Widening the Graduate Talent Pool
As a charity focused on breaking down barriers to education, values alignment mattered. IntoUniversity wanted a hiring approach that reflected their mission — one that opened doors, rather than narrowing the field.
IntoUniversity runs education centres across the UK, often in some of the country’s most disadvantaged and rural communities. Recruiting for their graduate scheme in these locations had become increasingly challenging — especially outside major cities — where traditional pipelines through local universities limited both reach and diversity of applicants.
Pollen partnered with IntoUniversity to redesign their recruitment process around open access and skills-based assessment. By inviting anyone to apply — regardless of background or academic pathway — and assessing for behaviours, motivation, and potential, we expanded the talent pool far beyond the usual graduate channels.
This process resulted in successful placements across Great Yarmouth, Bridlington, and Bradford, with a shortlist that blended recent graduates and high-potential candidates who might never have considered — or been considered for — a traditional graduate scheme.
Hannah Padfield, Head of People, IntoUniversity
How did you find your experience working with Pollen?
We loved Pollen's approach to talent identification and found that their approach and values were really closely to our own as a charity focussed on breaking down barriers. The team at Pollen worked swiftly and were such a pleasure to deal with - and importantly found us a fantastic candidate in an area we've previously struggled to recruit in! Thank you Team Pollen!