PUBLIC BODY
Case Study:
Services
Candidate Journey
Employer Value Proposition
Microsite
Campaigns & Content
Permanent Recruitment
Result
Over 400 applications per recruitment campaign
Introduction
The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade (BIST) is a ministerial department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2023 from functions of the former Department for International Trade, formed in 2016 following the result of the EU Referendum, and the Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy.
Having progressed from a start-up to a scale up digital, data and technology function, BIST sought to source diverse permanent hires in its software development, engineering, architects, and service design teams, reducing reliance on its contractor base to deliver on its 2022 focus of creating services based around user centred design.
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BIST faced multiple challenges in attracting talent, including:
High demand for digital professionals across areas such as software engineering, cyber security, and platform engineering
Basic salaries lower than the market average, making it harder to compete for top talent
Smaller regional talent pools outside of London, particularly limiting access to skilled professionals to sites in Belfast, Darlington, Salford and Edinburgh.
A strategic desire to increase gender and ethnic diversity.
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Having analysed the candidate journey, BIST’s recruitment marketing assets, and written talent insights reports against each BIST office location, we implemented several targeted changes with measurable benefits:
Targeted regional and diverse groups, expanding our reach and improving representation
Used proactive outreach and referrals, helping to attract passive candidates
Launched a content-rich microsite, funnelling applications and increasing conversion rates through videos and tailored messaging
Replaced written personal statements with online video questions, making the process more engaging and inclusive.
Hosted hiring manager Q&As, increasing awareness of BIST and candidate interaction.
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Since partnering with BIST in 2021, Inspire People has delivered strong results by driving innovation and modernising their recruitment marketing approach:
400+ applications on average per recruitment campaign
Over 40% of shortlisted candidates were women or from ethnic minority backgrounds, supporting BIST’s diversity goals
Approximately 70% of applicants rated their experience as Good or Very Good in post-campaign surveys
We’ve successfully delivered key hires across the UK, including roles such as Chief Architect, Cyber Risk Leads, Head of Service & Interaction Design, Principal and Senior Software Developers, Senior Product Owners, Senior Service Designers, Senior Site Reliability Engineers, and Technical Architects.
Head of Digital, Data and Technology Recruitment / Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade
“Inspire People quickly understood our challenges and worked closely with hiring managers to create a tailored EVP that attracted a diverse range of candidates. We appreciated their innovative approach, including video shortlists. This marked a significant contribution towards our permanent workforce, involving vital, hard to recruit for roles. Their promotion of our EVP was so effective that candidates accepted lower salaries to join us.”
