Commercial & Digital Graduate Programme

Our Commercial and Digital graduate programme will build your skills and provide experiences that will allow you to understand the complete commercial value chain across Hastings Direct. The teams you’ll work with have a focus on winning and retaining customers, ensuring existing customers are well looked after, whilst keeping sharp attention on our customers’ needs in the digital space.

Across your time on the programme, you’ll help make sure our products meet customers’ needs and are priced appropriately. Get involved in managing insurers, developing and managing products, and understanding how the sales, retention, mid-term adjustments and cancellations of our insurance policies can affect the bottom line.

You’ll be exposed to everything that connects us to our customers, from intuitive and compelling digital tools and journeys, to our tone of voice at every customer touchpoint. There will be several exciting projects to get involved in, from developing new products to creating digital capabilities on our website and enhancing our market-leading app.

Where you’ll be based

We’re committed to hybrid working. You can work mostly from home, with as and when required visits to our Leicester, London or Bexhill offices.

Starting your career with us

We understand that your first graduate role should be more than just a job. Starting your career at Hastings Direct gives you the chance to make your mark in an ambitious, rapidly growing and digitally driven business. A company that genuinely cares about you as an individual, respects your opinions and listens to your ideas. One where you can make a positive difference, because you’re encouraged to look for growth opportunities and achieve your full potential.

We aim to give you the experience and technical knowledge to progress your career. We’ll provide you with a nurturing and challenging environment to help expand your horizons, develop new skills and make new connections.

Most of all, you’ll find all the support you need from people at every level, so you can fulfil your ambitions. From managers who are approachable and supportive, to colleagues who are always ready to help each other out. In short, you’ll have all you need to launch a successful career.

Your rotations

This two-year programme is built to enable you to become a future Hastings leader and consists of three 8-month rotations.

The first two rotations will be undertaken in a Commercial and Digital role with the choice of a number of potential further placements.

Core placement: Commercial

Our commercial teams plays a pivotal role in enhancing the organisation's profitability by devising and executing successful strategies, reporting on performance, and analysing trends to identify promising avenues for growth. This involves driving initiatives across various departments, including Marketing, Pricing, Underwriting, Finance, among others. As a part of this team, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of efficient business practices and get exposed to exciting projects.
Core placement: Digital product

Our digital product teams are responsible for crafting, enhancing and maintaining the digital journeys across our App and desktop platforms, which are extensively used by over three million customers. These journeys encompass key elements of customer engagement such as purchasing, modifying, renewing, and claiming services, in addition to managing the main website and support services. A placement here will expose you to the practical aspects of delivering digital initiatives, including effective prioritisation, balancing customer experience with commercial goals, and optimising costs and timelines. As these online journeys are crucial to the company's growth, you’ll play a significant role in improving and innovating exceptional experiences for customers.
Optional placement: Marketing

Marketing roles support initiatives that engage with customers to support them after they have joined us, whilst reinforcing the value of products and highlighting key messages to customers at critical times. By using innovative Customer Relationship Management technology, you’ll work with the team to drive best in class customer service and commercial outcomes.
Optional placement: Operations

Our Operations team of over a thousand people supports our customers with whatever they need. Managing an organisation of this size, with millions of customer interactions a year, is a challenging opportunity to improve both customer experience and profitability.
Optional placement: Product

This team makes sure the products we sell are high quality and market leading, which involves working with third party suppliers, getting live customer feedback, staying on top of what’s new in the market, whilst also trying to maximise the profitability of what we sell.
Optional placement: Proposition

We have several dedicated propositions, like our multicar offering or online policy. Managing these strategic initiatives requires dedicated focus to realise the business case benefits.
Optional placement: Claims

Our Claims team focuses on improving customer claims journeys and optimising commercial performance through partnerships with external stakeholders including repairers, legal representatives and other insurers.

Your professional development

From the moment you join us, we’ll make sure you have access to a wide variety of opportunities for both personal and professional growth. You’ll be enrolled on our early careers development programme, providing you with a suite of bespoke sessions which develop the strengths we know graduates need to be successful at Hastings Direct. You’ll also have the opportunity to network and meet others in graduate programmes across the business.

To support you in your programme, we offer dedicated development and coaching to build your leadership skills, along with regular formal training to support wider awareness of company, industry and regulatory requirements.

And our inclusive, supportive culture means you’ll have a strong support network around you. From leaders to mentors, buddies to our Early Careers team, you’ll always have someone you can talk to about anything. From your future career at Hastings Direct, to where to get a coffee!

What we look for

We look for a combination of technical and personal skills, so you’ll need to have:

Qualifications

A degree, achieved in the last three years

Interests

A deep passion for learning, whilst showing high levels of curiosity and innovation.

Skills

Strong ability to work well in a team as well as on your own.

Excellent communication skills with a strong aptitude for organisation.

Experience in an organisation where tasks were carried out using Microsoft Excel or similar tools for numerical analysis is desirable but not essential.

Experience in a customer service role is desirable but not essential.

Behaviours

An independent mindset and are confident in constructively challenging and influencing the status quo.

Consideration of the commercial impact in all aspects of decision making and outcome delivery.

Meet some of the team

Jan Fung, Commercial & Digital Graduate (First year)

My first rotation is with the Motor Retention and In-life team, where I’m responsible for generating insights from data-sets and communicating the analysis to other teams to keep our business competitive.

No days are the same; Hastings values our growth and constantly keep us updated with exciting news and knowledge across the business, which helps me get up to speed quickly. It’s a friendly and supportive environment where everyone is happy to help and ensure I get the most out of the programme.

Sophy Chan, Commercial & Digital Graduate (First year)

The graduate programme is very well-structured, with extensive support provided by various teams. There are numerous opportunities for me, not only to learn more about the business but also to develop my career and personal skills.

A key highlight is that I have been given a project to own and manage, which is an exciting opportunity for me especially at this early stage of my career. I have collaborated with different teams and even attended an external event to gain industry insights. The experience I’ve had so far has been amazing.

Our recruitment process

After each stage, we’ll let you know if you’ve made it to the next one and what to expect. If you haven’t, we’ll be happy to give you feedback.

Apply

Select the appropriate programme on our careers site. Click apply, create an account, answer the required questions, and submit your CV.

Online Assessment

After completing your application, you’ll receive a link to our online assessment. The assessments vary by programme and will focus on your cognitive ability and role fit.

Application Review

We will review your application and assessment results to ensure you meet the criteria for moving to the next stage.

Role Suitability

The activity will depend on the programme. It aims to understand your practical knowledge and skills through an online video interview, technical assessment, or both.

Meet us

From producing case studies and giving presentations, to group and role-specific tasks, this is your chance to shine.

Welcome!

If you’re successful, we’ll offer you a place on one of our programmes and call you to talk through the details.

Frequently asked questions

I already work at Hastings Direct – can I still apply?

Absolutely! If you meet our eligibility requirements, everyone is welcome. We suggest that you also speak with your Leader to help support with your application.
I don’t have a visa – can I still apply to Hastings Direct?

Unfortunately, we are currently unable to sponsor visas for our graduate programmes. You will be asked to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK during the selection process, and you must maintain and be able to demonstrate your right to work throughout the duration of your employment with the Company.
If you do have immigration permission (e.g. a graduate visa), this visa must cover you for the two or three-year programme and you’ll need to provide evidence of your course completion from your university before your starting date.
Can I apply to more than one programme?

Yes, however throughout the recruitment process we may give you the advice that you're better suited to another programme - we always have your best interests at heart.
My degree discipline is not listed on the candidate specification for the programme I am interested in, can I still apply?

Yes, if you can demonstrate your suitability for the role through relevant work experience, projects or modules throughout your degree or additional skills and interests.
I’m a mature student/graduate – can I still apply?

Yes – age is just a number although we do ask that applicants have graduated within the past two years or are due to graduate this academic year.
Can I apply if I’ve already graduated?

Yes, so long as you meet the minimum requirements for the programme you’d like to apply to, and we do ask that applicants have graduated within the past two years.
Do I need to relocate if I’m successful?

This will depend on the programme you are joining. We do typically ask that you are within commutable distance to one of our offices so you benefit from in-person support when you join, further information on which office can be found within the job advert.
I have a disability, long term health or neuro-diverse condition, are you able to provide support or adjustments through the recruitment process?

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible. We can make adjustments and offer support throughout the recruitment process to ensure that you have the best chance of success. Furthermore, if you are made an offer, we can then discuss with you the adjustments you might need to get on with the job and develop your career.
Please refer to the recruitment process to find out more about the different stages during the recruitment process which will help you identify whether you will need any support or adjustments at any stage. Please contact us to discuss any support you may require at recruitmentteam@hastingsdirect.com.
What kind of adjustments can be made?

Adjustments vary depending on the specific needs or circumstances of the individual and the best way to identify the most suitable adjustments is for us to speak with you, which will allow us to determine what adjustments would be most appropriate.
Examples can include additional time, breaks, adjustable font sizes and subtitles on videos.
Please contact us to discuss any support you may require at recruitmentteam@hastingsdirect.com.
Is the assessment centre face to face or virtual and when will it take place?

We’ve moved back to face-to-face assessment centres. You’ll be asked to attend an in-person assessment centre, in one of our offices in either Bexhill (East Sussex) or Leicester.

We will advise you of the scheduled dates for your programme nearer the time so that you can keep the date free.
If I’m successful when is my starting date?

Our early careers programmes start in September each year.

If you have immigration permission that will allow you to complete your two or three year programme, you must provide evidence of your course completion from your university before your starting date.

Ready to apply?

Are you ready for a graduate programme with a fast growing, digitally-focused insurance company? A business with huge ambitions to be the UK’s best and biggest digital insurance provider?

An organisation that focuses on profitable growth that’s truly sustainable, by doing the right thing for colleagues, customers, the community and the company – our 4Cs? Somewhere that celebrates openness and diversity by encouraging you to be yourself? And was named the UK’s #1 Best Big Company to Work for 2024?

Are you ready for a future with Hastings Direct?

Apply now

Closing date: 9th February 2025

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