Challenge

In 2022, Olivia Adamowicz, Head of Talent Acquisition at Holcim UK, faced a serious issue: out of 70 apprentices hired, only three were female. 

Despite being a market leader in construction and sustainable solutions, Holcim UK was struggling with a common problem in the construction industry: low female representation. As a result, they were missing diversity goals and the quality of their talent pool was declining.

For Olivia, the problem was clear: Holcim UK was relying on manual CV sifting. This process filtered out amazing talent, including females and other candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, simply because they didn’t have conventional experience. 

But while CVs seemed reliable to some hiring managers, Olivia knew this outdated approach was costing them – not only in diversity and quality, but also by requiring hundreds of hours of recruiters’ time. 

“We were determined to level the playing field and simplify the hiring process for our candidates and team. It was time for a fresh approach to address the gender imbalance in our apprenticeship schemes” 

Olivia Adamowicz, Head of Talent Acquisition at Holcim UK

With a small team and tight deadlines, Olivia needed a solution that would eliminate CV screening, encourage applications from diverse backgrounds, and offer an intuitive, quick-to-deploy setup. 

Psychometric assessments were the obvious alternative. 

But every provider she consulted offered off-the-shelf tech solutions with libraries of pre-made tests — ill-suited to her team’s specific needs. Worse still, a tech-only solution would never convince hiring managers to move away from the CV. 

That’s when Olivia discovered Arctic Shores.

Solution

Unlike traditional psychometric providers, Arctic Shores trades pre-made questionnaires for customised, interactive, neuroscience-based tasks. For Olivia, this approach had two major advantages:

A fairer experience: Task-based assessments are proven to reduce text anxiety, removing the biases associated with question-based assessments. This enables underrepresented groups, like female candidates, to demonstrate their potential without fear of stereotyping or second-guessing. (Plus they’re the only assessment type shown to be resilient against AI — so employers get an accurate picture of candidate potential.) 

More efficient sifting: Instead of using out of the box assessments, Holcim UK built an assessment that focused on the behavioural traits and cognitive abilities most important to them for each role. They were supported by Arctic Shores’ business psychologists, who helped them quickly craft assessments tailored to Holcim UK needs — no complex libraries, no guesswork. Just pinpoint accuracy on the skills and qualities predictive of success for their roles.

“Switching from CV screening to task-based assessment was seamless, thanks to Arctic Shores’ expert support. They made the transition easy for our whole team, ensuring we measured the right skills for each role.” 

Olivia Adamowicz, Head of Talent Acquisition at Holcim UK

But the support didn’t stop there. Arctic Shores worked alongside Holcim UK every step of the way, offering hands-on guidance and resources that went beyond the technology itself.

This included resources and practical guides, giving Olivia’s team the confidence to lead this change within their organisation. From scrapping CVs to navigating AI in hiring, Arctic Shores kept Holcim UK ahead of the curve. 

They even integrated seamlessly with Holcim UK’s ATS, Teamtailor, further improving efficiency by letting hiring managers and recruiters access candidate insights in their normal workflows. And for anyone wanting a deep dive into a candidate’s core strengths and abilities, Arctic Shores sends every hiring manager a comprehensive and accessible feedback report for every candidate, as soon as they complete the assessment. 

Results

Partnering with Arctic Shores transformed Holcim UK’s approach to hiring apprentices, replacing outdated CV screening with an inclusive process that delivered impressive outcomes.

Increase in gender diversity: Female representation in Holcim UK’s Early Careers programme skyrocketed from 3% to 27% in just one cycle, smashing the initial 10% target. This marked a significant step toward Holcim UK’s diversity goals and sent a strong message across the organisation that change was possible.

Efficient hiring of high-quality candidates: By eliminating time-consuming CV reviews, the team saved 442 hours (equivalent to 55 full workdays) in screening time, enabling them to hire 70 apprentices in less than three months. This streamlined approach prevented burnout in Olivia’s small TA team, allowing them to stay focused and motivated.

Market-leading candidate experience and brand perception: Arctic Shores’ assessments left a positive impression, with 95% of candidates reporting satisfaction with the process and 91% stating it improved their perception of Holcim UK as an employer. The positive feedback highlighted Holcim UK’s commitment to fair, innovative hiring practices that candidates could genuinely appreciate.

Reflecting on the impact, Olivia remarked:

“Our partnership with Arctic Shores has been a game-changer for early careers recruitment. The improvement in gender diversity has been phenomenal, and the feedback from candidates has been equally rewarding. We’re proud to offer everyone an equal shot at success.” 

Olivia Adamowicz, Head of Talent Acquisition at Holcim UK

Wider rollout

Building on the success of the Early Careers programme, Olivia is partnering with Arctic Shores to expand the impact of CV-free hiring across other departments. Together, they’re organising collaborative workshops to introduce senior talent teams to the new, Task-based Assessment process and share the powerful results it has already achieved.

These sessions will showcase the advantages of replacing traditional CVs with dynamic, task-based assessments, answering questions, addressing concerns, and sparking enthusiasm for the approach. By spotlighting the increase in female representation and the positive candidate feedback, Olivia demonstrated that Task-based Assessments aren’t just a tool for early careers — they’re a strategy to unlock potential and support diversity goals across the entire organisation.