Generalist, Human Resources Industrial Placement

Location

Swindon / Wiltshire

Salary

£24750

Contract

Temporary (Full Time - 12 months)

Reference

1322

Closing Date

07 December 2025

Job description
Good things this way

If you're an ambitious go-getter who enjoys solving problems and learning new skills, our 1-year Industrial Placement provides a clear and rewarding pathway into Human Resources (HR) within banking.

You will work across our HR teams, building rewarding relationships to understand customer needs and resolve problems. Throughout your placement you'll develop HR Generalist skills and knowledge your focus will be within our People Partnering and Change Consultancy team but will include exposure to other HR teams such as Talent & Inclusion, Learning & Leadership, Performance, Reward and Culture and HR Services.

We'll support your development through workshops, simulations, accreditations and on-the-job learning, helping you grow with confidence. You'll also work on a green and sustainability strategy project work with other Placement colleagues and join an individual learning pathway to continuously develop your skills.

Our Industrial Placements offer a potential route after university into our Skills Development Programmes, making for a valuable first step into banking.

Where you'll be working

Our People function's ambition is to enable the most capable workforce. We do this by differentiating ourselves as a purpose led and inspirational place to work whilst enhancing organisational capability through embedding of skills and behaviour changes, and improved progression for diverse talent – you'll be developing the skills we need in the future at Nationwide.

What you'll be doing

Our People Industrial Placement offers you a rewarding 12‑month journey. You'll gain real responsibility and accountability while working in one or more of our People Partnering and Change Consultancy teams, supporting people change initiatives across the business.

You'll build strong relationships across Nationwide and externally, helping us understand customer needs, solve problems, and deliver for our 16 million members.

You'll gain access to a bespoke 12-month project aligned to our green and sustainability strategy project work to develop core business skills, providing opportunities to learn new skills and apply them in a different context to your day job.

This placement provides an opportunity to join our Skill Development programmes, for when you have completed your university studies.

Location

At Nationwide we offer hybrid working wherever possible. More rewarding relationships are supported through our hybrid approach, bringing colleagues together across our UK wide estate, whilst also supporting generous access to home working. We value our time in the office to solve problems, to learn, and to feel connected.

For this job you'll spend at least two days per week, or if part time you'll spend 40% of your working time, based at our Swindon office . If your application is successful, your hiring manager will provide further details on how this works.

If we receive a high volume of relevant applications, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so please apply as soon as you can.

About you

We're looking for ambitious, purpose driven candidates who want to build a rewarding career in banking. You'll have a determination to push for better, and a focus on delivering for our 16 million members. You must be studying toward an undergraduate degree in any discipline.

You'll thrive in our high-performing culture, if:

• You are bold in living our customer first behaviours, you are innovative and have a growth mindset.
• You have a keen interest in People/HR-related fields of work
• Development is something you expect and embrace.
• You push for high performance – from yourself and those around you.
• You have a high standard of numerical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• You can analyse, and problem solve to identify challenges and propose solutions.
• Through research and experience, you have commercial awareness of Nationwide and the financial services industry.

Our customer first behaviours put customers and members at the heart of how we work together. They are the set of behaviours that every colleague needs to display, in every role:

• Feel what customers feel - We step into our customers' shoes, using their feedback and insights to empathise with them and to understand their needs, so that every decision we make starts and finishes with our customers in mind
• Say it straight - We are brave in speaking out and saying what we think – we're honest and direct with good intent, openly sharing diverse perspectives to reach the best conclusions and using language everyone can understand
• Push for better - We don't settle for mediocrity, we challenge the status quo, taking responsibility for continuous improvement and personal development
• Get it done - We prioritise what will have the greatest impact, we are decisive, and we take accountability for delivering brilliant customer outcomes.

You can strengthen your application by showing how our customer first behaviours resonate with you, and where you may have already demonstrated these.

We know applying for jobs can sometimes feel like you're sending an application into a black hole. We review each application individually. So, it's a good idea to call out your most relevant experience on your application to give yourself the best chance.

Banking – but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society

We forge our own path at Nationwide.

As a mutual, we're owned by our members - those customers who bank, save or have a mortgage with us. We challenge the financial sector status quo. We don't see customers as the engine of our own profit. We share our profits with them and put their needs first. Always there when they need us. Supporting them and their lives.

If you're inspired by fairer finances, passionate about making a meaningful impact, and truly care about our customers, you're one of us.

At Nationwide, you are challenged to grow and rewarded for doing so. Valued. Recognised. Inspired to be your best. As a community we want our working lives to count. As a team, we celebrate what we achieve. As a standard-setter, we work for the good of customers, communities, and broader society.

We are purpose-driven. Uncompromisingly customer. Unstoppably Nationwide.

What to do next

If this role is for you, please click the 'Apply Now' button, where you'll be asked to answer a few quick questions for us.

We'll send you our online assessments to complete and there will also be a short video interview to find out more about you. If you are successful, you could be selected to attend one of our assessment centres which run from January 2026.

If you have any further questions, please contact us

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