New research from BT Skills for Tomorrow found almost a third of interviewers admit to not hiring someone based on something they have seen in a candidate’s video backdrop (28%), with a further 58% saying a messy room in the background could cost someone the job.

A poll of 500 recruitment decision-makers reveals modern day job interview faux pas, such as 20% of calls have been joined by the household pet. Other interviewees have been caught short, with 13% standing up mid-call to reveal they are dressed in joggers or underwear.

The research also polled 500 people who have taken part in a video job interview over the last 12 months. The pandemic has meant job seekers have had, on average, three virtual interviews during lockdown, with most interviews now conducted via video (56%). Remote interviews are likely to remain the new normal with 42% of interviewers wanting to continue this way after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

While unreliable audio (25%) was also among the most common issues, one in 10 also admitted to answering a phone call during the interview. Video backdrops are viewed by some as a representation of a candidate’s work ethic, as more than two thirds of interviewers (67%) believe that applicants did not put enough thought into their background when on a virtual call.

More than half (51%) of interviewees believe video interviews are harder than those done face-to-face, and 30% have deliberately placed an ‘object of interest’ in shot behind them, to use as a talking point.

With 4 in 10 job seekers unable to land a job from virtual interviews, people need some support to impress potential employers over video. A number of candidates are already being proactive, with a third carefully tailoring their backgrounds to create a more positive impression, including books, awards and house plants.

BT Skills for Tomorrow is offering free resources and advice to support job seekers across the UK prepare for a digital future. This includes an upcoming interactive webinar – ‘be a hit at interviews’ – on 19 April 2021, designed to help jobseekers improve their interview technique, whether that’s by phone, on a video call or in person in the future.

Hannah Cornick, Head of Digital Impact, Consumer said: “Video calls are going to remain part of the hiring process well into the future, and there is an opportunity for candidates to use this to their advantage.

“Being in control of your environment and in a familiar space can help reduce nerves and allow you to showcase your personality. While you can’t always plan for unexpected interruptions, there are things you can do when preparing for a video interview to ensure you come across professionally and set yourself up for success.

“This is the time to show the interviewer your strengths and how you stand out from the crowd, without any distractions from your surroundings.”

In January this year, BT Skills for Tomorrow also launched Stand Out Skills to help candidates get in the right mindset for the journey ahead, discover the skills that businesses are looking for and understand how to make their strengths stand out. This is part of BT’s Skills for Tomorrow commitment to help 10 million people make the most of life in the digital world.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

The research was conducted by One Poll.com with 500 UK adults who’ve had a job interview via video call in the past 12 months and 500 UK employed adults responsible for hiring decision at their company between the dates of 18th to 24th March 2021.

BT will recruit talent into the company across areas as diverse as engineering, customer service, applied research, and cyber-security to support the UK’s fast-growing digital sectors. The new recruits will also support the company’s plans to build and extend the latest 5G networks around the UK.

BT has recruited more than 1,600 apprentices and graduates over the past 24 months.

The new roles are spread across a number of locations including; Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Dundee, Edinburgh, Ipswich, London and Manchester^[2].

Today’s figures are in addition to Openreach’s recent plans to create more than 2,500 full-time jobs in its service and network build divisions, as well as an estimated 2,800 positions in its UK supply chain. Together, BT and Openreach are currently delivering a wide range of apprenticeships, with over 4,000 colleagues working towards their qualifications.

Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson said: "It is brilliant that BT are continuing to champion apprenticeships and offering more than 400 people the opportunity to start a great career in the digital industry.

“Apprenticeships form a key part of our new Skills for Jobs White Paper which will transform post-16 education and training, helping to deliver the skills individuals, businesses and the economy need to thrive after coronavirus.

“I hope more employers will follow BT’s lead so more people can get on the path to a great job.”

Alison Wilcox, Group HR Director, BT Group said: “BT is at the heart of the UK’s digital economy and as a leading employer of apprentices and graduates we offer unparalleled development opportunities. Despite the uncertainty caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve continued to recruit and attract brilliant people from all walks of life into our business, and we value the diverse perspectives they bring. We look forward to welcoming the 2021 newcomers.”

BT Group, including Openreach, is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeships employers and in October 2020 ranked fourth in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers in the UK.

Alongside its apprenticeship and graduate scheme opportunities, BT is also investing in several initiatives to support young jobseekers. These include BT’s Work Ready training scheme which has already helped thousands of young people kickstart their careers, providing opportunities for young people who aren't in employment, education or training and preparing them for the world of work.

Work Ready is just one part of BT’s Skills for Tomorrow ambition which aims to help 10m people in the UK develop the skills they need to make the most of life in the digital world.

For more information on how to apply for a BT apprenticeship of graduate placement, please visit: https://www.bt.com/careers/early-careers

ENDS

Notes to Editors

• BT Group, including Openreach, is one of the UK’s largest private sector apprenticeships employers. In 2021 the company will hire 2,729 apprentices.
• BT Group is a partner of the FastFutures programme which helps provide equal opportunities to 18-22-year who are looking to shape their future career. Over the course of 12-weeks, participants learn business-focused skills that are most valued by the employers of today, such as: marketing, data, finance, teamwork and problem solving.
• For more information about our Work Ready programme and BT’s Skills for Tomorrow, with free courses to develop your digital skills, please visit: https://www.bt.com/skillsfortomorrow

[1] 428 jobs: 199 graduate and 229 apprentice roles.

[2] Field based roles are located in communities across the country.

BT Group today released images of its new regional office hub at Three Snowhill - as it announced the first colleagues will move into the brand-new building in the New Year.

Around 200 people will begin working from the site early in 2021, following the latest public health guidelines, with more arriving in phases over the following months. The office is expected to eventually accommodate more than 3,000 people.

The state-of-the art building will also be the first of BT’s future-fit offices in the UK to open as part of its ‘Better Workplace Programme’ - the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK.

The investment will help BT to transform the way it works, create efficiencies and enable it to better serve its customers. The new office is also a sign of the company’s commitment to the Midlands, providing a major new hub site for the region and the best facilities and services for colleagues to thrive.

The first colleagues to occupy the building will come from a wide range of its functions. BT will ensure social distancing rules apply inside the building, as well as following Public Health England’s latest guidelines on Covid-19 to ensure people are kept safe. The company will be the main occupier of the 17-storey development, marking a major investment by the company in the UK’s second city.

The update comes as BT released new interior images of the building. The modern office environment includes smart building technology, flexible workspaces and collaboration areas. There will also be a range of catering options including a ground floor café open to the public, world class event spaces, and a large media screen in reception.

Hosts will welcome and support colleagues and guests on arrival and throughout the building, and there will be a variety of wellbeing facilities including an on-site gym, multifaith rooms and parenting rooms. In addition, there will be cycling facilities and even a ‘bike doctor’ available to encourage as many colleagues as possible to travel into work by sustainable transport.

Graeme Paton, BT’s managing director of Property and Facilities Services, said: “This year has been so tough on everybody due to the impact of Covid-19 and we know how acutely this has been felt in Birmingham. We believe in the power of our teams and want to give them the best environments to connect, collaborate, create and innovate.

“As the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham is a strategically important location as part of BT’s future. Despite the issues caused by Covid-19, our contractors have been doing an amazing job getting the building prepared so we can occupy it.

“We are pleased to demonstrate this sign of commitment to the West Midlands region and we’re so excited for our colleagues who will be the first in the company to benefit from the future-fit facilities and latest technology that are the cornerstone of our transformation plans.”

Under the five year ‘Better Workplace Programme’, first announced in 2018, BT will consolidate its footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30. The company has already announced several other future locations including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester and Bristol. It will also move from its current headquarters in London at St Paul’s to a new 320,000 square foot, 18-storey building near Aldgate East Station next year.

BT colleagues based at Three Snowhill will include those from its existing sites in Birmingham and the wider region. The company will also recruit a number of new roles into Three Snowhill over the next year.

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I am delighted that a firm of BT’s size and stature is making this move, especially at such a challenging time for the regional economy. It shows there is still a future for major city centre office blocks despite the coronavirus pandemic, and it is a real vote of confidence in the West Midlands economy.

“I look forward to welcoming the first tranche of BT’s employees in the New Year and seeing that number grow throughout the year as our city centres spring back to life.”

Paul Faulkner, chief executive of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “This fantastic news is a great boost for Birmingham and the wider region at a time when we needed it most.

“By confirming their move to Three Snowhill, BT have underlined their confidence in the city and beyond. And there is the added bonus that their commitment will lead to new jobs being created.”

Wendy Sycamore, BT Group regional lead for the Midlands, said: “This is a really exciting time for BT in the region. Three Snowhill is an amazing workplace that will bring our colleagues together in a modern working environment that will facilitate and build upon the fantastic work BT is doing in the area.

“Birmingham is a really attractive city to work in for our colleagues and we will have access to a great talent pool in the West Midlands region. From digital infrastructure rollout and technology innovation to digital inclusion, BT is already playing a huge role in supporting the West Midlands economy and this will only serve to help expand and increase our ambitions”

Teams based at Three Snowhill will also benefit from Openreach’s full fibre broadband network investment in Birmingham, with more than four million premises across the UK set to receive ultrafast connections by March next year. Colleagues at the new office will also benefit from EE’s extensive 5G coverage in the area. According to independent testing from RootMetrics last year, EE’s 5G network achieved the highest availability in eight major cities, including Birmingham.

BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of moves like this, into new offices, as well as the refurbishment of some existing BT buildings

BT Group plays an important role in the Midlands economy and is responsible for generating £1 in every £115 produced in the Midlands region, according to an independent report. It also generated nearly £2 billion towards the Midlands economy in Gross Value Added, during the 2017/18 financial year. BT Group employs more than 11,000 people across the Midlands.

The centre in Wilmington Drive has undergone a major revamp to modernise it and create a fantastic workplace for more than 1,000 colleagues – nearly double the number of colleagues based there currently (around 600).

The first phase of works, which started at the end of last year, are now complete and it’s already demonstrating what BT’s vision of the future will look like. The modern office environment will feature everything from full height windows providing natural light, café and restaurant facilities, flexible workspaces, collaboration areas, as well as plants. It will also include relax and refuel areas and a games area with table tennis, pool and games consoles.

The refurbishment is taking place in two stages, allowing contact centre workers to continue operating in another section of the building whilst work takes place. BT is ensuring social distancing rules apply inside the contact centre as well as following Public Health England’s latest guidelines on Covid-19 to ensure people are kept safe.

When the refurbishment is complete, the state-of-the art building will be one of the first of BT’s future-fit offices in the UK to open as part of its ‘Better Workplace Programme’ - the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK.

BT says the investment will help transform the way it works, create efficiencies and enable it to better serve its customers. The new office is also a sign of the company’s commitment to Yorkshire and providing the best facilities and services for colleagues to thrive.The building itself will include multifaith and parenting rooms, and even a ‘bike doctor’ to encourage as many colleagues as possible to travel into work by sustainable transport.

Nick Lane, managing director for consumer customer services at BT, said: “The refurbishment of our Doncaster Contact Centre has been progressing well, with the first phase now complete.

“Throughout the refurbishment, some of our colleagues have chosen to remain on site while others have worked from home. Everyone has done a fantastic job ensuring our customers have been able to stay connected with family and friends during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are fully committed to Doncaster and the wider Yorkshire region and we cannot wait for our colleagues based there to be among the first in the UK to benefit from one of our new future fit workplaces.

“Although it’s the same building, the capacity will be significantly increased thanks to this refurbishment. We plan to recruit further roles next year, providing new job opportunities in Doncaster.”

BT’s Doncaster contact centre first opened in 1997 and the company says the refurbishment will safeguard its long-term future.

Damian Allen, CEO Doncaster Council, said: “I’m delighted to see the progress that has been made on the refurbishment of BT’s Doncaster Contact Centre and it is undoubtedly a great vote of confidence that the company is planning to increase the number of staff they have based here.

“The centre makes a vital contribution to our local economy and community in Doncaster and I look forward to seeing the new centre when it is completed next year.”

Under the five year ‘Better Workplace Programme’, first announced in 2018, BT will consolidate its UK footprint of more than 300 locations to around 30. The company has already announced several other locations including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. It will also move from its current headquarters in London at St Paul’s to a new 320,000 square foot, 18-storey building near Aldgate East Station called One Braham next year.

Liz Needleman, BT Group regional lead for the North of England, said: “Doncaster is an important town for BT and a strategically important site for us in the region.

“When it comes to doing the best thing for our customers and colleagues, the buildings we work in play a huge part in how we feel about being here. We are bringing our people together in a brilliant space that will transform the way we work.

“This is a bold and ambitious programme for BT and we are committed to this major investment for Doncaster even in these challenging times.”

Teams based at the Doncaster Contact Centre will benefit from full fibre broadband as well as EE 5G mobile connectivity in the area. BT’s ambition is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Programme will deliver a combination of moves like this, into new offices, as well as the refurbishment of some existing BT buildings

BT Group plays an important role in the Yorkshire and The Humber economy and is responsible for generating £1 in every £190 produced in the region, according to an independent report. It also generated more than £1.2 billion to the Yorkshire and The Humber economy in “Gross Value Added” GVA, during the 2017/18 financial year. BT Group employs more than 6,400 people across the region.