After the pressure of making the employers do a spot of public speaking and share their journey to their current role as well as their top tips to impress employers, it was only fair that the awesome Growing Talent applicants stepped up too!
London Challenge demands the applicants to come up with an idea to improve London.
Imagine this….
First part is to brainstorm ideas. Then, form a team with people you didn’t know two hours before, devise the beginning, middle and end of a unique idea within 45 minutes before presenting it t the panel of employers!
Would you do it?
The employers were treated to four unique ideas.
🎯 Group 1 – Leon, Niki, Katie & Bozena 🎯 Group 2 – Kai, Iuliia, Samuel, Anita & Alex 🎯 Group 3 – James, Aboidun & Mulenga 🎯 Group 4 – Shantelle, Dejanae & Sarah
Ideas ranges from community mental health and well being, creative hubs, food and nutrition – with a community greenhouse and intelligent use of public cctv to reduce response times!
All applicants chose to return 19 February for our ‘slow dating’ event – also known as the employer first stage selection!
Growing Talent is lucky to have strong collaboration ties with employers, #JobCentrePlus, community groups and the hidden talent of the unemployed people in London.
All share the common ground of enabling unemployed people to secure a job a different way, which they can grow into a career and close their own social mobility gap – permanently.
Over the 10 years it has run, multiple people have proven this and climbed their career ladders. Compared to where they started, the difference is as strong as that between night and day.
Confirmed employers for this round – our 39th programme – include:
There is still time to join these insightful employers if you have a role in London to fill.
But, the clock is ticking! ⏰
Deadline is 9am on 6 February. DM me for more information
A huge thank you to our insightful employers, #DavidSteeds team at #JobCentrePlus, Rob Matthews (Anna) their partners in the community, Matthew Izekor of #SouthwarkCareLeavers and our unemployed applicants who collaborate together to do things differently 👏 👏 👏
These questions popped in my mind whilst sitting in the dentist chair recently. Whilst waiting for the x-ray results, my dentist asked “so what do you do?”
Those I work with on Growing Talent will know the ‘elevator pitch’ template we explore.
So, to my dentist I replied:
“I work with businesses and their teams to ensure both thrive. I happen to be an @I-act Instructor, Genos EI Practitioner, ADHD Coach and workplace wellbeing facilitator, as well as running a unique journey into employment programme (Growing Talent)”.
Immediately, my Dentist and her assistant wanted to know more about ADHD.
The assistant has a son aged 13 waiting assessment (it’s a very long wait in the UK) and the dentist has a friend who has always struggled in certain areas of executive functioning. I shared some thoughts and signposting with them both. A very short conversation which resulted in the three of us feeling a little more positive and empowered…. Until my dentist picked up the drill – that’s another story!
Why share my experience at the dentist here on LinkedIn?
Dental surgeries are workplaces. People at all levels put on masks to deliver the service they are paid to do whilst trying to hold down the pressures they are feeling – both at home and work – in all workplaces, including yours.
Workplace managers can be overwhelmed themselves and not notice the cues in their teams or self.
So, what can workplaces do?
✅ Train teams at all levels in the steps and tools to be pressure fit – i.e. able to deal with the pressure in the workplace – as well as at home, is a ‘no brainer’.
✅ Raise awareness of the cues to look for, how to start and manage conversations ensuring neuro inclusivity.
My top tip to be neuro inclusive is aim everything to fit neurodivergent team members.
What you do, will also work for neurotypical team members. Currently most workplaces are structured for neurotypical minds – which does not work for neurodivergent ones.
The certainty is the pressure fitness of your teams will hit your bottom line.
The question is, will that hit be positive or negative?
What do you think?
How do you ensure the pressure fitness of your team?
Calling all #London employers looking for new talent. If you don’t already get the innovative benefits below in your current recruitment process, is now the time to change?
✅ Completely free
✅ Get to know all applicants – before the selection stage
✅ Build connections with applicants at our challenge event
✅ Selection through our ‘slow dating’ and 1-2-1 stages
✅ CPD Certified Orientation and Holistic week delivered prior to joining you
Thanks also to #DavidSteeds, Rob Matthews (Anna) and their awesome JCP teams across London sharing this opportunity with their customers and the fabulous Matthew Izekor and team at #SouthwarkCareLeavers making a huge difference to young people already bruised by life.
Yes, if you are already unemployed, living in London and want to ignite your own social mobility.
I know because I’ve been where you are. The tools I used to secure employment are the foundation of Growing Talent and Talent Hub.
For many people who are unemployed and searching for work, there is a wide area of common ground including:
🎯 A feeling of numbness to take action
🎯 Overwhelmed – not able to put together a cv, let alone bring it to life, if an interview is secured
🎯 Not recognise the skills and potential within yourself so how will a potential employer ever see these?
🎯 Any number of external pressures
The overriding problem is ‘how do you connect with employers so they see your true potential’?
It’s just too difficult, right?
Wrong!
Growing Talent has been designed specifically for those unemployed people who need a different route to employers. We don’t allow cvs, job descriptions, nor formal interviews.
Instead, we have a ‘getting to know each other event’ AHEAD of the selection stage. By the time you reach the selection stage, strong connections have already been laid between employers and applicants.
The next London programme commences on 7 February 2025 with our virtual information session.
Criteria to take part:
🎯 Must already live in London.
🎯 You will be 18 or over – no upper age limit at all!
🎯 It’s important you already have your Right to Work documents in place or Government issued share code.
Run in collaboration with JobCentre Plus there is no negative impact on you. Any offers employers make are not mandatory – you don’t have to accept them. During the four week mutual evaluation, you retain your benefits, have travel paid and are paid by the employer! This ensures you know the ring-fenced role is right for you.
…Why would someone choose to work for you and not one of your competitors?
Many employers I speak with rarely ask themselves these questions. In these challenging times with the imminent rise (UK) in taxation, employers NI, pressure on teams at all levels, maybe it’s time for a rethink?
Each Christmas I stay in rural Lanzarote. It’s peaceful, quiet, visually impressive volcanic landscape, ideal for reflection and planning. But, a need to change it up with visits to our favourite resort gives an energising balance!
The Christmas decorations in the photo are from the foyer of Princess Yaiza hotel in Playa Blanca. We popped in to see the effort they made and were not disappointed.
Now, my gran had a great saying for anyone or thing she felt had no integrity or substance – “all fur coat and no k****ers”.
You could be thinking this is an apt thought for the opulence of the decorations at Princess Yaiza, but you’d be wrong. On our last visit, Alessio worked in entertainment. Always smiling, connecting with the guests all ages – nothing was too much trouble. Clearly this was noticed by management. Now he’s a Customer Service Manager and was in the foyer chatting and greeting everyone.
I asked him how his new role was going. He replied – “…I love it. The company is great – they really care about their staff – something you don’t find in most hotels….”
Princess Yaiza guests will keep returning because the company genuinely invests in their staff. They care. It’s not solely about wages.
Many years ago Richard Branson said, something along the lines of, “I don’t focus on my clients. I focus on my staff because they will look after my clients”
If staff feel invested in and valued, they will want to work for you. They will look forward to Monday mornings rolling around. They will do more than they need to. The buzz and productivity will be high.
Of course, the opposite is true. Staff who don’t feel valued, won’t stay. Energised, excited new staff who are joining an exhausted team and manager won’t stay. In both cases your business will suffer.
Investing in all staff’s training and development, listening to their voices, inclusive of neurotypical and neurodivergent brain operating systems will deliver a solid return on investment.
We know there are different options out there – but maybe they are a little too unknown.
If I’m honest, that’s why I kept my old watch for so long. I brought it on the 1stanniversary of my business – in shock really that I was still in business – and wanting to mark the occasion.
For the last few years, it has run slow. Without my glasses, I can’t see the date. Trying to change the date without changing the time was a frustrating challenge for me which usually resulted in giving up and having the wrong date and time!
I’ve now gone digital. Easy to read time and date, funky options for the face, interchangeable straps – the positives are endless! Why didn’t I make the change before and reap the benefits sooner? Well better late than not at all!
Which got me thinking about employers looking for new talent.
When sharing the positives of Growing Talent with employers, I’m met with the same expressions I had over changing my watch.
It’s tough to make a change, do things differently and take a fresh approach even in conjunction with – not in place of – existing recruitment practices.
With increased costs of employing someone in the UK soon to come into force, it’s even more pivotal to employ those who fit your role, business and team and vice versa.
But, how do you know someone before you’ve employed them?
A key problem for employers.
For those with roles to fill in London, the solution could be @Growing_Talent. Check out the benefits below:
Zero cost
A four-part getting to know you event
A profile sheet showcasing the individual’s skills, attributes and potential
Slow dating style 1st stage selection – quality time building on the connections already made
1-2-1 final selection stage – in-depth exploration of each other
Robust pre-onboarding covering workplace, life skills and qualification in mental health and wellbeing
A dedicated mentor for you and your selected participant
Weekly mutual reviews to audit progress
Access to a wider, diverse talent pool
Increase your social mobility investment
Sets you apart from your competitors
Enhances your brand reputation
Higher retention of new joiners
On going support
Does your existing recruitment process offer all of this?
If you have a role based in London, why not try @Growing_Talent out?
Get in touch for more details. Next programme commences early February 2025.
Times are challenging for both employers seeking new talent to fit their business and unemployed people looking for a role they can grow into a career and close their own social mobility gap.
The introduction of higher employers NI means careful consideration of who to employ and when.
For those looking to secure employment will there be less roles to apply for?
Will there still be a need to supply a cv? – difficult with gaps caused by life’s curve balls.
Will they get a response rather than a profound silence to their applications?
If they get an interview – how are they going to overcome their lack of confidence to showcase their hidden talent and potential?
For over 10 years, Growing Talent has been enabling and empowering both sides to break through those challenges.
Mark, on the current Growing Talent, shares his experience so far in the photo shown.
We ripped up the traditional recruitment ‘rule book’. No cv. No formal job interview. No assumptions.
Growing Talent puts employers and those seeking work on a level, ‘uncomfortable’ playing field.
At our in-person getting to know you event, employers have to stand and deliver a talk on their own journey to their role (no notes), give a clear insight into their company and role they are recruiting for. Whilst they go for a refreshment break, everyone else is put into small groups to devise an idea to improve London. Would you be able to do this after just 1 hour working with people you had not met before? The employers return and listen to the innovative ideas before networking together over juice and nibbles.
Each gets to know the other much more confidently than a cv or formal job interview would ever deliver. This makes the recruitment stage experience (slow dating and 1-2-1s) more fun and raises the confidence of all.
Sponsored by business (thanks Allen and Adam), there is no risk of ‘double funding’ enabling charities and community partners to collaborate with us without risk to their funding.
🎯 unemployed people into sustainable employment 🎯 workplace teams to be more cohesive 🎯 1:1 ADHD coaching to work with, rather than against, unique brains
– is the collaboration with everyone, sharing knowledge to empower each other. Whilst others learn from me, I also learn from them.
Even more breathtaking to me is receiving a comment from someone I’m in awe of. Leanne Maskell the trailblazing activist for neurodivergence and founder of ADHD Works – who trained me to be one of their certified ADHD Coaches:
“Thank you for sharing this Jane – so grateful to have people like you in the world!”
What was the post I wrote that drew this comment?
It focussed on someone I’m currently delivering 1:1 ADHD Coaching to in line with their preference of using text and voice notes.
Throughout my entire career coaching close to 1,000 people into work through commercial recruitment, unique employment programmes like the Real Apprentice and currently Growing Talent, the hundreds of workplace personnel I’ve trained in proactive mind health i-act (for positive mental health and wellbeing) training. Mental Health Training and the courageous people learning to understand and tame their neurodivergence, the following three traits have been front and centre of everything I do:
🎯 lead with kindness and empathy 🎯 meet people where they are – everyone is unique, the way they are coached should be too 🎯 empower people to grow in confidence and become independent of me
What has been front and centre of your style working with others?
