BT describes changes to early careers apprenticeship recruitment

BT described changes to its early careers recruitment process for apprenticeships, citing the experience of 19-year-old Business Transformation Delivery Apprentice Sofia George, who started on 7 September. The company said the approach focused on removing barriers for candidates as part of early careers hiring.

Nicola Luke said BT worked on more inclusive early careers recruitment so candidates could have a fair opportunity to show their potential. The company also referenced National Inclusion Week and reported progress in representation for women and in the share of candidates declaring a disability.

Sofia George said she initially considered studying law at university and worked at a law firm providing operational and administrative support. She said she chose an apprenticeship to gain practical experience alongside a qualification. She also said she has dyslexia and found traditional application processes challenging due to question phrasing, large amounts of information, and assessment pressure.

Sofia George described BT’s chat-based assessment as different from traditional psychometric testing, saying it gave more opportunity to show her personality, strengths and approach. She said she was contacted by Nic Howells, Early Careers Manager, to discuss accessibility needs and adjustments, and that the team later told her personally she had been successful. BT said it would continue collaborating and building on process changes that included untimed assessments, quiet spaces, neurodiversity-friendly resources at assessment centres, preparation packs and candidate coaching resources, and proactive recruiter support for candidates who declared a disability.

“Sofia’s experience shows what inclusive recruitment can look like in practice and we are delighted to welcome her to BT.” said Nicola Luke. “The chat-based assessment felt different from traditional psychometric testing. It gave me more opportunity to show my personality, strengths and approach, rather than being judged mainly on how I performed in a traditional test.” said Sofia George. “Knowing that I can ask questions, be myself and access support has given me confidence that I can succeed here.” said Sofia George.

Press release, originally published at newsroom.bt.com.