The Smarty Train's Dr Khairunnisa is joined by Early Careers leaders from Sky, Experian and GSK to explore how improving their approach to data has positively impacted their organisations.

The Smarty Train’s (TST) panel discussion at the ISE Recruitment Conference, led by Chief Innovation Officer Dr Khairunnisa Mohamedali, explored how building a data-driven strategy can transform approaches to end-to-end Early Careers strategy - from recruitment through to development and retention.

Dr Khairunnisa was joined by Camilla McBride (Head of Early Careers at Sky), Nicola Clift (Head of DEI & Early Careers at Experian) and Lucy Hegarty (Global Head of Early Talent Recruitment at GSK), to discuss how their participation in ECO, TST’s diagnostic tool, has helped their organisations shift to data-driven Early Careers strategies.

The panel shared how improving their approach to data has positively impacted their organisations, discussing short-term results, long-term benefits, and practical tips to get started.

Here are 8 key lessons and takeaways shared by the panellists:

1. Use Data as a Tool to Inform your Strategy

Lucy emphasised the importance of data in identifying gaps that might otherwise go unnoticed.

"We realised that while there was a strong appetite for early talent, our focus was too narrow - mostly on graduates," she noted. "Data showed us that we were missing out on focusing on interns and apprentices more effectively. This insight was crucial in broadening our approach."

Nicola echoed this sentiment, explaining how data has helped Experian target areas of their early talent pipeline more effectively.

"We looked at diversity across different entry points, like apprentices versus graduates, and discovered that some pathways were more successful than others in attracting diverse talent. This allowed us to shift our focus accordingly," she explained.

2. Take a Global Perspective on Early Careers

As Experian takes a more global approach to early careers, Nicola discussed the role of global data analysis that had emerged from their participation in ECO.

"I'm really excited about the upcoming results from our global analysis," she said. "It will help us understand how our early career focus needs to shift depending on the region. In the UK, we're quite mature in this space, but other regions might not be there yet. Data will guide us on where to invest more effort."

3. Deep-Dive into the Data

Camilla acknowledged the challenges of data collection in the fast-paced world of early careers. "It’s non-stop," she said. "From running assessment centres to onboarding, there’s little time to step back and analyse data. We've adopted agile methodologies to help with this.”

“For instance, you could get a group of people together from your team across three or five days to do a sprint. We’ve found that taking that time to really stop and do that data dive, get that insight, do your storytelling and think about what your actions will be from that has been really helpful.”

4. Find Impactful Data Points to Boost Diversity and Retention

When asked about the most impactful data points, both Nicola and Camilla pointed to diversity. "Diversity data has been a game-changer," Nicola said. "We now have 95% of our early career hires providing diversity data, which allows us to present a clear picture to senior leaders. This data has driven significant organisational change."

Camilla shared a similar experience at Sky. "Sky has made bold commitments around ethnic diversity. Being able to show the impact we're having in this area, along with retention rates and long-term career progression data, has been incredibly powerful."

5. Use External Data as a Benchmark

Lucy also highlighted the value of external data in strategic planning. “It’s massively helpful to see the data as to what's not working,” she said. “Being able to point to a graph that says our hiring numbers aren’t because we've got a problem with our recruitment, they aren’t to do with the quality of candidate, it’s actually a different factor we hadn’t considered.”

Lucy explained that this external data is what helped secure permission to kickstart change at GSK: "It took a lot of stakeholders and I think without the data and the external benchmarks, I don't think we'd have been able to get that green light to revisit our programme principles.”

6. Start Small and Focus on Key Metrics

When asked for advice on where to start with a data-driven strategy, Camilla emphasised simplicity. "There are so many things you could measure, but start with one key metric that aligns with your function’s purpose," she advised. "Whether it's bringing in diverse talent or building brand awareness, nail that first, and the rest will follow."

Nicola added, "And make the time to look at the data. I know it’s hard, but you can't afford not to. It’s essential for moving forward."

7. Harness the Long-Term Value of Data

The panellists discussed the importance of tracking long-term outcomes, such as retention and career progression. "We’ve started tagging our early career hires in our people management system to track their progress," Camilla said. "It’s been a long process, but now we can finally see the long-term impact of our programmes."

Lucy agreed, "If you don't have the data yet, start collecting it now. In five years, you'll be glad you did."

8. Look for Anomalies

The panel concluded with a powerful reminder from Lucy: "If something in the data doesn’t feel right, dig into it. It’s easy to find data that shows things are going well, but it's the anomalies that often lead to the most important strategic conversations."

Looking to rethink your approach to Early Careers data?

For organisations looking to elevate their early careers programmes, tools like The Smarty Train’s Early Careers Optimiser (ECO) provide an evidence-based framework for assessing your current early careers performance and identifying opportunities for future optimisation and planning.

Built on over seventeen years of research and industry expertise, ECO benchmarks your programme against market standards, offering a comprehensive profile that dives deep into six key performance areas.

ECO allows early careers leaders can ensure their strategies are not just data-driven but also aligned with the best practices in the industry. Get in touch with our experts today to learn more about ECO and how it can help refine and improve your early careers strategy for maximum return on investment.