Transforming talent attraction: lessons from Molson Coors and Primark UK

As any business will know, attracting top talent remains a significant challenge. To stand out, employers must rethink traditional approaches, broadening their appeal to diverse candidates while fostering an environment that prioritises retention. In today’s dynamic market, adapting your strategies is not optional – it’s essential for staying ahead.

 

Top Employers Institute data shows that nearly three quarters (72 per cent) of certified UK Top Employers are currently evolving their talent acquisition processes. The question, of course, is how? For the answer, it is worth looking at how certified Top Employers such as Molson Coors and Primark are going about the task.

 

Skills-based hiring: no CV, no problem

 

Molson Coors Beverage Company has used a hiring-for-potential programme, focused on recruiting for skills and behaviours rather than traditional methods, to transform its organisation. This has resulted in a broader and different type of applicant pool and workforce.

 

In collaboration with its partners, the organisation developed pilot programmes for skills-based assessments. The success of this saw Molson Coors remove “experience” as a requirement for certain roles, in favour of strengths, skills and the potential of new talent. Post-pilot, the organisation then identified specific roles that could benefit from this approach, such as additional sales positions, technical representatives, mobile technicians and supply chain roles within their breweries.

 

Molson Coors has seen a large increase in the number of candidates, and has sustained high retention rates for new hires. Gender representation and the match of applicants has also significantly improved, and the business has since fine-tuned the assessment to be more effective in identifying candidates who could fit their business needs.

 

A team to focus on removing barriers

 

Primark UK created a Removing Barriers team, dedicated to supporting candidates who require reasonable adjustments before and during their application and interview stages, and to handle access to work requests. Primark realised it needed a dedicated team to offer specific expertise and to review the store recruitment process from an unbiased, impartial perspective.

 

The team helps in all aspects of the application and interviewing process:

• Pre-application. The team offers support through guidance, prepping and liaising with a designated support worker, or one of the charities they work with.
• During application. This includes phone or technical support or additional time for assessments, according to individual needs.
• Interview stage. The team may contact the interviewing store to arrange support and provide coaching and guidance to the interviewer where needed.

This support system was established in 2018, and since then Primark UK has supported over 500 candidates. Ensuring equity in candidate consideration and hiring decisions is important to remain truly inclusive of underrepresented talent.

 

Driving inclusivity through smarter hiring practices

 

Both organisations – along with other certified Top Employers – are committed to being more inclusive in their recruitment processes, placing a particular emphasis on providing more opportunities to underrepresented groups, offering new approaches and more assistance throughout each stage of the hiring process.

 

To improve the quality and number of applicants, organisations should have a clear diversity, equity and inclusion strategy in hiring practices. And by taking away unconscious bias, prioritising skills and offering more support to underrepresented groups, applicants can have a renewed confidence when applying for roles

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