Basically FDM with a pride logo and less certainty - Business Change Associate Xander Talent Employee Review

Thanks for your feedback! We’re extremely sorry that your time with us didn't work out. We’re a growing start-up that’s only been operating for less than 2 years and we recognise all feedback as an opportunity for self-improvement as we continue to grow as a business. We still have plenty of room for improvement - we accept this and are relishing the challenge! Purpose is the key driving force of our company, and at the heart of it is our people. We have already achieved B Corporation status and have received several industry awards – yes, we had to pay for our entry fees, that’s how it works, and we were awarded by a judging panel of industry experts. We already offer an awesome experience for our Associates, and we intend to make it even better! Here’s how:  From September 2022 we will be bringing our training programmes in-house, delivered by industry-leading technical trainers.  Our expanding People team means we will be able to strengthen the care and support our Associates receive whilst on a client placement.  We have introduced a Performance Management Framework to identify how Associates can improve and identify areas of focus for support such as further training.  Plans are underway to improve our “on-the-bench” environment, so that Associates can dedicate more time to skills-focused projects, hackathons and preparing for client engagements.  To add to our collaborative and inclusive culture, we have introduced an Associate forum and a DE&I council which will have Associate representation.  Associates will receive regular updates from the solutions team about new placement opportunities.  Finally, we are in the process of introducing Senior Consultant opportunities for Associates beyond their first two years at Xander! We’re also taking this opportunity to respond to some of the claims which we feel may be misleading to any readers. Employee Dismissals No former employee of Xander has ever been dismissed from their role without warning – period. Everyone received a feedback session with a senior member of staff who established a performance improvement framework and since then we have waived their training fees and offered them all professional references. Training Fees We’ve made a sizeable investment in each of our Associates for them to gain market-leading training. Whilst our competitors charge extortionate and unethical training fees of around £15k if an employee terminates their contract early, our Associate’s training fees are considerably less and are reduced every day they are with us until the end of their two years. This is consistent across many companies who offer training on the job and our recent staff survey showed our approach to be fair and reasonable. Placements We work tirelessly to secure Associates a client placement that matches their career objectives. We have introduced several clients in the past 12 months, from boutique start-ups to world-leading consultancies and companies and continue to work extremely hard to secure interviews for Associates with top clients. We go above and beyond to ensure that Associates are fully prepared for client technical tests and interviews, with one of our Data Analytics Associates having recently cited: “Xander were extremely supportive and guided me through the technical tests and interview process, helping me to understand what was required. Prior to the interview they helped me to practice my responses to questions, giving me the best chance of success.” Salary After their training, Associates receive the London Living Wage of £21k per annum. Not all businesses in our space provide this to “on the bench” employees and we are extremely proud that we are able to support them during the current economic climate. Once Associates secure their client placements, they receive a competitive salary of 28-32k per annum depending on their role and their time with us. We’ve done our research, and we know this is an extremely competitive salary for a grassroots position! Bench Time We have experienced increased bench time due to prolonged onboarding processes of our clients and the pandemic, but we have made significant strides to reduce this. We have already placed several Associates with a client before or upon the completion of their training and we have several multi-Associate placements in the pipeline which will guarantee Associates will transition from training to onboarding with the client immediately. Associates have been continually encouraged to allocate a portion of their week to upskilling, which Xander covers the costs for, and have been exposed to several internal project related to their new skillset, helping to nurture their communication and project management skills – skills that are crucial for a consulting environment. We are extremely pleased to see that our former employees have gone on to secure new employment with the qualifications obtained through Xander, and we wish them the best of luck in their new role.