THE BUSINESS
Walk-In Media is a full-service media agency focused on delivering data-driven outcomes for their clients. Bringing brand and performance marketing together into one connected ecosystem, they offer brands a single holistic view of all marketing activity throughout the funnel.
The business is part of MSQ, a fast-growing international marketing and advertising group with over 1,500 staff across 10 agencies.
THE CHALLENGE
Designing a diversity-focused first-time apprenticeship programme for an SME.
Walk-In Media had never offered apprenticeships before, so they were looking for support to make sure they got it right first time. As a small business (just 40 people when we started working together in 2021, they didn’t have a dedicated early careers team, so they needed us to act as an extension of their team.
Not only that: they wanted to use their apprenticeship programme as a platform to lift up socially diverse young people with no existing links to the industry, creating opportunities for those who might not otherwise have them.
OUR APPROACH
Finding apprentices on demand with a short timescale and off-cycle start date.
We first started working with Walk-In Media in February 2021 with the aim that the apprentices would start in May the same year – giving us just eight weeks from beginning our outreach to welcoming the new hires.
Before doing anything, we collaborated with the team to design the two apprentice roles – one in advertising operations and one in the SEO team – and find a reliable training provider who could offer quality appenticeship training. Once everyone was clear on the kind of person we were looking for, we could get to work.
A May start-date meant we couldn’t approach school leavers, because final exams meant they wouldn’t be available for work until July at the earliest. Rather than building a full strategic early careers programme (which also requires a longer timeframe), we activated our on-demand offering designed specifically for shorter timelines and ‘off-cycle’ hires.
First, we tapped up our existing school networks in the area to reach out to young people no longer in school, but not yet in full-time employment, which helped us identify potential candidates. Our second strategy was to go direct to market through online channels that young people love to use to find jobs. For this approach, intensive screening was crucial to ensure a diverse pipeline with plenty of potential.
Once we had a talent pool, we ran virtual assessment days that would enable Walk-In Media get to know the candidates, as well as giving candidates an idea of what it could be like to work there. Alongside this, we trained Walk-In Media’s line managers to prepare them to work with apprentices for the first time. Plus, we put together an onboarding plan to offer structure for both the team and new hires in the first weeks and months of the apprenticeship.
Following the success of our first collaboration, we worked with Walk-In Media on an even shorter turnaround beginning in December 2021 for a January 2022 intake, then again in July 2022 for an August intake.
THE RESULTS
- Hired 2 apprentices from the first intake – both completed their apprenticeships in September 2022 and went on to become permanent employees at Walk-In Media
- Hired 2 apprentice from the second intake, due to complete in April 2023
- Hired 4 from the third intake who started in September 2022
- 460+ applications over three intakes
- 15-25 candidates in the pipeline for each intake
- 10 interview candidates selected by the client for each intake
WHAT THE EMPLOYER SAYS
“Working with Visionpath has allowed us access to an excellent network of talented, enthusiastic school leavers with huge future potential, which has so far led to the hiring of eight apprentices.
The media industry is very much about who you know and opportunities often come about because of people’s connections, but – thanks to Visionpath’s early careers programme – we’ve been able to break this mould and attract people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to get a foot in the door.
We were so impressed with the efficiency of the recruitment programme and the calibre of the candidates that we’ve now hired three intakes of apprentices and look forward to welcoming more in the future.”
– Simon Davis, CEO of Walk-In Media
Want to know how we can create and manage a bespoke apprenticeship programme for your business? Get in touch.
