Graduate Leadership Programme

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Graduate Leadership Programme

Learn about Aviva from all sides of the business, and grow as we grow. We’ll give you the tools, resources and support you need to help your customers and colleagues.

We’ll also give you the freedom to make the right decisions for your career, and push our organisation forward within the industry.

For Canada, applications open September 2021 and will close 3rd October 2021. Assessment Centres will be held in late October/early November.

For the UK, applications open October and will close 21st November 2021. Assessment Centres will be held in January 2022.

What leadership looks like, according to our leaders

Our graduates ask their senior team members what it takes to be a good leader.

Watch the video

About the programme

Our Leadership programme runs for two years. During that time, you’ll rotate every 8 months into a new business area and gain a breadth of invaluable experiences along the way.

We can guarantee that one your rotations will be in a customer-facing role. That’s because our customers are core to our purpose as a business, and we want you to learn first-hand how we deliver great outcomes for them. And what better way to do it than leading one of the brilliant teams in our customer contact centres?

Your other rotations could be in data science, transformation or underwriting, to name a few, and we’ll work with you to structure a programme of experiences that supports your ambitions and our strategy.

As you progress through the programme, you’ll take on real responsibilities in real time. You could be running your own team (with tons of support) in one week, and leading the way on a new project or initiative the next.

One thing’s for certain: you’ll be learning and developing every step of the way, and developing others too.

Entry requirements

At Aviva, we’re passionate about the work we do. We like to get involved, and we’re looking for graduates who feel the same way. Talented and driven people who understand the needs of our customers, and go above and beyond to meet them.

You’ll either already have a degree in any discipline, or will be graduating this year and be able to start work in September 2022.

Where you’ll be based

Rotations will all take place in your home country, in one of the following regions:

UK applications: Bristol, Norwich, Sheffield or York – there may be a small number of roles in London too
Canada applications: Oakville, Markham, Toronto or Vancouver

Over the last 18 months, most of our colleagues have been working remotely due to Covid-19. But as we start to open up our offices more broadly, and as restrictions lift, we anticipate post-pandemic working to be a blend of office and home. If the placement you’re on can support it, there may be a chance to work from home for some of your hours.

What an average day looks like

No two days are the same at Aviva. Depending on the area of the business you’re working in, you might spend some days solving complex problems for your team or your customers, and other days liaising directly with the customer or your team.

Regardless of the team you work in, you’ll discover what leadership looks like day-to-day.

Rewards & benefits

Our colleagues work hard, so we want to work hard for them by providing great rewards and benefits. These may differ from market to market, but you’ll be able to tailor your rewards so that you can get even more out of working at Aviva. Benefits available could include:

Training

You will get lots of training and development opportunities as part of your structured development programme. We’ll also support you to gain professional role related qualifications.

Great support network

Expect great managers, mentors and buddies who’ll help you grow into your role and support you every step of the way. Plus, you’ll be part of our Aviva graduate community.

In-house financial advice

At Aviva, we don’t stop at protecting our customers. We also provide financial advice to our colleagues internally.

Discounts

Discounts on all our products and services.

Pension

We offer a generous pension — the more you contribute, the more we’ll contribute.

Health and wellbeing

We empower our people to look after their physical, mental, and financial wellbeing, and colleagues have access to a wealth of resources to help.

Share plan schemes

You can join our Matching Share Plan (MSP) and/or Save As You Earn scheme (SAYE).

Application process

Step 1 – Apply Online

After clicking the ‘Apply’ button, you’ll be directed to our online application form. You’ll then need to answer some initial questions, and attach a copy of your CV.

Step 2 – Tests

If you pass the application stage, we’ll send you a link to two tests. One is a Situational Strengths Test (SST) and will reveal tasks you could experience during the Graduate Leadership Programme, while assessing your relevant strengths.

The other test is our Critical Reasoning Test (CRT), which will assess your ability to draw logical conclusions, evaluate information accurately and judge the arguments presented to you.

There’s no limit to how long you can take, but we will be recording your time. On average, the tests take 40 minutes each to complete.

Step 3 – Video interview

If you pass the online tests, you’ll be invited to a recorded interview. You’ll be presented with a series of strengths-based questions – with a practice test first, of course – and our online system will guide you through the process, step by step.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of candidates who apply to this programme, we can only provide feedback to those who have reached the assessment day stage.

Step 4 – Assessment Day

If we think you have what we’re after, we’ll invite you to an assessment centre. And don’t worry – we’ll give you lots of pointers on how to prepare, and what to expect on the day closer to the time.

Step 5 – Offer Made

If you’re successful at the assessment centre, we’ll call to offer you a place on our scheme. If you aren’t successful this time, we’ll let you know – and if you’d like more feedback on why, just ask.

Why Aviva?

You might think we’re just another boring insurance firm, but we’re not. We don’t show up for work in pressed suits and shiny shoes, or use technical terms just for the sake of it. At Aviva, we’re proud to be different. Proud to say that we’re a diverse mix of cultures, genders, ages, perspectives and ideas.

Most important of all, we’re an organisation with a business. We want to lead the way forward in our sector, which is why we focus on being the best we can be. Every day. Together, we’re building a better tomorrow with a little help – a lot, actually – from the leaders of the future.

No matter who you are, where you’re from or what your interests are, you can be sure there’s a place for you at Aviva.

Our values

For some companies, values might just be a page on their website, but not at Aviva. We live and breathe them.

Care. Because we understand the positive difference we make in our customers’ lives every day. We truly listen to see beyond the policyholder to a person with plans and dreams.

Commitment. We understand the impact we have on the world and take seriously the responsibility that brings with it. We will play our part in tackling the climate crisis. We commit to a better tomorrow.

Community. Because we recognise the strength that comes from working as one team, collaborating and winning together for Aviva, for each other and for our customers.

Confidence. We are brave and passionate, setting new standards for ourselves and the competition. With a humility that is as important as the ambition that drives us.

This is what we believe in, and below is how we put our beliefs into action…

Lead and develop

You’ll get the chance to build your skills through a combination of face-to-face and virtual learning, as well as coaching and on-the-job tasks. We also have our very own learning platform, Aviva University, where you can choose to build your knowledge in a variety of topics, including marketing and risk. As part of our Senior Mentor Scheme, a member of the senior leadership team will also mentor you through every rotation. It’s a fantastic opportunity to benefit from the experience of someone truly invested in the business.

You can rest assured that there’ll always be help available to you at Aviva. There’s always be a mentor in the leadership team willing to answer any questions you may have, and a buddy in your team who will make sure, along with your manager, that you have all the support you need to thrive.

Over the course of your programme, we’ll help you grow your leadership skills, empowering you to develop your potential and lead us forward as a business.

Networking and collaboration

You’ll have loads of chances to meet people across business areas and at all levels of the organisation. In fact, at the very start of the programme, you’ll be invited to our graduate welcome event. You’ll get to meet fellow graduates, plus many of our senior leaders and maybe even the group CEO. We’ll share our strategy and business objectives, and set out what we’re expecting from you on the programme.

You’ll then start your local orientation, where we’ll introduce you to your specific business area. We’ll give you the practical day-to-day skills and knowledge to help you in your new role.