Santander UK will no longer require graduates applying to work there to achieve a 2:1 degree or higher, as part of efforts to boost the socioeconomic diversity of its recruits.
The bank said the change would lead to an extra 64,000 more applicants being eligible for its annual graduate scheme and reflected the fact that university performance did not guarantee success in the workplace.
“Academic achievement is important, but it is only one of many factors we look at when searching for new talent,” Santander’s HR director, Anouska Ramsay, said. “We believe potential can be found anywhere and this move reinforces our commitment to finding the best candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.”
The change forms part of Santander’s efforts to boost the proportion of employees from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in senior roles from 28% to 35% by 2030.
