Employer profile: Lloyds Banking Group, one of the UK's largest banks

Want to know what it's like to work for a financial services provider? In this guide, you’ll learn all about working at Lloyds Banking Group, what apprenticeship opportunities are available, and how to apply.

Elaine Cowen, who is the Apprenticeship Delivery Manager at Lloyds Banking Group, tells us what it’s really like to work for the company.

What does Lloyds Banking Group do?

Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) is the UK’s largest digital bank which means that we provide lots of different online banking services. As a bank we look after people’s money and help them in every stage of their life, whether it's starting to save, getting a loan, or lending them money to buy a home. We also support businesses with their banking needs.

We have lots of different brands that make up Lloyds Banking Group which includes Lloyds Bank, Halifax Bank, Bank of Scotland, and Scottish Widows.

Where is Lloyds Banking Group based?

Our head offices are in London and Edinburgh but we have offices and branches all over the UK including:

• London
• Birmingham
• Leeds
• Cardiff
• Bristol
• Edinburgh
• West Yorkshire
• Manchester

In our branches our colleagues serve customers face-to-face; we also have a lot of colleagues that support our customers via telephone.

At the moment, colleagues who are not supporting our customers face-to-face are working flexibly which means they are either working from home, in an office, or a combination of both.

What is Lloyd Banking Group’s work environment like?

LBG has a very diverse and friendly environment. We often socialise during lunch breaks and after work. We also have lots of different networks that you can get involved in, such as the Rainbow network for LGBT+ colleagues, as well as the REACH network which supports colleagues from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds.

As we often work remotely, a lot of our communication is via video call and messaging channels like Microsoft Teams.

How does Lloyds Banking Group meet the needs of employees with additional requirements?

At LBG we offer an inclusive environment for everyone, regardless of their disability or additional needs. 

Everyone is different and we are here to support the needs of our staff. For example, we have a range of flexible working options, so those who are more productive working from home, or may need to start and finish at slightly different times to others, can do so with the agreement of their Line Manager.

We also have lots of support services such as a free counselling service and use of the Headspace App for free.

What are some of the most common roles at Lloyds Banking Group?

We have colleagues that work across a range of different business areas – some work directly with customers helping them to manage their money, and some of our colleagues support our business customers. 

We also have a lot of jobs that are ‘behind the scenes’ in areas like data analytics, accountancy, project management, HR, auditing, and communications.

As we are the UK’s largest digital bank we also have a lot of tech and digital roles available in areas including product design, software engineering, and cyber security. In these roles you could be learning coding to ensure that our customers are getting a great experience, or you could be making sure that cyber criminals are kept at bay!

How can someone join Lloyds Banking Group at entry level?

There are lots of different ways to join us. You can join through one of our apprenticeship programmes which lead to full-time positions. We have apprenticeships from Level 2 to Level 7 and these are available for digital and technology-based roles, customer-facing roles, and risk and auditing roles.

We also have lots of different graduate schemes which are available in data science, technology engineering, finance, risk management, commercial banking, sustainable consumer banking, and sustainable financial wellbeing. Many of these programmes are two to three years in length.

Check our website for up-to-date information as there are always new opportunities being added.

What are the entry requirements for these roles?

To join us as an apprentice you don’t need to have studied any particular subjects at school but we generally require GCSEs in maths and English at grade 4/C or above. 

Generally for our higher level degree apprenticeships you'll be asked for three A levels in any subject plus maths and English GCSEs at grade 4/C or above.

If you don’t have these GCSE grades we can support you to gain maths and English qualifications so please don’t let that put you off from applying. We recruit on strengths not experience so you have as much chance as anyone in being successful!

To apply for our graduate schemes you’ll need a 2.2 degree or above in any subject.

What skills does Lloyds Banking Group look for in applicants?

We’re looking for people who are creative and innovative, have good problem-solving skills, and also have the ability to work both independently and as part of a team.

There are a maximum of three stages in the application process. The first step is to complete an online application and assessment and we use this to assess your strengths and mathematical skills.

The next step is an interview which will usually be held virtually via Teams. 

For Higher level apprenticeships, there is a third stage in which you take part in a group exercise which might be held either virtually or in-person. This is a great way for us to look at your ability to work with others, lead discussions, and bring people together.

Related Unifrog skills:

• Creativity / Innovation
• Problem solving
• Independence
• Teamwork

What are some top tips to help an entry level applicant succeed at Lloyds Banking Group?

Make sure you research the role you’re applying for and us as a company! Get a really good understanding of our values, who our customers are, and the industries we work in. 

To prepare for interviews, think about what you’ve done inside or outside of school that might have given you skills that you can transfer into a role with us. Being part of a school sports team or fundraising are great examples we’d love to hear about.

Also - just be yourself! At LBG we recruit people based on their strengths, not their experience, so if you share our vision and are eager to learn then we want to hear from you!

What work experience or internship opportunities are there at Lloyds Banking Group?

At Lloyds Banking Group, every summer we run our 1-day virtual work experience which allows thousands of students to interact with us. 

We also have our ‘World of Work’ experience which gives you the opportunity to learn more about life at LBG. You can find details of this on our website.

What opportunities are there for progression at Lloyds Banking Group?

Once you have joined us there are lots of opportunities for progression. We are such a large organisation that you’ll be able to have a look at the many career paths and decide which one you’d like to take.

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