5 years of Speedbird-Z, British Airway's talent engagement platform

To protect their position as one of the global aviation market leaders, British Airways are constantly striving to innovate both to ensure they continue to engage & hire the best talent from the most diverse talent pools but also provide a market leading experience for all young people coming into contact with their brand.

For this to be delivered at scale, British Airways partnered with Connectr Talent Technology (CTT) in 2019 to create Speedbird-Z. An innovative virtual candidate experience that has seen apprentice hires 6x more likely to be offered a role after engagement on the platform, and graduate hires 3x more likely to be offered.

Speedbird-Z does much more than convert early talent into successful applicants. The platform carries across the British Airways brand, preserving their reputation as a high-quality airline importantly, also supporting candidates who were unsuccessful. The platform nurtures brand loyalty from candidates who are also consumers, and has become an active community in it’s own right.

Speedbird-Z has become everything we thought it could be and more. It has not only bridged a gap between school outreach and students applying for our programmes, but is now a seamless transition in our talent pipeline. Over the next five years, Speedbird-Z will remain at the heart of our student outreach, where we are looking forward to creating more rich content showcasing the unique and addictive industry of aviation, and growing our representation of digital mentors to inspire even more young people.

Mel Richardson MBE - Emerging Talent Manager at British Airways

Read the full 5 year anniversary impact report below.