Edge PACE 360 for Graduates is a unique online feedback tool which tracks a graduate’s development progress over the course of the graduate scheme and supports their career development.

The challenge for a UK Finance Company was to attract the level of talent they needed to build their pipeline of leaders for the future. Their graduate programme was viewed as costly and attraction and retention processes were not working effectively.

Edge introduced the Edge PACE 360 for Graduates into their assessment centres which provided consistent information for recruitment decisions. Successful graduates used the online tool to track their progress and development over the course of the scheme. Scheme leaders accessed information on the graduates’ progress and were able to provide more targeted support to ensure the graduates were successful through each placement. Edge used information with the scheme leaders to create a clear placement rotation with objectives and targets which could be tracked and then balanced technical training with management and leadership training, mentoring and coaching. The result was within 2 years we achieved a top-five ranking in 'The Times' annual review of graduate programmes for our clients.

Graduates were clear about their areas for development during the scheme and had a clear personal development plan at the end which they carried forward into their permanent roles. At the end of the programme graduates were more effectively matched to roles. Retention for up to 3 years after the scheme completed was 100%.

A big win for the organisation was that this was delivered without any additional funding or budget.

Edge PACE 360 for Leaders was key in supporting a global retail bank with limited budget, that developed an award-winning innovative approach to leadership development.

Edge worked with the executive team to understand the skills, behaviours and capabilities that were important for their leaders of the future. Using Edge PACE 360 for Leaders, we identified individuals who sat in the talent pipeline and those who were emerging talent. We developed two programmes which targeted these two groups.

The Leadership Development Network was a 12 month programme and individuals from the talent pipeline were invited to join. Whether they joined and took advantage of the programme was their decision but 200 invitees participated in the programme. The programme aimed to raise visibility with the Board, provided opportunities to do MBAs, take on Leadership challenges which took them from the UK to Botswana, participate in Apprentice style challenges, Shadow Board activities with external non-executive directors, personal coaching as well as targeting specific skills such as strategic thinking and speaking with impact. Each learning intervention had certain giving back to the business options based on the cost to the programme. The flexibility coupled with the ability to design their own learning programme proved to be highly motivational. They remained on the programme for 12 months but to be invited to join subsequent programmes individuals had to remain in the talent pipeline. The bar was set higher in Edge PACE 360 for Leaders each year and in this way the organisation could set more stretching capability targets.

Edge PACE 360 is a unique suite of online diagnostic tools which benchmark skills and behaviours for Business Partners, Leaders, Graduates and Apprentices and those in higher education wishing to progress a career in a corporate world.

Edge PACE 360 for Business Partners enabled an African telecom company to benchmark their business partner skills and set realistic goals to aim for as they changed the way they worked with the business.

Edge designed and delivered a highly interactive and challenging 3 day face-to-face workshop which targeted leadership and partnering skills. There was plenty of opportunity to practise skills with role players. Coaches were on hand to provide direct and insightful feedback for participants to act upon during the 3 days.

At the end of the workshop, the team had a clear and consistent understanding of business partnering and had created a vision and strategy which they committed to implementing into the business. Follow-up sessions demonstrated significant progress with stakeholders and customers.

Edge PACE 360 for Apprentices/Careers was an integral part of a recruitment proposition for a UK Retail Bank that wanted to attract and recruit newly qualified accountants from the Big 4 Accounting Firms.

Edge designed and implemented a Professional Excellence programme which ran for 6 months from the time the new recruits joined the organisation. Edge PACE 360 for Apprentices/Careers was used at the start and end of the programme to enable learning to be targeted and development plans to be put in place. The programme covered a mix of technical training, management and leadership training as well as induction, transition, mentoring and career activities which enabled the new recruits to successfully adapt to a corporate commercial environment. Feedback from managers and new recruits was extremely positive – managers believed the programme enabled new recruits to become fully operational and productive sooner than they would normally expect.