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.
