Heathrow Airport: Delivering Over 1,000 New Security Officers in Just 6 Months
How PeopleScout re-engineered Heathrow Airport’s security officer recruitment process with a bespoke virtual assessment platform, filling over 1,000 roles in six months at lower cost.
1,000vacancies filled in just 6 months
73%increase in candidates assessed through a bespoke online assessment platform
94%of candidates rated the experience positively
Situation
Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport and its biggest single-site employer. More than 84 million travelers passed through in 2025, making it Europe’s busiest hub, and hundreds of staff are needed to keep operations running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Security officers play a crucial role at the airport, screening baggage, engaging with passengers, and patrolling the runways and terminals.
PeopleScout has partnered with Heathrow since 2019. What began as an recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) brief for 400 security officers over six months quickly grew to 1,000 vacancies in the same period as passenger demand returned. The partnership has since expanded into early careers hiring, community employment, and workforce planning.
Due to the nature of the role, all offers for the security officer role at Heathrow were contingent on the candidate passing a thorough background screening and counter terrorism check, which can take up to 16 weeks. This stage requires the candidate to complete a lot of paperwork which can’t be cut back, so Heathrow needed PeopleScout to create a recruitment process that was fast and easy. Plus, we needed to find a way to keep candidates engaged during the long security check period to minimize drop-off.
In the previous process, candidates completed a telephone interview after applying, then attended an in-person assessment center event at a hotel near the airport. That approach had two problems. Candidate quality reaching the phone interview stage was inconsistent, so pass rates at the assessment events were low, and the hotel venue carried a cost Heathrow needed to justify. The events also ran infrequently, and two four-hour sessions per event capped capacity at 30 candidates a day, 15 in the morning and 15 in the afternoon.
Solution
PeopleScout re-engineered Heathrow’s security officer recruitment process to move candidates through screening, interview, and assessment in a matter of days, all delivered virtually.
We introduced a completely bespoke virtual testing platform called One Experience Assessment (1XP). The candidates completed the assessment after applying, which allowed us to screen for essential skills. Tests were engaging and video-based, creating an immersive experience showcasing what it would be like to work in the airport. Scenarios evaluated candidates’ spatial awareness, as well as their ability to identify potential hazards such as hidden weapons or unattended suitcases. This virtual assessment tool allowed Heathrow to evaluate 52 candidates per day (up from the previous 30) and eliminated venue rental costs.
Candidates who passed the virtual assessment center were immediately prompted to either schedule a telephone interview with one of our recruiters or to submit an audio recording of themselves answering pre-determined questions which were then screened. Successful candidates participated in a live virtual interview facilitated by our team, which we were able to expand to accommodate their high-volume recruiting.
To support offer holders during the background screening process, PeopleScout created a video that explained what to expect, which Heathrow sent out to candidates. Our recruiters checked in with these candidates to ensure they were completing the required paperwork in a timely manner. We continued these pre-start check-in calls after the background check process was underway in order to keep candidates engaged and ensure they were still keen to start onboarding once cleared.
Results
We didn’t just fill the 1,000 security officer positions in the six months allotted. We exceeded the target, and the brief has kept growing since.
1,000+ roles filled in six months, against a brief that started at 400
1,600+ security officers hired to date, from a pipeline of more than 90,000 applications
73% more candidates assessed, by moving assessment earlier in the journey to improve candidate quality
52 candidates assessed per day, up from 30 at the previous in-person events
NPS of 70+ for the immersive virtual assessment experience
94% of candidates rated the experience positively, whether or not they were hired
48% of hires were women, improving diversity across the security officer population
Venue costs eliminated, with fewer unsuitable candidates reaching late-stage assessment
PeopleScout was named Supplier of the Year at Heathrow Airport’s Supplier Awards, the first recruitment partner ever to win it, competing against hundreds of suppliers from every industry Heathrow works with. We were also the winner of the Candidate Experience Award at the 2023 Personnel Today Awards for our work in partnership with Heathrow.
“PeopleScout have been a critical partner in building our security capability, through an innovative approach to our recruitment processes and exemplary collaborative behaviors. PeopleScout have driven successful recruitment in line with Heathrow’s strategic aims and have demonstrated agility and tenacity to meet business requirements and protect our operations.”
Jack Andrews, Head of Resourcing, Heathrow Airport
At a Glance
COMPANY Heathrow Airport
INDUSTRY Travel & Tourism
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS Recruitment Process Outsourcing
ABOUT HEATHROW Heathrow is the UK’s largest airport, located near London and serving millions of travelers from around the world. Heathrow is used by over 90 airlines flying to 214 destinations in 84 countries.
Early Careers Recruitment Success for an Australian Construction Giant
PeopleScout embarked on a strategic project to revitalize the graduate recruitment program for one of Australia’s largest development and construction companies. Through our early career talent expertise, we brought in more innovative approaches to candidate engagement and elevated the graduate recruitment experience, cutting renege rates in half.
18Weeks Cut from Time Spent on Recruitment Activity
50%of Graduate Hires Identified as a Woman
50%Reduction in Candidate Drop Off & Reneges
Situation
One of Australia’s largest development and construction companies had a graduate recruitment program consisted of a short burst of marketing and campus engagement (six weeks), two recruitment phases in March (16 weeks) and August (12 weeks) and a long “keep warm” period. This approach heavily impacted their HR and recruitment teams as well as a line manager resource. Plus, the long recruitment process and keep warm periods resulted in drop off or renege rates of up to 30%.
They engaged PeopleScout to help them create a more efficient graduate recruitment process, while ensuring they connected with bright emerging talent.
Solution
Seeking to strengthen the connection with students and to drive more efficiency, we executed an early careers talent solution that shifted the focus of the campaign—adding more meaningful campus engagement (24 weeks) and one short, sharp recruitment window (10 weeks).
Laying the Foundation
The first step PeopleScout took in updating the program was to conduct in-depth job analysis interviews with a variety of stakeholders including: high performing graduates and interns, their line managers and visionaries across the business. This allowed us to develop a robust success profile, which defined what good looks like now and into the future.
Then we reviewed and updated the early careers value proposition and updated the campaign materials to tap into candidates looking to build a purpose-driven career. We also tailored our approach to ensure we connected with the client’s target diversity groups.
We created an always-on expression-of-interest portal for the client which allowed us to build a talent pool for the whole academic year. With the Affinix® Student Engagement Platform, we delivered tailored content and shared employee stories showcasing ‘a day in the life’ and career journeys. This helped us to drive interest and change minds about a career in construction and property by myth-busting common misperceptions.
Campus Engagement
Recognising the importance of genuine and authentic communication, we identified graduate ambassadors across the breadth of the business. Moving away from pure reliance on careers fairs and job boards, our campaign involved the delivery of 38 student engagement events, including site tours, “meet the team” sessions and panels with female leaders leveraging our ambassadors.
Recruitment Process & Candidate Assessment
Now, having driven engagement with the target student population, it was important that the recruitment process was also effective, efficient and engaging. Our client had been following the traditional path of online testing, group assessment centres and hiring manager interviews to deliver their graduate program. But there was opportunity to ensure the process amplified their brand, provided candidates a realistic job preview, and levelled the playing field for all, enabling candidates to demonstrate their potential.
Using the insights from the internal client stakeholder interviews during our discover phase, we implemented the following changes:
Completely redesigned the assessment framework.
Adopted a CV-blind approach which helped to reduce unconscious bias.
Implemented a skills assessment in place of previous cognitive tests, which provided a more holistic view of the candidate, tapping into their motivation, cognitive strengths and behaviours, and measured the candidate against the client’s success profile.
Provided candidates with meaningful feedback reports, giving candidates an overview of their strengths and areas for development.
Revamped assessment centre exercises to bring the client’s construction project world to life, with candidates working together to deliver solutions involving the client’s core areas of focus, like community and sustainability.
Used our virtual assessment centre technology to encourage participation, especially for working candidates, rural candidates or those unable to afford the travel who previously experienced barriers during in-person events.
Leveraged our technology to improve accessibility for candidates with a disability and for those with ESL requirements.
Results
Reduced time spent on recruitment activity from 28 weeks down to 10 weeks.
Achieved client diversity targets, with 50% of graduates hired identifying as women (compared with 15% of graduates with construction and engineering degrees identifying as women) and 3% of graduates hired identifying as First Nations (compared with 1% of graduates with construction engineering degrees identifying as First Nations).
Reduced candidate drop off and reneges from 30% to 14%.
“The process was very well run, and we had strong candidates. Thank you for the hard work and efforts with this program. It was a very thorough process with great results.”
“Very modern and innovative approach to the regular interview process. Allows busy applicants to complete in their own time.”
“The interview process was very innovative and provided additional insight into the role.”
“Overall has been a great experience. The assessment provided me with feedback that I can take into account in the future.”
“Very user friendly interface and didn’t feel demeaning or intimidating.”
“Thank you for making it such a smooth application process. I really appreciated all of the support provided, and I’m looking forward to working in such a supportive work environment. I also really appreciated the quick turnaround time for my application.”
At a Glance
COMPANY Large development and construction company
INDUSTRY Building & Construction
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Affinix
The traditional recruitment process often involves a series of stages, including initial screening, psychometric testing, skills evaluation, video interview, face-to-face interview or assessment center. While each step helps in discerning a candidate’s suitability for a role, the cumulative effect of an extended assessment timeline can prove detrimental. From delayed decision-making to candidate attrition, the repercussions of a lengthy recruitment process reverberate across the hiring journey, impacting both employers and candidates.
In today’s dynamic talent acquisition environment, organizations that can shorten the recruitment process hire better talent, reduce their vacancy rates and ultimately boost their business performance.
That’s why PeopleScout is proud to introduce the One Experience Assessment (1XP), a digital-first advancement designed to innovate the way talent is evaluated. 1XP is changing the game in recruitment technology by simplifying the recruitment journey. By merging multiple talent assessment stages into one coherent, efficient experience, 1XP boosts efficiency, improves candidate quality and enhances retention.
1XP for Candidates: Streamlined Processes & Practical Job Previews
1XP’s brilliance lies in its fusion of diverse assessment techniques—like realistic job previews, situational judgement, aptitude, skills and video interview assessments—into one integrated experience. This allows candidates to demonstrate a wider range of their skills and potential while providing employers with a comprehensive view of each applicant. The outcome is an optimized match between candidates and roles, based on a full understanding of their skills and character.
For candidates, the process is straightforward. Rather than navigating a sequence of separate invitations and assessment stages, they receive a single invitation to complete everything at once. This not only condenses the timeline but also significantly streamlines the candidate experience by eliminating the need to validate their qualifications repeatedly throughout the traditional process.
Furthermore, the One Experience Assessment offers candidates a vivid preview of the role for which they are applying. By simulating real-world scenarios and challenges, 1XP enables candidates to immerse themselves in the day-to-day realities of the job. This immersive preview not only helps in managing candidates’ expectations but also ensures that individuals who proceed to the next stages are those who are truly interested and prepared for the specific demands and culture of the role. It’s a strategic approach that not only empowers candidates but also aligns talent acquisition with long-term role fulfilment and employee satisfaction.
1XP for Talent Acquisition Teams: Faster Hiring & Improved Quality
The advantages for organizations are equally significant. Allowing candidates to undertake multiple assessments in one session greatly shortens the hiring timeline and reduces the likelihood of candidate withdrawal. This efficiency is further enhanced by an automated scoring system that expedites the evaluation process, except for elements like the video interview. Consequently, recruiters and hiring managers can more quickly focus their efforts on the most promising candidates, equipped with a thorough understanding of their abilities.
As more candidates begin to explore the use of Generative AI (GenAI) to aid in their job application processes, the One Experience Assessment (1XP) maintains a decisive edge. Unlike typical assessments that might be outwitted by AI, 1XP’s sophisticated assessment design demands genuine human input and adaptability. By incorporating interactive tasks and live video challenges, 1XP creates a complex environment where the scripted responses of AI fall short. This ensures that each candidate’s performance is an authentic reflection of their true abilities, preserving the integrity and trustworthiness of the recruitment process.
Transforming Talent Assessment: Spotlight Case Studies
Here are just two examples of how PeopleScout is leveraging 1XP to elevate talent acquisition for our clients.
Financial Services Organization: Increasing Assessment Pass Rate by 78%
Facing challenges in recruiting high-quality, productive claims advisors, a leading financial services organization turned to PeopleScout’s 1XP for a solution. The new approach not only made the process more convenient for candidates and significantly reduced the time to hire, but it also eliminated the reliance on previous customer contact experience—focusing instead on skills and potential, which greatly expanded the talent pool.
The results speak for themselves: the pass rate at the assessment center stage jumped to 73%, from the previous 41%—a 78% increase. New hires were recognized for their motivation to succeed, willingness to learn and positive mindset, demonstrating the effectiveness of 1XP in identifying and attracting quality candidates.
Heathrow Airport: Reducing Time-to-Hire to Just Eight Days
The adoption of the 1XP at Heathrow Airport revolutionized the recruitment process for security officers, a role critical for the safety of millions of travellers. This transformation was not only about making the recruitment process more accessible and engaging but also significantly more efficient.
By implementing a fully virtual and immersive recruitment journey through 1XP, this organization was able to reduce the time-to-hire from several weeks to just eight days, streamlining the entire process and enabling a faster response to operational needs. Additionally, the candidate experience was greatly enhanced, reflected in a candidate Net Promoter Score (cNPS) of +70 for the whole process. This not only indicates high satisfaction among candidates but also underscores the success of the 1XP in creating a positive and engaging recruitment experience.
Ready to Revolutionize Your Recruitment Process?
The One Experience Assessment is redefining talent acquisition standards. By focusing on efficiency, enhancing the candidate experience, and providing a deep understanding of each applicant, it emerges as a model of innovation in the recruitment landscape. For organizations aiming to secure and retain top talent in today’s competitive market, adopting this digital-first strategy could be the key to a successful recruitment future.
Contact us now to learn more about how PeopleScout’s ground-breaking 1XP solution can streamline your recruitment process, enhance the candidate experience, and significantly improve the quality of your hires.
Talent Consulting from PeopleScout Lays the Foundation for a Winning RPO Partnership
When a world-famous consumer goods brand split into two separate companies, their talent acquisition team needed help developing a sustainable strategy to support the future growth of two brands. They turned to PeopleScout and our Talent Diagnostic solution for help optimizing their talent acquisition strategy to prepare for this critical transition.
Situation
A world-famous consumer goods brand that specialized in breakfast foods and snacks engaged PeopleScout to support an over-extended in-house recruitment team. With our Recruiter On-Demand™ solution, our flex recruiters augmented their team, and we provided some much-needed sourcing technology through our Affinix® CRM.
After a three-year partnership, the company split into two brands, one for breakfast cereals and one for snacks, throwing the talent acquisition team into new territory.
Solution
To support the transition to two distinct companies—and two talent acquisition teams—the client engaged PeopleScout for our Talent Diagnostic solution, part of the Amplifiers™ suite. They wanted an objective analysis of their talent acquisition model, including a renewed focus on finding high-quality candidates in highly competitive rural markets.
PeopleScout facilitated over 20 interviews with various stakeholders and assessed the entire talent lifecycle. Our final report gave an overview of:
The current state of their talent lifecycle
Recommendations to streamline their processes and create a more consistent candidate experience to improve quality and equity
Technology recommendations and tactics to optimize their recruitment channels for larger, more diverse candidate pools
Results
Following the presentation of the findings from the Talent Diagnostic, the client engaged PeopleScout for full-cycle RPO for their new snack brand to execute the recommendations we developed.
“The expertise from the PeopleScout team created a big lift with little lead time and a tight timeline for deliverables. I appreciate their thoughts, partnership and flexibility while we worked to align our approach with HR and our leadership.”
HR Director, Global Consumer Goods Brand
At a Glance
COMPANY Global consumer goods brand
INDUSTRY Consumer Goods
PEOPLESCOUT SOLUTIONS Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Talent Advisory, Affinix
ABOUT THE CLIENT This multinational food manufacturing company specializes in breakfast and snack foods that are manufactured and marketed in over 180 countries.
PeopleScout’s global RPO solutions help organizations to streamline recruitment processes and technology across regions, providing more control over global recruiting costs.
Traditionally, high-volume recruiting focuses on quantity, at the expense of quality. At PeopleScout, our high-volume recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) solution leverages unmatched scalability, the automation of our talent acquisition suite, Affinix®, and the experience of our talent advisory consultants.
PeopleScout Amplifiers™: Sure Start for Retention & Onboarding
As part of our suite of modular recruiting solutions, Amplifiers™, PeopleScout Sure Start is the ultimate onboarding and retention powerhouse, designed to ensure that new hires not only start on their first day but also feel valued and engaged from the get-go. With a perfect blend of personal attention and technology, PeopleScout Sure Start keeps your new joiners excited, reducing early turnover, boosting productivity and creating a path to success for all your new team members.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in attracting and retaining top talent. Limited resources, lack of dedicated recruitment teams, and the need for agility in hiring can often put smaller businesses at a disadvantage. That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in— a versatile strategy that businesses of all sizes can leverage to…
PeopleScout Amplifiers™: How Modular Recruitment Solutions Can Supercharge Your Talent Outcomes Traditional recruitment approaches are failing to meet the demands of today’s dynamic business environment. Companies need agility, scalability and specialized expertise without the overhead of full-scale recruitment process outsourcing. Enter PeopleScout Amplifiers™—modular RPO solutions to augment your team where you need it in your…
Situation A local authority in the southwest of England had a robust talent acquisition team but required additional support for front-end headhunting and sourcing assignments. A new and niche position for a harbor master demanded a comprehensive strategy to locate the right specialist. A habor master ensures the safety of all users of a harbor,…
As part of our suite of modular recruiting solutions, Amplifiers™, PeopleScout’s Talent Diagnostic delves deep into every facet of your talent lifecycle. From evaluating your employer brand to enhancing your attraction strategy, from optimizing the candidate experience to maximizing technology usage, we leave no stone unturned.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in attracting and retaining top talent. Limited resources, lack of dedicated recruitment teams, and the need for agility in hiring can often put smaller businesses at a disadvantage. That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in— a versatile strategy that businesses of all sizes can leverage to…
PeopleScout Amplifiers™: How Modular Recruitment Solutions Can Supercharge Your Talent Outcomes Traditional recruitment approaches are failing to meet the demands of today’s dynamic business environment. Companies need agility, scalability and specialized expertise without the overhead of full-scale recruitment process outsourcing. Enter PeopleScout Amplifiers™—modular RPO solutions to augment your team where you need it in your…
Situation A local authority in the southwest of England had a robust talent acquisition team but required additional support for front-end headhunting and sourcing assignments. A new and niche position for a harbor master demanded a comprehensive strategy to locate the right specialist. A habor master ensures the safety of all users of a harbor,…
As part of our suite of modular recruiting solutions, Amplifiers™, PeopleScout’s Assessment Transformation empowers you to deploy talent assessments that not only enhance the recruitment experience for candidates but also help you secure top-notch, future-ready talent with cutting-edge technology and visionary design.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face unique challenges in attracting and retaining top talent. Limited resources, lack of dedicated recruitment teams, and the need for agility in hiring can often put smaller businesses at a disadvantage. That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in— a versatile strategy that businesses of all sizes can leverage to…
PeopleScout Amplifiers™: How Modular Recruitment Solutions Can Supercharge Your Talent Outcomes Traditional recruitment approaches are failing to meet the demands of today’s dynamic business environment. Companies need agility, scalability and specialized expertise without the overhead of full-scale recruitment process outsourcing. Enter PeopleScout Amplifiers™—modular RPO solutions to augment your team where you need it in your…
Situation A local authority in the southwest of England had a robust talent acquisition team but required additional support for front-end headhunting and sourcing assignments. A new and niche position for a harbor master demanded a comprehensive strategy to locate the right specialist. A habor master ensures the safety of all users of a harbor,…
For organizations that can’t wait for a traditional enterprise RPO implementation, PeopleScout Accelerate™ is a tech-powered, ready-to-go RPO solution that is up and running in just two weeks.
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