physical servers located within offices. However, as businesses look to increase flexibility, improve scalability and enhance performance, many have recognised that older on-premises environments can limit growth and innovation.

As a result, cloud and data migration remain some of the most common topics of conversation with the organisations we engage with.

While many have already embarked on their migration journey, others are still in the planning stages, often citing cost, technical capability, stakeholder buy-in and legacy system dependencies as key challenges.

This reflects a broader market trend. Organisations are no longer simply moving infrastructure, they’re redesigning how data is stored, governed, accessed and leveraged across their business. Yet many still underestimate the complexity involved in successfully transitioning from on-premises environments to the cloud, leading to challenges such as skills gaps, integration issues, accessibility concerns and unexpected costs.

That’s why we’ve put together this blog, taking our experience when working with clients and what we’re seeing in the market to provide you with our 6 Top Tips for a Successful Cloud Migration. 

Let’s get started!

1 – Start with a Clear Business Outcome

The most effective migrations are driven by business objectives, not just technology change. Whether your goal is cost optimisation, scalability, resilience or even enabling AI and analytics, clarity upfront is critical.

So before beginning any migration, we’d recommend you start by setting clear answers to questions like:

• What problem are we solving?
• What does success look like?
• How will we measure ROI?

2 – Avoid a “Lift and Shift” Mindset

Simply moving legacy systems into the cloud without modernising them runs the risk of transferring any existing inefficiencies into a more expensive environment.

We’d recommend viewing cloud migration as a data transformation, not just a data relocation, so before you get started why not take the opportunity to:

• Reassess your existing architecture
• Remove any technical debt
• Optimise workloads
• Modernise your applications where appropriate

3 – Prioritise Data Governance and Security Early

Security and governance shouldn’t be retrofitted after migrating your data to the cloud. If you want your migration to be as successful as possible, then you should think about embedding security into your migration strategy from day one.

This means looking at strong controls around:

• Access management
• Data classification
• Compliance
• Encryption
• Monitoring

This comes especially important for multi-cloud and hybrid environments.

4 – Understand your Data Landscape

Don’t underestimate how fragmented your data estates might have become over time. Poor visibility at the start of a migration can cause major issues further down the line. So before migrating it’s essential to:

• Identify critical data sources
• Understand dependencies
• Remove duplicate or redundant data
• Improve data quality

5 – Invest in the Right Skills and Capability

Having the right talent in place can often mean the difference between a migration succeeding or stalling. Whilst technology is a critical component of any migration programme, people ultimately determine whether the strategy is successfully delivered.

Across the market, one of the most common challenges we see is organisations underestimating the breadth of skills required for a successful migration. Cloud and data transformation programmes rarely rely on a single individual or team, they require a combination of technical expertise, leadership and stakeholder engagement.

Some of the most in-demand professionals we support clients with include:

• Cloud Architects
• Data Architects
• Data Engineers
• Platform Engineers
• DevOps Engineers
• Cloud Security Specialists
• Programme and Project Managers

The most successful organisations combine these specialist skills with strong internal leadership and effective collaboration between technology and business stakeholders. This ensures that migration programmes remain aligned to business objectives while maintaining technical excellence throughout delivery.

From our experience, organisations that invest in the right capability early in the process are better positioned to manage risk, overcome technical challenges and realise value from their cloud investment more quickly.

6 – Take a Phased Approach

Large-scale migrations rarely succeed as “big bang” programmes. Incremental progress typically delivers better long-term outcomes, which is why we’d suggest having a phased roadmap to allow you to:

• Reduce operational risk
• Learn and adapt during delivery
• Demonstrate early value
• Minimise disruption to the business

Ready for a successful cloud and data migration?

We’re well placed to get you the talent you need, fast. Whether it’s Cloud Architects and Data Analysts, or DevOps and Infrastructure Engineers, Sanderson can ensure you’ve got access to the right specialist cloud and data talent.

So, if you’re about to embark on a cloud and data migration and would like to chat about how to successfully achieve this, please do get in touch.

Any other questions on Cloud Migration? Drop me a message at [email protected]

We partnered with a major Outsourced Service Provider operating largescale customer service and complaint handling functions within the Financial Services sector. Their environment demands a constant pipeline of high-quality talent to maintain service excellence across high volume teams.

The Challenge

The client required ongoing recruitment support to deliver around 1,000 Customer Service Representatives and Complaint Handlers per year.

The Solution

We embedded a dedicated team within the client’s operation and built a fully scalable recruitment framework designed specifically for volume Customer Service roles, including a targeted agile attraction strategy, candidate support and passive talent engagement.

The Result

Fill in the form below to read on and discover how we successfully helped them improve their candidate experience and reach 1300 hires per year.

When you need to strengthen 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 recruitment needs.

And that’s exactly what People’s Partnership, a leading UK not-for-profit financial services company who specialise in providing workplace pensions, were looking for.

The Challenge

Their team were searching for a provider who would be able to really get under the skin of their business to understand what makes them tick and then work with them side by side to build a talent solution that would stand the test of time, as well as removing their current pain points.

The Solution

This is exactly what the Sanderson team are experts in. We thrive on absorbing the culture of each of our clients, being able to act as an extension of their brand and then design and deliver bespoke solutions that successfully meet client challenges and objectives.

After collaborating with the team at People’s Partnership, we quickly established that a Project RPO would be a perfect fit for them, working as a flexible solution to act has a helping hand to their in-house teams, but leaving them firmly in the driver’s seat.

The Result

Fill in the form below to read on and discover how we successfully helped them bolster and upskill their customer service teams…

Securing the right senior leader is one of the most important decisions an organisation can make. Whether you’re replacing an existing leader or expanding your management team, the implications for organisational performance, culture and long-term strategy are significant.

The challenge?

The senior talent market is often small, highly competitive and will likely require careful handling. The hiring team can also face additional pressures, from confidentiality requirements, to assessing behavioural leadership competencies, as well as ensuring they’re reaching passive talent in the market.

That’s where a dedicated partner like Sanderson Executive Search can lend a hand.

In this blog we explore the most common challenges organisations encounter in senior hiring, and how our tailored search methodology helps you overcome them with confidence.

Leadership Competency & Long-Term Fit

A challenge often encountered with senior leadership hiring is that the technical expertise alone to “do” the role isn’t enough at senior levels. There are other important factors to ensure the right fit and alignment to the role and organisation such as values, company culture and strategic capability.

Leadership style is another important factor that needs to be considered as a leadership candidate needs to be able to not only have subject matter expertise but also the ability to inspire and lead others, a completely different skill set that needs careful consideration.

The search also needs to encompass the candidate’s future career motivations to ensure a long-term fit in the role. Identifying those who will genuinely benefit from position and where it meets their non-financial motivators.

This is why with Sanderson Executive Search, every candidate is assessed through four core lenses that shape long term success:

Objective Fit

We evaluate skills, experience, achievements, and overall technical credibility.

Leadership Fit

We explore leadership behaviours, cultural alignment, and strategic maturity.

Motivation

We identify what drives the candidate and whether your opportunity meets their long-term goals.

Practical Considerations

We assess logistical factors and any barriers that could affect commitment or onboarding.

The more senior the role, the more critical leadership fit and motivation become. Our structured assessment therefore ensures you appoint a leader who thrives, not just one who qualifies.

Developing & Delivering Compelling Propositions

Senior leadership roles are often complex and harder to fill than other positions, made even more challenging thanks to how rare these candidates are. These searches require an equally thoughtful and consultative search process, with hiring teams needing clear insight into:

• What sort of candidates the market can realistically deliver
• How your opportunity compares to others on the market
• What will motivate the right candidates
• How to engage leaders who are not actively looking for a new role

A compelling and well-defined proposition then needs to be developed into order to adequately explain the role, and to attract the right candidates.

To overcome this challenge, it can be helpful to work with a partner who will take the time to:

• Consult with hiring teams when building the proposition to ensure it stands out in the market
• Build a compelling brief that is then delivered directly to the target candidates
• Ensure the proposition is clear so that candidates can fully understand the full scope of the opportunity

This ensures that every outreach, especially to passive candidates, resonates with authenticity and impact.

Navigating Geographical Constraints

Geographical constraints are another challenge often encountered during a leadership search. Location can be a limiting factor for certain leadership roles, depending on factors such as:

• Regional market maturity
• Industry clusters
• On site leadership requirements
• Level of travel required with the role
• Relocation feasibility

Our search methodology therefore explores both local and wider talent pools, identifying individuals with regional ties or who could benefit from relocation.

Confidential Hires

Another common challenge when hiring for a leadership role is the need to keep the search confidential. There are many reasons why these searches need to remain discreet and, in these situations, hiring teams need a search partner who can operate with discretion while still engaging high quality talent.

Our approach supports confidential hiring by allowing you to:

• Tactfully access both passive and active senior candidates through a carefully managed network of talent
• Maintain full confidentiality while ensuring a thorough market search
• Tailor outreach, messaging and process steps to minimise risk while remaining flexible to any organisational sensitivities.

Our track record in confidential searches is built on refined processes that protect organisational reputation while still securing exceptional leaders.

Business Critical Appointments

And finally, leadership hires often carry business critical weight. Hiring teams conducting a search for a leadership position need a process that is transparent, robust, and evidence based.

Our methodology provides exactly that. We’ll carry out:

Consultation

We work closely with you to understand the context, challenge and success criteria, shaping a tailored solution that best reflects what you need. With us, this is very much a two-way process, combining our market expertise with customer perspectives.

Research & Identification

We comprehensively map the market using primary research to identify all relevant candidates. Care is taken to explore parallel industries and potential capability rather than purely track records to broaden talent diversity. We also prioritise a human approach here to map a clear picture of exactly where talent pools exist, instead of focusing purely on online sources which often only see a proportion of the market.

Engagement

We then approach talent proactively with a personalised, compelling proposition designed to convert interest, not just awareness. This is particularly important for candidates who are not actively looking.

Assessment

Every potential candidate, including internal talent, is assessed through in depth interviews, profiling tools and cognitive analysis to provide a clear, objective view.

Delivery

We’ll then provide a shortlist of the strongest leaders the market has to offer, supported by insights and ongoing collaboration at every stage. At each stage we collaborate in a test and learn approach, involving the organisation each step of the way which allows us to adapt to client needs, ultimately securing a better result together.

Needing a Helping Hand with Insights & Advice

When embarking on a senior leadership hire, the hiring team shouldn’t have to navigate the complexity these searches bring alone.

Our team provides market led insight throughout the process, helping teams understand:

• Where talent exists
• How supply and demand might influence the search
• What candidates value today
• How wider industry shifts may impact future leadership needs

This isn’t simply about filling a role, it’s about securing leadership capability that supports the long-term success of organisations.

Ready to Simplify Senior Hiring?

If you’re looking to reduce complexity and secure a leader who truly elevates your organisation, we’re here to help.

Get in touch today to discuss your senior talent challenges and how we can support your next executive appointment.

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.

In case you missed it, we recently launched our brand-new Financial Services Hiring Trends Report for 2025 which focuses on Digital, Technology, Change and Transformation hiring in the Financial Services sector during 2025.

The Report shows the positive news that there’s been a 12% increase in industry wide vacancies, with all signs pointing towards an optimistic and energised 2026 in the finance sector.

With the signals clear that financial services employers are beginning to re-engage with long-term workforce planning, in this blog we get stuck into some of our six top predictions for Financial Services hiring throughout the rest of 2026.

Let’s get started!

1 Increase in hiring intentions

We’re predicting an increase in hiring intentions throughout the rest of 2026, backed up by recent survey data from KPMG that’s reported that 55% of financial services firms are planning to hire more staff this year than they did in 2025.

The focus of these hiring strategies also appear to be very much technology led, with data indicating that 57% of those firms planning to hire intending to invest in AI skills. This could indicate a clear shift this year towards digital capability and AI transformation.

2 Growing business confidence

According to many business leaders across Sanderson, there’s a clear theme emerging showing growing confidence among financial services employers. This is a theme we predict to continue through the rest of the year as many of our recruiters are expecting new vacancies to emerge from major banks finally progressing with their long-awaited and large-scale digitalisation projects.

We’re also predicting an uptick in the industry-wide appetite for strategic leadership as well as future investment in technology and change projects. A prediction backed up by many of our recruitment teams noticing a number of senior hires being prepared throughout Q1.

3 Steadier market conditions

We’re anticipating that the market will start to steady out quickly during the start of 2026 thanks to optimistic regional fintech investment as well as large public sector investment. This is backed up by the Bank of England going public with its desire to expand regionally and even allocate 50% of it’s roles outside of London by 2027.

4 Reignition of DEI programmes

Our recruitment teams are also predicting a reignition of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) programmes throughout the financial services sector. This aligns with companies in the sector becoming less reactive in their hiring and moving towards more deliberate hiring with clearer strategies to attack the marker and then deliver on long-term projects.

5 Larger candidate supply

Another prediction we’re making for 2026 financial services hiring is that the start of this year will see some of the largest candidate supply opportunities that we’ve seen since the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020. This is backed up by recent KPMG data reporting that the end of 2025 saw permanent labour availability rise at its fastest rate in four months.

And what might this mean for financial services decision makers? Well, we’d expect organisations to be well positioned to reach any immediate transformation goals thanks to access to a strong pool of talented Project Managers, Business Analysts and Testers being available to tap into.

6 Stable salaries

Our recruiters are expecting stable salary conditions for the start of 2026. Despite busy hiring markets towards the end of last year, current salary trends are not implying that a big spike in salaries is on the cards. Combine this with current market activity showing steady but controlled competition, we’re predicting that salary conditions will balance out rather than overheat as we progress through the start of the year.

How to get ahead of your financial services hiring in 2026

We’re optimistic that thanks to greater market clarity and larger talent pools being available, businesses in the financial services sector will be able to bolster their teams with talented hires that can deliver on long-term strategies and goals.

So with this in mind, now may be the time to reassess your hiring strategies, enhance your understanding of emerging technologies and address your skills gaps with the right blend of permanent or contractor talent.

To get yourself feeling more prepared to tackle the year, why not download your own copy of our new Financial Services Hiring Trends Report which reflects on and provides insight into how market trends have shaped hiring throughout the Financial Services sector, as well as providing market-leading data to help organisations like yours position yourself competitively to secure top talent in an increasingly dynamic market.

Set yourself up for success by downloading a copy of the Report here:

We’re pleased to present Sanderson’s brand-new Hiring Trends Report focusing on Digital, Technology, Change and Transformation hiring in the Financial Services sector during 2025.

This much anticipated report provides an overview of which roles saw hiring surges and the most demand during 2025, insight into hiring conditions throughout the UK, our expert opinion on where demand might be headed for 2026 as well as data to help guide companies on where they can gain competitive advantages in the market to help them obtain the best candidates out there.

The beginning of 2025 saw many employers demonstrate hesitancy towards their permanent hiring, largely driven by budget restrictions and wider uncertainty in the economic environment. However by the end of the year thanks to factors like a prioritisation of digital transformation causing a surge in demand for AI skillsets, we were seeing hiring conditions improve significantly, even a permanent market that was 44% more active year on year by December 2025.

With market-wide data indicating that 2026 should open with more a more optimistic hiring outlook, now may be the time to reassess your hiring strategies, enhance your understanding of emerging technologies and then address your skills gaps with the right blend of permanent or contractor talent.

This report, using data from VacancySoft and LinkedIn and reviewed by Sanderson’s market-leading experts, reflects on how these trends have shaped hiring throughout the Financial Services sector in 2025, as well as providing predictions on how it may evolve throughout the remainder of 2026.

Do you feel ready for the Umbrella Reforms due to come into effect later this Spring?

Don’t worry, we’re here to help you feel more prepared!

You might have seen that last year we hosted a webinar with PayStream where our Recruitment Services Managing Director William Boney and Head of Operations & Organisational Change Anna Kramer sat down with the PayStream CEO Tony Hodkinson for an informative discussion all about the upcoming tax legislation changes and the Employment Rights Bill 2027.

These changes are set to have an impact on many umbrella companies and be felt across the whole recruitment industry, so we want to help you navigate this period of change.

Watch the Recording

As well as providing you with a link to watch the full recording to get you up to speed on discussion points such as:

• 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

This blog will also provide an overview of key questions asked and answered in the informative Q&A session during the webinar. Scroll down to explore…

Umbrella Reforms FAQs

Could a client still be liable if they have not done due diligence on an agency?

Where there is a UK agency in the supply chain between the client and umbrella company, the agency and umbrella company are the ones liable if there is a tax liability. The client would not be jointly and severally liable in that scenario.

If an agency cannot pay a tax bill, does liability flow back up the contractual chain?

The legislation does not currently suggest that liability could flow up the chain if neither the umbrella or agency could pay the bill. However, we’re still waiting on official guidance and the legislation is only in draft format, it may of course change before it receives Royal Assent.

Could consulting companies who are acting like an MSP for a client be held liable under the Umbrella Reform legislation?

Yes, we believe that MSPs will be on the hook should any tax liability accrue in relation to a non-compliant umbrella company in the supply chain. “Umbrella company arrangements” are broadly defined in the draft legislation such as to include these types of contractual arrangements with the end client.

What steps are the FCSA are taking in regards to the Umbrella Reform legislation? And, if they find a member to be non-compliant could they reject their membership and be transparent to agencies?

The FCSA themselves will be best placed to answer this question in the most detail, but yes we do understand the FCSA to have robust policies in place to investigate members for alleged non-compliance with its compliance codes, and that can ultimately lead to suspension and even expulsion for serious breaches.

Do you see clients (or MSPs) simply banning the use of umbrella companies as a result of this legislation?

The Employment Rights Bill is adding more complexity and litigation risk to employers, causing a headache for many businesses. Where an end client engages with an agency that has a connected or in-house umbrella company, we perceive clients moving towards independent umbrella companies to ensure the joint and several risk falls on the umbrella company and the agency. We also perceive clients reducing and dictating the umbrella PSL to ensure only financially robust, compliant and trusted partners are engaged in the supply chain

Could all of this extra administration lead to higher umbrella fees?

Yes, we foresee that umbrella margins will be under more pressure. There will be additional cost for the umbrella in evidencing its compliance, such as third-party payslip checking software. However, it may hopefully level the playing field and increase volumes as non-compliant operators exit the market.

Why would agencies be liable before umbrella companies? What would this look like in practice, if, for example, a simple mistake is made by an umbrella company?

HMRC will consider what “relevant parties” there are in the supply chain. The umbrella and the agency that holds the contract with the client will be jointly and severally liable. If there is no agency, liability will sit with the umbrella and client. In a recent policy paper, HMRC said joint and several liability will allow them to pursue an agency in the first instances for any payroll taxes that a non-compliant umbrella company fails to remit to HMRC. If a compliant umbrella company has made an innocent error in their payroll taxes, it does seem more likely that HMRC will go directly to the umbrella company to resolve the issue. Official guidance may clarify this for us in the coming months.

Next Steps

Do you have any more questions in regards to the Umbrella Reform changes due to come into effect in a few months? Don’t hesitate to reach out to Will Boney to find out more.

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]