Empowering early careers with Dyson Skills Bootcamps

When it comes to finding top talent, employers are constantly on the lookout for innovative ways to attract the best and brightest.

Dyson, a global technology company renowned for its cutting-edge products, found a winning formula by partnering with Firebrand Skills Bootcamps in Digital.

Katie Smyth, Senior Talent Acquisitions Specialist at Dyson, has been with the company for over 4 years. She shared her insights into how this partnership has transformed their talent acquisition strategy and opened doors to a diverse pool of candidates.

How did you discover Skills Bootcamps?

“Firebrand connected with our Experienced Hires team and they referred it to us. It aligned really nicely with what we do at Dyson and the kind of recruitment that we need, particularly with the current skills gap."

What made you try it?

“We saw compatibility with Skills Bootcamps and their candidate sourcing, but also the mindset of those applicants in particular." This attitude, characterised by a proactive approach to self-improvement, was exactly what Dyson was looking for in potential hires.

“We recently attended a Women in Tech career fair to establish early connections with students. They asked us, ‘How do I upskill myself? How can I improve my personal profile? Should I learn to code?’ It was really nice to be able to say, ‘We’re actually partnering with Firebrand, a Skills Bootcamp provider, who offer a course in Python.’”

“To have that connection with students who are asking these questions and say, 'This is what we can offer'—it looped into those career conversations really well.”

What did you think of candidate quality?

Dyson's previous recruitment campaigns encompassed a wide range of employment opportunities, from Software Integration, Design Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering, to Aerodynamics, Data Analytics, and Quality Assurance.

“At Dyson, we have a very strong Data culture; we’re very data-driven; for example, even an HR apprentice learned to code because he understood how important Data is to us.”

Katie points out that the Skills Bootcamp, even though it was entry-level, added significant value to candidates. “It’s a balance of getting the right competencies and motivations in a candidate, and then the Skills Bootcamp in Software supplements their desirability," she explains.

“The Bootcamp wasn’t generating a whole pool of Computer Scientists; it was generating a pool of students who were coming from all sorts of different backgrounds and [whose experience] could apply to all sorts of programmes, who were proactively trying to upskill themselves.”

“For me it didn’t really matter how entry-level the Bootcamp was. I think it speaks volumes about that candidate and their proactivity and appreciation for how important coding can be.”

What was the process?

Dyson are continuing their recruitment campaign into 2024. Due to the nature of it being a graduate programme, there are specific entry criteria.

Applicants can be in any university year, regardless of course length. If an applicant has already graduated, they need to have under two years of industrial work experience.

Once they’re part-way through their Skills Bootcamp, candidates have the opportunity for initial phone calls relatively early in the process.

“It’s a chance to talk to their recruiters. We’ll go through their profile and discuss their aspirations, what roles they’d like to apply for, and then we can make recommendations based on their academic background," Katie explains.

The recruitment timeline will depend on the specialism of the individual, as Dyson’s opportunities go live at different times of the year.

Was working with Firebrand easy?

“We haven’t done anything similar before. I’ve really liked how it’s worked and to know it’s all in safe hands.”

“The process itself was quite hands-off, which was ideal for us. We’re extremely busy in all the other aspects of our attraction campaigns.”

Katie also highlights two of the most compelling aspects of the partnership:

“It’s free! I can’t tell you how much this helps. Every career fair costs to attend, and it adds up. And we are among the lucky ones; we have the leverage of a very strong consumer brand with great recognition and appeal to drive recruitment.”

“Also, the eclectic nature of the candidates that come through the process, because it both surprises me and adds value. Bootcamps generate a pool of students from different backgrounds who are trying to upskill. When recruiting, we’re looking for the person behind the CV, their interests and motivations.”

Would you recommend partnering with Firebrand?

“It’s a great initiative. I appreciate the wider picture is for career changers, but it’s also an upskill opportunity for junior talent. It’s a completely different angle that’s really important.”

As Dyson move into their second year working with Firebrand, this opportunity is perfectly aligned with their recruitment campaign.

“I would definitely recommend partnering with Firebrand. Whether it’s for their Experienced Hires or Junior Talent recruitment—I think the model works well for early careers. I hope it grows and we see more activity with Firebrand.”

Thank you for your time and feedback, Katie!

Employers, partner with us

Could Skills Bootcamp candidates suit your recruitment needs? Find out more about the three ways your business can benefit from Skills Bootcamps and get in touch with our team to start a conversation.