FSA awarded prize for graduate recruitment process

The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has been awarded a prize for its original and innovative approach to graduate recruitment.

According to Online Recruitment, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) presented the accolade for the organisation's work with occupational psychology group Mendas.

Together, they developed a new scheme for assessing applicants to try and find an effective way of identifying the best candidates, as the FSA's graduate scheme is highly over-subscribed every year.

The recruitment process begins with a structured competency-based telephone interview. After this, candidates take part in two interactive exercises, a psychometric test and an interview.

Occupational psychologists then offer feedback to the employers, who have been watching the process via discrete video cameras.

'We undertook research which showed that assessors found it useful in being able to spot more behaviours and also to view the recording again at a later stage. Candidates also welcomed the videoing approach,' Hannah Longden from the FSA commented.

For those interested in applying to the organisation's graduate scheme, it takes on 40 trainees every year who then get the opportunity to work across its departments.