Tag: case study

Case Study: Developing bespoke assessments for Toyota GB

Automotive & Manufacturing
How Toyota GB overhauled their graduate and apprentice assessment processes with Sten10

Replacing outdated exercises with evidence-based, psychologically informed, bespoke assessment centre tasks relevant to Toyota GB.

About the Customer

Organisation

Toyota GB

Industry

Automotive & Manufacturing

Use Case

Graduate and apprenticeship assessment

Strengthening engagement

Average candidate engagement ratings of 5.48-5.71/6

Background

Toyota GB had been using the same exercises for several years which had started to feel dated. Toyota GB was keen to create an updated and even better experience for assessors and candidates.

Sten10 worked closely with Toyota GB to develop bespoke assessment tasks tailored for graduates and apprentices across various departments, ensuring a uniquely Toyota experience.

The Challenge

Toyota spotted an opportunity in their Emerging Talent recruitment process: their assessment exercises could be more up to date, and even more engaging. They also wanted to reflect the company’s modern focus on innovation and sustainability as well as its community feel.

In a competitive job market, where organisations need to “sell” roles to candidates, Toyota’s exercises fell short. An analysis of candidate data revealed overlaps in tasks intended to measure different competencies, resulting in ineffective evaluation of key behaviours.

Additionally, Toyota’s transition to their new potential model necessitated a cohesive, unified approach across the organisation.

Giving feedback to candidates is really important to Toyota and this was a massive, time-hungry task for assessors. We needed to look for a way to provide candidates with useful feedback while saving time for assessors.

The Solution

Sten10 worked closely with Toyota stakeholders to develop new group exercises, analysis tasks and interview guides that let Toyota talk to candidates about their innovative and sustainable work, and aligned to their new potential model. We also proposed a new feedback process that would save weeks of time for assessors.

Tasks

The new tasks reflected Toyota’s core goals for sustainability and innovation, integrating the One Toyota Potential model.

Exercises

Sten10 created multimedia exercises designed to engage all candidates and ensure fair assessment.

Group exercises were cleverly designed to positively include all candidate equally so quieter and more confident candidates could be assessed equivalently.

Video

Incorporated different video “curveballs” in group exercises to challenge candidates’ agility in real-time, making the exercises more engaging and adaptable over time.

Feedback

Developed an automated feedback guide for assessors, featuring dynamic feedback statements and practical development tips aligned with the descriptors in Toyota’s potential model.

Scoring

Candidates’ scores from the integration session automatically generated relevant feedback, allowing Toyota to provide timely feedback to all candidates, regardless of outcome. The automated system protected assessors’ time by streamlining the feedback process.

Training

Sten10 provided comprehensive assessor training on the new exercises, and best practise to make sure every assessor could pick up the exercises and be ready-to-go.

The Impact

Quality

The new exercises were designed by experts to support fair assessment for all candidates regardless of background, whilst providing valuable insights into Toyota’s work environment. Candidates appreciated the opportunity to learn and grow, even if they weren’t selected for a role. Detailed feedback was valued for providing insights into strengths and development areas.

Brand Perception

Candidates felt the experience enhanced their perception of Toyota, reinforcing its positive reputation. Being able to reflect the great work that they’re doing, in these exercises was a huge step forwards for Toyota.

Engagement

Candidates across the Emerging Talent assessment centres rated important areas about the assessment centres on a 1 – 6 scale:

“This exercise allowed me to demonstrate my skills and abilities.” → 5.48

“This exercise was engaging.” → 5.59

“This exercise felt relevant for the placement I was being considered for.” → 5.71

The candidates felt that they were able to show off their strengths in interesting exercises that felt relevant to them and Toyota.

Efficiency

The new feedback process Sten10 developed for Toyota saved approximately 1 hour per candidate. This means that every year, across all of the emerging talent assessment centres Sten10 saves weeks of time for Toyota’s assessors.

Let’s build potential, together

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21 July 2026
Case Study: How National Grid streamlined their Early Careers assessment centres with TopScore

Utilities & Energy
How National Grid streamlined their Early Careers assessment centres with TopScore

Supporting graduate, apprenticeship and social mobility assessment centres with a simpler, more consistent digital assessment experience.

About the Customer

Organisation

National Grid

Industry

Utilities & Energy

Use Case

Graduate, apprenticeship and social mobility assessment centres

Scale

80+ assessment centres delivered annually

The Challenge

National Grid’s Early Careers team manages a high volume of assessment centres each year to recruit graduates, apprentices and candidates through social mobility programmes.

Prior to adopting TopScore, assessment activities were delivered virtually, with processes spread across multiple systems. As the team evolved and scaled, they needed a more structured and reliable way to manage assessment centres while maintaining a positive experience for both assessors and candidates.

With up to 80 assessment centres delivered annually and multiple stakeholder groups involved in each event, efficiency, consistency and ease of administration became critical.

“TopScore has just been easy. Easy to use, easy to set up, and easy to manage. It’s become a key part of how we run our assessment centres.”

The Solution

Having previously used TopScore in other organisations, members of the National Grid team were confident in its ability to support large-scale assessment delivery.

Since implementing TopScore in 2023, National Grid has used the platform across:

Programme

Graduate assessment centres

Programme

Advanced and higher apprenticeship programmes

Initiative

Social mobility recruitment initiatives

Delivery

Virtual and in-person assessment events

The team uses TopScore to manage scheduling, assessment scoring, assessor coordination and candidate evaluation, creating a single source of truth throughout the assessment process.

“We rely on the assessors assessing effectively so it is great for us to have all of the assessor notes and scores in one place.”

The Impact

Since implementing TopScore, National Grid has streamlined its assessment centre delivery, reducing administrative complexity and creating a simpler experience for everyone involved.

The platform has supported improvements across usability, collaboration, scheduling and candidate experience.

A Simpler Way to Run Assessment Centres

For National Grid, one of the biggest benefits of TopScore has been ease of use.

The platform enables assessors and administrators to quickly access schedules, record scores and manage assessment activities without extensive training or technical expertise.

“It’s just a simple tool that is easy to use. You don’t need too much brain power to be able to use it.”

Everything in One Place

Before TopScore, assessment information was distributed across different systems and processes.

Today, assessor notes, candidate scores and scheduling information are all stored centrally, giving the team confidence in their decision-making and reducing administrative overhead.

The team uses assessor scores directly to inform hiring decisions, making consistency and visibility essential throughout the assessment process.

“We don’t have a separate wash-up to calibrate the scores. We rely on the assessors assessing effectively so it is great for us to have all of the assessor notes and scores in one place.”

Supporting High-Volume Hiring

National Grid delivers a significant number of assessment centres every year, with volumes regularly reaching more than 80 events.

TopScore’s scheduling capabilities have helped the team efficiently coordinate large numbers of assessors and candidates, while new functionality allowing multiple assessment centres to run within the same schedule has provided additional flexibility.

“It’s easy to set up schedules. It’s easy to create new schedules. And now that we have multiple assessment centres that can be done on the same day in the same schedule, that has been great for us this year.”

Positive Assessor & Candidate Experience

The majority of National Grid’s assessors are internal stakeholders, making usability particularly important.

According to the team, assessors have responded positively to the platform and find it straightforward to use during assessment events.

Assessors have also benefited from TopScore’s accessibility features, language options and digital assessment delivery capabilities.

“TopScore in terms of its usability for the candidates has been great. You’ve got the accessibility function and the option to where you can change the written and audio language.”

A Reliable Partner for Assessment Delivery

Since implementation, National Grid has experienced a smooth rollout and ongoing success with the platform.

The team continues to use TopScore as a core part of its assessment strategy and recommends it to other organisations looking to improve the efficiency and consistency of their assessment centres.

“I would definitely recommend it as a tool for any organisation to use.”

Key Results

Through implementing TopScore, National Grid has created a more efficient, consistent and scalable assessment process.

80+ Assessment Centres

Supporting graduate, apprenticeship and social mobility assessment centres annually.

One Central Platform

Scheduling, scoring, assessor collaboration and candidate evaluation managed in one place.

Reduced Administration

Less complexity by removing disconnected processes and bringing assessment data together.

Positive User Experience

Strong feedback from assessors and candidates using the platform during assessment events.

Flexible Delivery

Supporting both virtual and face-to-face assessment centres.

Consistent Decisions

Centralised scores and feedback helping teams make confident hiring decisions.

“TopScore has just been easy. Easy to use, easy to set up, and easy to manage. It’s become a key part of how we run our assessment centres.”

Conclusion

Today, TopScore supports National Grid’s Early Careers assessment strategy by helping the team deliver consistent, efficient and candidate-focused assessment centres at scale.

The platform has improved the way assessment activity is managed by reducing administration, bringing information into one place and creating a smoother experience for assessors, administrators and candidates.

Through its ease of use, flexibility and ability to support large-scale assessment delivery, TopScore has become an important part of National Grid’s recruitment process.

80+ Events Annually

Supporting graduate, apprenticeship and social mobility assessment centres.

Multiple Programmes

Used across early careers recruitment initiatives and assessment formats.

Improved Experience

Providing a simpler journey for assessors and candidates alike.

“TopScore has just been easy. Easy to use, easy to set up, and easy to manage. It’s become a key part of how we run our assessment centres.”

Demo TopScore’s full range of features

Chat to our team to book your bespoke demo of Unseen’s digital assessment centre platform, TopScore, to see its full range of features and how it can streamline your assessment centres.

17 July 2026
Case Study: Strengthening Hiring Outcomes for Cooper Parry

Financial Services
Strengthening Hiring Outcomes for Cooper Parry

In 2024, Cooper Parry implemented TopScore, transforming its early careers assessment centres from a manual, paper-based process into a fully digital, data-driven, and sustainable experience.

This initiative was driven by a clear ambition: to improve decision quality, enhance candidate experience, reduce administrative burden, and align recruitment practices with B Corp values.

TopScore was successfully embedded across assessment centres in our professional services teams, delivering measurable impact across efficiency, sustainability, and hiring outcomes.

About the Customer

Organisation

Cooper Parry

Industry

Financial Services

Use Case

Managing assessment centres end-to-end

Scale

Annual efficiency gain of 106 hours of assessor time saved

The Challenge

Prior to implementation of Topscore, the assessment centre model was:

– Heavily paper-based, creating operational inefficiencies and environmental impact

– Admin-intensive, placing significant strain on recruiters and assessors

– Inconsistent in evaluation, with decisions often influenced by opinion rather than structured scoring

– Slow in feedback turnaround, negatively impacting candidate experience

– Time-heavy, with wash-up sessions taking up to 3 hours

As early careers hiring scaled, this approach became unsustainable and misaligned with the organisation’s ambition to deliver a modern, inclusive, and high-performing recruitment experience.

“We didn’t stop recruiting during COVID, but we couldn’t do face-to-face assessment centres.”

The Solution

TopScore was introduced as a centralised digital platform to manage assessment centres end-to-end.

The solution enabled:

– Real-time scoring and feedback capture in one place

– Structured, competency-based assessment, improving objectivity and consistency

– Streamlined wash-up discussions, supported by clear data

– Removal of paper-based processes, supporting sustainability goals

– Improved collaboration between assessors, driving better decision-making

The technology was implemented alongside a broader redesign of the early careers process, ensuring it enhanced both efficiency and experience.

Impact

Dramatic Time Savings & Efficiency Gains

– Wash-up sessions reduced from ~3 hours to 30–60 minutes

– Post-assessment admin reduced from 2 hours to 40 minutes per assessor

– Annual efficiency gain of 106 hours of assessor time saved

This has enabled recruiters and hiring managers to focus on higher-value activity, including candidate engagement and hiring decisions.

Significant Sustainability Improvements

– Elimination of paper-based processes saved ~4,000 sheets annually

– Introduction of digital scoring and reusable materials significantly reduced waste

These changes directly support the organisation’s B Corp commitments, embedding sustainability into recruitment operations.

Enhanced Candidate Experience

– Candidate satisfaction increased to from 4.2 to 4.81/5

– Faster feedback turnaround and more engaging, structured assessment experience

– Improved inclusivity, enabling candidates to perform at their best

The new process has created a more transparent, supportive, and candidate-focused journey.

Stronger Hiring Outcomes

– Offer acceptance increased from 86.6% to 92%

– Assessment centre-to-offer conversion improved to 48%

– Early careers retention improved to 92% (up from 81%)

The shift to structured, data-driven assessment has significantly improved both hiring quality and long-term success.

Strategic Impact

This initiative has delivered more than operational improvements it has driven a step change in how early careers recruitment is delivered.

– Decision-making has moved from subjective judgement to data-led assessment, improving fairness and consistency

– Assessors are more engaged and accountable, with clearer evaluation frameworks

– Recruitment processes are now fully aligned to organisational values, particularly sustainability and inclusion

– The model is now scalable and future-ready, capable of supporting continued business growth

The implementation of TopScore has contributed to the evolution of Talent Acquisition into a modern, insight-led, and high-impact function.

Why This Deserves Recognition

This initiative demonstrates how technology, when implemented with clear purpose and strong execution, can transform Talent Acquisition outcomes.

The impact is clear:

– Significant time and efficiency gains

– Meaningful environmental impact

– Improved candidate experience and engagement

– Stronger quality of hire and retention

Most importantly, it has created a sustainable, scalable, and high-quality early careers hiring model, positioning Cooper Parry as a leader in innovative, values-driven recruitment.

Demo TopScore’s full range of features

Chat to our team to book your bespoke demo of Unseen’s digital assessment centre platform, TopScore.
Test its full range of features and see how it can streamline your assessment centres.

15 July 2026