• The company runs multiple graduate programmes (including Data and Analytics, Finance, Claims, Commercial & Digital, and HR) rather than a single narrow intake route.
• Hastings Direct offers a Technology placement year for students, giving an additional entry point that doesn’t require graduating first.
• The company does not show high volume “0–2 years” permanent roles outside formal programmes, so entry-level access is strong but still channelled through set pathways.

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• The company publishes a recruitment process page that commits to communicating outcomes “no matter what stage” and sets expectations on screening, interview steps, background checks, and onboarding tasks.
• Hastings Direct describes behaviour-based interview question banks for hiring leaders (linked to the “4Cs” culture), which is a real structure signal versus ad-hoc interviewing.
• The company has public interview feedback showing multi-stage processes including take-home tasks for some junior analytics roles, which can be fair when time-boxed but increases burden for early-career candidates.

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• The company’s graduate programme listings describe rotations, formal training (including regulatory), and leadership development coaching across a two-year structure.
• Hastings Direct supports role-relevant apprenticeships for colleagues, including giving time and support to complete the course and apply learning in-role.
• The company does not publish a consistent “how we onboard grads” playbook (buddying, 1:1 cadence, review rhythm) across all early-career routes, so the day-to-day support picture is incomplete.

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• The company publishes specific early-career pay in at least one graduate programme listing (for example a £35,000 starting salary for Commercial & Digital Graduate, plus a year-one uplift).
• Hastings Direct lists meaningful benefits in early-career materials, including pension match up to 10%, healthcare cash plan, private medical insurance, and 25 days annual leave (plus options like buy/sell leave).
• The company does not consistently publish salary ranges for non-programme roles on public listings, which limits pay transparency outside early-career schemes.

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• The company provides some internal progression signals via apprenticeships (numbers of colleagues completing and currently studying role-specific apprenticeships), but not early-career promotion or retention rates.
• Hastings Direct has third-party signals of generally manageable interview difficulty and mixed experiences by role, but that is not the same as proof of junior growth after hiring.
• The company does not publish outcomes like graduate-to-permanent conversion rates, time-to-promotion, or 12–24 month retention for programme cohorts, which keeps the outcomes score mid-range.

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