- Inaugural programme results in over 85% of intake offered fixed roles within Lloyds Banking Group.
- Programme open to senior candidates who have been out of the workplace for two years or more.
As part of Lloyds Banking Group’s commitment to helping Britain prosper, the Group has confirmed that the size of its Returners programme will be doubled in 2016, following the completion of the inaugural scheme in August this year.
The programme supports senior women and men who have been out of the workplace for more than two years to return to employment. From 200 applications, 15 candidates were selected in 2015, having had previous roles across a range of industries from natural resources to financial services.
The Returners were placed in a variety of positions across the Retail and Commercial divisions. They received line management, personal coaching and a series of bespoke training sessions during the initial ten week placement to help them in their transition into regular employment, and 13 were subsequently appointed to fixed term or permanent roles.
In 2016, the scheme is being expanded to have 40 candidates. Applications are being accepted from January, with the programme offering positions in Retail, Digital, Commercial, Group Operations and executive functions from April. The placements will be spread across the country, including Bristol, Edinburgh and London.
Helen Kent-Jackson, Director in Business Management, Capital Markets, said: “We are extremely proud of the success of our inaugural Returners programme and of the value it delivered to the candidates as well as the business. We believe that diversity and inclusion brings about richness of thought and better business decisions. There are lots of men and women across the UK who take time from work during their career and this programme is designed to re-connect Lloyds Banking Group with that wealth of talent.”
Fiona Cannon OBE, Group Director of Diversity & Inclusion, said “Lloyds Banking Group is delighted to expand the scope and reach of the Returners programme for 2016. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can succeed in providing excellent service to our customers and developing their individual careers, whatever their background. We are investing in agile working practices so that our employees can manage competing home and work demands, and our Returners programme, another innovative talent tool the Group uses, offers one of the best ways for people to re-join work again in a way that suits their circumstances.”
As part of the commitment by Lloyds Banking Group to become the best bank for customers, the Returners programme supports the Group’s vision to build a workforce which reflects its customer base. In 2014, the Group made a public commitment in the Helping Britain Prosper Plan to having 40% of roles filled by women by 2020, and this initiative is designed in part to enable senior female talent into the business.
