Unseen Group

Author: Jess Wood

  • Blog Post: Keeping the Yes

    Blog Post: Keeping the Yes

    Science

    Keeping the Yes

    Four behavioural science principles for reducing early talent reneges.

    Ben Williams

    Ben Williams

    Chief Scientist, Unseen Group

    The time between offer acceptance and a candidate’s first day is fragile, but keeping them committed to joining your organisation can feel like a tricky task.

    Our latest webinar, in partnership with Grant Thornton, explored science-backed approaches to reducing reneges and making sure your candidates are ready to join your team.

    With expert insights from Unseen’s Chief Scientist, Ben Williams, and Head of Partnerships, Nicola Sullivan, along with Grant Thornton’s Talent and Recruitment Experience Manager, Holly Pearce, in this article we share the four core principles they recommend hiring teams follow to design better, more engaging, candidate journeys.

    Why commitment can waver after an offer

    When a candidate accepts your job offer, it’s not necessarily the end of the hiring journey. They’re often still asking: will I fit in, can I do the job and what will my first day be like?

    Economic uncertainty, the cost of living, social media, constant communication, and AI have all changed the way in which early talent decisions are made. Candidates have access to more information, more comparison points, and more reasons to reconsider than ever before.

    To keep the “yes”, employers need to design a candidate journey that strengthens their commitment.

    The following four principles of behavioural science, backed up by real examples, provide practical strategies for hiring teams.

    Principle 1: Create opportunities for commitment

    Keeping candidates engaged with your brand can stop them being enticed by others. After candidates have accepted your offer, build momentum by setting up opportunities for meaningful micro-commitments.

    At Grant Thornton, Holly’s team does this through their Meet&Engage Hub, which allows them to drip feed content and updates to candidates between offer and start date to keep them feeling excited and engaged.

    The response from candidates has been brilliant:

    “It was great to get support throughout each stage of the recruitment process. Knowing I could reach out and ask a question at any time was really reassuring!”

    Candidate Feedback

    Other micro-commitments to help candidates stay connected to the decision they have made and begin to picture themselves in the role might include:

  • Filling out onboarding paperwork
  • Completing a pre-work assignment
  • Joining a pre-start event
  • Chatting to a future colleague or buddy

    • Principle 2: Reduce uncertainty

    If your candidates don’t know what the role involves, who they will work with, or what to expect on day one, commitment is bound to become fragile.

    “Silence creates stories. By systematically removing ambiguity and reducing unknowns, you remove any reason to panic or jump ship.”

    Ben Williams, Chief Scientist, Unseen

    The fewer unknowns candidates have about the job, the less anxiety they will feel. Clear, timely sharing of information helps remove the silence that allows anxiety and assumptions to grow.

    Often candidates are wondering about very practical things:

  • Where do I go and what should I wear?
  • Who will meet me?
  • What will my first few weeks involve?
  • Where can I go for help?

    • When we looked at data from our Meet&Engage platform, we found that candidates engage most with video content from the new joiners the year before them, specifically when they answered “What do I wish I knew ahead of day one?”.

    Direct conversations, websites, chatbots and engagement platforms that share this sort of information in a friendly, human way can help candidates feel prepared and supported.

    Holly shared that, at Grant Thorton, they tailor their careers website to every different group that engages, across students, parents, career break returners, and so on, to make sure every audience has the information they need.

    As well as this, they use the Meet&Engage chatbot function programmed with their FAQs to support candidates whenever they have a question, with responses accessible to candidates even outside of core hours.

    Principle 3: Build a sense of belonging

    Candidates stay committed when they can see themselves as part of the organisation. Relationships with recruiters, buddies, future managers, and peers can make the opportunity feel personal and connected.

    Belonging works best when it feels genuine. In-person events, authentic employee stories, and thoughtful buddying can help candidates connect with real people to see where they fit best. Employee content platforms such as Seenit enable employees to easily create authentic and compelling content to support engagement.

    “Candidates are very quick to see through anything that feels overly corporate. Belonging only really works when it feels genuine.”

    Holly Pearce, Talent and Recruitment Experience Manager, Grant Thorton

    At Grant Thornton, Holly and her team utilise “Smart buddying”, where they set up a connection based on what’s most likely to help each candidate. This could mean pairing women with female colleagues in male-dominated teams, connecting candidates with someone from the same university, or introducing them to someone who has faced a similar offer decision.

    The Grant Thornton team aim to meet their incoming candidates face-to-face as much as they can before their first day, to help them feel part of something bigger and start to picture themselves in the role.

    “At scale, it’s easy to forget how powerful simply being human and responsive can be.”

    Nicola Sullivan, Head of Partnerships, Unseen

    Principle 4: Boost confidence

    One of the biggest drivers of disengagement is confidence – and the lack of it. Candidates are often asking themselves: can I actually do this?

    People choose environments they think they will succeed in and avoid those where they think they won’t. Employers can build confidence early by giving candidates small wins before day one, for example:

  • Give useful feedback on their assessment scores
  • Set a low-stakes pre-join task and provide praise upon completion
  • Share stories of people with similar backgrounds who have succeeded

    • Coaching and feedback throughout the hiring process can also help candidates understand how they are progressing and feel more ready to start.

    “Candidates confidence is at an all time low. We feel as early careers recruiters that we have a duty of care to manage that.”

    Holly Pearce, Talent and Recruitment Experience Manager, Grant Thorton

    Grant Thornton offers coaching at every stage of the process, including phone calls with one of their experienced recruiters.

    A practical framework for employers

    Taken together, these four principles help us to understand why commitment wavers, predict candidate engagement, and design better journeys for between offer and start date:

    #1

    Commitment: What meaningful action are we inviting the candidate to take?

    #2

    Certainty: What questions or unknowns might still be present?

    #3

    Belonging: Who is helping the candidate feel part of the organisation?

    #4

    Confidence: What evidence are we giving them that they can succeed?

    Reducing early talent reneges is about helping candidates make an informed choice, then supporting that choice with practical information, genuine relationships and a human-first approach.

    Interested to hear more?

    Enter your details below to access the full webinar, where you’ll learn how to apply these principles to your post-offer engagement strategy.

  • Case Study: Designing and delivering development workshops for the NHS

    Case Study: Designing and delivering development workshops for the NHS

    NHS logo
    Sten10 logo
    Healthcare

    Designing and delivering development workshops for the NHS

    How Unseen designed and facilitated a full-day team development workshop for the NHS.

    About the Customer

    Organisation

    NHS

    Industry

    Healthcare

    Use Case

    Team development: building on existing strengths while identifying opportunities to develop further

    Key result

    The workshop set in motion more collaboration, better leveraging of diverse strengths and navigation of any challenges with more understanding and trust.

    Background

    The Communications and Design team at an NHS Trust was at an interesting point in their development. While some team members had worked together for many years, recent additions created an opportunity to intentionally shape how everyone would work together going forwards.

    The team was already delivering high-quality, award-winning work. However, they recognised the value in pausing in this time of change to get to know each other better as individuals, explore how they wanted to work together as a newly formed team, and build on existing strengths while identifying opportunities to develop further. The team needed proper time away from their day-to-day to reflect, connect, and co-create their new ways of working.

    Our solution

    Unseen’s team of organisational psychologists, Sten10, designed and facilitated a full-day team development workshop combining individual reflection, interactive activities, and future-focused planning. The morning session focused on building understanding through exploration of team development stages, helping members normalise the challenges of forming new working relationships.

    The “Manual of Me” activity gave colleagues space to share their working preferences and communication styles, while personality and working styles exercises using Wave Work Roles cards enabled everyone to identify individual strengths and potential blind spots.

    The afternoon moved towards co-creating practical ways of working together. The team reflected on the Trust’s values of being Empowered, Compassionate, Professional, and Inclusive, exploring what these mean in practice for them specifically.

    They established agreements covering communication guidelines, decision-making processes, and accountability. Each team member made personal commitments to turn their insights into action. Throughout the day, we created space for open and sometimes sensitive conversations, allowing team members to raise ideas and concerns in a supportive environment.

    “This was exactly what we needed.”

    Outcome

    The workshop successfully opened up communication and strengthened the sense of being a team. The team gained valuable clarity on colleagues’ working styles and communication preferences, which laid foundations for smoother collaboration.

    The session surfaced honest reflections about both what was working well and where opportunities existed to work even better together, including constructive dialogue about topics such as representation and inclusion, feedback practices, and managing stakeholder relationships.

    The team identified several practical improvements they wanted to implement, including consistent meeting agendas, quarterly face-to-face team days that balance work-focused discussions with informal connection, and more regular conversations about learning and development. To sustain the momentum from the workshop, the team committed to monthly 30-minute check-ins to reflect on what’s working and where friction might come about, rotating “Knowledge Sharing” sessions where members share expertise, and practice feedback sessions to build confidence in constructive challenge.

    The workshop set in motion more collaboration, better leveraging of diverse strengths and navigation of any challenges with more understanding and trust.

    “The day went really well and the feedback has been excellent.”

    Let’s build potential, together

    Share your goals and challenges with our qualified team of assessment experts today.

  • Case Study: Building opportunity with an apprenticeship programme & hiring for The Portman Estate

    Case Study: Building opportunity with an apprenticeship programme & hiring for The Portman Estate

    The portman estate logo
    Ladder logo
    Property

    Building opportunity with apprenticeship programmes & hiring for The Portman Estate

    Discover how Unseen helped The Portman Estate drive diversity in an industry that has historically been exclusive.

    About the Customer

    Organisation

    The Portman Estate

    Industry

    Property

    Use Case

    Automating processes and streamlining HR workflows.

    Key result

    Over 80 strong candidates sourced, resulting in successful hires of highly motivated apprentices

    Background

    Located in central London’s Marylebone, The Portman Estate is a forward-thinking property company, managing 110 acres of prime commercial, retail, and residential space.

    With a commitment to preserving Marylebone’s Georgian architecture, The Portman Estate also aims to drive diversity in an industry that has historically been exclusive. Their vision included providing students with a clear pathway into the real estate sector, but they needed support on how to make this a reality.

    The Solution

    The Portman Estate partnered with Unseen’s strategy & delivery experts, Ladder, to bring this vision to life through their first-ever apprenticeship programme. Launching an apprenticeship for the first time can be complex and time-consuming, and the team was understandably apprehensive about how to find the right candidates and build the necessary infrastructure. Seamless delivery and securing individuals that could hit the ground running were top priorities.

    Despite being established in the sector, The Portman Estate was relatively unknown to prospective apprentices, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds with limited exposure to the industry. Attracting a diverse pool of candidates presented a challenge, so we worked closely with their team to position this opportunity as inclusive and accessible, ensuring a broad and representative candidate pool.

    Safeguarding was a central consideration for the programme, especially with school leavers. We worked with The Portman Estate to ensure that safeguarding best practices were embedded throughout the process. This included developing safeguarding policies, aligning team members and candidates on expectations, and ensuring that everyone involved felt confident and supported in their role. Safeguarding remained central during the hiring process as well. Measures included blind CVs, no video calls, and strict rules against saving candidates’ personal details.

    Results

    The collaboration with Unseen helped The Portman Estate successfully establish a sustainable and inclusive apprenticeship programme. The process included conducting in-depth research into potential apprenticeship training providers and presenting options that aligned with their business needs. The selected provider was local, maximising on-the-job training and giving apprentices broad exposure to commercial operations.

    Internal research interviews with key team members provided insights that shaped the candidate sourcing process, ensuring that candidates were selected based on their capabilities rather than background. As a result, Unseen launched an inclusive hiring campaign that targeted London-based students aged 16-19, leveraging LinkedIn and its network to attract diverse applicants.

    From the 84 candidates sourced, 58% were female, and 100% were state-school educated. Of those, five candidates were shortlisted for interviews, and The Portman Estate successfully hired two highly motivated apprentices. This marked the successful launch of their first apprenticeship programme, positioning The Portman Estate as an inclusive and attractive employer for early careers talent in the real estate sector.

    84 candidates sourced

    58% were female, and 100% were state-school educated

    Successful hires

    of highly motivated apprentices

    Strong brand positioning

    estabilishing The Portman Estate as an inclusive and attractive employer for early careers talent in the real estate sector

    Ready to transform your hiring?

    Speak to one of our recruitment experts today.

  • Case Study: Building a bespoke assessment tool for Mind³

    Case Study: Building a bespoke assessment tool for Mind³

    Mind³ logo
    Evolve logo
    Business Consulting and Services

    Building a bespoke assessment tool for Mind³

    Discover how Unseen delivered a tailored solution for Mind³ using the Evolve Assess platform.

    About the Customer

    Organisation

    Mind³

    Industry

    Business Consulting and Services

    Use Case

    Assessment tool creation

    Key result

    Delivery of bespoke assessment tool with personalised service throughout the project

    Background

    When Mind³/TeamUp were seeking a customised assessment tool they partnered with Unseen, using the Evolve Assess platform to meet their unique requirements.

    Emma Ferrier, the Operations Director at Mind³, commended Unseen for their understanding, flexibility, and commitment to delivering a tailored solution.

    This case study was provided by Emma Ferrier.

    Challenge & requirements

    Mind³ had a highly specialised vision for their assessment tool and needed a company that could accommodate their unique requirements.

    The tool needed to attract website traffic while delivering a visually appealing and intellectually engaging experience for participants. They sought a partner who could adapt to their evolving needs and budgetary restrictions, understanding the ambitious goals they aimed to achieve with a small team.

    Our Approach

    Unseen demonstrated their commitment to Mind³’s success by actively engaging in discussions and asking the right questions. They prioritised understanding our needs and building a solution around them, rather than forcing their requirements to fit an existing product. This collaborative approach, coupled with Unseen’ honesty and responsiveness, fostered a strong partnership.

    “Throughout the project, [Unseen] exhibited a genuine understanding of [our] vision and limitations. The level of support provided went beyond addressing challenges promptly; it involved being available for assistance whenever required. The partnership was built on trust, with Mind³ confident that [Unseen] would deliver exceptional results and appreciative of their honesty and responsiveness.”

    Impact

    The biggest value Mind³ derived from the partnership was not only the bespoke assessment tool but also the personalised service they received. Unseen embraced their role as an extension of Mind³’s team, offering support and expertise for both complex and straightforward queries. The partnership extended to time-sensitive situations, where Unseen consistently had Mind³’s back, ensuring a smooth project delivery.

    Mind³ summarised their experience working with Unseen using three key attributes: responsive, flexible, and positive. Unseen consistently displayed a proactive approach, promptly addressing questions and providing solutions. Their flexibility in accommodating future requests and their positive attitude towards problem-solving contributed to a productive collaboration.

    The partnership exemplifies a successful collaboration driven by understanding, flexibility, and mutual trust. Unseen not only delivered a bespoke assessment tool but also provided exceptional personalised service throughout the project. Their responsiveness, adaptability, and positive approach helped Mind³ achieve their goals, creating a lasting partnership based on shared success.

    Host assessments your way

    Book a demo today and say goodbye to clunky, off-the-shelf platforms.

  • Blog Post: The ROI Articulation Gap

    Blog Post: The ROI Articulation Gap

    Talent Strategy

    The ROI Articulation Gap

    How robust data, joined-up evidence and clear storytelling can support stronger investment decisions for hiring teams.

    Ali Hackett

    Ali Hackett

    Customer Experience Director, Unseen Group

    Seeing the value of your hiring approaches is one thing, articulating it to finance teams and senior leaders is another.

    As budgets face greater scrutiny, we’re regularly hearing from our customers about the increasing pressure they’re under to demonstrate return on investment. They’re noticing improvements in candidate experience, efficiency and quality of hire off the back of new approaches, but connecting those improvements to wider business priorities in clear measurable terms is more challenging.

    This is why we support customers with a joined-up approach to ROI. By bringing together financial, operational and candidate data, employers can build a fuller picture of the value created.

    For example, Meet&Engage – Unseen’s candidate experience and onboarding tool – helped the Ministry of Justice save an estimated 234 days of human work time through chatbot support, while maintaining a 94% candidate satisfaction rating.

    Our mission this year has not only been to provide our customers with strong ROI, but to help them prove it internally too.

    For EDF Energy, the clearest value measure was financial, with an estimated 80% reduction in assessment centre costs following the introduction of our digital assessment centre platform, TopScore. However, the efficiencies of this approach also saved candidates around five hours of travel time per assessment centre. By bringing in this additional value measure, the EDF hiring team can paint a fuller picture of the value their strategy has driven.

    A common mistake is stopping ROI conversations at cost. These examples show how the strongest cases also account for what changed operationally, what the data shows, and what the experience meant for candidates going through the process.

    At Unseen, we’re sharing how robust data, joined-up evidence and clear storytelling can support stronger investment decisions for hiring teams.

    Building a picture of ROI

    Unfortunately, there’s no single measure that captures ROI, and success will look different from one organisation to another. To start building the picture, sit down with your team and work through the following:

    Starting point: what problem existed and what was the baseline?
    Intervention: what changed and why?
    Evidence: what improved, how do we know and what did it cost?
    Wider value: what did it mean for candidates, teams, fairness, risk and future decisions?

    What this looks like in practice

    Hiring faster at scale

    Yodel

    Starting point: high-volume recruitment, the need to guide candidates towards relevant roles and support them outside normal recruiter hours.

    Intervention: Unseen’s Meet&Engage platform introduced automated screening, a match-me solution, and evening/weekend support, integrated with Yodel’s ATS and careers site.

    Evidence: average time to hire reduced by 38%. Across the first two years, the screening bot assessed 68,983 candidates and the chatbots handled 197,700 conversations, with 97% of candidates rating the overall experience positively.

    Wider value: hiring speed and scale, sustained alongside candidate experience, giving a broader view of value than time to hire alone can provide.

    Build your own internal case

    If you’re finding it difficult to explain the value of your hiring work internally, these examples offer a practical starting point. Choose one live challenge in your own hiring process and use the four questions above to turn it into a clear internal case.

    Start by agreeing what success looks like and capturing a baseline. Then bring together the measures that matter, from cost and team capacity to candidate experience, fairness and speed. Present the evidence in terms that finance, HR and senior leaders can use, while being clear about what the data can and cannot prove.

    You don’t need to reduce a complex talent process to a single number. You need a clear, honest account of what changed, what the data shows and why it matters to help others understand the value your team is creating and build support for future investment.

    Your checklist for measuring and articulating ROI

    #1

    Agree what success looks like before launching a programme.

    #2

    Capture baseline measures so change can be assessed.

    #3

    Combine operational, candidate and business measures.

    #4

    Track outcomes across the journey, rather than at one isolated stage.

    #5

    Present findings in language that finance, HR and senior leaders can use.

    #6

    Be clear about what the data can and cannot prove.

    Access free resources to help you build better ROI cases

    We know the challenge of showcasing ROI effectively is a live one for hiring teams. As campaigns kick off for the season, now is the time to start laying the groundwork for the conversations you’ll need to have later on.

    Follow the Unseen LinkedIn page to keep up to date with free resources we’ll be releasing, including:

    ● Client evidence and practical examples.
    ● The measures that help employers understand value.
    ● Guidance on connecting talent activity to internal business priorities.
    ● Perspectives on using data without losing sight of people and candidate experience.

    Talk to us about proving ROI

    We can help you identify the measures that matter, connect them to business priorities and build a clearer internal case.

  • Case Study: Embedding social mobility for Newable

    Case Study: Embedding social mobility for Newable

    Newable logo
    Ladder logo
    Financial Services

    Embedding social mobility for Newable

    How Newable embarked upon a journey to understand and enhance socioeconomic diversity within the organisation.

    About the Customer

    Organisation

    Newable

    Industry

    Finance

    Use Case

    Addressing social mobility and socioeconomic diversity

    Key result

    Newable were provided with targeted, actionable recommendations that they could integrate into their strategic planning

    Background

    In today’s fast-paced financial services landscape, addressing social mobility and socioeconomic diversity is not just a moral imperative – it’s a strategic advantage. Newable, a forward-thinking financial firm based in London, recognised this critical need after scoring low on the social mobility index.

    Determined to turn this challenge into an opportunity, the Newable people team decided to embark on a journey to understand and enhance socioeconomic diversity within the organisation. To ensure they made the most of this effort, Newable partnered with Unseen’s experts in combining workplace learning with data-driven insights, Ladder. This collaboration aimed to benchmark Newable’s current state against UK and industry standards while igniting a broader conversation about inclusion across the firm.

    The Workshop

    To lay the groundwork for the project, Unseen hosted a virtual workshop titled “Socioeconomic Diversity at Newable.” The entire workforce was invited to join, ensuring that every employee became a part of the conversation. Unseen crafted a bespoke agenda tailored specifically for Newable, weaving together current research and industry insights with the fundamentals of social mobility and social inequality.

    The workshop not only clarified why these issues matter but also helped employees understand their personal and professional implications. By demystifying these concepts, participants gained a solid foundation on which to build further discussions. At the conclusion of the session, employees were introduced to the next phase of the project – a comprehensive socioeconomic background survey – equipping them to contribute meaningful data to the project.

    The Data Collection

    With the Newable workforce now informed and engaged, Unseen designed a customised socioeconomic data collection form that reflected Newable’s unique brand and culture. The survey was structured to be both concise and inclusive, capturing a wide range of demographic and socioeconomic indicators.

    Although there were initial concerns among senior leaders about typical low engagement with company-wide surveys, the thoughtful communication strategy and interactive workshop led to an impressive turnout. Out of a total of 177 employees, 119 participated by submitting their responses anonymously. This robust participation provided a rich, detailed dataset that not only painted a clear picture of Newable’s current socioeconomic diversity but also demonstrated the genuine interest and commitment of the team to this critical subject.

    “[Unseen] didn’t help us tick a box, they helped us build something impactful and lasting. If you’re serious about embedding social mobility into your company, you won’t find a better partner.”

    Impact

    Unseen analysed the data and developed a detailed report and presentation for Newable’s HR team, offering a clear snapshot of the firm’s socioeconomic landscape. This analysis benchmarked Newable’s performance against national averages and the broader financial services industry, highlighting both strengths and areas for improvement.

    The findings provided targeted, actionable recommendations that Newable could integrate into their strategic planning. Moreover, these insights empowered the firm to set realistic goals for enhancing diversity and promoting social mobility. To ensure transparency and collective buy-in, the results were shared with the entire organisation during a Town Hall meeting. This open dialogue not only reinforced the importance of the project but also underscored Newable’s commitment to fostering a culture of inclusivity and continuous improvement.

    Let’s build better hiring journeys

    Chat to our team about transforming your hiring today.

  • Case Study: How BT transformed their assessments with the TopScore platform

    Case Study: How BT transformed their assessments with the TopScore platform

    Unseen Client Story

    How BT transformed their assessments with the TopScore platform

    We spoke to Kate Gregory, Early Careers Recruitment Partner at BT about their experience using Unseen’s TopScore platform, the impact of digital assessment and what comes next for their early careers strategy.

    Watch the full client interview
    The story

    A smarter approach to digital assessment

    Kate Gregory works across Early Careers Recruitment at BT, supporting candidates through a modern assessment experience. In this interview, she shares why BT chose Unseen and how the TopScore platform has helped their team deliver a more efficient, accessible and engaging process.

    From the initial transition to digital assessment through to candidate and assessor feedback, we explore what has made the biggest difference.

    “We found the TopScore platform very user friendly, and we felt completely supported by the [Unseen] team.”
    Kate Gregory, Early Careers Recruitment Partner at BT
    94% of BT’s assessors said they were ‘really pleased’ with the platform
    Paperless environment improving sustainability
    Cost savings on travel and hospitality for assessors and candidates
    The interview

    In conversation with Kate

    We asked Kate about BT’s experience with Unseen’s TopScore platform and the future of digital assessment.

    Why did you choose to partner with Unseen?

    Kate: The TopScore platform came highly recommended to us by one of our current external partners. After a couple of demos, it was clear how we could benefit from this platform.

    How did you find the transition from tradition face-to-face assessment to virtual assessment centres?

    Kate: All of our assessment centres before March 2020 were face-to-face, so this transition was huge for us. Also, considering that this was a complete system change for us, the move to a virtual world was much smoother than we’d anticipated. We found the TopScore platform very user friendly, and we felt completely supported by the [Unseen] team.

    What feedback have you had from assessors and candidates?

    Kate: Both assessors and candidates were initially quite nervous about using a brand new platform and moving to the virtual world in general. The feedback since has been really positive, with both parties finding TopScore user friendly and a seamless experience. When we carried out a survey, 94% of our assessors said they were really pleased with the platform.

    What would you say are the key benefits of running digital assessment centres or interviews on one platform like TopScore?

    Kate: There were a range of benefits in running the digital assessment centres and these included moving to paperless environments, cost savings on travel and hospitality for assessors and candidates, and for us, the Early Careers team who run the events, it also facilitated a shorter working day for all parties involved. And finally, we were able to provide candidate feedback reports and also make our own amendments to the materials as needed.

    What are your longer term plans for assessment centres?

    Kate: Our longer term plan is to continue along the route of our virtual assessment centres, but we may look at more of a hybrid approach in the future just based on the needs of the business as well as the candidate accessibility.

    A key takeaway

    Moving assessment online isn’t simply about replicating a face-to-face process digitally. The biggest opportunity is to rethink the experience around what candidates, assessors and recruitment teams actually need.

    As expectations around digital recruitment continue to evolve, organisations need assessment technology that works for everyone involved. For BT, the TopScore platform is helping make that experience simpler, more flexible and more effective.

    Want to talk about your assessment process?

    Whether you’re exploring digital assessment for the first time or looking to improve an existing process, our team can help you understand what’s possible with Unseen.

  • Case Study: Streamlining HR processes for Naranja X

    Case Study: Streamlining HR processes for Naranja X

    Naranja X logo
    Udder logo
    Fintech

    Streamlining HR processes for Naranja X

    Discover how Unseen helped Naranja X streamline HR processes with HiBob, integrating 15+ apps and automating onboarding, offboarding, and more.

    About the Customer

    Organisation

    Naranja X

    Industry

    Fintech

    Use Case

    Automating processes and streamlining HR workflows.

    Key result

    100% systematisation of onboarding, offboarding, monthly updates, and survey distribution

    The Challenge

    Naranja X faced significant challenges with its existing HR systems. Customising configurations or designing scalable processes was difficult with the previous system, leading to an over-reliance on manual processes and the use of multiple spreadsheets, tools, and providers to complete tasks.

    This inefficiency resulted in operational bottlenecks, fragmented workflows, and a negative impact on the user experience.

    The Solution

    To address Naranja X’s challenges, we implemented:

    Core HR, Talent, Workforce Planning (WFP), and Compensation modules

    Automating processes and streamlining workflows.

    Payroll Hub integration

    Ensuring seamless data transmission whilst maintaining system flexibility.

    15 business system integrations

    Automating user account management, role assignments, dashboard reporting, benefits allocation, and more.

    100% systematization of onboarding, offboarding, monthly updates, and survey distribution

    Eliminating manual processes that previously relied on forms, emails, and ticketing systems.

    Our Approach

    Our extensive experience working with companies in Argentina gave us a unique advantage in understanding the local HR landscape and regulatory complexities.

    This cultural and linguistic alignment allowed us to bridge communication gaps and ensure the system configuration aligned seamlessly with Naranja X’s processes.

    One of the key challenges was reflecting Naranja X’s complex and ever-evolving data model in a way that still provided a user-friendly experience for employees, managers, and administrators. Our team worked closely with Naranja X to explore multiple solutions, always prioritising maintainability and scalability while keeping their long-term needs in mind.

    Additionally, integrating HiBob with their existing payroll system required innovative solutions due to strict data requirements. Our deep technical knowledge enabled us to mitigate these challenges and deliver a solution that met both business and technical needs.

    “The openness of the [Unseen] team to listen to our needs and find alternatives to address them. Their collaborative approach and the dynamic workflow we built together, adapting it throughout the project based on the complexity of each topic.

    Both Barb and Guada were a great match with our values, our way of working, and how we build agreements to achieve our objectives.”

     Carla Medina
    Project Lead, Naranja X

    Impact

    Improved efficiency:

    HR processes are now fully automated, reducing administrative burden and increasing HR’s capacity for strategic work.

    Enhanced user experience:

    Employees, managers, and admins can now complete key HR tasks within a single, intuitive platform.

    Stronger integrations:

    Seamless data flow between HiBob and business-critical applications has eliminated redundant data entry and enhanced reporting capabilities.

    Scalable HR tech foundation:

    The system is designed to grow with Naranja X, ensuring long-term sustainability.

    Ready to make better tech choices?

    Speak to one of our HR tech advisory experts today.

  • Webinar: Why Candidates Renege: The Psychology of Keeping the Yes

    Webinar: Why Candidates Renege: The Psychology of Keeping the Yes

    Why Candidates Renege

    The Psychology of Keeping the Yes

    Now available on-demand

    In this practical webinar in partnership with Grant Thornton, our experts explore why commitment can become fragile after offer acceptance and what employers can do to create a more connected, confident and consistent pre-joining experience.

    Watch on-demand

    Enter your details to access the recording.

    A candidate accepting your offer is an important step, but it is not the end of the decision-making process. Between accepting and starting, candidates may still be weighing other options, looking for reassurance or questioning whether the role is right for them.

    Drawing on behavioural science, practical examples, and the Grant Thornton team’s experience, our speakers will share four principles for reducing reneges and helping candidates feel ready to join.

    What we’ll explore

    01

    How to create meaningful opportunities for commitment

    Small actions can help candidates invest in their decision. We’ll explore the types of onboarding activities, pre-work, welcome assets and early conversations you can implement to create momentum after offer acceptance.

    02

    How to reduce uncertainty about the role and the experience ahead

    Candidates want clear, practical information about what happens next. We’ll look at how different content and activities can answer questions before they become reasons for a candidate to reconsider.

    03

    Building a sense of belonging

    People are more likely to stay committed when they already feel part of a group. We’ll discuss the value of personal communication, authentic employee stories, early introductions and thoughtfully designed ‘buddy’ relationships.

    04

    Boosting confidence that candidates can succeed

    Some candidates disengage because they are quietly asking themselves whether they can succeed in the role. We’ll discuss what you can do to help candidates feel more prepared to start.



    Watch on-demand

    By the end of the webinar, you’ll be able to

  • Explain the psychological factors that can make post-offer commitment fragile
  • Identify gaps in your current experience between offer acceptance and start date
  • Consider practical ways to create commitment through small, well-timed actions
  • Reflect on which parts of the four-principle framework are strongest in your organisation and which need more attention

    • Meet your hosts

    Hear directly from experts with decades of experience.

    Ben Williams
    Chief Scientist
    Unseen
    Connect on LinkedIn
    Nicola Sullivan
    Partnerships Director
    Unseen
    Connect on LinkedIn
    Holly Pearce
    Talent & Recruitment Experience Manager
    Grant Thornton
    Connect on LinkedIn

    Watch on-demand

    Enter your details to access the recording.

    Watch now
  • Blog Post: From MVP to MVP

    Blog Post: From MVP to MVP

    Talent & Early Careers

    From MVP to MVP

    Your Future Leaders Are Already in the Building

    Katie Thomas

    Katie Thomas

    Business Psychologist, Principal Consultant, Unseen Group

    Graduate and early career unemployment has risen, and continues to rise with cost-cutting and increased AI usage often being cited as the cause. But there’s a very real reason why early career roles have to continue existing.

    Morally, yes, we need to support the development of emerging talent, but also; practically. Practically we need emerging talent that we can develop if we want to have a sustainable talent pipeline.

    There’s a term borrowed from the world of product development that I think deserves a moment in the spotlight when it comes to talent strategy: MVP.

    In tech, it stands for Minimum Viable Product; the leanest, most functional version of something that still delivers real value. It’s good enough to ship. Good enough to learn from. Good enough to build on.

    And when I think about graduate hiring, I think that framing actually works really well, even if the term “minimum” doesn’t sound great.

    Let’s Address the Elephant in the Room

    Calling a person a “minimum viable product” could, understandably, raise a few eyebrows. Bear with me here. I think reframing it actually shows something important about how we should think about early talent, and about why the MVP concept is so much more powerful than the name suggests.

    In product development, an MVP is a deliberate, strategic choice. You’re releasing something with genuine value, that you intend to grow.

    The whole point of an MVP is that it’s the foundation with potential. That’s what a graduate is: someone with real potential.

    The Truth About Hiring Graduates

    When organisations bring in early talent, we know that a graduate is unlikely to match the output of someone with five or ten years of deliberate, intentional experience in the role.

    That’s not a criticism; we should all be aiming to continuously develop and be better than we were when we first joined the workforce. Expertise takes time to build. Judgement is often earned through trial, error, and repetition.

    So why hire graduates at all, when you could hire someone who’s already further along that curve? Or, as we’re increasingly hearing, why not use AI instead of an individual in their early career?

    Because the question isn’t only who can add the most value right now. It’s who will be shaping this organisation in ten years?

    The answer to that question is why it’s so important to invest today.

    Graduate hiring is a commitment to building your own talent rather than perpetually buying it in. And organisations that do it well; that don’t just hire early talent but genuinely develop it, create something that you simply can’t easily acquire from a competitor: institutional knowledge, cultural alignment, and leaders who grew up understanding how you work.

    But the investment only pays off if you actually invest.

    Bringing in graduates and leaving them to figure it out, under-resourcing their onboarding, giving them no mentorship or structured development, and then being quietly disappointed when they don’t perform like veterans?

    That’s not a talent strategy.

    That’s a missed opportunity dressed up as one. The MVP only becomes something great if you keep building it.

    On the Other End: The “Most Valued Player”

    The other MVP; this term borrowed from sport, tends to conjure a very specific image. The standout superstar. The one who carries the team. The singular, irreplaceable person whose brilliance lifts everyone around them.

    I want to gently push back on that framing, too.

    In my experience, organisations don’t succeed because of one Most Valued Player. They succeed because of teams of complementary people and styles.

    The way people combine, collaborate, challenge each other’s thinking, and catch each other’s blind spots.

    MVP #1

    Minimum Viable Product

    Someone with genuine potential, ready to learn, grow, contribute and develop into something much bigger.

    MVP #2

    Most Valued Player

    Someone who has developed the confidence, capability, relationships and perspective to create distinctive value.

    The superstar who can’t collaborate, can’t develop others, and can’t share credit is unable to make the kind of sustained value that a cohesive, high-functioning team does.

    So when I use the term here, I’m not talking about crowning anyone. I’m talking about a stage of professional development; the point at which someone moves from being capable and supported to being autonomous and genuinely additive.

    When they’re not just completing tasks but shaping strategy.

    The Journey Between the Two MVPs

    What does the road actually look like? It’s rarely linear, could be a bit messy, and it looks different in every organisation and for every person.

    Broadly speaking, it tends to move through a few phases:

    01

    Learning to operate

    In the early stages, it’s about building foundations; understanding the business, developing core skills, learning how things actually work (as opposed to how they work in theory).

    02

    Building confidence and credibility

    This is where early talent starts to find their voice. They’re contributing ideas, not just executing instructions. They’re developing a reputation for reliability, curiosity, and accountability.

    03

    Working with increasing autonomy

    They need less scaffolding. They’re proactively identifying problems, rather than just solving the ones placed in front of them. Their managers start thinking increasingly of them as a resource.

    04

    Adding value that only they can add

    This is where people have developed a distinctive combination of knowledge, relationships, and perspective that makes them genuinely hard to replace.

    The gap between stage one and stage four is bridged by time, yes, but more importantly, by quality of support, quality of challenge, and of course the quality of opportunity.

    Which means there’s a real dual responsibility between the individual and the organisation in development.

    What Does This Mean for Leaders?

    If you influence how early talent is brought in and developed, I’d encourage you to hold both MVPs in mind at once.

    When you hire a graduate, you’re not hiring what they are today. You’re making an educated, informed bet on what they’ll become; and need to make a commitment to play an active role in making that come to life.

    The minimum viable product needs a dedicated team behind it. It needs investment, iteration, and people who really believe in what it can grow into.

    The return on that investment, when it’s done well, is a workforce full of people who chose to grow with you, who understand your organisation from the inside out, and who will one day be the ones making the same bet on the next generation.

    Ready to invest in your future leaders?

    Graduate and early careers roles aren’t just about filling today’s vacancies. They’re about building the people, capability and leadership your organisation will need tomorrow.

    Let’s talk about how you can build an early careers strategy that turns potential into long-term value.