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New Possible’s British Recruitment Awards sets out to discover and celebrate the organisations that are truly passionate about recruitment’s role in building a thriving organisation.
In our ‘Sharing Success’ series, we interview British Recruitment Awards Winners to shine a light on the inspiring projects that are improving workplaces across the UK and beyond. In this article we interview Lucinda Thomas at National Grid, Winners of the 2024 ‘Talent Acquisition Strategy of the Year’ category.
Introducing Lucinda Thomas
Lucinda is the Director of Recruitment Strategy, Capability and Employer Branding at National Grid. Lucinda and her team enable and support the business in understanding who are the people vital to the success of National Grid and how they are going to attract them.
About National Grid
National Grid lies at the heart of the energy industry here in the UK and they’re the largest electricity transmission and distribution business keeping people connected and society moving, but it’s so much more than that. Across England and Wales, National Grid 'Bring Energy to Life', sitting at the heart of the communities they serve, they’re leading the transformation towards a greener future, dreaming bigger to bring a more affordable energy future to everyone.
Building a Net-Zero and Diverse Workforce for the Future
National Grid is undergoing a transformational journey in its recruitment strategy, aligning with its mission to build a net-zero workforce and meet the changing needs of the energy sector. In 2023, the company embarked on a major restructuring of its recruitment function, aiming to not only support its immediate business goals but to position itself as a leader in sustainable energy talent acquisition. With a focus on proactive engagement, data-driven insights, and an elevated candidate experience, National Grid is reshaping how it attracts, hires, and retains the talent necessary to fuel its long-term growth.
The core of National Grid’s new recruitment strategy is the creation of a Global Recruitment Strategy that emphasises four key pillars:
- Proactive Sourcing: Using workforce planning data to build a strategic talent pipeline for future needs.
- Elevated Experience: Delivering an inclusive and seamless experience for both candidates and hiring managers.
- Superpowered Perception: Strengthening the employer brand as a leader in sustainable energy and as an employer of choice.
- Technology Enabled: Implementing cutting-edge recruitment technology to streamline processes and stay competitive.
To support these priorities, National Grid has launched several key projects:
New Employer Brand ("Superpowered"): A refreshed brand to position National Grid as a leader in sustainable energy and an employer of choice.
Enhanced Global Careers Site: A revamped platform reflecting the new employer brand and improving the candidate experience.
Advanced Sourcing Tool: A cutting-edge technology to enhance recruitment efficiency and proactively build a talent pipeline.
Bespoke Employee Referral Programme: A programme to leverage the networks of current employees to attract top talent.
Recognition Programme: A system to reward exceptional performance within the recruitment team.
In addition to these initiatives, National Grid is ensuring that diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are integrated into every aspect of the recruitment process. The team has formed a dedicated DEI strategy to ensure that recruitment practices reflect the company’s values and meet the needs of diverse communities.
When asked what the brand ‘Superpowered’ represents to National Grid, Lucinda commented: “The 'Superpowered' employer brand for National Grid represents a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and a strong organisational culture that empowers employees. It highlights the company's focus on creating a positive work environment, fostering professional development, and promoting diversity and inclusion.
Through Superpowered we have been able to attract talent in a competitive marketplace by:
Differentiation: It sets National Grid apart from other employers in the utility sector, showcasing its unique colleagues, values and mission.
Attracting Top Talent: The emphasis on a supportive and dynamic workplace appeals to candidates looking for meaningful work and career growth.
Enhanced Reputation: A strong employer brand enhances the company's reputation, making it more appealing to potential employees who value meaningful work, corporate responsibility and sustainability.
Employee Advocacy: Current employees are likely to become advocates for the brand, sharing their positive experiences and attracting others to join.
When asked how National Grid maintained a consistent global employer brand while tailoring candidate experiences for local markets, Lucinda said: “Whilst we have established core values and messaging that represents Superpowered globally we ensure that these can remain flexible to cater to our local markets, particularly through language, imagery and specific benefits. We also apply targeted recruitment strategies and develop recruitment campaigns that highlight local opportunities, community involvement, and regional success stories while still aligning with the global brand. For the success of this it is imperative that we bring the HR team and our colleagues on this journey to ensure that the local nuances and market conditions are understood and reflected in the candidate experience.”
When asked what unexpected challenges did National Grid face during the implementation of the new employer brand, Lucinda mentioned:
“As most business face there are always challenges, predictable or not, when implementing an employer brand. The main challenge we faced was timely communication and education to the business, particularly as National Grid has never had a robust brand used specifically for attraction.
A few methods we used to overcome the above is:
- Conduct training sessions and workshops to demonstrate the benefits of Superpowered, involving key stakeholders who this directly impacts to gain their buy-in.
- Establish regular communication channels and cross-departmental meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page and understands their role in leveraging Superpowered.
- Listen to the business and continuously evolve to stay close to what is important to National Grid and keep us competitive in the market."
Key Achievements:
National Grid has tracked the success of its strategy through a set of critical metrics:
Time to Offer: 46 days (target: 50 days)
Offer Acceptance Rate: 87% (target: 81%)
Gender Diversity Band A-C Offers: 34% (target: 35%)
Ethnic Diversity Band A-C Offers: 49% (target: 20%)
Recruitment Experience: 86% (target: 85%)
Glassdoor Rating: 3.9 (target: 4.0)
These improvements reflect the team’s ongoing journey towards becoming a strategic recruitment partner that uses data, technology, and best DEI practices to elevate both hiring manager and candidate experiences. Overall, the judges praised the ‘great strategy’ with ‘impressive results’ along with the ‘strong integration of DEI in recruitment’.
What advice would Lucinda give to other organisations looking to implement a similarly bold transformation project? (Recruitment Strategy)?
“Building a recruitment strategy is a unique opportunity and a privilege to create a guiding "North Star" for your organisation’s talent acquisition efforts. To start, ensure that your strategy aligns with the broader strategic vision, business values, and culture of your organisation—this alignment will promote longevity while securing the support of key stakeholders, including your field and operations teams. Involve everyone from the outset; their insights are invaluable. Leverage data to anticipate future talent needs and develop a strategic talent pipeline that keeps you ahead in the competitive job market. Take the time to research your business and market trends, ensuring your strategy is relevant and tailored to your unique context. Embrace a mindset of progress over perfection—don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you begin, or you may never get going."
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